The dinner that Laila had that day haunted her until the next day.
…That’s how it was.
In summary, Marquis Hildegarde burned down the orphanage, which was the child’s home, taking the only survivor—presumably as spoils of the war—to the estate.
It was truly a heinous act, but the worse fact was that Laila couldn’t prevent it no matter what she did.
Why? Because she didn’t have the power?
That could also be a problem, but the real core issue was ‘time.’
It takes a week to travel from the capital to Hildegarde Mansion by carriage.
Marquis Hildegarde’s arrival at the castle with the child would be… immediately, tomorrow.
In other words, by the time Laila woke up in the past, the orphanage had already turned to ashes.
How could she prevent something that had already ‘happened’?
‘If I had regressed just a week, no, two weeks earlier…’
Laila sighed with regret but quickly shook her head.
‘No, I wouldn’t be able to stop the fire even if I went back.’
So there’s no point in regretting it.
After thinking that, Laila once again picked up her pen.
Fourth. The moments right before death and the moment of death itself are not remembered.
‘This is somewhat fortunate.’
After writing the sentence, Laila immediately corrected her assessment.
No, it’s very fortunate.
It’s really, really, really fortunate.
Laila did not remember the moment of her death, just before regression.
What remains in her memory is only up to a little before each death.
Even if I tried to remember, nothing came to mind after that.
‘Well, if I remembered all of that… I would have gone mad long ago.’
Laila nodded inwardly.
Indeed, in this world, is there anyone who can experience death multiple times and endure the pain of those moments while maintaining a sound mind?
‘If there is, I will take them as my sibling.’
Laila pledged in passing.
It was a statement made firmly believing that such a person did not exist.
‘In the first place, how can a person die multiple times?’
Laila herself is a unique case, assisted by the regression stone.
‘Come to think of it, not being able to remember the moment of death is probably thanks to the regression stone.’
It’s not just a stone that sends people back to the past; it also considers their mental well-being.
‘This isn’t just a stone.’
She has no idea who first named it the regression stone.
If it were her, she would have probably named it the regression gem.
After such a pointless imagination, Laila paused briefly and then continued moving the pen.
Finally, at the bottom of the paper, the ‘last’ sentence was completed.
It took her a while to finish the sentence this time, as she had been pressing down hard on the paper.
Fifth. How not to die in ten years?
It was not a description of current facts or a record of what she knew, but a simple question.
But most importantly…
Staring intently at the paper with five sentences, Laila brought a lit candle after a moment and set the paper on fire.
The single sheet of paper quickly burned to ash as the candle caught it.
Quietly observing this process, Laila’s eyes sank slightly, feeling somewhat melancholic.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
“Father, you’re back?”
“Welcome home, father!”
“You must be tired from the long carriage ride. Should I ask a maid to prepare bathwater for you right away?”
“No, first, how about some warm tea…”
The reception for Marquis Hildegarde, who returned from the capital, was lively.
As it should be.
Laila stood a bit away from the commotion, lost in thought.
With over ten people gathered in one space, wouldn’t it be more unnatural if it were quiet?
Especially when all twenty or so individuals were making an effort to catch the attention of one person.
Laila glanced at her siblings surrounding the Marquis, who had just taken his seat.
They all had different mothers.
They were all different in appearance and age. Laila had a question in the back of her mind.
How many are there in total?
In truth, Laila didn’t exactly know the number of her half-siblings residing in Hildegarde Castle.
She never cared.
Laila wasn’t close to her siblings.
There was barely anyone she exchanged greetings with, even for courtesy’s sake.
It was no different from being ignored, or even worse.
How could she possibly know how many people like that were inside this vast estate?
‘If I count now, I might find out…’
Laila, with little interest, refrained from counting the number of people gathered.
After all, she didn’t care.
They were never her’real’ siblings; even if they claimed to be her siblings, Laila would never accept that claim.
There was also the fact that their mother was different.
Unconsciously, Laila clenched her fist. It was then.
“Father, what’s that?”
A voice that sounded cheerful, even jovial, echoed through the room.
Laila was momentarily surprised but quickly composed herself.
Here it comes—the moment she had been waiting for.
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“Father brought something!”
“It’s a person!”
“A person? But it looks different from us…”
“Fool! It’s not different; it’s just dirty.”
The room became noisy due to the new topic.
And the new center of attention was…
“You mean this guy?”
Marquis Hildergarde nudged the partially concealed back of the child in front of him.
The child staggered a few steps forward.
In the light of the room, the child looked quite young.
Maybe ten years old. He was dressed in clothes that were big for his size, making his tiny frame seem even smaller.
And in those clothes, on the child’s skin and hair, there were many dark smudges scattered throughout. Because of that, it wasn’t easy to see what the child looked like at first glance.
In the past, Laila had been able to see through the child’s appearance at first sight. He was pretty as a doll beneath all the dirt.
Back then and even now, the sight of the child made Laila’s heart race.
Throb, throb.
Was it excitement? No, it was the complete opposite.
It was frightening, terrifying, and unsettling…
To be honest, Laila wanted to escape from this place right now.
‘No, Laila. Stay calm. He’s just a kid. So, for now… it’s okay.’
As Laila tried to reassure herself, Marquis Hildergarde spoke to the restless audience.
“He’s not worth your attention.”
Following that, Marquis Hildergarde commanded a nearby knight.
“Lock him up in the basement.”
“Yes, Milord.”
The knight immediately grabbed the child’s clothes with frightening force as soon as the order was given. The child didn’t resist the knight, but he seemed to lack the strength to walk and soon collapsed.
Laila immediately leaped from her seat at that moment.
“Laila?”
Ignoring the voice of an unknown brother, Laila kneeled beside the fallen child, extending a hand with a friendly smile.
“Are you okay?”
Snap!
“……!”
Startled, Laila pulled her hand back and took a few steps back.
Then she quickly realized her mistake.
Oh.
That was wrong.
Even if she was surprised, she shouldn’t have shown it.
She should have acted as if nothing happened, or at least casually as if it wasn’t a big deal.
If she had done that, she might have been able to quietly pass over this situation.
“Tsk, causing trouble.”
Marquis Hildergarde’s voice echoed. Laila’s heart sank with a thud.
“Whip that one until he admits his crime.”
The ‘one’ he referred to was clear. Laila, in her panic, hurriedly called out to Marquis Hildergarde.
“F-father!”
“What is it?”
“…….”
“If you’re going to call me, you should tell me what you want, Laila.”
