The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 32

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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 32

Artizea faintly opened her eyes.

She was buried in the soft feather blankets of an unfamiliar room. She was dressed in a white one-piece nightgown.

A fire was lit in the fireplace. She could hear the crackling sound of burning logs.

Heating in this weather. But it was just right for Artizea’s body, which was feeling chilled.

Artizea lay still and wiggled her hands and feet. Her knees and shins ached, and her arms and shoulders stung.

Her face was the same. Artizea ran her tongue over the wound inside her mouth that had burst from being slapped.

What was different from other times was that her eyes didn’t sting. Someone must have wiped her face clean.

She slowly sat up.

Not just the places she was hit, but her shoulders and the muscles and joints of her limbs ached. It seemed she had been tensing her entire body too much.

And she seemed to have fainted. Her last memory was of Cedric grabbing Milaire’s wrist.

Though it didn’t seem like she fainted immediately after that.

Still, after her body had fully grown, her memory had never been cut off like this.

What was so significant that she would be tense enough to faint?

She hadn’t burst a dam, spread a plague, or made deals with the pirate king of the South Sea over the empire’s southern cities.

Even during those times, she had never been tense enough to faint.

Artizea carefully sat up.

And she gently stroked her face with her palm. The area around her cheekbones hurt.

“Phew…”

She let out a long sigh. She wanted to see a mirror but also didn’t want to. She must look absolutely wretched.

Thinking that she had shown such a face to Cedric filled her with an inexplicable melancholy.

‘I didn’t… say anything wrong, did I?’

With no memory, there was no way to confirm.

Artizea let out a small sigh.

Her memory cutting off as if overloaded was probably due to her mind being constantly complicated.

But that would end today too.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

She didn’t answer, but perhaps it was just a formality as the person silently opened the door.

It was Ansgard.

Seeing that Artizea was sitting up, he set down the washbasin and towel he had brought on a table near the door.

And he bowed politely.

“You’re awake. I am Ansgard, the butler of the House of Evron.”

“Yes.”

Artizea answered while suppressing the emotions rising in her throat.

However, unable to contain them completely, she spoke again with an emotion-laden tone.

“Yes, I know.”

“It’s an honor to meet you. Lord Ced said it might be better for you to stay here for a while until various situations stabilize.”

“Yes. I’m grateful for that.”

“Thank you for understanding. The manor is still a bit chaotic. It’s mainly been a space where only soldiers and employees came and went. We only started organizing it last month.”

“Yes…”

“I’ll be attending to you for now while you’re staying. If you need anything, please tell me.”

Ansgard said this while approaching Artizea with a towel soaked in warm water.

Instead of letting Ansgard tend to her face, Artizea took the towel herself.

“The doctor said you lost consciousness from being very tense and shocked. Most of the injuries on your body are just scrapes and bruises, so you’ll recover quickly. Shall I bring a hand mirror?”

“No. It’s fine. I… don’t really want to see.”

“Yes. He said there won’t be any scars either. You don’t need to worry.”

“Yes.”

Artizea answered calmly. That would be the case.

Dying from being beaten with bare hands wasn’t that easy. Even less so with a woman’s hands.

Though Milaire was stronger than Artizea, she was still just a noblewoman.

The heaviest things she lifted were at most the emperor’s coat or the royal scepter.

Being beaten like yesterday wasn’t a common occurrence. But it wasn’t the first time either.

She hadn’t died when she was five or six years old, and no maid had died so far. Milaire just lashed out when she couldn’t control her anger; she didn’t strike vital points or strangle with intent to kill.

Artizea carefully wiped her face with the warm wet towel. She wiped the corners of her eyes, her forehead, and gently pressed the numb parts of her cheeks.

Ansgard continued speaking calmly.

“Your maids are also here at this manor. I’ve arranged quarters for them, so they’re probably unpacking now. Shall I call them?”

Ansgard asked this because Artizea’s condition looked very poor.

Many dignified nobles disliked showing their emotions.

And this young lady was undoubtedly more noble and aristocratic than her mother or brother.

Ansgard could see her swallowing her anguish down her throat several times.

But he hid his sympathetic feelings.

She was Cedric’s fiancée and would soon become the mistress. So she wasn’t someone a mere butler like him should show pity to.

“What happened to Alice?”

“You mean your personal maid. I understand her injury is just a sprained wrist. She wanted to stay by your side, but she looked very tired, so I told her to go rest.”

“I see. Thank you for your consideration.”

Artizea answered with a completely calm and composed face now.

