「Huh?」

There was a pillar in front of me. Huh? Wait, I don’t understand.

As I nervously turned around, the figures of my maids were pulling me.

「Huh? Why? Huh?」

As I was blankly staring, Theresa loosened her hand pulling me.

「Please give it a rest, Milady! It’s your first bridal night now...」

「First bridal night? Am I possibly going to the master bedroom now…?」

「That is so. What are you saying at this late hour?」

「S-seriously...」

I lost strength in my body. As I was just about to fall down, I hung my head on the seat of the chair in front of the dresser.

I shouldn’t have died. I remember straddling Black Thunder and going out to greet the daybreak.

There shouldn’t be a sudden death in that state, and I don’t believe I died without realizing it.

And yet...

「You suddenly turned meekly. What on earth happened?」

Theresa was looking at me across the mirror. ...She worried over me like this before too.

Gah, I have to acknowledge it, dammit. I ended up plunging into the 5th loop.

Until now, I thought that when I entered the loop after dying, I could evade the loop if I survived.

However, this time I understood it.

The loop was repeating this night.  It was likely that the timing of plunging into the loop was only brought forward a little.

No matter whether I escaped, was stabbed, or screamed, this horrible wedding night continued.

Wasn’t it awful? If death was the condition for the loop, it’s not like I wouldn’t have any merit (I’d hate it though), but repeating a loop with nothing but a “dangerous night with a high risk of dying”, wasn’t that more like a brutal punishment game?

Did this happen because my behavior was bad? Did I do anything bad again?

I more or less tried to recall my wrongdoings, however, I couldn’t understand why it was absolutely necessary to be killed time over time. If I must say something, it would be that I just now stole a horse, I guess.

Yeaah, it was useless. I couldn’t think of the origin of the loop nor a way to escape it. It was like something was hindering me from fleeing from death.

Perhaps it was a curse and I would return to this night for the rest of my life...

「Theresa… I wonder if there are any people who hate me enough to want to kill and curse me... 」

「Huh?」

Theresa tilted her head at my unintentional complaint.

Although I’d only trouble her by saying this, I couldn’t stop speaking this time.

「I wonder why this happened… I, did I do something so bad I had to suffer like this… Did I receive some kind of divine punishment… Is this a punishment for choosing to marry the Duke whose social status doesn’t fit me…」

It was probably only words Theresa couldn’t understand the meaning of. Actually, three ladies-in-waiting were staring at me blankly.

And as for Theresa, she stayed silent for a while, seemingly thinking, and then slowly opened her mouth.

「I wonder why Milady suddenly came to dislike the marriage to the Duke, I do not really understand, but if the Lady of the house was here, she would scold Milady for only saying you don’t like it and run away without facing it, which is unlike the people of the Baltic Family. If the Lady of the house was here, she would remind Milady that no one can understand it without you talking about it first.」

Being surprised by the unexpectedly harsh remark, I turned back to look at Theresa.

But contrary to the harsh words, her gaze was tender.

「I have been serving the Baltic Family for many years. And that is why I will say this, Milady has, in a certain sense, enough courage to not lose against her Elder brother, no, even her Father. Do you understand? It is in that sense, you see.」

「Y-yeah.」

「There is no way that the people of the Baltic Family would make feeble complaints instead of standing up and meeting their difficulties head-on. In the case that Milady really faces her difficulties and says afterward that it is impossible, I will be on Milday’s side. ...So, Milday, won’t you go to the master bedroom before anything else?」

Theresa put both of her hands on my shoulders and said those powerful words. Her real motive was probably 「It doesn’t matter so get going already]. Still, her words reverberated inside of me.

My actions in the lops until now were only giving up and avoiding.

Running away from the perpetrator. And also giving up on identifying the perpetrator. Giving up settling things with the annoying Duke. Accepting the suffering of dishonor. Turning a blind eye to the Baltic Family.

Because I was only thinking of how to break out of the loop, I was repeating actions that were unworthy of the Baltic Family. And finally, I got involved with a crime (stealing a horse).

Fighting back when someone started fighting us. We’d corner the enemy to the end of the earth.

That was the Baltic Family’s way.

For example, even if there was an enemy that we couldn’t beat, we’d still confront them head-on.

Why did I forget this important matter and chicken out?

Although I was never taught the sword or any martial arts, I was taught the philosophy of the Baltic Family time over time.

「I understand, Theresa. I’ll go to the master bedroom.」

I nodded at Theresa.

Saying my resolve out loud, my chest that had been heavy until now, cleared.

「Thanks to you, I woke up. I won’t run anymore. To the people in the Baltic Family, we confront everything straight on.」

「Err, to say confront is unnecessary.」

Theresa said absent-mindedly, and I prepared myself for the worst and smiled at her.

◇

The fourth time’s door to the master bedroom.

This time, while being guided by Ines, I confirmed the way properly.

「Then, Ines, I’ll be going. After I enter, return to your room straight away, okay?」

Ines knitted his brows and more or less nodded.

Putting my hand on the doorknob, my body shivered slightly.

As I thought, it was still scary. Making a hypothesis by the turns until now, the black-clothed man was definitely inside. Although it could be clinging outside the window too.

Besides, although I never learned the sword or any martial arts, I had a strong advantage.

Making up my mind, I drew a deep breath, opened the door, and went inside.

It was the same dark room as before. I thought of bringing a lantern as a strategy against the darkness but decided against it in the end. That would make the black-clothed man’s vision better as well.

Straining my eyes while entering the room, I slowly walked forward, step by step. And although I paid attention to the outside of the window, I couldn’t see his shadow anywhere.

「...!」

Sensing the previous bloodthirst, I sprung to my right. Looking at my previous position, I saw a white and glowing sword cut air.

And the black-clothed man stood behind the sword.

So he was really there! And so, I evaded his first blow!

I was excited and happy, my fear had disappeared somewhere.

So! Bring it on! Calm and collected, I waited for his next blow.

...but I didn't actually have to wait at all.

The man’s sword drew a sharp line and pierced my chest.

Because of the pain that had become a routine by now, the world swayed.

I was somehow still standing up, but the pain was becoming too much and I couldn’t put any strength in my legs.

My head fell to the bed with a bang. Somehow managing to move my head, I saw a black-clothed man wipe off the blood on his sword.

Damn it! So it was useless after all...

Still, it didn’t seem like it would end here. I will be resurrected time over time.

While silently reciting something similar to an evil boss’ parting remark, I lost my consciousness again.