The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 230

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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 230

Duke Loigar returned home.

The manor was empty.

Royal guards were still stationed at the garden and entrances. Some investigators also remained.

But that house was an empty house.

Duke Loigar first went to look for the children’s room.

The room was empty. The toy box and bookshelf were overturned, and all the wallpaper had been torn off. It was the investigators’ doing.

‘Ah….’

This meant that the children had not been dragged away but had escaped.

Considering how Gannett had calmly walked into the Imperial Palace on her own, it was probably Countess Camellia who had spirited the children away.

If it hadn’t been her, she couldn’t have given Gannett such unwavering faith.

Thinking about it that way, Countess Camellia had not betrayed him.

It was simply that she had never been one who was loyal to Duke Loigar from the beginning.

Duke Loigar trudged through the manor with a lamp in his hand.

Neither the butler nor any of the familiar employees remained.

Instead, attendants sent from the Imperial Palace to serve as surveillance followed behind him.

Duke Loigar didn’t even care about that. What did it matter now whether they watched him or not.

Nothing was left.

He didn’t even have the energy to think about how things had come to this.

The inner quarters were clean. Unlike the children’s room, there seemed to have been nothing particular to search for.

Well, Gannett had confessed. The jewelry box alone was sufficient evidence that she had committed crimes.

For the Emperor who was trying to spare his life, it would actually be troublesome if more evidence came to light.

Duke Loigar entered Gannett’s bedroom.

The attendants split to either side of him as they entered and lit up the bedroom.

Duke Loigar saw a velvet box sitting on the table.

He slowly approached the table. When he opened the lid of the velvet box, a tiara and necklace sparkled with brilliant radiance.

Gannett had been barely eighteen when she entered the wedding venue wearing this tiara and necklace.

Until then, Duke Loigar had merely found her endearing.

Since they were engaged, he had treated her as his fiancée. However, she was too young to see as a woman. Not only her actual age, but Gannett herself had been raised as a spoiled child and tended to act even younger.

He had been worried when entering the bedchamber. Since he was of age, he needed to have an heir quickly.

The existence of children would solidify their alliance.

But he couldn’t imagine Gannett becoming a mother at all.

「Honey!」

In the bedchamber, instead of being shy, Gannett smiled with an innocent face and said that.

「I’m going to call you that from now on.」

Duke Loigar felt very awkward. He wondered if Gannett understood the meaning of becoming husband and wife.

Realizing that he was uncomfortable, Gannett tilted her head and said,

「We’re married now, so that’s right, isn’t it?」

「That’s right.」

「Then, use formal speech with me now. I’m no longer Luden’s little lady but the Prince’s Consort.」

She seemed to have kept in her heart how Duke Loigar used to call her that since childhood.

It was like a child’s game of house for newlyweds.

Duke Loigar treated Gannett as the Prince’s Consort, but it wasn’t much different from when he had treated his six-year-old fiancée as his fiancée.

He loved his wife, but the form of that love was similar to when he found the little lady endearing.

However, Gannett had truly walked into the Imperial Palace as the Prince’s Consort.

Duke Loigar dropped the box.

He was still afraid, and even now he desperately wanted to live.

But hadn’t he resolved to live differently when his first child was born?

To live not for survival, but for his family.

Yet he had driven his wife into danger and returned to an empty house having saved his life without taking any responsibility for his children.

That was a life where he was merely surviving to live.

* * *

Seeing Mielle trying to hold Leticia, Hazel said,

“You’ll complain about your arms hurting again at night.”

“Still.”

“Still, no.”

When Hazel stopped her, Mielle made a sulky face.

“Boooo.”

Leticia made a sound by herself, and finding it amusing that her lips trembled, she giggled.

Looking at that face, Mielle’s mood quickly brightened.

“Look, Father. The Young Lady really laughs so well, doesn’t she?”

“She does.”

Henry Kishower smiled wryly.

He was worried.

Although the investigators reportedly hadn’t entered the Evron Ducal Residence, the treason case was still in full swing.

No matter how much Cedric protected and Artizea controlled things, there couldn’t be no unrest inside.

Yet no news had come from Mielle at all.

Even if she stayed at the Duke’s Residence as Artizea’s maid, she had said she would return home two days a week.

Given the circumstances, even if she couldn’t leave her position and continued staying at the Duke’s Residence, she should have been able to send at least a letter.

In the end, Henry Kishower decided to visit in person. It was time he had difficulty securing after obtaining the Emperor’s permission during his busy schedule.

Yet here was Mielle in the baby’s room with such a bright face, enjoying herself.

