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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 248: Serves You Right

After sending Shudo, who was quite the nuisance, back to the academy, Sephiria and I returned to the mansion.

“Hey, welcome back.”

“Kamael, is that you?”

As soon as we entered the mansion, we bumped into Kamael, who was coming down the stairs with a notably refreshed look on his face.

“It seems you’ve managed to rest to your heart’s content.”

“Thanks to your companions, I was able to catch up on sleep. I don’t remember anything from the last day I was awake.”

“I’m glad you had fun. Your long rest was quite beneficial for me, as I didn’t have to worry about any important discussions.”

After exchanging sarcastic comments about being tormented by Fiera and not being able to discuss anything due to his sleep, we shared a laugh.

“Ha! Even after such a long time, you’re still you.”

“And you’re still you. By the way, have you had your meal?”

“Ah, just about to head there now. I was invited by your family. They should all be there too.”

“Oh? Then let’s go. Sephiria, is that alright with you?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Sephiria seemed to be concerned about my parents, but maybe she figured she couldn’t keep running away either as she nodded, looking a bit tense.

“Alright, let’s head out.”

So, the three of us made our way to the dining hall, but by the time we finished our meal and left, I found myself regretting attending today’s feast due to an even greater sense of fatigue than when we entered.

“It appears they’ve arrived.”

“Wow, just as Fiera said, they’ve really come back.”

“Welcome home.”

As we opened the dining hall door and entered, there were my parents and all of Fiera’s companions gathered around the table, where dishes had been prepared for all of us.

“Mother, what do you mean by ‘really’?”

Curious about my mother’s statement, I asked as I took a seat. For some reason, she replied with a cheerful laugh.

“Actually, I wasn’t going to prepare a meal at first since you weren’t here. But Fiera said it would be fine to prepare something since you’d be back soon. I thought it might be true, but look! You really came back! I was a little surprised.”

“Right. I understand El well. Leave it to me.”

“Hehe. How adorable, Fiera. You really love Lewis, don’t you?”

“I love him a lot.”

Somehow, a lively conversation between my mother and Fiera was blooming, but since they were talking about me, I didn’t know how to react.

“Sigh. Can we save such conversations for when I’m not here?”

“Oh? Are you feeling shy, Lewis? You should be proud. After all, you’re so loved. And Iris was preparing all sorts of things without even saying anything, expecting your return, you know? She even instructed them on your meal menu, keeping your preferences in mind.”

“Iris did?”

“Yes, she thought you might be eating out, so she made it lighter and less seasoned. Restaurant food can be too rich and heavy for the stomach.”

“That’s helpful, but didn’t you just say earlier that you weren’t going to prepare a meal?”

“That was just me suggesting it would be better that way in the end. Most of the menu and seasoning were left to Iris.”

“Oh, I see.”

Realizing it, it was clear that Iris had been learning from my mother as a duchess, and this time she seemed to have taken over the cooking aspect.

“Now then, let’s stop the chit-chat and actually eat. We can enjoy the conversation afterward.”

“Right. I’ve talked too much, haven’t I? I’m sorry.”

As if on cue, the maids started to bring the dishes to the table after my father’s signal, and we each picked up our forks and knives to begin our meal.

By the way, thanks to Iris’s kindness, my meal was focused on fish, making it easy to eat considering I’d just had some meat skewers outside the city.

Moreover, the portions were adjusted perfectly; the gluttonous Shuvina had a generous serving, while my parents, who were aging, had theirs reduced appropriately.

After a bit of eating, the women, led by my mother, began chatting while Kamael, my father, and I listened quietly. Just then, Kamael pretended to suddenly remember something.

“Ah, by the way, Lewis, did you show that form to your mother?”

“Wait. We shouldn’t talk about that…”

“What form are you talking about?”

Realizing right away what Kamael meant by “that form,” I hurriedly tried to stop him, but it was too late. The one person I didn’t want to hear it the most was already intrigued.

