Chapter 23 Kaine's Determination
"──So, that's how it is."
After recounting his long, complicated tale, Kaine put his hands together and smiled brightly.
"Dark!!"
Rhiannon, who had been listening intently, immediately reacted, exclaiming in disbelief.
"Way too dark! And such a hopeless story! Seriously, I feel more messed up than I thought..."
She buried her face in her hands, clearly disheartened.
Halesia, who had been tense throughout the tale, glanced at Rhiannon with a confused expression.
"I'll ask just to be sure, but... do you believe Mr. Kaine's story, Lady Rhiannon?"
Rhiannon hesitated, her gaze shifting to Kaine before she spoke slowly.
"Well, I don't want to believe it, but... I suppose I have no choice but to. Because if it were the old me, I could totally see myself doing that."
Though it was a story from a past life, Rhiannon couldn't shake the feeling of recognition.
The patterns Kaine described felt all too familiar.
(While listening to Kaine, I kept thinking, 'If it were me, I'd do this...' And it all turned out true. It's sad, but I can't deny it...)
The past life Rhiannon Mimi Clahsen, had met her end in a tragic, certain way.
Rhiannon's shoulders slumped as the weight of it settled on her, and Halesia mirrored her, sighing in quiet disappointment.
Seeing this, Rhiannon asked, her voice laced with confusion,
"Why are you so down, Halesia?".
"Mr. Kaine's story didn't even mention my story," Halesia murmured, visibly upset. "In the past life, I must've been watching Lady Rhiannon from the shadows all along, right? But I probably just stood by, too scared to do anything..."
Rhiannon softened, her expression sympathetic.
"Well, it can't be helped. If you had sided with me, both you and I would've ended up doomed."
"Ugh, being supported by Lady Rhiannon just makes me feel more useless... My cowardice from the past life..."
Halesia slumped further, then took a deep breath, straightening up.
"Um, I have something that's been bothering me. Can I ask a question?"
"Sure, go ahead," Kaine responded.
"What happened to you after you were executed, Mr. Kaine?"
"Oh... I should probably explain that part too. It's a bit complicated, you see..."
Kaine stroked his chin thoughtfully, his gaze distant.
"To put it simply, after the execution, I woke up in a strange space. There, I met a cat that claimed to be a god."
"A cat?"
Rhiannon asked, eyebrow raised.
"Yeah. A talking cat. It really felt sorry for me."
Kaine continued, recalling the strange encounter.
'Out of whim, I accidentally reincarnated that kid, and I never expected it to turn out like this... I really feel bad about it. So, I thought I'd give you a chance. What do you say? Are you up for it?'
The cat, claiming to be a god, had offered Kaine the chance to try again.
Without hesitation, Kaine accepted.
'So, I'll give you a chance to be reincarnated! But you can only live as Kaine Ricciardi one more time. And you can't kill Sarah Belts. It would cause problems in this world's system.'
With that, the self-proclaimed god vanished, leaving Kaine to contemplate the strange offer.
"Good luck!"
The bizarre story left both Rhiannon and Halesia stunned.
Kaine smiled mysteriously, watching their reactions.
"And that's how, thanks to the so-called god's power, I was reincarnated. At first, I was a tailor named Kanye Puffinstan."
Before Kaine could explain further, Rhiannon cut in, confusion etching her features.
"What do you mean? Kaine didn't just get reincarnated as Kaine again?"
"Exactly. When I was granted the ability by the god, I realized if Kaine Ricciardi only had one life left, I couldn't afford to fail again. But I worried that if I were reincarnated as Kaine Ricciardi, I might fall victim to that sly Sarah Belts once more."
"......"
"So, I racked my brain. The god said, 'You can only live the life of Kaine Ricciardi one more time,' which means—"
At this, Halesia's face lit up with understanding.
"Oh, I get it! If you don't get reincarnated as Kaine Ricciardi but as someone else, you can keep reincarnating as many times as you want! You outsmarted the god's words!"
"Lady Halesia, that's correct."
Kaine applauded lightly, impressed with her deduction.
Rhiannon's eyes widened as the realization hit her.
"So, that means Kaine has been reincarnated as different people?"
