The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 313

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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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2. Spring Breeze (7)

Leticia cried her heart out for a long time and then collapsed on the floor, falling fast asleep. Rea, the mother dog who had been restlessly circling around Leticia the entire time, also lay down beside her, burying her nose against Leticia’s side.

Leticia made whimpering sounds as she grabbed Rea and hugged her tightly. Even though Rea probably didn’t like it, she didn’t make a single sound of complaint and stayed obediently in the embrace.

“She’s so stubborn.”

Artizea said with a sigh.

“I didn’t want her to resemble Lord Sedric in this aspect too.”

“Really? No matter how I think about it, isn’t the stubborn one you?”

“Me?”

Artizea absolutely didn’t think so. Sedric chuckled.

“You never listen when I tell you to take care of your body.”

“Ah.”

“There’s more than one or two things you haven’t listened to.”

Artizea’s face turned slightly red.

“That was all necessary…”

“I only did what I thought was right too.”

It wasn’t something worth arguing about at this point.

Sedric looked down at the sleeping Leticia and said.

“What if she still doesn’t forget after three months?”

“It’s not that we don’t have space, but giving in to her tantrums would set a bad precedent.”

“And, well…”

The gardener spoke hesitantly and carefully.

“These are mutts. Even though Rea is gentle, she was a stray dog wandering the streets. They’re not suitable for Her Imperial Highness to raise.”

“We’re not looking for hunting dogs or military dogs, being gentle is enough. Well, I have no intention of taking them away if you don’t want us to.”

“Oh, no. How could I dare…”

The gardener bowed his head. Sedric bent down into the pen and picked up the puppy with the red ribbon.

“She does seem particularly attached to this one.”

“She probably likes the spotted pattern or it walked the best, something like that.”

“What do you think?”

Sedric placed the puppy on Artizea’s lap. The puppy, as lively as Leticia, squirmed trying to escape from her lap.

Artizea stroked the puppy’s back with her fingers. Though her hands had little strength, the puppy felt so soft it seemed like it would melt even under such gentle hands.

Sedric saw Artizea’s lips curve into a smile.

“I think it would be fine to raise it.”

“I can’t handle it.”

Artizea said and gently put the puppy down. The puppy toddled away in any direction.

Marcus laughed.

“Then we’ll just raise it here. The baby can come visit anytime. When you think she’s ready to take care of it, you can take it with you.”

“She might end up wanting to live here.”

Sedric laughed.

Even in her sleep, Leticia kicked her legs restlessly. She seemed to be running somewhere even in her dreams. Rea got up and adjusted her position.

“She used to be so calm.”

That was only until she started crawling. Once she could walk and run, she made everyone watching her age dramatically.

“No matter how I think about it, that’s also something she inherited from Lord Sedric. It’s certainly not from me.”

“I wasn’t such a troublemaker.”

Sedric insisted.

But when Ansgard heard this story, he smiled faintly and said.

“Lady Leticia really takes after Lord Sedric a lot.”

“I never swung from curtains like a swing.”

“Well, if you had done that, you wouldn’t have had any friends left to play with.”

Sedric’s expression changed to one of realization. At that age, his only friend was Prince Pavel.

He would have known even then that he needed to be careful in the Imperial Palace, so it was natural that he was more well-behaved than Leticia now.

“Lord Mel would know very well what you were like when you got a bit older.”

Ansgard chuckled. At this point, even Artizea became curious.

“What exactly were you like?”

“I was just interested in bigger horses and bigger weapons.”

Sedric answered, trying to maintain his composure.

“When you were seven years old.”

Ansgard added. Artizea smiled.

She could roughly imagine what would happen when Leticia turned seven and became interested in horses and swords.

“I don’t need to worry about it. Lord Sedric said he would handle everything.”

“I never fell off a horse.”

Even though Artizea had already moved on from the topic, Sedric said defensively.

Ansgard reached out to Leticia, who was drooling on Sedric’s shoulder and fussing in her sleep.

“Come now, I’ll escort Lady Leticia to the baby’s room. It’s getting late, so you two should also retire.”

“She fell asleep early, so she’ll probably wake up at dawn. Please tell them I’m sorry.”

“I’ll make sure she can’t get to your bedroom at dawn.”

“Please do.”

Sedric handed over the baby and pulled Artizea’s hand to link it through his arm.

Ansgard carried Leticia toward the baby’s room.

The maids, who had been scattered and resting comfortably while the baby was away, quickly found their positions and got moving. Ansgard shook his head, indicating it was fine.

Leticia’s bed, newly made last fall, was spacious and large so she wouldn’t fall off even if she rolled around.

