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

Intermission – Third Round

“Cough!! Hah, hah…”

Lewis jolted awake in bed, glancing around the room in bewilderment.

“Back in my room again…”

It was just like last time, and Lewis quickly realized he had returned to the past.

“What on earth is going on… I definitely…”

He touched his neck like he did last time, but there was no doubt it was still attached, yet the sensation of having it severed lingered.

“I was supposed to be executed…”

Faint memories gradually became clearer; he recalled being executed for an unfounded crime, the happenings at the academy, and his experiences with Iris.

“Ugh…”

The moment he thought of Iris, memories flooded back of kneeling before the Emperor, who smiled and told him to confess his crimes.

That nauseating smile made Lewis feel sick, prompting him to rush out of the room toward the washbowl.

He passed Miria and other maids who looked at him with concern, but he ignored them all, bolting to the washbowl.

“Ughhh…”

Unable to bear the nausea, Lewis emptied his stomach repeatedly, finally ending up sitting on the floor, coughing up blood and feeling utterly drained.

“Ugh, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting…”

No matter how hard he tried to forget, he couldn’t escape that nauseating smile or even remember how she truly laughed.

With Iris’s ghastly grin burned into his mind, Lewis turned pale and trembled.

“Lewis-sama! Are you alright?!”

“Mi… Miria…”

“It’s fine. Just calm down and take slow breaths.”

Worried, Miria rushed after him and found a trembling Lewis with blood on his lips. She hugged him tightly to comfort him.

“It’s okay. It’s okay…”

Finally, lulled by Miria’s gentle voice, Lewis lost consciousness, and later, a knight carried him back to his room.

“Mmm…”

“Lewis-sama. You’re awake?”

“Miria…?”

As Lewis opened his eyes, he saw Miria watching him from within the dimly lit room.

“How are you feeling?”

“I feel really sluggish. And my throat hurts.”

“Understood. Please drink this.”

Miria handed him a green liquid that looked dubious at best.

“… It’s bitter.”

“It’s medicine, so it can’t be helped. Now, lie down.”

Obeying Miria, Lewis lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a while.

“How long was I out?”

“About four hours. Your engagement meeting with your fiancé has been postponed to tomorrow due to your health. However, if you still do not feel well tomorrow, you’ve been given permission by both your father and Marquis Pestelros to take a break.”

“I see. Then tell them I’ll take another day off.”

“As you wish.”

“I’m going to rest now, so Miria, you should get some rest too. And thank you for earlier.”

“Please don’t mention it. I am your dedicated maid, after all. Now, good night.”

With that, Miria left the room, leaving Lewis alone in the quiet space.

“Why am I back here again? What do they want me to do?”

Once alone, Lewis muttered to release the emotions he had bottled up.

He didn’t understand why he came back to life or the purpose of it.

Last time, he thought perhaps the god had given him a chance, but he was executed without having done anything.

From that, he concluded it wasn’t for the sake of improving his behavior or reforming himself.

“What’s the purpose…?”

How could he die again? Would he meet a brutal end once more? Just thinking about it sent shivers down Lewis’s spine.

“And then Iris. I really don’t want to see her again. Maybe I should just call off the engagement.”

Leaning on the desire to avoid Iris, he thought about how, since she was already invited for the face-to-face meeting, he couldn’t call off the engagement without a very compelling reason.

“Then I’ll look for an opportunity to dissolve the engagement. If I make up some reason, like I have someone I like, she should accept it.”

Though he wasn’t sure it would work, reducing the chances of interacting with her would mean neither of them would have any feelings for each other, making it easier to cut ties.

“Then it’s decided. I’ll stop interacting with her. That way, surely…”

Having settled on what to do in this life, Lewis went to sleep that night to rejuvenate his tired body.

Three years passed since returning from death for the third time, and another year of attending the academy was about to begin.

During these three years, Lewis had not seen Iris once, nor had they exchanged letters like before.

However, even with such a relationship, the topic of dissolving the engagement never arose, and he found himself still engaged.

“Sigh. Back to the academy again…”

As Lewis swayed in the carriage, he gazed out at the Suzette Imperial Academy, filled with unpleasant memories from the past two rounds.

