The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 195

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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 195

There was no point in dwelling on why the healing power had to manifest on the Harvest Festival altar, exposed to so many eyes.

What was done was done.

Without it, Artizea would have died. Most likely, Leticia would never have seen the light of day either.

However, risks had emerged.

Drawing attention carried dangers in itself.

And this was nothing less than divine grace.

Even Lisia, who had been Baron Morthen, faced countless checks and dangers after becoming a saint. This was true even before Artizea had forged the oracle.

Now it was known that the Duchess of Evron had received something comparable.

From the moment of birth, she had already taken on both political importance and danger simultaneously.

Even while in the womb, she had forced the Emperor to clearly state that she was imperial family.

Though the matter was left unresolved due to the main culprit’s sudden death, it was true that those who had endangered her were classified as committing high treason.

Whatever the cause, the result was that all of this had imprinted on people that Leticia was imperial family.

Up to that point, it was fine. It had also been an opportunity to make people aware that Cedric had succession rights.

But if being blessed as fruit at the Harvest Festival was added to that, it would be too dangerous.

Opinions would surely emerge that the imperial family member who received divine grace should be made the next emperor.

The temple would fan those flames. Even if not as actively and blatantly as when Archbishop Akim was there, they wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

Cedric looked at Father Colton and said.

“I apologize, Father. Could you allow my wife and me to speak privately for a moment?”

“Of course. Please, both of you talk.”

Father Colton rose from his seat. If he had only now learned that Artizea was a saint, it was natural for Cedric to be surprised and flustered.

He left the drawing room. Only then did Cedric let out a long groan and rub his forehead with his palm.

Artizea forcibly suppressed her worry. Even if Cedric got angry, there was nothing she could do about it.

Cedric even let out a long sigh.

“You’re becoming dangerous. Don’t you know this isn’t an ordinary matter?”

“Yes, I know too. You know how well I understand this, don’t you, Lord Cedric?”

Artizea was more dangerous than Lisia had been in the past.

When Lisia first manifested as a saint in the past, she wasn’t anyone’s enemy. All those who wanted to use Lisia coveted her.

But Artizea already had many enemies. Since she was the Duchess of Evron, there was no separate means to possess her.

Above all, her holy power was so weak that it was uncertain whether she could receive the respect befitting that title.

Those like Father Colton who might think that saints were those who received oracles, not those who wielded healing power or miracles, would surely be rare even within the temple.

There would be many who wanted to kill her and be done with it. Still, that was the best option.

“I have no idea what God was thinking, the oracle is meaningless, and it’s not like I can do anything as a saint, but.”

Artizea took a deep breath.

“But I can make excuses about this incident.”

“….”

“If I become the person involved instead of Leticia, then I’m the one who received divine grace. The same goes for drawing attention.”

“You’ll just become an assassination target instead of Leticia.”

“Yes. That’s what I want. Leticia is a newborn baby. Even if she suddenly died, it wouldn’t be easy to distinguish whether it was murder or not.”

Artizea tensed her jaw.

Protecting a newborn from assassination was difficult. Artizea knew this all too well.

No matter how hard she tried, even when she was the Emperor’s greatest vassal, she couldn’t protect the prince in the depths of the Imperial Palace.

Artizea felt the illusion of smelling blood from inside her molars.

“It’s not that I don’t trust our retainers. But objectively speaking, it’s true that Evron people are vulnerable to conspiracies.”

“….”

“No matter how trustworthy a person I entrust her to, it’s not enough. Not because I can’t trust their loyalty and character, but because I can’t be certain whether they can make timely judgments in urgent situations, or whether they’ll have the appropriate authority to act on those judgments.”

In comparison, Artizea herself could protect herself.

She could utilize all her resources according to her judgment.

Including herself.

Originally, in such matters, the spear is stronger than the shield.

An attacker only needs to find one gap, but a defender must have no gaps at all.

That was nearly impossible.

For defense to work properly, when the spear point pierces through the shield’s gap, one must grab it and bring down the attacker himself.

For that, it was much more efficient and stable for Artizea herself to become the target.

“No. I won’t use you as bait.”

“We’re already in danger anyway. Because His Majesty might want Leticia as his successor.”

A successor to a person in power didn’t simply mean bloodline to inherit material and human assets.

It was meaningful only if one taught governing philosophy and ensured the maintenance and development of what one had accomplished over a lifetime.

