The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 62

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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 62

On the way back, her mind was too complicated to spare any attention for Sedric.

As soon as Artizea returned to the fortress, she headed straight to Sedric’s office.

And she stared for a long time at the complete map of the duchy hanging in the office. The map showed not only Evron Duchy but also detailed markings beyond the Thold Mountains.

“When did you start that research project?”

“Since I inherited the title. Even before that, some people had secretly scattered seeds in the fields and harvested them. But we had never attempted large-scale cultivation by planting them in proper farmland.”

“To be honest, I want to tell you to stop. Just having made farmland beyond the Told Gate isn’t sufficient excuse. Karam is the Empire’s enemy. The Temple calls them a demonic race.”

“No place knows better than Evron how terrifying Karam can be.”

“That’s not enough, Lord Sedric.”

Artizea said.

“This isn’t actually a problem with Karam, but a political problem within the Empire. If it’s discovered, someone will definitely accuse you of colluding with Karam.”

“But crops that can survive the harsh winter in this land and serve as food are extremely rare. For now, I believe this is virtually the only possibility for solving our food problem.”

Sedric said.

Evron Duchy’s food self-sufficiency rate was below fifty percent.

In the past, Evron Duchy had submitted to the Cratese Empire for this very reason. They were heavily dependent on supply materials sent by the imperial government.

All of Evron Duchy’s problems stemmed from food shortages.

Because food was scarce, the population couldn’t grow. With a small population, industry couldn’t develop.

Without industrial development, the people’s standard of living lagged behind. This led to decreased productivity and further food shortages in a vicious cycle.

On top of that, the Imperial Court used food supply as leverage to shake the ducal house.

The Evron ducal house wasn’t poor. They had honor and wealth befitting their status.

However, making an entire territory prosperous was completely different from wearing fine clothes and decorating furniture with gold leaf within one family.

In times of crisis, money was useless. Because the Imperial Court controlled the food supply lines.

Artizea looked at Sedric.

“If the problem is receiving stable food supplies, why don’t you buy farmland in the mainland instead?”

“Supply stability is certainly an important issue. But Tia, more than that, we need crops that the people can grow themselves.”

“Once Lord Sedric becomes Emperor, everything will be resolved. This venture has great risks but very low efficiency. Even if cultivation methods are established, we’ll still have to grow them in secret.”

“This land needs a future too.”

Sedric said that.

“If I truly rise to the position you speak of, the supply problem itself would be solved. But if we receive supplies from the mainland, military supplies will ultimately take priority.”

“Lord Sedric.”

“We can never become prosperous through food rationing. And after I die, what will happen in the next generation, and the one after that?”

Sedric looked at the map and said.

“Before becoming part of the Empire, people in this region made war itself their profession. Because there was no industry suitable for making a living. How is now any different? We receive food in exchange for fighting Karam.”

“Lord Sedric…”

“We must eliminate the situation of receiving supplies altogether. Only by raising food self-sufficiency and activating trade can we escape this situation.”

“Would you consider giving up part of the duchy instead?”

Even knowing he loved this land, Artizea asked.

She could say this because she believed Sedric wouldn’t respond emotionally.

Artizea stuck a pin at a position that roughly divided the duchy in half.

“Above this line, honestly, productivity is too low. Even if we maintain the Told Gate fortress for its geographical advantages, there’s no need to form villages this far up.”

“Tia.”

“If we concentrate the population in the south, population density will increase and productivity will rise accordingly. It would also be advantageous for forming industries. And even better than that, I think it would be best to relocate all the people south of the Allia Wall and abandon the north.”

Sedric smiled faintly.

“You’re testing me again.”

“Realistically, it wouldn’t be easy. I know that too.”

Artizea said.

“But from a purely practical standpoint, that’s my opinion. If Lord Sedric takes over the Imperial Court, the ducal house would essentially disappear. There would be no one left to claim rights to this land. If you decided to preserve the ducal house’s history only in records, it wouldn’t be impossible.”

“That’s not possible. It’s not about family history—the possibility of peace with Karam would disappear.”

“What?”

Artizea’s eyes widened. Sedric let out a small sigh.

“We’ve been living side by side for over two hundred years. It may be unimaginable for mainland people, but there is some exchange happening. In fact, Evron Duchy is geographically closer to Karam than to the Empire’s mainland.”

The north was barren. When severe cold struck, it was harsh enough that survival was impossible without cooperation.

At such times, there were those on both sides who chose exchange.

“Basic communication is possible. Though rare, there are mixed-bloods. The gradually lengthening intervals between wars are because of this.”

Sedric said.

