The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 324

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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 (18)

“In the Southern Region, they say that even becoming a manager of a small city makes gold coins roll into your pockets by themselves.”

“Being a corrupt official who safely sucks honey has been my long-time dream. It would be even better if it’s a place with little work.”

Freil replied. Of course, Hailey knew well that it was a joke.

They talked with quite a bit of laughter, but the conversation ended there. Hailey didn’t think about anything.

Freil walked silently for a while, then carefully chose his words.

“I had various concerns, but I thought going would be right. After all, it’s my hometown. My grandfather is there too.”

“A triumphant return home.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Freil scratched his eyebrow with his pinky finger. Then he spoke honestly.

“Actually, I was planning not to return if I could help it. I would have visited grandfather occasionally though.”

“…I know.”

Hailey had the same thoughts.

The North was a suffocating place. It was home, and familiar. There was family and friends too.

But being there felt stifling. Sometimes she thought it was like being born with gills alone and living on dry land without water.

It wasn’t that she came to love the capital more than the North. Hailey was sick of all the conspiracies happening here, and there were countless despicable people.

She could see ugly malice that couldn’t be revealed in the North, where people were tightly connected by blood and regional ties, unfolding in all sorts of colorful ways.

But the capital had vitality. Society was broad in a different sense from the size of the land.

There were people to respect as much as there were contemptible ones. Not everything moved in a good direction, but the world was flowing toward progress.

Hailey had no intention of returning to a stagnant world again.

And Freil would be the same. He was feeling the same frustration as herself.

So it was easy to open up to each other.

No matter how clever Hazel was, no matter that there was nowhere Artizea’s consideration didn’t reach, the only person who could truly empathize from the heart was Freil.

Probably it was the same for Freil. He couldn’t have this kind of conversation with Sedric, could he.

Something at the bottom of their hearts that couldn’t be shared with others and remained unresolved overlapped. They gained understanding and empathy that couldn’t be hoped for even from family.

So she could congratulate him sincerely.

“Four years ago…, no, even two years ago, we never thought such an opportunity would come. An opportunity to change things with your own hands.”

“Yes.”

Freil answered.

“I don’t think I have the capability to change the North. I don’t particularly want to become governor or anything like that. But I think I can convey His Majesty’s direction without distortion.”

“You can do it.”

Because you have accumulated so many thoughts in your heart until now.

And she had many thoughts within herself too.

“Lady Hailey.”

Freil stopped walking. Only after hearing him call out did Hailey realize she had been absorbed in bottomless thoughts.

Those thoughts had no substance.

This was the right thing. Freil would do well. And she would remain in the capital.

What on earth are we anyway?

As colleagues, as friends, she could congratulate him, and that was enough. The opportunity to become something else might have existed, but it had already disappeared.

Yet her chest felt tight.

When Hailey turned around, Freil had an ambiguously strange expression, as if smiling but not quite.

Hailey realized she probably had the same expression. At least she wasn’t holding the lantern, so Freil couldn’t see her face clearly.

“I’m planning to stay in the North for 10 years.”

Freil said.

“The world won’t change completely in 10 years, but at least I’ll be able to confirm whether what I’ve been thinking is right or wrong.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So, what I wanted to say is.”

Freil reached out and took Hailey’s hand. Hailey flinched but didn’t particularly avoid it.

“When that time comes, I plan to retire and build a house in a suitable place. Not in a bustling area but in a quiet outskirt, with a spacious terrace in the yard and a tea table in front of the fireplace.”

“…”

“I hope you would come home to that house.”

Though she had a premonition from when Freil mentioned building a house, Hailey’s throat was blocked and she couldn’t speak.

“This isn’t a marriage proposal. But, you’re the only person I can think of to be with in that house.”

“I’ll need a separate storage cabinet to collect 10 years’ worth of correspondence letters.”

Hailey replied in a choked voice. Freil laughed.

“Don’t laugh. I haven’t accepted yet. What a tactless person.”

“I’m not that tactless.”

“I know. Looking at how your mind works when you’re working. You’re deliberately not looking at yourself, aren’t you?”

“Lady Hailey should understand that. I may be called knight class, but at most my grandfather was a knight’s second son. I’m more like a blacksmith’s grandson. From that position, being selected as His Majesty’s adjutant, how can I look at everything and live?”

