The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 164

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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 164

 

The ministers were so awed they couldn’t even open their mouths.

 

“This is absolutely outrageous.”

 

That letter contained far too much content to anger the Emperor.

 

First of all, House of Liagan itself was the problem. They were speaking in roundabout ways, apologizing and begging for forgiveness.

 

However, there was no way the sericulturist they claimed to have introduced was really just a small farm woman.

 

In the end, it meant that Duchess Liagan and Queen Eimel had tried to do business together.

 

Or were already doing so.

 

That business couldn’t have been ordinary. It wasn’t like she was the Queen of Ients, whose entire country lived off the textile industry, so what could Queen Eimel and she possibly have to discuss regarding silk business?

 

Above all, the Emperor had heard nothing about such plans. He had never given House of Liagan such freedom.

 

Moreover, considering the situation in the south where trade with foreign countries was concentrated, there was a high possibility they were even engaging in smuggling.

 

If the Emperor had simply learned of this fact, House of Liagan would not have been able to escape responsibility for that alone.

 

However, that wasn’t the problem now.

 

No matter how much Duke Liagan had done wrong, he was someone the Emperor had personally chosen to entrust with the administration of the south.

 

He was also someone chosen to handle the aftermath after carrying out the great deed of massacring the Empress’s family to eliminate the imperial relatives.

 

He wasn’t someone that a mere Lawrence could dare to touch.

 

It should have been a matter where the Emperor’s most trusted minister carefully informed him of the facts and made recommendations.

 

“Calm yourself, Your Majesty. How could Duke Liagan have possibly anticipated such a thing would happen?”

 

“I knew this would happen. I knew this would happen. If he had just waited, wouldn’t I have naturally helped with the succession? It’s my fault for choosing such a petty person just because he had Duke Liagan’s bloodline and putting him in that position.”

 

The Emperor spat out irritably. His face was red and his mouth seemed to be going dry.

 

“Please calm yourself. It will harm your health.”

 

The chamberlain brought lukewarm honey water and placed it near the Emperor’s hand. The Emperor snatched the cup and gulped it down.

 

Treasury official Bellon wiped cold sweat with his handkerchief and bowed his head.

 

“There were circumstances within the Eimel royal family. Duke Liagan must have gotten caught up in them.”

 

“Are you saying that Duke Liagan, who was right next to them, didn’t know those internal circumstances that even you, who are in this distant capital, know about, and suffered this incident?”

 

The Emperor raised his voice again.

 

And he looked at the military officials sitting in a row on the other side.

 

While most of the other officials attending this meeting were the Emperor’s long-time loyal subjects, all the military officials were present regardless of whose faction they belonged to.

 

The Emperor asked.

 

“What happened to the southern expedition army?”

 

“I understand they were still in the process of entering the southern highway.”

 

“Has the news reached Gayan?”

 

The generals only looked at each other. The southern expedition army couldn’t continue down to the south like this. They should rightfully receive new orders from the Emperor.

 

However, there was hardly anyone with the courage to step forward and speak about an incident that had angered the Emperor to this extent.

 

Cedric, who was sitting to the Emperor’s right, spoke.

 

“I sent a messenger to confirm whether he received the news or not.”

 

“Really? What did Gayan say?”

 

“The messenger hasn’t returned yet, but Count Gayan probably already knows, doesn’t he? Currently, all military intelligence from the south is supposed to go to the southern expedition army.”

 

“I see.”

 

The Emperor let out a sigh and leaned back against his chair.

 

“What happened to that Rexen fellow?”

 

“He was originally a lower nobleman from the west. We’ve confirmed that he left where he was living and came to the capital.”

 

“Did he go into hiding?”

 

“Not exactly. He told his hometown that he was going to the capital, and told people he met in the capital that he bought an estate in the east and was moving there.”

 

The administrative official who answered continued while turning the page of his report.

 

“We sent people to the east for now. But it doesn’t seem like we’ll be able to find him in a short time. Since he went to a place where he had no connections, and he’s not someone with much wealth, if he went into some countryside, our only method is to make inquiries.”

 

“No method!”

 

“We apologize, Your Majesty. However, estate transactions in the east are difficult to trace.”

 

The Emperor ground his teeth.

 

This was because the large landowners who had divided up the eastern lands had made the land registry a complete mess.

 

They wanted to prevent the central government from knowing exactly the scale of the farms they owned.

 

Land transactions were rarely reported. It was rather uncommon for the real owner of land to match the owner on the books.

 

Very often, the names on the books were people who didn’t exist at all.

 

Reports were only made when there were transactions too large to hide, when very famous specialty monasteries or wineries were included, or when dowries moved due to marriages between nobles or large merchant groups.

 

So it would be even more difficult to find land that a lower nobleman had bought with a small amount of money.

 

This fact reminded the Emperor of the situation in the eastern region all at once, giving him a headache.

 

Rin spoke.

 

“Even if we find him, it probably won’t have much significance. I also checked, but it seems that Deary person married Rexen only last year.”

 

“What?”

 

“It seems to have been a means to buy a title. The marriage certificate from the temple was written last year. The divorce and marriage were established simultaneously, and his hometown had no idea about the divorce from his previous wife.”

 

“So you’re saying he sent her to the countryside after buying the title.”

 

“Deary Ford herself is from the capital. She was someone who worked as a senior maid in a branch family of Marquess Luden’s house.”

