The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 135

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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 135

 

Alphonse took another step forward. His large frame and armed state made him threatening enough with just that movement.

 

“Then I’ll go in alone to see Her Highness.”

 

“Are you saying the temple is forcibly detaining Marquess Rosan right now!”

 

“I didn’t say the temple was confining Her Highness.”

 

Alphonse had spoken without much thought.

 

However, the priests who didn’t know the situation began to murmur. By connecting the Duchess of Evron with the word confinement, suspicion had arisen.

 

If the Duchess of Evron had come here voluntarily to repent, wouldn’t it be simple to have her briefly show her face to reassure the knights?

 

Of course, Archbishop Akim couldn’t do that.

 

He had already received reports that Artizea had fainted. Showing her current state to the knight order would be tantamount to proving he had been detaining her. There was also the witness of the maid.

 

He couldn’t understand how they had found out and rushed here so quickly. Archbishop Akim cursed the priests who had been watching Artizea in his mind.

 

Either their reports to him had been absurdly delayed, or they had completely failed to prevent news from spreading outside.

 

For now, he had to block them. While buying time, he planned to first move Artizea and Hailey elsewhere.

 

Negotiations had to be with Artizea. That foolish Evron knight would surely spread rumors everywhere just like he was doing now. That would cause unrest within the temple.

 

The morale among the lower priests had been rising nicely. They were following the inquisitor with internal and external unity. He couldn’t ruin that atmosphere.

 

Most importantly, backing down here would damage his authority.

 

“Stand back.”

 

“This is the last time I’m asking for your understanding, Archbishop. After this, it won’t be a request.”

 

Alphonse slowly placed his left hand on his sword hilt.

 

It wasn’t a signal that he would draw his sword immediately. He was confirming the fact that he was armed.

 

However, the knight order following him all touched their sword hilts in unison.

 

Clank.

 

Though not a single sword was drawn, the sound of metal friction rang through the air.

 

An atmosphere like a battlefield, ready to explode at any moment, swirled around them.

 

The priests drew in their breath. Some even stepped backward. They realized that Alphonse was seriously determined to attack.

 

However, Archbishop Akim wasn’t cowardly enough to submit to force. He straightened his body and shouted arrogantly.

 

“Your lord must be a faithful person. Does he know you’re doing such things in this sacred temple!”

 

But those words came back to him instead.

 

Cedric appeared from behind the knight order. Even the Archbishop was with Cedric.

 

“That’s what I’d like to ask you, Archbishop Akim. Why must the guard knight I entrusted with my wife’s safety have to do such things?”

 

Cedric said.

 

“Look here, Akim!”

 

The Archbishop raised his voice. Archbishop Akim gasped from tension.

 

“Archbishop, how is this… how…”

 

“Your Highness the Prince!”

 

Alphonse was also startled and bowed his head.

 

He had no idea that Cedric had arrived in the capital. The knights also couldn’t hide their surprise while clearing the way.

 

The priests saw the Archbishop and all knelt on one knee in unison.

 

Cedric spoke to Archbishop Akim again in a cold voice.

 

“If my knights’ claim that my wife is confined here isn’t true, there would be no reason to block us this much, Archbishop.”

 

“Duke of Evron…”

 

Archbishop Akim groaned.

 

How was Cedric here? This made no sense.

 

When plotting against the Duchess of Evron, they couldn’t have failed to monitor Cedric’s movements.

 

Duke Loigar’s intelligence network was already operating at maximum capacity due to news of the war at Told Gate.

 

Not only Duke Loigar’s network, but also the Emperor’s information network and Lawrence’s network were moving. Merchant guilds also wanted to know about the northern war situation.

 

Because that war had moved unprecedentedly large-scale supply materials for political reasons.

 

Almost daily, dozens of messenger birds flew. When the sea opened, even merchant groups that normally wouldn’t go organized small trading expeditions heading north.

 

Archbishop Akim had also sent letters to priests in the homeland asking for news.

 

However, news from any route was all similar.

 

The Karam forces gathered before Told Gate had suffered losses in two clashes but hadn’t disbanded. Their troops were gradually reinforced and had now grown to 25,000.

 

Even during war, Karam would usually retreat north again when the weather warmed.

 

But this time they had settled down within artillery range.

 

This was actually deliberately spreading false information to disguise negotiations with Karam.

 

However, Archbishop Akim had no reason to doubt information gathered from multiple routes.

 

Archbishop Akim knew that the sea route had opened several weeks ago.

 

But they were still at war. Cedric couldn’t possibly leave Told Gate.

 

Why was Cedric here?

 

This collapsed all the prerequisite conditions.

 

The plot to frame Artizea for treason could only work under the prerequisite that Cedric would accept Duke Loigar’s compensation offer.

 

Everything had to be finished while he was focused on northern border affairs.

 

If he learned about it after the situation became irreversible, Cedric would acknowledge that accepting compensation was better. Even for his wife’s sake.

 

But Archbishop Akim realized at this moment. Cedric was someone who would never negotiate over his family.

 

Cedric spoke again.

