The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 132

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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 132

The moment Archbishop Akim revealed his true feelings was brief. He soon returned to his expressionless state.

“If you think you can escape this incident by flaunting some trivial personal connection, you’re mistaken, Marquis Rosan. Colton has no power whatsoever.”

“….”

Artizea fell into thought for a moment.

Father Colton coming to follow her was something she had never anticipated when making her plans. It was natural for variables to occur.

‘A saint, no less. I knew this would become a troublesome variable.’

That Archbishop Akim disliked Father Colton was something she knew without having to investigate separately.

Father Colton had rejected the temple’s complex rituals and overly difficult doctrines and removed his bishop’s robes.

He believed that repentance, service, and faith alone were the true path to following God’s will and receiving salvation.

Many priests who had become disillusioned with the temple followed Father Colton. The common people also respected the poor monk.

The devout old nobles, while respecting Archbishop Akim, often counted Father Colton as their first choice.

To the self-righteous Archbishop Akim, all of this must have been a thorn in his side. He couldn’t possibly tolerate Father Colton receiving more respect from people than himself.

This was a dispute between the faction that valued doctrine and the faction that valued monasticism within the temple. At the same time, it was also Archbishop Akim’s emotional problem.

‘Still, it seems like they didn’t fight this openly in the past.’

Artizea recalled her memories.

Back then, there was Lisia.

Archbishop Akim had tried to gain glory through Lisia, and Father Colton had followed and tried to protect her because she was a saint.

There were differences in their specific actions. However, once Lisia became empress, there was no difference in that they both stood by her side and acted accordingly.

But now it was different.

Father Colton had left the monastery and participated in secular affairs like the grain relief project. And Archbishop Akim didn’t know the reason.

It wouldn’t be strange if he misunderstood that Father Colton had changed his mind and was trying to actively expand his influence.

And she, who had spread massive bribes throughout the temple, was working with him.

Archbishop Akim must have interpreted this as her supporting Father Colton to gain control of the temple’s power.

There are people who can only understand the world in such ways.

‘At least that’s fortunate.’

The fact that emotions were involved made it a more serious situation than a conflict between moderates and hardliners.

However, it wasn’t the worst-case scenario since she could understand the reason.

Artizea had also considered the possibility that Archbishop Akim might be one of the ‘returned ones.’ If that had been the case, the situation would have been difficult to resolve easily.

Artizea hid her sigh inwardly and spoke.

“Does the temple now intend to hold even having a madwoman as a mother as a crime?”

“A madwoman? Do you think you can escape that way? This is treason.”

Archbishop Akim said so.

“I didn’t know Your Grace had the right to investigate treason.”

“It’s useless to try to escape with clever words.”

“I severed ties with my mother and became Her Majesty the Empress’s maid. I think Your Grace knows there’s quite a story behind it.”

“Worldly rumors are not very reliable. Especially when it concerns conspirators.”

“What conspirator in the world would try to assassinate their own power base?”

Artizea smiled faintly.

If there was no room for compromise, there was no need to try to join hands with Archbishop Akim. And there was no need to hide herself either.

“Your Grace, have you joined hands with Duke Loigar?”

“Hah.”

“If Father Colton has the backing of the Duchess of Evron, did you think you’d need at least Duke Loigar to oppose that?”

“Marquis Rosan, please watch your words.”

“You want to implicate me in treason, but it would also be troublesome to antagonize the Evron Duchy, so that’s why you’re addressing me that way.”

Artizea unconsciously smiled faintly.

“If you implicate both my brother and me in treason and punish us, the grudge would be eliminated so the temple could do as it pleases, and since my husband is fighting Karam in the north, you thought he couldn’t reach here to intervene? If the temple comes forward to find evidence of treason, His Majesty would have no choice either.”

And Duke Loigar wanted to definitively implicate both her and Lawrence in this treason.

If it was something Milaire alone had done, it would be nothing more than the act of a capricious woman driven mad by jealousy.

But if Artizea was also involved, then it would be definite treason.

“Your Grace, you should be careful. I proposed a mediation plan for His Majesty the Emperor. I have nothing to do with this matter.”

“Then prove it.”

Saying so, Archbishop Akim placed two sheets of paper in front of Artizea.

“I hear that you, Marquis, are an intelligent person who has studied ancient languages quite diligently.”

“….”

“Are you truly not involved in this heretical act in any way?”

Artizea pulled the papers toward her.

One sheet contained the curse words that Archbishop Akim had transcribed, and the other was blank paper.

Artizea didn’t even look at what Archbishop Akim had written and wrote ancient language in skilled handwriting on the blank paper.

《I wish for the death of ────.》

She briefly wrote that, leaving the target’s place blank.

And this time she wrote with her left hand. It was to show him her clumsy left-handed writing as well.

《I wish for those I hate, those who cause me pain, to fall into misfortune.》

Artizea returned the paper to Archbishop Akim. Archbishop Akim couldn’t hide his startled expression when he saw the paper.

