The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 152

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

Chapter 152

 

22.

 

Hailey wanted to investigate Archbishop Akim’s death more thoroughly.

 

Artizea had told her it wasn’t her fault, that they were simply one step behind because she had awakened late, and to forget about it. However, Hailey couldn’t feel at ease about it.

 

It was an unsatisfactory conclusion in many ways. Perhaps it was because Archbishop Akim had been poisoned.

 

Hailey had seen various forms of death. In fact, an ordinary woman in the capital would never have attended as many funerals as Hailey had.

 

However, assassination was a first for her.

 

But there was no opportunity to investigate properly.

 

As Artizea had said, by the time Archbishop Akim’s body was discovered, the evidence had already been removed.

 

The kitchen servant had disappeared, and the servant who brought the meal had quit his job that very day.

 

The Royal Guards had caught that servant, but it was true that he had quit after receiving a letter from his hometown saying his mother was critically ill.

 

Archbishop Akim’s study and bedroom were sealed off by the Royal Guards. By the time Hailey could enter two days later, they were already empty with nothing left.

 

Since someone who committed treason had committed suicide, the Royal Guards would examine the related evidence.

 

It was obvious that the results would never be announced.

 

“How can this be?”

 

“His Majesty must have something he doesn’t want others to see.”

 

Artizea sat on the bed and spoke calmly.

 

“Treason is originally the Royal Guards’ business, so there’s no need to worry about it. The fact that no risk came back to us from a failed operation can be seen as a great gain.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Hailey answered obediently. However, she soon couldn’t overcome her curiosity and asked again.

 

“Do you think His Majesty also believes Archbishop Akim died because of Duke Loigar?”

 

“He won’t be certain. His Majesty is someone who thinks a lot.”

 

Perhaps the Emperor might think that Artizea was seeking revenge or trying to forge evidence to frame Duke Loigar.

 

The Emperor didn’t know all of Countess Camellia’s ‘methods.’

 

“He’ll have suspicions though. Whoever did it, he’ll try to track down the evidence and catch them if possible.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That’s why I’m telling you to stop working on this here, Hailey. Knowing that His Majesty tried to deal with Archbishop Akim is dangerous, but it would be even more dangerous if you dig too deep into this matter and encounter His Majesty’s secret investigators.”

 

Hailey swallowed.

 

“You’re my maid, still a frontier person not familiar with the capital, and the name Evron will guarantee your innocence to some extent.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“So investigating a little is fine. It would be strange not to react at all after encountering a poisoning, so what you’ve found out so far is just right. But no more than this. You can’t mobilize information networks either.”

 

“It’s a shame.”

 

Hailey said without thinking.

 

It wasn’t that she wanted this matter to grow bigger.

 

But she hoped Duke Loigar would be dragged out and punished for this incident.

 

She disliked Duke Loigar. It would be fair to say she found him disgusting. Perhaps it was because Duke Loigar was the first person she encountered among all the power struggles she faced after coming to the capital.

 

It was still unpleasant that he escaped through assassination like this.

 

Artizea looked at Hailey for a moment, then smiled bitterly.

 

She had thought Hailey would become accustomed to capital politics. She seemed to have the adaptability for it.

 

But even Hailey, who appeared cynical on the surface, had fundamentally good character.

 

Artizea felt this anew and became envious.

 

It was because she had never been shocked by such things even once.

 

* * *

 

After the conclusion was reached, the procedures for showing the citizens proceeded in an instant.

 

The heresy trial and the trials for human trafficking and attempted murder were held on the same day.

 

The trial proceeded briefly and formally. It was a trial that took only about 10 minutes at most.

 

“For the crime of attempting to perform forbidden curse magic through human sacrifice, Milaire Rosan is excommunicated. All sacraments performed in the temple have lost their validity, so from this moment Milaire is no one’s daughter, no one’s wife, and belongs to no family.”

 

“…”

 

“However, no matter how much of a sinner, God originally has compassion for humans, so if she has the will to repent and serve with lifelong penitence, the temple wishes to take her in.”

 

That was the result of the heresy trial.

 

The Supreme Court ruled as follows:

 

“Buying people with money for curses and attempting to kill them is extremely wicked and hard to forgive. However, considering that it remained an attempt, and that she repented and donated all her property to comfort the victims, she is sentenced to lifelong exile.”

 

Now Milaire would be exiled to a monastery in the western frontier until her death.

 

It was the result of combining the temple’s intention to take in excommunicated people who repent and reform according to God’s mercy, with the sentence of exile.

 

The property that would normally have been donated to the temple for Milaire’s comfortable later years would be used to compensate human trafficking victims and rescue children sold by their parents. The Rosan Estate was scheduled to become an orphanage.

 

Milaire, looking gaunt, paid no attention to the verdict.

 

She just kept looking at the gallery. As if she was looking for someone.

 

So Sedric had no choice but to tell her.

 

“I told Tia not to come. No matter what you do, she would only be criticized for being associated with you.”

 

“…”

 

“There’s no reason for Tia to suffer greater pain because of your actions.”

 

“She’s my daughter.”

 

“That’s right. Even if your surname and name received from your parents disappear when the naming sacrament becomes invalid, and your legal husband’s surname disappears when the marriage sacrament becomes invalid, and you no longer belong to any family, your children are still your children.”

 

Sedric said quietly.

