The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 304

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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 304

Artizea didn’t pay much attention to it, but Sophie and Emily did not.

Sophie wanted her to look even a little more beautiful. Emily wanted to leave it on her record that she had taken the best care of the Empress’s ceremonial attire at this coronation.

Even during the previous Emperor’s coronation, such work was not done by a mere seamstress.

It was the job of elderly noble maids and palace attendants. So it was not something a commoner like Emily could dare to touch.

However, unfortunately, among Artizea’s maids, there was no one well-versed in either tradition or fashion.

Hazel and Mielle were only respectfully holding the jewels. Hailey was no exception.

Artizea watched in the mirror as Sophie braided her white hair.

“This would be best after all.”

Emily held out a gold ornament.

The two could not reach an agreement until the very end about whether to sprinkle gold, silver, or pearls in Artizea’s hair.

There had been talk of dyeing her hair blonde or light pink for this occasion, but Artizea refused.

She didn’t want to hold the coronation looking too made up.

However, her white hair that had lost its luster was also conspicuous, so they decided to use flashy accessories as a distraction.

They put all their effort into applying makeup to her face.

Artizea thought it wasn’t necessary. The clothes were so magnificent that people wouldn’t even be visible anyway.

And what would walk into Luminous Hall today was not the human being called Artizea, but the position called Empress.

‘I’ll definitely need to pay attention during the banquet though.’

More than the coronation, more than the celebration that would follow, for Artizea, quietly sitting across from Sedric with candles between them in the evening to conclude their past time would be much more like a ceremony.

As the nail-sized gold ornaments studded with pearls were inserted here and there in her braided hair, it became radiant.

Artizea looked at that appearance for a moment.

“How is it?”

Sophie asked. Artizea smiled.

Sophie beamed.

“You don’t dislike it, do you?”

When she had just returned, with the perspective of when she was older, she had thought there was indeed a time when youth was beautiful even on her own face.

Now she didn’t look truly twenty years old, even though Sophie and Emily had covered it up with desperate makeup.

But still, she didn’t think it looked so unpleasant.

“I like it. Thank you.”

As Artizea tried to rise from her chair, Alice quickly placed a cane in her hand.

Since her ankle was uncomfortable and she couldn’t stand for long, the ceremonial attire was prepared as quickly as possible.

Long sashes studded with jewels were attached to both shoulders to hang down to her knees, and similarly, a gown embroidered with jewels and gold and silver was draped over her.

After all that, the sack-like dress and hair that Emily had complained about were truly invisible.

Without waiting long, a servant from outside announced that Sedric had arrived.

Artizea stood there quietly waiting for Sedric to come.

The door opened.

Sedric looked at her with an awkward expression and smiled.

Artizea asked.

“Why do you have that expression?”

“I think the ceremonial clothes are excessive. Don’t I look strange?”

Sedric said, looking down at his own clothes.

He too was wearing a gown embroidered with gold and jewels over white ceremonial clothes.

“But Lord Sedric looks fine. You have a good build to begin with.”

Rather than the person being buried in the clothes, he looked dignified.

His appearance was now almost refined, and after dyeing his graying hair black, it was no different from before.

The vigor of youth and the weight that years bring dwelt together, truly giving him a regal bearing.

Looking at him, one could understand what kind of appearance the people who made these ceremonial clothes had hoped for.

Sedric extended his hand.

“Well then, shall we go?”

Artizea put down her cane and linked arms with him.

It wasn’t proper etiquette. However, they decided this would be better than going with a cane.

Sedric walked slowly. Artizea followed, leaning on his arm.

Servants and knights lined the path leading to the coronation hall in Luminous Hall, then all knelt in unison.

The Empress sat in dignity near the altar.

She too was not in black mourning clothes today. Though Artizea wore the Empress’s treasures, as the former Empress, as one who would now become Empress Dowager, she wore the Imperial white ceremonial clothes embroidered with gold thread.

She had prepared a blue dress for the celebration banquet that would begin this evening.

It would be a somewhat more subdued and darker color than what she wore in her youth, but that hue was the color used symbolically by the House of Riagan.

The altar was already prepared in the center of the hall. The Archbishop was waiting in front of it.

Sedric took a deep breath.

“Are you afraid?”

Artizea asked in a small voice. She knew well what kind of feelings he had harbored during the Crown Prince investiture ceremony.

But Sedric answered.

“I’m not afraid. I am prepared.”

Those words were both for Artizea and a declaration of resolve to himself.

“So watch carefully. The Emperor you created.”

Artizea nodded slightly.

She hadn’t been worried from the beginning. He had been prepared through one lifetime.

Sedric knelt before the altar. Artizea held Sedric’s arm and slowly knelt on one knee.

The Archbishop, as God’s hand, took the Emperor’s crown from the altar and placed it on Sedric’s head. Next, he placed the Empress’s crown on Artizea.

Finally, he handed Sedric the scepter and orb.

“I hereby proclaim that God has sent down a new sun to the Empire.”

The Archbishop declared.

