The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 294

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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 294

Alice had prepared bathwater and soup in a cup.

Artizea drank the soup while soaking her body in the warm water. There were thoroughly soaked bread pieces in it.

She had no appetite. Lawrence’s letter was the first clue they had obtained.

But Cedric had given a stern order.

“Managing yourself is also part of the job. You need to be in good condition to come up with good ideas. Isn’t that right?”

That was a lord’s command.

If it hadn’t been, instead of telling her to drink the soup, he would have brought the cup directly and placed it in her hands.

Cedric’s words were not wrong. Thanks to forcing herself to sleep and then waking up, her train of thought had been interrupted once. But her mind still wasn’t clear.

The situation couldn’t change drastically in the short time it took to bathe.

Even if it did change drastically, Artizea wasn’t in a position to run around physically. If necessary, she could say everything that needed to be said even while sitting in the bathtub.

So this was simply a matter of her own heart.

Artizea finished all the soup and handed the empty cup to Alice. Then she slid into the hot water and submerged herself up to her neck.

Her stiff body loosened a little. As her body warmed up, sweat gathered around her eyes and trickled down.

“Is the water too hot, my lady?”

“No. It’s just right.”

The dried orange peels Alice had put in the water gave off a pleasant fragrance.

Artizea dozed off. The stuffiness blocking her chest showed no signs of clearing. It was hard to breathe, but her body felt languid, making her want to collapse and sleep forever.

It was gratifying that Cedric, as her lord, was concerned about his subordinate’s health.

In fact, that was about all she had hoped for from Lawrence her entire life.

If she couldn’t be loved as a sibling, she wanted to prove her usefulness as a subordinate. She had treasured even the medicinal herbs Lawrence sent out of concern for her health.

She did this even knowing that it wasn’t really out of concern for Artizea’s health, but because it would be troublesome to be accused of mistreating his most distinguished subject.

So this was treatment that was more than generous—it was overflowing.

Looking her straight in the face and listening seriously when she voiced her opinions. Accepting loyal counsel as loyal counsel.

When there were false accusations, listening to her explanation just once with an attentive ear.

She wouldn’t hope for more than that.

Yet now there was someone here who had become accustomed to more than that and was dreaming vain dreams.

“My lady, you can’t sleep here.”

Artizea was startled awake from her drowsiness when Alice grabbed her arm.

“What time is it?”

“You were just dozing for a moment. But I think you should get up. Your skin is already turning red.”

Artizea stood up from the bathtub with Alice’s support. She felt slightly dizzy but hid it.

When she returned to the drawing room, Owen was there.

Cedric was sitting at Artizea’s desk, writing something. Then he heard the door opening and turned around.

He looked at Alice instead of Artizea and asked.

“Did my lady finish the entire cup of soup?”

“Yes.”

Cedric nodded and gestured for Alice to withdraw.

Alice quietly closed the door and left. Owen offered Artizea a chair.

Even during this, Cedric continued working on documents. Finally, he signed them, put them in envelopes, and sealed them with wax.

“Take these and deliver them.”

He handed 9 envelopes to Owen. Owen accepted them, gave a military salute, and left.

Artizea sat quietly in the chair Owen had offered, waiting for him to finish his work.

Cedric sat in a spot a little distance from Artizea. It was a position where they could look at the map side by side.

“How do you feel?”

“I’m fine. I feel better.”

“Shall we look again?”

Artizea nodded. Cedric handed her the letter again.

“I’ve marked the location from Lawrence’s map on this map as well.”

Artizea examined the red pen marks drawn on the map. It was a location close to the 6th Levee.

It was the only place in the vicinity with high elevation. Even so, it was only at hill level.

But from there to downstream, all the land was lower than the river, so standing there would give a clear view of the levee.

“So he plans to blow up the 6th Levee too…”

“Do you remember where the explosives were installed?”

Cedric asked.

Artizea flinched and stiffened. Cedric spoke without showing emotion.

“Lawrence sending the map means he wants me to stand there and watch the 6th Levee explode with my own eyes.”

“…Yes.”

“Then wouldn’t the locations where the explosives are installed be the same?”

Cedric himself didn’t know where the explosives had gone off at that time. He only found out after the levee had burst.

“It’s not just because Lawrence is irrational. The Aba River levees are quite sturdy. You can’t sweep away Kader City by just exploding anywhere.”

“Yes. That’s true.”

So to blow up levees 7, 8, and 9 all at once, a large amount of gunpowder would be needed.

“Even though it’s relatively easy to obtain weapons and gunpowder in the western regions, there must be limits to the amount of gunpowder he has.”

“Ah. You’re right. Now that I think about it, that’s true. Most large cargo in this region goes toward Kader City, so conversely, if large cargo moved from Kader City to other areas, it would have been noticeable.”

