The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 84

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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 84

The journey to the fortress in a proper carriage was slower in speed, but much more stable. The cotton clothes and coat that Lisia had brought were warm and quite comfortable.

Artizea sat silently. Her mind was complicated.

Lisia, who sat facing her, spoke gently.

“Lord Colin and Lord Ned will be fine too. The treatment was quick enough, so they said once the wounds heal, they’ll be able to live normally.”

“I’m not worried about the injured.”

Artizea said this and looked out the window.

What she was worried about was Sedric’s side.

There was a small hand warmer inside the carriage. Cold wind seeped in through the window that was opened to let out the smoke.

“Does Lord Sedric usually… treat the injured directly like that?”

“Yes. That’s what I understand.”

Lisia answered.

“When there’s a military doctor, of course the military doctor comes first. In his boyhood… He first went to battle at sixteen. At that time, he couldn’t participate directly in combat, so he said he would at least do things like this…”

Lisia didn’t finish her sentence. Artizea could understand everything she hadn’t said.

“I see.”

The Emperor had killed both of Sedric’s parents but kept him alive to prevent Evron from falling apart.

If they had lost all descendants of the ducal house, Evron would have simply given up being part of the Empire. But because there was a young lord, they had stuck together as one and endured.

Sedric carried that weight on his back.

“Do I have enough value to sacrifice other people for?”

Artizea knew Sedric’s hardened expressionless face the best. Next, she knew his anger.

She also knew his dumbfounded face and his face in pain.

Now she also knew his joyful or shy face, and his face when he spoke sweet and tender words.

She had also seen his passionate face.

Nevertheless, she still couldn’t imagine his face shedding tears.

Artizea quietly looked down at her palm. The eyelashes that had brushed against her palm weren’t wet.

But that sensation strangely made her heart flutter.

She knew everything from Sedric’s birth to his growth process. She had memorized even the names and personality traits of his wet nurse and tutors. She also knew the results of his first campaign and the first battle where he served as vanguard.

But no matter how much she had memorized from documents, she kept seeing things here that she hadn’t known.

“Does he grieve?”

At Lisia’s question, Artizea suddenly awakened from her thoughts.

“Hm?”

“He never shows us such a face.”

“Ah…”

Lisia smiled.

“I wanted to thank Your Grace for coming all the way here. Father was always worried too.”

“…”

“They say His Grace always said he was fine, could still do it, it was nothing even in his boyhood.”

“Lisia…”

“As someone of noble birth, as Evron’s only pillar, it was perhaps a proper attitude, but it seems it always pained the adults.”

Lisia lightly added that she was young then and didn’t really understand.

“You don’t know how happy we are that Your Grace has accepted Evron like this and is staying with His Grace.”

“No…”

Artizea lowered her eyes.

Perhaps that would have originally been Lisia’s role. Rather, she had stolen a glimpse of something she shouldn’t have seen.

But hearing such words from Lisia, she couldn’t even lift her head properly.

* * *

The atmosphere of the fortress they reached after taking a full additional day was precarious.

Before, there were many people who rejoiced and cheered when the Grand Duchess’s carriage passed by.

But now there was no one offering greetings. There was no one peacefully removing their hat to pay respects while doing their work and returning to their tasks.

Those walking the streets quickly avoided the carriage. The faces of those who did greet them were darkly gloomy.

Anxiety hung like fog. It probably wasn’t because of the Karam problem.

‘So trust has been broken after all.’

Artizea lamented inwardly.

She had heard the situation explained by Lisia.

The crime Aubrey had committed was unforgivable, regardless of its cause.

Leaking the structure and secret passages of the fortress was a grave crime worthy of execution on the castle walls, even if committed by the lord’s family.

Since she had tampered with the water supply route that would be the castle’s lifeline in emergencies, it was a situation that couldn’t be overlooked even if the lord himself had done it.

Artizea thought she shouldn’t have come to Evron at all.

She hadn’t intended for Aubrey to go that far. At most, she had planned to drive her out so she could never come near the leadership again.

But this was her responsibility. If she hadn’t come, Cardriole wouldn’t have tracked her down here either.

Aaron and Margaret had cared for the fortress for over twenty years. House Jordin was a family trusted by all, high and low.

No matter how deserving their crime was, such a family had been cast out at once for high treason.

The castle that had been impregnable since its construction had been breached.

