The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 191

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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 191

Artizea opened her eyes in a daze.

It was the familiar bedroom of the Evron Ducal Residence.

The scene before her eyes was somewhat different from what she had grown accustomed to for a while.

She hadn’t slept well since reaching full term, and she had never been unconscious of her belly. So this time too, she habitually directed her gaze in that direction.

‘Ah…’

It had become flat.

Deep inside her belly throbbed and ached. There was a long burning sensation on the skin of her lower abdomen.

‘It’s not a miscarriage, is it?’

She had barely endured nine months.

“My lady!”

“Miss, miss, are you alright?”

Alice, who had been staying by her side, quickly sat up and asked. The head maid hurriedly went outside.

Artizea looked toward Alice weakly.

“The baby, is?”

“Safe. A very healthy princess. Don’t you remember? You went to the harvest festival and then labor started.”

Artizea nodded.

In fact, her memory was hazy about what happened after labor started in front of the altar at the harvest festival.

The doctor who had been in the adjacent room rushed in.

“Your Highness, excuse me.”

The doctor examined Artizea’s condition in order. He listened to her chest, took her temperature, checked her pupils, and opened the gown she was wearing to look at the wound.

Only then did Artizea see that there were stitched marks on her belly.

It was quite common to cut open the belly to remove the baby when the mother was dying. Perhaps because he was a doctor from Evron, he was skilled in trauma treatment, and the cut marks were small and neatly stitched.

“You slept for a full day. The wound is recovering smoothly. You’ll probably have some pain, but there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

“A day…?”

Artizea asked back in puzzlement. Although she wasn’t well-versed in medicine, she didn’t think this wound had been made just two days ago at most.

However, the doctor didn’t answer her question and talked about what was necessary first.

“You’re dehydrated, so please drink water and fruit juice little by little. I don’t think there will be any problems, but if you have even a slight fever, you must tell us.”

Artizea nodded.

“You’ll probably have some pain.”

The doctor said hesitantly with an uncertain attitude.

“If it becomes unbearable, I’ll prescribe painkillers. But it’s a normal reaction, so don’t worry too much. It means your organs are finding their proper places.”

“I understand.”

Alice brought a cup of warm water and placed it in Artizea’s hands. After taking a sip, she felt a little better.

“The midwife will help you with other discomforts that come with childbirth.”

Click.

Then the door handle turned with a jerk. Then there was a reproachful voice from outside. It was Ansgard.

“Didn’t I tell you that my lady would be startled?”

“Waaah!”

And a baby’s cry followed.

Artizea tightened her grip on the water cup. She didn’t know what to do.

Since Artizea wasn’t saying anything, neither the doctor, nor the head maid, nor the maids could respond.

They knew that among noble ladies, there were those who were reluctant to show their post-childbirth appearance to their husbands.

Among those who had suffered too much pain during childbirth, there were cases where they didn’t want to see the baby at all.

Alice moved. She knew that Artizea wasn’t reluctant, but was just frozen.

Sedric and Ansgard were pacing in front of the door. The baby who had woken up was crying properly because Sedric was shaking it, trying to soothe it.

Worry about Artizea, the thought that he should show her the baby, and concern that the baby’s crying might not be good for the sick person were all mixed together, leaving Sedric unable to move hand or foot.

Ansgard, who couldn’t stand watching, took the baby and held it.

Then like magic, the baby stopped crying.

“You’ll need to practice much more.”

“Well, that’s strange. Why is it okay when you hold it?”

Sedric, who usually made the baby cry whenever he held it, asked awkwardly.

It was at this moment that Alice opened the door.

Just seeing the two men standing there, she could roughly guess the situation. Alice tried not to smile in front of her superiors and said.

“My lady is healthy.”

Sedric entered the room.

The maids propped up Artizea’s upper body by placing many cushions and pillows behind her back.

Sedric sighed in relief seeing that although Artizea’s face was haggard, it was normal.

Then he approached and sat beside the bed. Ansgard followed behind him, holding the baby.

“How do you feel?”

Sedric took her hand and spoke. Artizea’s eyes shook, unable to focus properly on the baby.

“You worked hard. I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I almost killed you because of my greed.”

“No.”

Artizea answered in a cracked voice.

“I wanted to give birth.”

Her gaze moved toward the baby several times. But she couldn’t focus properly and it shook again.

Sedric extended his hand to Ansgard. Ansgard carefully handed the baby to him.

This time, miraculously, it didn’t cry.

“This is our daughter.”

Sedric showed Artizea the baby’s face.

“She’s premature, but they say she’s very healthy. There’s almost no difference from babies born at full term. If she had been any later, you would have been in danger.”

