Resetting Lady - Chapter 181

Of course, when taking a calculating approach to this, he might be right. It would be unreasonable to kill everyone when there were so many to be dealt with. Verdic hadn’t come alone, and he was a completely different person from Nancy or Tom, whom Carynne had killed before.

Verdic was a middle-aged man with a prominent social position. Killing him might lead to uncontrollable consequences, just like the incident with Crown Prince Gueuze a few loops ago.

Maybe it’s better to just let Verdic continue living

However, however…

Carynne did not want to be understanding.

It’s frustrating.

“Carynne.”

“Yes.”

Raymond bowed his head. Carynne met his eyes.

“What I meant to say is… I’m sorry for that. There are many things that I can’t help but be ashamed of.”

Carynne responded with an expressionless face to that not-so-funny remark.

“…Yes.”

“I told you that I’d make you smile.”

Needless to say, Carynne was not smiling. It wasn’t a situation to smile about. She was genuinely upset with Raymond. He didn’t say important things and behaved in an incomprehensible way.

“Your jokes are not funny.”

Raymond chuckled with a slight hint of bitterness. There was a somewhat embarrassed expression on his face—somehow, his appearance right now reminded her of an expression an adolescent boy might make.

Raymond gently stroked Carynne’s cheek.

“There are parts I don’t want to show you, and there are things I want to do on my own. But it seems like I kept too much of it to myself.”

Raymond pursed his lips as he stared into Carynne’s eyes. Then, he brushed her hair behind her ear. He looked like he didn’t know what to say.

After staring like that for a while, Raymond finally lowered his eyes.

And slowly, he said to Carynne,

“Verdic won’t last long. You don’t need to be so impatient.”

The voice that whispered in her ears…

It was as gentle as it was cruel.

* * *

Verdic won’t ever find his daughter again.

Until the day he dies, he will search tirelessly, endlessly for his beloved daughter.

He will not eat or drink, and he will not be able to sleep.

Because if he does, then he may fail to find his daughter.

She’s possibly suffering somewhere, alive—that’s what he must be thinking.

He will keep living a life in which he can do nothing but keep searching.

And he won’t be able to give up.

To ensure that he won’t give up, I plan to help him. Just a little.

He will continue to hold on to hope. He will never give up. He will continue searching.

Forever.

Even so, he will never find her.

Don’t you worry, Carynne. He will be trapped in a true, genuine living hell.

I’ve already confirmed it.

Death is too much of an easy respite for the likes of him. Don’t you agree?

* * *

“I knew it. That woman was Carynne Hare.”

“It’s not certain yet.”

Even with Lind’s negating words, Verdic shook his head. There was no need to be more cautious at this point. This part needed a decisive conclusion to move his work forward.

“Carynne Hare has gone missing, and a woman who can’t properly state her identity has appeared elsewhere—a woman that looks like the spitting image of Carynne Hare. Wouldn’t it be better to just think of them as the same person?”

“But why would she be in this region instead?”

“Do you think I know?”

Verdic immersed himself in thought while looking at the report. He had to think. Why was that woman in Raymond’s mansion?

He didn’t know where they might’ve missed something.

Raymond and Carynne.

The only one entangling them was Verdic himself. How did they get involved?

“It’s suspicious, but what’s important is Isella’s whereabouts. Even if this woman is related to Raymond, that’s a problem for later.”

The clock was ticking.

Verdic recalled what Raymond had said—that there was some business he needed to attend to.

But Verdic knew most of Raymond’s schedule. He usually took on unofficial tasks when Verdic and Crown Prince Gueuze’s plans were aligned.

Most of the time, it’s because there was a need to test out a new weapon, and Raymond was the suitable experimental rat for the job. But this time, Crown Prince Gueuze hadn’t mentioned anything to Verdic.

Who, then, gave him the task? Marquis Penceir, perhaps?

Regardless, the point was that Raymond wasn’t in the mansion at the moment.

For that matter, why did he leave his house empty?

The Tes Manor was normally staffed with at least fifty servants.

But why was there only one woman?

What was he hiding?

“Baron Raymond Saytes mentioned that he’ll be away for a while.”

Verdic informed his subordinates. The men exchanged glances. Only one woman was left in the baron’s mansion. There was no reason for them to be concerned.

“Understood. Then it should be enough for just one of us to go.”

One man was enough to deal with just one woman. And with six armed men on their side, there would be no problems at all.

However, Verdic shook his head. There could be an unknown variable somewhere.

“Send a telegram to my mansion. Tell them I need five more men here—the ones who can keep their mouths shut.”

“How do you plan to proceed, Master?”

“I’ll be searching the Saytes mansion personally. Of course, I’ll investigate that woman who calls herself Carrie, too.”

Verdic was determined to investigate thoroughly.

No matter what he’d find there.

Even in the worst-case scenario, Verdic had to take action.

There might be more people other than just Raymond and Carynne in that mansion.

“Contact Prince Gueuze as well. Tell him I’ll provide a chest of gold and all the artifacts and artworks I’ve been talking about. Ask him to lend us some manpower.”

“…Are you sure about this?”

Verdic grabbed Lind’s collar. Sure about what? Sure about spending that money? Or sure about Isella? Each question that the aide uttered angered him to the degree that it was unbearable. How could any of this be fine! But these damn idiots were nodding off in front of Verdic.

In the end, no matter how much money he gave them, no matter how much he threatened and intimidated them, since the person involved now was not part of their families, they were incomparably more indifferent than Verdic.

Verdic could not bear to see it. How could these damn mongrels act so nonchalant with a straight face? Why were they fine?

“You… Never open that yapper of yours without thinking about it first. Got it?”

Lind nodded.

Verdic had to find her.

His eyes were bloodshot, and a bitter taste lingered in his mouth. It had been so long since he had slept a full night.

But even so, he couldn’t fall asleep. He didn’t know where his daughter was waiting for him.

* * *

Carynne had a duty to be moved by Raymond’s love.

No matter how intense that love might be.

To Carynne, he was always kind. But to others, he was cruel. That made him the perfect male protagonist. A man who was kind only to her.

Whatever he did, it was all for Carynne alone, even if she didn’t understand, or even if she tried to keep him away.

His love was absolute. His love was perfect.

Carynne had an obligation to reciprocate his love.

But sighs and sorrow didn’t cease. It wasn’t because Carynne was a forgiving and loving saintess even to her enemies.

The image of the knight Carynne loved was consistent yet upside-down. It was heartbreaking.

The knight Carynne loved was now insane, all for the sole reason of Carynne herself. She bemoaned the fact that his methods didn’t seem right.

If Carynne could remember all her deaths…

Then, Raymond could remember them all, too.

Carynne died even on the day she had been completely confined to a single room.

Back when she was exactly 117, something went wrong. Before that loop, the day of her death was absolute—it could not happen a day early or a day late. But of course, when this absolute rule was broken right after that, she had started to move recklessly.

In this life, if she were to hold on and endure until that predetermined day, would everything be different? Unlike all the other times, would she be able to survive past that day?

She was anxious because there was no answer to her questions. She couldn’t be sure.

She desperately wanted to succeed, but the only certainty she could cling onto was the fact that her mother had escaped from the curse of a repeated life only after giving birth to her.

But Carynne was barren. Since Dullan made her barren, the end for her would not come. Even if she married Dullan, the answer would not come. That guy could remember nothing. And even if she were to change anything, no one knew what exactly would change.

All she could do now was wait until that day.

But this time, could it possibly be a different day?

Even if it was, there’s just one thing she had to do now.