“The day will surely come when war ceases and Evron Duchy can serve as a buffer zone. I want to preserve that possibility.”

“Is that what Lord Sedric wants to do after becoming Emperor?”

“Well, yes.”

Sedric’s face reddened slightly.

“And it’s also for Evron Duchy’s sake. I want Evron to have the power to develop on its own.”

After saying that, he spoke as if making an excuse.

“I’ve laid out grand dreams without even taking the first step.”

“No…”

Artizea bit her lower lip, lost in thought.

The future Sedric envisioned was much more distant than hers, and his perspective was from a much higher vantage point.

She realized this anew.

Sedric said.

“I showed you this not only because I have nothing to hide from you, but also because I need advice. Tia, you said you would work for me, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then please help me.”

Artizea took a deep breath.

It had been almost six months since she returned to the past and met him again.

This was the first time Sedric had made a request of her during all that time.

Finally, beyond their initial contract—where she would escape Milaire’s grasp and Sedric would hold a triumph for the Western Army—he had shown her his true intentions.

Artizea closed her eyes briefly.

An advisor should fulfill their lord’s will, not try to fit their lord into their own framework.

“Marquess Rosan, do you believe your judgment is absolute while Lawrence’s is not? If so, your expulsion was only natural.”

Sedric had said that in the past.

Sedric was right. She hadn’t really trusted Lawrence’s judgment.

Though she claimed to have done everything for Lawrence, she had doubted from the beginning whether he even had any philosophy about governance.

But Sedric was different.

‘Because he’s looking upward.’

What he desired wasn’t the throne itself, but what he could accomplish from that position.

So even if her role was to place Sedric on the throne, she shouldn’t harm his intentions.

Especially if this was what he wanted to do as Emperor.

Her heart fluttered. She felt excited.

This was the first time she had someone in front of her whom she could completely trust and follow.

“When I said I wanted to see the duchy’s financial situation, it was to fill the warehouses.”

“That’s important work.”

Sedric answered matter-of-factly. Artizea said.

“After that, I was going to manipulate grain prices.”

“Tia.”

There was reproach in Sedric’s voice.

“Those supporting Duke Loigar are major merchants from various sectors and large landowners from the fertile eastern regions. They’re heavily involved in requisitioning supplies that come north.”

On average, the vast plains of the western regions produced large quantities of grain.

However, the west had severe annual harvest variations due to monster waves.

Nobles and landowners preferred owning land in the east rather than the west. The west was operated mainly by independent farmers.

The Imperial Court forcibly requisitioned grain from the eastern landowners.

The supplies sent north were the cost of protecting the Empire from Karam.

No one liked it. However, no one could refuse it either. Refusing would be seen as conspiring with Karam.

“When grain prices rise, His Majesty will entrust Duke Loigar with facilitating requisitions. But Duke Loigar is greedy, so he’ll resent sending the now-expensive grain to the North for free.”

So Artizea had interfered with that.

For several years, she had pirates plunder the grain exported to the southern kingdoms.

At the same time, she used the Rosan Marquess Estate’s wealth to hoard grain in large quantities, then dumped all the grain she obtained into the sea.

There wasn’t much need to interfere with the Western Regions. When monster waves occurred, the harvest was inevitably at its worst.

Grain prices soared sky-high. As expected, the Emperor entrusted Duke Loigar with supplying the North.

At that time, the southern Eimel Kingdom bought the requisitioned grain at high prices to meet their shortage of wheat. In the process, they bribed Duke Loigar.

For Duke Loigar, it was something he did because the calculations worked out sufficiently.

It was autumn. If he delayed just a month or two, he could refill the empty warehouses with newly harvested wheat.

He probably thought he could send the supply materials then.

However, that very year, Karam launched a large-scale southern invasion. The starving Evron Army couldn’t defend the Told Gate.

The Allia Wall nearly fell as well.

It was truly a moment that chilled the Empire’s heart after a long time.

Thanks to Sedric, who was defending the fortress, successfully catching them off guard and killing the King of Karam, the war ended within that winter.

However, Duke Loigar was held responsible for the defeat. In the process, his secret grain agreement with the Eimel Kingdom was also exposed.

The fact that the Eimel Kingdom proposed the agreement itself was something Artizea had been involved in. The agreement document had been in her hands from the beginning.

Duke Loigar was beheaded for treason.

She intended to use the same strategy. It was a proven method, after all.

However, she had to avoid war. Since she already knew which year the war would occur, she could certainly do so. The secret agreement alone would be sufficient to have Duke Loigar’s head cut off anyway.

And to prevent the Evron Duchy from starving without supplies, she planned to fill the warehouses in advance.

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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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