For that, the baby would have to be taken from the couple when young.

Also, he wouldn’t tolerate the birth parents being alive and exerting influence on his successor.

Consequently, if the Emperor decided to make Leticia his successor, killing the couple would be an essential step.

Thinking this way, the risks Artizea carried existed whether she declared herself a saint or not.

But if she declared herself a saint, at least Leticia would escape the interest of the Emperor and Duke Loigar.

Conversely, if it became known that she received grace at the Harvest Festival, Leticia would only take on additional risks.

Cedric clasped his hands and looked at Artizea with shadowed eyes.

“I’m aware of that danger too. But I still oppose it.”

“Lord Cedric.”

“I understand your feelings. If it were possible for me to act as bait instead of you, I might have gladly done so too.”

Cedric raised his clasped hands and swept them across his face once.

“But that’s not right. I think I’ve spoken of my hopes before, Tia.”

Cedric said.

“I don’t want Leticia to live like I did.”

“Lord Cedric….”

“Losing parents at a young age, knowing from childhood that her life hangs in His Majesty the Emperor’s hands, worrying between revenge and survival, shouldering multiple lives from too young an age, bearing the duty to protect and continue Evron…, I don’t want that for her.”

Artizea couldn’t say anything.

“Such responsibility is sufficient to bear from the age when one becomes an adult. Once she becomes an adult, she’ll have to carry that burden until death.”

“Yes….”

“For that, we absolutely must survive. Do you understand what I mean?”

“….”

Artizea didn’t answer.

Something deep inside ached. She couldn’t distinguish whether that pain was physical, occurring in her belly, or psychological, occurring in her chest.

Cedric spoke again.

“Let me be clear: I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself to create justification for me.”

“But….”

“If that happens, I’ll resent it for life.”

This time, Artizea couldn’t answer.

“I wasn’t particularly making such plans.”

“I know. And I can guess that you think the only motherly role you can play for Leticia is protecting her from the outside.”

Artizea closed her mouth again.

Cedric extended his hand. Artizea hesitantly stood up.

When having such conversations, it was right not to do things that would shake one’s heart.

But when the heart was already shaken, what was the right thing to do?

Cedric pulled her waist into an embrace and seated her on his lap. Then he said tenderly.

“You don’t need to struggle to do something, anything.”

“…That’s not it.”

“Being embraced once while alive would be happier than hearing that someone protected you by risking their life. That’s how I would feel. Don’t you know that too?”

Artizea drew in a breath.

The emotions that had been unstable since around the time of childbirth surged.

As if he understood, Cedric let her bury her face in his shoulder and patted her head.

His shoulder grew wet without a sound. Feeling this, Cedric spoke quietly.

“A few years should be fine. His Majesty knows well that it’s more stable to let a child grow up with their parents rather than taking away a newborn. At least until she gets through measles, it should be okay.”

“Yes….”

“There’s no way he’d frame us with something like treason either. He can’t make the daughter of a traitor an imperial heir. And if His Majesty truly intends to make Leticia his successor, he wouldn’t want to earn resentment either.”

That was one of the things Cedric hoped for as well.

He knew it was a selfish hope. But even if new resentment arose in Evron, he wished that at least Leticia wouldn’t inherit it.

Still, he thought it would be good if that were the case.

Artizea finally answered in a voice as small as an ant’s.

“Yes….”

Cedric gently stroked her head some more.

Artizea struggled to lift her head. The area around her eyes was red. Cedric brushed around her eyes with his thumb.

Then he spoke in a bright voice.

“Weren’t you planning to reach a conclusion within that time anyway?”

“Mm….”

“I thought you proposed a two-year contract marriage because you were planning to roughly finish the overall structure and run away within two years?”

“…No way. I just… was trying to give you time that Lord Sedric could understand.”

Because she was confident that within two years, even if she failed a few times and was delayed, she could at least push out Milaire.

Artizea moved her lips and then said.

“Just because we divorce doesn’t necessarily mean we have to dissolve our lord-vassal relationship too.”

“That was naive thinking.”

Cedric touched Artizea’s lips.

“If it were truly a relationship formed only by mutual interests, perhaps, but there’s no way that could work between you and me.”

“That was, true….”

Artizea knew that now as well.

So she obediently closed her eyes. Their lips met softly.

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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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