“What is Marcus doing? I understand he’s staying at the Evron Ducal Residence.”

“Marcus Hanson is currently at the marquess’ estate handling the situation there. Lord Ced left a knight order behind.”

“A knight order is excessive…”

Artizea muttered. But right now she was so exhausted that her thoughts flowed out of her head as if they were someone else’s business.

Even with things she clearly knew and was familiar with, she could never get used to physical pain.

No, her heart was the same.

When playing instruments or learning swordsmanship, calluses form, but it seemed calluses rarely formed on the heart, Artizea thought.

Anyway, the affairs of the marquess’ estate weren’t an immediate concern right now.

“I’ll bring you a simple meal. Please eat something and think about what you need to do today.”

“I don’t think I can eat much right now. Rather than a meal… could you make me a strong cup of tea?”

“Understood. I’ll prepare it right away.”

Ansgard quietly withdrew.

Artizea sat alone on the bed with a blank face, thinking nothing at all.

Soon Ansgard returned with a cup of tea and two pieces of soft madeleines.

Artizea took a sip of tea. A sweet and soft taste spread throughout her mouth from the tip of her tongue.

‘So this was the taste.’

Tears welled up in Artizea’s eyes. She didn’t realize it herself.

So she didn’t notice the teardrops growing round and then rolling down her cheeks as she smiled and said,

“It’s delicious, thank you.”

Ansgard couldn’t give any response.

Cedric knocked on the door just as Artizea had barely finished her cup of tea.

Though there was no answer, he simply opened the door. Because he could sense someone inside.

He hadn’t expected Artizea to be awake and only thought Ansgard had come to care for her.

And he came face to face with Artizea shedding tears.

“Ah…”

“Your Highness.”

Artizea’s voice was clear.

Cedric hesitated and turned his head away, then lowered his gaze like someone who had seen something he shouldn’t have.

Ansgard started with a scolding.

“Even if you’re engaged, entering a lady’s bedroom like this is not proper etiquette, Lord Ced.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was awake.”

“You shouldn’t enter a sleeping woman’s room even more so.”

At those words, Cedric flinched, lowered his head, and stepped back.

Artizea inadvertently let out a laugh.

Only then did she realize that her face was stained with tears.

Ansgard quietly moistened the towel again and offered it to her.

Artizea took it and buried her face in it completely. Thanks to drinking something sweet, she felt much better.

“Thank you, Ansgard.”

She returned the towel she had used to wipe her face to Ansgard.

And she spoke to Cedric, who was standing in the doorway.

“Your Highness may come in. As long as you won’t reproach me for how terrible my face looks.”

“I’ve never thought about such things.”

Cedric said this stammering.

“I already know that Your Highness doesn’t concern yourself with others’ appearances.”

Artizea smiled.

It wasn’t that she didn’t care at all. Her face wasn’t particularly pretty to begin with, and now it had bruises and scabs on top of that.

And having been covered in tears on top of that, it must surely be an unbearable sight to behold.

But strangely, her heart felt refreshed. It seemed as if the large stone that had been weighing somewhere around her chest ever since returning to the past had rolled away and disappeared.

Whether it was because she had been thoroughly beaten by Milaire and everything was over, or because she had shed tears, Artizea couldn’t be certain.

The work that lay ahead was mountainous, and she was still standing on a tightrope.

But she wasn’t wrong. She was going in the right direction.

The taste of Ansgard’s tea told her that.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

Cedric was restless. His gaze still couldn’t look directly at her, and the tips of his ears were red.

“Please don’t stand there like that and sit down.”

Artizea offered him a seat.

Cedric hesitated, then turned the chair placed beside the table and sat down while maintaining distance from Artizea.

Ansgard withdrew with careful steps and left the room.

“I’m sorry for opening the door without permission. I was worried, so I stopped by briefly before leaving.”

“Thank you for your concern. Yesterday too…”

Artizea said calmly.

“Thank you for coming to help. I never thought you would come in person.”

“When Rizhe came to call for someone, I happened to be in front of the manor and encountered her.”

While answering this way, Cedric realized.

She never thought he would come in person. In other words, that meant she had been thinking that someone, whoever it might be, would come to rescue her.

And when Artizea “thought” something, it had a completely different meaning from other people’s thoughts.

“Tia, as I suspected…”

“Yes?”

“This incident, did you orchestrate it?”

The young man who had been too shy to meet the young lady’s eyes disappeared, and in his place appeared the Duke of Evron.

Eyes that were hot enough to see into the abyss yet pitch black gazed at Artizea.

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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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