The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 81

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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 81

13.

The snowy plains stretched endlessly, no matter how far they traveled.

Even when they had traveled up the river by ship, she had thought it was an uninhabited plain. Now that it was covered with snow, even the sounds were quiet.

Artizea thought it felt like traveling through an empty place without knowing the direction.

Of course, it was different for the knights surrounding the carriage and for Cedric. For them, this was a familiar road they had traveled thousands of times.

Knock knock.

There was a sound of knocking on the wooden shutter, so Artizea carefully lowered it. Cedric peered in and asked.

“Shall we rest for a moment?”

“Is it okay to rest?”

“We’re at the edge of the forest, so the wind is a bit less harsh. It would be more comfortable for your body to move around, even briefly.”

Artizea nodded. With all the shutters closed and sitting alone in the small carriage as it rattled along, her body had grown stiff.

Cedric opened the carriage door and extended his hand. Artizea took his hand with some embarrassment.

He pulled Artizea up and lifted her down in his arms.

Cedric had said the wind was less harsh, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t blowing at all.

Artizea gathered her hair that was blowing in the wind. She wanted to untie the ribbon and retie it, but she didn’t dare take off her mittens.

Her pale face quickly turned bright red from the cold wind. Cedric took off his gloves, fastened her coat collar again, and cupped her cheeks with both hands.

“Your hands must be cold.”

“It’s fine since it’s just for a moment. Is the carriage uncomfortable?”

“It’s okay. There wasn’t much choice anyway.”

The four-wheeled carriage from the palace wasn’t worth bringing. Not only because they had to travel on snowy roads, but also because the carriage itself was heavy.

Even with a four-wheeled carriage, the cold wouldn’t disappear anyway. So Artizea chose to ride alone in a small, light two-wheeled carriage.

But the carriage rattled constantly without rest, and the walls were thin so the outside wind came right through.

She missed the carriage from the fortress that could accommodate a small brazier.

“When I first came to this place, I thought nothing could be harder than traveling by ship.”

Artizea smiled. She had suffered a lot from seasickness then too.

But compared to pushing through this road, that was nothing.

“Stretch yourself. We have to keep riding until evening now.”

Cedric said this and put his gloves back on. Then he grabbed both of Artizea’s arms.

Artizea looked up at him questioningly, not knowing why he was doing this. Cedric grinned and pulled her arms straight up.

“Ow, ow, ow.”

There was a cracking sound from her stiff shoulders.

“You didn’t even take walks during your time at the fortress, saying it was too cold.”

“I did walk around in the drawing room a bit.”

“What kind of exercise is spinning around in a room?”

Artizea had nothing to say and laughed shamelessly. Cedric lowered her arms.

Then this time he stretched them out to the left and right.

“Mmph.”

When Artizea groaned, Cedric relaxed the strength in his hands.

He clenched and unclenched his fists several times. Because it felt refreshing, Artizea felt a little disappointed.

Cedric let out a small sigh. Then he brightened his expression.

“Shall we take walks around the castle next time?”

“…Yes.”

Artizea blushed.

Then she sighed and looked up. Since it wasn’t a deep forest, she could see the sky and snow-covered mountain ranges between the sharply rising coniferous trees.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking that the future feels far away.”

Cedric lightly wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Buried under the edge of his cloak, Artizea closed her eyes for a moment.

He had only blocked the wind, but Cedric’s outer clothing was even colder. Because he had been riding continuously. Still, her body grew warm.

Artizea thought it wouldn’t be so bad to gather all of life’s joys and enjoy them in a single moment.

“Don’t be impatient. This is just the beginning.”

“Yes.”

“Shall we walk a bit?”

In that same position, Cedric began to walk. Artizea also walked slowly under his arm.

There was a crunching sound in the snowy field. The outside of her boots got wet.

“You could go ahead first. You could save much more time if you went alone.”

“It’s fine.”

“You only made temporary arrangements at the fortress before coming.”

“That’s true, but there’s nothing urgent. It would be ridiculous to rush out saying I’m going to rescue you, then return alone, wouldn’t it?”

“But you did rescue me. What’s wrong with that? I’m saying you should go handle urgent matters first since the return journey is difficult.”

“I would misunderstand that you want to avoid me again.”

“I never did that.”

“Tia, I’m not particularly quick-witted, but I’m not completely dense either. Did you think I wouldn’t know that you were trying to push me off onto Lisia?”

Having nothing to say, Artizea closed her mouth. Cedric spoke as if lamenting.

“Don’t have such thoughts. It’s a nuisance to Lisia in the first place.”

“What did I do that’s so wrong?”

“You pushed a young maid to serve tea to your husband. I thought such things only happened in bad political marriages.”

Artizea’s face reddened.

She knew she was starved for affection.

