The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 284

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 284

On the way back to the Imperial Palace after leaving the cleanup to General Boyden, Cedric received a report from the messenger sent by Freil.

『Central Army 4th Corps Commander Stephanie and 7th Corps Commander Hassel moved their troops without authorization, but we discovered this early and subdued their staff. We have arrested Dinski Kop.』

With this, only 3 remained uncaptured among the secret investigators.

Cedric told the messenger.

“Tell them there’s no need to rush. Calming and comforting the junior officers and soldiers comes first.”

General Huber would handle such matters well on his own.

Cedric let out a sigh. General Huber must have been shocked too.

He had refused to believe until the very end that there would be a military rebellion.

He agreed that there could be forces among the military personnel who opposed the Crown Prince.

But he said that none of the names pointed out would actually cause trouble.

In his mind, all those named individuals, including the 4th and 7th Corps Commanders who actually did cause trouble, were loyal subjects of the Emperor and soldiers of the Empire.

Even if they had some displeasure with the Crown Prince, how could it be possible for the army to target the Imperial Palace?

「Even if there were secret orders to execute me?」

Cedric had asked this. General Huber answered with conviction.

「I won’t say His Majesty the Emperor is a sage ruler who will go down in history. His private life was dissolute, and he did unspeakably terrible things to Her Majesty the Empress. But he is someone who spent his lifetime trying to stabilize the throne.」

General Huber said.

「If Your Highness the Crown Prince were to pass away, the next heir to the throne would be Princess Leticia. That would endanger the Empire, so it’s impossible.」

Cedric couldn’t help but wonder which version of Gregor General Huber was seeing as the Emperor.

In any case, his faith was firm. Cedric felt as if he had deceived him.

Because it was certain that secret orders would be issued by the Emperor.

And General Huber would believe Cedric’s words that they were forged.

In any case, tonight’s affairs were now over.

‘In terms of total casualties, this is right.’

It would be better not to think that nothing might have happened if they hadn’t thrown out bait from this side.

Before returning to the Imperial Palace, he stopped by the military headquarters. It was to finish matters that needed to be handled secretly.

Four people were waiting.

Count Brennan was the first to bow at a right angle.

“I congratulate you on your victory.”

“….”

The one who bowed his head next was an elderly supply officer.

He was 5.

Cedric knew his face. Because he was an official who managed supplies going to the north.

It wasn’t surprising that a secret investigator was in that position.

The Emperor had always tried to create an intelligence network in the north. So it was natural to place a secret investigator in a position to send people and supplies to the north.

Noticing Cedric’s gaze, 5 politely bowed his head.

“I didn’t know you were close with Count Brennan.”

“I am honored. I merely agreed that Your Highness the Crown Prince has already received the Mandate of Heaven from His Majesty.”

Cedric let those words pass by. Listening to such flattery from this type of person would cloud both eyes and ears.

However, the merit he had established this time was not small.

Kop did not suspect that Count Brennan and 5 were anti-Crown Prince faction.

Both were greedy and ambitious.

But such greed and ambition are much easier to satisfy by relying on existing power holders.

Count Brennan realized the tide had turned when Duke Loigar failed.

So when Ferguson contacted 5, he was the first to betray the Emperor.

The fact that 5’s organization was the first to be captured and dismantled by Ferguson was also a ploy to avoid suspicion of being a double agent.

Cedric said.

“The secret investigation organization will be disbanded. No one will know what you did.”

5 bowed his head deeply to express his gratitude.

Cedric would cover for 5’s entire organization. The wealth he had accumulated while receiving and using activity funds as a secret investigator would also remain his.

That was enough for 5. He had managed to safely welcome the new Emperor’s era after a lifetime of serving as the Emperor’s secret investigator.

Cedric also spoke to Count Brennan.

“I can’t make any promises to you yet. There’s work to be done. You understand, don’t you?”

“I will return to the eastern region soon. There won’t be anyone else harboring foolish thoughts.”

Count Brennan spoke respectfully. Cedric nodded.

If useless fighting continued among the eastern nobles, the people’s suffering would only increase.

So he planned to use Count Brennan as a channel to bring about negotiations.

In exchange for maintaining their families, he planned to seize rights to the land and mines they possessed and turn them into state property.

Finally, Cedric turned to the Emperor’s elderly cellist and Countess Endare.

Those two were 1 and 2. They were respectively in charge of gathering information from noble family servants and social circles.

“The promise I can make to you two is the same. The secret investigation organization will be disbanded, and the secrets will be kept forever.”

“I am deeply grateful.”

The cellist knelt on both knees and answered.

Countess Endare smiled.

