Cosetteâs body was kept in the temple to purify against possible danger.
If Keiraâs grandfather hadnât killed Rowena, her half-sister would have been born.
But Keira wouldnât have been born if her grandfather hadnât driven Rowena out.
Maybe thatâs why? When Keira thought of her, she always felt bitter and conflicted.
âIâm going to give you a proper funeral, even just for the body.â
But she didnât know if theyâd think of this as atonement.
Keira: âSo, was Cosetteâs argument accepted?â
Erez: âIf that were the case, the sentence would not have been 200 years. Come to think of it, this was the main point, by the way.â
Main point? What was it? Keira tilted her head. The conversation has gone in a different direction.
She soon recalled that Erez had brought up Cosetteâs sentence, saying he had something to tell her.
Erez: âContracts are very scary. If you break the contract, you will be punished very severely.â
Keira: âSevere punishment?â
Erez: âThey disappear on the spot. Nobody knows what happens after that. No one came back. Itâs like thereâs no one coming back from the afterlife to tell the rest about their experiences.â
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She knew what Erez was trying to say.
Keira: âSo, she wonât be able to avenge her contractor since sheâll be locked up for 200 years, so she wonât be able to fulfill the contract. Then sheâll pay for it?â
Erez: âYeah, itâs good that youâre quick. You donât have to worry about a catastrophe that will strike the human world 200 years from now.â
Keira: âIâm glad.â
She had been worried about what to do if the demons protected their own kind, but it was a relief that she didnât have to worry about that.
âSince one of the Great Demons has become like that, there will be no talk of invasion for a while.â
She sighed in relief.
Count Weinberg was dead and Cosette Weinberg was missing.
The whole incident would be recognized as a plot set up by the Weinberg family to drive out their political enemy.
Ragibach, the one behind everything, was imprisoned in the Demon Realm for the time being. When her targets died, naturally, there would be a breach of contract. It didnât matter that she was willing to fulfill her end of the bargain.
âItâs really overâŠâ
The question of Ragibachâs contractor was also resolved, and so was how Cosette manifested her abilities.
Now, the remaining question was who made a contract with the devil to turn back time? That was the problem.
If Erezâs contractor were her brother Zeke, she had an idea of what she would do.
But what if Ludwig, not Zeke, was the contractor?
What should she do then?
âYouâve been through a lot.â
After Cosetteâs disappearance was officially announced, Keira received sympathetic glances wherever she went.
To be honest, it was a little burdensome. She wondered if she should leave the capital for a while.
Another noble lady spoke.
âWhen will that woman be caught? It wouldnât be easy for her to escape on her own.â
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âDonât worry, Your Ladyship. She will be caught soon.â
Really?[1]Â Cosetteâs arrest would never happen. Keira picked up the teacup to hide her awkward smile.
Fortunately, no one realized her change in expression, and the noble ladies continued their conversation.
âThe more I think about it, the more ridiculous it is. Why did she do such a trick when the lie would be revealed anyway? I really donât understand.â
âExactly.â
âFor some reason, the Marquis of Edinburgh⊠Oh! Iâm sorry, Your Ladyship. I just said something bad.â
Keira didnât pay it any mind, and smiled.
It would be better if she left the capital for the time being. She couldnât believe she felt stressed out at a meeting she went to cool her head.
âCome to think of it, when I first returned to the past, I thought I would like to shake off everything and go on a trip one day.â
Wasnât this the right time?
As she listened to the ladiesâ chatter, she pondered where she should go.
She planned to cruise the continent for a long time. She didnât want a short vacation.
When sheâd come back⊠Well, what about after her abilities manifested?
It wasnât unusual for Keira, a girl from a relatively recluse family, to travel far away.
She could go alone under the guise that she would hang around with people with escorts and guards to attend to them.
Keira: âIâll go on this trip alone.â
Robert: âAlone? âAloneâ means⊠You mean just yourself, milady? Without any attendants?â
Robert asked in disbelief.
Keira: âThatâs right. Does âaloneâ have any other meaning?â
Robert: âI-isnât it too dangerous?â
Keira: âDonât worry. As long as a group of knights doesnât attack in droves, there will be no problem.â
Robert: âUm⊠thereâs definitely that risk, but what if you camp out? Iâm sorry to say this, but Your Ladyshipâs life isâŠâ
Robert couldnât finish what he said and trailed off. However, even if he didnât continue, Keira knew what he meant.
