The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 33

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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 33

Cedric spoke in a stern voice.

“I thought it was strange yesterday too. After apologizing to the collapsed Miss Kishower and other guests and sending them home, when I asked why Alphonse wasn’t by your side, I suddenly had this thought. Would someone as wise as you really not know how the Marchioness of Rosan would react?”

“….”

“I told Alphonse to stay by your side. We all know—myself, you, and Alphonse—that this also has symbolic meaning, showing others that I am always by your side and want to protect you.”

Artizea looked away. She couldn’t understand why he was angry.

“But I can’t get this thought out of my head: why did you tell Alphonse to leave the house on the very day you first invited guests? Didn’t you know that the Marchioness of Rosan would return yesterday? Did you really not know?”

“I don’t know everything that happens.”

“That’s not an answer. Did you orchestrate this incident or not?”

“….”

Artizea hesitated to answer.

It was possible to orchestrate things without telling her lord. However, lying when directly asked would be disloyalty.

“Yes.”

Artizea answered and glanced at Cedric’s expression.

It wasn’t something she couldn’t talk about. She was watching his reaction because Cedric looked extremely angry.

“It wasn’t really orchestrating anything. I just invited people to coincide with the day mother returned. And it was necessary.”

Artizea let out a small sigh. But she spoke honestly.

They had promised to discuss things later, even when scheming.

“I wanted to make it clear that my ties with House Rosan were severed.”

Artizea said.

Anyone who needed to know was aware that Milaire hated Artizea.

Anyone who had seen her at the ball would know she was being mistreated within House Rosan.

But even so, people valued family bonds.

Those who didn’t know her directly or people outside high society would say that no matter what, one shouldn’t treat their mother that way.

Even those who knew would think that a mother and daughter wouldn’t easily sever their ties.

“And without some kind of catalyst, I couldn’t secure House Rosan’s assets all at once. Even though I took the keys and ledgers from Bill, the movable assets in the manor’s vault are only a small fraction.”

“Tia.”

“The business management rights, territories, and other assets in different regions are all entrusted to agents, and those agents are people chosen by His Imperial Majesty. Even if I married and inherited the title, mother would have tried not to hand them over easily.”

But now that things had come to this, both the Emperor and Lawrence would side with her, not Milaire.

They wouldn’t pretend not to know and would help her claim the legal rights she deserved.

Until now, Artizea had been an obedient daughter. She had acted even more like a gentle, filial daughter in front of the Emperor.

Now it was time to reap those rewards.

“As someone who will become the Duchess of Evron, I may have lost dignity, but my reputation would have been ruined anyway. Rather than having legal battles and dragging Evron’s name through the mud, it’s better for me to become a pitiful girl.”

A property dispute between mother and daughter—and a fight between the Emperor’s mistress and her daughter at that.

It was an interesting story that newspapers, which wrote sensational articles about even the flowers Milaire wore in her hair, would target.

Artizea couldn’t let that happen.

Not for herself, but for House Evron.

“Tia.”

“House Rosan’s wealth is by no means small. It will be of considerable help to Your Highness in the future. Conversely, it’s too large to leave in Brother Lawrence’s hands.”

Cedric covered his face with his palm.

“So you’re saying it was necessary for you to get beaten like that?”

“Yes.”

Artizea said without hesitation.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t scared.

But since it was necessary, she willingly threw herself into it. She had simply added a bit of strategy to something that was going to happen anyway.

After that, things proceeded as she wanted, and she only had to endure.

“I’ve been thinking since I went to bed last night that I wouldn’t be angry with you, and I kept reminding myself of that even after waking up this morning, but you’re making it impossible.”

But Cedric was truly angry. Artizea couldn’t understand this.

“Why are you angry? I’m sorry for not telling you in advance, but this was really something that could gain great benefit with just a small effort that wasn’t even worth mentioning. No one was hurt either. I heard Alice sprained her hand, but it shouldn’t be a serious injury.”

What she had done this time consisted of only three things.

She received news from one of the servants at the separate palace that Milaire had departed for the capital, invited guests, and gave Alphonse a break.

It was Milaire who hit her, and the guests merely witnessed it. The only one who was unjustly harmed was Alice, who got hit while protecting her.

In this incident, there was nothing that should have troubled Cedric’s moral conscience.

But Cedric spoke in a suppressed voice.

“Weren’t you hurt?”

It was something she hadn’t expected him to say.

Artizea blinked several times.

