The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 71

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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 71

Artizea returned to her seat after dancing two songs.

It felt like butterflies had entered her chest. Every time her skirt spread like flower petals, she could feel wings fluttering in her chest, making her suffer.

Artizea turned away from that feeling.

‘I can do this well.’

Because she was confident in enduring.

So that her fluttering heart wouldn’t be noticed.

So that the sound of her pounding heart wouldn’t be heard.

She would be able to do it well.

When she stood up, Cedric took her hand and asked.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll go get some fresh air.”

Artizea consciously suppressed her expression and answered.

She pulled her hand out from within Cedric’s grasp.

When it was held, it felt as if she wouldn’t be able to pull it out. But when she actually applied force and pulled her hand, there was no strength in their intertwined hands, so it came out easily.

Cedric stood up following her.

“The air is indeed stuffy.”

“Please stay here. The host shouldn’t leave.”

“It’s fine. Everyone is enjoying themselves appropriately.”

The atmosphere was becoming pleasantly boisterous.

More wine bottles had been emptied than Artizea could have imagined. People dancing in the hall to the cheerful dance music were also enjoying themselves.

Though it wasn’t elegant, it was an enjoyable banquet. Even if Cedric left his seat briefly, the atmosphere wouldn’t be ruined.

But Artizea became troubled. She had planned to go out under the excuse of getting fresh air and then quietly return.

“Instead of that, why don’t you dance one song with the young lady I’ve turned into a flower decoration here?”

Lisia stood up in confusion.

“If you permit it, I will escort Your Highness. Please just stay here, Your Grace.”

“Leaving the banquet hall without dancing even once won’t do. Didn’t you refuse dance invitations because of me?”

Artizea said this with a smile. Lisia shook her head.

“I’m not good at dancing, and I don’t like it either.”

“That works out even better. His Highness can make even someone like me dance quite splendidly, so take this opportunity to learn.”

Artizea said this and went outside.

Alice, who had been waiting behind, quickly draped a fur cloak over her shoulders.

“My lady, what’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

Alice hesitated, unable to give a clear answer.

Alice had the feeling that Artizea was pushing Cedric off onto Lisia. But thinking about it, since she was the person right next to them, it seemed like something she could just say.

Cedric, who had been momentarily bewildered, hurriedly followed her out.

“Tia.”

At the calling voice, Artizea stopped walking.

Cedric approached her side.

“Are you angry?”

“Do I look angry to you?”

Artizea asked in a calm voice. Cedric couldn’t answer.

She didn’t look angry. Rather, she looked sad.

“Tia.”

“I’m just a bit tired. When nothing happened, why would I be angry?”

“Are you alright?”

Cedric reached out his hand. Artizea took half a step back. Cedric hesitated and lowered his hand again.

Artizea spoke gently.

“Don’t worry. I’m perfectly fine. It’s already past midnight, and I want to rest now.”

It was the same attitude and tone as usual.

Cedric had no intention of stopping her when she said she wanted to rest.

She had received congratulations and danced. At other times, he would have told her to return to her quarters first to rest since she would be tired.

But now was different. He realized something was wrong.

However, he couldn’t tell what problem had arisen.

“I’ll escort you to your room.”

“It’s fine. Please go back in. If both of us leave, the subordinates will also feel uneasy.”

Artizea said this and turned her back. Alice bowed apologetically to Cedric and quickly followed behind Artizea.

Cedric watched until her figure disappeared.

Artizea went to the end of the corridor and climbed the stairs without looking back at him even once.

Cedric sighed and turned back toward the banquet hall, when Lisia came out.

“Has Her Highness left? Is she alright?”

“I don’t know.”

Cedric sighed again. Lisia approached him and asked.

“Did I make some mistake?”

“That wouldn’t be it. You don’t need to worry. If there had been a fault, she would have scolded you clearly.”

“But she was angry, wasn’t she?”

“I’m not sure about that either. She’s someone who doesn’t show her feelings. Anyway, it’s not your problem.”

Cedric ran his hand over his face once.

If something had been done wrong, it was on his side. But even thinking back, he couldn’t guess what he had done wrong.

Lisia smiled.

“You really like her, don’t you?”

Cedric’s face reddened slightly. Lisia laughed softly.

“Actually, father was very worried. He heard various rumors about you being in love or such things, but he still didn’t believe it. He thought it would be a political marriage.”

“Well.”

“Many people thought about Her Highness’s mother’s issues too. But father was more worried about your brother’s side.”

“Because Baron Morthen thinks it would be better if I didn’t get involved in central politics.”

“Yes. He thought you were trying to get involved in the succession struggle.”

“And you came to confirm that?”