“Lewis-sama, are you alright? You don’t look well.”

“I’m fine.”

Because he had been lost in memories, his pale face met Miria’s worried gaze as she checked on him.

After that, Lewis headed to his room in the dorm following the third entrance ceremony.

“Looks like it’s the same old routine starting tomorrow again.”

Though the people and incidents might differ, the academy classes and events were set, so being in his third round, he was getting bored.

“Ugh. This time, I hope to spend it quietly.”

Allowing his tiredness to wash over him, Lewis lay on the bed, quickly drifting into sleep from the mental fatigue.

After two years since entering the academy, Lewis was excited for his first-year as a third-year student.

“Second year had so many practical lessons; it was so fun.”

Third-year classes focused on skills for after graduation, so Lewis chose courses that Iris wouldn’t select and enjoyed his time at the academy.

“Right. I need to make sure to dissolve the engagement with Iris before graduating.”

Once they graduated, serious marriage preparations would begin, so it was necessary to break off the engagement before that happened.

“Seems like around next month would be good.”

After enrolling, Lewis mostly avoided interactions with Iris, only exchanging somewhat casual greetings in the same class.

Therefore, he didn’t know what relationship Iris and the Hero had now, but even if they had no relationship, given past events, he didn’t want to be near her.

“Miria, I’m sorry, but could you deliver this letter to Lady Pestelros?”

“Of course.”

Receiving the letter from Lewis, Miria departed the room, heading towards the dorm where Iris was.

“Phew. Maybe this time I can end things without any drama.”

In this life, Lewis hadn’t conversed with the young Hero, nor had he been proactive in anything like before.

So, he was relieved that he probably wouldn’t be falsely accused or regarded as bad by the Hero this time.

A month later, just as he was about to speak to Iris about dissolving the engagement the previous night while studying, Lewis suddenly lost consciousness.

The next day, he awakened seemingly changed, filled with arrogance.

He naturally showed no upholding of the promise to Iris and spat verbal abuse indiscriminately at everyone, both noble and commoner, even using magic to severely injure some near death.

“Ahhahaha! This is so fun!!”

Around Lewis, students lay in a near-death state while he laughed heartily in the center.

The Hero was currently deployed to another city under the Emperor’s command, meaning no one could stop Lewis now.

“Well then! Let’s not waste any more time; onward to the next target!”

Using physical enhancement magic, Lewis headed straight for the Imperial Castle, boldly entering through the main gate.

“Stop! Or else…”

“Shut up!”

As black magic engulfed the guarding soldier, he crumpled like a discarded shell and died right there.

Even as knights and court magicians stepped up to block him, they fell to the black magic one after another, falling lifelessly.

“Ahhahaha! This is great, this is great!”

Lewis strolled around the castle joyously, with his appearance slowly beginning to shift.

His silver hair darkened to black like the night, while his golden eyes turned a bloody red.

And upon reaching the room where the Emperor awaited, Lewis swung the door open without hesitation.

“Hey there! Emperor! I’m here to take your head!”

“Are you not from the House of Valentine? You’ve come to take my head, you say?”

“Exactly! Today! I’ll put an end to this Empire!”

“You’re spouting nonsense. First of all, how did you even get in here? The guards were supposed to be watching.”

“Hahaha! They’ve all gone to meet the gods! So rest easy! Even if they can’t do anything while up there, those who’ve served here will keep on doing so! See ya!!”

With those final words, the Emperor was enveloped in black magic and crumbled to his knees, subsequently leaving this world.

“Nyahaha. Next, I guess I’ll call on those guys.”

In the now-silent castle, Lewis sat on the throne and sent magic power to a certain location.

Before long, shadows within the room warped, and several demons appeared from within.

“Did you call for us, human?”

“Yeah? You took a while to arrive, didn’t you?”

“Anyone would think it’s a trap to be called by a sudden human.”

“Hahaha! Can’t argue with that!”

The one conversing with Lewis was a tall man with fiery red hair, brown skin, and sharp eyes like a beast.

“So? What do you want with us?”