But there was nothing like that among the information that had reached Artizea.

Had Lawrence completely dispersed the gunpowder transport to avoid detection?

Considering his personality, that possibility was low. Moreover, his subordinates were bandits.

“Lawrence himself must know. He probably knows that copying your method would be the most reliable way to save gunpowder.”

He had to reliably collapse the 6th Levee and use that water pressure to help the 7th Levee collapse.

Artizea stood up. With trembling hands, she marked two locations.

Cedric nodded. Then he called someone and dispatched two more search teams.

And he returned to the seat across from Artizea.

“I’ve sent orders to the mayor of Kader City and the regional governors.”

“Are you planning to mobilize residents for the levee search?”

Artizea asked in alarm.

“There will be unrest. If handled poorly, accidents could occur from people trying to flee.”

“It’s impossible to handle the situation with just the military forces we have now anyway. We lack manpower.”

Cedric said.

“Searches can be much faster when done by people who know the area well. They’ll also be able to spot suspicious aspects of cargo transport.”

“But if we make the situation public and things go wrong.”

“It would become a political burden for me.”

Cedric answered calmly.

“It doesn’t matter. Even if that happens, there’s no one who can prevent me from ascending to the throne because of it now.”

“Lord Cedric…”

“At this point, the only thing that can be minimized by hiding it is my responsibility. And that’s not something that should be minimized.”

Artizea bit her lower lip and lowered her head.

Indeed, that was why she had blown up the levee in the past. Cedric had been here then, and he was here now.

“Both you and I are here. That will give the residents courage too.”

Artizea nodded.

Cedric stood up from his seat.

“Then you should sleep more. There’s nothing you can do right now. Everything needs to be resolved by running around on foot.”

“Yes…”

“If any important thoughts come to mind, tell me anytime.”

Cedric said this and turned the doorknob to go outside.

Then he paused for a moment.

“Oh right, Benia is…”

“Yes?”

“…Never mind.”

Cedric was about to say that it would be better to separate Benia, but stopped himself.

That wasn’t something appropriate for a lord to say. Cedric simply went outside.

Artizea slept a little more as he had instructed. She thought that if she rested more, some brilliant idea might come to mind, but that didn’t happen.

Meanwhile, the search party commanded by Cedric searched the levees and tracked the gunpowder cart.

The next day, it rained.

“This is actually good. If the gunpowder gets wet, they won’t be able to use it.”

Cedric said this.

However, he himself as well as the soldiers continued their search without stopping, moving alongside the surging river waters.

They caught the tail on the following day, at dawn on the day Lawrence had written in his letter.

“Your Majesty, we’ve captured someone who came to check the location of gunpowder at the 6th levee. We’ve released the dogs now.”

“I’m going now.”

Cedric rose from the dining table in the middle of eating his early morning meal.

Artizea stood up following him. Cedric said.

“You should stay somewhere safe. You need to take command in case of emergency.”

“Yes.”

“I will rescue Lisia and bring her back. So don’t worry anymore.”

Artizea watched his retreating figure. The door closed before her eyes.

If the levee really burst and Cedric got swept up in it, she had to remain in a safe place even just to handle the aftermath.

That was the proper division of roles. What could she do at a time like this when she couldn’t even chase people, handle weapons, or even ride a horse?

Still, there must be something she could do.

“Alice, prepare for going out.”

“Where are you planning to go?”

Artizea looked at the map that Lawrence had marked and sent again.

Lawrence surely hadn’t intended to have a showdown with Cedric there. He would know that he couldn’t challenge him with force anyway.

As Cedric said, it probably meant for them to come there and watch the levee burst.

‘Maybe brother really will come.’

If Lawrence was disregarding his own life, he might come to show Lisia that spectacle.

That wouldn’t go against Cedric’s orders either. That location was at least completely safe from river flooding.

* * *

Lisia was seated in front of Lawrence’s saddle.

To prevent her from doing anything foolish, her hands were covered with velvet pouches and her wrists were tied. This was to prevent her from using her fingers.

“Lawrence, Lawrence. Is this really okay?”

The terrified Alwin asked. He was Lawrence’s friend.

His name was listed as a major client in Baron Itz’s slave ledger, and he was also the person who had enthusiastically badmouthed Cedric when Count Eison attacked him as an apostate.

Right after Artizea revealed that she was the Saintess, he fled to the western regions relying on Lawrence.

They didn’t have the grand ambition of overthrowing the throne.

The first objective was to ruin the western regions so that Cedric would lose popular support. Then the Emperor would call Lawrence back.

He thought that was Lawrence’s objective too.

But no matter how he looked at it, what Lawrence was doing was madness.

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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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