The Man’s 101st Bad Ending

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Sitting alone at the round table with only a teacup placed on it, Robert gazed pensively at the empty garden.

Theresa had fled this place, insisting she would seek an annulment.

Someone would likely say the relationship between Robert and Theresa had become twisted.

Just days ago they were lovers on good terms – what rumors would spread about their abrupt falling out?

Perhaps Theresa would skillfully handle it herself.

If she wanted to save her brother, she would surely be cautious, even without Robert saying anything.

Even so, her family would die…but that was no longer Robert’s concern.

After all, there was no reason for him to save someone destined to die, nor could he.

“She’s not my fiancée anymore, you can call her Lady Violet or something casual now.”

“I…see?”

Though the servant Renold who brought the tea looked bewildered, Robert simply smiled wryly and shook his head.

News of the annulment would surely spread soon.

But he had nothing to fear.

Yuria would not meddle in his affairs, and this was a marriage their father had opposed from the start.

Perhaps his father would even sincerely rejoice at the annulment, maybe even offer Robert a gift.

Saying he had finally come to his senses about such frivolous emotions as love.

A slight laugh escaped him, prompting him to raise the teacup to his lips.

The aroma of chamomile filled the garden.

Among the many things he remembered, one was that Theresa had favored this chamomile tea.

Slowly taking a sip, savoring the fragrant herbs filling his mouth.

“I likely won’t be coming back here.”

In a hundred lifetimes, the woman Theresa had always been present.

Ever his fiancée, often there when he died.

But not this life.

In this 101st life, he no longer wished to see Theresa.

She was the first thing that reminded him of his foolish past lives, best forgotten now.

Lost in such contemplation, his hand slowly tilted until the tea spilled from the cup.

“Sir, your tea…”

“It’s fine, I did it intentionally.”

Watching the chamomile tea trickle to the floor, he pondered.

Wasn’t chamomile’s effect to aid sleep?

Perhaps he would sleep quite deeply tonight.

A very long time since he last could.

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Whether due to the chamomile or severing that past tie, Robert’s physical state upon waking was nothing short of superb.

How long had it been since he slept so well?

He always had nightmares whenever he laid down.

Reliving each death in turn, until the end where his most recent demise played out.

It was tormenting at first, but lately he had grown numb to it. Still, not having the dreams made his body feel light.

If only it could always be this way.

He stroked his disheveled hair, wiping his face with his calloused hands.

The ‘tomorrow’ after a regression was not always a good day.

There were times he died on the second day, so he could not relax until seeing the prince’s face at least.

But well, this was…

“Manageable.”

More than manageable, absolutely fine.

While Yuria was family he could not easily cut ties with, Theresa was someone ultimately unnecessary in his life.

His first thought starting this 101st life was that he no longer needed to cling to any attachment regarding Theresa.

No more striving to survive.

No more foolishly nurturing a wish, just in case some variable arose.

The process was to cut what needed cutting, and take what needed taking.

At the end would be his eternal rest.

Thinking a bit more calmly now.

With that thought, as he dipped his hands in the water brought by a servant, something occurred to him.

Just as on the day of regression, he had an appointment the next day too.

But events would likely unfold quite differently than he remembered.

‘Wasn’t today Princess Miragen Juliet’s birthday party?’

Just recalling that name always contorted his expression, unlike with Yuria or Theresa.

He was not bound by ill fate to her.

Rather, theirs was a more wistful, complex relationship.

‘…Today, we shall pass judgment on a sinner. One who killed family, killed friends, killed the innocent. We shall judge such a heinous person.’

The woman reciting that solemn declaration had puffy, reddened eyes.

Swollen enough to see even as she knelt.

She must have cried immensely, he supposed.

A memory from when he had lost his mind, living aimlessly.

Entirely unrelated to the present, a memory only he recalled.

He had even considered using the princess once.

There were lives where he loved her, but those were faded memories by now.

He doubted he could embrace human emotions again from the start.

What awoke him to his true nature was realizing why he could only meet such wretched deaths.

The prince, and the woman who would link to him – the princess.

He wished to avoid that if possible, but was prepared to approach if necessary.

“Will you be taking meals separately again today?”

Drying his face with a towel, Renold inquired.

Come to think of it, he had avoided dining together recently.

Seeing their faces triggered memories of his deaths, leaving him unable to eat properly.

But now? There was likely no need to keep avoiding it.

By this point, news of yesterday’s annulment had probably reached his father too.

Whether he would smile approvingly or rebuke Robert for acting alone remained to be seen.

Shaking his head, Robert spoke up.

“No, I’ll eat together today.”

“…Understood.”

Renold seemed surprised by Robert’s abrupt change in behavior.

It was only natural, for a person’s demeanor to shift so drastically overnight.

Of course, having witnessed such shifts too many times, it was not that surprising either.

There were occasional extremes where Renold even attempted to assassinate him upon such drastic changes.

