The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 6

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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 6

Artizea thought it was only natural. What other reason could there be for Milaire’s bad mood?

Lawrence was already 23 years old. No matter how preciously raised a son might be, it was time for him to find his mother bothersome.

This was even more true for someone like Lawrence, who had been raised to be self-centered in all matters.

“Doesn’t he at least tell you where he’s going?”

Milaire only sighed without answering and pressed her temples.

Around that time, knowing that Milaire’s attention had turned elsewhere, Sophie carefully took out the curling iron and began curling Artizea’s hair.

Artizea habitually offered Milaire the same comfort she always gave.

“Brother Lawrence has many friends, doesn’t he? He has many things he must do… So it can’t be helped.”

“Yes, I know. Your brother is a wonderful man, so many people must seek him out.”

Milaire lamented.

“I just hope he doesn’t get caught by some vixen somewhere.”

“Don’t worry. Brother is a wise person, isn’t he?”

“But women are a different matter. No matter how excellent a man is, it’s useless if a woman sets her mind on seducing him. Sexual desire is a man’s instinct, after all.”

Milaire always said such things. Artizea often wondered whether this was wisdom or prejudice born from Milaire’s experience.

In any case, even at times like this, the response was predetermined. What Milaire wanted to hear was pleasant comfort.

“How could Brother be like that? You raised Brother so preciously, Mother. Brother isn’t that kind of person.”

When she was younger, she had thought Milaire’s words were genuine concerns and had worried alongside her sincerely.

However, she was always beaten for saying such inauspicious things, for cursing him.

Now Artizea was no longer hurt by such things, and she also knew that Milaire wasn’t really speaking to her.

At her words, Milaire nodded.

“That’s right. Your brother is different from those ordinary men. Still, I worry. Eventually, when a man meets his woman, he’s bound to forget his mother… You won’t do that, will you?”

“Of course not, Mother. I’ll always stay by your side.”

Artizea answered respectfully. Milaire smiled with satisfaction.

“That’s how it should be. You’re my daughter, after all.”

While having such conversation, Sophie finished curling all of Artizea’s hair.

Sophie wasn’t tactless either, so she deliberately over-curled the hair to make it short and unfashionable.

Milaire seemed satisfied with this as well.

“Have a good trip. Make some donations too. Get some fresh air. You must always pay attention to the Temple.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Artizea answered obediently.

Making donations to the Temple and winning favor by distributing money to priests, as well as recruiting Imperial Palace servants and low-ranking officials to create an information network, were all things Artizea had proposed when she was 15.

Milaire had tried to do similar things several times before.

However, despite spending large sums of money, she rarely achieved efficiency and was always irritated.

Then she succeeded after following Artizea’s advice.

Yet now Milaire thought she had planned all of it herself and that Artizea had merely run errands.

But Artizea didn’t feel resentful.

In a few days, at most within a month, the entire situation would change.

She didn’t want to bother fighting or getting beaten over such trivial matters, so she pretended not to know and acted exactly as before.

“Miss, are you alright?”

After Milaire left, Sophie asked with concern. Artizea nodded.

“This isn’t something new, is it?”

“Yes… But still.”

“Help me get dressed.”

“Ah, yes.”

Sophie hurried to move.

Artizea had no corset.

When she was young, Milaire had made her wear a small corset, saying she needed to look even a little better.

But once Artizea developed a nearly adult body, Milaire prevented her from tightening it, saying it would give men lustful thoughts.

Instead, Sophie attached a bustle pad to her hips and dressed her in a dress with dark green stripes.

The parasol matched accordingly, beige with green trim around the edges.

Finally, Sophie sat her in a chair and put her hands into her hair.

She massaged her scalp and combed out the tightly curled hair with her fingers.

The curls loosened to an appropriate degree and cascaded down smoothly.

Since Artizea’s hair had always been a beautiful color, it looked gorgeous and lovely this way.

Artizea awkwardly looked in the mirror and touched the ends of her hair. Her hair covered her thin cheeks, making her seem somewhat pretty.

“How is it? Don’t worry, Madam. It will all come undone by the time you return. If you’re really worried, you can sprinkle some water on it.”

Sophie said cheerfully. Artizea didn’t know what to do.

It wasn’t that Artizea had paid no attention to her appearance at all.

However, this was the first time a maid had made her look pretty not for some plan, but simply to look beautiful.

When satisfied, she would give silver coins to the maids as praise.

But today, the maid hadn’t done her job well according to necessity—she simply liked the hairstyle. Would that still be appropriate?

Was it even okay to look pretty in the first place?

Artizea always had an obsessive anxiety about whether she was allowed to do things for herself.

‘Now, I must break free from Mother.’

She firmly resolved this.

“Don’t you like it?”

Sophie asked with an anxious face. Artizea shook her head, opened the vanity drawer, took out a silver coin, and gave it to Sophie.

“No. You worked hard today.”

“Wow! Thank you!”

Sophie received the silver coin with both hands and bowed her head.

There was a knock at the door.

Alice, who had finished her assigned tasks, entered and was startled when she saw Artizea.

