The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 83

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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 83

Artizea watched from outside the door as the urgent surgery took place.

Lisia pulled her hand and led her away. Artizea realized she was trembling violently.

The village chief had prepared a bathroom. Lisia first immersed her in lukewarm water to prevent frostbite.

The maids poured hot water little by little to thaw her frozen body.

“How, how…?”

Her lips were trembling so much that only those words could come out.

Lisia answered.

“Yesterday morning, we received reports that several small units of Karam had been spotted.”

“They crossed… the Thold?”

The Thold Mountains were treacherous.

Except for the gorge called the Thold Gate, there were no paths suitable for military units to travel.

That’s why for hundreds of years, wars with Karam had centered around the Thold Gate.

At least, that’s what Artizea knew.

Lisia said.

“Crossing the mountain range isn’t entirely impossible. Hunters and herb gatherers cross quite regularly, and slash-and-burn farmers and traders also travel through. We turn a blind eye to individual crossings.”

This was close to a kind of agreement between Karam and Evron.

Trade was conducted this way too. Since they couldn’t communicate and looked different, acting as spies was impossible anyway.

But a group of nearly 40 people crossing the mountain range individually was unprecedented.

That’s why Sedric had initially fired warning shots.

The guns the knights carried were short-range, low-powered secondary weapons from the start. Unless they hit vital spots, they posed no threat to Karam.

Yet he ordered the shots to see how the Karam would react to the gunfire.

And instead of scattering in surprise, the Karam lowered their bodies and charged forward.

They were undoubtedly all warrior class.

“We sent out reconnaissance units to various locations. Then I became worried about Your Highness. If Your Highness’s carriage happened to encounter Karam, escape would be impossible, and all the equipment the Prince had taken with the knight order was for hunting.”

That would have been sufficient when fighting a small number of people. However, when facing Karam, they needed to be heavily armed.

Color returned to Artizea’s face. Lisia helped her out of the water.

The maids dried Artizea’s body and wrapped her hair. Cotton pants and a top were put on her.

Lisia let out a sigh.

“I was worried about the clothes you were wearing and the carriage you would be riding…”

“There was no need for that.”

“There was.”

Lisia forced a smile. It was clear she was trying to control her emotions.

Artizea’s heart wasn’t at peace either. How many had died?

Suppressed screams were still rising from downstairs. It was the sound of a knight with a leg injury receiving treatment.

Next, Artizea was led to a room where a fire was warmly burning.

Since the only decent house was the village chief’s house, Sedric, the reinforcement commander, and several other knights were also here.

“Tia, are you hurt anywhere?”

Sedric looked at Artizea and asked. Artizea shook her head.

“I’m perfectly fine. But rather…”

She carefully looked around at the people. A solemn atmosphere hung among the knights.

“Six dead, seven wounded, two of them seriously.”

“Sir Ned will be fine. He’s not the type to lie around long just from a cut on his thigh.”

Sedric said. Considering they had faced twice as many Karam with only 20 men and no proper equipment, this could be considered a good fight.

Artizea couldn’t bring herself to ask if Colin was alright and just looked down at her feet.

“Thank you for coming to support us at the right time. If you had been a little later, it would have been a disaster.”

“It’s thanks to Baronet Morten. Most of the scouts were already moving toward where the Karam units had been spotted. We heard the sounds of fighting while moving with carriages and clothes to meet Your Highness.”

“You did well, Lisia.”

“It was naturally what I had to do.”

Lisia answered briefly.

“Why are warrior-class wandering around in a place like this?”

“We’re looking into it now.”

Sedric fell into thought for a moment.

Artizea’s head was spinning. As far as she remembered, this year wasn’t supposed to be a year for war.

It was impossible that changes in the Empire’s internal situation had influenced Karam. There was no one who could communicate that closely with Karam.

Artizea had only learned of that possibility for the first time after coming to Evron. It would be right to think that people from other regions didn’t know.

“We should rest for today. You all go back and rest too. The sun has set.”

“Yes.”

The sound of knights withdrawing rumbled loudly.

Lisia also turned to leave.

The door closed.

Sedric remained like that for a while, covering his face with both hands. He seemed overwhelmed with emotion.

Artizea stood there quietly like a criminal.

When she had started wars, when she had killed his people, had he worn this same expression?

He surely had. Countless times.

At that thought, her heart pounded wildly and breathing became difficult.

With each breath she exhaled, it burned like a scald from her chest to around her armpits. She couldn’t keep her eyes open.

So she stood there with her eyes tightly shut, and at some point Sedric had approached in front of her.