“Oh, from your reaction, it seems Mother has not heard about it yet. Actually, the other day, Lewis used a certain artifact and turned into a girl! She went by the name Luna.”

“A girl…?”

The moment Mother heard I had turned into a girl, her eyes turned sharp, and I felt a fear from her gaze that was different from when facing monsters.

“Lewis. I haven’t heard anything about this from you.”

“Uh, I didn’t mention it…”

“Why not? And I’m curious about why Iris and the others haven’t mentioned it either.”

It made sense that Mother hadn’t heard this from Iris because I had asked the three with me beforehand to keep quiet.

However, as for Fiera and the rest, they had all been doing their own things after I came back, so I hadn’t had the chance to ask them to keep it quiet, and in fact, Kamael was the very first I met after returning.

(No way… is he…?)

Suddenly, I realized why Kamael had come out of his room at that timing, and when I looked at him, he was smirking while watching me.

“Serves you right.”

Kamael mouthed the words, clearly for my eyes only, making me realize he had intended to catch me off guard all along by timing it as such that I couldn’t warn anyone.

(Damn it. This is the worst…)

“Hey, Lewis. Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Um, well…”

“I really want to see that Luna form too, you know?”

“Ah, too bad, but I lost that artifact…”

“You shouldn’t lie, Lewis. You have a habit of storing valuable items in storage magic, right? So, that artifact must still be in there, I think?”

“At least, that’s what my friends are saying, so what do you think?”

“Ugh…”

Mother has indeed put me in dresses a few times since I was little, and even now, it seems she’s kept a few women’s clothes for Miria.

If Mother finds out I possess an artifact that can turn me female, I’d not only become her doll for dress-up but probably would have to stay like that until she was satisfied.

That thought alone was annoying and bothersome, but her gaze said she’d never let me go until I told the truth, as if to say she knew everything and wanted me to confess quickly.

“Lewis. I’m your mother, you know? I know you keep things you like well, and you tend to hold onto precious items. I think it would be easier for you to just tell me sooner rather than later, don’t you think?”

“Uh…”

While what Mother said was true, I really didn’t want my parents to see me in that form, and even more so, I disliked the thought of becoming her dress-up doll.

(Father…)

Looking for a way out, I glanced at my father, but for some reason, he was watching me with great interest. Looking at Fiera and the others, it seemed they were intimidated by Mother’s intimidating aura and didn’t bother to help at all. Shuvina and Sonia were pointedly avoiding eye contact.

“…Sigh. I’m sorry for keeping quiet. I do indeed have that artifact and used it.”

“So you’ve finally confessed. Then, you’ll turn into Luna right away, right? You’ve been silent for long enough, now you’ll show her, won’t you?”

“Yes.”

With no more excuses left, I resigned myself as I put on the transformation ring and channeled my magic, transforming from Lewis into Luna.

“Wow. So cute!”

“She’s even more amazing than I thought. She looks just like you when you were young, Elize.”

“Right? But she’s taller than I was in school, making her look more mature. The fact that her eye color matches yours is a big plus too! It really feels like she’s our daughter.”

“That’s true.”

Mother laughed, saying it felt like looking at her younger self, and my father seemed intrigued by the artifact.

“This seems like a lot of fun to dress up! We’re going shopping now, alright?”

“Oh, okay. Just don’t buy too much.”

“I know. And Fiera and Iris, you should come too. We need to get you all dressed up for fun!”

“Sure!”

“Um, Mother. When I change back…”

“No way! We’re going shopping just like this. You hid this from me for so long, so just obey silently.”

“Sigh. Alright.”

It seemed that this punishment would extend beyond just me; Fiera and the others were also going to be involved, so they too would become Mother’s dress-up dolls.

“Have fun!”

And so, we were seen off by a cheerful Kamael, and Mother took us around clothing stores until she was satisfied, returning to the mansion utterly exhausted.

(That guy, I swear I’ll kill him someday.)

By the way, this feeling had been stuck with me since we left the mansion and lasted all the way until we returned to the academy, where I was bound to continue holding onto that grudge.

 

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