The Grand Duchess who had caused this was an outsider who had been married for less than half a year. Rumors that the kidnapper was her former lover had also spread somewhat.

From the people’s perspective, they couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Artizea sighed.

In her previous life, it had been such a difficult crack to create, but she had made it herself not long after coming here.

This time, it absolutely shouldn’t have happened.

“Your Grace.”

Lisia called her in a gentle voice.

Soon the carriage stopped. Marquis Agate had come out to meet them.

Opening the carriage door and escorting her down, the Marquis said.

“I’m glad you’ve returned safely, Your Grace.”

“You’ve worked hard. I heard you took charge of managing the fortress in place of His Grace.”

“Yes. It was temporary until Your Grace returned, but given the situation, I’ll need to handle military affairs for a while.”

“I trust you. His Grace went straight to Told.”

“We saw the beacon from here too. Currently the fortress is operating the knight order mainly composed of patrol units. I’ll report if there are any changes in the situation.”

“Are the villages alright? There were quite a few casualties on the way back…”

“It’s fine because it’s winter. In summer there are many people moving about for work, but now most will be inside the stockades. They say each unit is around forty men, so they’ll hold out fine until reinforcements arrive.”

Artizea nodded. If Marquis Agate said so, that would be correct. Even if it weren’t, there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

“All Karam units spotted so far have been defeated. You must be tired, so don’t worry and rest. The fortress is safe.”

“Thank you.”

Marquis Agate bowed politely and withdrew.

Next, Alice, Sophie, Rizhe, and the other maids came pouring in.

“My lady!”

“Do you know how worried we were?”

“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you? Should we warm you up first? Shall I prepare bath water?”

“Can you eat dinner? We have pumpkin soup, I’ll bring some.”

Artizea was almost pushed along toward the bedroom.

Even after entering the room, the chatter didn’t die down. Lisia raised her voice to calm the commotion.

“Everyone stop! Her Grace must be tired!”

The maids flinched.

“Sophie, prepare clothes to change into. Rizhe, bring soup and chocolate. Everyone else, prepare bath water. Your Grace, may I also go change my clothes briefly?”

Lisia organized the commotion all at once. Since a headache was about to start, Artizea was truly grateful.

“You must be tired from being outside for so long too, go rest, Lisia.”

“Thank you, Your Grace. I’ll be back soon.”

Lisia bowed her head respectfully. Then she left the room.

Then only Alice remained in the room. After a moment, Artizea realized this was Lisia’s consideration.

Alice smiled brightly.

“Lady Lisia seems like such a wonderful person. She puts your mind at ease, my lady… Even now, she’s being considerate because she knows I have something to report to you, right?”

“Come here for a moment, will you?”

Alice tilted her head curiously and approached Artizea.

Artizea spread her arms and embraced her.

“What’s the matter, my lady?”

Alice hesitated, not knowing what to do.

Though she was a personal maid, Artizea had never made such direct and intimate contact before.

Artizea let out a sigh.

“Just.”

“Just?”

“Yes. Just…”

Alice laughed as if finding it strange.

“Our young lady, you must have had such a hard time.”

“…”

“It’s alright.”

Warm hands gently wrapped around Artizea’s back. And patted her soothingly like comforting a child.

“It’s really alright now.”

“Alice.”

“You’ve returned safely now. Nothing will happen.”

In truth, it should have been Artizea saying those words, not Alice.

But she couldn’t say them. Artizea just held Alice tightly.

Artizea realized for the first time that this was what she had wanted to do when she first returned and met Alice.

And that she had wanted to embrace Sedric like this too.

But even now, when she embraced someone like this, Alice was the only person she could think of who would accept her.

Lisia unfastened the pistol from her waist and set it down.

That pistol originally belonged to Sedric.

It was made by the most skilled craftsman among those in the capital.

It looked simple in appearance. Except for the ducal house’s crest engraved in gold on the grip, it had almost no decorative elements.

But in terms of performance, it was probably one of the finest guns.

Sedric had given it to her on the dawn they departed for Told, before daybreak.

“Have you learned how to shoot?”

“A little.”

“You handle everything well, so it won’t be difficult to learn. Practice with it.”

Lisia was nervous.

A lord personally handing over his favored weapon carried extraordinary meaning.

It was giving authority along with trust. Especially if it bore the family crest.

It was too much of an object to entrust to an 18-year-old baron’s daughter.

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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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