The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 203

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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 203

30.

The merchant group that had gone to the north returned.

“You’re saying you couldn’t even meet Count Jordin?”

Marquess Luden asked sharply. The merchant leader Negil bowed his head.

“Although it’s a stalemate, they say the fight with Karam isn’t over yet, so Evron Mansion isn’t letting any outsiders in at all.”

“How ridiculous. You, who have traded for over 15 years, are considered an outsider.”

“It was only because we’ve traded for so long that we were able to enter the village within the stronghold.”

“It’s never been like this before, has it?”

“The new Count Jordin is a very strict person. And I think…”

Negil said.

“Unlike Earl Aaron, he doesn’t seem to fear being heard saying he’s wary of mainlanders.”

Marquess Luden closed his eyes for a moment.

Negil wasn’t just any merchant. In the past, he had worked as a Ministry of Finance official in the central region, and after retirement, he had established and succeeded with a merchant group.

He had ability in both areas, and was particularly skilled at disguising unfair dealings as fair ones and accumulating wealth.

Marquess Luden had recruited him.

The two conspired to monopolize the wholesale of northern leather and fur.

In the mainland, Marquess Luden pressured other leather merchants to prevent them from trading with the north. In the north, Negil took advantage of Aaron’s lack of business acumen to drive down prices.

Even if there had been someone with business sense, they wouldn’t have easily tried to find leather merchants other than Negil in the north.

Leather merchants never came directly to the north, and when they tried to seek other merchant groups first, they worried it might appear as if they were reaching out to the mainland.

From Marquess Luden’s perspective, it wasn’t entirely about money.

By becoming Evron’s trading contact, he aimed to acquire information and gain even a little economic influence.

The latter hadn’t been very successful though. Instead, he had gained great financial benefit by controlling the mainland’s leather merchants.

“That’s a meaningful statement in many ways. No longer fearing to be wary of mainlanders…”

That must be related to Sedrick’s change in attitude.

“But still, they wouldn’t completely give up this year’s leather sales profits, would they? Which merchant group is it?”

Thinking there must surely be another merchant group behind this, Marquess Luden asked.

Negil let out a light sigh and said.

“They told us to go negotiate with the duchess since she has full authority.”

“…”

Marquess Luden put down his pipe. Unpleasant feelings began to rise.

“Well, yes. With both the duke and duchess in the capital, there’s no reason for a representative in the north to oversee commerce.”

“I’m sorry. We’ve done things according to custom for so long that I assumed it would be the same this time.”

“What do you have to be sorry about? I was the one lacking in thought. Even though the duchess is a young girl, she’s no ordinary person. The duke has also been staying in the capital continuously, unlike before.”

He felt frustrated.

Since the naming ceremony, Leticia’s existence had become impossible to ignore.

So he had hoped to learn some information from the north that could be Sedrick’s weakness, but it seemed that was wrong.

“You must have wasted travel expenses going all that way for nothing.”

“It wasn’t completely without harvest.”

Negil said quietly and placed a small box in front of Marquess Luden.

“What is this?”

“Something unusual seems to have happened in the north.”

Unlike before, the permitted areas were too limited to gather information easily.

However, he had connections built over more than 15 years of traveling to and from the north. Negil said.

“A priest died suddenly. But he had something inappropriate for a priest.”

Negil pointed to the box. That meant the object was inside it.

“It’s a seal made entirely of silver. An acolyte stole it and was keeping it, then sold it to me.”

Marquess Luden opened the box. Inside was a seal with a rose pattern.

Marquess Luden put on gloves, picked it up, examined it from various angles, then pressed and twisted the decorations in sequence.

Click.

The pattern changed and a poison needle shot out from the handle side.

Marquess Luden knew these kinds of objects very well. There was no chance of being pricked.

He put the seal down. After about 20 seconds, the poison needle retracted.

“It’s quite well-made.”

“I also investigated the poison applied to the needle.”

“You don’t need to tell me.”

Negil looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Marquess Luden frowned and looked down at the seal. Then he picked up his pipe and took another long draw.

“Keep quiet about this matter for now.”

“Understood, Marquess.”

“Handle the leather trade issue yourself. I can’t interfere with your business.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Negil bowed his head.

Marquess Luden remained silent, puffing away until all the tobacco in his pipe had burned.

He knew about this seal.

This type of assassination tool had existed since ancient times. But this seal itself was designed by Countess Camellia.

It had been useful when replacing the Camellia Marquess family as well.

Marquess Luden’s mind became complicated.

‘She’s been continuously concerned about the Duchess of Evron. Did she plant someone separately in the north and set up a strategy for self-destruction if they failed? Or did she give this seal as a gift to the Duchess of Evron?’

Either way, it was something Marquess Luden found difficult to tolerate.

If she had tried to interfere in the north, shouldn’t she have asked his permission first?

Then, instead of Negil who had left earlier, a beautifully adorned woman entered.

