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

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

Interlude: Second Round ③

It’s been a year and a half since my date with Iris in the Valentine Duchy town, and now the year comes when Lewis and the others finally head to the academy.

“Haah. Here we go…”

Last time, it was after entering the academy that I met that young man, and everything changed.

My pride in thinking I was the strongest, my arrogance of believing I was the center of the world, and even my actions regarding my beloved Iris—all of it was just wrong.

(I’m grateful for the young man who made me aware of my mistakes, but taking Iris away from me is another matter.)

Lewis holds a fair bit of gratitude towards the young man who pointed out his mistakes, but losing his beloved woman was a different story entirely.

“Is something the matter, Lord Lewis?”

“No, I’m just a bit nervous.”

“Fufu. Even Lord Lewis gets nervous, huh?”

“Well, I’m still just a human after all.”

In this life, Lewis was heading to the entrance ceremony of the academy with Iris.

What’s different this time is that they decided together; Iris wanted to come along, making their way to the entrance ceremony side by side.

“Ah, it seems we’ve arrived.”

While they chatted, the carriage came to a halt, indicating they had reached the academy.

“Please, do take my hand.”

“Fufu. Thank you.”

Lewis helped Iris step down from the carriage, and as she took his hand, her golden hair swayed in the wind, dazzling with the white iris flower adorned hairpin.

Once Iris had fully descended from the carriage, the two of them linked arms and strolled through the academy grounds.

“It’s a really beautiful place, isn’t it?”

“Yes, indeed. And it’s also quite vast. Be careful not to get lost, Iris.”

“Oh dear. Then I’d better stick close to you, Lord Lewis.”

“I don’t mind at all!”

Over the past two and a half years, their closeness had significantly shrunk, and anyone unaware of the charming pair would hardly be found in the Valentine Duchy or the Pestelros Margrave Territory.

After that, as they made their way to the venue for the entrance ceremony, they chatted about things they were looking forward to in the academy and their plans for classes.

Once the ceremony wrapped up, Lewis kept a vigilant eye around him as he walked Iris back to the dorm.

“Are you okay? You seem very vigilant of your surroundings.”

“No, it’s just that Iris is so beautiful, I’m trying to ward off any weird men who might have creepy thoughts.”

“Fufu. You’re quite the charmer.”

While Lewis tried to deflect the conversation with Iris, he didn’t let his guard down.

(Seems like that young man isn’t nearby. That’s good.)

Naturally, Lewis was wary of that young man. Though the situation and his relationship with Iris were different now, he still believed there was potential for Iris to change if she met him, so he wanted to avoid introducing Iris to him at all costs.

“Thank you for walking me back, Lord Lewis.”

“Don’t mention it! I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow morning. How about we walk to class together?”

“Is that alright? Then it might trouble you.”

“Not at all. I just want to be with Iris.”

“I’m so happy to hear that. Well then, see you tomorrow!”

“Yes, see you!”

After parting from Iris, Lewis took a longer path back to the dorm but ultimately couldn’t spot that young man, ending up tired from just walking around.

The day after the entrance ceremony, Lewis headed to the designated classroom with Iris and sat next to her in an empty seat.

(That guy should definitely be in a different class, so the chances of running into him here are slim.)

According to his memories from the previous life, that guy was in another class due to grades in their first year, so they never crossed paths during lectures.

And, it seemed it would indeed be the same this time, as the homeroom teacher entered without that young man making an appearance in the classroom.

Six months after entering the academy, Lewis managed to ensure Iris wouldn’t run into that young man and spent those months without issues.

During that half-year, Lewis spent his time pleasantly, either being with Iris after classes or researching magic in the library while reading books if she had plans elsewhere.

“Phew. By the looks of it, we should be fine now.”

At first, every day was filled with dread and anxiety at the thought of Iris meeting that young man, but thankfully, Iris and the young man hadn’t crossed paths, and because of that, she never grew fond of him.

Maybe that was why Lewis began to feel reassured, thinking he could end up happily with Iris.

One day, Lewis was tasked by his father to handle urgent business in the imperial capital, leaving him away from the academy.

Originally, he planned to spend this day out with Iris, but since the work assigned to him was an important matter as the next duke, he just couldn’t skip it.

“I’m so sorry, Iris! I can’t go out with you today.”

“It’s alright. If it’s work from Father-in-law, it can’t be helped.”

“Thank you. I’ll make it up to you next time.”

“Yes! I’m looking forward to it. Take care!”

After receiving Iris’s farewell, Lewis hurried to the designated location to wrap up his work.

By the time Lewis finished his work, the sun was already starting to set, and he rushed back to the academy, eager to see Iris.

“Oh, that’s…”

As he approached the academy gates, he spotted a familiar knight and called out to him.

“What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

He was one of the knights assigned to accompany Iris. Today, she had mentioned going out alone, so he’d been discreetly watching over her.

“Actually…”

After listening to the bodyguard knight, Lewis hurriedly headed to the infirmary, bursting through the door.

“Iris! Are you okay?!”

“Oh, Lord Lewis. What brings you here?”

“I heard you were attacked by some thugs. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. This gentleman helped me.”

“…Huh?”

As Iris said that, she looked towards the young man Lewis had seen multiple times in his previous life, sitting calmly in a chair and looking their way.

“Is something the matter?”

“N-no, thank you for helping my fiancée.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m just glad she’s safe.”

