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Translator: FusionX

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Robert thought to himself, ‘Forget what I just said, Yuria.’

He recalled the words Yuria had spoken – they were perhaps the most nonsensical words he had ever heard in his life.

She claimed she wasn’t uninterested in him.

If her torturing and trying to kill him was her way of showing interest, then he didn’t want that kind of interest.

What had been her intent behind those words?

What was the meaning behind that fragile expression she had briefly shown, as if she was about to crumble?

He pondered this as he walked, but could not arrive at a satisfactory answer.

There was no need to dwell on it deeply.

It was clear she had merely said those words to defuse the situation.

He had never imagined he would hear such an ugly excuse as “I’m not uninterested in you.”

It was rare to see Yuria’s composure break down like that.

Perhaps the only other time was when he had killed her in a previous cycle.

He had acted on the thought of killing everyone and being alone, but even with no one left in the estate, there was no one to acknowledge him as its master.

There were a few other similar incidents, but in most situations, Yuria chose to become even more cold and dispassionate rather than break down.

So what did that recent expression mean? Was she so affected just by him saying he wasn’t interested in her?

“…Tch.”

Regardless, there was no need for him to be interested.

He knew very well that he and Yuria could no longer be as they once were.

Even if she had intentions different from what he assumed, he could not view her favorably all the same.

Knock knock –

Brushing those thoughts aside, he rapped on the door to his father’s study.

It was quite important that he inform his father about his encounter with Adele.

There may be a few benefits to gain from this, perhaps even more fortuitous circumstances than he expected.

“It’s Robert, my lord.”

“Enter.”

At his father’s permission, Robert entered and bowed his head.

He checked his father’s expression, but he simply stared Robert down without showing any discernible emotion.

Only his slightly furrowed brow hinted that he had given this rumor a great deal of thought.

Unlike Yuria, his father would not misunderstand.

However, it was a fact that Robert had returned covered in blood, so his father was undoubtedly curious about the reason.

It would be troublesome if this caused an uproar.

As Robert expected, as soon as he fully entered the study, his father immediately asked about the previous day’s events.

“Where did you go yesterday?”

“…If you ask where I went, I returned to the estate.”

“What was the reason?”

“I judged that I had no business being there.”

His father surely knew that the “partner” arrangement was just a pretext, meant to outwardly show the younger branch’s cooperation and the family’s unity.

After a momentary silence, he asked in an indifferent tone:

“When I asked where you went, I was asking where you got that blood on you.”

“It’s less that I got it on me, and more that I was cut.”

At the mention of being cut, his father’s eyes narrowed, as if to scrutinize whether Robert was lying.

But he had only lived around 60 years.

Measured in years lived, Robert had experienced several times more than him – how could a mere look discern his true intentions?

Of course, there was no need to feign anything since it was the truth.

Taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, Robert continued:

“I met Lady Igrit.”

“…Adele?”

“Yes, I stepped into the gardens for a bit and happened to run into her. We exchanged some conversation.”

It sounded a bit odd to say he got his throat cut after that, but his father was well aware of Adele’s unrestrained personality.

For a freespirited woman who did as she pleased…drawing a blade to verify something was certainly within the realm of possibility.

“In the process, she lightly cut my throat and told me to come to the North.”

His father’s gaze changed in an instant.

Muttering something under his breath in a gravelly voice, his expression was like that of a ravenous beast discovering delectable prey.

He coveted it, seeking to derive some gain from the situation.

For his father, the family’s interests took the highest priority.

He must have been considering what advantages could be obtained through this information I brought.

And I knew better than anyone the answer he most desired to hear.

“So, you’re considering going there yourself, I take it.”

“No, I am not.”

With a dismissive tone, I shook my head firmly and let out a small laugh.

There would likely be no need to actually go to the North.

Since I had judged it best not to entangle myself with her, there was no reason to set foot in the North even if I ended up helping her at some point.

“It would be better not to go to the North. That way, she may become a bit impatient.”

“…Why do you think she would become impatient? Adele Igrit is the Grand Duchess of the North. Do you really think she would react that way just because she lightly cut your throat?”

“Yes, Adele Igrit is that type of person, is she not?”

Adele was a woman well-suited to the northern lands.

She did not forget promises.

However, she also did not forget grudges.

It was a habit of those often called barbarian tribes, but Adele respected and embraced that habit.

Her actions in completely repelling the northern invasions had become a source of pride, and criticisms of Adele had disappeared.

She was a woman who had risen to the position of Duchess with just a sword. And I knew better than anyone that her personality would not change over time.

“She will surely not forget that I cut her throat. Since she told me to come, she will undoubtedly continue to harbor that thought.”

“…Yes, I suppose so.”

A faint smile briefly crossed his father’s lips, indicating he agreed with Robert’s reasoning.

Now the main issue was how to take advantage of this, but he did not seem inclined to discuss it further with Robert, changing the subject instead.