“Miss! How are you so completely beautiful today!”

Sophie secretly made a victory sign from behind Artizea.

Artizea noticed this and gave Sophie a warning look. Sophie giggled and shrank back.

Alice, who was more spirited than Sophie, said cheerfully.

“Beautiful is beautiful! It would be nice if you always went around like this.”

“You’re good with words. But flattering me like that won’t get you anything. Did you finish what I asked?”

“Yes. I packed the lunch properly and loaded it in the carriage.”

“Well done.”

Artizea gave Alice a silver coin as well.

Sophie finally placed a small hat decorated with artificial flowers on her head.

Artizea took her parasol and went outside with Alice in attendance.

The work of changing the future was just beginning.

At this time, Duke Cedric of Evron was at a military camp pitched outside the Capital.

Cedric was the Emperor’s nephew. His mother had been the Emperor’s sister.

Before Cedric turned two, his parents were accused of treason and killed. At that time, almost all imperial family members except the Emperor’s children died.

Only Cedric and Loigar, who was still fourteen, survived the purge.

The Emperor originally had five other children with the Empress besides Lawrence.

However, not one child reached adulthood. Two died of illness as infants.

When the remaining three all died of disease and accidents within two years, rumors spread that the Emperor was cursed as a kinslayer.

There were even rumors that the ghost of the dead Empress wandered around the innocent graves of the Duke and Duchess of Evron, shedding tears of blood.

The Emperor captured and executed everyone who spoke such rumors.

However, his violent nature was somewhat tempered with age. He was also shocked by his children’s successive deaths.

The Emperor eventually restored the Duke and Duchess of Evron.

But Cedric became disillusioned with power. So he had no intention of entering central politics and silently protected the Evron Duchy.

When Cedric’s reputation grew high, the Emperor this time forcibly summoned him from the north.

And he commanded him to take charge of the Imperial Western Army to pacify the western regions overrun with monsters.

There were monster waves in the west. This referred to monsters whose numbers increased every few years attacking human settlements.

When the situation was severe, more than half of the western plains would be devastated by monster attacks.

Commoners lost their homes and wandered, and industries including agriculture were ruined. Human trafficking was also frequent.

When monster waves were severe, food was as scarce as during great famines. Rumors of cannibalism spread quite often.

However, the Krates Empire, which had lost the spirit of its founding days, could not reach as far as the west.

Cedric essentially had to start from rebuilding the Western Army.

And after a long, long campaign, he subjugated a vast area extending beyond the borders and fortified the strongholds.

For a while, there would be no trouble from increasing monster populations. It was a great victory.

However, the Emperor had not yet permitted a triumph ceremony.

So Cedric had been stuck there for two months, having set up a military camp outside the capital.

“This is not the time to be stubborn.”

His aide Freil lamented.

“Just do it. The triumph ceremony—what’s so important about that? Isn’t His Majesty’s purpose to separate Your Grace from the Western Army anyway?”

The Emperor wanted Cedric to enter with only his Evron Knight Order and hold the triumph ceremony.

He would separate generals who had achieved military merit and greatly honor them while excluding the Western Army itself from rewards.

This was a method to win over capable generals, draw them to the center, and sow discord between them and the Western Army.

By doing so, he prevented renowned military commanders who could unite the Western Army from emerging.

The west was distant and vast, beyond the proper reach of administrative power. To keep that land under continued control, the central army had to be strengthened and the Western Army weakened.

Even if this caused the west to lose its ability to defend itself.

But Freil shook his head.

“That would be better for the Western Army too. We can’t keep this up forever, can we? Even without honor, there would be silver coins.”

“It’s the rightful honor that soldiers who suffered for over a year without troop reinforcements and with insufficient supplies should receive.”

Cedric spoke firmly.

“We don’t need a lavish ceremony. Merit-based rewards cannot be done with wealth alone.”

Cedric’s expression grew serious.

“The subjugation was a great victory, but if we don’t bind them firmly with honor and pride, the same thing will repeat in a few years. What if the barely trained soldiers end up disbanded?”

“Then Your Grace could just absorb them. Rally them to the Evron Duchy.”

“If the west falls, the entire Empire will be in danger.”

But even Cedric couldn’t help but let out a small sigh.

“I know what you’re talking about, Freil. We can’t stay like this forever.”

“Then what do you intend to do?”

“I’m thinking of requesting mediation from the Archbishop.”

Freil made a strange face.

The Emperor had a bad relationship with the Temple.

“Well. Would that be effective?”

“We have to try something. My dreams have been unsettling too, so I was planning to visit the Temple anyway.”

“Your dreams?”

“Yes.”

Cedric nodded.

A woman he had never seen before appeared in his dreams.

She was a woman with prematurely white hair disheveled, saying nothing at all, her entire face wet with tears as she wept endlessly.

In a way, it was a terrible sight, horrible enough to be called a nightmare.

But rather than being frightening, it somehow evoked pity. Only suffocating and desperate emotions remained, as if something inside his chest was being squeezed.

In many ways, it was a dream with a bitter aftertaste.

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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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