Resetting Lady

However, it wasn’t easy to figure out who Carynne had chosen.

Most of Carynne’s life revolved around Isella Evans. She lived in the room next to Isella’s, running small errands for her and accompanying her on outings. Whether it was shopping, attending social events, or even participating in charity work at the cathedral, there was little sign of her being with any other man.

Outside Isella Evans, the only man Carynne interacted with the most was Zion Electra, but even their relationship didn’t seem particularly close.

Though Carynne’s beauty drew attention, with men often trying to help or flirt with her, there wasn’t anyone she saw frequently enough to introduce to her father. Dullan began to suspect that Carynne’s talk of a man was simply a pretext.

And she had grown annoyingly beautiful.

Her waist was slim, and her now slender body fully showed the marks of womanhood. Her skin glowed with a brilliant radiance, and even in the dark interior of the cathedral, her fiery red hair rippled and shimmered, emphasizing her graceful appearance.

It wasn’t just her outer appearance—her demeanor was entirely different from when she was younger. Carynne’s steps were careful, her speech was soft, and a smile always lingered on her face. Before long, rumors of the dazzlingly beautiful yet graceful Carynne Hare spread throughout the grand cathedral.

When Dullan thought back to the time she had thrown hot soup in his face or tried to hang herself as a child, the sight he was facing right now felt like a miracle.

But it was beauty without purpose. Carynne showed little interest in any man, focusing solely on attending to Isella. Carynne’s life had become that of a mere handmaiden to Isella.

After a month, Dullan started to feel frustrated.

Catherine, Dullan, and the fief lord were all interested in which man Carynne would meet, who she would fall in love with, and whether she would have children or not. None of them cared about who her master or companion was.

Dullan had been curious about the man in Carynne’s life, but he couldn’t care less about what clothes she and Isella were buying. He didn’t care what restaurants they visited or what operas interested them.

His task was incredibly simple: to prevent her from having a child. To ensure that Carynne Hare lived on forever.

But since Carynne wasn’t showing any signs of being with a man, Dullan had no choice but to continue silently watching her every day, from the sidelines.

Endlessly.

Without exchanging a single word, without making eye contact.

And, just as before, Dullan slipped the medicine into Carynne’s meals. Everyone in the cathedral would become even more devout.

* * *

Then, one day, Carynne didn’t return to the cathedral’s lodgings. Dullan finally realized that the day had come.

Although it seemed as though there had been no man when he watched her, perhaps Carynne didn’t want Isella to see her with another man. Or maybe the man stayed away when Dullan was around. Hadn’t Carynne’s letter to her father confirmed that she was involved with someone?

The fact that neither Isella nor Carynne had returned to the lodgings made it clear. Both had likely gone to meet their respective men. Dullan thought back to whether he had given Carynne her contraceptive. Yes, he had. Even if she spent the night with a man today, she wouldn’t get pregnant, nor would Isella, as a bonus.

“…Absurd.”

Dullan felt uneasy, unsure why he was so bothered by something he already knew.

He was aware that Carynne had a man, but the fact that she hadn’t come home unsettled him in a strange way. And not knowing why he was so displeased made him feel even worse.

Which man was she spending the night with?

“…Hmph.”

Dullan confirmed that Carynne hadn’t returned and sat down in a chair, opening the scripture. Truthfully, knowing who her partner was didn’t matter to him. He hadn’t confirmed it, but that wasn’t important either.

What mattered was ensuring she wouldn’t have children. And that had already been sufficiently handled.

Dullan had instructed the staff working at the grand cathedral on how to mix the contraceptives into the spices used in the meals. Without even realizing it, those preparing the food would make sure that no one staying at the cathedral would ever have children.

Considering the amount of medication Carynne had ingested during her stay, it was certain that she wouldn’t conceive for at least a year.

She won’t have a child.

With that, his task was complete. Whoever Carynne spent her nights with, that was none of his concern. It wasn’t important.

Eternity was what mattered.

To dispel the vulgar thoughts creeping into his mind, Dullan turned his eyes to the scripture. The words on the page seemed to draw closer to him. His actions might be those of a heretic, but even so, the scripture was his guiding principle.

Eternity, heresy, purity, truth…

Flee ye from the sin of fornication, for all other transgressions doeth a man outside his body, yet this sin corrupteth the cathedral within…

But I say unto you, whosoever gazeth upon a woman with lust hath already committed adultery with her in his heart, for the seed of iniquity is sown in secret, and the soul is stained in the sight of the Lord.

“Damn it.”

Of course, every verse he turned to was like this.

It wasn’t the scripture’s fault. It was his own eyes. Realizing the state of his mind, Dullan closed the book. He simply couldn’t concentrate. He pressed his hands over his eyes and sighed deeply.

“…Hah.”

She’s probably asleep by now.

Dullan couldn’t suppress his thoughts any longer.

What expression does she wear in bed? How does she call out to her partner? It must be vulgar.

He shouldn’t care, but he couldn’t help it. He’d been preoccupied with her pregnancy and childbirth for over a decade, and it had shaped his thoughts. Naturally, to conceive, one had to engage in intercourse. It wasn’t strange. He wasn’t strange. If anything, it was Carynne who was filthy, engaging in such acts before marriage.

Dullan sat there, unable to sleep the entire night.

And when she still didn’t return the next day, or the day after that…

He began to feel that something was truly wrong.

* * *

Dullan skipped the grand mass, claiming illness, and instead made his way to the lodgings where Isella and Carynne were staying. He didn’t need to check which room was Carynne’s. It was the first place he had checked. And he had secured a spare key long ago.

Knock, knock.

“……”

As expected, there was no sound. She still hadn’t returned. Dullan inserted the key into the lock and turned it. The old door creaked open slowly.

Creak.

The room was much like his own, with no significant difference. A desk, a wardrobe, and a bed. As a woman of society, there were extra clothes strewn around the wardrobe that hadn’t yet been put away.

Dullan ran his fingers over the fabric, but feeling a sense of wickedness in his actions, he stopped. It was difficult to keep from imagining the skin beneath the clothing.

Shaking his head, he prepared to leave. It was clear that Carynne hadn’t returned. He had thought she might have come back while he was away, but after checking for the clothes she’d worn the previous day and not finding them, it was clear she hadn’t.

Not yet.

“Reverend Dullan, what are you doing here?”

***

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