The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 11

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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 11

Countess Unise slapped Artizea’s cheek so hard that her head whipped around.

Artizea reflexively covered her cheek with her hand.

The Imperial Palace servants and House of Rosan employees who were watching tried to approach in shock. One of the knights guarding the lobby even ran over in panic.

Even the Countess’s maid turned pale, not knowing what to do.

“It’s fine.”

Artizea slowly shook her head. Her lips and the inside of her mouth were torn and bleeding, so she took out a handkerchief and spat into it.

Then she glared at Countess Unise.

Countess Unise Charlotte was one of the Emperor’s two illegitimate daughters.

Her mother wasn’t a favored mistress like Milaire, but just a maid dragged into bed for one night.

The reason for impregnating a maid who wasn’t even a continuously favored mistress was to keep the Empress in check.

This wasn’t even a secret.

The Emperor had no interest in Charlotte’s mother. But he was fond of his daughters.

Countess Unise had memories of being deeply loved by the Emperor until she was about ten years old.

Because of this, though she had no power or influence, her pride and dignity as the Emperor’s daughter were extraordinarily strong.

So she could hardly bear being pushed behind Milaire.

She was just a mistress, wasn’t she? It might be unavoidable to be pushed behind Lawrence, who was a son, but to be placed behind a mistress when she was a daughter.

And she loathed Artizea, the mistress’s daughter, like vermin.

From Artizea’s perspective, there wasn’t much difference between her and herself in terms of being born illegitimately.

Still, having the Emperor’s blood seemed to make one not care about such things.

Countess Unise looked down at Artizea with an arrogant expression. Her face said, “What are you going to do about it?”

“You are thoughtless, my lady.”

“Go call your mother.”

“What do you think would happen if I burst into tears and collapsed right here?”

Artizea spoke in a quiet voice.

“His Majesty’s servants and the Imperial Guards saw you slap my cheek without warning.”

“So, so what?”

“His Majesty greatly dislikes people who disturb his peace. Moreover, what man would like a daughter who comes to visit while he’s having a tryst with his mistress? Especially not a young daughter of five or six, but a daughter who’s already married and has children.”

Countess Unise’s complexion turned pale. Artizea spoke coldly.

“If I make a scene here, crying from shame and pain, His Majesty will come out too. And my mother won’t miss that opportunity—she’ll cry along and complain to His Majesty that you’ve disrespected and humiliated her to this extent. What do you think will happen then?”

“Th-that…”

“The more harshly you treat my mother, the more His Majesty will feel indebted to her. Shall I really try it once?”

Artizea took a step forward as she said this.

Countess Unise was overwhelmed by her spirit and stumbled backward, nearly falling on her own. Her maid hurriedly supported her.

Artizea grabbed her sleeve. Then she spoke in a low voice.

“This would only benefit my mother and Brother Lawrence. So please go home today.”

“You, what? If you’re so confident, then really try it once!”

Countess Unise tried to sound defiant, but she couldn’t stop her voice from trembling.

Artizea smiled bitterly.

She didn’t need to try it to know. Because she had actually done it before.

Being slapped was so routine that she wasn’t particularly surprised or pained by it.

But she had instantly calculated it would be profitable and screamed loudly while collapsing to the floor. The shocked servants and knights took her side.

Milaire, who was clever at such schemes, quickly understood Artizea’s intention.

She shed tears and complained to the Emperor that daughters and mothers receive the same treatment.

Then she stopped going out, closed her door, and wept sadly for nearly ten days.

The Emperor, moved by his beloved woman’s tears, severely scolded Countess Unise. He also gave Milaire a great consolation gift and threw her a lavish party.

Milaire took the Emperor’s arm and confidently appeared as the star of that party.

This was the first time Artizea was recognized by Lawrence and Milaire as “properly useful.”

“Countess Unise, you shouldn’t compete for favor with your father’s woman. Since you are His Majesty’s beloved daughter, if you want to push my mother aside, you should receive love in a different way.”

Countess Unise looked at her with uncomprehending eyes.

She couldn’t understand why Artizea was saying things that seemed to undermine her own mother.

“His Majesty cherishes you as a daughter and once doted on you greatly. Make him recall those memories. Visit His Majesty tomorrow with your children. And receive love as a daughter. You shouldn’t earn his hatred by criticizing His Majesty’s romantic relationships. That’s not beneficial for you.”

“What on earth are you thinking…”

“I’ll pretend today’s incident never happened. Now, please go home. No parent in the world wants to show their children themselves with a mistress.”

Artizea said this and looked back at the Imperial Guard. The young knight was flustered when he received Artizea’s gaze.

Artizea smiled kindly at him.

“Countess Unise says she’s leaving, so would you escort her out?”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

The knight looked at her with a pitying expression. Artizea said,

“We mustn’t disturb His Majesty’s rest time. Countess Unise, don’t forget my words and go home. And don’t forget what true filial piety is.”