“My goodness. Are you trying to argue that living with your eyes completely closed is a life of being considerate?”

Hailey shook her head. Then she said.

“So, assuming you’ll think about what to do after retirement for 10 years, is that all?”

“Ah.”

Freil was holding Hailey’s hand with one hand and gripping the lantern with the other, struggling because he didn’t have enough hands.

Hailey extended her hand, telling Freil to give her the lantern. Freil handed her the lantern and put his hand in his chest.

What he took out from his chest was a black velvet pouch. Stupidly trying to open the pouch and take out the contents with one hand, it didn’t work properly, so he was shaking it around making a fuss.

Hailey watched this scene with an incredulous expression. He was neat when normal and sometimes quite cool when working, but he made so many blunders it was frustrating.

“Either let go of my hand and take it out.”

“Ah, got it.”

As compensation for taking out the contents, the velvet pouch rolled around on the ground.

What came out of the pouch was a two-strand pink sapphire bracelet.

The fool held it while scratching near his eyebrow with his pinky finger again. Hailey almost snapped at this man who couldn’t find romance even if he scraped the ground, asking if he’d been bitten by a bug.

“Honestly, when His Majesty bought this as an engagement gift, I wondered why he was doing that.”

“…”

“It seems fine. It’s less heavy than a ring.”

“That’s probably not why he bought a bracelet.”

If it were Sedric, he would have bought it thinking it would suit Artizea’s wrist in his own way.

Freil put the bracelet on Hailey’s wrist that he was holding.

“I know diamond bracelets are fashionable as engagement gifts, but having the same thing that Her Majesty the Empress always wears would be a bit awkward.”

“Are we engaged now?”

“If it’s not a proper courtship, Lord Mel will blow off my wrist, so at least in name.”

Freil finally let go of Hailey’s hand. Hailey said “Hmm” and lifted her wrist to examine the bracelet from various angles.

“For you, you chose well. I like it.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But, isn’t this not allowed?”

Freil tilted his head. Hailey looked at him as if asking whether he really didn’t know.

“They said to do only one of two things: either break up because you can’t become House Jordin’s son-in-law, or go to the North. What’s the point if you get engaged to me? It’s not like we’ll make an official announcement saying ‘We’re engaged but it’s only nominal.'”

“Ah.”

Freil opened his mouth.

“Did you really not think about it at all?”

“Uh…”

“I’m trusting a man like this.”

Hailey snorted.

Then she picked up the velvet pouch from the ground, shook off the dirt well, and put it in the pouch.

“Your plan has problems from the start. Can you even retire after 10 years?”

“…”

Freil turned away from reality. Hailey laughed out loud.

When she extended her hand, Freil obediently took back the lantern and held her hand.

Instead of being escorted by him, Hailey interlocked their fingers and started walking again.

“Aren’t you going to take off the bracelet?”

“Should I take it off?”

“No….”

“I’ll take it off when I get home. I’ll keep it well, and if my feelings don’t change even after 10 years, I’ll wear it.”

“…It’s not even a diamond anyway, so can’t I just say I received it as a gift?”

“Then should I say it’s a gift from some man whose identity I can’t reveal?”

Freil closed his mouth gloomily.

Hailey felt somehow lighthearted and smiled. Then Freil grumbled.

“Why are you smiling like that? Are you that happy that we made no promises?”

“Of course. Just thinking about receiving courtship for 10 years makes it taste like honey, doesn’t it?”

“….”

“If you don’t like it, do you want to take the bracelet back now?”

Freil spoke with a resigned expression.

“I’ll try my best. But where are we going right now?”

While walking, they had gotten quite far from the Empress’s Palace. The lights had grown faintly distant, and now only the moonlight and the single lantern Freil was carrying illuminated the road.

“Anywhere, as long as there are no people.”

“In the middle of the night.”

Freil was about to respond reflexively out of habit but stopped short.

Hailey turned her head to the side, avoiding his gaze.

“Why?”

“Actually, I wanted to say this.”

“What is it?”

“I may have made many mistakes, but I’ve never caused trouble.”

Freil said this and lowered his head.

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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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