“When Your Highness first attended the ball I hosted, I never imagined something like today would happen.”

“…Neither did I.”

“Knowing that Her Highness the Crown Princess is so wise, I should have treated her more kindly.”

Cedric looked at her quietly. Countess Endare flinched and closed her mouth.

Cedric turned his gaze away from her. And he nodded lightly to bid farewell.

The remaining matters concerning them would now be handled by officials.

As he was about to go outside, the cellist spoke.

“There is something urgent I must inform you of.”

Cedric heard the news he reported. And he clenched his fist.

* * *

The surroundings were quiet.

The Emperor listened to the sounds outside with his tired eyes half-open.

However, whether it was because the bedroom was in a deep location, or because things had really ended, no sounds could be heard.

About several dozen minutes had passed since Bertolt went outside. The chamberlain brought lukewarm water and moistened his lips.

“Can’t you sleep?”

“Willi.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“How are things going outside?”

“They said there was a fire at the Prince’s palace, but it shouldn’t be a problem, Your Majesty. Please don’t worry about such matters and rest comfortably.”

At that answer, the Emperor’s body shook convulsively.

“Your Majesty.”

The chamberlain embraced him so he wouldn’t fall from the bed.

The Emperor struggled for a long time. But his body wouldn’t obey him.

Even after the convulsions stopped, he gasped and suffered for a long time.

The chamberlain carefully wiped the sweat that flowed on his forehead and neck. The Emperor lay back down, breathing heavily.

And he let out hollow laughter toward the empty air several times.

“Why did you do it?”

“….”

“It was you. You were the one….”

The Emperor had never once suspected the chamberlain.

He had met him when he was nothing at twenty years old, and they had been together for forty years.

If his trust in Cedric was trust in character, and his trust in Artizea was trust in circumstances, then his trust in the chamberlain was trust in accumulated time.

The chamberlain was his final bastion of protection.

During the days when he was recommended bitter-tasting food to mask the smell of poison, when he had to wear thick gloves every time he changed clothes and thoroughly search the fabric for thorn-like needles, the Chamberlain tasted all his food and felt through his clothes with his hands.

That’s why even when his paranoia flared up, he had never suspected the Chamberlain.

Even if he had felt some kind of uneasy premonition, he would have ignored it.

He couldn’t live suspecting everyone.

But now he had to acknowledge it.

If the Chamberlain hadn’t deliberately opened the way, how could someone like Cop have entered this deep into the palace?

He had continuously ordered him to contact Lawrence. He had ordered him to find out where Lawrence was and what he was doing these days.

Sometimes he sent letters. He did the same with Milaire.

If none of them had reached their destination, the Chamberlain must have been blocking them in between.

What about the secret investigator matter?

Cop had been dismissed, and the cellist had been changed.

After falling ill and taking to bed, he had relied on the Chamberlain for most matters.

If the Empress had dismissed him, the Chamberlain could have informed the Emperor of that fact in advance. In fact, he could have confronted it himself.

If he had set his mind to it that way, how many things could he have hidden?

And how many things could he have done but chose not to do?

He could have gone outside to find loyal subjects and inform them of this matter. But he didn’t.

“Ha… How could you, how could you do this to me…”

Though he didn’t wield power openly, the Chamberlain could have easily become a powerful minister.

Because he didn’t do so, the Emperor favored him even more and bestowed wealth and power upon him.

As a reward for his long service, he left him a hereditary marquis title in his will.

Even if it would be difficult to marry and have children at this age, he wrote a separate will allowing him to inherit the count’s title if he adopted a son to continue his lineage.

He gave him a beautiful manor and silver mine sufficient for a comfortable retirement, and even wrote a separate line in the imperial edict to Cedric asking him to take care of the Chamberlain.

And yet.

“It would be harmful to Your Majesty’s health.”

Even in a situation like this, the Chamberlain maintained an unchanged expression and refused to inform him of outside affairs.

The Emperor’s doubt became suspicion, and now became complete certainty.

There were too many things that could only have happened through the Chamberlain.

His suddenly worsening illness was what made him certain this was all orchestrated by the Chamberlain.

He had never once questioned what the Chamberlain gave him to eat and drink.

He had carefully managed his diet according to the doctor’s advice. Not by himself, but through the Chamberlain.

If there had been flaws in that management, he had thought it was because he hadn’t listened to the Chamberlain’s words.

“Why did you do it? Why on earth?”

The Emperor shouted. Pain spread deep inside as if his heart had been stabbed with a knife, and he clutched his chest and gasped for breath.

The Chamberlain laid him down properly and spoke gently.

“Because Lord Lawrence beat a servant to death.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————