The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 302

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

Chapter 302

Artizea arrived in the capital three days before the coronation ceremony.

The Empress greeted Artizea with a displeased expression.

The coronation was an important matter. The Empress thought that even if her body was somewhat uncomfortable, Artizea should have hurried.

But when she actually faced her, she couldn’t say such things.

She had heard the explanation from Cedric beforehand. That she had lost some of her life force due to overuse of divine power, and it showed in her appearance.

He said she would return to normal with time, and Cedric was also gradually recovering. Now it was almost unnoticeable.

But Artizea’s condition was slightly worse than that. First of all, her hair had turned completely white, which was immediately striking.

“You’ll need to pay a lot of attention to makeup.”

“I apologize for causing you concern.”

“Sigh.”

The Empress let out a sigh.

“How can all those who are to become the Emperor’s consorts be so irresponsible? You had no choice since Gregor sent you, but Cedric too.”

“For that as well, I can only say I’m sorry.”

Since Cedric had left the capital right after the military rebellion, the Empress’s mental suffering must have been indescribably great.

The Empress sighed once more and dropped the subject.

She had already said enough about this matter to Cedric. Since he was already Emperor, she could no longer nag him.

The Empress slowly looked around the drawing room. The small furniture that had been in the drawing room had already been moved out, making it quite desolate.

“Now… the time has come to vacate this place. Even if it didn’t originally belong to the Empress’s palace, if there’s any furniture or decorations you’d like to keep, tell Marta.”

“…Do you have any plans for where you’ll go after leaving here?”

“I thought you would already know?”

The Empress asked with curiosity. Artizea shook her head.

That would also be a political matter, so she hadn’t bothered to look into it. It was no longer something Artizea needed to be interested in.

Freil or Hailey would be taking care of it well.

“I’m going to visit my hometown.”

The Empress let out a soft laugh.

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to settle down there permanently, but to look around the old house and family tomb, and to pay my respects to my parents after so long…”

“Of course you should do that.”

“In the meantime, I plan to repair the mansion here and move in.”

She was referring to the Duke Riagan’s mansion in the capital.

There were no good memories left there. Since Duke Fernando Riagan had even laid hands on it at one point, Countess Marta was grinding her teeth, saying she wanted to tear up everything from the walls to the floors and replace them.

Artizea didn’t particularly urge the Empress to remain in the Imperial Palace.

This place too would only hold painful memories for her.

“What do you plan to do after that?”

“I’ll have to look after the Pesher family children until they debut in society and such.”

“Yes.”

“Living like that, I’m sure something else I want to do will come up.”

The Empress added that she had no intention of fighting with Artizea.

“Come to think of it, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“Please tell me.”

“…Won’t you return the Saint Olga statue?”

Artizea nodded without hesitation.

“Of course you should have it.”

While it was a memento for the Empress, it was an object without particular meaning to Artizea.

She could send it to the Duke Riagan’s mansion later through Countess Marta.

Natalia wasn’t surprised when she saw Artizea’s face.

“I’ve only learned that Her Highness will be even more beautiful than now when she ages.”

“And I’ve learned this time that Your Highness Natalia has a way with words.”

Even after answering like that, Artizea just smiled. She thought Natalia was just saying it for comfort.

“Natalia is not good at lying.”

Prince Bernart’s face was beaming as he said this from the side.

Artizea looked at him with a smile.

Well, his complexion had reason to brighten. At this point, Bernart was the first foreigner to align himself with Cedric.

Being Leticia’s benefactor and receiving words of gratitude from Cedric would be a great advantage for his future political moves.

As long as relations with the Empire didn’t completely sour into hostility.

Even right now, the couple were practically the only guests who could freely come and go from the Empress’s palace.

But Artizea didn’t think she had given them enough benefit by calculating gains and losses, and said:

“Thank you.”

“How formal, Your Highness.”

“When I asked Your Highness Natalia to stay in the Imperial Palace, it was to prepare for any possibility, but it was closer to prevention. I never intended to actually make you draw your sword…”

“Please don’t say such things. I’m also thinking it was fortunate that I was there at that time…”

Natalia smiled.

“Things in the world don’t always go according to calculations. When that happens, someone with the appropriate power must step forward.”

“Your Highness Natalia…”

“I did what I should have done, and I received sufficient gratitude for it. Please don’t feel sorry.”

Natalia said finally.

“And… please don’t scold Milaire too harshly. She did her best.”

Artizea nodded.

