The Man’s 101st Bad Ending

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The kind impression remained unchanged even when Robert met Theresa again.

The softly smiling face was the same as the man who had once vowed to prove his love to her.

Didn’t he foolishly bring her gems, asking if she could trust him now?

She had mocked him for that…

Yet while acknowledging this, Theresa did not miss Robert’s somewhat changed demeanor.

Though he still seemed gullible enough to fall for her words, she felt an odd chill for some reason.

Moreover, shouldn’t there have been preparations to welcome her as usual?

But this time there was nothing.

Literally nothing, so Theresa’s eyes narrowed at the strange atmosphere unlike usual.

“…Robert, did something happen to put you in a bad mood today?”

“Not at all. I was simply waiting for you. Please come inside, I’ve brewed some tea.”

Staring at Robert who extended his hand to escort her, she eventually took it and stepped down from the carriage.

There was nothing strange about Robert’s manner.

Perhaps it was just her imagination. She had arrived unexpectedly without notice after all.

Surely there was no time to prepare a welcome, Theresa thought with a wry smile.

“The rumors are gradually disappearing now. Your name will be cleared soon. That’s fortunate, Robert.”

“Is that so?”

With a swish, Robert withdrew the hand he had been holding and muttered.

Still, Theresa’s gaze was focused ahead.

Her mind was filled only with the annulment she planned to request today, and the foolish expression Robert would likely make.

“By the way, your fashion seems more extravagant these days.”

On the way to the garden where they often chatted, Robert casually spoke up.

Though momentarily startled by the question, Theresa answered reassuringly after seeing Robert’s still gentle expression.

Of course, it was thanks to a certain fool that her wealth had recently increased.

Normally she would have felt burdened buying such things with just an allowance.

But Robert had directly supported it all, insisting she accept the gifts to prove his love.

Dresses, accessories, jewels and more. She had gained quite the popularity at society events with them lately.

“Father gifted them to me recently. It’s almost my birthday after all. Surely you haven’t forgotten?”

“How could I ever forget?”

Inwardly mocking him, she outwardly smiled as if she truly loved him.

Wearing masks was all too familiar to Theresa.

Her past was already rife with such deceptions, so in the end this man Robert was just another fish caught in her net.

A relationship that would end after today, at that.

With this thought, Theresa smirked and quickened her pace.

After requesting the annulment, she planned to move on to other schemes.

Even if she didn’t exploit men like this time, deceiving the various fools out there would be easy.

An unusually pleasant breeze caressed her cheeks today.

The Taylor estate gardens were comparable even to palace grounds, the vibrant greenery alone enough to soothe the heart.

The butterflies flitting amid the flowers were like a living painting.

She walked through that garden, surely towards the round table where her favorite chamomile tea would be set.

Her uncommonly light steps today brought an unbidden smile to her face.

The strange feeling from earlier was surely just her imagination.

So absorbed in her thoughts, Theresa failed to notice Robert had stopped walking.

After some distance, she finally turned back, realizing she was alone.

About to ask why he didn’t follow with a petulant look and pursed lips.

That’s when Robert spoke.

“Theresa.”

“Yes, Robert. Come on, your legs will get tired standing over there.”

The gaze Robert fixed on her was different from before.

His eyes, always carrying a gentle fluidity, were now frozen cold like the lord of this estate.

His once warm and mild tone had flattened, devoid of any inflection, like speaking to a doll – causing Theresa’s eyes to narrow.

“…Robert. What are you doing?”

“There is something I wish to ask.”

After that pause, Robert started walking again.

Striding straight towards Theresa until their faces were just inches apart.

An expression of pure puzzlement remained on the woman gently stroking her tousled golden locks.

How brazen of him.

Even knowing what she planned to say today, Robert showed not even a hint of amusement at her audacity.

He no longer smiled.

Perhaps he would not show Theresa many more smiles after today.

Instead of tender smiles, he would offer her sneers. Instead of a warm voice, cold indifference.

For the woman who had cultivated a field of flowers in her mind until today…a rather fitting gift was also prepared.

“Are you perhaps hiding something from me?”

At Robert’s question, Theresa’s expression instantly contorted.

It was the same look she always used to pressure Robert.

The smiling woman from moments ago vanished as Theresa jabbed a finger into Robert’s chest, her voice turning sharp.

“Are you suspecting me now? Have you already forgotten that I’m the only one who’s believed in you this whole time?”

“……”

“How absurd. You said you loved me, kept insisting how much you loved me, yet the first thing you say is asking if I’m hiding something. Yes, there is one thing I’ve hidden – just how hard I’ve worked to find the person spreading rumors about you – ”

“Lies.”

The voice that cut through her words was cold.

Enough to instantly chill the emotions that seemed about to erupt from Theresa, like her heart had frozen over.

Theresa’s body went stiff as she blankly stared at Robert.

The finger jabbing his chest, the steps she had taken to push against him, all stopped.

As if time itself had halted, leaving the woman motionless, a small smile crept across Robert’s lips.

“How long did you think I would keep acting the fool, Theresa?”

“Wha…What are you saying?”

Though she tried to sound self-assured, Theresa’s tongue had long been tied.

Lies? No, there was no way Robert could have found out.

She had handled everything in total secrecy, hadn’t she?

Surely he was just bluffing, Theresa thought as she tried to regain her usual composure.

How absurd. Just who was trying to bluff whom now…!

“I want an annulment. Lady Violet.”

But Theresa’s defiant thoughts ground to a halt there.

