Resetting Lady

Ta-dak, tadak.

Carynne climbed up the tower’s spiral staircase, which seemingly went up… and up… and up… endlessly. Still, rather than a place of execution, it seemed to serve as a steadfast marker in the middle of the woods.

It was quite high. Her legs were starting to ache from all her climbing. She stopped.

“…It’s filthy…”

There was blood on the walls of the staircase. It seemed like they didn’t come in to clean this place often. Judging the height of the old bloodstains here, which were all brown and dried up, Carynne tried to make a guess on the height.

That is, the height of the person who died in this place earlier before herself. By her estimate, perhaps he had been a man of great stature. And he seemed to have struggled a lot before he kicked the bucket. Up top, there were quite a few messy marks left behind.

If she were to be told to die neatly, then so she shall. It’s fortunate enough that Verdic Evans wasn’t going to come to this place. She hated his presence at this time the most. Because she knew for sure that he’d deliberately bring a rusty, blunt axe to off her.

“Wonder if it’s through hanging again this time.”

As she was still on her way up the stairs, Carynne eventually came across a small window. Well, it’s rather generous to call it a window since the breadth of barely one arm could pass through it. Even so, there was enough space for a person to look through.

“Called it. Yep, hanging this time.”

What she didn’t expect though was that there were more people here to witness her death. The barracks nearby seemed to have been erected for a much longer stay. Still a lot less people compared to downtown though.

Carynne thought of it in a good way—how great was it that this huge crowd had come here especially to see her corpse? Truly, the bodies of women on death row could be used in various ways, not only as a spectacle.

“…Ha, haa. My legs hurt like hell.”

Finally, she reached the top. Carynne stood in front of the top floor’s sole door. There was just one room here. Was she going to get executed after staying here? The door was unlatched. Carynne entered the room. And she scowled.

“Why are you here?”

There was a man in a room.

One with an ever so familiar face.

Dullan.

Something felt off for Carynne here.

As Dullan was sitting inside the room until now, he rose to his feet and walked towards her.

“…I, I’m here as the p-priest in charge of… of your final… confession.”

Then, he untied the ropes on Carynne’s wrists. She wrapped a hand around one of her tingling wrists. Was it a good thing that he was here and not someone else? But, in any case, what meaning would there be that it’s not just some acquaintance, but Dullan himself?

“Ha. Sure. Whatever.”

“……”

“I got dragged here as soon as I was sentenced to death. It’s driving me nuts.”

“…Yes.”

Carynne sat down in the chair, still touching her tingling wrists. Dullan remained standing as there was only one chair inside the room. She looked up at Dullan.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

“……”

“Are executions usually conducted like this? I’ve watched a few other people get executed, but it’s my first time experiencing it myself. From what I gather, the more known the criminal is, the bigger the audience would be so that the criminal can be made an example.”

Carynne looked out of the window as she said this. This top floor was bigger and brighter than she had expected.

“I don’t think this is how it’s usually conducted for those sentenced to death.”

“T-That’s what you’re curious about?”

“Yeah.”

Dullan graciously answered her.

“I-I asked… Mister Verdic to organize this.”

“To have my execution done here?”

“T-That’s right.”

“Why?”

“So… So I can t-take it out on you… be, before you d-die.”

Carynne blinked.

“Wow.”

“……”

“You volunteered to do that?”

Dullan nodded.

“…Th, That’s right.”

Carynne was dumbfounded.

“…Mmh, so what you’re saying is, before I die… Ah, I got it.”

She knew it all too well. Carynne was well aware. Unlucky young women were always in danger of ‘this method’. And among all unlucky women, she was one of the unluckiest.

But of all people, for Dullan to say such a thing—Carynne was furious.

“So what are you going to do to me?”

“……”

Carynne tore a hand through her hair. An amalgamation of anger and irritation rose within her, and it was difficult to suppress.

She did not know why Dullan—who knew the truth behind her situation—was being like this to her. If he were to just let her die roughly, wasn’t she going to hell anyway?

