The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 56

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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 56

8.

From the capital to the Evron Duchy was a distance that took nearly a month and a half by sea route.

By land, it usually took a tight four weeks. This was based on skilled messengers continuously changing horses as they rode.

There was a road. However, one had to pass through vast lands where no people lived along the way.

The Evron Duchy had vast territory and low population density. No matter how far you traveled, no villages appeared.

Traveling by land meant continuous camping outdoors, and it was cold with strong winds. There were also problems with water supply, so it wasn’t a route ordinary people could easily take.

Therefore, from spring to autumn, both cargo transport and people’s travel mostly used sea routes.

When winter came, most ports in the Evron Duchy would freeze over. When that time came, exchanges with the Empire’s mainland decreased even further.

This was also why the Empire’s citizens distinguished and called northerners as northerners.

“Really, it seems a bit scary. It’s like a foreign country too.”

Alice whispered to Artizea.

The two were standing on a ship traveling upstream along the river.

Artizea had crossed the sea on a large ship for over a month. And yesterday, she had transferred to a sleek, fast ship that would take her from the river mouth to the fortress.

The scenery visible along the riverbank was exotic and unfamiliar, just as Alice had said.

Despite having a large river with abundant water and vast plains, there were no villages. They had been traveling rapidly for over a day since changing ships at the port, but hadn’t encountered a single inhabited area.

Trees stretching high into the sky formed forests. On the mountain ranges that curved far in the distance, enclosing the land like a fence, eternal snow sat. Icebergs could be seen in the sea.

“Oh, my lady, look over there! It’s a deer!”

“Aren’t you tired of seeing so many of them?”

“It’s fascinating. They don’t even run away when they see people.”

In the capital, it wasn’t easy to see wild animals. Even beyond the city’s boundaries, it was all inhabited areas. There were mountains and forests. But they were all managed places.

This place was completely different.

Artizea cast her gaze into the distance.

Her ears were dizzy from the sounds of waves and wind. Having been enveloped in these sounds constantly, she was almost forgetting what quiet meant.

“What are you looking at in this cold wind?”

Sedric said from behind, wrapping Artizea in a fur cloak. Since she hadn’t heard his approach, Artizea was startled.

“Ah.”

Warmth rose to her cheeks over something that was nothing at all.

She had gotten used to this too.

Ridiculously, it was thanks to seasickness.

The ship Sedric used when traveling to and from the Evron Duchy was very large, stable, and luxurious.

However, for the first two weeks, Artizea suffered from seasickness. Living on sugar water and chocolate, what little weight she had gained became gaunt again.

Her worries about how to share the same cabin with Sedric had all been pointless. She didn’t have the mental capacity for such concerns.

By the time her body adapted and became accustomed to the ship, the awkward and embarrassing memories of the first night were roughly covered by time. While being carried by Sedric to go up and down to the deck for fresh air, she had also become accustomed to him.

Artizea fidgeted with the brooch Sedric had fastened when he closed her cloak. With her head lowered, she couldn’t tell what expression he was looking at her with.

It took some time to pretend to have a composed face.

“Alice still seems fascinated by the scenery.”

“The atmosphere is different from the central regions.”

“Autumn has disappeared.”

Unlike the mild imperial capital, the Evron Duchy was a cold region.

Once you crossed the Allia Wall, the southern border of the duchy, the temperature changed dramatically from there. And the Thold Mountains, the northern border, were also the northern survival limit for humans.

The wedding had been held around late summer. Since over a month had passed since then, the capital would now be in full autumn.

But here, it was already winter weather.

“This is autumn here. It’s still somewhat better now, but when we get to the fortress, the wind will be harsher. It will get progressively colder from now on.”

“I won’t overdo it.”

“Your words are hard to trust. It really would have been better if you had stayed in the capital.”

At his reproachful words, Artizea laughed.

“It would be awkward to be talked about as living separately right after marriage. And it’s better to be away from the capital during winter.”

Until the seeds of conspiracy she had sown would sprout and grow.

And she needed to rest her mind for a while. When she returned, she would be busy harvesting.

“This is your first time leaving the capital, isn’t it?”

“Yes…”

Artizea cast her gaze into the distance.

It had been the same in the past. Until Sedric showed her the ruined Empire, Artizea had never left the capital.

She was someone who sat in dark back rooms, moving chess pieces and pulling strings.

There were times when she had to directly handle things that happened in the Imperial Palace or social circles. But as her subordinates increased and the scope of her schemes’ influence widened, there were no occasions for her to move directly.

She had never stood on her own feet to see the endless horizons of the west, or the beautiful hills of the east.

The north was the same.

Thinking about it now, it had been wrong from the start.

Plotting conspiracies to seize power could be done from a small room.

But politics is about governing life. She should have first known that each living life exists separately.

