The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 228

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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 228

Gannett entered the Imperial Palace with an upright posture.

Her resolve was firm. But in the carriage, she had felt like she would burst into tears at any moment.

However, surprisingly, once she stepped down in front of the Imperial Palace, she was able to walk with composure. She walked without breaking the elegant bearing she had cultivated over many years.

The gathered old nobles made way for her.

“Your Highness.”

“Why have you come to such a place?”

Several nobles she was close to asked her with worried faces.

This was not a place for Gannett to appear.

Even those who didn’t think she should flee to the eastern region to plan for the future agreed with that sentiment.

Rather, it could end up giving the Emperor more leverage against her.

She was someone who needed to be protected. Both symbolically and practically.

But Gannett lifted her pale face straight and said,

“I have something I want to say to all of you.”

Her voice spread clearly even among the murmuring people.

Those who had been muttering worries or complaints about why Gannett was here all closed their mouths and listened.

“Thank you for coming all this way for my husband and sharing this difficult moment with us. Although I have come here as a sinner…”

Gannett took a deep breath and said,

“Loigar will fulfill his responsibilities. So please continue to support my husband and children as you have until now.”

Gannett bowed her head.

She had almost no experience giving speeches. So she spoke honestly as thoughts came to her.

If this matter could really end with just her alone being punished, these people would continue to be a source of strength for her husband.

If her husband couldn’t escape punishment either, these families would support their children in the future.

Though they could flee or betray, these were people who chose not to. That’s why Gannett trusted them with almost naive faith.

A small stir spread through the crowd. Gannett was the legitimate daughter of Marquess Luden and held the position of Duchess Loigar.

The only people she needed to bow her head to were the Emperor and Empress. She didn’t need to show such courtesy even to her parents.

Gannett lifted her head and began walking.

People made way for her. Gannett headed toward the Imperial Palace without hesitation.

Several old nobles followed behind her. It meant they would stay with her until death.

Just having the heads of various families walking behind Duchess Loigar was enough to express their intentions.

And that would put pressure on the Emperor.

Gannett had said she came as a sinner. But even if she had come to beg for forgiveness, such collective action carried meaning.

Those who realized this also began following behind.

Until just moments ago, these people had intended to claim this whole affair was a false accusation.

The Emperor still hadn’t presented evidence. They were certain there must be no real evidence.

So they had planned not to back down until Ian Camellia and his backers were investigated.

If Duchess Evron was truly behind him, then this matter would become political strife rather than treason.

But Gannett’s arrival changed the situation.

People thought Gannett had come to plead for clemency. So they intended to protest her innocence on the spot.

Gannett entered all the way to the main palace without any interference.

Since the Imperial Palace security was being maintained at wartime levels, this was unreasonable.

Gannett didn’t find it strange. Usually, as Duchess Loigar, she had unrestricted access to the Imperial Palace.

In front of the audience chamber, Gannett first encountered someone blocking her path.

It was Sedric.

Gannett looked up at his face in surprise.

“Please return, Aunt.”

Sedric said in a low voice.

“What kind of rudeness is this?”

Marquess Hamelton, who had been following closely behind, stepped forward and confronted him. It was a gesture as if to protect Gannett.

“Though you hold the same ducal rank, there is clearly a difference in seniority, Prince Evron.”

“Seeing you step forward directly like this, you’re finally revealing your ambitions.”

Following Marquess Hamelton’s words, criticism came from behind.

Sedric paid no attention to such criticism. Instead, he spoke in a gentle voice so Gannett wouldn’t be afraid.

“You must not go, Aunt.”

“This has nothing to do with House of Evron.”

Gannett said with her face contorted as if she might cry.

She had almost no relationship with Sedric. Even when they met at official occasions and exchanged greetings, at most they shared a few ceremonial pleasantries.

When Artizea returned from her honeymoon, she had thought about truly having family-like exchanges this time.

She had thought the same when she learned of her pregnancy. Though the children would be fifth cousins, since they had few relatives and were close in age, it would be nice to let them interact like siblings.

With various incidents continuing to occur, and her own failure to be proactive, they remained like strangers even at this moment.

But Sedric spoke as if he were her older brother.

“I know this is a decision you made with sincere heart. But this is not something you should take responsibility for.”

“Shouldn’t responsibility be taken by the one who acted?”

“Your words are correct, but… acting with righteous heart doesn’t always create righteous results.”

“…”

“Your stepping forward like this now will only create the situation His Majesty desires.”

Sedric said so.

