The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 13

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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 13

Sedric drank only one cup of tea in front of the Emperor and withdrew. Then he headed to the Rosan Marquess Estate as originally planned.

The butler was greatly surprised by Duke of Evron’s visit.

And he was even more surprised that the person he had come to see was not Lawrence, or even Milaire, but Artizea.

“The Young Lady has gone out.”

“Where did she go?”

The butler was flustered again.

Sedric realized how poor Artizea’s position was within this house.

Artizea was the only descendant of the House of Rosan, and in two years would be the heir to inherit the title.

Yet the butler didn’t even know where she had gone.

The butler bowed repeatedly, asking him to wait just a moment, then turned the maids upside down.

Sedric stood waiting in the lobby.

He was angry. This was unimaginable at the House of Evron.

Though Sedric had lost his parents tragically in childhood and sent several retainers who had cherished him like their own son or grandson to their deaths,

even on the day he returned from their funerals, home was still home to him.

On days when he was oppressed by the Emperor and had bitter thoughts, on days when he thought he could no longer accomplish anything, on days when he thought he might as well truly surrender, throw down his arms, and pursue only personal comfort with a wretched heart, home was still home to him.

It was a place to rest peacefully, and also a place he had to protect.

The butler and servants were not mere employees to him either.

Sedric regarded them as family in place of his lost parents, and they too cared for Sedric like their own child, grandchild, or brother.

The butler of the House of Rosan was flustered and didn’t know what to do when he stood waiting.

Sophie happened to have the day off today. Alice was nowhere to be seen. She had probably gone out with Artizea. There was no one who would know where Artizea had gone.

In the end, Sedric could only get an answer after nearly an hour had passed.

“I apologize, Your Highness. The Young Lady has gone to a ball at House of Endare. If you wait just a moment, I’ll have her return immediately.”

“Are you higher in rank than the Young Lady in this house?”

“Pardon?”

The butler blinked. Sedric spoke coldly.

“I understand that the Young Lady of House of Rosan is the heir who will inherit the marquess house, so I’m curious whether a mere butler like you can order her to come and go.”

“Oh, no.”

The butler hastily bowed his head and made excuses.

“It’s just that Young Master Lawrence will return soon, so if Your Highness could have a chat with the Young Master in the meantime, I could bring the Young Lady…”

That excuse made Sedric even angrier.

“I seem to have made an error.”

“Pardon?”

“I questioned the butler of the House of Rosan, but you seem to be Lord Lawrence’s butler instead.”

In any case, when Sedric said that, the butler’s face turned ashen.

Though no one had pointed it out and he had forgotten, the true master of the House of Rosan was originally Artizea.

He was Milaire’s confidant, but as the butler of the House of Rosan, what he had said was indeed inappropriate.

“I apologize.”

The butler bowed respectfully.

Among the fastidious and rigid high nobles, there were those who obsessed over greeting according to etiquette and formality regardless of who held real power.

Moreover, Sedric disliked Milaire.

The butler thought he was being nitpicked. And the only way to respond to such nitpicking was to apologize.

He never imagined that Sedric was doing this out of consideration for Artizea.

He didn’t even think about why he had come to see Artizea.

Artizea had lately been coming up with good ideas from time to time and receiving Milaire’s praise.

But in the butler’s mind, Artizea was still nothing more than Milaire’s punching bag.

“I’ll have to mention this to the Young Lady.”

Since it wasn’t his household’s affair, Sedric only said that much and turned his back on the House of Rosan.

“What I want is to fully inherit the House of Rosan and become independent. Please protect me by maintaining a marriage in name only for two years.”

Artizea had said that.

Sedric finally seemed to understand what kind of ‘protection’ she needed.

Artizea, who had attended the ball at House of Endare, was being a wallflower.

These balls held in broad daylight were not places for wild revelry and fun.

They were occasions for young men and women to gather and socialize wholesomely under adult supervision.

Of course, the ultimate purpose of that socializing was to find good marriage prospects.

Most marriages were still decided by family heads and parents considering the status and wealth of both houses.

However, the meetings of hot-blooded young people were not something that could be prevented just by trying to prevent them.

So parents hoped that meetings would take place in places they could control and in ways they could control.

Thanks to this, young nobles of marriageable age now had modest but real choices.

They experienced the social season by building friendships with the same sex and sharing thrilling times with the opposite sex.

They also learned during this time how to gauge whether a family could be connected through marriage, whether it was a family they should create ties with by any means necessary, or whether it was a family they should appropriately ignore.

Artizea was one of the young ladies who wasn’t very popular at such balls.

Considering only her title and status, she should rightfully have been the queen of the social season.

However, Artizea was Milaire’s daughter. Those who despised or disliked Milaire naturally avoided her.

The crowd that clung to Milaire and flattered her also followed Milaire’s lead in ignoring and mistreating Artizea. This was because Milaire would become irritated or angry if anyone was kind to Artizea.