"Exactly, my lady. I've been reincarnated many times. Once as a seamstress, another time as a spy, and then as a chef..."
Kaine's voice trailed off as he recalled the endless cycle of reincarnations.
The first time Kaine was reincarnated, it was as a freckled boy.
He eventually became a royal seamstress and honed his sewing skills.
In the second life, se became a mercenary as a big man and sharpened his sword skills.
In the third life, he was a pastry chef, and in the 4th, a gardener.
In the fifth life, he became a spy, and in the 6th, he excelled as a business owner.
"Through countless reincarnations, I've lived hundreds of years... I've lost count of how many times. Though I almost gave up many times, I never did. All of it was to save Rhiannon."
A quiet silence lingered between them.
"Wow, I see. Because you've been reincarnated so many times, Kaine can do all sorts of things!"
Rhiannon spoke up, but even she understood the immense sacrifice it took to live through so many lives.
(Huh, should I thank him, or maybe just say "good job"?... Wait, am I being too high and mighty here!?)
As Rhiannon pondered, a soft bell rang from the entrance.
A maid stepped inside, announcing, "Lady Rhiannon, the carriage has arrived." Mrs. Wezelt had sent a carriage, worried about Rhiannon being late.
Rhiannon looked outside and saw the sky darkening, stars beginning to appear.
She jumped up.
"Oh no! I'm still wearing the dress Halecia lent me!"
"That dress is a gift for Lady Rhiannon! It's only right that such a lovely dress belongs to someone as wonderful as you."
"No way! I can't accept a dress that looks like it costs more than three months of work at a bakery! Just wait a sec, I'll change real quick!"
With that, Rhiannon dashed out of the room, calling for the maids to accompany her.
Halecia smiled warmly at her, then turned her gaze toward Kaine as she took a sip from her teacup.
"From what I've heard, the current Lady Rhiannon has changed quite a bit from the previous one. She used to be a sheltered princess, but now she seems much more grounded..."
"Yeah, all that tough love training paid off. She's really a kind-hearted person. She saved me when I was about to die on the streets of the slums, abandoned by everyone... But more importantly, Lady Halesia, you believe my story, don't you?"
"Of course! I mean, there's no benefit for Mr. Kaine to make up such a grand lie."
Halesia sighed dreamily, then leaned forward slightly.
"Still, you can really feel Mr. Kaine's deep love for Lady Rhiannon in his actions. I just want the two of you to get together and be happy already. And when you confess your love, make sure to let me know, okay? I'll be watching from the shadows!"
With a huff, Halesia passionately declared, "I absolutely won't interfere!" Kaine chuckled, shaking his head.
"Lady Rhiannon is the only daughter of the prestigious Clahsen family. It's unthinkable for a man of my lowly status to be with her."
"W-wait a minute! But don't you think no one could love Lady Rhiannon more than you do, Mr. Kaine?"
"That's not true at all. Lady Rhiannon is a wonderful person. If anyone truly understands her, they can't help but admire her. So, being engaged to a gentleman of high standing with a good character is the quickest way for her to find happiness."
"...Do you really believe that?"
Halesia asked softly, her voice laced with curiosity.
Kaine paused, then smiled as he spoke with unwavering determination.
"This is also my atonement for not being able to save Lady Rhiannon from doom in the past. I want her to find ordinary happiness this time."
Halesia stared at him, her purple eyes thoughtful, but after a moment, she sighed.
"...Honestly, Mr. Kaine, you're so stubborn. I have a lot to say, but for now, let's keep outsiders out of this. More importantly, we need to figure out what to do about Sarah Belts. That woman seems really nasty..."
"Yeah. Plus, Sarah Belts is persistent and doesn't give up easily. It's certain she'll keep trying to bring down Lady Rhiannon from now on."
"I absolutely don't want Lady Rhiannon to be doomed, so I'm all in for helping her. After all, she's still part of the royal family, so leave the court stuff to me!"
"That's... really reassuring."
Kaine stroked his chin, his face thoughtful.
After a moment of silence, he smiled as if a plan had finally come to him.
"Well then, right away, I have a favor to ask you..."
And with that, Kaine leaned in, whispering a certain plan into Halesia's ear.
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