The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 20

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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 20

3.

After returning to the camp, changing clothes, and eating dinner, Cedric called for Ansgard.

Ansgard prepared tea and entered Cedric’s tent.

“Did you enjoy your outing today?”

Ansgard didn’t know where Cedric had been.

He only knew that while Cedric had looked haggard from lack of sleep and stress in the morning, he had returned with even a slight smile on his face.

Cedric asked Ansgard while drinking his tea.

“Do you know about the Peshier County?”

“Why are you curious about the Peshier County?”

It was rare for Ansgard to answer a question with a question.

Cedric looked at him with puzzlement. Then Ansgard answered calmly.

“The Peshier County is a family that fell to ruin 18 years ago. The count and his wife committed suicide by poison, and the young count and other relatives scattered in all directions. They were essentially wiped out.”

“What?”

Cedric set down his teacup in surprise.

And he straightened his posture from where he had been leaning back comfortably in his armchair.

Ansgard said.

“The Countess Peshier at the time of their destruction was a maid to the Empress. She was also a childhood friend who had spent her early years with the Empress. Though her status was too low to become head maid, she was the person the Empress trusted most.”

“How did it come to that?”

“She took responsibility when Prince Graham and Prince Pavel passed away. She managed the princes’ quarters and was also their nanny.”

Cedric swallowed hard.

Until his return, he hadn’t been thinking deeply about it.

He had thought that since Artizea had requested it, there must be something to it.

But he had thought this matter would end with him meeting Count Peshier and saying he would buy the jewels.

“Even if Prince Graham fell down the stairs, Prince Pavel died of smallpox, didn’t he?”

“Yes. That’s right. But someone needed to take responsibility.”

Ansgard said bitterly.

“Princess Eloise had passed away the year before, Prince Graham was lost the following year, and Prince Pavel died less than half a year later. You were young at the time, Lord Ced, so you might not remember well, but rumors of a curse were rampant…”

“That’s right.”

He used to play with Prince Pavel in childhood. Moreover, since his parents were restored to their positions not long after that, Cedric remembered it vaguely.

“Did His Majesty force them to commit suicide?”

“I don’t think so. But there would have been pressure.”

Ansgard said.

“Everyone knew how much the Empress resented His Majesty the Emperor at that time.”

“You mean he preemptively checked her, fearing that the Empress who had lost all her children might threaten His Majesty the Emperor in her resentment? Come to think of it, the Empress’s family fell to ruin not long after that.”

“That’s just what the rumors said at the time.”

Ansgard continued carefully.

“There was fierce public criticism for failing to protect the heirs. But no one could hold His Majesty the Emperor responsible. Countess Peshier threw away her life to protect the Empress.”

“But it’s suspicious that the entire family scattered and disappeared when no particular crime was confirmed.”

“Yes. There are other suspicions as well.”

There was also the possibility that they were assassinated and made to look like suicide.

Or there might have been a larger conspiracy that Cedric couldn’t know about.

Having met Marcus Hanson today, Cedric couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.

Perhaps the Emperor’s forgiveness of Milaire was also because of this incident.

With all the Empress’s children dead, the Emperor ultimately lost his rightful heir to the throne.

Only bastards remained. But the two older daughters’ mothers were of too low status, and besides, the Emperor loved Lawrence the most among them.

Losing his children might have made him lonely and troubled, causing him to lean on Milaire again.

“Could we find the young count of House of Pesher?”

Cedric sank deep into his armchair and interlaced his fingers as he asked. Ansgard hesitated.

“I can’t give you a definitive yes or no answer, but… I could try to look into it.”

“I’d like you to make some inquiries.”

This was probably what Artizea had intended to have him do, Cedric thought.

Ansgard said.

“I shall obey your command. But why have you suddenly taken interest in the Peshier County’s affairs?”

“I heard that the Peshier County had a jewel called Saint Olga’s Heart as a family heirloom.”

“Yes.”

“I need it. But if the Peshier County is in such a state, I don’t know when I’ll be able to get my hands on it.”

Cedric sighed.

He had told Artizea that he would bring Saint Olga’s Heart when they next met, but at this rate, he didn’t know when they would be able to meet.

He realized that he was already looking forward to their next meeting. That made him sigh even more.

Ansgard provided a solution.

“It may be a family heirloom, but it’s still a jewel.”

“So?”

“Wouldn’t it be fastest to ask jewelers about jewels? It’s been 18 years. There’s a high possibility it’s flowed into the market. And I heard that most of the Peshier County’s assets were disposed of for escape funds at the time.”

“I see.”

Cedric got up. Ansgard smiled.

“It’s the middle of the night, Lord Ced. Surely you’re not planning to go to the capital’s jewelers right now?”

“No. Of course not.”

Cedric, who had gotten excited and lifted his bottom, sank back deep into the sofa.

Ansgard smiled as he cleared away the empty teacup.

