Resetting Lady

Raymond stood in the empty room.

There was no one. Carynne was supposed to be in this room. Not only that, but there should have been countless bodies hanging here as well.

But there was nothing.

Why?

He was confused, but knowing that nothing was here meant he no longer had any reason to stay. Raymond quickly scanned the room and stepped out.

Raymond exited Crown Prince Gueuze’s secret chamber. He had been relieved it wasn’t locked, but that wasn’t the point. It hadn’t been necessary to lock it in the first place. So where could Carynne be now?

First, he needed to get out of the room. Raymond carefully restored the room to its original state and stood up. He needed to think.

Raymond left the room. Or rather, he tried to.

“Sir Raymond?”

Why had that boy shown up here?

“…Greetings, Your Highness, Prince Lewis.”

Of all people, why did it have to be Prince Lewis?

Raymond cursed inwardly. Prince Lewis was looking up at him, questioning him. Unfortunately, he had caught Raymond coming out of the room. Raymond didn’t want to confront this boy.

Prince Lewis would never become king.

Raymond had experienced countless futures. He had lived through the aftermath of Carynne’s death as well. So many lives had passed since then. Although there were slight differences, the hundred lives in which Carynne died were always similar. Even in the five lives where he particularly retained memories of the past, it was the same.

Prince Lewis would never, ever become king.

Thus, he could never be important to Raymond. Not long after Carynne’s death, Crown Prince Gueuze would kill his own son and take the throne.

And after some time, Marquis Penceir would kill Crown Prince Gueuze and take the throne. The son of Marquis Penceir would become the next king, and the defense of the borders, once managed by Marquis Penceir, would weaken, leading to endless conflicts.

In Raymond’s decades, centuries, and millennia of life, Prince Lewis had little impact. Raymond used to enjoy showing compassion, but those feelings had long been swept away by time.

This boy would always and forever remain a boy, and Raymond no longer felt guilt.

Thus, he had chosen to focus on Crown Prince Gueuze over Prince Lewis. Even though Gueuze was vile and disgusting, it was simply easier to deal with him in a businesslike manner for the sake of his goals. Knowing that Gueuze’s life wouldn’t be long helped him endure. Just as he had given up on his older brother, he had given up on Prince Lewis as well.

“What brings you here, Sir Raymond? This is my father’s room. There’s no lesson today, is there?”

Prince Lewis asked, but his expression was more accusatory than curious. Raymond thought about the dagger hidden in his coat. If it came to it, killing Prince Lewis and escaping might be the best option.

“…Your Highness.”

Raymond glanced outside the room. There was no one there. Prince Lewis had entered the room alone, without an attendant. Killing him wouldn’t be a problem. Prince Lewis would die at a mere gesture from Raymond. Kill him quickly and then find Carynne.

Raymond looked at Prince Lewis’s white, slender neck. It reminded him of a fledgling deer. His eyes were gentle, and he didn’t suspect for a moment that Raymond might harm him. It would be quick. After all, he was destined to die soon anyway.

“In fact, I have something to tell you. Come closer.”

“What is it?”

Raymond stared at Prince Lewis’s neck. He seemed slightly frightened. Perhaps Raymond was imagining it because he felt that way himself.

“I want you to do what you love.”

At that moment, Carynne’s voice filled Raymond’s mind.

Carynne didn’t fully understand how broken Raymond had become. What Raymond had revealed to Carynne was just a small part of it. Even with that, Carynne had been saddened. She had pushed herself so hard because she thought Raymond was doing things he didn’t want to do because of her.

She had tried to befriend Isella, to forgive Verdic, and to pay attention to her own family. Raymond, thinking her efforts were in vain, still went along with them.

Raymond thought he had reached his limit, but seeing the young Prince Lewis, who reminded him of his once pure past, made him want to follow her words.

* * *

“Sir Raymond?”

“…Your Highness.”

Raymond looked at Prince Lewis. He could snap his neck and kill him instantly. Prince Lewis had seen him, and not just anywhere, but coming out of Crown Prince Gueuze’s room.

If this got out, especially to Crown Prince Gueuze, it would be the end for Raymond. Even if it only reached Marquis Penceir, his life could still be in danger. In the past, he had done more work for Marquis Penceir, but not in this life.

He was confused. Killing Prince Lewis and escaping might be the best option, but it wasn’t what Carynne would want. Raymond didn’t want to do it either. He staggered as he took a step forward.

Where could Carynne be? Even thinking about it was exhausting and overwhelming. He just wanted to stop thinking and be by her side.

“Sir Raymond! Where are you going? My father is attending the banquet right now, so why were you in his room?”

“Your Highness, I don’t know.”

Raymond continued walking. Where should he go now? Why wasn’t Carynne in the basement? Had Crown Prince Gueuze already killed her? Or taken her elsewhere? Raymond kept walking. Where… Where should he go first? What should he do?

“Sir Raymond?”

“Good evening… Lady Elva.”

“I didn’t expect to see you today, Sir.”

It was a familiar face. This made it even harder to kill everyone he encountered. With the arrival of Lady Elva, Prince Lewis’s attention was diverted from Raymond.

Raymond greeted Lady Elva and quickly grabbed one of the bombs he had planted earlier. He needed to remove it.

“What’s that?”

“It’s nothing. Just something I dropped earlier. It’s a bit dangerous, so I’d suggest you step back.”

“Oh my, you should be more careful. Even if it’s military equipment, if something serious happens, you could be executed.”

“Thank you for the wise advice.”

Raymond was slightly shocked by his own actions. Even in this situation, he was thinking about removing the bomb. He gave a bitter smile. Lady Elva quickly turned her attention from him and warmly greeted Prince Lewis, who was standing behind him.

“Oh my, Your Highness Lewis. It’s been a while.”

“Hello, Lady Elva. How is Lady Lianne?”

“She’s been wanting to see you so much, Your Highness. But she didn’t come today.”

“To attend the banquet?”

“Yes. This isn’t really a place for Lianne. I won’t be staying long myself.”

“Alright, I’m thinking of hosting a tea party soon, so it would be nice to see Lianne there.”

“I’m very much looking forward to it.”

Lady Elva and Prince Lewis exchanged light conversation. Raymond turned away and walked as he pulled out a few notes from his coat that Zion had left behind. There were three. They had been placed at regular intervals according to the time.

Two of the notes were blank. From the time Zion was supposed to enter until the attendant had circled the area twice, Crown Prince Gueuze had not arrived. The last note had visible writing on it, even while folded.

As he had expected, Crown Prince Gueuze had arrived a bit late, so he was likely still in the banquet hall. Raymond unfolded the paper.

“Lady Elva doesn’t usually attend the banquets hosted by my father.”

“I heard this one might be a little different.”

“What’s different?”

“Well… it seems that…”

Lady Elva hesitated to speak to Prince Lewis, but he urged her to continue.

“It’s alright, go ahead.”

“He’s planning to introduce someone new to everyone.”

“…A woman, then. Do you think she might become my new stepmother?”

“I don’t think so. She’s still young and doesn’t come from a significant family.”

“Who is she?”

“Do you know Carynne Hare?”

Prince Lewis shook his head.

Raymond was grateful that his back was turned.

***

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