The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 60

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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 60

Aubrey clenched and unclenched her fists in front of the corridor leading to the Duchess’s quarters.

“Who would acknowledge such a woman as the Duchess?”

She muttered to herself.

Before sending Aubrey, Margaret had spoken sternly.

“Don’t speak empty words, and don’t even dream of empty thoughts. She is Her Grace the Duchess, personally chosen by His Grace, and the Marquess Rosan. Normally, our house is merely a provincial count’s family, and you, being the youngest daughter, are not worthy to serve such a person.”

“Mother.”

“Nevertheless, the fact that she would take you as her first maid and keep you close is a grace bestowed upon us in consideration of our family’s loyalty to the ducal house all this time.”

Margaret’s worries were mountainous. If she could follow her heart, she wouldn’t want to send her. However, not sending her would only invite greater suspicion.

She could only hope that Artizea possessed compassion and understanding as much as wisdom. She hoped she would understand that Aubrey was merely a foolish child, not that Jordin was disloyal.

“Her Grace the Duchess is someone whose intelligence can be recognized after meeting her for just a few minutes. Aubrey, please don’t disturb her mood with childish behavior. Not only would you be in danger, but the family’s honor is at stake.”

What moved Aubrey was, of course, not such advice from her mother. It was rather her eldest sister’s threat to shave her head and send her to a convent if she acted foolishly.

‘Her Grace the Duchess, how ridiculous. She’s just a courtesan’s daughter after all.’

Aubrey thought.

She didn’t know what circumstances led Sedric to marry that woman. She had heard rumors of a love marriage, but Aubrey didn’t believe those words.

‘She wasn’t even pretty.’

She had been curious about what kind of great beauty the daughter of the Emperor’s favored mistress would be.

But by Aubrey’s standards, Artizea was a failure.

Her body was excessively thin, with no healthy curves to be found. Even considering she had been on a ship for a long time, she was pitifully haggard.

Her skin was white, but pale like sickness.

Sedric had once said he would marry someone suitable for the Evron Duchy.

And in Aubrey’s opinion, a sickly outsider who couldn’t even properly leave her room was unqualified to be the Duchess.

The Emperor’s influence must have been involved, or there must have been such circumstances. There might have been some other sinister means. With the Emperor’s mistress as her mother, couldn’t that daughter pull off such tricks?

But Sedric was a wise person. Even if he might be currently enchanted by fox-like tricks, he would soon come to his senses and break free.

‘I’m much better.’

Aubrey thought so.

Being the Duchess’s maid would allow her to see Sedric frequently. That one thing was good.

Someday an opportunity might come her way. Thinking this, she had dressed up with all her might since morning.

Aubrey let out a big sigh, straightened her posture, and puffed out her chest. She thought she looked quite pretty today.

With confident steps, Aubrey headed toward Artizea’s toilette room.

When she knocked on the door, no one responded. Aubrey gently opened the door with her own hand.

“I am Aubrey of Jordin…”

“Try this on!”

Aubrey’s words were drowned out by the exclamation that burst from inside.

“It’s the coat the master sent this morning. It’s a bit long, but if we just adjust the cuffs a little, you should be able to wear it!”

Sophie said cheerfully.

Artizea’s small face was buried in pure white sable fur.

“Isn’t this originally men’s clothing?”

“What does it matter? It suits you well. We should leave the sleeves generously long so your hands are buried. Since my lady’s hands get cold even with gloves, this might be better.”

“Even the Marquess’s wife probably doesn’t have such precious sable fur?”

Aubrey was shocked.

That sable fur coat was Sedric’s clothing.

When three white sables without a single hair of different color mixed in were discovered at once, the adults made a fuss calling it an auspicious sign.

Sedric had personally shot them with arrows, catching them without a single wound. A simple celebration feast had even been held.

It was that precious an item.

Rizhe, who noticed Aubrey belatedly, asked with a cold attitude.

“What brings you here, young lady of House Count Jordin?”

Aubrey was incensed by the rude maid. However, before she could shout, Artizea turned to look in that direction.

“Stop it, Rizhe. Come here, Aubrey.”

That voice was calm and dignified. Aubrey felt an inexplicable sense of defeat and bit her lower lip.

“I greet… Your Grace the Duchess.”

Recalling Margaret’s stern warning, Aubrey made an effort to bow her head in greeting.

“Yes. I assume you heard the story from Margaret.”

“Yes.”

Artizea turned her gaze from Aubrey back to the mirror.

Originally, she had planned to appropriately check Aubrey and teach her a lesson. But now she didn’t feel like doing that. She didn’t have the mental capacity for it either.

Last night she couldn’t fall asleep until dawn. Yesterday’s kiss wouldn’t leave her mind.

It was merely a light touch at most. Rather, holding hands to dance had been deeper contact.

But even now, the sensation of that moment came alive. The affectionate gaze, the warm hands, the lightly trembling breath – none of it seemed likely to fade from memory.

