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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Sitting alone at the round table with only a teacup placed on it, Robert gazed pensively at the empty garden.
Theresa had fled this place, insisting she would seek an annulnt.
Soone would likely say the relationship between Robert and Theresa had beco twisted.
Just days ago they were lovers on good terms – what rumors would spread about their abrupt falling out?
Perhaps Theresa would skillfully handle it herself.
If she wanted to save her brother, she would surely be cautious, even without Robert saying anything.
Even so, her family would die…but that was no longer Robert’s concern.
After all, there was no reason for him to save soone destined to die, nor could he.
“Has your fiancée left already? She went ho early.”
“She’s not my fiancée anymore, you can call her Lady Violet or sothing casual now.”
“I…see?”
Though the servant Renold who brought the tea looked bewildered, Robert simply smiled wryly and shook his head.
News of the annulnt would surely spread soon.
But he had nothing to fear.
Yuria would not ddle in his affairs, and this was a marriage their father had opposed from the start.
Perhaps his father would even sincerely rejoice at the annulnt, maybe even offer Robert a gift.
Saying he had finally co to his senses about such frivolous emotions as love.
A slight laugh escaped him, prompting him to raise the teacup to his lips.
The aroma of chamomile filled the garden.
Among the many things he rembered, one was that Theresa had favored this chamomile tea.
Slowly taking a sip, savoring the fragrant herbs filling his mouth.
“I likely won’t be coming back here.”
In a hundred lifetis, the woman Theresa had always been present.
Ever his fiancée, often there when he died.
But not this life.
In this 101st life, he no longer wished to see Theresa.
She was the first thing that reminded him of his foolish past lives, best forgotten now.
Lost in such contemplation, his hand slowly tilted until the tea spilled from the cup.
“Sir, your tea…”
“It’s fine, I did it intentionally.”
Watching the chamomile tea trickle to the floor, he pondered.
Wasn’t chamomile’s effect to aid sleep?
Perhaps he would sleep quite deeply tonight.
A very long ti since he last could.
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Whether due to the chamomile or severing that past tie, Robert’s physical state upon waking was nothing short of superb.
How long had it been since he slept so well?
He always had nightmares whenever he laid down.
Reliving each death in turn, until the end where his most recent demise played out.
It was tornting at first, but lately he had grown numb to it. Still, not having the dreams made his body feel light.
If only it could always be this way.
He stroked his disheveled hair, wiping his face with his calloused hands.
The ‘tomorrow’ after a regression was not always a good day.
There were tis he died on the second day, so he could not relax until seeing the prince’s face at least.
But well, this was…
“Manageable.”
More than manageable, absolutely fine.
While Yuria was family he could not easily cut ties with, Theresa was soone ultimately unnecessary in his life.
His first thought starting this 101st life was that he no longer needed to cling to any attachnt regarding Theresa.
No more striving to survive.
No more foolishly nurturing a wish, just in case so variable arose.
The process was to cut what needed cutting, and take what needed taking.
At the end would be his eternal rest.
Thinking a bit more calmly now.
With that thought, as he dipped his hands in the water brought by a servant, sothing occurred to him.
Just as on the day of regression, he had an appointnt the next day too.
But events would likely unfold quite differently than he rembered.
‘Wasn’t today Princess Miragen Juliet’s birthday party?’
Just recalling that na always contorted his expression, unlike with Yuria or Theresa.
He was not bound by ill fate to her.
Rather, theirs was a more wistful, complex relationship.
‘…Today, we shall pass judgnt on a sinner. One who killed family, killed friends, killed the innocent. We shall judge such a heinous person.’
The woman reciting that solemn declaration had puffy, reddened eyes.
Swollen enough to see even as she knelt.
She must have cried imnsely, he supposed.
A mory from when he had lost his mind, living aimlessly.
Entirely unrelated to the present, a mory only he recalled.
He had even considered using the princess once.
There were lives where he loved her, but those were faded mories by now.
He doubted he could embrace human emotions again from the start.
What awoke him to his true nature was realizing why he could only et such wretched deaths.
The prince, and the woman who would link to him – the princess.
He wished to avoid that if possible, but was prepared to approach if necessary.
“Will you be taking als separately again today?”
Drying his face with a towel, Renold inquired.
Co to think of it, he had avoided dining together recently.
Seeing their faces triggered mories of his deaths, leaving him unable to eat properly.
But now? There was likely no need to keep avoiding it.
By this point, news of yesterday’s annulnt had probably reached his father too.
Whether he would smile approvingly or rebuke Robert for acting alone remained to be seen.
Shaking his head, Robert spoke up.
“No, I’ll eat together today.”
“…Understood.”
Renold seed surprised by Robert’s abrupt change in behavior.
It was only natural, for a person’s deanor to shift so drastically overnight.
Of course, having witnessed such shifts too many tis, it was not that surprising either.
There were occasional extres where Renold even attempted to assassinate him upon such drastic changes.