Countess Unise didn’t seem to understand all of her words. But when the knight urged her to leave, she obediently withdrew from the scene.

Artizea brushed off her skirt.

There are limits to human mental strength and affection.

Love for women and love for children are different, but both cannot be poured out infinitely.

This was even more true for someone as self-centered as Emperor Gregor.

As much as Countess Unise regained the Emperor’s favor, Milaire would be pushed out of his heart.

This was different from before, when she only needed to slander and frame others to plant doubt in the Emperor’s mind.

Previously, if she brought someone down and destroyed them, Milaire would naturally draw the favor to herself.

But now she had to drive Milaire out of the Emperor’s heart while simultaneously filling it with someone else.

Yet she also had to prevent anyone with enough influence to replace Milaire from emerging.

Not long after Countess Unise left the lobby, the Emperor and Milaire came outside.

A servant gave Artizea an apologetic look.

“I heard Charlotte came.”

The Emperor looked down at the lobby. He saw Artizea holding a blood-stained handkerchief with her cheek swollen. The corner of her lip was also torn and bleeding.

From that alone, he could roughly understand the situation.

He knew Countess Unise’s temperament and that she loathed Artizea.

“I’m sorry this happened.”

The Emperor spoke in a low, sunken voice. That voice carried shame over his daughter’s foolish behavior.

Artizea knelt properly on one knee and answered.

“Nothing happened.”

“It seems Charlotte treated you harshly.”

“Countess Unise made a small mistake out of missing her father, so how could I harbor resentment toward the Countess and Your Majesty?”

Artizea said this. Milaire’s face turned red as she exploded.

“Even so, to come to my house and slap my daughter’s cheek—how much must she have looked down on me to do such a thing? And you too! If something like that happened, you should have called for me!”

“Since I’m a daughter without a father, how could I not understand Countess Unise’s feelings?”

Artizea spoke toward the Emperor, not Milaire.

“She must miss her father so much that she became jealous even of me. And as someone who will become the future head of House Rosan, how could I create a disturbance over such a small matter when I should be serving Your Majesty comfortably?”

The Emperor smiled.

“Your heart is admirable.”

Artizea bowed her head respectfully.

“But it’s my fault for raising Charlotte wrong. I spoiled her too much and made her violent. Now that she has three children, it’s time for her to become more dignified. Since she injured the face of a young lady in her flower-like years, I can’t hold my head up. Ask for something. Come to think of it, I didn’t give you a birthday present either.”

Though the Emperor would never deliberately remember Artizea’s birthday, he said this.

Artizea was inwardly surprised by this unexpected gain. However, she didn’t make the mistake of asking for a gift here.

Instead, she said this:

“Then, though it may be presumptuous, I hope you will accept the gift I have prepared.”

“A gift? From you to me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Actually, I had prepared a gift to give to my mother on my birthday as thanks for giving birth to me, but it’s… a pair of items for parents.”

Artizea bowed her head as if deeply apologetic.

“But I have no one else to receive the other half. I prepared it thinking of Your Majesty, but I couldn’t dare present it, so I couldn’t give it to my mother either. If you would just accept it, it would be a lifelong joy for me.”

“Haha.”

The Emperor laughed pleasantly.

“If it’s something for parents, then it means it was made for a married couple, doesn’t it? How could I refuse to use matching items with Milaire? Bring it here.”

Artizea gestured to Alice, who had been nervously watching from a corner of the lobby.

Alice had come to report after finishing distributing bribes to the servants, only to encounter this incident and had been watching from a distance.

Alice hurriedly went to Artizea’s room and brought back the prepared gift box.

In the meantime, the Emperor came down to the first floor and leisurely settled onto the lobby sofa.

Artizea received the gift box from Alice and carefully presented it before the Emperor.

Inside was a pair of large amber brooches.

The Emperor personally took out the women’s brooch and pinned it to Milaire’s collar. Then he pinned the men’s brooch to his own collar.

He looked at Artizea and smiled.

“Don’t be so cautious. Since you are Milaire’s daughter, you are like a daughter to me as well.”

“I am deeply honored.”

Artizea said respectfully.

In the past, she had truly wanted to hear those very words.

Because then it seemed like she too could enter the ‘family’ circle that Milaire and Lawrence created.

But in the end, the family she had imagined was itself a sweet illusion.

Lawrence had killed Milaire. A family that trusted, loved, and relied on each other had never existed anywhere from the beginning.

“Well then, shall we go to the Opera Theater now?”

“Hmph.”

Milaire took the Emperor’s hand and stood up, casting a sideways displeased glance at Artizea.

However, she seemed to like the brooch, wearing a satisfied expression.

Artizea knelt and kept her head bowed until the two of them went outside.

With this, the Emperor would feel indebted to her rather than to Milaire regarding today’s events.

Even if it was just a momentary feeling, it was a significant gain.

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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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