The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 106

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 106

She desperately wanted to rest a little more. She felt like eating some of the cookies Lisia had brought would make her feel better.

However, Artizea dragged her heavy body and followed the monk. Instead, she left word with the maid to have Lisia follow quickly when she returned.

She had no acquaintance with Father Colton. Even by the standards before her return, she had no personal connection with him.

Father Colton was upright, but he was not of a kind disposition. He was wise and fastidious, and he despised those who tried to buy faith with money.

He was respected by many people, and despite having fame and learning, he had abandoned his position as bishop and returned to being a simple monk because of this.

Father Colton probably already knew that Artizea was bribing the temple.

He surely would not like her.

She had to meet him when he agreed to meet, because if she was carelessly late and it was taken as the arrogance of high nobility, there might not be a second chance.

The monk guided Artizea deep into the temple. The place they arrived at was an old, small prayer room that showed the passage of time.

“Please enter here alone and wait.”

“Your Highness alone?”

Alphonse asked with a stern face. Artizea said.

“Father, please guide my escort to a nearby place where he can rest comfortably.”

“That won’t do.”

“Then stand here.”

Saying that, Artizea opened the door to the prayer room.

The prayer room was extremely narrow. There was not a single window.

There was one small prayer desk for one person. On the prayer desk lay an old scripture, and in front was erected a wooden holy symbol. It was smooth and shiny from being touched by hands.

“Since it’s this kind of prayer room, there shouldn’t be any danger. Stay back where you can see the entrance so as not to interfere.”

“It doesn’t seem dangerous, but… are you planning to meet in a place like this?”

“He’s probably trying to give me some kind of lesson.”

Artizea said so.

Father Colton was someone who could afford to be more arrogant.

Artizea was even prepared to bribe the archbishop to arrange a meeting if he refused to meet her.

A little penance was something she could fully accept if it meant the first meeting could go not badly.

“Please pray for a moment. He will come soon.”

The monk who had guided her this far said politely and closed the door.

Alphonse had no choice but to step back and follow the monk.

Artizea touched the scripture placed on the prayer desk. The cover that had originally been bound in fine leather was so worn that it fluttered like cloth.

Artizea opened it to any page and then closed it.

She had memorized it while studying scripture, but she rarely opened it when she had leisure time.

She did not believe in God.

No, it wasn’t that she thought there was no God. Artizea had seen the saint and witnessed the miracles she performed. There was no more certain proof that God existed than that.

However, she had never once felt the desire to turn to God.

Regarding countless unjust and cruel things, all God had done was send down Lisia alone.

And the power she possessed as a saint was insufficient even to protect her own body.

So God was either incompetent or uninterested enough not to care for even righteous humans – one of the two.

She didn’t think she could be saved by relying on such an existence.

‘Even if I could be saved, I wouldn’t rely on Him.’

It’s not something that ends with just one person’s soul being saved. If God forgives without even fully repaying the sins committed, is that the end of it?

It was unknowable. Artizea was neither a priest nor even a faithful believer.

She didn’t know whether God’s forgiveness could substitute for everything, or whether it was some law that existed in a place detached from the world.

Artizea opened the scripture again. And she arranged her skirt and knelt at the prayer desk.

This was because she intended to show a somewhat faithful appearance when Father Colton came.

Still, it was a little different from before. Artizea had not yet done anything bad enough to catch Father Colton’s attention.

Although she had bribed the temple, that was something any noble who wanted to accomplish something would do.

‘While becoming a subject for edification, introduce Lisia, and build a friendship beyond just advice on charitable work…’

It was when she was thinking this and formally clasping her hands together in a prayer posture.

Something struck down into Artizea’s body like lightning.

《Turn it back!》

Artizea lost consciousness and collapsed on the spot.

* * *

A tent was pitched in front of the gates of Told Fortress.

Three flags were erected: one white flag, one flag of the House of Evron, and one flag of the Krates Empire.

On the opposite side, a place was prepared where other flags could be erected.

“Must you really go out in person?”

The fortress commander asked with a worried face. Cedric said.

“What meaning would there be if I don’t meet them personally? The other side wouldn’t trust us either.”

“However…”

“Don’t worry. Don’t you trust my skills?”

“That’s not what I mean, but…”

“The level of danger is equal for both sides. We need to show sincerity on this side too.”

This side opens the gates and goes out. In return, the other side takes the risk of entering within firing range.

However, the fortress commander spoke without hiding his worry.

“Your Highness the Duke is the master of Evron. Even if important figures come from the other side, it’s not like the king of Karam is coming, is it?”

