The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 72

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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 72

Lisia patted her chest.

“Oh, you startled me, Sister Aubrey. What are you doing there?”

Lisia and Aubrey were cousins. Even though they didn’t live close by, they maintained some level of contact.

When Lisia was young, they were closer. She had been entrusted to Margaret’s care and raised at the fortress to learn noble etiquette and refinement.

But even though they were similar in age, the two never became close.

Lisia said.

“I didn’t see you at the banquet hall. I heard you became Her Grace the Duchess’s maid…”

Aubrey came out to where the lamplight reached. Lisia frowned.

Aubrey’s clothes and makeup were excessively flashy. Since Artizea had appeared elegant and refined but not luxurious, the difference stood out even more.

If this were a banquet where Aubrey herself was the protagonist, it might have been acceptable. But this was the New Year’s banquet.

If Aubrey had entered the banquet hall like this, the maid would have been dressed more splendidly than her master.

Aubrey said sharply.

“That woman blocked me from even entering the banquet hall.”

Lisia didn’t understand who Aubrey was referring to. She never imagined that she would refer to the Duchess with words like ‘that woman.’

Not feeling inclined to ask who she had what trouble with, she said evasively.

“…Aunt Margaret was looking for you.”

“What did you talk about with His Grace?”

“Nothing much. His Grace the Prince seemed to have some worries, so I just listened to him a little.”

“Why you?”

“Because I happened to be nearby when he felt like talking.”

The most important thing Sedric probably wanted to say was to please take good care of Artizea.

Also, as a representative of the village of the rebels, he probably wanted Lisia not to worry. He was telling her that he didn’t marry for political reasons to interfere in Lawrence’s succession war.

But Lisia didn’t explain in such detail. Aubrey’s expression wasn’t normal.

Aubrey interrogated in a shrill voice.

“Is it because of that woman?”

“Pardon?”

“It is because of that woman, isn’t it? Yes. I knew it would be like this. His Grace is a wise person, so even if he was momentarily bewitched, he would quickly realize what kind of person that woman is. What did he say? Didn’t he say anything about me?”

Only then did Lisia realize that she was referring to Artizea.

“Surely you don’t mean Her Grace when you say ‘that woman’?”

“Why? Did I say something wrong? Then, should I praise such a woman?”

“Sister Aubrey, how dare you say such things?”

“Did I say something I shouldn’t have? She may be called the Grand Lady of Marquess Rosan or whatever, but doesn’t everyone know that woman’s mother was the Emperor’s mistress? That woman herself is said to be the daughter of the previous marquess, but no one knows who her real father is, right?”

“Sister, watch your words.”

“Well, she’s no ordinary whore. When her mother is such a woman, what could she have learned?”

“Now you’ve insulted not only Her Grace but His Grace the Prince as well!”

Lisia raised her voice.

“Stop pretending to be good. It’s disgusting.”

Aubrey looked at Lisia with a face full of disgust.

“Just because I’m a subordinate, I can’t say a word about how that woman is terrible? What kind of woman is she?”

Aubrey spoke in a voice seething with resentment.

Artizea had treated her like a lowly servant.

Shouldn’t the Duchess of Evron not do that? Naturally, she should adapt as a member of the ducal house and respect the House of Jordin.

Even Sedric respected Aaron and Margaret. He treated her like family too.

But that woman kept her standing endlessly and treated her worse than furniture. She let maids ignore her and blocked even Sedric from giving her attention.

How could she do this to her, the precious daughter of House Jordin?

“His Grace always said he would choose the most suitable person for Evron. But is that whore suitable as the Duchess of Evron?”

“If there really are problems that make her unsuitable as a duchess, and you learned about them and are speaking for His Grace’s sake, then why can’t you tell His Grace directly? Go into the banquet hall now and give your loyal advice to His Grace the Prince in front of everyone.”

Lisia pointed toward the banquet hall. Aubrey raised her voice.

“That woman made it so I couldn’t even enter the banquet hall!”

“That’s not it. His Grace was here just a moment ago, but you couldn’t come forward then either.”

Lisia said sharply.

“If you sought an audience through proper channels saying you wanted to give advice, His Grace the Prince would never refuse. Instead of doing that, you insult and criticize Her Grace, and catch me, an easy target, to curse behind her back. Is that because you’re being upright, Sister?”

“You, you!”

Aubrey raised her hand in anger.

Lisia grabbed her wrist before she could be slapped. Then she said coldly.

“Don’t harbor vain thoughts, Sister Aubrey.”

“Let go of this!”

“You’re doing this because of jealousy, Sister. If you think about it carefully, the answer will come to you immediately.”

Aubrey’s face turned bright red with anger and shame. Her hair stood on end.

Lisia said.

“His Grace graciously cherished us like real sisters. But that was because our parents, and aunt and uncle, served His Grace with all their hearts. You weren’t special.”

