The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 183

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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 183

Cedric hesitated. He couldn’t understand the Chamberlain’s intention.

The Chamberlain had been a person who belonged solely to the Emperor until now.

Born as the second son of a humble provincial baron family, he had served since the days when Emperor Gregor had not yet earned the title of prince.

By now, he could have passed difficult tasks to subordinates and enjoyed wealth and glory. But he still personally prepared medicine and water by the Emperor’s side.

He could have wielded power as much as he wanted, but he didn’t. Because he knew well where the Emperor’s trust and favor came from.

Such a Chamberlain had given him information.

It was impossible that the Emperor had ordered it. If it were about Duke Loigar, perhaps, but this was information about Lawrence.

However, before Cedric could ask back, the Chamberlain had already gone inside.

Cedric also headed outside as if nothing had happened.

There was a saying that the walls of the Imperial Palace had eyes and ears everywhere. Even rooms forgotten by caretakers and covered in dust were no exception.

‘Viscount Bellon is giving information to Lawrence, huh. Does His Majesty know?’

Cedric thought while maintaining an expressionless face.

It was the Emperor’s Royal Guards who were keeping Lawrence under house arrest. And probably among the employees, the Emperor’s secret investigators were mixed in, monitoring.

If Bellon were trying to secretly scheme with Lawrence, he would have tried his hardest to avoid the Emperor’s eyes.

The Chamberlain knew about it.

Did this mean Bellon was moving according to the Emperor’s will? Or did it mean the Emperor knew but was turning a blind eye?

If not that, had he whispered secretly in passing to inform only him without telling the Emperor?

The Chamberlain was not a simple person. Even the last case wouldn’t be strange.

When he came outside, Freil was waiting.

Cedric gestured to him that they should return.

And only after going out to the Imperial Palace Gardens did he speak.

“Viscount Bellon is feeding information to Lawrence.”

“Do you mean Viscount Bellon from the Treasury? Is it His Majesty’s will?”

“I don’t know. The Chamberlain told me secretly.”

“The Chamberlain?”

Freil’s eyes widened.

Cedric asked.

“Did Tia pull some strings?”

“As far as I know, she probably didn’t do more than general courtesy. But I’m not certain. There are many things Her Highness does that I don’t know about.”

Freil answered.

“Perhaps His Majesty informed Your Highness through the Chamberlain?”

“Information about Lawrence? I don’t think that’s likely.”

“But the Chamberlain isn’t someone who would move rashly either. Perhaps there was some change in His Majesty’s heart, and he thought it would be advantageous to create a connection with Your Highness the Prince.”

“He is a perceptive person.”

It was the same in the past.

He was in a position where he could sufficiently wield power within the Imperial Palace. But as soon as the Emperor died, he retired to the countryside. This was even before Lawrence could hold his coronation ceremony.

Cedric felt something like regret for no reason. Back then, hadn’t the Chamberlain made connections with Lawrence?

Freil said.

“Anyway, I’ll look into Viscount Bellon. If he’s trying to scheme with Lord Lawrence behind His Majesty’s back, it wouldn’t be something he’s doing alone.”

“Right.”

Many of the ministers who had been leaning toward Lawrence until now had changed their minds due to this incident.

Some, including Amelie, were secretly making contact with Cedric himself.

However, there would also be those who had invested so much in Lawrence that they couldn’t change positions.

Or there would be those who had reasons they couldn’t support Duke Loigar or Cedric.

Cedric could think of several such people.

Cases like being in competition with important forces of Duke Loigar’s faction, or having made enemies with Cedric due to corruption.

But what could be done about it now?

Without legitimacy, if they couldn’t regain the Emperor’s favor, they couldn’t hope for the future.

Freil asked.

“Should I tell Her Highness?”

“Sigh.”

Cedric let out a sigh.

He had promised her to rest, and he didn’t want to make her use her head on complicated problems again.

But he couldn’t not discuss such an important matter either.

He also needed Artizea’s opinion.

“We should. You go back first and inform Tia.”

“Where will Your Highness go?”

“I’ll stop by the Prime Minister’s office to meet Prime Minister Lin.”

He intended to go ask him to act as the child’s guardian.

While at it, he also planned to find out about Bellon.

* * *

When Skyla returned from her outing, Marquess Luden was visiting Baroness Camellia’s Mansion.

She had guessed as much from the maids’ anxious faces like criminals.

In front of the middle gate leading to the Inner Chamber, Count Camellia was pacing restlessly with an agitated face.

“Father.”

When Skyla called, Count Camellia looked back at her with a startled face.

“Ah, Skyla. You’re back. Did you meet your friend well? Shall we go have some tea together?”

“Did grandfather come again?”

“Skyla.”

Count Camellia called Skyla with a troubled face. It was a face that couldn’t hide his timid nature.

Skyla let out a small sigh.

Count Camellia loved his children. She thought he was a decent father.