“Well, at least you’re showing some sense now. Have you finally decided to change?”

“In a way, yes.”

“As you should have. You can’t keep living so shamefully forever. Well thought out.”

Seeing his father’s satisfied smile stirred some conflicted feelings within Robert.

His father did not understand the meaning behind Robert saying he had changed.

He did not know the mindset behind Robert’s desire for change, nor the abandoned heart that had led to it.

Despite hearing the praise he had once coveted so much, Robert felt nothing – just a vague sense of melancholy.

…I have changed quite a bit, he realized.

Despite all the efforts he had made to hear such praise before, these trivial words of commendation no longer provoked any feelings in him.

The him of the past was gone, perhaps never to return.

Yet as his father continued to beam with satisfaction, Robert could only remain silent.

“You are the proud scion of the Taylor family. In any situation, you must keep the family’s interests in mind.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

Robert wondered what expression his father would make if he knew Robert took no pride whatsoever in the name Taylor.

A warm summer breeze blew.

Even the sweltering wind felt pleasant.

Thanks to his encounter with Adele, Robert’s actions had become freer, and he could now go outside as he pleased.

At the previous ball, he had been bound by the pretense of being her “partner”, so going out alone like this was…quite a long time coming, if he thought about it.

In fact, in his previous life, hadn’t he been imprisoned in a basement before his death?

Just walking these streets was a rarity in itself, leaving him with a sense of refreshing openness in his heart.

Every sensation – the wind ruffling his hair, the sunlight enveloping his skin – felt wonderful.

‘This came about quicker than usual, didn’t it?’

Typically, this level of freedom in his actions wouldn’t arrive until much later in the cycle.

But thanks to a fortuitous series of coincidences this time around, events had unfolded rather smoothly so far.

Just walking outside was enough to lighten his mood.

There were those who wondered what awaited after death, were there not?

Having experienced it dozens of times himself, Robert often found various emotions welling up after each revival.

At times he doubted whether he was truly alive, unable to believe that what he was seeing was reality and nearly losing his mind as a result.

So going outside like this helped him regain his bearings. Feeling the breeze, the warmth of light, the sensation of treading the earth – these allowed him to sense that he was indeed alive.

He was alive. And this time, he intended to succeed.

Up until now, that was the mindset he had lived with.

But this time, he harbored the rather chilling desire for his permanent demise.

That was why his reason for venturing outside was quite different.

The information he sought to gather was not new – he already knew everything, it just wasn’t in physical form yet.

He needed to collect tangible evidence.

A proper informant would likely appear later, but…there was no harm in getting a head start.

As he was heading toward the area where informants gathered, a child came running and accidentally collided with him, falling over with a thud.

The child must not have been watching where they were going, as they let out pained groans while curled up clutching their head.

“Owww…”

Robert briefly considered whether to help the fallen child up, then crouched down to check their condition.

Their hands that had braced their fall were a bit scraped, with reddened skin visible.

If left alone, they would likely start bleeding.

“Watch where you’re going next time. Who knows what could happen if you run into some shady character.”

“S-Sorry about that. Are you okay?”

“I’m not the one who needs to be asked that – you’re the one who fell after crashing into me.”

Robert took out a fresh handkerchief and wrapped it around the child’s hand.

Upon seeing the pattern on the handkerchief, the child’s eyes went wide.

After a momentary dumbfounded pause as they processed the situation, the child suddenly went pale and bowed their head deeply.

“I truly didn’t realize you were of the Taylor family! Please forgive me just this on-”

“Shhh. There’s no need for any of that. Just be on your way and it will be finished. You understand what I’m saying, don’t you?”

As the child kept bowing repeatedly, Robert covered their mouth with his hand.

The child blinked slowly, indicating they understood.

He disliked this sort of thing – how people’s attitudes changed instantly just because he was the son of a famous noble family.

His licentious behavior in his first life stemmed from this very feeling.

Although it led to his demise without being understood, this mindset had not changed to this day.

Taking the child’s hand, Robert helped them up, and they immediately turned and scampered off down an alleyway.

This area had many ill-mannered nobles.

If it had been someone else the child collided with instead of Robert, there may have been those who would have used it as an excuse to torment them.

After watching the child disappear into the back alley, Robert turned to resume walking. No, it was at the very moment he tried to turn his back that…

“…That’s her.”

There was a woman looking around the surroundings, seemingly in search of someone.

A person was standing right beside her, as if assisting the woman.

It certainly appeared she was looking for someone specific.

The instant he saw her white blonde hair, a name flashed through his mind, and he found himself unconsciously muttering it aloud.

“Adriana.”

Dressed not in her holy vestments but in ordinary clothing, she looked just like a commoner at a glance.

Her dust-stained attire made it seem plausible she had just finished some sort of cleaning task.

But why was she garbed in such a manner?

With that question in mind, Robert’s feet began striding forward of their own accord.

He didn’t know the reason, but the thought arose that he should meet with her.

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