“I told you to let go! You can cravenly cling to that woman all you want!”

“Her Grace doesn’t need your recognition. She is the mistress of this land, personally chosen by His Grace the Prince.”

Aubrey struggled frantically to shake off Lisia’s hand. But she couldn’t possibly win against Lisia in terms of strength.

Lisia held her firmly and said.

“I can’t let you go. I don’t know what you might do. Since you’ve insulted Her Grace out loud like this, it’s no longer just your personal matter. I can’t let you cause His Grace the Prince any more trouble.”

Aubrey struggled until her hair came completely undone and became disheveled. The silver pins in her hair fell to the floor. Her face and ears turned bright red.

The commotion grew louder. Soon Margaret, who had heard that the two were fighting, came running.

Margaret was shocked to see Aubrey’s appearance and grabbed her shoulders.

Lisia let go and sighed deeply. Her arms ached.

“Aubrey, what on earth were you trying to do, looking like this?”

“Ah! Mother! Why are you doing this too!”

“Let’s go!”

Margaret grabbed Aubrey’s wrist.

“What did I do wrong! I can’t accept that such a whore is His Grace’s companion!”

Aubrey screamed. Margaret hurriedly covered Aubrey’s mouth, but the sound echoed throughout the entire corridor.

The servants and maids were terrified and bowed their heads. Then they pretended not to know and left the scene.

Bang!

The door slammed shut roughly.

Left alone, Aubrey paced around the room, fuming.

Margaret had dragged her not to House Jordin but to the temple.

She was worried that if she took her to the count’s house, people might say she was trying to protect Aubrey.

She chose the temple because it had many empty rooms, was a public place, but wasn’t a prison.

Even during the day, she hadn’t expected things to go this far.

However, the outrageous words spat out in the corridor today were absolutely unacceptable. She couldn’t even imagine what worse things she might have said in front of Lisia.

Quietly sending her to a country villa or something could no longer cover this up.

“The Jordin family has been loyal retainers to the ducal house until now, and has received His Grace’s utmost trust. That was mother’s and father’s lifelong pride. But you alone are going to destroy our family. I can’t let that happen.”

“What did I do wrong? What’s the big deal about one mere maid getting hurt?”

“As a maid, you threw away the duties Her Grace entrusted to you, tore open the head of her favored maid. On top of that, unforgivable verbal abuse toward Her Grace. If it had been someone from the knight order who heard it instead of Lisia, your head would have flown off on the spot.”

Margaret said with a suffocated expression.

“To think I raised my child like this.”

“I did nothing wrong. I don’t think I said anything I shouldn’t have either.”

“When the snow stops, go to the convent. Live there for the rest of your life, never coming out, reflecting on yourself.”

“Mother!”

“How grateful should you be that Her Grace is forgiving you just by removing you from her sight?”

Margaret said that and closed the door. Then she ordered a servant to watch Aubrey.

Aubrey couldn’t contain her anger. She was angry not only at Artizea but also at Lisia.

Why didn’t Sedric ever properly speak a word to her, yet he said such things to Lisia? What exactly was she lacking?

That’s when it happened.

The door opened.

“Who’s there!”

Aubrey shouted sharply. The two fallen servants slumped smoothly inside the door.

What entered after kicking aside the servants was a young man with flame-red hair. Three or four armed men followed behind him.

“W-who are you?”

Aubrey was terrified.

The man had a bronze-tanned face and wore a short sword. At a glance, he clearly wasn’t from the North.

The man pulled over a chair, sat down, and smiled broadly.

“A leather merchant from the Southern Sea. I came up north without knowing the northern weather well and got stranded. Thankfully, the Church took pity on me and provided lodging.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Right. It’s a fabricated identity for public use. But it’s true that I got stranded because I didn’t know the northern weather well, and that the Church took pity on me. Sit down, Princess Jordin. I didn’t come here to harm you.”

Aubrey slowly relaxed her tension.

After all, what evil deed could this man possibly commit here? This place was none other than the Fortress’s Temple.

“Bold of you. No, I’m not criticizing. That’s just perfect. You need that kind of guts to make negotiations possible.”

“What’s your purpose? What do you want to negotiate?”

“I came to get my woman back. It seems you could help with that.”

“Your woman?”

The man smiled broadly.

“To be precise, the woman I intended to make mine. Imagine how dumbfounded I was when I heard she married another man while I was on my way to propose.”

Aubrey trembled violently. She realized the man was talking about Artizea.

Wasn’t that right? In this Evron Fortress, the only outsiders were Artizea and her maids.

She was the only person who could have connections with someone from the Southern Sea.

“That woman is really ridiculous. You mean she had a lover on the side and still married our Prince?”

The man didn’t answer that question but smiled wickedly and said this:

“Princess Jordin. I hear from rumors that you quite dislike the Grand Duchess… Don’t our purposes align quite well?”

Aubrey nodded without needing to think.

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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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