They had made a gabled roof out of wood and hung thick light gray fabric to create cozy walls. It also served as Leticia’s hideout when she was sulking.

“How can our little lady sleep so soundly?”

Her cheeks were swollen from crying before falling asleep. As Ansgard laid her on the bed and wiped her cheeks with a wet cloth, Leticia half-woke from sleep and mumbled.

“Ansgard.”

Ansgard smiled. His name was too long for a baby to pronounce. Sedric used to call him this way when he was young too. Though he would have forgotten by now.

Ansgard also felt the same desire to do for Leticia what he couldn’t do for Sedric back then.

“Picture book…”

“Picture book?”

“Promise… mmm. Red…”

Leticia turned over mid-sentence and fell fast asleep.

Ansgard smiled. He knew that Red was the puppy born at the Rosan Estate.

Because Leticia had told him as a secret, asking how she could get permission to raise Red.

“Sleep well, Lady Leticia.”

Ansgard whispered softly.

He thought he should escort her to the Rosan Estate tomorrow.

He hadn’t met Marcus privately for the past two years. He had thought he’d found a friend to grow old with in his later years, but the distrust had been painful.

Ansgard didn’t think of it as betrayal. He knew it hadn’t been enough time to build trust, and he understood Marcus too.

However, with Evron distrusting Marcus, he couldn’t overcome the emotional rift alone.

Marcus hadn’t apologized either. Since he had acted according to his own beliefs, he probably couldn’t apologize.

But it would be fine now. Enough time had passed, and it was time to tear down the walls that Evron had stubbornly maintained.

Most importantly, Leticia loved both sides.

Everything would work out well.

On the way to the Imperial Bedchamber, Artizea asked.

“What should we do about dinner?”

“How about eating on the terrace? The moon should be up.”

“We should have them bring something to wear.”

Artizea stopped a servant along the way and told them to bring outer garments. Then she walked arm in arm with Sedric to the south terrace.

As Sedric had said, the moon was brilliantly bright. There was no need to light torches separately, but Artizea had them light a fire because warmth was needed.

A servant quickly lit a brazier and placed it under Artizea’s chair.

“This is my favorite among the things brought from the North.”

“Is that so?”

“I shared a few through Charlotte and Lady Belmond. Even when the weather is mild in spring and autumn, having a warm chair feels good, so they’ll use them well.”

It was a sensation difficult for Sedric to understand.

“Hot water bottles should be quite popular too, right? Check later. The craftsmen in the capital must have copied them instantly, but the trading volume in Evron would have increased considerably.”

“Didn’t you start that trend?”

“The North has always been the best for winter goods. It was just because trade was blocked.”

Artizea said this while fingering her knitted wool cape. This too was a gift sent from the North.

Once they opened the Allia Wall and activated merchant guild exchanges, there would be roads usable even in winter.

Soon a servant brought cream stew boiled with pork, mushrooms, and various spices, along with scrambled tomatoes and eggs. The main dish was eggplant casserole topped with cheese.

Since Sedric didn’t particularly like formal dinners, instead of following proper order, everything was placed on the table at once.

The Empress’s Palace cook was accustomed to Sedric eating this way. The stew was for two people, but the scrambled tomatoes and eggs and casserole were piled high.

The bread and fresh butter that always appeared on the table were more than three times the usual amount.

“If Lord Sedric had been an ordinary person, just covering food expenses would have made the household stagger.”

Adding Leticia would have uprooted the foundation entirely. Leticia already easily ate more than one person’s share. She ate more than even Artizea normally, and never skipped snacks either.

Compared to her milk brother Ken who ran away saying he wouldn’t eat, she was truly grateful for eating so well.

But seeing Sedric eating with similar vigor like this, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“I would have earned my keep in food costs.”

“Would you have become a knight?”

“If I had been born in the North or West, probably? I originally liked moving my body. I had some talent too. In the North or West, just enlisting gets you taught to a considerable level.”

“You would have had more than just some talent.”

Sedric grinned. There was no need to be modest about it.

“Will Tisha have talent too?”

“Even if she doesn’t, I plan to teach her. Tisha will probably rarely have to go directly to battlefields like me…”

Sedric cut bread and dipped it in Artizea’s stew.

“She’s overflowing with energy. Martial arts is also about learning to control one’s own body.”

“Yes.”

Artizea scooped up the bread he had dipped with her spoon.

Leticia being healthy and full of vitality always made Artizea happy.

While any parent would wish for their baby to be healthy, Artizea was particularly fond of watching Leticia move her arms and legs with all her strength.

Every time she moved freely without being constrained by anything, Artizea felt as if her own heart became refreshed too.

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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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