Chapter 6

　　“It’s just…”

　　Laila looked up at the Marquis, struggling to part her lips. It was strange. The words wouldn’t come out.

　　I was only slapped on the back of the hand. It’s nothing. It didn’t hurt at all. So please, retract the order to flog the boy..

　　She needed to say that, but it felt as if something invisible was choking her.

　　A moment later, Laila realized what that invisible something was. It was fear. The fear of doing something she had never done before. The terror of defying the villain’s decision, an unfamiliar act she never once dared in her entire life.

　　No, but in my last life, I definitely…

　　Laila finally recalled the moment right before she regressed. Back then, she had looked at the Marquis’s face and finally said everything she wanted to say without holding back. She hadn’t left out a single word, pouring out every last thought until she felt completely relieved.

　　And then, and then… She had been forced into a carriage destined to overturn. The colour drained from Laila’s face.

　　I’m doomed.

　　She shouldn’t have thought about the past. If she hadn’t, she could have clung to last remaining shred of courage.

　　Still, I have to say something. Somehow…

　　At the very least, she had to prevent the child from being flogged because of her. Laila forced herself to summon the courage that had vanished and managed to open her mouth.

　　But at that moment, the Marquis closed the distance between them, and placed his hand on her head.

　　Laila’s breath hitched, her mouth still hanging open.

　　“Do you dislike the idea of that brat being flogged? Would you prefer I didn’t?”

　　Laila’s eyes widened. Surprisingly, the Marquis had spoken the very words she couldn’t bring herself to say.

　　Remembering how to breathe, Laila barely managed to answer.

　　“…Yes.”

　　“Why? Because you pity him?”

　　This time, instead of answering aloud, Laila gave a small nod.

　　“Alright, I understand. Pity is useless, but it is an emotion everyone possesses.”

　　Laila remained silent.

　　“But Laila, think carefully. That brat assaulted you.”

　　Assaulted?

　　It was such an extreme exaggeration that Laila almost forgot the hand on her head and jerked her chin up to look at him. She had only reached out to the fallen child, and had her hand slapped away.

　　Sure, he had hit her a bit hard, but calling it an assault was…

　　Bewilderment flickered in Laila’s eyes, but the Marquis continued.

　　“Assaulting you is a challenge to me and the House of Hildegard.”

　　Laila’s mouth fell open in sheer disbelief.

　　That’s absurd.

　　It went beyond exaggeration. It was pure lies. Anyone off the street would say the same… Anyone except for the people in this castle.

　　Laila wanted to argue, but her mouth still refused to obey.

　　“Now, I will ask you again. Should I really spare the brat who insulted me and my family?”

　　Laila couldn’t find her voice.

　　“Answer me.”

　　The hand on Laila’s head tightened. In that split second, her mouth opened on its own.

　　“…No, sir.”

　　But even after she answered, the Marquis’s hand did not leave her head. He wanted more. Laila squeezed her eyes shut.

　　The pressure on her head intensified. Or perhaps it didn’t; she couldn’t tell if the Marquis was actually squeezing harder. All she knew was that the weight seemed to press down not just on her head, but on her entire body.

　　Damn it. Damn it all. Goddamn it…

　　“Flog him… severely. Until he realizes the gravity of his sins. And do not stop until he repents. Because that is… the Hildegard way…”

　　As she spat out the last words, her jaw trembling slightly, Laila suddenly felt sick. She was overcome by the urge to run away and vomit.

　　“Well done. Do not forget what you just said.”

　　Only then did the Marquis seem satisfied, stroking Laila’s head before withdrawing his hand. He turned his back to her.

　　“Take him away.”

　　At the renewed order, the knight dragged the boy away like a sack of potatoes, not bothering to help him to his feet. Laila deliberately stared at the floor, only listening to the sound of the child being dragged away, refusing to watch. Seeing it would only deepen her despair.

　　Laila bit her lip. This was the absolute worst.

* * *

　　Number Five: How do I avoid dying in ten years?

　　In answer to the question she had written down, Laila came up with two methods.

　　The first: Prevent the man who would take revenge on Hildegard and herself from coming back alive.

　　But there was a problem. Laila didn’t know how the man managed to die and come back to life. How could she prevent something she knew nothing about?

　　And even if she could somehow prevent it, there was another issue. If the man couldn’t come back to life…

　　Who will save the world?

　　Right, that was the real problem. The man was a hero. The great figure who would seal the Evil God seeking the annihilation of humanity and bring peace to the world. She already knew from her glimpses of the future that the “Evil God” wasn’t just a myth or a legend.

　　And tragically, the only one who could stand against the Evil God was that man, Laila’s enemy. There was absolutely no one else who could take his place. At least, that was what Laila had learned through her repeated regressions.

　　Without the man, the world would fall to the Evil God. If the world fell to the Evil God, humanity would be wiped out.

　　It would be game over. The only difference was whether she died alone or took everyone else down with her. Laila didn’t have the wicked ambition to drag the entire world down to the afterlife with her.

　　Thus, the first method was immediately scrapped.

　　Which left the second method…

　　My plan was to ensure my survival by winning him over early on. But I never thought it would turn out like this.

　　Laila swallowed a sigh as she descended the stone steps. She had chosen second method, so she would try to seek survival by winning the favor of the very person destined to kill her. Simply put, it was a strategy of: Get close enough to my enemy that he won’t kill me!

　　But instead of getting close, I’ve already made him despise me.

　　A shadow fell over Laila’s face.

　　I didn’t think it would be this hard…

　　To be honest, Laila had assumed winning her enemy’s favor would be easy. Her own reluctance was the main issue, but she had figured the plan itself would be low difficulty with a high success rate.

　　After all, “now” was the past. The man “destined” to destroy the House of Hildegard and take Laila’s life hadn’t yet become a hero or a murderer. Right now, he was just a small, powerless child who had lost his home overnight and been dragged to a strange castle.

　　So if she treated him well now, wouldn’t he be more likely to open his heart to her?

　　…That’s what I thought, when I reached out to him when he fell.

　　But to think the child would slap her hand away without a hint of hesitation. Who could have known that it would result in him being brutally flogged on his very first day at the castle?

　　Laila certainly hadn’t. It was a completely unexpected outcome. Overcome by a sudden wave of guilt, Laila punched the stone wall in front of her.

　　Ouch.

　　Of course, it hurt. A wave of self-loathing added to her guilt.

　　…Stop doing stupid things and figure out how to fix this.

　　Her expression darkening, Laila focused on descending the stone steps by the light of her lamp. It was long past midnight.

　　Laila had secretly slipped out of her bedroom, unseen by anyone, and was heading toward the dungeon for one reason only: to save the kid in the dungeon.

　　The child had been flogged mercilessly, but he was still breathing. Barely, most likely.

　　I have to save him.

　　Protecting that faint breath was the very first thing Laila had to do to salvage this mess.