“His Majesty’s lack of response is probably to save Duke Loigar.”

Artizea had said.

“Some seem to think His Majesty hasn’t presented evidence because he truly has none, and is trying to arrest those involved in the agreement to extract confessions.”

Artizea had laughed hollowly, saying it was ridiculous for them to point to her as Ian’s backer.

If she had plotted and made false accusations, she would have forged evidence so precisely that it would never be discovered.

Or she would have created a situation so pleasing to the Emperor that he would want to forge it for her.

“That evidence relates to the Duchess. Skyla wouldn’t have been able to steal important evidence from around Duke Loigar.”

“You mean they intend to make Aunt a scapegoat.”

That would be sufficient to conclude the treason incident – a big enough figure while claiming it was a mistake made independently.

It would provide adequate justification for sparing Duke Loigar.

They could also eliminate the imperial blood connected to the eastern noble lineage.

The Empire’s power struggles ultimately revolve around the Emperor’s throne.

The eastern noble faction would lose their means to claim legitimacy by losing imperial blood.

“It would also achieve the secondary effect of dividing Duke Loigar and the eastern noble faction. His Majesty would gain both Duke Loigar’s weakness and an opportunity to deal with the east.”

Resentment would be directed at Duke Loigar. The Emperor could use him as either a shield or justification.

“Do you think so too?”

“I am not one who decides the merits of judgment.”

Artizea had said in a quiet voice.

“The goal is to clear out the east using His Majesty’s hand before Lord Sedric ascends, or create that possibility. It doesn’t necessarily mean Duchess Loigar must be sacrificed.”

Artizea had said.

“Do what you think is right.”

That’s why Sedric stood here.

Because he hoped Gannett wouldn’t be forced to sacrifice herself due to the Emperor’s political intentions.

He wanted to tell her that what one thinks is right doesn’t always lead to right results.

Even acting according to duty could just be the result of moving as the conspirators’ strings pulled.

Kratese’s political world was a world of one-eyed monsters. Gannett needed to know that fact.

“Facts are not always the same as truth. Though what you did may have been the catalyst for this situation, you are never the cause. You bear no responsibility.”

This arose from the entanglement of various people’s desires and circumstances, and the Emperor’s pride. And it was Artizea who wove these into a bomb.

Within all that, only Gannett was truly innocent.

If anyone bore responsibility, it was Artizea, and himself.

“Thank you.”

Gannett could tell that Sedric was speaking sincerely. So she suppressed the various complex words in her heart and gave sincere thanks.

“But I have responsibilities. The responsibility of a wife who loves her husband, the responsibility of a mother to her children. That was my choice.”

Gannett looked up at Cedric with clear eyes and spoke.

“Uncle would not want to see Aunt get hurt either.”

“….”

Cedric made one last attempt to speak. But he knew that Gannett would not back down.

And a person with such resolve deserved to be respected.

Just because he had experienced failure first didn’t mean he could obstruct Gannett’s will.

Cedric stepped aside.

Gannett walked down the opened path with graceful steps. The old nobles followed behind her.

Various nobles cast strange glances at Cedric. Even if they hadn’t understood the conversation between them exactly, they realized that Cedric hadn’t approached Gannett with ill intentions.

Finally, the tail of the procession came into view. The procession felt almost majestic in a way.

Freil, who had been waiting at some distance, came to Cedric’s side.

“It feels strange that it’s the Prince’s Consort, not the Prince, standing at the front of that position.”

“It can’t be helped.”

Cedric sighed.

“I should go see Uncle.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

Freil replied.

“By Her Highness’s command, a servant has already been sent.”

“Is that so?”

Cedric said nothing more. And with a heavy heart, he headed outside.

The Emperor sat waiting in the audience chamber.

He had already heard the news that Gannett had come to the Imperial Palace. He had also heard that nobles were following behind her.

‘What has she come to do.’

He couldn’t guess.

The Gannett he knew was a very powerless being.

If others had incited her and she had come swept up in that momentum, she wouldn’t have come alone.

‘She wouldn’t be foolish enough to petition for clemency, thinking it was only her husband’s fault and had nothing to do with her.’

It was incomprehensible that the Marquess Ruden’s house had let her move alone in the first place.

‘Was the young marquess such a small vessel that he couldn’t even think of that much?’

Thinking of that eldest son, whose impression was quite dim compared to Marquess Luden who had been quite troublesome, the Emperor frowned.

“Duchess Loigar requests an audience.”

“Let her in.”

The Emperor said.

The doors opened wide.

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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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