He had a feeling there would be good news soon. Of course, he was a butler who wouldn’t do the foolish thing of getting ahead of himself and making his young master retreat.

“But Ansgard.”

Cedric asked.

“How should one go about giving clothes as a gift to a woman?”

But he couldn’t help but smile. Ansgard’s mouth fell open.

Cedric said with a stern face.

“It’s nothing.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I said it’s nothing, didn’t I?”

“Yes.”

Ansgard answered like that, but Cedric alone was stamping his feet for no reason.

* * *

The Rosan Marquess Estate was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere for several days from that day.

Milaire, who had spent the night destroying her room and beating maids in a rage, collapsed from her own fury the next day.

She had a high fever and her throat was so swollen from screaming that she couldn’t speak properly.

Artizea sat by her side like a dutiful daughter, carefully spooning warm lemon tea into her mouth.

Milaire, whose throat was barely working, spoke in a completely hoarse voice.

“Now that you’ve grown a bit, did you pretend not to notice that mother was angry?”

“Of course not. My brother called for me, so I was just talking with him for a moment.”

Artizea answered obediently.

“There’s no way I would ignore mother.”

“That’s right. When you get old, you only have your daughter to rely on. I live because of you.”

Milaire smiled and hugged Artizea, as she sometimes did when she was in a good mood.

Artizea pretended to accept it, briefly embraced Milaire, then let go and said.

“If you’re not feeling well, how about petitioning His Majesty the Emperor to visit the Separate Palace?”

“The Separate Palace?”

“The weather has been so hot lately. Mandramir Palace would be quite a sight to see. There’s even an ocean in front of it.”

Milaire’s eyes sparkled.

“We should go for a summer retreat. Will Lawrence have time?”

“If brother says he’s busy, you two can go and have an intimate trip together.”

It was an imperial procession, so it couldn’t truly become intimate.

But those words seemed to please Milaire, as she giggled even with her sore throat.

The Emperor readily accepted Milaire’s request.

The schedule was decided and the procession was organized with unprecedented speed.

Artizea thought the Emperor was doing this to buy time. And that was the truth.

The Emperor would be pondering right about now whether to allow the Western Army’s triumphal return or not.

The Western Army’s matter had been dragged on for too long. He had been refusing with various excuses all along, but now to allow it because of Lawrence would hurt his pride. With Cedric having entered the capital, he couldn’t postpone the decision any longer.

In the midst of this, Milaire’s request was the perfect excuse to buy time.

The Emperor would spend several weeks observing Cedric’s attitude before making his decision.

If the Emperor himself dragged out decisions or abandoned his duties to go to the separate palace, he would face criticism for neglecting governance.

However, if it was said he couldn’t resist his beloved mistress’s pleading, the moral criticism would be concentrated on the mistress.

For Artizea, this was incomprehensible. Abandoning work because of infatuation with a mistress was itself the monarch’s fault.

But anyway, public opinion was bound to turn that way.

This was also good for Artizea and Cedric. Artizea could secure several weeks of free time.

And it was on the afternoon of that first day.

Three carriages loaded with luggage arrived. Servants and maids endlessly unloaded fabrics, mannequins, and boxes they had brought.

Butler Bill’s eyes widened. This wasn’t a rare occurrence. It always happened whenever Milaire went shopping for clothes.

But Milaire wasn’t here right now, was she?

Emily, the dressmaker who got out of the carriage, smiled warmly at Bill.

She was the woman who made the most refined, most luxurious, and correspondingly expensive dresses in the capital.

And she was also Milaire’s regular dressmaker.

“Hello, Butler?”

“What brings you here? The madam has gone to the separate palace with His Imperial Majesty. I thought you would already know this, Miss Emily?”

“Today I came not for the madam, but for the young lady of this house.”

“You mean Miss Artizea?”

“Yes. Prince Evron sent me. Oh my, whenever I saw the young lady’s clothes or hats, I always thought, ‘If only we could fix that, it would be so much better,’ ‘If only we could fix that, she’d be as beautiful as her mother,’ and I was always regretful, but today I was told to do whatever I want ‘to my heart’s content,’ so I came to go all out.”

Emily laughed cheerfully.

She knew Artizea’s situation very well too.

Milaire would buy dozens of outfits whenever the weather changed.

Some were gifts from the Emperor, but she also bought many herself. From gold thread, silver thread, to the most expensive Ients embroidery, she bought all the precious fabrics in the entire Empire, and she had to have every new design that came out to be satisfied.

Probably when it came to clothes alone, even the Empress couldn’t match her.

But during all that shopping, Emily had never seen Milaire buy Artizea so much as a ribbon.

With her discerning eye, Emily could tell that one of Artizea’s dresses was worth only as much as one of Milaire’s scarves.

At least lately, thanks to no longer growing, her clothes weren’t getting too short.

It was satisfying to see Bill’s eyes widen.

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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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