Resetting Lady

Hearing what Carynne said, Raymond stiffened for a moment. And after a while, he stammered through his words.

“It’s, well, um… No… I just first want to make sure that you won’t die in a year’s time, so…”

“I’m joking. You don’t have to take it so seriously. I already guessed what you had in mind when you said it.”

“Yes…”

Carynne pinched Raymond on the back of his hand. His grip on the horse’s reins lurched, but he soon straightened himself up.

“Sir Raymond, you must have aged. I surmised that you’d be no fun once you get older, but you’ve exceeded my expectations.”

“…Carynne, you’re joking, right?”

“I’m serious this time.”

“……”

“I’ll hit you as a joke if you want. But anyway, even with your obsession, Sir Raymond, I’ll let you off. Because you’re handsome.”

The obsession that Raymond had was different from Crown Prince Gueuze. Rather than a dark dungeon, his was a greatly expansive greenhouse. It was not to monopolize, but to protect.

Carynne knew the full extent of this man’s love. And, of course, appearance matters in this equation.

“It’s an honor.”

“But I won’t pardon the same thing once you get older.”

“It’ll be alright. I’m still handsome even when I get old.”

Raymond answered, quite sure of himself. His conviction in that statement was borderline shameless.

“Wow… Such confidence.”

“It’s true.”

Raymond laughed. Carynne could feel his laughter behind her.

He laughed for a long time, then he spoke again.

“And, I must ask you. Please don’t take your own life again. My life span is too long, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold out any longer. All I could think about was how excruciating it would be to live for a long time once more if I was late this time again.”

“What?”

“Promises are meant to be kept. And it doesn’t mean you can coerce someone else into ending your life either.”

Carynne thought to herself for a moment, then she understood what he was saying.

After she had plummeted from the tower and died, she had ended her own life several times through Nancy’s or Borwen’s hands.

It was just as Raymond said. Carynne deliberately tried not to think of him ever since she came back to life.

But if she just hadn’t acted hastily back then, she would have reunited with him sooner.

“Ah, that… I think I died about five times… I didn’t know that you retained your memories, Sir Raymond…”

Carynne trailed off.

Until now, she was vaguely thinking that Raymond was the same Raymond she met at the age of 117. But after what he said just now…

“…Sir Raymond. How much do you remember?”

Carynne raised her head and looked at Raymond. His face was as beautiful as ever, and there was not a single sign of age on his skin.

However, as soon as Carynne looked at him, she could recognize that the years had passed by for him.

He was not the same man she met when she was 117.

Raymond could remember not just one life.

He was also speaking of his past self.

How old was this man now?

Raymond tightened his embrace around Carynne.

“Everything.”

While in his arms, Carynne saw Raymond’s expression. It felt as if she was looking down from the edge of a huge cliff.

A great deal of years had passed for him.

“I remember everything.”

Exhaustion was palpable in his voice.

“Right now, I don’t want to think about anything else, other than loving you.”

* * *

“Carynne.”

Raymond stepped closer to her. His fiancée. He knew. It’s already too late. She’s dead. He saw that height. He heard the sound.

No, I don’t know yet. I need to check.

“Carynne.”

Raymond stepped closer to Carynne. He looked at the girl who he loved—what seemed to be the girl he loved. He placed two fingers on her neck. There’s a pulse. She was breathing.

But it was much too faint.

“Everything’s alright, Carynne.”

It can’t possibly be alright. It’s already over. Shut up.

“Take my hand. Carynne? Please keep your eyes open. Don’t drift off to sleep. Can you move your eyes for me?”

“Sir Raymond…”

Behind him, Zion feebly called his name. Raymond turned his head to look at Zion, whose expression was disastrous.

At the soldier’s expression that seemed like he was consoling him, Raymond roared out with a bitter cry.

“Call a doctor! She’s not dead yet!”

However, a terrible sound slowly came from behind him. The sound of feet dragging on the ground. The sound of holy robes being dragged.