“I’m thinking of offering you help with your goals.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll help with the Demon King’s revival. You need a truckload of magic power for that, right? So wouldn’t slaughtering all the humans in this country do the trick?”

“…Are you out of your mind?”

“Of course! I have no attachment to this country! I’d be happier to see it destroyed!”

“How should we believe that?”

“How about this?”

As Lewis spoke, he unleashed the black magic he had been suppressing, causing the atmosphere to grow heavy, making all but the red-haired man among the demons struggle to breathe.

“That power… it can’t be…”

“Correct! I’m one of you now!”

“Got it. In that case, we can agree.”

“Right? But there’s just one favor I need.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t touch the northern territory where this one’s parents are. You can kill everyone else if you want.”

“Why’s that?”

“It’s nothing major. If he ends up killing his parents himself, it’ll break his heart. If that happens, we can’t achieve our goals.”

“Huh. I don’t get it, but whatever. We’ll leave the north untouched.”

“Oh! Thanks a lot!”

Lewis extended his hand, prompting the man to understand the meaning and shake it.

“I’m Bagira.”

“I’ll just go by Lewis for now. Nice to meet you.”

Thus, after forming a partnership with the demon man Bagira, that night, an assault on the imperial capital by demons began.

The city was set ablaze, even the dark night lighting up with red flames.

As the shouts of fleeing people and the smell of blood filled the streets, Lewis gazed down from above at the burning capital.

“Hmm. Nighttime is the best, huh? It really calms the mood. But, lucky me, I was able to take over Lewis’s body this time, but he certainly won’t let me do this again, will he?”

Lewis said, glaring up at the moon, letting out a weary sigh.

“Hey, Lewis. Everyone’s waiting for you. So hurry up… Huh?”

Just as he reminisced about the past, he suddenly heard demons screaming, turning his attention that way.

“Oh! Finally decided to show up, huh!”

The one he was waiting for was, of course, the Hero, who was swinging around a holy sword, cutting down the attacking demons with blinding brilliance.

“Well then! Let’s see what the Hero’s got!”

In an instant, Lewis made his way toward the Hero and landed slowly in front of him.

“Who are you?!”

“Hey, you forgot me? I’m Lewis!”

“Lewis-sama? But your hair and eye color…”

Confused by his vastly different appearance from what she knew, Iris looked on, but the Hero paid her no heed as he gripped his holy sword.

“It doesn’t matter who you are! You’re the one who let the demons attack the imperial capital!!”

“Sure am! Isn’t it great?”

Lewis grinned at the Hero, who charged at him with the sword without hesitation.

“Come on, no mercy, huh?”

“Evil must be exterminated! There’s no need to listen to the likes of evil!”

The Hero swung at Lewis numerous times, but he easily dodged all of them and landed a heavy counter in his side.

“You’re weak. Too weak. The power of the holy sword is so pathetic; are you really the Hero?”

“Guh… I am the Hero! There’s no way I could lose to evil! Everyone! Grant me your power!”

As the Hero cried out, Iris and the others began to shine with golden light, their aura flowing towards the Hero.

“Hmmm. Looks like this might get more entertaining!”

For a while, Lewis defended against the holy sword using black magic, while the Hero chopped away at the black magic with the light of the holy sword.

After a lengthy exchange, both their bodies were battered. Lewis’s body and throat burned from the holy sword’s power, and the Hero had a crushed left eye and broken left arm.

Ultimately, it was Lewis who knelt first, as the time limit of his body finally hit him.

“Damn. Is this where it ends?”

Kneeling, Lewis suddenly clutched his chest, gasping in pain as his once-black hair and red eyes gradually returned to normal.

“Damn it. I’m sorry, Lewis. Until next time…”

With that final thought, Lewis’s form reverted completely, allowing the Hero to seize that opportunity and pin him to the ground.

“If you die, this world will be at peace!”

With one eye destroyed, the Hero plunged the holy sword into Lewis’s chest, blood spreading from his body onto the ground.

(What on earth is going on…?)

Confused about the situation, as he died, Lewis gazed at the smiling Hero, who was delighting in stabbing him and slowly closed the curtain on his third round of life.