It’s a kind impression.
This feeling I had when I first met Robert hasn’t changed even now, as I meet him again.
His softly smiling face was that of the man who had proclaimed he would prove his love to me.
Wasn’t it just foolishly bringing jewels and asking if I could trust him now?
So I found it amusing…
While acknowledging that point, Teresa didn’t miss the strangely changed attitude of Robert.
He seemed like he would still be easily deceived by my words, yet for some reason, I felt a strange chill.
Moreover, shouldn’t there have been some preparations made to greet me as usual?
However, this time there was nothing.
Literally ‘nothing’ was present, causing Teresa’s eyes to narrow at the unusual atmosphere compared to usual.
“…Robert, did something unpleasant happen today?”
“Of course not. I’ve just been waiting for you to come. Please come inside; I’ve brewed some tea.”
As I gazed blankly at Robert, who reached out his hand for an escort, I eventually took his hand and got down from the carriage.
There was nothing strange about Robert’s demeanor.
Perhaps it was merely an illusion. After all, I hadn’t suddenly come today.
Thinking that he wouldn’t have had time to prepare to greet me, Teresa smiled and spoke.
“Rumors are starting to fade away. Soon, your grievances will be resolved. I’m glad, Robert.”
“Is that so?”
As Robert pulled his hand away, muttering softly, Teresa’s gaze remained fixed ahead.
The thoughts occupying her mind were solely about the annulment she would declare today, picturing Robert’s foolish expression as a result.
“By the way, I think you’ve been dressing more extravagantly lately.”
On the way to the garden where they always exchanged banter, Robert casually spoke.
Surprised at the question, Teresa still saw Robert’s gentle expression and felt reassured, replying.
Isn’t it obvious? It was thanks to some fool who had increased her wealth recently.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been a burden to buy with pocket money.
However, Robert directly supported all of it while requesting me to trust his love.
Dresses, accessories, jewels, and so on. Recently, she had gained quite a popularity in high society using those things.
“My father gifted them to me recently. My birthday is coming up soon, you didn’t forget it, did you?”
“Of course not. How could I forget?”
While secretly scoffing, on the outside, I smiled sincerely like a loving woman.
It was something Teresa was quite accustomed to; wearing a mask.
Her past had been filled with such occurrences, after all, and Robert was merely a caught fish in the net.
Even that relationship would end after today.
Thinking that, Teresa quickened her steps with a sneer.
Since requesting the annulment, she planned to start working on other tasks.
Though she wouldn’t use a man like this again, deceiving various foolish individuals was easy enough.
Today, a pleasantly gentle wind blew, tickling her cheeks.
The Taylor family’s garden was comparable to the imperial palace’s garden, as just looking at the clusters of fresh greenery brought a sense of peace to her heart.
The butterflies dancing among the flowers looked like a painting, didn’t they?
Walking while observing that garden, surely heading towards a round table with her favorite chamomile tea.
Feeling unusually light on her feet today, a smile naturally surfaced.
That strange feeling she sensed earlier must surely be an illusion, right?
Isn’t it just a misunderstanding?
Deep in thought, Teresa didn’t realize that Robert had stopped.
After walking for a while, Teresa suddenly realized she was walking alone and turned around.
Just as she was about to pout with a playful expression and ask why he wasn’t coming, Robert spoke up.
“Teresa.”
“Yes, Robert. Hurry up, standing there will make my legs sore!”
The gaze of Robert, who stood still and stared at Teresa, was different from before.
His eyes, which usually shone with a gentle hue, were now as cold as the Lady of the House here.
His warm and gentle tone had vanished, giving Teresa the sensation of talking to a doll.
“…Robert. What are you doing?”
“I have a question to ask.”
After pausing briefly, Robert took steps toward Teresa.
He strode closer until their faces were almost touching.
The woman fidgeting with her curly golden hair was still full of wonder.
How shameless can one be?
Robert, who knew exactly what she was going to say today, couldn’t even manage a chuckle.
He no longer smiled.
From this day forward, he probably wouldn’t show Teresa much laughter.
Instead of a gentle smile, he wore a sneer; instead of a warm voice, he had a cold expression.
For her, who had been tending to the flower garden in her mind until today… a rather appropriate gift was also prepared.
“Are you perhaps hiding something from me?”
When Robert asked, Teresa’s expression crumpled up in an instant.
It was the same gaze she’d always had when cornering him.
Where had the woman who was just smiling gone? Now, with her finger poking Robert’s chest, Teresa’s voice grew sharp.
“Are you doubting me right now? Have you forgotten I’m the only one who has trusted you until now?”
“……”
“How ridiculous. You say you love me, yet the first thing you ask when we see each other is if I’m hiding something. Yes, I have one thing I’m hiding. I didn’t mention how hard I’ve tried to find out who’s spreading rumors about you—”
“Liar.”
The voice that pierced through the conversation was cold.
It was enough to instantly chill Teresa’s emotions, which felt like they were about to burst, as if her heart had frozen.
Teresa, staring blankly at Robert, froze solid.
Her finger that had poked his chest, the steps she was taking to push against him—all just came to a standstill.
Seeing the woman frozen in place as if time had stopped brought a small smile to Robert’s lips.
“Did you really think I would keep playing the fool, Teresa?”
“W-What are you talking about?”
She tried to speak confidently, but Teresa’s tongue had long since twisted itself beyond recovery.
A lie? No, Robert couldn’t possibly have figured it out.
Wasn’t it something she had hidden away so no one would know?
Thinking that he was just bluffing, Teresa tried to regain her original attitude.
How ludicrous. Who was pretending here…!