And he knelt before Sedric to show respect.

Following that, the Empress Dowager rose and knelt on one knee to show respect.

The nobles in formation all knelt in unison and offered congratulations.

Bang!

The sound of ceremonial cannons reverberated through the hall.

“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”

“Long live the sun of the Empire!”

Following that, shouts of acclaim swept outward like waves.

Sedric smiled broadly. Then he helped Artizea up, linked arms with her, and headed outside to show themselves.

Count and Countess Unise, who stood in the front row, shouted acclaim most fervently. Beside them were Countess Josiah, Countess Unise’s younger brother who had returned to the capital after several years, and her husband.

Those four people could not stand in the Imperial family’s section, but they were in the very front row of the nobles’ section.

Hailey was close to there because she was in the maids’ section. Kneeling with her head bowed, she glanced in that direction, then after Sedric and Artizea passed by, asked Freil in a small voice.

“Whose idea was it?”

“What do you mean?”

“The Houses of Unise and Josiah.”

Having those two families in the very front was against protocol.

Nevertheless, arranging seats there was clearly a political statement. It meant that the imperial throne was not usurped from Emperor Gregor, now the former Emperor, but abdicated to him, and everything would be concluded with reconciliation.

Freil grumbled.

“Well, should we put them in the back row?”

The Empress Dowager’s voluminous skirt hem passed by, followed by the long ceremonial robe hem worn by the bishop.

The two finally stood up. And with faces that seemed focused on the applause and cheers, they spoke.

“Her Majesty the Empress didn’t give prior instructions about this, so I was curious who took care of it.”

“We can handle that much on our own now.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Hailey replied and joined the procession, sharing laughter with those around her.

Freil quickly followed her.

“Lady Hailey.”

“What?”

“Why have you been acting like this lately? Did something upset you?”

“I think you’re the one who seems to have complaints, my lord.”

“This is unfair.”

“What is?”

Freil closed his mouth. He couldn’t really understand what was unfair about it himself.

Except for the fact that there had been a one-line reply.

The two briefly exchanged greetings with other people. Meanwhile, the imperial couple left Luminous Hall.

Now it was time for the aides to disperse for the evening celebration.

Freil caught Hailey once more there.

“What?”

Freil opened his mouth then closed it. He didn’t really know what he was trying to say.

What was certain was that he needed Hailey. Since Artizea said she would be resting from now on, Hailey wouldn’t be as busy as before either.

Now was the time.

“Lady Hailey, I need you.”

He spoke with a determined attitude.

“Hmph.”

Hailey snorted.

“This is why I decided to remain unmarried in Evron. Because there’s no hope.”

“Pardon?”

“I briefly thought there might be hope for Evron men after seeing His Majesty, but it seems the hopeless answer hasn’t changed.”

“Pardon?”

“Decide clearly what word should come before ‘need you’ and come back.”

Hailey replied coldly and turned away.

Behind them, Hazel and Mielle looked back and forth between the two and giggled as they passed by.

Freil just stared at their retreating figures with a dumbfounded expression.

* * *

Bang!

Bang!

Wheeee! Boom!

The explosive sounds could be heard even in the deepest recesses of the Imperial Palace where no one came and went.

Gregor listened to those sounds while half-drowsing, buried in his bed.

He was being kept alive rather than truly living.

It was the Empress’s decision, because it would be troublesome if he died while Cedric was away.

His abdomen was swollen with accumulated fluid, and his water intake was restricted since he couldn’t urinate properly.

It wasn’t that no one had come to see him during this time.

Prime Minister Lin, General Huber, and others who had once been his loyal subjects had visited.

The Chamberlain had hung an extra layer of curtains outside the bed to hide his miserable appearance.

Still, Gregor had refused those visits himself.

The emperor they remembered and revered was no longer him. He would only come to realize the fact that he was dying in an ugly form.

Though he was still alive, the bedchamber already reeked of death.

Since Cedric’s return, the doctor had been using strong medicine to keep him asleep all day to ease his suffering.

Nevertheless, they did not kill him. Since it was abdication, not usurpation, there could be no poisoning of the emperor.

When awake, he would think about resentment and emptiness.

The Empress had told him that emptiness came from being the victor.

But even now that he had become the loser, he felt empty. Before death, the ambition, desire, anger and resentment that had driven him all his life meant nothing.

And now even such fragmentary thoughts rarely arose.

“…What… is that… sound?”

Gregor asked in a fading voice.

The Chamberlain answered with wet eyes.

“It’s the sound of ceremonial cannons celebrating the new emperor’s accession.”

“…I see.”

There were no more words after that.

The Chamberlain got up and placed his finger under Gregor’s nose. It was something he did dozens of times a day.

And this time he finally knew that no more life, no more death, was flowing out.

The Chamberlain stayed still for a moment, then gently stroked Gregor’s hand.

“Do not worry. Your Majesty has abdicated to your son. What Your Majesty desired most throughout your life will come to pass.”

And he respectfully kissed that hand and covered the face with a sheet.

【The End】

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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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