“I don’t think Karam would go so far as to arrange a negotiation table as a scheme to kill me. Still, just in case, close the gates firmly as soon as I go out and guard them so they don’t collapse. That’s your job.”

“Your Highness the Duke.”

In the distance, a group of Karam holding white flags began to move. Their number was about twenty.

Cedric ordered that the number of escorts be matched exactly. Instead, inside the gates, a knight order equipped with heavy equipment waited ready to rush out at any time.

Another knight order was hidden in the nearby hill forest. In case of emergency, they would rush in as reinforcements from both sides.

Even so, the anxiety didn’t completely disappear. Even if the meeting hall was within artillery range, they couldn’t bombard it when Cedric was there, could they?

If it became hand-to-hand combat, especially a sudden fight with both sides lightly armed, humans could not defeat Karam.

He was not unaware of the worries of those around him. However, Cedric pretended not to know and headed outside.

The small door attached to the main gate opened.

The retainers of the ducal house were also dissatisfied with this. While it was natural that the entire gate couldn’t be opened considering the danger, they couldn’t accept Cedric going out through a side door either.

Cedric headed to the meeting hall with twenty escorts. Inside the meeting hall were a table and two chairs. There was nothing else besides that. This was to show that no weapons or ambushes were hidden.

Hanna was waiting and bowed her head. The hooded man standing beside her bowed deeply.

“Nice to meet you, Borok. Is that Deck beside you?”

The man poked the side of the Karam standing next to him. The Karam hurriedly bowed his head.

A growling sound was heard. Borok said.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness the Duke of Evron. My brother is saying the same thing.”

“You may remove your hood.”

Borok hesitated a little. But soon he untied and lowered his hood.

Inside Borok’s hood was one additional eye. Conversely, Deck had four arms but only two eyes.

The knights stationed at Told Fortress were accustomed to both mixed-bloods and Karam. No one was shocked to see that appearance, which would look strange to human eyes.

“Thanks to you two, today’s meeting was made possible, so I’m grateful. Even if there are no special results, I will fully recognize your contributions.”

“Just the possibility that the fighting might stop is enough.”

Borok said.

The mutual confirmation of intention to dialogue happened not long after Artizea left.

However, just finding interpreters took more than a month.

For simple bartering, communication could somehow work with gestures and a few words. But for two forces to meet and hold talks required proper language. And trustworthy interpreters at that.

Without these mixed-blood brothers, the meeting hall would still not have been established.

Borok and Deck were twins. One resembled humans, and one resembled Karam.

Their vocal cord structures were different, but having lived together their whole lives, they could communicate. They couldn’t speak each other’s language, but they could understand it.

Among mixed-blood families and those living adjacent to Karam, there were quite many cases where communication was possible. In Hanna’s Village, there was a separate sign language used only within the village for mixed-bloods who couldn’t speak.

However, mixed-blood brothers who could understand each other’s words this quickly and resembled each other in appearance were not common.

Finding these two was Hanna’s achievement. Their family had built a hidden house near the border and lived as hunters and herb gatherers because they weren’t accepted anywhere.

And even after that, they went through arduous negotiations to discuss the conditions for the meeting place.

Soon the Karam delegation arrived.

Karam originally had no custom of raising white flags. However, the one at the front held a white flag, and the one following behind also carried a newly made banner.

The first to enter the tent was the one who had previously faced Cedric from above and below the city wall.

It had been a month and a half since they last met face to face. However, Cedric could clearly recognize his face.

The expressions that appeared on Karam faces were just like those of humans. The wisdom of an elder dwelling in a young face made him different from other Karam.

Borok spoke to Cedric in a low voice.

“That is Apua. He is the prince of the largest tribe in Karam.”

The original title was longer and more complex. His position was difficult to understand in human terms. So Borok spoke simply.

Deck conveyed what Borok said to the Karam side. Borok conversely conveyed Deck’s words. It was agreed that all words exchanged between both sides would be transmitted.

“I introduced Your Majesty as the master of Evron.”

“Sit.”

It was when Cedric offered a seat.

Apua put one hand into his pouch.

Cedric’s knights, worried he might draw a weapon, all placed their hands on their holsters in unison. They had come with their pistols already loaded.

However, what Apua drew out was a single sheet of paper.

Deck hesitantly received the paper and handed it to Borok. Borok unfolded the paper and showed it to Cedric.

Inside, written in clumsy, crooked handwriting like that of a child, was the following sentence.

『I have come to bring forward what will happen in 20 years.』

Cedric looked at those words, glanced at Apua once, then read the sentence below it.

『Among humans with power, I know that only you are one who can be reasoned with. O fallen monarch.』

Cedric tightened his grip. And he looked at Apua.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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