‘Still, Renold is the most suitable.’
But those were truly exceptional circumstances, and in situations like this, Renold was ideal.
He was Robert’s dedicated servant after all.
As a ans to keep inford of any happenings in this estate, Robert did not intend to easily dismiss him.
“Will Father be there as well?”
“Yes, he has already started eating downstairs.”
“He’ll likely comnt that I’m late. Or perhaps my plate won’t even be set anymore.”
Heading down to the dining hall, his father and Yuria were already cutting into steaks.
Spotting Robert, Yuria rolled her eyes as if unsurprised, but he simply shrugged nonchalantly and took a seat.
Fortunately, his plate was present.
But the servants hurriedly brought more food, clearly not expecting him to join.
As he calmly observed the table, Yuria dabbed her lips with a napkin and glanced at him.
“…Well well, so you’ve decided to grace us directly. Didn’t you say eating alone was more comfortable?”
“I should dine together with family occasionally, as I am part of the Taylor household.”
“I suppose you’ve regained so sense, at least.”
Tsk.
Dissatisfied with his response, Yuria clicked her tongue and looked away.
Her reaction was expected.
Still, their father’s continued silence was sowhat concerning.
An ambiguous relationship – he had never directly killed Robert, but had always indirectly sanctioned his deaths as the Taylor patriarch, had he not?
How this life’s father would regard him was quite the curiosity.
“Sir, I’ve brought your al.”
As plates were set before him, just as he reached for the steak, a low voice ca from nearby.
“Yesterday, there was contact from the Violet family.”
“Is that so?”
“Annulnt, without even informing first. What were you thinking?”
He spoke directly instead of beating around the bush. But this was preferable.
It ant this was his father’s sole question for him.
Yuria looked slightly startled at the words, glaring at Robert, but he calmly sliced the at as he responded.
“Our minds did not align. Human hearts cannot remain the sa forever, can they?”
“When I said as much before, what was your reply?”
“…I believed the heart could be eternal, at tis.”
The words of the first loop’s Robert held many contradictions.
Unable to precisely recall them all, he answered vaguely, causing his father’s eyes to narrow.
The bushy beard always highlighted his formidable presence.
Despite nearing sixty, that piercing gaze remained sharp as Robert t it, stilling his hand.
“Then your current words imply you believe that was wrong.”
“A foolish misspoken statent from my naive days.”
“I dislike word gas.”
Those blue eyes I inherited seed to penetrate my very mind with an insight akin to physical dissection.
As the man who single-handedly established this duchy, I had never successfully deceived my father.
Of course, I had no intention of lying now either. Father eventually blinked and swallowed audibly.
There was a ti I believed hearts could not change.
But that was long ago. The very wish I harbored had since transford, had it not?
“It’s fortunate, if you think that way. You weren’t entirely useless after all.”
“My apologies for acting without informing you first. I will be more cautious going forward.”
“It’s fine. It wasn’t just a day or two you acted immaturely. Besides, I never took a liking to the Violet family. We are Taylors. Our noble blood cannot be scattered recklessly.”
I nodded, and Father gestured for to continue eating.
Conversing with Father has always been relatively straightforward.
Thinking only of the family’s interests, I simply emphasize that all my actions are for the family’s sake, which satisfied him.
But in the past, my lingering attachnts clouded such judgnt.
Causing to fall out of Father’s graces, and likely why he permitted my deaths.
If asked if I resent him, no, I do not. I realize now that my past self was foolish.
Not that I truly considered him a father either.
If he could be utilized, I would utilize him. As the Taylor patriarch, there would surely be situations where using the family head’s power under that na would prove useful.
“By the way, there is a palace party today, is there not?”
“Indeed. I was planning to attend…as was Robert, in fact.”
Nearing the end of the al, Father ntioned today’s palace party to Yuria.
It was an expected topic.
Originally I would have attended with Theresa as my partner.
Without her, I needed to find an alternative way to participate.
Yuria nodded at Father’s words, but he seed to recall sothing and continued.
“Have you decided on a partner?”
“I need no partner. As the young lady, I can attend alone without issue.”
“Then you could attend as Robert’s partner.”
Yuria’s eyes widened at those words.
So even she could make such an expression.
As I watched the exchange with interest, Father turned his attention back to and added,
“You have no partner now either, do you? As the young lady is the family head, it wouldn’t hurt to have you support her as a partner. Unless you object?”
“No, I don’t mind.”
“Then it’s settled, I won’t hear any more about it. Understood?”
Though Yuria gave a frosty look, once Father had decided, there was no changing it.
He was still the Taylor patriarch, and as the young lady, Yuria had to obey.
Besides, attending as Yuria’s partner ant relatively more freedom for .
Perhaps I could et soone else besides the princess.
Another woman attending today’s party, one I did not recall crossing as an ill fate among those won in my mories.
I had a premonition I might encounter Adele Igrit, the Northern Duchess.
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