That man. He was the only doctor in this place. Raymond was overcome with the pressing urge to kill that man.

However, there was something else that man needed to do before his death.

“Re… Reverend… Please… Please…”

“I-I-It’s… It’s already hopeless.”

And there’s only one thing that you can do for her.

* * *

The forest was dark and wide. Carynne was sitting in front of Raymond. The horse wasn’t running fast, but it still kept enough speed.

“Ack.”

“Be careful.”

“Yes.”

As Carynne wasn’t very good at horseback riding, she focused on balancing herself on the horse. But as the speed gradually slowed down, she could afford to let her mind drift to other things.

“Sir Raymond, what are you thinking of doing from now on?”

“I intend to be by your side from now on.”

The answer he gave was firm. But, little by little, Carynne couldn’t help but be aware of their reality.

Just as it was uncomfortable for her to ride a horse even if she’d try, what you can’t do just can’t be done.

“I… truthfully… Well, realistically speaking. Isn’t it impossible for you to keep being by my side, Sir Raymond?”

No matter how hard she thought about it, it was impossible. Even if Raymond would quit everything, he was not the king. And it’s impossible for him to be king. There was a place where he belonged, and there were many people he was involved with. Even if he was living his life anew, it was just impossible.

It was for the same reason that Carynne, too, never failed to become a maid in the Evans household several times, and she always entered high society at around the same time. Furthermore, Raymond was involved in many more things than Carynne.

But, perhaps.

Carynne thought about how Raymond had lived quite a long time. On her part, after she had lived for 117 years, there was nothing to do, so she started killing people. It didn’t matter to her if she’d be jailed and executed for her actions.

Was Raymond of the same mindset now too?

Was he acting recklessly and without a second thought now?

Carynne gulped. If he had committed any crimes, this time, the one who’d be on death row was going to be Raymond.

“By any chance, you didn’t desert the military, did you?”

“I did no such thing,” Raymond answered immediately, then added. “Once we go home, they’ll come for me, not you.”

“But I haven’t done anything wrong in this life yet, have I?” Carynne retorted with a smirk.

“…Ah, that’s true. Um, in any case, I didn’t desert. I decided to use all of my vacation days since I’m about to retire anyway. And my retirement will automatically be processed through paperwork.”

The explanation was more mundane and more anchored on common sense than she previously thought. Carynne sighed slightly, perhaps because of a sense of relief.

“That’s possible?”

“I filed for a leave that’s as long as possible. I’ll be fine for about three months. I’ll have to do one thing throughout those three months, but it’s nothing big.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I confirmed it twice.”

“Confirmed how…”

“In my previous life. I don’t think it’ll make a vast difference even if I’m not there. Well, actually, it’s more of a hopeful guess.”

He added the last part a little pessimistically. But still, it sounded convincing enough.

Was it because of his lack of confidence in that regard?

“…Then, I’d rather disappear from the social scene, too.”

“Yes, that’s possible as well.”

“Are you being considerate towards me?”

“…Yes. I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re doing great.”

That’s what she said, but it was actually hard for Carynne to take this in stride. She was holding back from asking too much, but it was better to ask him about the elephant in the room for the sake of their future and their relationship.

Carynne raised her head. She looked straight into Raymond’s green eyes.

“…Sir Raymond.”

“Yes.”

“How old are you right now?”

Raymond pondered for a moment before replying.

“…I don’t quite know. I didn’t keep track.”

Carynne balked at his answer.

“By any chance… Umm… I, well, I lived for over a century… And from when I fell from the tower, I was 117 years old, so I remember that I regressed 100 times.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And since then, I’ve died five more times in quick successions.”

“Yes. Please never do that again. I thought I was late again this time.”

Raymond’s tone was gentle. However, Carynne was overcome by a sinking feeling.

A huge number was vaguely encroaching on her mind.

“Sir Raymond… I have to ask… Did you go back to the past 100 times… while remembering everything that happened in your repeated lives since then?”