If she had seen the world a little earlier, would she not have done such things?

“Tia, what are you thinking about?”

“I’m not thinking about anything.”

Artizea consciously emptied her mind.

Not yet. This was still just the beginning stage. She couldn’t start thinking of human lives as more than numbers.

For a moment, she stood there facing the cold wind.

She tried to empty her mind, but it didn’t work well. Sedric was standing too close.

Artizea kept correcting her consciousness that kept wanting to lean toward him.

“Tia.”

Sedric called her again. Her body temperature shot up for no reason.

“The fortress is visible!”

Just as she was about to lose her mental balance and reveal her confusion, someone shouted.

Artizea opened her eyes. After passing about halfway through a forest, a majestic and rough stone castle came into view.

“Wow!”

Sophie’s exclamation could be heard from when she had come up.

Sedric said.

“I hope you won’t be disappointed.”

“Why would someone who knows the history of House Evron be disappointed? That fortress is the very pride of House Evron itself.”

The history of the Evron Duchy was made up of endless wars.

This was because groups of monsters called Karam regularly moved south from beyond the Thold Mountains.

This place also had relatively convenient transportation as it bordered a river. However, the areas where resources were actually abundant and population was concentrated were further south.

Considering smooth governance, it would have been right to build the fortress further south. Considering exchanges with other regions, they should have at least positioned themselves close to a place with unfrozen ports.

But House Evron didn’t do that. Instead, they built a defensive fortress close to the Thold Mountains and made their nest there.

This was to guard the defense line of the Thold Mountains and protect the people who couldn’t evacuate.

As long as they stockpiled enough food, they could hold out for several years.

When beacon fires signaling that the defense line had been breached were lit, all nearby people would gather at the fortress. And while the fortress held them back, the people of the southern regions would evacuate below the Allia Wall, the second defense line.

In short, this fortress was a sign that the ducal house guarded the Thold Mountains, and also a symbol of sharing fate with the people.

This is why Evron was called Northern Evron, the Shield of the Empire.

Sedric smiled awkwardly. He was both happy about the praise for his family, and also embarrassed to accept that praise as his own.

“Anyway, it’s certain that the inside is as ungainly as the outside. It wasn’t originally designed with living comfort as the priority…”

“It should block the wind well.”

“Hmm. By the standards of people who are used to it…”

Sedric groaned with an uncertain attitude.

Artizea was wrapped in a fur cloak, and the maids were also wearing their own coats.

However, Sedric, along with the knights and servants, were all dressed in thin clothing. Some of the sailors were even wearing short sleeves.

Artizea only smiled.

The ship soon connected to the dock linked to the fortress. The knights disembarked first, then Sedric escorted Artizea.

All the retainers and servants of the fortress had come out and were lined up at the dock.

“Welcome back, Your Grace.”

A middle-aged couple dressed in dignified clothing stepped forward and bowed.

“I’m glad to see you both looking well, Aaron, Margaret.”

Sedric lightly embraced each of them once. Then he introduced them to Artizea.

“Tia, these two are Count and Countess Jordin. They’ve been managing the territory while I was away.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness. We’ve been waiting for your arrival.”

Count and Countess Jordin knelt together.

Artizea also nodded gently and exchanged greetings with the two. Then she said.

“Rise. I’m pleased to meet the trusted retainers of House Evron. Please help me greatly until I become familiar with the territory’s affairs.”

“We will serve you with all our strength.”

The two answered in unison.

“Everyone has gathered to pay their respects to you both.”

Aaron beamed.

“You’ve had your wedding ceremony, but you should hold a reception here as well. How many people have been waiting just for the lady of the house to appear?”

“Well. A reception might be a bit much. What do you think?”

Sedric turned to look at Artizea and asked.

“You’ve safely returned after quelling the monster wave for the first time in three years. It’s quite understandable that they’d want to celebrate, isn’t it?”

“Would you be alright with it?”

“Why wouldn’t I be alright with it?”

“Don’t you dislike crowded gatherings?”

Artizea was a little surprised.

That was true.

Her avoidance of balls wasn’t only because her clothes were shabby, or because she had complexes about her appearance, or because she couldn’t dance well.

She originally didn’t like crowds. Because she thought too much, she got tired quickly in places with many people.

But she hadn’t expected Sedric to know that.

Just then, a young girl rushed out from among the people and leaped into Sedric’s arms.

“Your Grace! You’ve returned!”

“Oh my.”

Sedric was startled. He caught the leaping girl while blocking her as if to prevent her from bumping into Artizea.

Margaret hurriedly grabbed the girl’s hand.

“Aubrey, what kind of rude behavior is this!”

“I’m sorry. I heard the news about the ship arriving too late. I’m happy you’ve returned, Your Grace.”

Aubrey’s eyes reddened as she looked up at Sedric with a shy face.

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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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