The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 258

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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 258

The weather was very clear on the day of the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony.

The people accepted even this as a blessing from God.

The enthusiastic ones came out early at dawn to sweep and decorate the streets.

The flower-selling girls on the streets had emptied all their baskets before morning even came.

Those who couldn’t buy flowers had picked flowers from mountains and fields the day before or two days prior and kept them in water.

Some even cut the flower stems from potted plants they had carefully tended.

Even those too poor for that folded paper flowers.

People from the temple distributed various colored papers. They also handed out blessed wax candles and white bread.

“Receive the Saint’s blessing.”

Deacons made the sign of the cross as they knocked on each door.

Poor households offered prayers of gratitude. Those with means received candles and offered valuable incense or butter.

The wealthy donated silver or gold coins equal to the weight of those candles.

She was the Saint who had revived the miracle of Saint Olga’s statue. She was the Saint who had received the oracle that she would become Empress.

She was the Saint who had received God’s grace at the harvest festival altar and given birth to the Empire’s star.

Could there be any greater proof that God had specially chosen and loved the Empire?

All the bloody incidents that had occurred until now were swept away at once. The fragrance of flowers filled the capital.

Faithful people brought out the holy statues they kept at home to their windows or front entrances and lit blessed candles before them.

This meant they would dedicate that blessing not to their own families, but to the Crown Prince who would be invested today, and to the Empire.

“Blessings to the Saint and His Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Glory to the Empire!”

The impatient ones were already shouting before the investiture ceremony had even begun.

Paper flowers fluttered from the sky.

The King of Eimel lay quietly on his bed.

Though the manor where he was confined was in a remote location, the distant sounds of cheering could be faintly heard.

“How long will you keep sleeping?”

Cadriole briskly drew back the curtains.

The King didn’t look at him. That was the only thing he could do as he pleased.

“Get up now. You must attend the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony. This is the last thing you can do for your country as King of Eimel.”

“…So it was you who killed the Queen.”

The King spoke without context.

Cadriole smiled coldly.

“Does that matter?”

“You bastard…!”

The King spat through gritted teeth, but his voice lacked strength.

No matter what he said, Cadriole wouldn’t admit it with his own mouth. And he had no power to make Cadriole confess.

“If you really don’t want to go.”

Cadriole shrugged and left the bedroom alone.

He hadn’t expected anything anyway. It was just a formal courtesy.

Coming outside, the sounds of cheering grew louder.

“How’s the atmosphere?”

“It’s completely festive. The temple seems to have made up their minds.”

“I suppose so. Has there ever been a saint who interfered in politics to this extent?”

“I don’t know theology well, but probably not. Maybe only in the early days of the Empire’s founding?”

The adjutant thought for a moment before answering.

“So the temple must be thrilled.”

Cadriole replied and swiftly mounted his horse.

The closer they got to the city center, the more palpable the joyful atmosphere became.

In places completely unrelated to the parade that would follow the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony, there were those who were so happy they voluntarily played instruments and sang hymns.

Every temple in every alley was holding services.

Cadriole felt a strange mood.

When Lawrence had his Crown Prince investiture ceremony, he had also been here as a representative of the Kingdom of Eimel.

Even then, he had been an ally of the victor. He had known the sinister currents moving beneath this euphoria.

‘Well, in the end the victor is still the same, and the one creating this atmosphere is the same too.’

But this time’s Saint wouldn’t be troubled or frightened by this cheering.

She would already have used every means available to the temple to control the organization.

‘I thought she was seizing control of the temple for Lisia Morten.’

Cadriole thought.

That’s why I thought she had eliminated Archbishop Akim. Because he was an obstacle to Lisia.

“Who would have thought she herself would receive an oracle.”

The oracle was obviously a lie. But the holy power couldn’t be a lie since many people had witnessed it.

But Cadriole still found it hard to believe. That Marquess Rosan was a Saint.

“It’s ruined, all ruined.”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“The world is ruined. My life too.”

Cadriole grumbled. Then he spurred his horse.

The sounds of cheering reached even the Crown Prince’s palace. Normally it would never be audible.

Someone was definitely gathering people somewhere outside the Imperial Palace to shout toward this direction.

Sedric asked.

“Did you deliberately have them shout like this?”

“The temple is showing excessive loyalty.”

Artizea answered.

“Smooth your brow. It’s a good day, and a good thing.”

“I know.”

Sedric answered briefly.

It really was a good thing. Considering all the things they had experienced after Lisia was revealed to be a Saint, even more so.

That’s why he couldn’t help but have complicated feelings.

