The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 275

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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 275

Ferguson said.

“According to General Quile, Dinski Kop said that His Majesty the Emperor’s secret order to subjugate Your Highness the Crown Prince for treason would be issued soon.”

And the conspirators would launch their uprising the moment that secret order was issued.

“I see.”

Cedric replied. Ferguson asked anxiously again.

“Do you not intend to arrest them now?”

“It’s a bit difficult to move the army right now. We lack justification.”

Freil answered instead.

“That may be so, but…”

Ferguson said hesitantly.

Of course, Ferguson, who had been an Imperial Investigator, had never needed more evidence than this.

“Then we should…”

“Do not rush, Sir Ferguson. You must not forget that we are not currently acting under imperial command.”

“Hmm…”

Ferguson groaned.

Freil’s words were correct. When his organization moved under imperial command, no one dared to resist.

When the investigative organization lacked force, the Imperial Guard and Central Army backed them up.

But the targets for elimination were within those very Imperial Guard and Central Army.

Freil asked.

“Do you have a list?”

“Yes. It’s an estimated list, and we haven’t confirmed it. General Quile only knew that he would raise his army once he received the imperial command.”

Ferguson said carefully.

“It’s close to a list of those who usually don’t have good feelings toward Your Highness the Crown Prince. But it shouldn’t be far off.”

Freil thought so too.

The military had many pro-Crown Prince factions. Cedric, by his nature, had originally been close to military personnel.

Of course, most were loyal subjects of the Emperor. The Emperor had long devoted effort to controlling military power.

He had deliberately weakened the Western Army and Southern Army, which could lose control, to concentrate military power in the Central Army for this reason.

However, while they might attack Cedric following imperial orders, there was no reason for them to first involve themselves in schemes to eliminate the Crown Prince.

Especially now when there were no other worthy imperial candidates to be loyal to.

In the end, unless they were in a position where Cedric becoming Emperor would cause them trouble, there was no reason to participate in this affair.

And that reason would be either having tampered with supplies going north like General Quile, or having committed intolerable levels of corruption.

“This could be an opportunity, Your Highness.”

Freil said.

He had warned Ferguson not to rush, but this was certainly useful information.

Controlling military power was important. Having opposition factions in the Central Army was like having a dagger held to one’s throat.

But if done well, they could eliminate the opposition faction in one stroke.

Cedric gave no answer. Lost in thought, he had turned his back to them and was looking out the window.

Since the sun had already set, the window was tinted with dark colors. Cedric’s face reflected there looked gloomy.

Freil thought he had lost some weight. His cheeks were hollow and shadowed.

People thought he was exhausted from overwork. From when the port fire occurred until now, it was true that Cedric had been burdened with responsibilities heavier than his authority.

More sinister individuals suspected he was deliberately losing weight and maintaining a haggard appearance to avoid showing joy.

That also meant he was beginning to be judged by politicians’ standards.

Freil realized he was thinking of Artizea.

Cedric was a robust person. Even after marching for a month chewing military rations and fighting battles through the night, Freil had never seen his complexion this poor.

Freil couldn’t guess how many nights he had been unable to sleep.

Those long sleepless nights wouldn’t have consisted solely of political anguish.

Cedric muttered as if to himself.

“It’s a sad thing. I thought I had made my intention clear that there would be no purges.”

“In this world, there are more people who hear what they want to hear than those who hear what is actually said, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

That title felt unfamiliar and rolled awkwardly in his mouth.

Cedric smiled bitterly.

“I know. Nothing is more difficult than making people understand.”

His words were heavy.

Cedric lightly tapped the window to open it. Cool night air flowed in.

Freil suddenly thought of the past.

When they had visited Baron Itz’s gambling hall to find Olga’s heart.

At that time, Freil had supported the engagement with Artizea because she was too dangerous to keep by Lawrence’s side.

But he never imagined they would reach this point without even completing three years.

And Cedric had changed too.

The Cedric of three years ago wouldn’t have spoken in such a voice about the difficulty of making people understand.

Though it was just an accumulation of events that weren’t strange when considered step by step, it felt as if thirty years had passed.

“An opportunity…”

Cedric muttered to himself again.

Artizea would certainly have considered it an opportunity.

She probably would have set a trap without telling him and carried out a large-scale purge.

But Freil had stated his opinion like this.

“If I may give my opinion, anyone trying to drive out Your Highness the Crown Prince without alternatives is someone who would ruin the country to maintain their vested interests, and anyone who commits treason after being compromised by a secret organization is utterly corrupt. You must not carry such people with you.”