Her body felt like it was floating in mid-air.

Aubrey, thinking she had been ignored by Artizea, trembled with anger.

While the mistress had lost the desire to teach Aubrey a lesson, the maids were different. Alice handed Aubrey a jewelry box.

“What’s this?”

Thinking a maid dared to push work onto her, Aubrey was about to get angry. Alice smiled brightly.

“Such things are originally the maid’s role, Lady Aubrey. Until now I’ve been holding it since my lady had no maid, but now you should do it, Lady Aubrey.”

From the rudeness of calling her by name to her impudent expression, there wasn’t a single thing she could forgive.

However, Aubrey couldn’t overturn the Duchess’s jewelry box.

The new maid Pola gathered Artizea’s hair to one side and braided it. Artizea looked at the mirror.

She worried whether the area under her eyes looked dark. It was also the first time she cared whether her cheeks were too hollow and her cheekbones too prominent.

She wanted to look pretty.

Artizea recalled the events of early summer.

The day she had returned from that long and miserable future and went to meet Sedric.

That was when she first looked properly in the mirror. Sophie had said she would make her pretty, so she told her to do so.

She thought she liked her hair and gave her a silver coin… and then felt something like anxiety and guilt.

It seemed she had already sensed today’s emotions back then.

Knock knock.

The sound of knocking was heard.

“Ah, he must be here!”

Sophie exclaimed in a voice twice as bright as usual and ran to open the door.

Sedric met Sophie’s gaze and smiled broadly.

“Where’s Tia?”

“She’s almost ready.”

Sophie blushed as if shy and stepped aside.

Artizea glanced at him through the mirror. She took a deep breath. Then she turned around.

She hoped she wasn’t trembling too much. She thought her cheeks shouldn’t turn red.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. I slept in a bed that didn’t rock for the first time in a while.”

Her voice came out as calmly as she had hoped.

“Is it very cold outside? I do have winter coats… You went to the trouble of sending your clothes. It must be very precious fur…”

“Since it’s precious, you should wear it. It’s too valuable to wear during activities, so I can’t wear it anyway. Even though I told him to save it, Ansgard made it into my clothes, so it’s never even come out of the closet until now.”

“But it looks like I’m wearing a blanket…”

Sophie and Alice simultaneously opened their mouths then closed them. There was someone else to say otherwise.

Sedric shook his head.

“It suits you very well, just as I thought.”

“…”

Artizea silently bowed her head.

Sophie deliberately used a cheerful voice.

“It was time to choose hair ornaments.”

Sophie looked at Aubrey. Aubrey was startled.

Cedric seemed to notice Aubrey’s presence only then.

“Ah, so you’ve become Tia’s first maid.”

“Your, Your Highness.”

Aubrey couldn’t make the wheedling voice she used to. Cedric’s face was still as gentle as ever, but he felt like a completely different person.

Aubrey didn’t know that kind of face from him. Even with the same gentle expression, the face of a man looking at a woman and the face of an adult looking at a child had completely different emotional undertones.

He had never made such a face when he took her young hand to bring her to her mother.

“Tia has a weak constitution and gets cold easily, so please take good care of her. Having someone familiar with this place by her side makes a difference.”

“Your Highness….”

Aubrey called to him with a trembling voice. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Cedric tilted his head in puzzlement. He couldn’t figure out why she was acting this way.

“Pola, bring me anything.”

Pola brought a navy blue velvet ribbon and tied a knot at the end of Artizea’s braided hair.

The ribbon color became a focal point against her shimmering platinum hair and pure white coat.

Cedric stroked the corner of his mouth with a flushed face. He even let out a small sigh.

Artizea looked up at Cedric with puzzlement.

A smile soon returned to Cedric’s face after a moment of resignation flickered across it.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes. I’m ready.”

Artizea answered. Then she said to Aubrey.

“Aubrey, I’ll entrust my jewelry to you from now on. Alice, show Aubrey where the jewelry box is kept.”

Aubrey hesitated and couldn’t bring herself to leave her spot.

She seemed somewhat dispirited, so Cedric patted her shoulder with his palm. It was meant as comfort.

Aubrey became even more upset and lowered her head. She felt like crying.

Cedric extended his hand to Artizea. Artizea hesitated before placing her hand on his palm.

The two slowly walked outside. The maids who wouldn’t accompany them on the outing bid farewell from inside the toilette room.

After the people who might listen had disappeared, Artizea asked.

“What’s bothering you so much?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You have the look of someone who’s concerned about something.”

She couldn’t pinpoint what it was. She briefly thought it might be because of Aubrey, but she didn’t think Cedric was paying attention to Aubrey.

Cedric let out a small sigh.

“It’s nothing much. I just realized that you and Aubrey….”

“Yes?”

“Are around the same age. I didn’t get that feeling at all, so I just realized it now.”

After saying that, Cedric turned his head to the other side. He looked shameless.

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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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