When Lawrence had his Crown Prince investiture ceremony.

When Lawrence had his coronation.

Even when he decided to confront him instead of avoiding him.

Even when he smuggled Artizea out of the underground prison, even when he asked her for strategies.

Even when she came to him and said she would make him Emperor.

Even when he entered the Crown Prince’s palace.

It seemed he had never really thought this moment would actually come.

Ansgard knelt before him and fastened his belt. Then he adjusted even the hem of his pants, arranging his appearance.

It wasn’t that there were no other servants to help with his attire. But since it was an important day, he had stepped forward personally.

Silence filled the toilette room as golden epaulettes were attached to his shoulders and a red sash was draped.

It was natural for all Evronians, whether they were happy about him becoming Crown Prince or had unpleasant feelings about it, to feel indescribable emotions.

“Let me see.”

Artizea looked over Sedric’s finished appearance.

It was perfect without a single flaw.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Artizea wore a blue dress with tiny gem fragments sewn one by one onto the hem.

The dress sparkled as it caught the light with every movement. Her hair was braided to a moderate length and loosely pinned up, sprinkled with gold powder.

Perhaps the appearance people expected was that of a pure white Saint, but she deliberately didn’t dress that way.

It was Sedric who needed to draw attention.

With this single moment of grandeur, he hoped to show who was master. He was not Crown Prince because he was the Holy Lady’s husband, but because he was the one destined to sit at the pinnacle of the Empire.

The ceremonial officer knocked on the door.

“Your Highness, it is time to depart.”

Sedric extended his hand to Artizea. Artizea placed her hand upon his.

A white carpet was laid outside the door.

All manner of symbols and crests were embroidered along the edges. The sun and moon, earth and rivers, the groups that had taken them as symbols, grain and sheep, beasts and horses, swords and spears, and the crests of the families that had first built the Empire and pledged their loyalty were also carved there.

At the very end, it was written in ancient script.

『May the Divine eternally bless Cratese.』

That phrase was also embroidered in gold thread inside Sedric’s cloak.

Artizea felt the irony.

If the Divine had blessed Cratese, it would have blessed not the Imperial bloodline, but this land that came to be called by that name.

The two walked straight ahead, looking forward.

The carpet stretched long all the way outside the Imperial Palace. Knights lined up on both sides, drawing their ceremonial swords that gleamed silver and paying their respects.

Beyond the ranks of knights, the crowd shouted.

“Glory to His Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Blessings to the Holy Lady!”

Those cries soon unified into one.

“Long live the Empire!”

As if in this moment alone, that mass tangled with all manner of interests seemed like a single whole.

The doors of Luminous Hall stood wide open.

From there, priests held lamps lit with incense.

As they passed, nobles and officials knelt one by one. The priests also raised their lamps and knelt.

The Archbishop did not kneel either, but bowed his waist sufficiently to show respect to worldly authority.

Thus when they reached before the throne, only the Emperor and Empress were positioned higher than them.

Sedric knelt on one knee before the Emperor and bowed his head. Beside him, Artizea knelt together.

First, the Empress placed rings engraved with seals on each of their hands.

Then the Emperor placed a small golden crown upon Sedric’s head.

Sedric squeezed his eyes shut tight.

The weight placed upon his head was not so significant. Yet to Sedric, it felt like an instrument of torture.

“Rise, Crown Prince.”

The Emperor spoke in a low voice.

“Now that you have become the pillar of the Empire, you must never kneel, never break, and stand firm and steadfast as the pillar that supports the sun and moon.”

“I humbly receive Your Majesty’s command and shall never forget it.”

Sedric answered respectfully, rose, and straightened his knees.

When he turned around, the Archbishop who had presided over the ceremony spoke first.

“Congratulations.”

Following him, Prime Minister Lin and other high-ranking nobles and officials also offered words of congratulation to the Emperor.

“Congratulations!”

Those of status too low to approach closely shouted from afar.

The congratulations quickly spread beyond Luminous Hall. The ceremonial officer had announced outside that the investiture ceremony was complete.

Resounding cheers of “Long live!” could be heard all the way to Luminous Hall.

Sedric took Artizea’s hand and retraced their path out.

Now what remained was the parade.

They would circle once along the capital’s main roads and return to Luminous Hall, where the celebratory banquet would begin.

That banquet was scheduled to continue for seven days.

Waah?!

The moment the two stepped outside, the roar from the crowd waiting outside Luminous Hall became a single mass of sound that thunderously shook the blue sky.

That sound painfully pierced Sedric’s stomach and chest, making him afraid.

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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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