The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 48

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 48

“Have you ever seen the Saint Olga statue, Marquess?”

“No, I haven’t.”

Artizea answered in surprise.

In her previous life, she had heard news about Olga’s heart several times.

The first to bring Olga’s heart back into high society was Countess Camellia.

When the Empress died and there was no one left to be wary of, she proudly wore that diamond around her neck.

After the Camellia Marquess family disappeared, Olga’s heart fell into the hands of another noble. However, that person also went bankrupt before long.

A foolish tale attached itself to the jewel that the curse of the unjustly killed Viscount and Viscountess Pesher was attached to it, bringing misfortune to its owners. This made the diamond’s price soar even higher.

But as far as Artizea knew, the Saint Olga statue had never appeared in the world again.

That statue had historical and miraculous anecdotes attached to it.

Saint Olga was a real person from 200 years ago. She traveled throughout the Empire performing holy rites.

After Olga died, her lover carved the statue himself.

The statue is said to have shed tears on the day the sculptor died.

The statue’s tears had healing power. The pilgrims who slept before the statue that day all became younger, and all the sick people in several nearby villages were healed.

The Saint Olga statue continued to perform healing miracles for several years after that.

But as time passed, the chest area broke.

The Viscount Pesher of that time, who had been cured by the statue’s miracle, obtained a large diamond and carved it to fit perfectly into the empty chest.

It was a treasure with such a history.

If it had ever been circulated even on the black market, there would have been at least some mention when Olga’s heart shook high society.

But not a single rumor about the Saint Olga statue had ever leaked out.

So she had vaguely thought it must have been destroyed when the Pesher family fell.

‘Was the Empress keeping it?’

It probably disappeared when the Empress’s Palace burned down.

Soon Countess Marta came pushing a cart herself. On the cart was a child-sized sculpture covered with cloth.

When the cloth was removed, a statue carved from bluish stone was revealed.

It couldn’t be called beautiful. It wasn’t carved by an artist in marble. It was because an ordinary man had carved his lover’s image into common stone.

The statue’s face had two long streaks like tear marks.

The Empress handed Olga’s heart to her servant. The servant removed the diamond from the necklace and fitted it into the statue.

The Empress spoke.

“Marquess of Rosan and future Duchess of Evron, I will give you this statue as a wedding congratulation gift. Since you received Olga’s heart, completing the Saint Olga statue as a return gift seems like a perfect present.”

Artizea bowed her head deeply to show her gratitude.

The Empress stood up from her seat, swaying.

“I’m tired. Both of you may return now. Congratulations on your marriage. You’ll be busy with preparations, so you don’t need to visit again.”

“I deeply apologize for taking up so much of your time. Rosan will now withdraw.”

Artizea bowed to her.

The Empress left the audience chamber first. Countess Marta approached and said.

“I’ll arrange for what Her Majesty the Empress has bestowed to be sent to the Evron Ducal Residence. Would that be alright?”

“Yes. Thank you, Countess Marta.”

“Then please return safely. Congratulations on your marriage.”

Artizea exchanged greetings with her.

Then she linked arms with Sedric and went outside.

Sedric asked in a low voice.

“Are you alright, Tia? You look tired.”

“Yes. I am a bit tired. I put a lot of effort into this.”

“Did you achieve everything you intended?”

Artizea thought carefully. Then she reached a conclusion.

“Yes. I heard all the answers I could hear.”

The Empress didn’t give an immediate positive answer. However, giving an immediate answer to such an important matter would be foolish.

Artizea wasn’t worried.

The Empress’s heart had definitely leaned toward them. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have bestowed the Saint Olga statue.

She had kept her dead friend’s heirloom in an incomplete state in her bedroom, unknown to anyone, until now.

What thoughts did the Empress have as she looked at the statue missing its heart before sleeping each night?

And what thoughts made her reveal it?

Sedric let out a small sigh.

“In any case, we’ve taken on an enormous responsibility. The Pesher family, no less. We could still cancel now.”

“You noticed.”

“If there were no descendants of the Pesher family alive, there would be no reason to hide the Saint Olga statue. I now understand why Her Majesty has kept the Empress’s Palace closed and lived quietly until now.”

The Empress still had something left to protect.

“What do you want to do?”

“Is this a matter I can decide?”

Artizea asked. Sedric asked back.

“You started this. Of course you should decide.”

“What about you, Lord Sedric? I can tell you which would be advantageous, which would be beneficial. But ultimately, it will be the House of Evron that takes in the Pesher family.”

Sedric thought for a moment.

But the answer had been decided from the beginning.

