The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 329

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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 (23)

“Thank you for coming.”

Sedric spoke in a low, gentle voice.

“But could you step out for a moment now?”

Lisia glanced at Artizea. Artizea answered with a calm expression.

“I’m sorry, Lady Lisia.”

“Sorry, indeed.”

Lisia gave Sedric a look telling him not to be angry with Artizea before leaving.

Sedric confirmed the door was closed and approached Artizea’s side.

Artizea spoke.

“You’re angry.”

“Because I’m not the first person you discuss such an important matter with.”

“You knew?”

Sedric rubbed his face with his hands once.

“When you started refusing to sleep in the same bed, did you think I wouldn’t notice something was wrong?”

“You’ve been pretending not to know until now.”

“I never thought it was a baby. You seemed to want to hide it, so I planned to wait until you sorted out your feelings and told me. I thought you would, eventually.”

There seemed to be no mental troubles. So he thought it was just your health deteriorating somewhat.

He had been continuously receiving reports about your health condition from the court physician.

He said your digestive system wasn’t good and you sometimes vomited until midnight, but considering Artizea originally didn’t eat well, it wasn’t impossible.

It could have just gotten better on its own. The court physician said so too.

If you weren’t seeing a doctor, that would be different, but knowing that Artizea was taking care of her body, he endured it.

He trusted the promise and waited. You said you would talk about truly important matters.

But he was gradually reaching his limit.

When he heard the news that Lisia had urgently entered the capital, he knew something was truly wrong.

So he immediately called the court physician and interrogated him. The court physician knelt before him with a pale face and apologized.

“I am honored, Your Majesty the Emperor. It wasn’t that I intended to tell lies, but Her Majesty the Empress ordered that those words must not leave my mouth until she made her decision.”

“This is no other matter but the Empress’s health. If something were to happen to the Empress while I remained unaware, you would be held responsible.”

Sedric could only get an answer by almost threatening him.

“She is with child.”

The court physician reported while trembling with fear and bowing low.

Sedric sat in the chair beside the bed where Lisia had been sitting, then abruptly stood up.

His insides felt like they were burning, and even after drinking two cups of water, it wouldn’t subside.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the situation. The Empress’s pregnancy was something everyone would celebrate. That’s exactly why they had to be more careful.

It wasn’t something to reveal to others until entering the stable period. Especially if it was a baby that couldn’t be born.

It was better that no one knew. Artizea must have judged it that way too.

“Still, you should have told me. I need to know. About your body and about the baby.”

Sedric returned to Artizea’s side again.

“Both are things I must bear together with you. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wasn’t trying to hide it. It wasn’t that I was planning to miscarry alone and take responsibility alone without saying anything.”

Artizea spoke calmly.

“Before making a decision, I wanted to confirm as many possibilities as possible. Since it’s about my body, it’s right for me to check first.”

“Possibilities? What possibilities? The doctors will agonize over the method that would be least harmful to your body.”

“I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d say that.”

Sedric looked at Artizea’s face and fell silent for a moment. Then he spoke with a pained expression.

“Are you thinking of giving birth?”

“If it’s possible.”

“Absolutely not!”

Sedric half-shouted.

He too had heard from the court physician and had come to a half-conclusion.

The sooner the pregnancy was terminated, the better. Right now, it could still be miscarried with less toxic medicine without major damage.

Considering Artizea’s health condition, the court physician emphasized several times that would be better.

Actually, having heard such words from the court physician, Sedric should have guessed that Artizea intended to give birth to the baby.

If she had decided to terminate it immediately, she would have already dealt with it.

But because it was absolutely impossible, he hadn’t even thought about it.

“Are you planning to leave me and Leticia behind?”

“I’m not planning to risk my life.”

“You almost died once already with Leticia! Even then, the doctor said there would be no problems. And yet!”

Sedric clenched his fists.

“Now they’re confidently saying you’ll die, so if this isn’t risking your life, then what is?”

