The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 216

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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 216

Duke Loigar arrived at the port closest to the capital two weeks after Cadriole’s state letter had arrived.

From the date of departure from the Kingdom of Eimel, it was a difference of two days. However, the members of the envoy led by Duke Loigar were not just one or two.

Even taking the ships provided by the Kingdom of Eimel and using the sea route, the travel speed was inevitably bound to be slower.

Still, Duke Loigar urged the captain to come as quickly as possible. For over three weeks, he had set foot on land only when stopping at ports of call for supplies.

Gannett complained of suffering, and other nobles also cautiously requested to rest even for a day.

Duke Loigar himself was considerably exhausted as well.

However, he did not suggest resting. Even half a day’s time was precious. He had no way of knowing what was happening in the capital while they rested.

But that was not a wise choice.

He failed to meet even one of the messengers that Countess Camellia had been continuously sending.

Originally, Prince Cadriole had selected four of Eimel’s largest and fastest ships to send him precisely for this reason.

Enchanted by the prospect of arriving quickly, Duke Loigar had missed other important things.

As soon as they docked and disembarked from the ship, news came pouring in.

“Marquess Luden has passed away.”

That was the first news delivered. It was conveyed by someone sent by the young Marquess Luden, Gannett’s older brother who would inherit the marquess title once the procedures were completed.

Gannett blinked and listened to those words in a daze. It didn’t feel real.

Even Duke Loigar was greatly surprised and asked back.

“What do you mean by that?”

“That is…”

The messenger was extremely troubled. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Gannett about the disgraceful accident that had befallen Marquess Luden.

Duke Loigar noticed the messenger’s difficulty and asked.

“Was it an accident? A healthy person wouldn’t suddenly pass away from illness.”

“Yes. He was visiting the house of a merchant he had connections with when he was caught in a fire…”

That answer was sufficient for Duke Loigar. He roughly knew about Marquess Luden’s sordid private life.

Simply having a fire break out during a secret meeting wouldn’t have been a big problem. If a fire large enough that he couldn’t escape safely despite not being defenseless had suddenly occurred, it probably wasn’t an accident.

In the end, it meant he had been defenseless. And thinking about what could make one defenseless in a merchant’s house, the conclusion was obvious.

He couldn’t tell such a story in front of Gannett.

As he was contemplating how to explain and looking back at Gannett, she suddenly stood up from her seat.

“Such, such a thing…”

Gannett couldn’t breathe properly and was stammering when she collapsed on the spot.

“Gannett!”

Duke Loigar exclaimed in shock and caught her in his arms.

Her body, already exhausted from the long voyage, couldn’t withstand the shock.

His close associates rushed over. Duke Loigar, with help from his guards, carried Gannett and laid her on the sofa.

Fortunately, she was breathing properly.

“Go and call a doctor.”

Duke Loigar gave the order and moved to another location.

Though he wanted to stay by Gannett’s side, now was not the time to waste on such matters.

The second messenger he met was sent by Count Brennan and other factional nobles who remained in the capital.

Various news had accumulated, but to summarize, there were two main points.

One was about the salt smuggling incident, and the other was news of Leticia’s birth.

After the salt smuggling incident, stern warnings had arrived at each family.

The content stated that anyone who embezzled state taxes and tried to manipulate state affairs with bribes and power like House Liagan would not be forgiven.

The Emperor possessed considerable data on the misdeeds committed by members of prestigious families and the measures taken by those families to cover them up.

Recently, there were the bribery ledgers that Baron Itz had offered to operate gambling halls, and going back further, he even had lists of those who had gone missing or died suddenly at their respective farms and estates over decades.

Until now, the Emperor had mostly turned a blind eye to whatever the nobles did, as long as they didn’t challenge his authority.

Without perfect justification, fighting with noble families over such matters was foolish.

Rather, if he destroyed families through secret schemes, he could create both fear and division simultaneously. That was also what the Emperor did as one of the nobles.

However, if he brought up state law, the nobles would unite and resist.

In short, the Emperor had chosen methods that protected his authority without expending his strength.

That didn’t mean he hadn’t secured weapons to use someday.

But now the precedent of House Liagan had been set. If anyone else got caught now, the Emperor would ride the momentum and strike all at once.

Up to this point, it was still within Duke Loigar’s expectations.

He had known that Prince Cadriole had sent evidence materials regarding the salt smuggling business along with the state letter.

On the return journey, Duke Loigar had been making plans the entire time.

He couldn’t be punished the same as Duke Liagan just for trying to take over the salt smuggling.

He was not the mastermind of the salt smuggling business. He had no involvement in the Ministry of Finance’s ledger manipulation.

While it was true that he had agreed to receive part of the salt smuggling from Duke Liagan, he intended to claim he thought it was a conventional level of bribery.

And the Emperor couldn’t dismiss his excuse. He wasn’t someone who had been established by the Emperor’s hand like Duke Liagan.

He was a prince born of the imperial bloodline, and behind him stood great nobles and wealthy merchants. To eliminate him would require much clearer justification and evidence.