“I don’t want to turn away from the Pesher family. That wouldn’t be right either. I was originally planning to search for descendants anyway.”

Sedric let out a small sigh.

He had told Ansgard to look into it, but in the end, he hadn’t actively investigated until now.

He felt guilty.

That said, he couldn’t ignore the risks. After all, his top priority was protecting the Evron Duchy.

“If we think about priorities and decide it’s better to postpone this, let’s do that.”

“The Pesher family matter is just a small issue. Lord Sedric is already taking care of plenty of dangerous people anyway.”

Artizea said, thinking of the village of rebels in the Evron Duchy.

Understanding her meaning, Sedric made a shameless face.

Artizea smiled.

“His Majesty the Emperor surely already knows about the Pesher family, so don’t worry too much. He can’t immediately cause trouble just for protecting them. Bringing up events from 18 years ago would be a political burden for His Majesty as well. Especially now that he’s brought Lawrence into the succession structure.”

Just mentioning the names of the rebel princes would be disadvantageous to Lawrence.

So Artizea wasn’t too worried.

On the surface, it appears they must fulfill what the Empress requested by taking charge of the Saint Olga statue.

But in reality, if that deal falls through, it’s the Empress who will become anxious.

The Empress had aged 18 years without accomplishing anything. She must have felt anxiety about having no one to entrust things to.

She hadn’t been able to find someone with both the proper character and power to be the protector of her precious friend’s bloodline.

So rather, they were the ones holding hostages. The Empress had no choice, while they did.

Artizea smiled.

“Rather, shouldn’t you be asking me about something else?”

“You mean the salt crystals?”

Sedric said in a somewhat troubled tone.

“It’s true that it’s a big burden. But you judged it necessary, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then that’s enough. To bring the southern region under control, we need to deal with the Liagan Duchy. The current House of Liagan’s salt income is heavily involved in His Majesty’s finances as well.”

Sedric sighed.

“But whether such a day will really come… I can’t imagine it.”

“Don’t worry.”

Artizea said.

How could she make an emperor if she couldn’t even accomplish that much?

Artizea smiled and looked up at Sedric.

“Let’s go back.”

Sedric nodded. Then he walked alongside her as they left the Empress’s Palace.

“Marta, open the box.”

The Empress said as she sat up on the bed in her nightgown.

Countess Marta opened the box she had brought from the audience chamber.

When the lid opened, the four walls of the box fell open with a thud.

And from within emerged deep blue salt crystals that looked like jewels.

“Your Majesty the Empress…”

Countess Marta called to the Empress with a trembling voice.

The Empress couldn’t say anything for a moment.

These jewel-like salt crystals came only from one beach owned exclusively by the House of Liagan.

The crest of the House of Liagan also contained a pattern depicting salt crystals.

The House of Liagan had lost all its direct descendants except for the Empress.

Since the Empress had renounced her right to inherit the title when she married, she couldn’t reclaim that title after her parents died.

The one who now held the ducal title was a collateral relative who was the Empress’s seventh cousin.

It was the Emperor who had backed him to place him in that position.

Considering that the foundation of the House of Liagan originated from Southern Sea salt, the meaning behind Artizea offering these salt crystals was clear.

Artizea was telling the Empress that she would restore the House of Liagan to her.

“Marta.”

The Empress spoke with a completely cracked voice.

“Is this possible?”

“…How could someone like me dare make such a judgment?”

Countess Marta said with a voice filled with tears.

Completely restoring the House of Liagan was an impossible task. There was only one direct descendant—the Empress.

And the Empress had no children at all. She had no relatives close to the direct line either.

She had no intention whatsoever of passing it to one of the existing blood relatives. They were traitors who had submitted to the Emperor and harmed the main family, so they all deserved to die.

So even if they drove out the current Duke of Liagan, there was no way for the Empress to reclaim the future she had originally wanted.

Still, Countess Marta couldn’t say that.

Knowing the pain the Empress had endured for eighteen years, she couldn’t bring herself to say it was impossible.

“That’s right. It’s impossible.”

The Empress said this and lay down sideways on the bed.

Countess Marta placed the salt crystals where the statue of Saint Olga had been until now. It was positioned exactly where the Empress’s gaze would fall when she lay on her side.

“Marta, you know…”

“Yes…”

“I never forgot, not once.”

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress…”

“I’ve grown old and have no strength left in my hands and feet, and I thought confrontation was impossible since even crouching and hiding has become barely manageable… but still, I never forgot.”

The Empress said this.

Perhaps exhausted from receiving a guest after so long, the Empress soon began to doze. And she soon fell asleep.

Countess Marta carefully covered her with a blanket.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————