“I’m saying we should break off the engagement. Lady Violet.”
However, just as Teresa was about to explode with anger, her thoughts came to a halt.
With eyes that seemed to suggest he had anticipated everything, the man smiled slightly.
I drew a line.
Engagement break, the words I intended to say today. I felt something in my chest drop with a thud.
Only then did Teresa realize that Robert had changed.
The gaze looking at her no longer contained any goodwill.
It was just an empty, emotionless gaze, like a deep lake, staring back at her.
“Do you understand the engagement break?”
#
Teresa’s expression was truly comical.
The eyes wide open, the pupils trembling, it was clear for anyone to see she was flustered.
If she wanted to act, she should have done it properly.
I thought she wouldn’t be shaken when I brought up the engagement break. But seeing her flustered like this was a lot less interesting.
She had given me poison without a hitch before.
Yet here she was, trembling. It seemed that her weakness was deceiving me.
“Millian Jeweler.”
As I mentioned the jeweler’s name from whom she had spent her wealth, her body, previously pushing against me, flinched and began to slowly retreat.
“Designer Robert knows the lady well. How much dressing up did you buy to be remembered as a regular?”
“T-That can’t be true! There must be some mistake—!”
“What’s the mistake?”
There would be no consequences.
As long as this bold woman used the Taylor family’s assets for her own selfish desires, I could pressure the family with that fact.
No matter how foolish I had been, my father wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing about this.
That said, I had no plans to inform my father about everything. Because.
“Are you scared?”
This foolish woman knew well that just whispering like this would make her flinch.
I didn’t have much to say.
I just needed to prod her enough to make her react sensitively to the engagement break and what might happen in the future.
If something bad happens to the Violet family, then I’ll be the one they suspect for it.
As I looked at her pale face, I slowly raised my hand and gently brushed her chin.
As my fingers traced along her jaw and caressed her neck, her delicate body trembled.
I had hoped she would act a little more shameless, but with this, I found no satisfaction in scaring her.
This was all she amounted to.
Just how foolish had I been to be swayed by such a woman?
I began to regret the past lives I had lived for no reason.
“Ro…bert, don’t do this to me. You said you loved me. Right? Why suddenly…?”
A chuckle slipped out at her watery voice.
She was a woman who had never loved anyone since the moment she died.
She simply wanted to continue living, fearing that an unknown variable might pop up.
Hadn’t my heart been torn and mangled for a long time?
All that remained for her was my cold gaze.
I had forced smiles for a time, but I had no intention of doing so this time.
I hadn’t thought of taking revenge, but still, I had a desire for her to feel at least a fraction of the emotions I had felt.
Three times, the number of times I had died at Teresa’s hands.
Ten times, the number of times Teresa was involved in my death.
When I realized this, I had spent countless lives in a frenzy.
This woman wasn’t valuable enough to take revenge upon, yet I couldn’t bear to see her… happy in front of me.
I stared silently at Teresa, who had collapsed, her strength giving way, and then bent down to match her eye level.
I lowered my body to match her eye level.
The gaze looking at me, filled with despair, had already lost all vitality.
She must have sensed that everything had been discovered.
I wondered what she was thinking. Perhaps she believed I would do something harmful in this place.
She might resent me for hiding my true nature, fearing I could bring harm to her family.
But everything is wrong. I won’t take any action against her.
Instead, this very inaction will bind her, making her remember me every time something bad happens.
Even if my older brother dies, I will.
Knowing the future makes it just a joke to me.
I reached out my hand to the collapsed Teresa with a rather kind attitude.
If she were to sit here, someone might find it strange.
She trembled her lips for a moment, and as my gaze narrowed, she hurriedly grabbed my hand and got up.
“Robert… I…”
“Please don’t call me by name. What are we to each other?”
“Lord Taylor, I made a mistake. So please forgive me just this once. Please, I’ll do anything for you. I am yours, right?”
“I never intended to possess someone like you. And I have no plans to do anything to Miss Violet.”
“…Then what?”
Her eyes sparkled for a moment at my words of inaction.
The expression mixed with relief seemed to revive the blood that had drained from her face.
I had no intention of lying to her.
In fact, because of that, wouldn’t hearing this become an even greater pressure on her?
“Now that I think about it, you have an older brother.”
Having gone through a hundred reincarnations, I knew the future that must occur.
A future that would not change no matter what I did.
Among them was my death, but it also included the death of Teresa’s soon-to-be brother.
The timing was likely a few weeks from now.
I remembered him dying of pneumonia, but outwardly, his death seemed quite sudden.
Rumors arose that someone who had been healthy just days ago suddenly died.
He clearly died of pneumonia.
I had seen my own death with my own two eyes, so that much was certain.
“I hope to see you next time. In good health.”
“W-wait… why is your brother…?”
But what will this iteration of Teresa think about that death?
Her complexion turned pale at my abrupt words.
Her once-white skin turned blue, and the woman’s teeth chattered as they clashed.
She couldn’t stop her older brother from dying.
There was no medicine that could cure acute pneumonia.
Even if a priest was called, they could only make the body comfortable, not cure the deeply rooted illness.
Thus, she would suspect me in the future.
She might think that I was the one who killed her brother, not pneumonia.
Even if it wasn’t me, she’d surely believe it was revenge for using the Taylor family’s wealth.
Of course, I would deny it, but could she accept those words as they were?
I gently brushed the shoulder of the now speechless Teresa.
With the soft smile I had given her once, I whispered to her.
“…You have to call off the engagement, don’t you?”
Her head nodding creaked like a wind-up doll, a truly ridiculous sight.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
