The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 249

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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 249

Natalia responded to the invitation alone the next day.

She was well aware that she wasn’t particularly skilled at interpersonal relationships. Even more so when it came to politics.

Natalia also suspected that Artizea hadn’t invited her purely for the sake of friendship.

Bernart had even said this:

“Reply that you’ll make time whenever needed for the Grand Duchess. And don’t meet anyone today, go tomorrow instead.”

“Then wouldn’t it be fine to go today? She said to visit whenever I have time, today or any other day. Except for accompanying Your Highness, my other matters aren’t that important.”

“It’s not good to visit as if you were waiting for it, but there’s also no need to give the impression that you pushed the Grand Duchess aside by meeting others first.”

“If it’s going to be such an important political matter that requires that much consideration, Your Highness should come with me.”

Bernart shook his head.

“That wouldn’t be very wise either. If I go, it would become a meeting with diplomatic significance rather than pure friendship.”

“Is that so?”

“You might be asked to make political decisions there. I need to gather more information about her before meeting the Grand Duchess face to face.”

“If the Grand Duchess of Evron is someone who requires such caution, I might get caught up in it too. What if I accidentally make some decision I shouldn’t?”

At Natalia’s words, Bernart smiled and stroked her cheek.

“Don’t do that.”

“It’s not something I can control…”

“The pretext is just having tea time for friendship anyway, isn’t it? Talk about the gifts exchanged at the welcome ball or travel stories.”

“Hmm…”

“If they urge you to make decisions about important matters, just push everything onto me. You can do that, right?”

“Yes.”

Natalia felt relieved.

Reconsidering various proposals and situations while engaging in political conversation, taking into account subtle nuances of words and expressions, was truly an area where she had no talent.

So if she could push everything onto Bernart and just comfortably drink tea and chat, that would be wonderful.

Natalia liked Artizea.

Her delicate yet upright bearing and slender but elegant frame made her the picture-perfect noblewoman that the Kingdom of Ients idealized.

‘I hope she turns out to be a good person when I see her again.’

Natalia thought.

The Imperial Prince’s palace was quieter than Natalia had expected. By this time, it should have been bustling with people trying to make an impression with gifts.

Most of them had indeed been stopped at the main gate.

Natalia’s carriage was allowed through to the garden. Hailey and Mielle had come out to greet her.

“Welcome, Your Highness Crown Princess Natalia.”

“Thank you for the warm reception.”

Natalia stepped down from the carriage and exchanged greetings with them.

Natalia’s maid handed Mielle a prettily wrapped small box. It was a gift.

Hailey and Mielle guided Natalia to the terrace facing the open garden.

A wide silk canopy filtered the sunlight to just the right degree. The colorful light created by the canopy dyed the birch terrace.

Artizea, who had been sitting at the white table, stood up.

“Welcome, Your Highness Natalia. It was a sudden invitation, but thank you for coming like this.”

“Thank you for inviting me, Star of the Empire.”

“The Star of the Empire is not me, but my daughter.”

Artizea said while glancing slightly to the side.

Leticia, held in Marcus’s arms, looked at Natalia with wide eyes.

Natalia bent toward Leticia and smiled brightly.

“Hello, Young Lady.”

It was an overly familiar attitude. But it was clearly out of affection, so it didn’t look bad.

Leticia waved her arms toward Natalia. The stranger seemed interesting to her.

Natalia extended her index finger. Leticia grabbed that finger and shook it vigorously.

“Are you shaking hands? Handshake.”

When Natalia shook her finger back, Leticia giggled again.

“She’s a baby who laughs well.”

Natalia said with a smile lingering on her face.

“I brought her thinking I’d let you see her face. I hope it wasn’t rude.”

“I know very well that letting me meet the Young Lady is an incomparable gesture of goodwill.”

It was also a sign of trust. Natalia knew well how anxious it was to let a young baby meet outsiders.

Especially for a baby in Leticia’s position, it would be even more so.

Leticia, unaware of the complex feelings of those around her, laughed innocently and then pulled on Marcus’s hair.

Artizea offered her a seat.

“Please sit.”

Soon the prepared refreshments were brought out. Maids arranged plates beautifully laden with sugar cookies and cakes on the table.

Hailey brewed tea. A teacup filled with warm water was placed in front of Natalia.

Leticia screamed and waved her arms wildly.

“Ga! Ka! Kyaa!”

“No, little miss.”

Marcus held Leticia tighter. Natalia asked.

“Is she asking for cookies?”

“Yes. She loves to eat. She’ll probably say ‘cookie’ before mama or papa.”

Natalia laughed at Artizea’s answer.

