The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 95

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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 95

14.

Golden liquor spurted out from the fountain installed in the middle of the banquet hall.

People giggled and avoided the fountain as droplets of alcohol sprayed like drizzle. A group of young men lifted up a woman who had been standing nearby and headed toward the fountain.

“Wait! Wait! Are you really going to throw me in there?”

“Didn’t you lose the bet earlier? You said you’d go into the fountain.”

“I didn’t mean falling into alcohol!”

“If you fall into the fountain outside, you’ll freeze to death.”

“If I fall into alcohol, you all will— Kyaa!”

The young men threw the woman into the fountain without hesitation.

Her pale-colored dress absorbed the liquor and turned yellow. The woman crawled out of the fountain and threw off her shoes.

“Suck my toes!”

As soon as she finished speaking, one of the young men knelt before her. Roaring laughter erupted.

No one was angry about ruining the alcohol. There were just more victims in succession.

People laughed as if it were truly amusing. And instead of dipping their glasses into the fountain, they caught the alcohol flowing down from above to drink.

Food was piled up everywhere.

The orchestra’s music was buried under laughter and crude jokes. Even though it was close to midnight, candles burned so brightly it looked like broad daylight.

Thin silk curtains hung long from the ceiling, glittering like jewels in the light.

Young, beautiful women wearing butterfly-shaped masks danced while holding the curtains, spinning round and round. Men were tormented by glimpses of their figures.

Among them, the most beautiful was Milaire in her golden dress.

Even with half her face covered by a mask, her beauty was unparalleled. The mask decorated with gold and jewels was splendid, but the jawline and lips revealed beneath were far more beautiful.

Her hair was pinned up to reveal her nape gracefully, adorned with diamonds that sparkled with every movement. The diamond light reflecting on her naturally fair and vibrant skin made her appear even more radiant.

Milaire was a beauty sitting on the Emperor’s lap. However, she would have been worthy of being a queen through her beauty alone, not through the power the Emperor had given her.

With just a flick of her finger, worshippers would flock to her. Even if they criticized and mocked her behind her back, there were plenty of men who would throw themselves before her, spending their entire fortunes just to brush against Milaire’s hand.

“Wine! Something sweet!”

As soon as Milaire called out in a cheerful voice, more than ten glasses filled with sweet wine and honey liquor were extended toward her.

Expectant gazes turned toward Milaire. She had repeated twice the pattern of dancing with whoever brought her the most appealing glass of wine.

Milaire examined each glass one by one with an arrogant gaze.

Then she discovered that the last glass, which came from behind while gently embracing her body, contained a jewel.

“Oh.”

A large ruby in the white wine reflected red light, turning the glass pink. Even if pearls had been dissolved to make a drink, it wouldn’t have been more magnificent than this.

“Oh my, this is troublesome.”

Milaire pushed the glass away with her hand. Then she smiled sweetly at the man standing behind her.

Of course, it was the Emperor. He wore a white mask covering his entire face and was dressed in plain, modest clothing.

But no one failed to recognize who he was. Who other than the Emperor would dare approach and naturally embrace Milaire’s body like that?

Milaire pretended not to know and slipped out of the Emperor’s arms. Even when it was obvious who was who, it was proper etiquette to pretend not to know at a masquerade ball.

The Emperor followed her with leisurely, relaxed steps.

“Weren’t you supposed to dance if you received a wine glass?”

“I didn’t accept it.”

“Then I’ll have to make you accept it by force.”

Milaire moved through the banquet hall like a mermaid. Silk curtains wrapped around her body like currents.

The Emperor reached out his hand as if tormented by her movements that maintained a tantalizing distance, seeming catchable yet not.

Milaire let herself be caught slightly. The Emperor smiled and overturned the wine glass over her shoulder. The ruby went into Milaire’s dress.

The women holding the curtains concealed the two of them with the fabric.

The banquet itself was created for the Emperor’s entertainment anyway.

The Emperor had held the banquet for Milaire. But every banquet he attended became one for the Emperor’s sake. Especially if it was held for pleasure and enjoyment.

Everyone pretended not to notice and turned their gazes away.

Milaire’s hand emerged from within the curtains. Then she grabbed the wrist of one of the women holding the curtains.

All eyes that had rushed toward that woman fell away again. Soon the woman was drawn into the curtains.

Lai sat at a table on the 2nd floor of the banquet hall, looking down at the scene.

‘It looks like struggling.’

He wouldn’t be the only one to feel that way.

All the world’s luxury and decadence were in this banquet hall.

Lai had lived a life that wasn’t particularly clean. He had killed and bought and sold people for money. As long as his family and comrades were fine, he had carelessly thrown other people’s lives into the mire.