Once she began to desire something, she would obsess over it and devote her entire life to it. Once she grasped an extended hand, she would never be able to let go from her side.

She didn’t know exactly when Cedric and Lisia had fallen in love in the past.

What was certain was that Cedric had proposed to Lisia, and Lisia had accepted that proposal.

It had happened three years after Lisia became a saint.

There was almost nothing Cedric could gain from that marriage. Because Lisia was a retainer of the House of Evron.

Rather, he could have lost prestige. Considering she was from the village of the rebels, there were even risks involved.

Still, the two had decided to marry.

If Artizea hadn’t manipulated the oracle, the two would have married and protected the duchy together.

Lisia had broken off the engagement because of the oracle that she would become empress. She was worried that Cedric would be harmed because of the oracle.

After Lisia and Lawrence married, Cedric left the capital and never returned.

And he never spent his life with any other woman. Not before, not after.

In the end, this time too, she had stolen Cedric from her.

Artizea looked at Cedric with complicated feelings.

Would his heart naturally lean toward Lisia again as time passed this time too?

It seemed likely. While caring for and watching over someone as beautiful as Lisia with her unbreakable, shining heart, how could he not fall in love?

But perhaps this time, since neither would be driven into difficult circumstances, they might not build the same deep affection and bond as before.

‘Then, wouldn’t that be okay?’

Anyway, she didn’t know whether she would be alive when all this was over.

So until then, at least, wouldn’t it be okay?

Just thinking about it made her feel guilty and her heart pound.

But what would change by adding this one feeling to all the countless evil deeds she had committed so far?

The future had already changed. She could no longer return Cedric to Lisia in perfect condition.

This marriage had become established as a real marriage. The man who had given his heart only to Lisia his entire life no longer existed.

‘He loves me.’

The moment she recalled those words, heat surged through her entire body.

The two were not yet lovers. She hadn’t stolen him yet.

So just a little longer like this.

At least until Cedric’s heart wouldn’t leave her.

“Tia, what are you thinking about?”

Cedric called her and asked.

“Deep thinking is your strength, but in cases like this, it’s a weakness. You worry too much.”

“It’s nothing.”

Artizea tried to turn her gaze away. But Cedric caught that gaze and peered into all kinds of emotions swirling within her eyes.

And he lowered his head.

Hidden beneath the cloak, their lips briefly touched. Artizea unconsciously closed her eyes tightly.

In that moment alone, there were no thoughts, no guilt, no complicated feelings.

She slowly opened her eyes only after Cedric’s lips had parted from hers.

Cedric struggled to tear his gaze away from Artizea’s lips that were pressed together as if gathered. Her usually pale lips looked particularly red today.

He impulsively reached out with his other hand to caress those lips. Artizea’s face flushed red.

“You don’t need to try so hard to give me up to someone else.”

“That’s…”

“It’s fine if I’m mistaken. But doing that is very wrong to me, Tia.”

Artizea lowered her head with a flushed face. In truth, it was the opposite.

She had been thinking that she wanted to possess him even if it meant committing a sin.

She carefully grasped Cedric’s sleeve.

“It’s just… I’m not… used to it.”

It didn’t seem like she would ever get used to someone prioritizing her.

Cedric lowered his head once more.

This kiss was slightly deeper and a little longer than the previous one. Artizea breathed out through her nose in bewilderment and clutched Cedric’s clothes.

Cedric supported and embraced Artizea’s back as she lost her balance.

He bit and tugged at Artizea’s lower lip once with lingering reluctance. Then he helped her stand upright.

When they suddenly looked around, all the knights had their gazes directed elsewhere.

Some were staring into empty space, while others were absorbed in stains on their shoe tips or observing tree bark.

Cedric cleared his throat. Artizea’s face turned red as she lowered her head.

“We should depart now. We’ll be able to reach the lodging before sunset.”

“Yes.”

“Your boots aren’t wet inside, are they?”

“Huh? Oh, they’re fine. Ah!”

Cedric suddenly lifted her up. Artizea was flustered.

But instead of struggling, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck.

“You said I had to walk…”

“It’s a snowy field.”

Cedric said that in a cracked voice.

“We can rest properly if we go just a little further, so bear with it.”

“Yes.”

That’s when it happened.

Hoooooo!

The sound of a horn blown by a scout echoed from the distance.

Cedric was horrified. He hastily pushed Artizea into the carriage.

“What’s happening— Kyah!”

The carriage door slammed shut in front of her as she tried to ask.

Cedric shouted.

“Giant beast!”

A beast’s roar echoed from the distance.

And that sound rushed toward them like an avalanche in an instant. Artizea couldn’t clearly distinguish between the distant and near sounds.

Bang!

The first gunshot shook the carriage like thunder.

“How is Karam here!”

Someone screamed.

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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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