If the noble faction firmly protected him, he could endure sufficiently.

But now he couldn’t be certain. This became even more true after hearing about the miracle that appeared at the Harvest Festival and news about Leticia’s naming day.

Marquess Luden’s death couldn’t be unrelated to that matter. If he wasn’t careful, he could lose his power through division and become isolated.

Duke Loigar regretted returning in such haste.

He should have disembarked at a port some distance from the capital and slowly made his way up while gathering information. That way, he could have fled to the eastern region in case of emergency.

Duke Loigar stayed at the port for one day.

The Emperor had ordered a quick return, but thanks to arriving in the afternoon, he had that much leeway.

He was scheduled to depart the next day.

Count Brennan and Countess Camellia came rushing in past midnight that day.

“I’m relieved you’ve returned safely. We’ve been waiting.”

Count Brennan had a pale face.

Duke Loigar glared at Count Brennan.

“Let’s discuss the details later. My wife collapsed after hearing news of her father.”

Count Brennan couldn’t say anything and stepped back.

Countess Camellia remained alone with Duke Loigar. Her face had also turned deathly pale.

“Her Highness collapsed?”

“She fainted upon hearing the news of her father’s death and hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”

Duke Loigar cut through all the troublesome greetings and asked.

“Tell me honestly, sister-in-law. Was it Count Brennan who assassinated my father-in-law?”

“Yes.”

Countess Camellia took a breath. And she steeled herself. Duke Loigar was naturally suspicious and was already suspicious of her.

If she spoke wrongly, it would deepen his suspicions.

Duke Loigar let out a deep sigh and looked up at the ceiling. Then he looked down at the floor and sighed again.

“Has His Majesty’s heart been decided on Cedric’s daughter?”

“He attended the naming ceremony and bestowed the third name. It would be right to see it that way.”

“Hah… Sister-in-law, what exactly were you planning to do?”

He could guess Count Brennan’s thinking.

In any case, eliminating Marquess Luden, Duke Loigar’s strongest supporter, wouldn’t be bad for him.

Since Duke Loigar himself was absent, there was no one to hold him accountable.

He probably planned to expand his own power within the faction before his return. And that was a very effective plan.

If only it had been executed properly.

Duke Loigar knew that not all of his supporters were of one mind.

Nobles always wanted to weaken imperial authority. They would want to somehow reduce the imperial power that had grown strong during Emperor Gregor’s long reign.

A young emperor was better than a middle-aged emperor with his own strength and solid succession. A distant relative as regent was better than the emperor’s biological father.

If his supporters’ will united to apply pressure, Duke Loigar would have no choice but to bend.

His power consisted of an alliance of nobles and wealthy merchants, not vassals loyal to their lord.

Duke Loigar could guess this much just from the information he had heard.

What he couldn’t understand was Countess Camellia’s side. Her interests were all tied to Gannett, making her on the same side as Marquess Luden.

Just as Marquess Luden needed to make Duke Loigar emperor in order to wield power as a maternal relative, Countess Camellia also needed to make him emperor to exercise authority as the Empress’s head maid.

It meant he could not stand in the same position as Count Brennan.

“I was… planning to eliminate Princess Evron. If it were only Duke of Evron alone, His Majesty the Emperor would find it difficult to break the succession order. Emotionally as well…”

Countess Camellia said only that much.

She deliberately did not speak aloud about whether or not she was involved in Marquess Luden’s assassination.

After all, what Duke Loigar was curious about was what political views she held.

Not her personal feelings.

“But both Count Brennan and I have become completely unable to move due to the Milsaem issue. I apologize.”

“You have made a grave mistake. If father-in-law were still alive, we would have united around him and raised our voice to His Majesty.”

Countess Camellia bowed her head.

Duke Loigar pressed his forehead. However, he did not criticize her further than that.

Right now, overcoming the immediate problem was far more important.

“I will claim that Milsaem was my personal bribery.”

“Yes.”

“Can you take father-in-law’s place? Control the faction and support me from behind. So that His Majesty cannot frame me for deceiving the sovereign or treason.”

“Can you trust me?”

“If my sister-in-law had betrayed us, she would have run to His Majesty instead of helping Count Brennan. That would have been a much greater achievement.”

Countess Camellia gripped her skirt.

Duke Loigar clenched his molars. Since he had no other trustworthy blood relatives, he could only entrust this to his wife’s family.

Marquess Rosan’s Son lacked ability. In any case, only Countess Camellia remained now.

“I will leave father-in-law’s matter unquestioned. Be careful that Gannett doesn’t find out.”

“Yes. I may not have father’s authority, but I will do my best.”

“And if possible, I will handle it myself, but if the situation doesn’t turn out that way, make sure my sister-in-law eliminates or hides all the attendants who participated at the core of negotiations in the Southern Region.”

“Understood.”

Countess Camellia answered while bowing her head deeply.

Duke Loigar let out a long sigh. The faction’s power would inevitably shrink, but somehow they would be able to endure.

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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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