TYLWBOHEDNOOAOTTE CH 05

Was it because she felt relieved that she would no longer be dragged around by Count Meiant as she had been in the past?

The moment she entered her bedroom, the tension left her body and sleepiness washed over her.

When she opened her eyes again…

“…Miss.”

Siri was crying.

Her vision was still unfocused, as if she hadn’t fully regained her senses. Judging by the voice soaked in tears, her face must have been a mess of tears and mucus.

“……”

Serdel tried to raise her hand to wipe the tears away, but for some reason, she had no strength.

Her mind was also foggy, as if shrouded in mist. Through it, something faintly appeared.

What was that?

A rectangular window with text inside it… could it be a status window?

It had only appeared when she first possessed this body and when the ending failure was announced, and never since then.

Ugh. I can’t read it clearly.

Only then did she sense something was wrong and tried desperately to regain consciousness.

The mist slowly began to fade.

At the same time, the status window also drifted farther away.

For a moment—her vision suddenly cleared in a flash, as if light had pierced through her eyes.

“…!”

With rough breathing, Serdel blinked blankly.

Turning her head, she saw Siri’s disheveled face, and behind her stood Kartal, Adis, and Redan.

Siri aside, why were those three here…?

“Ah, a-are you awake, miss…!”

“What? You’re coming to?”

Redan pushed Siri aside and leaned his face close.

“Huh? Are you awake?”

His eyes were red.

His skin looked rough and tired, and his beard had grown slightly.

It was the first time she had seen him look so disheveled, so she stared at him for a while.

“Hey, I asked if you’re awake!”

Well, she was awake now, that’s why she opened her eyes.

She didn’t understand why he kept asking the same thing. Just as annoyance began to rise—

“M-miss… i-it’s been a w-whole week! Hic! A whole week you didn’t wake up!”

Siri quickly explained the situation, noticing Serdel’s change in expression.

Serdel’s brows immediately furrowed.

“M-miss… we thought something terrible had happened because you wouldn’t wake up… sob…”

“……”

That was absurd.

In the past, I did occasionally sleep for about a day when I was sick—but a whole week?

Moreover, back then, there had never been anything like a status window appearing and disappearing.

Could this be a side effect of the reset?

After all, she had already been possessed, and then even regressed again into the past of the same person…

It wouldn’t be strange if there were side effects.

She bit her lip and forced herself to sit up.

Worried that it might be a penalty, she regretted not properly checking the status window earlier.

But there was no use thinking about it now.

Dwelling on what she had already missed solved nothing.

She had painfully learned that worrying alone accomplished nothing.

Right now, reality mattered more.

She had already lost a week when she needed to move quickly, so she had to hurry.

First, I need to contact Damon.

He would be waiting.

Just as she tried to get out of bed, Redan grabbed her shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“…?”

“You just woke up!”

“So?”

“…What?”

“I just woke up, so what are you going to do about it?”

Her flat gaze left him momentarily speechless.

Was this how Serdel always acted?

This sense of distance, this wall she had suddenly built—what was it?

They had never been particularly close, but he hadn’t expected to hear something like that in this situation.

It felt like he had been struck on the back of the head.

“An officer already came by. He said your mana was unstable due to shock.”

While Redan struggled to find words, Adis stepped in.

“You should rest.”

“I’ve already rested for a week.”

“……”

“If you have nothing else to say, could you all leave now?”

Adis, too, was left speechless.

Was she always this bad at talking to her youngest sister?

While she searched for words just like Redan—

“…Rest.”

Kartal spoke first and left, as if confirming she was fine now.

Serdel gestured toward the remaining Redan and Adis.

What, still not leaving?

“……”

In the end, without saying anything more, the two of them also left, leaving only Siri.

“Miss… sob, sob! Are you really okay? I thought something terrible had happened to you… waaaah…”

Serdel gently patted Siri’s back as she wailed like a child.

“Are you really okay now? Sniff…”

“I’m fine. I’m fine, so calm down and call the butler.”

“T-the butler? Y-yes, understood…”

Finally alone, Serdel stretched.

Despite having been unconscious for quite a long time, she strangely felt energized.

She sat down at her desk and took out paper and a quill.

First, I should write an apology.

Scratch, scratch.

As she finished the letter, the butler entered.

“Deliver this letter directly to Damon of the Viscount House of Spendar and bring back his reply.”

“Understood, miss.”

Once again alone, she leaned back in her chair.

Then she turned her gaze toward the terrace.

The weather was beautiful.

“A side effect, huh…”

Hmm.

“Family should ask if you’re okay instead of scolding you, shouldn’t they?”

Whoosh, swish, swoosh!

“I’m not okay.”

“I said I’m not okay.”

Swoosh!

“Tsk!”

To calm his troubled mind, Redan swung his sword.

But his thoughts kept drifting, ruining his stance.

He stopped and stared at the blade’s tip.

That indifferent gaze she had shown earlier kept replaying in his mind.

Her tone had been so cold.

He had never seen her like that before.

She used to avoid even looking at me.

Of course, he hadn’t exactly treated her warmly either.

His lips pressed tightly together.

She was younger, yes—but he had never found it easy to approach Serdel.

After losing their mother and suddenly becoming heir, he had been too busy to properly look after her.

So he always scolded her.

Whenever she seemed lacking confidence or inclined to give up, he was especially harsh.

If she lacked talent, she should work herself to the bone—but Serdel always seemed detached.

He couldn’t stand it.

As a noble, she should at least know how to claim her rights.

Her inability to do so had seemed pathetic.

But then she changed.

After a long time, she no longer avoided his gaze and spoke her mind directly.

And then she lay unconscious for a week.

So she hadn’t truly changed.

She had only been pretending to be composed.

And yet she spoke so casually…

When he saw her lying there as if dead, his heart had dropped.

Her breathing had been so quiet.

He had checked multiple times to see if she was even still alive.

Then he finally looked at her properly for the first time in a long while.

She was still as doll-like and beautiful as when she was a child.

Things he had never noticed before began to appear one by one.

It unsettled him.

When had his memories of her growing up disappeared?

With Redan, he had many memories—but with Serdel, all he could recall was scolding her.

Only then did he realize how negligent he had been.

It’s my fault. I pushed her to the edge.

So she must have been pretending strength while actually breaking inside.

Knowing her fiancé had someone else in his heart, and still enduring it until the breakup—

That pain must have rotted her from within.

And yet he had only scolded her, saying she should have informed the family sooner.

She didn’t hide it—she couldn’t say it!

How could she, when her older sister was so intimidating?

When family felt nothing like family at all?

And she barely even came home.

How could she have told them anything?

HERSH MEIANT!

His eyes darkened.

He sheathed his sword and immediately left the estate, heading straight for the Meiant Count’s estate.

Even though it wasn’t close, his movements were like a violent wind.

Just then, a carriage exited through the gate.

Adis stepped in front of it and blocked its path.