“Our eldest was very late to start talking, but the first thing he said was that he was hungry.”

“Oh my.”

“Your Highness.”

Marcus said politely even while being grabbed by Leticia.

“The little miss seems bored, so I’ll take a walk in the garden and return.”

“Do that.”

Leticia made a pitiful sound as she was taken away from the refreshment table. She looked ready to wail.

Half of the guard knights moved to follow them.

Seeing Natalia’s concerned face, Artizea smiled wryly.

“She’ll be fine soon. She likes playing outside.”

“You’ll need to do a lot of garden maintenance. Though it’s nice for adults as it is now.”

It was a serene and beautiful garden, but the vegetation was too dense for a baby to play in.

“Yes, since it’s a palace that hasn’t been used for a long time, we’re gradually organizing it from the outside. They say we’ll need to cut down many trees too.”

“I’d keep that tree and hang a swing on it later when the Young Lady starts walking.”

Natalia pointed to a large tree nearby.

And for a moment, she thought of the Ients royal palace with longing. It hadn’t even been two months since she left, but she already missed the children.

She cast her gaze toward the garden with a smiling face. Artizea quietly observed that gaze.

Hailey poured out the hot water from the teacup and poured in the red tea.

Mielle unwrapped the box Natalia had brought in front of Artizea.

Inside was a small porcelain piece about the size of a fist. When the lid was opened, a deep fragrance spread.

A pale yellow liquid sloshed inside.

Mielle said while savoring the scent.

“It seems to contain very fine ambergris.”

“You know well, Lady Kishower.”

“I think I can smell a bit of the sea too. But is this perfume?”

“I’m not sure whether it can be used as perfume either.”

Natalia answered honestly.

“They said it can be used like this.”

She took the porcelain out onto the table and lightly touched around the lid’s edge. Then a small hole opened in the lid.

“If you place it in a drawing room or somewhere like that, it gives off a very pleasant fragrance.”

“The goods from the Kingdom of Ients will become greatly popular once again.”

Artizea said with a smile.

On the outside of the porcelain, intricate and beautiful patterns were painted with gold and blue and white.

That imagery overlapped with parts of the Kingdom of Ients’ new silk embroidery. It was a symbol of wealth.

Moreover, the incense was extremely expensive. Ambergris alone cost more than its weight in gold just for the raw material.

To place it in such beautiful porcelain in the drawing room and let the fragrance linger—there was no better means to display wealth and luxury than this.

Placing it in the drawing room of this Imperial Prince’s Palace, where all of the Empire’s attention was currently focused, would achieve an excellent promotional effect.

‘Prince Bernart is wise.’

Considering distance and national power, the Kingdom of Ients was not a target worth being wary of.

If it were the Kingdom of Eimel, once sufficient national power was accumulated, they would turn their eyes elsewhere to expand their territory. It went without saying that Cardriole was belligerent.

But the Kingdom of Ients was different. They knew well that accumulating capital and infiltrating culture was far more promising than waging war.

Bernart was also prudent and capable.

Having such a person become king of an important neighboring country like the Kingdom of Ients was not a bad thing.

The fact that he had wanted to support Duke Loigar was no longer any problem at all.

Rather, it was better because of that. They could lead the relationship from a position of advantage.

Bird songs could be heard from somewhere. A fragrant green scent mixed with the gentle breeze that blew.

The fragrance spreading from the porcelain placed on the table mixed with it, subtly coloring the air.

Natalia spoke.

“I wanted to express my gratitude.”

“Gratitude?”

Artizea tilted her head.

“For accepting Mother’s hair ornament. I felt like I couldn’t properly greet you that day.”

Natalia said awkwardly.

“I gave it to you thinking I was helping Your Highness the Princess Consort out of a difficult situation, but I ended up receiving even greater help instead.”

“What do you mean? As you said, it suited my hair perfectly.”

Artizea answered calmly. The accessory itself wasn’t particularly important.

What was important was displaying friendship to balance the Kingdom of Ients and the Kingdom of Eimel.

But Natalia shook her head.

“Invitations and letters are already piling up. Various Ients trading guilds with branches here are asking for permission to make products like that ornament.”

Even though the Kingdom of Ients was wealthy, not every place was like that.

Natalia’s hometown was a poor place.

At one time, high-quality gems were produced there, but now the veins were being depleted. As production decreased, money dried up in the village.

But the possibility of a new industry emerging there had arisen. This would lead to prosperity.

Moreover, trends from the Imperial Capital’s social circles spread downward and in all directions.

Gem pebbles weren’t such expensive items. The possibility of making accessories that could be sold even to commoners had emerged.

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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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