Cedric smiled bitterly again.

This was right. Regardless of the content’s right or wrong, it should be Cedric who heard opinions and made decisions.

“Your words aren’t wrong either.”

The opponents were enemies. Thinking of it that way, setting traps to lure them in was natural.

When thinking of it as domestic politics, both political strife and conspiracies were indeed distasteful.

Things like slandering before the Emperor, attempting social destruction through calumny, and framing with false accusations didn’t suit Cedric’s nature, even before questions of right and wrong.

Especially if the purpose was a power struggle.

However, thinking of the opponents as military organizations was different.

The opponents intended to attack with actual force in their hands. Then this was the realm of tactics that Cedric had dealt with his entire life.

Defeating them in one stroke to end it was the method that would minimize damage.

Knowing that Cedric had made his decision, Ferguson brightened. He had been worried that the information he brought might become waste paper.

“Sir Ferguson, you’re keeping track of the spies within the Imperial Palace, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Keep watching them. General Quile waiting for secret orders means someone will approach His Majesty. There’s no need to arrest them beforehand. We’d be repeating Tacho Gyeongsa’s mistake.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Cedric gestured for Ferguson to leave. Ferguson bowed and quickly walked outside.

Cedric let out a low sigh.

‘So it has come to this after all.’

He had wanted to reduce the political chaos of regime change. He hadn’t wanted to open his reign with purges and political retaliation.

He had no intention of digging up individual crimes to find weaknesses or eliminate people.

That would only be an individual emperor wielding absolute power to spread his own justice.

Such justice had existed in Emperor Gregor’s youth as well.

Cedric didn’t believe he would never become corrupt.

Even with good intentions, his eyes and ears could become clouded or his judgment could become impaired at any time.

Above all, he had directly witnessed what happened to a country when such absolute power established by an individual emperor fell into unworthy hands.

So what he needed to do during his reign wasn’t to act righteously alone.

It was to perfect the system and laws, and make them function properly.

Well, it was a useless thought. He was already not clean.

He was simply resolved to do his best as much as possible.

Freil spoke as if to comfort him.

“Your Highness has already done as much as you could. You became His Majesty’s adopted son and received investiture from His Majesty.”

“….”

“That gesture of reconciliation will be sufficient. Even after going that far, those who suspect Your Highness will say you’re avenging your parents’ deaths no matter what you do or how you do it.”

“That’s also true. In the end, I’ll have no choice but to face them head-on and rule consistently until I can earn their trust.”

Cedric answered thus.

And he turned his gaze back to the window.

The Imperial Palace at dawn was quiet. Beyond the garden foliage, the roof of the Imperial Prince’s Palace appeared white in the moonlight.

“We need to seize the initiative. At least if we can control the timing of the war from our side, we’ll be able to guide the situation as we desire.”

After thinking for a moment, Freil answered.

“There happens to be an appropriate pretext.”

“Tell me.”

“Rumors have recently been spreading in the slums. The content is that the epidemic currently circulating mainly in the slums is the Western plague.”

“Hmm….”

Cedric groaned briefly. He was also aware of that epidemic.

It was a diarrheal disease that occurred every year when the weather got hot. It happened because the sewage system wasn’t fully developed.

“Public sentiment is more turbulent than usual. After all, most patients in the slums have no opportunity to see a doctor.”

It wasn’t simply spreading rumors.

Several contaminated wells had been discovered. It was probably to increase the speed of the disease’s spread and amplify the chaos.

Freil said.

“So I suggest we incite unrest from that side. Since they started it first, they won’t suspect that we pulled the trigger.”

“And then I can go out there to quell the unrest.”

“Yes. It would mean using Your Highness as bait, but….”

“That’s the most certain way. After all, their purpose is to eliminate me.”

In that case, he would give them such an opportunity. If they took the bait, control over the situation would shift to this side from that moment.

He wasn’t worried. Unless the Royal Guards or Central Army came swarming under imperial command to surround them, the level of force a secret organization could mobilize was obvious.

“The situation won’t escalate too much and cause casualties, will it?”

“I cannot guarantee that. No matter how manufactured the unrest is, there’s no assurance the situation won’t spread. However, I know the leader of an organization with considerable influence in that area.”

“…I see.”

Cedric answered slowly.

He could easily guess that those connections were Artizea’s informants. It didn’t seem likely that Freil would have independently formed ties with organizations in the slums.

But Cedric didn’t bother to voice that thought.

A pain like being cut by a blade spread around his chest.

“Proceed.”

He soon masked his expression with a faint smile.

Freil bowed his head.

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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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