 

“Would you try to stop me even if I said I’m going in?”

 

Archbishop Akim looked at the Archbishop.

 

The Archbishop gestured to clear the way. The priests didn’t wait for Archbishop Akim’s command and moved left and right like a parting sea to open a path.

 

Cedric strode inside. The knight order followed behind him.

 

Hailey was anxiously stamping her feet at the commotion heard from outside.

 

Anyway, the most important thing was a doctor. But the confused priests seemed not to know what to do first.

 

Three priests whose faces she didn’t recognize entered carrying a stretcher. Hailey jumped up and put her hand in her pocket.

 

The priests had entered and approached Artizea immediately without even greeting.

 

“Stop there. Where’s the doctor?”

 

Hailey asked.

 

“He’ll come soon.”

 

One priest answered perfunctorily. His attention seemed entirely focused outside.

 

Hailey felt ominous and stood blocking between him and Artizea.

 

“Where’s the doctor? Where are you trying to take Her Highness?”

 

“We’ll first take her to a comfortable room. The doctor will come there.”

 

“Don’t touch Her Highness.”

 

Hailey spoke quickly and put her hand in her pocket.

 

She could see not just these three priests but other priests moving outside.

 

Among all those people, not one came to care for Artizea or brought necessary items for someone who had collapsed from shock.

 

One priest approached by going around to Hailey’s side as if he had expected this.

 

“Time is pressing.”

 

Hailey realized this was to subdue her in case of emergency.

 

Time being pressing didn’t refer to Artizea’s condition but meant they needed to quickly move them elsewhere.

 

Hailey pulled out her gun from her pocket.

 

“Gasp.”

 

“Oh my.”

 

All three priests stopped simultaneously. Hailey couldn’t hide her trembling hands as she spoke.

 

“Don’t come closer.”

 

“Please don’t do this, Princess Jordin.”

 

“I’m neither a soldier nor a knight, so I’m not good with guns, Priest. I don’t want to cause an accident.”

 

Hailey thought she should have brought bullets no matter how poorly she could shoot. Even one bullet would have been enough.

 

If she fired one shot into the air as both a warning shot and to signal her location, Alphonse would immediately rush over even if he had to break down the door.

 

Her shoulder ached terribly from her bluffing.

 

The priests hesitated. Archbishop Akim’s orders were stern. However, they weren’t skilled enough in violence to rush at someone with a gun and subdue them instantly.

 

“You must not do this, my lady.”

 

“If the priests would honestly tell us what commotion is happening outside, I would gladly follow along.”

 

Hailey said.

 

They had been in a standoff for a while. The sound of people chattering disappeared, and footsteps scattered in various directions.

 

Thud, thud.

 

Then the heavy footsteps of knights could be heard. Hailey breathed heavily, her shoulders heaving.

 

The first to enter the small prayer room was Cedric.

 

“Your Highness the Prince…!”

 

She had never imagined he would come. Hailey half-screamed as she threw down the gun and knelt on the floor.

 

The three priests couldn’t even flee and panicked. Knights rushed in instantly and seized all three of them.

 

Cedric said nothing and approached Artizea’s side, kneeling on one knee.

 

He gently placed his hand against her cheek. Her face was pale as a corpse, and her body temperature was cold.

 

He carefully placed his hands under Artizea’s back and below her knees, lifting her up.

 

Artizea seemed to have followed none of his requests.

 

She had gained a little weight. However, her complexion seemed worse than before.

 

“Your Highness.”

 

“I’ll hear the story later, Hailey.”

 

“Those men are attempted kidnappers.”

 

Hailey insisted on saying what she had to say. She was referring to the three priests held by the knights.

 

Cedric slowly turned his head to look at Archbishop Akim. Archbishop Akim flinched and stepped back half a step. He hadn’t intended to, but was overwhelmed by the intimidating presence.

 

Cedric then looked at the Archbishop.

 

He had seen the knight order departing from the manor, received a brief explanation from Ansgard, and instead of immediately following the knight order, had gone to the Archbishop’s residence.

 

Whatever had happened, accompanying the Archbishop was a way to resolve the situation more moderately.

 

He thought Artizea would want that too. He didn’t know exactly what had happened at the temple. However, Artizea rarely orchestrated things in ways that would expose herself.

 

And he regretted thinking that way a little.

 

The return journey was only about twenty minutes at most. Still, for that much time, Artizea had been lying collapsed on this cold stone floor.

 

If Hailey hadn’t had the gun, there was a possibility she could have been taken elsewhere.

 

The knight order had rushed out, yet he had foolishly thought about moderate solutions.

 

“I believe I have sufficiently fulfilled my duties to the temple until now, Archbishop.”

 

The Archbishop looked troubled. His neck was flushed red down to below his collar, but his expression barely maintained composure.

 

“I’m sorry, Cedric. I heard that the Prince’s Consort was staying, but I was told she was praying voluntarily…”

 

“You must have known that my wife is frail. Even if you didn’t know, the maid would have informed you.”

 

“I have nothing to say.”

 

The Archbishop bowed his head.

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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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