“Then why don’t you take off your clothes now? Ah, seriously. I’m tired enough with Sir Raymond. Mister Verdic’s annoying, too. I’m going to be executed soon. Why are you all irritating me so much until the bitter end?”

“……”

Carynne jumped out of her seat and grabbed Dullan by the collar.

“Hey, just play with my corpse after I die. I’m too tired to do it right now. Why the hell are you doing this to me? Huh?”

Carynne was furious. Thus far, Carynne had not felt such anger at Dullan because of the many eventful things that had been happening one after another until now. And because Carynne was in a situation where she really can’t get all too angry.

“L-Let go of me.”

But after everything that Dullan did to her, Carynne could not help but get angry.

“You sent me to Crown Prince Gueuze, you brought Isella back to life, you put me on death row—you’ve just been dragging me here and there. Why are you so annoying? Huh? After this, what? You wanna relieve your lust before I die?”

SLAP!

Carynne grabbed Dullan by the collar and slapped him hard on one cheek.

“From the beginning… From the very beginning! I, I told you that I’d spread my legs for you if you want to sleep with me! You’re the one who didn’t want to! It’s all over! You’re useless! Just let me die already!”

“N-No.”

Dullan grabbed Carynne’s wrist. His strength overpowered her. He pressed Carynne down by her shoulder.

“…You, you haven’t answered me yet.”

As Dullan looked down at her and she glared up at him, she tried to calm her wheezing breath. She wanted to lop off Dullan’s head here and now. If only she could.

“What.”

“…True love.”

Carynne glared viciously at Dullan, but he merely stared at her with those black eyes, like endless chasms.

“D-Does Sir Raymond… love you?”

You haven’t answered yet.

Our wager is not yet over.

* * *

‘What do I do…’

Isella bit her nails anxiously. She paced back and forth inside one of the tents in the barracks. Too much happened while she was in that coma. Isella still could not believe that she had slept for seven months.

“Lily! Lily!”

“……”

“Y-You’re not there?”

Isella became discouraged when she realized that her maid did not come. It’s uncomfortable. It’s really uncomfortable in this tent.

Isella really didn’t want to come here, but ‘going out of her way to watch’ was her duty—her duty to carry out the revenge that her father spoke of. Isella had to take revenge against Carynne, and she would see the culmination of her revenge here.

Isella was not ready yet. Isella couldn’t bear to see injuries, let alone a corpse. However, Verdic refused to allow any more childishness from her. After all, she had become an adult already.

“Isella, stop biting your nails. It’s not a good look.”

Verdic rebuked her from the moment he stepped into the tent.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Isella took her thumb out of her mouth. It’s not long ago when Verdic had vowed to stop scolding his daughter, but it didn’t last long.

Isella looked around and asked.

“Father, what about Mother? She’s not coming?”

“That woman’s good at leaving the house, in any case.”

Verdic replied curtly.

“She’s not coming…”

Rather than her father, Isella wanted to see her mother more. She felt so anxious. Isella usually relied on Verdic more, but ever since she woke up from her coma, her father had become so frightening, and so unfamiliar.

“We’re going back home soon, too.”

“Okay…”

With tears welling up in her eyes as she looked up at her father, she answered.

Isella’s scared. She’s scared now, and she’s scared of what’s to come.

“We’re going back as soon as it’s over.”

Verdic’s voice was gentle, but his words were certainly not. He never once suggested that his daughter could go back and rest up first.

“As soon as it’s over.”

Verdic said this once more as he stared at the tower. His eyes contained firm resolve. Isella wiped off her sweaty palm on her skirt. Whenever her father had that expression on his face, something bad always happened.

“Look over there. Our revenge has already begun.”

Inside that tower was Carynne. Isella’s legal sister. Isella’s nemesis. A murderer who killed several people.

Isella and Verdic were waiting outside the tower to see that young woman get hanged.

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