“Ah.”

Artizea stepped back in surprise. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace.

“Just stay like this for a moment.”

He remained like that for a while without saying anything. Artizea stiffened her body.

It would be good if she could embrace him back. Someone who could do that should have been here.

But all Artizea could do was anxiously and carefully touch Sedric’s hair.

Sticky dirt came off his hair, as if blood had only been wiped from his face and hands.

“Do you think I’m right?”

“Pardon?”

“When I clean the wounds of injured soldiers, kiss them, and comfort them… each time I do such things, I feel like a wicked hypocrite and can’t bear it.”

“Why… do you think that way?”

There were plenty of people in the world who thought of soldiers’ lives like paper chess pieces.

There weren’t even many who treated them as numbers while thinking it was regrettable when they decreased.

Compared to that, why would Sedric, who remembered each and every person and even tended to their wounds, be a hypocrite?

Artizea knew he would never forget treating Colin in this place.

He would care for Colin’s family and ensure Colin could live properly until the end. That was the kind of person he was.

“I’m the one who brought Sir Colin here to fight.”

“It was Sir Colin who decided to follow Lord Sedric. Since the knight gave his full loyalty, you just need to honor him as his lord.”

Sedric said with dark eyes.

“Yes, I am receiving loyalty.”

“Lord Sedric…”

“The better I do, the more soldiers stake their lives on me.”

“You’re not doing it hypocritically to receive loyalty, but because it comes from your heart.”

“But the result is the same. Sometimes I feel like I’m… telling soldiers to die for me.”

Artizea couldn’t say anything.

“Do you think good intentions that bring unfortunate results have value? Is there meaning in righteous processes that leave only sacrifice?”

“Lord Sedric…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to let go of everything? Do I have enough value to sacrifice other people?”

Though Sedric asked Artizea, he didn’t seem to want an answer.

He fell silent again.

She carefully stroked his face with trembling hands. There were no tears around his eyes, but it almost looked like there were.

“It’s difficult to explain, but…”

“Tia.”

“People who think they would die for Lord Sedric without regret won’t doubt you.”

Sedric closed his mouth.

‘You think that way because you don’t know true hypocrites, true evil people.’

Artizea couldn’t say those words. Instead, she carefully pulled his head into an embrace.

She didn’t dare put strength into the arms that held him.

At dawn that day, Sedric personally covered the bodies of the dead knights with white cloth.

“Someone from the fortress will come to collect them separately.”

“Yes.”

The village chief bowed his head.

The brief mourning ended with a moment of silence and salute. A proper funeral would be held later at the fortress.

In the distant dawn sky, four beacon fires and smoke rose up. It was a signal from the fortress at Told Gate.

“It seems there’s trouble at Told as well.”

A knight said so.

“I should go.”

Sedric let out a small sigh.

One beacon meant alert, two beacons meant local conflict, three beacons meant Karam’s large army was approaching.

And four beacons meant the decision-maker’s instructions were needed immediately.

“Is it war?”

Artizea asked. Sedric answered.

“It’s not certain. Rather, I think it’s more likely that problems arose within Karam itself. If so, they won’t be able to rashly come out with total war either.”

“Within them?”

“There are several factions within Karam that have power struggles. For the past few years, I understand the moderates have been holding the initiative…”

Sedric said this and gently caressed Artizea’s cheek.

“Don’t worry too much. It doesn’t mean war has broken out yet. You should go to the fortress. I only made temporary arrangements, so please take care of things.”

“Yes.”

“I need to go to Told Gate.”

“Yes…”

“Military matters can be left to Agate Marquis.”

Artizea nodded. This time Sedric called Lisia.

“Lisia.”

“Yes.”

“I trust you. Stay by Tia’s side.”

Lisia knelt and bowed.

“Morten’s daughter will obey your command.”

Sedric finally placed his hands on both of Artizea’s shoulders. Then he bent his head to meet her eyes.

It was as if he was trying to engrave his gaze into her eyes.

“Tia, I will trust you. So you trust me too.”

“Lord Sedric…”

“Everything you do is my responsibility. Don’t forget that.”

These were words she had heard before. But they carried different weight than when she heard them then.

It felt like a heavy weight was falling on her heart.

“When we go together, we’ll be able to find a truly proper path.”

Artizea didn’t nod. She couldn’t.

Sedric embraced her once and let go.

“I’ll be back.”

He said this and pulled down his hat. Then he mounted his horse.

Five knights followed him onto their horses. Six horses galloped northward like a whirlwind.

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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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