âI canât argue against itâŠâ
After much deliberation, Keira came up with an answer.
Keira: âThen we can spend the money. Iâll hire someone who doesnât know who I am.â
Most of the risks and inconveniences on a journey would disappear if one invested a lot of money. So Keira was planning to spend a lot of money and travel all over the continent.
Barely convinced, Robert asked about her next plans.
Robert: âThen when will you be back? Since you said youâll be gone for a while, do you mean two or three months?â
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He was shocked to hear that Her Ladyship was planning to leave alone, what was even more surprising was what she said after.
Keira: âI donât know. But wouldnât it be better if it was more than a year? I really want to visit the whole continent.â
Robert: âPardon?â
He was dumbfounded.
Robert: âW-will His Grace allow you to leave the duchy for such a long time?â
Keira: âI donât need His Graceâs permission. Iâm an adult. Thereâs no reason why I canât go where I want to go.â
Robert: âM-milady?â
Robert flushed. After all, wasnât it Keira who had asked Ludwig for permission to leave the capital not too long ago?
Sheâs going on a trip for a year and said she didnât need Ludwigâs permission!
As if reading Robertâs inner thoughts, Keira answered.
Keira: âWell, Cosette used to be here. I need my strength to fight against that woman. Thatâs why I tried to maintain an amicable relationship whenever possible.â
Now that Cosette was kicked out and all her dangers were gone, thereâs no reason to mind Ludwig.
Keira patted Robert on the shoulder, his mouth still agape from shock.
Keira: âIâll make a separate list of the things I need. Take care of it.â
Robert: âW-will it really be alright?â
Keira: âOf course.â
Keira, who was about to go up to the room, stopped and said.
Keira: âOh, right. Give Rose a monthâs paid leave. If she wants to go on a trip, cover all the travel expenses.â
Robert: âAh, yes. I understand.â
Robert wondered why she suddenly mentioned Rose, but he was convinced that she wanted to reward a maid who had devoted herself to Her Ladyship for a long time.
She quickly chose her travel dates. A week later.
Upon hearing the news, the people in the duchy said, âWill she really go on a trip for over a year? Sheâll be right back.â
Of course, it would be a long time before they realize their misjudgment.
On the day of her departure, Keira waved to the people who came to see her.
Keira: âIâll be off then.â
âHave a safe trip. And rest well.â
She kissed her brotherâs cheek as a sign of her affection. Zeke gently hugged her in return.
Zeke: âYou really wonât come back for over a year, will you?â
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Keira: âIâll write to you often.â
It meant she might take a long time. Zeke pulled away from Keira and clicked his tongue.
Zeke: âHave a safe trip.â
Keira: âTake care, too.â
Keira went straight into her carriage. She decided to stop by a nearby city and replace her coachman and employees with those who didnât know her.
She looked up at the blue sky through her window. The sky was clear, with not a cloud in sightâperfect for going on a trip.
Her heart felt refreshed. A smile formed on the corner of her lips.
One year later.
In the meantime, Keira could stay at each local government office and travel in luxury if she wanted.
But instead, she chose to hide her identity and wander around modestly.
The first time she stayed at an inn for commoners, she was culture-shocked in a bad way⊠Now that time had passed, sheâd gotten used to it quite well.
The place she visited this time was a small town in the far west. Except for the lake, there wasnât much to see.
âOne month⊠No, should I stay for three weeks?â
She pondered for a moment in front of the inn, then stepped inside. She tossed a coin to the waiter who greeted her and said.
Keira: âI am a long-term guest. one month.â
âWelcome! Are you going to eat, too?â
Keira: âJust one meal a day.â
After receiving a monthâs worth of food stamps, Keira went up to her room. It was incomparably shabby compared to the bedrooms in the capital, but she had already gotten used to it.
Once she had unpacked her luggage, she returned to the first floor and briefly had her meal.
It was exhausting to travel for a long time in a carriage. Keira decided to see the city tomorrow and went to bed early.