 

There were plenty of reasons why Milaire deserved to die. It wasn’t just because of this incident. When she poisoned the Rosan Marquess family, Milaire should have already received the death penalty.

 

There were probably other crimes Sedric didn’t know about.

 

But Sedric decided not to dig up everything and cover it up instead.

 

“Cherish your life and live long. If you die, you can’t do anything. No reconciliation, no resentment, no regret.”

 

Sedric said.

 

“I hope you regret it.”

 

He wanted to say on behalf of Artizea what she had hoped for all her life, but had given up knowing it would never happen.

 

“I hope you regret not recognizing and abandoning the one person who unconditionally loved you and devoted herself to you, regardless of who you were, what you were, even if you weren’t beautiful, weren’t wealthy, had no power, and didn’t love her back.”

 

“What are you to me?”

 

“I am Tia’s husband.”

 

Sedric’s answer was heavy. And he gestured for them to take her away.

 

Milaire was loaded into the transport carriage as she was.

 

She neither went mad nor clung to them crying. She had already accepted her fate.

 

* * *

 

The Empress stuck her needle into her embroidery hoop and spoke in a leisurely tone.

 

“Exile to the west. Gregor made quite a concession.”

 

“There was something to satisfy his wounded pride.”

 

“I thought there would be riots.”

 

“I heard Lord Sedric persuaded them. Lifelong exile is also according to imperial law.”

 

If they judged thoroughly based only on this incident, that was true. Excluding the attempted treason against the Empress, it was only a failed attempt to kill two orphans.

 

That wasn’t to say it was a small crime, but it wasn’t a crime deserving to be paraded around and stoned to death as the crowd wanted.

 

Sedric would probably have stopped it even if he hadn’t been thinking of Artizea.

 

Sedric’s consideration wasn’t in the verdict itself. It was in not bringing up old crimes separately, and in connecting that verdict to the heresy trial to decide the place of exile as a monastery.

 

He personally looked into that monastery. He chose a place where there was a monk he was acquainted with who could take care of Milaire. He also donated some money so she wouldn’t have difficulties with food, clothing, and shelter.

 

“He did something difficult. He put a lot of thought into it for you.”

 

“I think it was probably necessary work according to common sense…”

 

“But you hoped he wouldn’t?”

 

Artizea couldn’t answer readily.

 

Milaire’s crimes felt like her own crimes. She was tormented that her bloodline seemed to have broken Sedric’s righteous heart.

 

Instead of giving him wings, she had held back his ankles.

 

“Mother’s life was saved. I’m grateful for that alone.”

 

“You wouldn’t be grateful though.”

 

“Then, may I say it wasn’t a bad outcome?”

 

Artizea asked in return.

 

“How cold.”

 

“I think of Mother as a pitiful person, but that’s no reason to make an exception.”

 

The Empress looked at her with deep eyes. It was a gaze that seemed to pierce through Artizea’s inner thoughts.

 

“True, your target wasn’t strictly Milaire, but Lawrence.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“No parent immediately gives up on their child just because they’re lacking or disappointing. I hope you remember that.”

 

“I understand. From the beginning, I drew Mother out to remove someone who would protect my brother when His Majesty became angry and disappointed with him.”

 

“If that’s your resolve, then good.”

 

The Empress said coldly.

 

“I thought you might have changed your mind since you’re having a child, but I’m glad that’s not the case.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Artizea lowered her eyes to hide her expression.

 

Perhaps to give birth and raise the child properly, she might need to change her way of living.

 

But she couldn’t stop now. The wheels were already in motion. If she stopped now, she would be the one crushed.

 

“Are you satisfied with what I’ve done, Your Majesty the Empress?”

 

“Satisfied…”

 

The Empress said with a thoughtful expression.

 

“It’s reasonably good. The outside has been so noisy that no one has been watching the Empress’s Palace. Thanks to that, the children are adapting well, and I’ve been able to receive guests comfortably.”

 

The Empress smiled lightly as she said this.

 

The descendants of Viscount Pesher were still staying at the Empress’s Palace. Old friends and retainers had also visited.

 

In the past, the Emperor would have intervened.

 

But now he couldn’t. It hadn’t been long since Milaire’s curse incident.

 

If anything happened to the Empress’s Palace now, it would be perfect fodder for rumors that the Emperor was taking revenge on his wife for his mistress.

 

“I hope this matter ends before Gregor starts paying attention to me.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Once you’ve stepped into the mud, you can’t stop even for the child’s sake. They say it’s dangerous during pregnancy, but it’s actually far less dangerous than when the baby is young. You don’t have to leave it in others’ hands.”

 

That seemed to be the Empress’s personal experience.

 

Just then.

 

A servant knocked and entered to announce.

 

“Prince Evron has arrived.”

 

“He’s come to pick you up?”

 

“Yes. I suppose so.”

 

Artizea answered awkwardly.

 

The Empress smiled once more.

 

She and Artizea weren’t in a position to share personal concerns or affection. She judged it wouldn’t be good to do so either.

 

But it felt good to see a husband who was attentive to his wife. Knowing Cedric’s childhood made it even more so.

 

Soon Cedric entered.

 

“I’ve come. Have you been well, Your Majesty the Empress?”

 

“If you knew I was well, wouldn’t you not visit so often?”

 

“How long has it been since you opened your doors to say that?”

 

Cedric said lightly.

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