 

From there, Deary’s entire life was dissected in detail.

 

Duke Loigar had taken a liking to Deary’s sister, she had gone west to avoid this but died in an accident.

 

After that, one of her parents, who had fallen into despair, died when their chronic illness worsened due to grief, and the other developed a mental illness and was living as if dead while still alive.

 

Finally, the treasury official reported.

 

“We are currently tracing the process of wealth accumulation.”

 

“Is it possible that woman created that wealth herself?”

 

The Emperor snorted.

 

“And would that woman have done such a thing alone? She has no grudge against House of Liagan.”

 

“Speaking of grudges, she would rather have them against Duke Loigar or Marquess Luden.”

 

“Obviously some bastard lured and used her by saying he would avenge that woman’s resentment. How foolish.”

 

The Emperor pressed his temples.

 

Then was this something done targeting Duke Loigar? How did trapping House of Liagan connect to attacking Duke Loigar?

 

If Deary Ford had been used in the first place, it was difficult to know who her backers really targeted.

 

It was also unclear whether she had been simply used as a component of the plan, or had acted because she understood the plan in her own way.

 

They wouldn’t know without capturing and torturing those around her.

 

The Emperor set that matter aside for now and asked.

 

“What did the Empress say?”

 

“She said that Duke and Duchess Liagan have nothing to do with Her Majesty the Empress, so don’t ask about them again.”

 

At the chamberlain’s answer, the Emperor clicked his tongue loudly.

 

“I should go see the Empress… No.”

 

He had thought it might have been something the Empress did. However, it didn’t seem like the Empress, who had finally seemed to leave the past behind and decided to live for the remaining people, would do such a thing now.

 

She had brought descendants of Viscount Pesher’s family into the Empress’s Palace. If something like this happened, there was a possibility those children would be in danger.

 

The former Empress might have done such a thing even knowing this. But it didn’t seem like she would do so now.

 

Or perhaps it was something the Emperor himself was thinking about positively.

 

The Emperor fell into thought for a moment. The officials either conversed in low whispers or silently reviewed their reports again, not disturbing the Emperor’s contemplation.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

There was a sound of knocking on the meeting room door.

 

“Your Majesty, it’s a messenger sent by Count Gayan of the southern expedition army.”

 

“Let him in.”

 

The Emperor said while snapping his fingers. He thought there might be some new news.

 

The messenger was still covered in dust, having only removed his cloak. He knelt before the Emperor and took out an envelope with a red seal from his chest, holding it up respectfully.

 

The Emperor tore open the envelope without hesitation.

 

And quickly skimmed through the letter. From midway through, his hands began to tremble, and finally his whole body shook.

 

A deep red flush rose all the way to his forehead. The chamberlain hurriedly supported the Emperor, saying.

 

“Please calm yourself, Your Majesty!”

 

“This, this, I’ll just leave this bastard!”

 

The Emperor tore the letter in half right there. And threw it on the floor.

 

A servant quickly crawled on the floor and picked up the letter.

 

“The Southern Subjugation Army will return. To arrest Lawrence.”

 

“Lord Lawrence?”

 

Rin, who knew nothing, asked back in confusion.

 

The faces of several bureaucrats, including Bellon, turned ashen. The moment Lawrence’s name came up, they realized the general situation.

 

The Emperor looked around the assembly with a furious expression and spat out.

 

“There’s more than one or two people involved here.”

 

“We are deeply ashamed. How could such a thing happen…”

 

“Kishower.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Go immediately and arrest that bastard called Viscount Hoden, and detain all of his relatives, friends, even the laundresses at his manor.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Kishower jumped up, bowed silently, and left the meeting room.

 

The Emperor then looked at Cedric.

 

“You wouldn’t be involved in such matters. Go down tonight and take over the Southern Subjugation Army instead.”

 

“Tonight, you say?”

 

“Yes. Immediately. And tell Gayan to bring Lawrence back quickly.”

 

“Are you planning to leave the Southern Subjugation Army as is?”

 

“We have to rescue House of Liagan anyway. If Eimel’s Cardiole catches the culprit with such justification, do you think they’ll just say ‘yes, understood’ and withdraw?”

 

“That’s true, but… I’ve never fought a naval battle.”

 

Cedric said.

 

The Emperor spoke again.

 

“Don’t you understand? I’m not telling you to immediately take command of the subjugation army and fight Eimel. Since this sudden incident occurred, wouldn’t the soldiers be in turmoil? I can’t tell Gayan to stay, so I mean for you to take temporary command. With your reputation, the soldiers’ morale won’t drop too much.”

 

“Then, I’ll stop by home to see my wife and depart at dawn tomorrow.”

 

Cedric said this because he thought the Emperor might suspect Artizea.

 

If so, he would try to prevent Cedric from meeting Artizea.

 

However, the Emperor nodded.

 

“Do that. I’ll have news sent as soon as we get any results from this side.”

 

“We are deeply grateful. I will obey your command.”

 

Cedric stood up, placed his fist on his chest in military salute, and went outside.

 

The Emperor finally said.

 

“Harper.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“Follow me. We’ll have much to discuss.”

 

Amelie nodded obediently. The same tension she felt when surrounded by hordes of monsters from front and back rose in her chest.

 

The meeting was adjourned with that.

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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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