The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 17: Before I Knew It

When I woke up, Iris and Fiera were silently drinking their beverages.

“Iris, have the discussions concluded?”

I sat up, having dispelled the water pillow, and asked if the meeting was over.

“Yes, it just finished.”

“I see. Then let’s head home soon. Fiera, thanks for accompanying us today. It’s nothing special, but I’ll cover the meal expenses.”

“Mm. Thanks.”

Just as I stood up, suddenly, Iris, who was sitting next to me, grabbed my hand and pulled me closer.

“May I ask you something?”

“W-what is it?”

Surprised by the sudden action, I placed one hand on the table and met Iris’s gaze.

“Why is Fiera not using honorifics, yet you are speaking to me with them?”

“Well, it’s only because Iris is a noble, whereas Fiera is an adventurer friend, making the honorifics unnecessary.”

“Then, since I’m your fiancée and future wife, please drop the honorifics!”

“…Huh? Wife?”

“Of course. Is there something wrong with that?”

As Iris stated, considering we are engaged, it’s not incorrect for her to become my wife in the future.

(While it’s not wrong, thinking about what lies ahead… it seems impossible.)

Knowing the future, I can confidently say there’s no way she’ll choose me to marry.

After all, despite rewinding my life multiple times, she has never once chosen me.

“So, as my wife, you don’t need to use honorifics. Please, speak casually like with Fiera.”

“…Hah. Got it. Is this good?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Iris seemed satisfied with my change in speech and released my arm, flashing a bright smile.

After that, having completed our scheduled matters, we parted ways with Fiera and returned to the mansion.

The days following the introduction of Fiera to Iris passed without incident.

Iris would always come to watch me train, and during other times, she spent a lot of time with my mother, helping her and enjoying tea parties in the greenhouse.

It seemed like my mother adored Iris, treating her like her own daughter, making me feel like the external layers were steadily being filled in.

(Well, that will likely change when we enter the academy.)

Once at the academy, Iris would meet that protagonist.

And they would undoubtedly fall in love and leave my side.

Knowing that, I figured it was fine to let her do as she pleased for now.

Before I knew it, a week had passed since Iris arrived, and the day for her departure had come.

Our family stood in front of the mansion, watching as she got into the carriage.

“Then, Lord Lewis. I think this will be the last time I see you for a while. Please take care of yourself. And I hope your father and mother are doing well too.”

Iris started calling my parents “father” and “mother” after she had been actively helping them since her arrival, and they encouraged her to call them that.

“Thank you. Iris, please return safely.”

“Please take care of your health too, Iris.”

“Thank you very much.”

With those final words, Iris climbed into the carriage. Once I confirmed she was on board, the coachman signaled the horses, and they took off.

(Hmph. With this, I likely won’t see her again until we enter the academy. In the meantime, I’ll go dungeon diving with Fiera.)

With Iris gone, I decided to seriously pursue dungeon exploration and resolved to visit Fiera the very next day.

The following day, I left the mansion, leaving a clone behind, and headed to the inn where Fiera was staying.

“Fiera, you in there?”

“Here! Come on in!”

Getting her permission, I opened the door to find her sitting on the bed, still unprepared.

I took a seat on the empty chair and asked her about what had happened while we hadn’t seen each other.

“First off, how’s your guild rank?”

“Mm. All set!”

She said that and handed me her guild card, which I received to check the rank.

“Hmm. You’re properly an A rank. Did the exam go okay?”

“Yeah, all good! I defeated monsters and did well in the interview.”

“Was the escort alright?”

Recalling my experience when Izera tried to kill me, I asked, but felt relieved when I heard the name of her escort.

“Yeah, it was fine. Randull was keeping a close eye on me.”

“Randull, huh? He’s reliable enough.”

Randull was someone who had a bad demeanor but had taught me a lot when I went to register as an adventurer.

“Ah, he also sends his regards to Eir.”

“Is that so? Next time I see him, maybe I should treat him to a drink.”

After continuing to chat about everything except the days when Iris came to visit, I finally moved on to the main topic.

“Fiera, let’s hit the dungeon starting today.”

“The dungeon…”

“Yeah. Now that you’re an A rank, I had originally planned to raise your rank for this very purpose. What do you think?”

“Got it! I’ll get ready, so wait outside!”

Excited at the prospect of going to the dungeon, Fiera’s tail twitched with anticipation as she prepared.

I stepped out of the room and waited downstairs, and shortly after, Fiera came down, all set.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

“Don’t worry about it; I wasn’t waiting long. Now then, let’s hit the guild first.”

“Got it!”

We left the inn and headed to the Adventurers’ Guild, buying potions and supplies along the way.

Upon entering the guild, we made our way to the reception where Sheila was working.

“Good morning, Sheila!”

“Oh! Eir! It’s been a while! I was worried since you hadn’t come lately!”

“Haha, I just couldn’t make it due to some circumstances. But thanks for your concern!”

“N-no, it’s totally fine! As your attendant, it’s natural! So, what brings you here today?”

“I’m here to register Fiera for the dungeon.”

As I explained, Fiera stepped in and handed her guild card to Sheila.

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

Sheila took the card from Fiera and, just as she did for me, placed it on a special magical tool, which gleamed slightly before returning to normal.

“Your registration is complete! Are you heading out now?”

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

“Got it! Well then, take care and have a good trip!”

“Thank you!”

“Thanks!”

Waving goodbye to Sheila, we exited the Adventurers’ Guild and jogged towards the dungeon as a warm-up.

“Fiera, have you gotten faster again?”

“Mm. I’ve been working hard. Did you slow down a bit?”

“Oh ho? You’re getting bold, huh? Alright, I’ll kick it up a gear, so keep up.”

“Okay!”

As we enhanced our physical abilities, we took off at a speed incomparable to before.

“Phew. That was a good warm-up.”

“Mm. It warmed me up nicely.”

“So, how much do you know about this dungeon?”

“Most of the monsters are made of ice and snow. Ice monsters, mimicking real monsters, are hard and durable.

It’s always snowing inside, making movement tricky, so you need to be careful not to get your feet stuck or lose visibility. Plus, the cold quickly saps your body heat, so it’s dangerous.”

“Mm. You seem to have a good grasp on things. Just be mindful; the snow makes it hard to hear monster footsteps, so watch out for surprises.”

“Understood!”

“Okay. Let’s go then.”

Having confirmed the precautions, we passed through the gate of the dungeon and entered together.