Even though she had been in danger even without being late, Sedric felt complicated as he spoke.

“Hold her.”

Sedric extended the baby to give it to her. But Artizea couldn’t readily reach out her hands.

“Tia.”

“I’m fine.”

Only Alice fully understood the meaning hidden in those words.

Alice risked being rude and bent down next to Artizea, across from Sedric. And she said quietly.

“It’s okay, miss. The baby won’t remember.”

“That, that’s…”

“You don’t remember things from when you were this young either, miss.”

At those words, tears formed drop by drop in Artizea’s eyes.

“I’ll hold her.”

Sedric smiled brightly.

Ansgard, worried that his clumsy master might make the baby cry again, stepped in to help.

Artizea still had no strength in her arms. Ansgard placed a cushion under her arms and gently leaned the baby against Artizea’s chest.

The small weight and body temperature touching her embrace filled Artizea with a strange feeling. She couldn’t believe that this had been inside her belly just yesterday.

“She looks like Lord Sedric.”

“Does she?”

Sedric said with a puzzled expression. Everyone said so, but he thought it was just polite talk.

But Artizea had no need to make such polite conversation.

“She does. How amazing.”

Artizea said in a small voice while gently touching the baby’s cheek with her index finger.

She was relieved that what she had worried about didn’t happen. Artizea was worried about the baby’s face resembling herself, but she had also been terribly worried that it might resemble Milaire.

But it was good that she resembled Sedric. She was even happier. If the baby took after him in character and physically too, she couldn’t ask for more.

“Have you thought of a name?”

“Hmm…”

Cedric let out a groan filled with worry.

He had been pressured for three months already. To prepare at least a few name candidates, they said.

But nothing seemed satisfactory to him. The old retainers hoped he would take names from their ancestors, and some suggested inheriting the names of the previous Prince and his wife.

Cedric didn’t want to do that. Even without being taught that way, the baby would eventually grow up to shoulder Evron.

The latter was also a dangerous thing to do.

“The naming ceremony will have to be held within a month.”

“Please think about it together with me.”

Cedric said as he took the baby back from Artizea’s tired arms.

The baby’s mouth moved restlessly. It looked like it was about to cry, so Cedric looked at Ansgard in panic.

Ansgard took the baby from Cedric and said.

“I’ll take her to the wet nurse. Please have your conversation, you two.”

“Ah.”

Artizea reached out her hand, then stopped.

She thought she should be the one to breastfeed. The midwife who was attending to her said.

“Your milk probably hasn’t come in yet. Your health is also important, so please leave her to the wet nurse for now.”

Artizea nodded. She had only thought she should do it, but she already knew that nursing would be difficult given her physical condition.

Ansgard went outside, soothing the baby who had started crying. Artizea watched his retreating figure.

Alice pressed sugar water into her hand again and urged her on.

Artizea moistened her throat little by little. Cedric carefully took Artizea’s other hand and kissed her palm.

Then he asked the doctor.

“Do you need to examine her more?”

“Ah, no. Please have your conversation, you two. But you mustn’t overdo it. Her Highness hasn’t eaten for more than a day and must be in pain as well.”

“I understand.”

Cedric answered.

Following the doctor, the midwife and head maid also withdrew. Alice closed the door last and checked the room.

This was to ensure that no words would leak out.

“Are you alright? Since healing power worked, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

“Yes. It hurts, but…”

Artizea let out a long sigh. Pain that felt like her insides were being churned attacked her. But for now, it was bearable.

Then she opened her eyes wide.

“Healing power?”

“Don’t you remember? When you started having labor pains on the altar, healing power worked on your body.”

Artizea lowered her eyes and recalled the memory.

The pain had been so severe that the memories around that time felt like someone else’s. However, she remembered the warmth and light that had flowed through her hands and feet.

And the people kneeling below the altar.

That was definitely holy power. And unlike Artizea’s own neutral holy power, it was a blessing full of warm feelings of wanting to help, wanting to heal.

Artizea staggered from dizziness and collapsed onto the pillow as if falling.

Thinking it was because of pain, Cedric panicked and quickly looked into Artizea’s face.

“Are you alright? Should I call the doctor?”

“No. No, I’m fine. I see. So that’s why the wound healed so quickly.”

The surgical scar couldn’t be thought of as a wound that was only a day or two old. The pain from the wound itself was definitely like that too.

Artizea said haltingly.

“Lady Lisia, this…”

“That’s right. It seems Lisia’s blessing has now manifested.”

“Then, her memories have returned?”

Artizea grabbed Cedric’s arm as if clinging to it and asked.

“It’s not the blessing she received before dying. That blessing was already used up when she was framed for treason.”

So it meant it was a new blessing that had been bestowed.

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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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