While Lewis chatted with the young man calmly, his heart raced uncontrollably, filled with a sense of foreboding.

“Iris…”

Desperate to leave this place quickly, Lewis spoke to Iris, but she continued to gaze at the young man, her eyes filled with a warmth he had seen far too often before.

(No way… This can’t be…)

Lewis had thought this time would be safe, that he could finally find happiness with her, but this situation felt too unsettling, and he could feel his fingers losing their sensation.

“Iris. I’ll walk you back to your room now. You can head back to your room as well. Thank you for helping her.”

“Understood. Well then, Iris, please rest well.”

“Thank you very much.”

After the young man left, Lewis cast recovery magic on Iris and gently helped her to her feet.

“Let’s head back now, Iris.”

“Yes.”

Afterward, Lewis barely held back the nausea that had been building since earlier, and after escorting her back, he went to his room and threw up everything he had been holding in.

“Haah, haah. I need to try harder… I need to…”

It was his fault for not being able to capture her attention. It was due to his lack of effort that he couldn’t keep her heart.

Determined by this thought, Lewis began to study relentlessly to become a man worthy of Iris.

As a result, he accomplished excellent feats, like optimizing modern magic, theorizing new magic concepts, and constructing barrier magic to protect the entire imperial capital.

However, ironically, the time he could spend with Iris decreased, and he noticed more often that she was seen with that young man.

Then, a year after the day Iris was attacked, Lewis found himself held down by knights directly under the emperor who barged into the academy and, before he knew it, he was kneeling before many nobles and the emperor.

“Lewis Valentine. Raise your face.”

When Lewis followed the command and lifted his face, he saw the emperor looking down at him without expression and, at another spot, Iris and that young man, along with his parents.

“Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this…?”

“Chancellor. Read his charges.”

“Charges…”

“Very well, Your Majesty. Lewis Valentine—a suspicion of conspiracy against the state is laid upon you. Regarding the barrier magic you constructed, unnatural magical flows have been detected that connect to the Demon Domain, and eyewitness reports suggest demons have entered the empire through there.

Additionally, there’s a report that claims you are colluding with the demon race. You are a vile individual, guilty of conspiring with demons to bring about the empire’s downfall and committing unforgivable crimes. Thus, you and your family shall be sentenced to death.”

“No… I haven’t done anything! There must be some mistake!”

Lewis desperately denied the charges read by the chancellor, having no memory of any of it.

However, apart from his parents, no one listened to his explanation, and some nobles even laughed quietly at him.

Iris, too, remained the same, merely staring at Lewis with an expression devoid of emotion.

“Lewis. I truly regret that it has come to this. Your contributions were significant, and I had high hopes for you.”

The emperor sighed, looking down at Lewis, who still couldn’t understand the situation.

“Lewis. I may be a human too. I don’t wish for needless killings. If you acknowledge your guilt, I might spare your parents’ lives. This is my way of showing consideration for your achievements. What will you do?”

The emperor left the decision up to Lewis, but in reality, there was no choice at all in those words.

(If I don’t acknowledge it here, my entire family will be executed. Damn it.)

“Lewis!”

As Lewis contemplated what to do, Iris rushed over to him and took his hand.

“Iris, I…”

“Lord Lewis, let’s acknowledge the charges.”

“…Huh?”

“If you acknowledge your crime, others will be saved. Besides, the emperor surely wouldn’t execute you right away. There’s a lot that can be done in that time. Please, Lord Lewis, acknowledge your guilt.”

Iris smiled at him as she said this, but seeing that smile made Lewis feel very nauseous.

(This is wrong… This smile is different somehow…)

Although she should be smiling like she always had, it was a different smile he didn’t recognize.

(This is strange. What’s this feeling of discomfort? When did Iris stop looking at me? When did she stop wearing the hairpin I gave her? I don’t understand. What is this… it’s so frightening.)

That smile was grotesque enough to completely break Lewis’s heart.

“I… understand. I’ll acknowledge my guilt. But please spare my parents’ lives.”

Overcome by an unexplainable dread, Lewis could do nothing but admit to crimes he hadn’t committed, begging to save the lives of his parents.

“Lewis!”

“Understood. I swear on my name to keep the earlier promise. Is that satisfactory for you, Hero?”

“That’s fine by me. Evil must be vanquished. Besides, he sold us out to the demons, right? He’s indeed an evil being and ought to perish.”

“Understood. Take him to the dungeon.”

Unable to withstand the revulsion he felt from Iris and the absolute goodness radiating from the Hero directed at him, Lewis was dragged away to the dungeon.

Afterward, Lewis was subjected to violent torture to force him to discuss his ties to the demons, but he had no information to share since he wasn’t connected to them at all, which meant he would spend some time in the dungeon.

During that time, his parents came to his side daily, encouraging him not to give up, assuring him they’d handle things. But Iris never once came to visit him.

With his heart already broken, Lewis could only laugh bitterly at his parents’ words, and ultimately, three months after that incident, he stood on the execution platform, facing the crowds who filled him with anger, disgust, and hatred.

“Lewis! Lewis!!”

As his charges were read aloud to the crowd and the execution was about to commence, Lewis thought he saw Iris rushing towards him, tears in her eyes.

(Iris… Haha. This must be a dream. Finally, it’s going to end.)

Relieved that he was finally escaping the painful days of torture, Lewis closed his eyes, smiling for the first time in ages, and had his head severed, bringing an end to his second life.