‘Still, Renold is the most suitable.’

But those were truly exceptional circumstances, and in situations like this, Renold was ideal.

He was Robert’s dedicated servant after all.

As a means to keep informed of any happenings in this estate, Robert did not intend to easily dismiss him.

“Will Father be there as well?”

“Yes, he has already started eating downstairs.”

“He’ll likely comment that I’m late. Or perhaps my plate won’t even be set anymore.”

Heading down to the dining hall, his father and Yuria were already cutting into steaks.

Spotting Robert, Yuria rolled her eyes as if unsurprised, but he simply shrugged nonchalantly and took a seat.

Fortunately, his plate was present.

But the servants hurriedly brought more food, clearly not expecting him to join.

As he calmly observed the table, Yuria dabbed her lips with a napkin and glanced at him.

“…Well well, so you’ve decided to grace us directly. Didn’t you say eating alone was more comfortable?”

“I should dine together with family occasionally, as I am part of the Taylor household.”

“I suppose you’ve regained some sense, at least.”

Tsk.

Dissatisfied with his response, Yuria clicked her tongue and looked away.

Her reaction was expected.

Still, their father’s continued silence was somewhat concerning.

An ambiguous relationship – he had never directly killed Robert, but had always indirectly sanctioned his deaths as the Taylor patriarch, had he not?

How this life’s father would regard him was quite the curiosity.

“Sir, I’ve brought your meal.”

As plates were set before him, just as he reached for the steak, a low voice came from nearby.

“Yesterday, there was contact from the Violet family.”

“Is that so?”

“Annulment, without even informing me first. What were you thinking?”

He spoke directly instead of beating around the bush. But this was preferable.

It meant this was his father’s sole question for him.

Yuria looked slightly startled at the words, glaring at Robert, but he calmly sliced the meat as he responded.

“Our minds did not align. Human hearts cannot remain the same forever, can they?”

“When I said as much before, what was your reply?”

“…I believed the heart could be eternal, at times.”

The words of the first loop’s Robert held many contradictions.

Unable to precisely recall them all, he answered vaguely, causing his father’s eyes to narrow.

The bushy beard always highlighted his formidable presence.

Despite nearing sixty, that piercing gaze remained sharp as Robert met it, stilling his hand.

“Then your current words imply you believe that was wrong.”

“A foolish misspoken statement from my naive days.”

“I dislike word games.”

Those blue eyes I inherited seemed to penetrate my very mind with an insight akin to physical dissection.

As the man who single-handedly established this duchy, I had never successfully deceived my father.

Of course, I had no intention of lying now either. Father eventually blinked and swallowed audibly.

There was a time I believed hearts could not change.

But that was long ago. The very wish I harbored had since transformed, had it not?

“It’s fortunate, if you think that way. You weren’t entirely useless after all.”

“My apologies for acting without informing you first. I will be more cautious going forward.”

“It’s fine. It wasn’t just a day or two you acted immaturely. Besides, I never took a liking to the Violet family. We are Taylors. Our noble blood cannot be scattered recklessly.”

I nodded, and Father gestured for me to continue eating.

Conversing with Father has always been relatively straightforward.

Thinking only of the family’s interests, I simply emphasize that all my actions are for the family’s sake, which satisfied him.

But in the past, my lingering attachments clouded such judgment.

Causing me to fall out of Father’s graces, and likely why he permitted my deaths.

If asked if I resent him, no, I do not. I realize now that my past self was foolish.

Not that I truly considered him a father either.

If he could be utilized, I would utilize him. As the Taylor patriarch, there would surely be situations where using the family head’s power under that name would prove useful.

“By the way, there is a palace party today, is there not?”

“Indeed. I was planning to attend…as was Robert, in fact.”

Nearing the end of the meal, Father mentioned today’s palace party to Yuria.

It was an expected topic.

Originally I would have attended with Theresa as my partner.

Without her, I needed to find an alternative way to participate.

Yuria nodded at Father’s words, but he seemed to recall something and continued.

“Have you decided on a partner?”

“I need no partner. As the young lady, I can attend alone without issue.”

“Then you could attend as Robert’s partner.”

Yuria’s eyes widened at those words.

So even she could make such an expression.

As I watched the exchange with interest, Father turned his attention back to me and added,

“You have no partner now either, do you? As the young lady is the family head, it wouldn’t hurt to have you support her as a partner. Unless you object?”

“No, I don’t mind.”

“Then it’s settled, I won’t hear any more about it. Understood?”

Though Yuria gave me a frosty look, once Father had decided, there was no changing it.

He was still the Taylor patriarch, and as the young lady, Yuria had to obey.

Besides, attending as Yuria’s partner meant relatively more freedom for me.

Perhaps I could meet someone else besides the princess.

Another woman attending today’s party, one I did not recall crossing as an ill fate among those women in my memories.

I had a premonition I might encounter Adele Igrit, the Northern Duchess.

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