Resetting Lady

* * *

“Indeed, it seems now isn’t the right time. And since Sir Raymond has done a favor for me, I’m fine with leaving it at that.”

The servant stayed silent. Truthfully, he knew that if Gueuze had gotten close to Carynne, he would be so overwhelmed by desire that he wouldn’t know what to do. But, well, he was in no position to say such a thing.

“I shall take my leave.”

“Very well. By the way, what did Verdic say? How did he feel about his ten chests of gold becoming property of the state?”

“…He did not say anything.”

“He must be very proud, working for the state. How rewarding that must be.”

Gueuze laughed heartily, delighted beyond measure. He liked this kind of thing. Seeing a trusting face twist into despair.

Whispering into the ear of his dying son that ‘Sir Raymond has betrayed you’ was a very enjoyable thing to do.

Smiling and saying ‘You only have one son left now’ to a grieving father was incredibly satisfying.

And the fact that his accomplice was none other than Raymond himself was, truly, almost happiness.

“Well, I thought Sir Raymond… no, Baron Raymond resembled Prince Lewis more.”

The taste of power he felt after a long time was exhilarating. He enjoyed manipulating the fates of others, finding it much more fulfilling than toying with powerless prostitutes or foreigners.

“But it turns out he resembles me more. When I looked closely, his face is quite similar to mine when I was younger.”

When Gueuze had raised a glass for a toast, his subjects bowed their heads, congratulating him with such reverence.

He disliked his own ‘son’. And naturally, he also disliked Raymond, whom his ‘son’ favored. But after understanding why Lewis liked Raymond, he found no reason to hate him anymore.

Lewis admired Raymond. But people who were simply capable and handsome were plentiful in this country. The reason the prince was so fond of Raymond was because Raymond resembled his father.

Or rather, his older brother.

“So, that’s why Lewis liked him so much.”

What a pity.

His laughter was unstoppable.

* * *

Verdic had spent his entire fortune.

Marquis Penceir was a noble who could have been a competitor to Crown Prince Gueuze. The next in line for the throne was far down the succession and a foreigner. As long as Gueuze remained powerful, there was no chance for him to become king, but Prince Lewis’s murder created a huge scandal.

Rumors were rampant that Marquis Penceir had schemed to become king, but these did not last long.

Shortly after Prince Lewis’s death, Marquis Penceir’s carriage overturned, paralyzing his lower body.

“It’s been a long time since we last met.”

Marquis Penceir looked sharply at Verdic, who had come to see him. They did not hide their dislike for each other.

“…I didn’t expect you to come looking for me.”

“Marquis Penceir, do you think that the carriage accident was a coincidence?”

“If you know something, it’s better to speak directly rather than beat around the bush.”

Verdic shared everything he had discovered.

When a wealthy merchant, rich enough to be envied by royalty, spends almost his entire fortune gathering information, stories start to emerge from everywhere.

It wasn’t easy to find the truth, but Verdic was driven by the heart of a parent who had lost his child.

When Verdic handed over the chests of gold, one of Gueuze’s subordinates inevitably opened up.

I’ll use everything I have for vengeance.

Verdic wanted revenge.

But there was something more pressing he had to do first.

“Where are you going! We haven’t even properly conducted Isella’s funeral yet!”

His wife cried out in anger. Verdic patted her shoulder once and stood up.

* * *

“I didn’t expect you to come today.”

“Come out right now… And it would be wise to take your hands off her.”

Verdic was pointing a gun at Raymond, not an axe. Behind him stood numerous soldiers, Marquis Penceir’s troops.

Raymond smiled bitterly.

“Hmm… As expected, Carynne’s presence created such variables. I didn’t expect you to come.”

“Take your hands off her, and come out.”

Verdic aimed the gun.

No matter how agile Raymond was, it was impossible to dodge a bullet at this distance.

And even if he was a sharpshooter, the difference between a person with a gun and one without was clear.

Currently, Verdic had come with dozens of trained soldiers.

“Release Carynne Hare right now!”

* * *

The inconceivable happened.

* * *

Verdic held Isella in his arms and cried.

How could you do this to Isella? Why must my daughter suffer such a fate? A young, innocent girl with no grudges against anyone. The sinner should be me, shouldn’t I be the one to bear all this?

Then he realized.

The sinner was himself.

Verdic had never felt guilt before. The opulent life of a wealthy merchant oppressed by nobles and royalty was exhausting, barely able to breathe unless he clawed and bit for everything. Everything was a means to an end. There was no need for reasons to increase the family’s wealth. For the value of the Evans family, he, his father, even his wife, had strived.

People hanging themselves after being ruined by usury, daughters unable to repay debts being sold to brothels, unending conflicts, outbreaks of epidemics—none of it mattered much to Verdic.

Isella ended up like this because she was born his daughter.

Verdic vowed revenge against Raymond and Crown Prince Gueuze.

But there was something he had to do first.

“If that woman is still there.”

Marquis Penceir spoke as if it was obvious. He knew Crown Prince Gueuze well.

“Raymond must be keeping her to hand over to Crown Prince Gueuze. I’ll send people to watch. If the moment comes when Raymond Saytes hands her over, we can catch solid evidence.”

“……”

Verdic remained silent. Marquis Penceir seemed slightly surprised by his expression.

“You don’t mean to say…”

Isella died while chasing after Raymond.

Raymond had handed her over.

Then the woman who’s there now…

Verdic recalled that girl who was his daughter’s age—the one he had rescued from the water.

Saving her life was one of the few good deeds he had done in his life.

He thought of how Carynne kept desperately defending Raymond with unbelievable lies.

Her actions were similar to how his daughter Isella had been, helplessly in love with Raymond.

“Let that woman go, you bastard.”

* * *

He could not cry. Now was not the time to weep. Now was not the time for regrets.

Raymond embraced Carynne.

Look, Carynne.

Miracles happen in life.

That Verdic… never once before… haha.

Verdic came to save you. Life is truly unpredictable. Even after living seven whole millennia, I’ve never seen anything like it. To find kindness in someone you never expected, truly, how joyous…

Carynne.

Verdic came to save you.

Such miracles do happen.

It would have been great if you could see this.

* * *

“…Cleaning is indeed not an easy task.”

Raymond spoke while mopping the floor and wiped the bloodstains off his face. He also needed to open the windows. The stench of blood was overwhelming.

“One, two… well, the marquis underestimated me too much. Just thirty men?”

How could Raymond die in his own house? Having returned, Raymond had set up numerous devices in the house.

Raymond piled up the bodies neatly. Even for him, cleaning such a large quantity was not easy.

After a long cleanup, Raymond opened a bag. Inside, a person was stored.

“Do you know?”

“……”

“Torture, you see, is actually impossible to endure. The hero of all those epics, the unyielding soldier who doesn’t answer to any torture… He doesn’t really exist. My superiors don’t trust me, and I don’t trust my subordinates either. It’s not because the person is weak, but because that’s the nature of torture.”

Raymond held a hammer in his hand.

“That’s why a competent superior must manage the distribution of information well.”

Carynne was too soft-hearted to conduct proper torture. That task should have been left to Raymond from the start.

Thus, he made his way towards Dullan.

And saw his own reflection in the priest’s black eyes.

—The visage of a demon.

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