“Calm down, Lord Sedric.”

“One child is enough. No, it wouldn’t have mattered if we had none at all. I still regret telling you to give birth back then.”

“My health problems weren’t particularly caused by giving birth to a baby.”

“It’s because that damned god gave you incomplete divine power. Whatever the cause was, you’re already not healthy enough to give birth to a baby!”

Artizea listened quietly with a smile to the words he poured out in his excitement.

Then she realized that she was no longer afraid of Sedric at all.

She had no fear of physical pain or fear of being hated.

So she reached out her hand. Sedric grasped that hand as if it would crumble.

“Tia.”

He bowed his head and pressed his forehead into her palm.

“Don’t say reckless things. Even if we don’t know how many days are left, you promised to try to stay by me and Leticia’s side for as long as possible.”

“I want to give birth.”

“Tia.”

“Because there’s a possibility. It’s not about giving my remaining lifespan to the baby. With Lady Lisia by my side, I can stop anytime if something goes wrong.”

“Are you planning to cut open your belly again?”

“I can recover without aftereffects. That alone makes me far safer than other pregnant women.”

“Not dying doesn’t mean you’re in a safe state.”

“I think it’s a risk I can accept.”

Artizea held and shook Sedric’s hand as he was about to get angry again. Sedric forcibly suppressed his rising emotions.

“Tia.”

“When I had Tisha… I didn’t give birth knowing anything. Actually, if Lord Sedric hadn’t told me to give birth, I would have terminated the child without any hesitation.”

“…I regret that.”

“You shouldn’t. If it weren’t for Tisha, I would never have known that I was someone who could completely love another person.”

Artizea spoke gently.

“This time, it’s my decision. You told me to do that, didn’t you?”

“That was… the opposite meaning. I didn’t mean I wanted you to give birth while harming your body and mind.”

“I just want to try as hard as I can. Or do you not want a second child?”

“It’s not that. That’s not what I mean!”

“Whether it’s a child who resembles me or one who resembles Lord Sedric, this time I can truly cherish and raise them to birth.”

“Tia…”

“Please believe that I’ve become someone who can do that.”

Sedric could no longer say anything. Because he understood too well why Artizea was saying such things.

He looked down at the hand he was holding while keeping his head bowed for a moment.

“I regret embracing you.”

“You’ve succeeded again at something with slim chances.”

“This isn’t something to laugh about.”

Sedric spoke in a cracked voice.

“There won’t be a third time.”

“Really?”

“Tia, please. Promise me you’ll give up immediately if it becomes dangerous.”

“Yes. I have no intention of trading my life for it either.”

“If something happens to you, I’ll end up resenting many people.”

“But I know that in the end, you’ll love the babies.”

“Please stop believing in me so much now.”

Sedric moved to the edge of the bed. Then he embraced Artizea.

“I told you, didn’t I? That I can’t bear to lose anything more. I really will resent them.”

“Lord Sedric, you’re the one who taught me that when there are more people to love, things get a little better.”

Artizea buried her face in his nape as she spoke. Her soft, warm breath tickled his skin, making Sedric’s face scrunch up slightly.

“Then I suppose I should resent myself first.”

“Carrying around two babies like Tisha would certainly make you resent yourself.”

“Tia, I’m not saying this as a joke.”

“I know you’ll always handle things well.”

Artizea smiled as she traced up along his jawline with her index and middle fingers. Then she touched his lips that were pressed together stubbornly.

“Tia…”

Sedric tried to get angrier, but ultimately couldn’t.

He lowered his head and brought his lips to Artizea’s lips. His stomach churned and the inside of his eyes stung.

Anguish and joy mixed together, rising up to his throat in waves. Sedric exhaled his anguished heart in a sigh.

That sigh disappeared inside Artizea’s lips. The breath he had blown in returned and settled sweetly upon Sedric’s lips.

Unlike when her tears had disappeared into his mouth, there was no salty taste in that kiss.

He could only feel the breath of a living person.

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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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