“What am I to do such confirmation? We just thought that if Your Highness joined Lord Lawrence’s faction, it might be better for our village to hide deeper. I’m still young, and since I’m a woman around Her Highness’s age, we thought greeting her wouldn’t be too conspicuous. I didn’t know you had already told her everything.”

“Regarding your village, Tia knew even without me telling her.”

Lisia swallowed.

“It would be terrible if the village people found out.”

“Don’t worry. I’m getting involved in politics to create a situation where it won’t matter even if it’s revealed.”

Cedric said.

“More than that, what do you think?”

“About Her Highness? Or about Your Highness getting involved in politics?”

“Both.”

“What would someone like me know?”

Cedric smiled. And he gestured for Lisia to come this way. It was an inappropriate conversation to have standing at the banquet hall entrance.

Lisia quickly walked to his side. The two walked toward the corridor for a moment.

“You’ve had good intuition since you were very young. Wise beyond your years.”

Lisia’s wisdom was of a different kind from Artizea’s cleverness.

She saw through others’ lies well, as if she had eyes for truth. Even regarding matters where right and wrong didn’t seem clear at first glance, she intuitively pointed to the right direction without logical reasoning.

Lisia said.

“Not getting involved is also another way of being involved in politics, isn’t it? The Evron Duchy can’t help but be affected by what kind of person the next emperor is. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to choose the right person and support them?”

Compared to Artizea’s judgment that even choosing one person and joining a faction would eventually lead to being checked, this was quite soft.

Cedric thought Artizea’s judgment was correct. However, Lisia’s words were also worth considering.

These were words spoken without knowledge of central politics. It would be one of the thoughts that the people of the village of rebels had.

But to Cedric, that was also an important matter.

Lisia said.

“And it’s not like it was a political marriage anyway. Since Your Highness married someone you care for so much, I think that alone is sufficient.”

Cedric cleared his throat. Lisia asked in surprise.

“Is it not the case from Your Highness’s perspective?”

“I didn’t marry for political purposes like you or Baron Morthen might have thought, but it wasn’t like the rumors either… I didn’t marry because I fell in love.”

He was aware that this marriage was mutually beneficial. He was also relying on her strategies.

But one of the reasons he initially accepted the contract marriage was because he thought he should protect her until she came of age.

The succession rights that Artizea mentioned were matters for the future. He didn’t think about them seriously.

And after two years, he thought it would end with divorcing and letting her go as Artizea demanded.

Cedric let out a sigh.

Lisia looked at him with puzzlement.

“But you care for her now. Isn’t that enough? Are Your Highness’s feelings different?”

“It’s not such a simple matter. Tia is still young.”

“The age difference isn’t that much, is it? My parents’ age difference is probably twice that of Your Highness and Her Highness.”

“But Tia is still only eighteen.”

Cedric had already accepted his own feelings.

But age wasn’t just a simple number. It also marked the stages of life that a person must overcome.

And an eighteen-year-old young lady wasn’t standing on the same step as Cedric. That was separate from the numerical difference.

Artizea had only just barely escaped from a cruel household and begun living her own life.

She possessed sharp reasoning and keen judgment. She could see through people’s hearts and viewed the world broadly and deeply from perspectives others couldn’t even imagine.

But she was clumsy with her own emotions. She seemed to know no way of handling emotions other than enduring them.

So he thought to be careful.

Approaching her as a man was something he should do after a little more time had passed… after Artizea had experienced life a bit more. For now, he had to be satisfied with just giving her affectionate care.

But lately, Cedric kept forgetting that.

He had always thought of himself as a person with self-control. And now he felt he had overestimated himself too much.

Lisia said.

“Your Highness first stood at the front lines of Told Gate as the master of Evron at sixteen, and by eighteen you had already become a warrior worthy of your position. Her Highness is already fulfilling her role as the head of the marquessate and as the Grand Duchess. And though it’s embarrassing for me to say so myself, I’m here now as a representative of Mortan and the village.”

“Because I did that, all the more so, I hope that you all, and Tia, don’t have to grow up so quickly.”

“But Your Highness doesn’t see Her Highness as young at all, do you?”

“I have nothing to say to that.”

“And what can you do about it? You already care for her.”

Cedric covered his eyes with his hand again. His earlobes turned red.

“Don’t tease me too much.”

Lisia laughed.

“Please take good care of Tia. She seems to like you. Tia has no friends, and she probably never had proper opportunities to socialize with peers, so I hope you’ll get along well with her.”

“If you call me to her side, it would be an honor for me.”

Cedric smiled and gently patted her head. It was exactly the same attitude as when she was young.

“Thank you.”

And he returned to the banquet hall first.

Lisia paced around lost in thought for a moment, then slowly turned around.

And she met eyes with Aubrey, whose eyes were bright red.

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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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