Artizea finished greeting all the people she needed to meet in the Imperial Palace that day, then took Leticia and returned to the Evron Ducal Residence.

Freil watched for reactions as he delivered this news.

Cedric only answered, “I see.”

In the end, Freil had no choice but to speak.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“The Empress’s palace is chaotic right now. It’s not strange that she went to the Evron Ducal Residence instead of staying there.”

Cedric replied.

The Imperial Palace hadn’t been repaired yet. Right after the fire, there were so many major issues, and Cedric had left the capital.

Moreover, Leticia had also been under the Empress’s care. Since the Crown Prince couple and the imperial grandchild were all not staying in the Imperial Palace, it wasn’t considered a priority matter.

After returning, Cedric decided not to waste finances on it.

He would soon be moving into the main palace. Then the Imperial Palace would only be opened after Leticia came of age.

It was a palace that would sit empty for 20 years. He concluded it would be better to do only minimal repairs now and do a complete renovation when the time came.

In the meantime, Cedric had been going back and forth between the main palace and the Evron Ducal Residence.

Except for those who had followed to the Empress’s palace as Leticia’s guardians and attendants, the other members of House of Evron and employees were staying at the Evron Ducal Residence.

So it wouldn’t be strange for Artizea to return to the Evron Ducal Residence with Leticia.

‘No, it is strange. No matter how you think about it, it’s strange.’

Even if Artizea wasn’t strange, Cedric was strange.

Freil clutched his chest.

There was definitely something going on between the lord and his wife. Otherwise, there was no way Cedric would be just working like this when Artizea had arrived.

It was the same yesterday when they heard the news that Artizea had almost reached the capital.

But when Cedric decided to keep his mouth shut, he was as stubborn as stone, and if you tried to get Artizea to talk, she was someone who would rather give you a beating.

In the midst of all this, even Hailey was angry.

The messenger he had sent in frustration that morning had returned with a one-line reply.

『Is that all you have to talk about?』

It was an incredibly inefficient reply.

He was bewildered. After all, Hailey had been in the western regions and would have attended to Artizea on the way back, so he had only asked what had happened.

At other times, Hailey would have complained but still provided the necessary information.

『Then what should I talk about?』

In his previous letter, he had even consoled her for the hardship of traveling to the western regions and said he had been worried all this time.

Freil did not send that reply.

He had a feeling that sending it would go wrong in many ways.

It seemed like not sending it would also go wrong.

But what could he do? His lord was working silently like an ox. When the lord worked like an ox, his subordinates had to be ground down like a millstone.

It was when the sun had set and the half-moon was already tilting westward that Sedric finished his work for the day.

No matter how much work he pulled out, he could no longer stay in the office beyond that.

His subordinates also needed to rest. For the sake of those who were worried because he had returned half-gray, he had no choice but to get up around that time.

And he couldn’t sleep in the main palace either. He couldn’t say there were problems with Artizea three days before the coronation.

With no other choice, he headed to the Evron Ducal Residence.

In front of the manor’s main gate, Sedric stopped his horse for a moment and looked at the manor.

There was a light on in the mistress’s quarters.

Looking at it, Sedric thought anew that there had been times when his heart would race at that sight.

The fact that Artizea was in his house, as his wife, had felt like an unrealistic dream.

It had been less than a year ago, yet it already felt like decades past.

So it felt as if he had once asked that young lady who used to stand like a shadow against the ballroom wall in those bygone days to dance.

Sedric placed his hand on his left chest. Inside, his heart was pounding as if it would tear apart.

It was close to anxiety.

But even there, Sedric could not remain standing still.

He threw the reins to a servant and walked inside.

All the employees who had not yet gone to sleep bowed to him respectfully.

Ansgard took his outer coat and said.

“Madam is waiting for you.”

“…I see.”

Sedric had hoped she would be asleep even with the light on, but apparently that wasn’t the case.

“She doesn’t seem tired.”

“She must be tired.”

Ansgard said with pity.

Sedric nodded indifferently and personally grasped the drawing room door handle.

After hesitating for a moment, he made up his mind and opened the door.

“…Have you come?”

Artizea stood up upon hearing the door open. Seeing her at the desk, she seemed to have been writing something.

Sedric could neither turn away from her nor look at her directly as he spoke.

“The conversation could have waited until tomorrow.”

“Your Majesty will be working late into the night tomorrow as well.”

Those words made Sedric’s chest ache as if stabbed by a dagger.

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