“Unfortunately, Archbishop Akim, you know this is foolish, don’t you? If I had been involved in the curse, I would have written the exact sentence for my mother, had her copy it, then burn it. I wouldn’t have left any books in the manor.”

“….”

“Both Your Grace and I know this would be a much more effective sentence.”

Archbishop Akim couldn’t find evidence. Even if Artizea tried clumsily to copy it, she couldn’t write in the same handwriting as the curse words found at Rosan Manor.

Archbishop Akim would probably have Artizea’s maids try copying it too, but he wouldn’t be able to find anything either.

The one who had copied it was already dead.

“Come to think of it, Your Grace.”

“….”

“I’m rather frail, though I don’t know if you’re aware of that.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m already quite tired from my mother’s affairs. I don’t think I can endure long in an environment like this.”

Artizea said so and stood up.

Archbishop Akim’s face contorted. However, he didn’t try to scold Artizea.

Archbishop Akim was almost certain that Artizea was the one who had written that curse book.

So he had planned to intimidate her moderately and make the young duchess confess.

Once he secured the handwriting and heard testimony that she had written the book, he thought he could then coax and manipulate her as he wished.

But Artizea was too composed. She had even provided left-handed writing as if she already knew he would suspect the handwriting.

Archbishop Akim felt his mind becoming complicated. It was time to devise other methods.

Artizea came out of Archbishop Akim’s study feeling tired. Hailey asked.

“Was everything alright?”

“My expectations were off.”

Artizea said briefly and left that corridor. Only then did she notice that Hailey was holding a small basket in her hands.

“What’s that?”

“The kitchen prepared it for you.”

Inside the basket were sweet orange tarts and apple juice. It wasn’t something the temple could easily make.

“It seems Prince Ansgard requested it from outside. Bishop Nicos apparently gave separate instructions to take care of Your Highness.”

“I see.”

Artizea smiled.

“Shall we take a walk in the courtyard for a bit? It would be nice to eat there.”

“Yes.”

But the two couldn’t go out to the courtyard. Apprentice priests following Archbishop Akim’s orders blocked them from going outside.

Hailey was about to get angry.

“Are they treating us like prisoners now?”

Artizea stopped her. She thought there was no need to create unnecessary conflict. It was clear that the flustered apprentice priests had no authority to decide whether to let them outside or not.

The two returned to their narrow quarters and sat facing each other with snacks spread out on the bed.

“Now you must have a rough understanding of the temple’s atmosphere, right?”

“Yes. The quarters are like this, and the behavioral control is very oppressive—prohibiting outside access, making Her Highness go to the prayer room, and such—but the kitchen staff and some priests are quite cautious. Earlier, someone even came deliberately to share news from outside.”

“That would be Father Colton’s influence. Archbishop Akim is also being quite forceful. The Archbishop is a moderate, and the majority of lower-ranking priests probably don’t want to be directly and deeply involved in secular politics like this.”

Artizea said.

“Bishop Nicos telling the kitchen to take care of us is the same. Since he’s a safety-first type, he’s probably trying to ease my displeasure even a little, just in case.”

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t stopping this imprisonment-like behavior be the priority?”

“The inquisition itself is Archbishop Akim’s domain, and it has the citizens’ support too.”

“What will you do? You didn’t expect to be confined like this, did you?”

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have come voluntarily. I was only planning to invest a day or two to save the temple’s face and negotiate. Well, what should I do?”

Until meeting Archbishop Akim, she had thought about using Bishop Nicos. But that wouldn’t solve things.

“Archbishop Akim has joined hands with Duke Loigar.”

“If he’s joined hands with Duke Loigar, does he plan to frame Your Highness for treason?”

“Yes. Duke Loigar’s goal is to frame even my brother for treason and execute him, while Archbishop Akim’s goal is to make me, who is close to Father Colton, into a heretic and traitor, thereby eliminating any place for the Father to stand within the temple.”

“What will you do? Two or three days is enough time to forge evidence.”

Artizea nodded while chewing on an orange tart.

“Forging evidence… That’s plausible.”

They couldn’t claim that Artizea had personally written that book from the Rosan Estate.

However, they could bribe some maid or servant to make them testify that Artizea had obtained that book from somewhere.

If they had decided to forge evidence anyway, they could also create witnesses claiming she was involved in buying children who were about to be sacrificed.

The old woman who had tried to perform curses with Milaire was now in the temple’s hands.

Hailey asked.

“Should I contact Count Alphonse?”

“Don’t. It would become the crazy act of going to war with the temple. I can just leave, can’t I? It’s something that can be done just by communicating with the Archbishop.”

“Going to war with Archbishop Akim would be worthwhile though.”

“Hailey.”

“Don’t worry. I know moderation. It’s Your Highness who doesn’t know moderation.”

“…”

Artizea didn’t deny it and just shook her head slightly.

Should she end it quickly, or handle it carefully?

If she brought justification and narrowed Archbishop Akim’s position, the moderates would take care of the rest.

Not only Archbishop Akim, but Artizea was also weighing her options. About what to do.

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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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