As if he had anticipated everything, the man gave a slight smile, his eyes rounding.

Annulment – the very thing she had come to request today. She felt something drop in her chest with a thud.

It was then that Theresa realized Robert had changed.

The eyes looking at her no longer held any kindness.

Just empty, emotionless pupils, like staring into the depths of a lake.

“Do you understand? Annulment.”

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Theresa’s expression was truly laughable.

Her eyes were wide, the pupils trembling, clearly showing her dismay to any observer.

She should have acted more convincingly.

I had thought she wouldn’t falter even if I brought up annulment. But seeing her so flustered drained my amusement.

Didn’t she serve me poison so smoothly before?

Yet to be so shaken now. It seemed her true talent was deceiving me.

“The Millian Jewelers.”

When I mentioned the name of the jewelers where she spent the riches extracted from me, the body that had been about to push me froze, slowly retreating backwards.

“Designer Roberta knew Lady Violet well too. How many dresses must you have bought to be remembered as a regular customer?”

“Tha…That can’t be! Something must be mistaken – !”

“What is mistaken?”

There is no alibi.

Given this brazen woman used the Taylor family’s wealth to indulge her own greed, that alone is enough to pressure the family.

No matter how foolish I may have acted, surely my father would not do nothing about such conduct.

Not that I truly intended to inform my father of all the facts. Because…

“Are you afraid?”

I knew well that merely whispering thus would instantly terrify this foolish woman.

I had little more to say.

Only that we would annul the engagement, and be sensitive about what she may experience going forward.

If something unfortunate befell the Violet family, then she would think it was my doing.

Watching her face drain of color, I eventually reached out to gently stroke her jaw.

As my fingers traced along her slender neck, her frail body trembled violently.

I had hoped for a bit more audacity, but like this there was no fun in intimidating her.

Just the kind of woman she was.

To think I had been so thoroughly deceived by such a woman.

I found my past lives increasingly regrettable.

“Ro…bert, please don’t do this to me. You said you loved me, remember? Why are you suddenly acting this way…”

A scoff escaped me as she blubbered those words.

A woman who had never loved since her first death.

She had simply wanted to survive, to continue this charade in case some unforeseen variable arose.

My heart had long been torn and crumpled, had it not?

All I would give her were cold looks.

I had forced smiles in the past, but had no intention of doing so this life.

I held no thoughts of revenge, but I did wish for her to experience at least a fragment of what I had felt.

Three times – the number I was directly killed by Theresa.

Ten times – the number my death was tied to Theresa.

I had lived through madness upon realizing this.

Though she was not worthy enough for true vengeance, I could not bear to see her…live happily before my eyes.

Watching Theresa collapse weakly to her knees, I crouched down to meet her eye level.

The eyes staring back at me hopelessly already lacked any spark of life.

No doubt she had realized the full extent of her exposure.

What thought must be going through her mind? Perhaps she feared I would do something heinous right here.

That I might bring harm to her family. That she now regretted hiding her true nature from me this whole time.

But she was entirely mistaken. I would take no action against her.

That itself would become the shackles binding her, making her think of me whenever anything unfortunate occurred.

Whether her brother died, or a servant perished.

While merely amusing from my perspective knowing the future…

I extended my hand to Theresa with feigned kindness as she remained crumpled there.

It would raise suspicion for her to stay fallen in such an undignified state.

After a momentary trembling of her lips, she quickly grasped my hand and rose when my eyes narrowed.

“Robert…I…”

“Do not call me by name. There is nothing between us.”

“Tay…Taylor, I was wrong. So please, forgive me just this once. I beg you, I’ll do anything. I’m yours, aren’t I? Isn’t that right?”

“I never had any intention of possessing someone like you. Nor did I intend any harm against Lady Violet.”

“…Then?”

Her eyes flickered momentarily with relief at my words of taking no action.

A hint of color seemed to return to the pallid complexion mingled with her relieved expression.

I had no intention of lying to her.

Rather, would that not place an even greater weight upon her after hearing this?

“Come to think of it, you had an elder brother, didn’t you?”

Having undergone a hundred regressions, I knew the future that would definitely occur.

A future that did not change no matter what I did.

Among the events included was my own death, but Theresa’s brother’s demise was there as well.

The timing would be a few weeks from now, if I recalled correctly.

He died of pneumonia, though from the outside it appeared quite sudden.

The rumors said he had been healthy just days prior, then died abruptly.

He definitely died of pneumonia.

I had witnessed that death with my own eyes before.

“I would certainly like to meet him once. In good health, that is.”

“Wai…Wait, my brother, why my brother…?”

But how would this loop’s Theresa take that death?

At my contextless words, Theresa’s complexion drained ghostly pale.

Her already fair skin turned an ashen blue, her teeth clacking audibly as her whole body trembled.

There was no stopping her brother’s death.

No medicine existed then to treat acute pneumonia.

Calling a physician would only make his final days comfortable, not cure the deep-rooted illness.

So she would become suspicious going forward.

That it was not pneumonia but my doing that killed her brother.

Even if not me, that it was retaliation from the Taylor family for using their wealth so selfishly.

I may deny it, but could she truly accept my words at face value?

I gently stroked Theresa’s shoulder as she lost strength in her legs, sinking to the ground.

Donning the tender smile I had once feigned, I whispered to her softly.

“…We should annul the engagement, shouldn’t we?”

The nodding of her head, creaking like a winding puppet, was a truly pitiful sight.

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