“Tia, I’m not angry because I think what you did was unreasonable. I’m angry because you put yourself in danger.”

“I, I wasn’t really in danger. Mother hit me because she was angry, not because she was trying to kill me.”

Artizea answered stammering. Then Cedric said quietly.

“You shouldn’t do that. You shouldn’t use yourself as a tool. If you start calculating like this, thinking ‘this much is okay,’ someday you’ll even sacrifice your life. Don’t treat people that way. Even if it’s your own body.”

Artizea could only stare at him without saying anything.

Because that was exactly what she had done.

She had thought that her remaining life wasn’t particularly precious anyway.

A life without arms, legs, or tongue—living a few more years with someone’s help wouldn’t have any meaning.

Rather than that, she wanted to use that life more usefully.

But wouldn’t she have done the same even if her tongue and limbs had been intact?

No. If that had been the most convenient way to activate magic, she would have willingly jumped into the magic circle even if she had decades left to live, not just a few years.

Until now, Artizea had only perceived her own body as a cheap resource that cost almost nothing.

No money needed for bribery, no effort required to buy loyalty.

She even put a price on loyalty.

Loyal people were hard to obtain, and once used up, that was the end.

Moreover, human willpower had limits, so if you kept demanding difficult tasks, it would wear away.

So you should buy loyalty but choose carefully where to use it.

Compared to that, how convenient was her own body?

It didn’t complain, there was no worry of betrayal, and it never deviated from predictions.

That’s why she was flustered. She had never heard such words before.

Health—yes, there were people who worried about her health.

Alice always worried, and Sophie cared too.

When she was very young, Milaire would sometimes take care of her when she was sick. Sometimes she would get tired and stop quickly, but other times she would sleep with her all night.

After establishing herself as Marquess Rosan, she had subordinates. Flattering crowds would worry about her health with exaggerated words.

Even Lawrence sent medicine. Because she was a resource that was hard to replace.

But when she said “it’s necessary,” everyone accepted it.

Even Alice did. She would just look at her with a sad face and say, “Then it can’t be helped,” while taking care of her.

This was the first person to get angry. The first person to say that using her body as a tool was wrong in itself.

“I clearly told you from the beginning. If you want to join hands with me, you, Tia, must not get hurt either.”

“Ah.”

She had heard it and found it amusing, but had never seriously considered it. So Artizea let out a short sigh.

Cedric glared at her.

“You weren’t even thinking about it?”

“….”

Cedric moved closer to the bed.

Artizea lowered her head.

“I’m sorry.”

Cedric took her hand that was lying carelessly on the blanket. And wrapped it warmly with both hands.

“There’s one more thing you did wrong.”

“…Yes.”

Artizea spoke in a shrinking voice. She had no more excuses now.

“You shouldn’t act like someone who has caused me trouble.”

“I don’t think you’ve caused any trouble. I’m grateful to you. I never even thought you would come personally….”

“But in truth, you thought that when I heard the news, I wouldn’t go myself but would send a few knights instead, didn’t you?”

Artizea looked at him with a subtle expression.

It was true that her plan had included the possibility of rescue coming from the House of Evron.

That was the result of considering Rizhe’s quick-witted nature and the fact that Marcus Hanson was staying at the Evron Ducal Residence.

She hadn’t thought Cedric would come. However, she hadn’t calculated that he wouldn’t come by predicting his behavior either.

It was more accurate to say that she hadn’t assumed any specific cases at all, such as who would come or who wouldn’t come.

“I did what I naturally should have done. I know that you regard this engagement as one in name only, and that you don’t accept me as a real fiancé. Then at least consider me as a companion.”

“I am one who has decided to serve Your Highness as my lord. Why do you say such things….”

“Then why do you try not to receive my protection? Thinking and acting may be your role, but protecting you is my role.”

“….”

Artizea bit her lower lip.

“Now, do you know what you should say to me?”

She felt a little confused.

Artizea hesitated.

She was skilled at seeing through people’s psychology and was always unhesitating in order to obtain the results she wanted.

But right now, she couldn’t tell whether what Cedric wanted to hear was “I’m sorry” or “Thank you.”

In the end, she said with a face that had turned bright red:

“I was happy that you came to rescue me.”

That was her embarrassing inner feeling that she could hardly tell others.

Cedric’s face turned the same shade of red as hers.

But he didn’t let go of the hand he was holding. Rather, he applied more strength and gripped it tighter.

Artizea lowered her 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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