But he wasn’t someone she could rely on.

Skyla sometimes thought that if her father had been a stronger person, her mother’s situation would have been better than now.

Well, it was because he was such a person that Marquess Luden had chosen him.

“It’s okay. Father, please go to the Sun Room.”

“Skyla.”

“Grandfather came, so I should pay my respects. That’s what he’ll tell me to do anyway. After I finish greeting him, I’ll come there. Please prepare some tea, Father.”

Skyla said that and opened the door.

Count Camellia hesitated, then followed behind Skyla. Skyla didn’t bother to stop him.

The door to Countess Camellia’s Drawing Room was also closed. Skyla knocked formally and opened the door.

Marquess Luden was sitting in the seat of honor. Countess Camellia was not sitting in front of him, but standing to the side with her hands folded.

It was the position where a servant would stand, not the hostess receiving a guest.

Marquess Luden looked back at Skyla. His gaze was cold like a snake’s.

“How rude.”

An ice-cold voice fell. However, Skyla didn’t mind and approached the sofa, sitting down with a thud.

And she pulled Countess Camellia’s arm.

“I was so happy to hear that grandfather had come.”

“Skyla.”

Countess Camellia sat beside her hesitantly and carefully called Skyla’s name.

“What brings you here at this hour? Is aunt being stubborn about something strange again that can’t be stopped?”

Marquess Luden glared at Skyla.

Skyla ignored his gaze, pretending not to notice, and said.

“When I told her that it would be difficult for mother to go with me because of the lawsuit issue, she looked like she was about to cry. Even though she insisted on going to the Southern Region, I guess she’s anxious now that she might have to go alone.”

“Impudent thing.”

Marquess Luden looked at Skyla with a cold face.

He had been scolding Countess Camellia about the inheritance lawsuit issue.

At the time, he had instructed several times to kill them all without exception to eliminate future troubles.

Yet Countess Camellia promised that she could handle it well, telling him not to worry and that she would make sure nothing happened.

So he trusted her and left it in her hands.

If he had known she would handle things this way, he wouldn’t have done so.

Not listening to orders and ruining the job was already hard to forgive. But on top of that, his honor was greatly damaged because of it.

At the time, the incident didn’t surface publicly. It was just a fight between the first wife’s child and the second wife’s child.

And it was common for a spouse’s family to lend a hand for their son-in-law or daughter-in-law.

For high nobility, assassination being involved in inheritance processes wasn’t particularly rare either.

However, now it was being treated as something different from back then.

Ian Camellia claimed that the high noble Marquess Luden had unilaterally killed and persecuted the young legitimate heirs of the Camellia Marquess family.

Since Count Camellia currently had no real power, that claim was convincingly accepted.

Most importantly, it was brought to court. It was as good as giving everyone permission to talk about it.

At the time, it was a story that circulated quietly only among the most powerful in social circles. In those conversations, Marquess Luden was a cruel and cunning victor.

But now, people who had nothing to do with it were gossiping about it. Even newspapers were treating it as a scandal.

Intellectuals argued whether it was normal to have such cruel power struggles when there were clearly inheritance laws.

Even lowly people curious about noble family inheritances joined in the chatter.

The name of House Luden became tattered as if it had been rolling in the streets.

Because of the trial, he couldn’t even silence people by harshly retaliating against a few as an example.

Duchess Loigar was also being difficult.

“Is that rumor really true, Father? Did you really kill those family members to make brother-in-law a marquess?”

Duchess Loigar asked with wide eyes as if she couldn’t believe it.

She was a daughter who, when any scandal circulated in social circles, would think it was just a false rumor if told so, and would just accept it if told there were circumstances.

But perhaps because she said she was an adult now, she listened to outside rumors and became absorbed in unnecessary thoughts.

Even Marquess Luden couldn’t harshly scold Duchess Loigar of all people.

Wasn’t she the jewel carefully raised by House Luden as the future Empress?

He had barely managed to appease her, but now Skyla was trying to use that as blackmail, which was unacceptable.

Even as Marquess Luden glared at her coldly, Skyla smiled.

“It can’t be helped. Mother has taken care of Aunt’s needs for almost her entire life. It’s not like she’s going on a leisure trip to the south, but accompanying important state affairs. How anxious would Aunt feel if Mother said she couldn’t go with her?”

Skyla’s tone was soft and elegant like singing.

Normally, it would have been the perfect image of a lady worthy of praise. Of course, that wasn’t possible now.

Marquess Luden glared fiercely at Skyla. However, he couldn’t scold her further and stood up from his seat.

“I’ll be going now. Make sure to handle this properly.”

“Yes, Father. Don’t worry.”

Countess Camellia answered with an uncomfortable expression.

Marquess Luden went outside with Count Camellia seeing him off.

Countess Camellia looked at Skyla and sighed.

“What kind of rude behavior is this?”

“The rude one is Grandfather.”

Skyla said sharply.

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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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