The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 299

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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 299

Benia had been confined in solitary for a full day.

Lisia tried to protect her, but Owen would not allow it.

“She’s a criminal who tried to harm Her Highness the Crown Princess. I know that girl helped you, but this is absolutely unforgivable.”

He didn’t fully understand everything that had happened on the hill.

However, he knew that Artizea had performed some miracle to prevent the collapse of the levee.

He believed Artizea was a saintess. So Benia was both an attempted assassin of the Crown Princess and a criminal who tried to kill the saintess to cause the levee to collapse.

What Owen couldn’t understand most about all these events was that Lisia was also a saintess.

Both Cedric and Artizea were still lying unconscious at that point.

Lisia, who had Cedric’s pistol, was the strongest authority figure, but she couldn’t force Owen.

The two agreed to only confine her in a clean room until Cedric woke up.

Lisia thought that might be better.

Alice’s anger was extraordinary. Without someone to protect her, Benia might be in danger instead.

“I’m sorry. I’ve dragged you into this again.”

Lisia bowed her head sincerely to Benia.

She had sent Benia away because her life was in danger at that moment.

However, there were also reasons for wanting to inform about the levee situation in Kader City and to steal Cedric’s pistol.

“Even if you had nowhere to rely on, I shouldn’t have done that to you.”

Thinking only of Benia, she shouldn’t have done that.

She should have just told her to run away and ask for help from the security forces or Western Army in the nearest city.

Benia shook her head.

“You don’t need to do that to me. I know Lady Lisia truly cares for me.”

“Benia…”

“But don’t ask me to forgive those bastards.”

Benia suppressed her hatred-filled face. Then she spoke gently to Lisia with effort.

“I’m glad Lady Lisia was able to abandon that bastard.”

If she could, Benia would have killed Lawrence with her own hands. She felt guilty that Lisia’s hands were stained with blood because she couldn’t do it herself.

If he was already dead, she wanted to spit on his corpse and stab it with a knife.

But she didn’t say that in front of Lisia. She didn’t want to show her hatred-filled face.

However, in front of Cedric, she didn’t hide that hatred at all.

“Are you satisfied now that you’ve become emperor by doing all that?”

Cedric’s face, which had aged twenty years in a single day, wasn’t much different from when Benia had last seen him.

The memory that had been tickling somewhere in her mind returned at the moment the explosives installed on the levee detonated.

Benia hadn’t witnessed the village being submerged in the past.

But she had seen it thousands of times in dreams. The levee collapsing, water surging and pouring over the small roofs.

Grandfather and her brother, who had been diligent about levee management, would have been swept away by that water first.

Mother and father, who would run to the wheat fields whenever something happened, would also have been submerged.

The stable roof that Benia had built when she turned ten would have been destroyed, and the foal she had named would have been swept away too.

All kinds of memories swirled within Benia in an instant.

Artizea was the enemy.

All sorts of evil deeds came from Artizea’s mind, and Lawrence executed them.

They were siblings who deserved to be torn apart and killed. What did it matter that Artizea had been kind to Lisia afterward?

She had confined a person as free as a bird in the lavishly decorated bedroom of the imperial palace, letting her wither and die.

If she truly cared for Lisia, she should have destroyed Lawrence’s imperial palace then.

If she loved Lisia, she should have at least taken revenge after her death.

Artizea did nothing. She was the mastermind of conspiracies, an accomplice to destruction, and later turned away by ignoring the emperor created by her own sins.

That same Artizea was blocking the levee.

Confusion came as memories of past and present mixed together.

Artizea being the Crown Princess as the Duchess of Evron – that was impossible. Being called a saintess was unacceptable.

She was blocking the levee. That power wasn’t divine.

No one else could think it was magic. When a saintess performs miracles, who would doubt it?

But Benia doubted it.

And when Artizea hesitated to throw herself into the magic circle, she made her decision.

That was the optimal moment. It was about saving the village with the life of someone who deserved to die.

At that moment, she didn’t think about the consequences at all. She didn’t care if she became a murderer.

Benia’s hands had been soaked in blood long ago. And it was Artizea and the imperial palace that had made her that way.

If she could grab her by the throat and drag her to hell, there was nothing she wanted more.

And the bastard in front of her was the most despicable.

“Ptui.”

Benia spat in Cedric’s face.

Cedric didn’t dodge and took it fully. Benia regretted that she wasn’t a knight.

If she were a knight, she would have thrown her gauntlet at Cedric’s cheek.

“If I had known that what you wanted to do by bringing out that evil bitch was to become emperor, I would never have helped get her out of prison.”

“Benia…”

“You filthy hypocrite bastard. You betrayed Lady Lisia for something like that? In the end, how are you different from Lawrence, having worn the emperor’s crown by her hands?”

Benia spat out without restraint.

“Just because our village hasn’t been submerged yet and Lady Lisia is safe, what’s changed? The same thing would have happened somewhere else by her hands anyway. This time only the executing hand was different.”