Marquess Luden glanced at her.

“Marquess, smoking again like this. It’s not good for your health.”

The woman knelt in front of Marquess Luden and gently took the pipe from his hands with both hands, as if receiving it.

Since it was almost completely burned anyway, the marquess let the woman take the pipe.

“You’ll stay the night, won’t you?”

The woman acted coquettishly and rubbed her cheek against the marquess’s thigh.

The marquess exhaled the last smoke in a long stream.

“You came after such a long time, how can you leave like this? I’d be so disappointed.”

“Alright. I understand.”

Marquess Luden answered.

It was already late at night. Since stress had accumulated, it would be good to unwind before leaving.

The woman, who had quietly stood up at some point, loosely untied Marquess Luden’s cravat. Marquess Luden reached out and wrapped his arms around the woman’s waist.

Negil’s house burned down that very night.

* * *

“Haha!”

Upon hearing the report, Count Brennan laughed heartily.

A woman in a black veil sat before him with her head bowed.

“Are you hurt?”

“I am hurt.”

About half the face under the veil had melted. The woman wore a sleeveless dress. She couldn’t fit her arms into sleeves even with bandages wrapped around them.

The inner house had completely burned down.

Marquess Luden, who had been deeply asleep from drinking, couldn’t wake up in time.

Marquess Luden’s guards jumped into the fire to save the marquess. However, when he was carried out on a guard’s back, the marquess was already barely breathing.

No one suspected the woman. Neither that Marquess Luden had been too drunk to wake up even when screaming, nor that the fire had started deep inside the inner house.

Her beautiful face and pearl-like skin were all burned in terrible flames. The woman ran out of that house alone, naked.

No one believed that such a beautiful woman could have done that to herself.

‘If beauty is a means, then discarding it can also be a sufficient means.’

So Count Brennan deliberately did not offer words of comfort to the woman.

The woman was Negil’s mistress.

Since Marquess Luden had taken a liking to the woman, Negil no longer laid a hand on her.

He hadn’t let her go. He had kept the bribe in pristine condition for Marquess Luden.

“Are you satisfied with the results?”

“That depends on whether you pay me properly from now on, Count.”

The woman answered Brennan’s question calmly.

Brennan gave the woman an envelope. Inside that envelope was a bundle of IOUs from various small shops and a single key.

That key was to a small boarding house in the capital city center. What had been placed there were gold fragments.

It was the woman who had wanted to receive payment in this manner.

Even if the small shops knew their creditor had changed, they lacked the ability to track down their new creditor.

No one pays continuous attention to such small debts. Even if she gathered many small debts to make a large sum, no one would notice.

The gold fragments were the same. Broken edges of ornaments or decorations don’t stand out like gold bars or jewels.

This proved how long she had prayed for such an opportunity and refined her plans in her mind.

“If it’s not the promised amount, or if I don’t meet the promised person even after a week, the informant will run to the House of Luden with a confession.”

“I know. As long as you don’t try to double-dip, I have no need to cause a commotion.”

Count Brennan said.

The woman checked inside the envelope. Then she stood up from her seat. She bowed politely and left.

The secretary who had been hiding behind the curtain came out.

“Should I follow her?”

“No need. That woman will hide her whereabouts. Let’s just check once in a few days to see if she’s hiding properly.”

Count Brennan was a person of power but also a woman, so she understood that the woman’s purpose wasn’t money alone. There was no need to worry.

“What about Marquess Luden?”

“He’s still breathing.”

“Tsk.”

Count Brennan clicked her tongue.

Then she noticed that her secretary was looking at her with an anxious expression.

“What? Don’t you understand?”

“Yes. Couldn’t we say the current situation isn’t good? Lady Leticia of Evron has received a third name from His Majesty the Emperor… Duke Loigar’s position is precarious, and if internal strife breaks out at a time like this…”

The secretary spoke with an uncertain attitude.

“But if not now, there’s no way to eliminate Marquess Luden.”

Striking down Marquess Luden wasn’t the most urgent matter. However, once Duke Loigar ascended to the throne, there would be no opportunity then.

“You mean eliminate him while we can?”

“Yes. And I think Duke Loigar’s succession to the throne is already difficult.”

The secretary’s face grew tense.

Count Brennan turned her gaze away from him and looked outside the window.

“At times like this, the answer is to become His Majesty’s loyal subject.”

The Divine has bestowed grace and the Emperor has an imperial family member with a third name. Lady Leticia has gained the favor of both the Emperor and the Temple, and the people will blindly follow her.

But that will belongs to Leticia, not to Cedric. There are plenty of gaps to exploit.

The regent for a young emperor doesn’t necessarily have to be a parent, does it? A great-uncle could do it too.

And if that’s the limit of power Duke Loigar can have, all the better.

If there are no supporting relatives to back him, even better.

Count Brennan smiled.

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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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