“You should have at least sent a letter.”

Henry Kishower muttered as if to himself. Hailey, who was serving him tea, looked apologetic.

“At Mielle’s age, they often forget that their parents are waiting.”

“I’m sorry for making you worry. To receive us with such a sudden visit, and even let us see the Young Lady.”

“Her Highness said that Count Kishower’s visits are always welcome. And we wanted to show you how well Mielle is doing.”

Henry Kishower looked at Hailey and smiled. Hailey was only about Mielle’s older sister’s age, yet she was already mature.

“Mielle has always liked babies. Whenever relatives brought babies, she always volunteered to take care of them. But this is the first time I’ve seen her so completely absorbed.”

It was pitiful. If she had a body that could marry and have her own babies, Henry Kishower thought Mielle could have lived very happily.

Hailey understood his feelings.

“Since they’re not parting after just a few days, she seems to give her affection freely. Our Young Lady also follows Mielle well. Thanks to that, the atmosphere is always bright.”

While they were having such a conversation, Artizea entered.

Henry Kishower rose from his seat.

“It’s been a long time, Your Highness.”

“I’m sorry for making you visit here during your busy time, Count Kishower. I haven’t been paying attention to Mielle.”

“Not at all. Seeing her doing well puts my mind at ease. Well, she’s at an age where parents are bothersome.”

“I sent you a letter last week.”

“Your mother and I would like to hear from you more often.”

“Really. If something had happened, Father would have known first anyway.”

“I wouldn’t want to hear news that way, would I?”

“Everyone’s saying something big happened and they’re minimizing going out and being careful, so how could I send someone out just to deliver a letter?”

“I think in such times, it would be good to return home first, Mielle.”

Artizea interjected.

Mielle could do that.

Not only would her weak body not arouse suspicion that she had done anything special, but she was also Henry Kishower’s daughter.

Mielle closed her mouth and then spoke slowly.

“I don’t want to do that.”

Kishower looked at Mielle with surprised eyes. Artizea smiled.

“It seems the time has come for you to stop being overprotective.”

“…Indeed it has.”

Kishower said with a melancholy tone.

Mielle made a slightly sulky face and stood up again. Hazel gave Kishower an apologetic look for no particular reason.

Artizea asked.

“How are things at the Imperial Palace? I heard that Princess Consort Loigar went to plead for forgiveness yesterday.”

“Did His Highness the Prince not say anything?”

“He hasn’t been able to return home. Since Count Kishower has kindly visited, I’d like to hear about it.”

Artizea’s words were ambiguous as to whether she actually knew about the events that had transpired or not.

Since these weren’t particularly secret matters, there was nothing preventing Kishower from speaking about them.

In any case, the Emperor would have known that such conversations would take place when he granted Kishower’s request for leave to visit Mielle.

“Princess Consort Loigar was very dignified.”

Kishower spoke without hiding his admiration.

“Those who followed her seemed to want to protest their innocence at first, but they all closed their mouths and resolved to share Princess Consort Loigar’s fate.”

“That’s the strength of the Eastern noble families.”

Personal sacrifice in the name of family prosperity and perpetuity is natural. Considering it honorable is truly a noble attitude.

Artizea thought that Gannett probably didn’t have such thoughts. She likely did it for her family.

But by doing so, she secured the future of the Eastern nobility.

‘People are truly difficult to understand.’

She hadn’t realized this before.

When Duke Loigar was purged, his entire family was executed together. Gannett drank the poison without raving or wailing.

At that time, Artizea had never met her personally. Only the impression remained that she had no power or ability to resist.

Had she changed? Or had she accepted death with dignity even then?

It was impossible to know now.

Kishower said.

“His Majesty also commanded that Princess Consort Loigar be treated with full courtesy.”

“His Majesty likes dignified people.”

“Yes, truly.”

Of course, whether the Emperor would honor Princess Consort Loigar to the end was another matter entirely.

Hailey asked.

“Since His Majesty has accepted it, will the treaty issue become a different situation now?”

“Yes. To save Prince Loigar, the treaty must be legitimate.”

In reality, most of the officials had already collapsed.

Starting from the Princess Consort’s close lady-in-waiting, there was no significant difference in the fact that the factional nobles would ultimately be implicated in treason.

The merchant faction would be able to get through safely. However, they would be greatly weakened.

The Emperor would likely have plans to make that into his own power.

It was then.

The sound of someone pounding on the door as if to break it was heard. Leticia, startled, burst into tears.

It was a young knight under Freil’s command who had come. He said urgently.

“Duke Loigar has committed suicide.”

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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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