Cedric looked at Benia without being able to say anything.

The hatred that consumed Benia was so great that it seemed impossible for her to return to her innocent seventeen-year-old self.

Cedric let out a long sigh.

“You’re right. I can’t tell you to forget now and find your happiness, not in my position.”

“…”

“It’s also true that I deceived you. I deliberately didn’t tell you because I knew you wouldn’t help me if I said I wanted to bring her out to seek her wisdom.”

It was true that he wanted to get Benia out of that imperial palace, but that was also true.

Benia looked at Cedric with a face full of disgust upon hearing those words.

“I’m sorry.”

Benia spat again. For her heart to be softened by mere verbal apologies, Benia had already experienced too much.

But Cedric couldn’t help it either. He had come this far because he couldn’t give up Artizea even knowing this.

“I’ll let all matters slide. Your name won’t remain anywhere.”

Naturally, Alice and Owen couldn’t understand. Cedric ignored their protests.

Fortunately, thanks to Artizea not having Benia’s identity investigated, it could be buried if she just left now.

“If you want to return, you can naturally do so, and if you want to go with Lisia, you can do that.”

Lisia was scheduled to tour the western regions to treat the plague once matters here were simply concluded.

Benia glared at Cedric.

“That too is mercy you’re showing because you know that a mere commoner woman like me can’t do anything to harm the imperial palace anyway.”

“Yes.”

When making this decision, Cedric had briefly thought of Leticia. That Benia would be even more familiar with the imperial palace than himself.

All sorts of complex feelings had arisen. However, he didn’t tell Benia about that.

Speaking of his own fears would only be excuses. So he simply affirmed everything Benia said.

“Still… saying I’m sorry isn’t a lie. I hope you won’t be unhappy for long.”

Benia spat once more and fell silent.

Cedric left her behind and came out.

He faced Artizea two days after she had awakened.

He had only seen her a few times while she was sleeping before leaving. He would put his hand under her nose to check if she was breathing, and feel for her pulse at her neck.

He would confirm the shape of her arms and legs under the thin blanket, and repeatedly leave satisfied with that.

However, the time when he could no longer avoid it came.

Artizea was sitting with a cushion against her back. Her body had started moving, but her limbs weren’t free yet.

Facing her with her eyes open, indescribable emotions surged through him.

“You’ve aged.”

Artizea spoke first.

Cedric smiled bitterly. In some ways it was a familiar face, yet every morning when he shaved, it felt strange.

To those around him, he had made excuses that it happened because he was caught up in the divine power that prevented the levee’s collapse. But whether that explanation actually worked or not was uncertain.

There were surely those who harbored doubts about why divine power would make a person look like that.

Fortunately, there was no one in this place who knew enough about divine power to openly voice such questions.

He had no choice but to believe Lisia’s words that his appearance would return. Until then, he planned to cover the problems with his face using makeup for the time being.

Cedric sighed. And standing in the doorway, he said:

“I think I should have started with this face.”

“Lord Cedric.”

“How is your body? I heard about your fingers and ankles, but…”

“I can move my arms now too. It’s gradually returning, so I think I’ll be able to get out of bed by next week.”

Artizea answered.

A brief silence fell.

Artizea had so much she needed to say. But right now, she didn’t know how to say it.

Thank you? I’m sorry? I won’t do it again?

None of those words seemed appropriate.

It was Cedric who spoke first.

“I’m planning to return to the capital today.”

Artizea unconsciously gripped the blanket.

“Yes… It wasn’t a time when you could be away from your duties.”

“You should follow slowly after your body recovers.”

Artizea nodded.

“When you arrive, we’ll hold the coronation. His Majesty is already in no state to handle government affairs, and there should be no problem receiving the abdication decree.”

“Yes.”

“And after that… you should do as you wish.”

Cedric said.

Artizea looked at him in bewilderment. Cedric lowered his eyes and only looked at Artizea’s white hair.

“Even if you say you want to retire and leave, I won’t stop you. As originally planned, somewhere… it would be good to recuperate and live quietly at a country estate.”

“…Lord Cedric.”

“I’m sorry for trying to hold onto you out of my own greed.”

Cedric said that.

Artizea couldn’t answer. It was because her heart had become too dizzy all at once.

“Still, don’t disappear completely. So that Leticia can write letters to you.”

Those words sounded like he himself wouldn’t be writing letters.

Cedric raised his eyes. Artizea forgot what she had originally intended to say.

So what Cedric saw was only the complex emotions swirling across Artizea’s face.

“Then… take care of yourself. That’s an order.”

Cedric said that and was about to turn away from Artizea.

Artizea hastily cried out.

“Please, give me time!”

Cedric flinched and stopped walking. However, he didn’t turn around. He was afraid of being disappointed.

Artizea took a deep breath.

“I understand. Then… I’ll wait in the capital.”

Cedric answered. And he went outside.

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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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