‘And at this age, appearance is power.’

Taking apricot juice from the table and sipping it, Artizea thought.

In the end, they were boys and girls not even twenty years old.

Few could see the enormous wealth of the House of Rosan behind Artizea’s back.

Even if there was a boy who could see it, he would think that beautiful looks and a gentle disposition were more important values than that wealth.

‘No. A gentle disposition does have value.’

Artizea thought so.

Even if she were given ten Houses of Rosan, she couldn’t exchange them for Lisia’s kind heart.

She thought it would be good if she could have even half as beautiful a heart by giving up all of the House of Rosan.

“Hello, Young Lady of House of Rosan.”

Artizea thought she would like to quietly return home without greeting anyone if possible.

But things rarely went as she wished.

The one who spoke to her was the beautiful Countess Atiya.

“Why do you have such a gloomy face? You came early, but you haven’t danced a single song.”

“Someone has to decorate the walls.”

“Oh my. It’s hurtful when you say that. All the gentlemen who came to this ball must be rude and heartless. To leave a lady unable to dance even one song.”

Saying this, Countess Atiya lowered her long eyelashes.

“But Young Lady of House of Rosan is also at fault. You’ve come wearing the same dress for the fourth time now, so even if he were a true gentleman, how could he tell whether you danced today or if that was from the last ball?”

The young men following her shook their shoulders with laughter.

Artizea smiled wryly.

In the old days, she lacked confidence in her appearance and was ashamed of her worn clothes, so when she heard such words, she really couldn’t even lift her head.

But thinking about it now, she wondered what courage Countess Atiya had to say such things.

No matter how beautiful a flower of the ball she was, Artizea was the person who would become Marquess Rosan.

House of Artiya was too insignificant to ignore. Count and Countess Atiya weren’t even close to Milaire.

Artizea smiled.

“Even if I put a dress worth hundreds of thousands of gold on this ugly face, wouldn’t it just be a waste? Especially that dress… Looking at the embroidery, it’s velvet brought from the Kingdom of Ients in the south, isn’t it? Such precious clothes should be worn by a beautiful lady like you so that even the maker would feel rewarded.”

“Oh my. You have good taste.”

“But is it alright?”

“What is?”

“Ients embroidered velvet is so expensive that if you use the fabric so generously to make a dress, the raw material cost alone would be several thousand gold. I see this is already your fourth dress made from Ients embroidered velvet, so House of Artiya has invested nearly half of the annual income from your territory in your dresses.”

“What did you say?”

“Oh, Count and Countess Atiya love you so much, don’t they tell you such things? The marble mine that is the main source of income for the count’s house has low profitability now and will probably be closed within a year or two. Even now, income has already decreased tremendously. I understand you’re on the verge of bankruptcy.”

Countess Atiya’s face turned pale.

“Well, that’s true. If it were just simply spending money, it would be too large a sum, but as a major investment with the family’s fate at stake, it’s not such a huge amount. The Young Lady is beautiful, so she’ll surely be able to meet her parents’ expectations.”

Artizea said with a bright smile.

“Are you saying my parents are going to sell me off right now?!”

It was when Countess Atiya screamed, forgetting about people’s gazes.

There seemed to be some commotion from the entrance, and then a new guest entered.

Everyone looked in that direction.

Sedric was unbuckling the longsword he wore and handing it to a servant.

In the hall that had become quiet with even the murmuring stopped, only music flowed.

“Prince of Evron, what brings you here without any notice?”

Countess Endare knelt on one knee respectfully and bowed as she spoke.

Sedric Evron was someone who set countless young ladies’ hearts ablaze with his handsome appearance and masculine bearing, yet never had a single dance partner.

Unless it was an Imperial Palace ball he was compelled to attend, he never participated in balls or parties at all.

Moreover, right now he should have been engaged in a battle of nerves with the Emperor at the military camp on the outskirts of the capital.

Yet he had appeared at a social venue for young men and women.

Why had he suddenly attended such a place? And what status would this elevate the House of Endare’s ball to?

Countess Endare’s mind worked busily.

“I have someone to meet, and I heard they were here. So I took the liberty of coming without an invitation. May I enter?”

“Of course. There is no door in the capital’s social circles that Your Highness the Duke cannot open.”

Countess Endare said so.

Despite various complex and precarious political situations, Sedric was one of the finest marriage prospects.

He was young, had already inherited the ducal title, was wealthy, and was a hero who had achieved military merit.

Sedric Evron could become a kingmaker. If he were to choose one of Lawrence or Loigar and pledge his loyalty, the current succession structure could change.

While Sedric himself felt he was walking a tightrope with his very life at stake, conversely, this meant that even the Emperor could not help but be conscious of him.

‘Just who has he come to meet? Surely not a woman?’

Such questions floated in the air.

But Sedric, as if completely oblivious, crossed the hall and came straight toward Artizea.

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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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