This banquet hall was so decadent that the corruption he had seen and experienced until now felt light in comparison.

However, even this luxurious decadence, where gold coin purses were probably disappearing by the minute, wasn’t so different from what happened in the slums in that it was all struggling to survive.

Last night, Milaire had come to find him with a pale, frightened face.

“Is it really true that there are no spirits in this manor, teacher?”

“What are you so afraid of?”

Lai said this with difficulty.

He had played the role of necromancer that Artizea demanded well.

A bit too well. Milaire thought he was truly a spiritualist with great abilities.

Once she started believing, the more Lai denied it, the stronger Milaire’s faith became.

She called Lai teacher and treated him with respect. A room for Lai was even created in the Rosan Estate.

No matter how many times he refused, Milaire begged him to please stay there.

The butler currently managing the Rosan Estate was someone chosen by the Emperor’s servant.

Since Milaire trusted him, he didn’t drive Lai away. However, he didn’t hide his intention to find fault and torture this fraudster the moment he showed any weakness.

Lai was anxious and uncomfortable. He tried not to visit too often. But that wasn’t entirely up to him either.

He had to maintain Milaire’s trust somehow until the next order came.

Milaire was anxious. And she was afraid.

“When my daughter was here, everything went relatively well. Of course, not everything went as planned. But His Majesty didn’t hate the child that much either… I thought everything would work out fine like this.”

“Even now, aren’t you the one His Majesty favors most, Grand Duchess?”

“I’m anxious. I’m so anxious I could go crazy. Nothing is going as I think it should.”

Milaire spoke to him as if clinging.

“It all seems to have started after my daughter left. Since then, not a single good thing has happened. Are you sure there are no evil spirits in this manor?”

“There are no such things, madam.”

“You said that old spirits dwell in old manors. And if the spirits here are souls of the House of Rosan, it wouldn’t be strange at all for them to curse me.”

When Artizea was there, she had never thought such things even once.

There was anxiety about her beauty fading. However, the Emperor favored Lawrence, and he wouldn’t abandon the mother of his beloved son.

Now it was different. The Emperor still cherished Milaire, but cracks had appeared in the mask of family.

Lawrence frequently had audiences with the Emperor and paid his respects. He was often called to important occasions as before.

However, the three of them dining together as before had almost disappeared.

At first, this was Lawrence’s fault. He visited the Empress’s Palace more often than going to see the Emperor together with Milaire.

And now the Emperor didn’t particularly call for Lawrence when he was with Milaire.

Milaire had lost her composure. Like in her youth, she created all sorts of glamorous appearances and tried hard to please the Emperor. The time of leisurely playing the wife’s role was over.

The Emperor also knew she was desperate. So he often held banquets to comfort her and bought her whatever she wanted.

But that wasn’t enough. Ultimately, Lawrence had to receive the favor. Only then could she live with peace of mind, assured she wouldn’t be abandoned for life.

But now, even if Lawrence became Emperor, would he really return to being her son?

She couldn’t be certain. It would be fortunate if he returned after becoming the Empress’s adopted son and Crown Prince. But it didn’t seem likely.

Artizea had left home entirely. She had left the manor and an annuity, but Milaire knew this was to cut ties without causing a disturbance.

Milaire was afraid of being left alone in the Rosan Estate.

“Still, my daughter is of Rosan blood. What if the spirits started cursing because that child left…?”

“Souls have no power to curse people, Grand Duchess. It’s people who curse people.”

The reason Milaire had become precarious was because of Artizea.

However, Milaire wasn’t clever enough to accurately grasp the cause and effect of all these events.

She only felt that everything had started going wrong after Artizea left.

And she suspected this might be because the souls of the Marquess family attached to the Rosan Estate were cursing her.

Lai had come here because Milaire had asked him to. She had told him to let her know if anyone cast a curse on her at the banquet hall or if any evil spirits from the Imperial Palace attached themselves to her.

‘You’ve got it made now, Lai.’

Lai thought this as he crunched on peanuts as a snack. He had finished drinking high-quality distilled liquor that he wouldn’t have even been able to smell given his original standard of living.

It was when he was about to get up.

Milaire approached. Instead of her alcohol-soaked dress, she wore a thick robe and had changed to a plain white mask that covered her entire face.

But Lai could recognize her immediately. Milaire’s beauty wasn’t something that could be hidden by simply covering her face.

“Teacher.”

Lai didn’t listen to her words.

“Don’t act like you know me in a place like this.”

Lai walked outside with hurried steps. Whether Milaire had abandoned the Emperor to come here, or had left him in the arms of other women, he didn’t know. Nor should he know.

This trust had truly reached a dangerous level.

He needed Artizea’s instructions. And fortunately, she was scheduled to return soon.

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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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