The Villainess Lives Twice

Chapter 243

Proofreader: somnium

Artizea answered.

“His Majesty has never mistreated me.”

It is a political statement.

At times, it may be most political to speak only the superficial facts.

The Emperor had never treated her harshly.

In her childhood, Artizea had never received anything like a birthday present.

She never had good food on her birthday. Fearing Miraila, who became extremely sensitive and yelled at even the smallest things, she was locked in her room all day, reading a book or immersed in various thoughts.

Why would the Emperor directly torment Artizea? He didn’t have to.

All feared that the Emperor would be offended, while Artizea was regarded as nothing.

At the time when she did not know such a reason, there were times when she admired the Emperor. She wondered if he would be a father to her as he did to Lawrence.

She was at an age she didn’t know that such a thing could never happen. She didn’t even know she was small enough to be dumped upon.

She could not distinguish between genuine compassion and kindness from indifference because he did not have to trample on her.

Countess Eunice hesitated a little.

Artizea smiled faintly.

“I was grateful that His Majesty didn’t hate me. It would have been nothing unusual to ask her to throw away a newborn baby.”

“…….”

“Thanks to His Majesty’s forgiveness, I was able to grow up to be Marquis Rosan, and I am here now.”

“I, I see. Right.”

Countess Eunice stuttered in reply.

She didn’t say it with political intentions.

But when Artizea reacted like this, she was worried that she had said something wrong.

“However, I am concerned that inviting people to the Imperial Palace right now will be taken in a political sense.”

“It’s your birthday.”

Countess Eunice said once more.

“Then, let’s celebrate with family alone.”

“With family……. It’s not easy either.”

Artizea nodded slightly. On the other side was the statue of Saintess Olga who had regained her heart.

Countess Eunice, realizing that she was only thinking of herself, quickly bit her mouth.

In the Imperial Palace’s perspective, she realized that ‘getting the family together’ meant inviting the Emperor and the Empress together.

“I made a fool of myself. I’m sorry.”

Countess Eunice lightly slapped herself in the mouth.

Artizea just laughed it off.

She wasn’t really interested in things like her birthday party.

She decided not to think of such extremes like if she shouldn’t have been born into the world.

But she didn’t even feel like it was something to celebrate.

If she’s having a party, she’ll do it when there’s a need for it.

Artizea thought as she looked at Leticia. Leticia’s birthday will probably continue to be the same day as the Harvest Festival.

“By the way, all Your Grace’s ladies-in-waiting will attend the Coronation Ceremony, right?”

“Yes, isn’t that a matter of course?”

Artizea tilted her head, wondering why she was asking such an obvious question.

Countess Eunice said with more fuss on purpose.

“Our Fiona was curious. I know that Your Grace has sent her to the West with an important task, but this time, there is a ceremony to celebrate.”

“Ah.”

Artizea groaned briefly.

“Well. I contacted her to come, but she doesn’t seem to be able to take her hands off her work.”

She said it as an excuse.

She never really thought of Lysia as a lady-in-waiting. Even when Countess Eunice spoke to her this time, she didn’t count Lysia unconsciously.

She said she would come to Leticia’s naming ceremony, but in the end Lysia didn’t come.

She couldn’t urge her to come back. Artizea couldn’t even guess what she had in her mind.

Since she had never looked at Lysia on the chessboard, she didn’t even think much about how Lysia’s absence would affect her.

It was right that she didn’t think of it.

She knew that Lysia had forgiven her, that she would adore Leticia, but she was still afraid.

“…….”

When summer comes, Lysia’s birthday also comes.

Artizea stood up from her seat.

Leticia looked at her and laughed.

“It’s Mom, Mom. Try.”

The nanny maid told Leticia. It was an unmannered attitude, but to speak plainly in front of the baby.

“Ma! M!”

Leticia said as she stretched out her hand.

Artizea seldomly hugged Leticia. Partly because she didn’t have enough arm strength to support her weight, and she wasn’t sure if she would stay in the baby’s memory.

And she wondered if this lovely baby was born with the wrong body, too.

Marcus held Leticia and gave her to Artizea.

It was when Artizea was about to hold Leticia.

There was a loud bang outside the door.

“Oh my!”

Countess Eunice let out a startled sound.

Artizea turned to look at it while holding Leticia.

“What is the noise?”

She asked in a low voice.

Hazel, who was sitting a little farther away and sorting out the letters, turned to the door instead.

A few low but harsh sounds came and went through the ajar door.

Soon Hayley came in. Followed by Hazel with a tense look on her face.

“What happened?”

“It was no big deal, Your Grace. The maid was cleaning and she spilled water in front of this.”

Hayley said in a cold voice.

Countess Eunice frowned.

There was no way she could have left someone so clumsy as a maid to clean Artizea’s residence, who will soon become the Crown Princess.

Someone must have sent it to steal the story.

“How.”

But Countess Eunice did not finish her sentence.

Hayley spoke before that,

“I scolded her and sent her back.”

“You did well.”

When Artizea said so, Countess Eunice dyed her face red with anger.

“You don’t mean to let it go like that, do you? I understand Your Grace’s desire to stay quiet before the Coronation Ceremony, but that’s not the example.”

“Because they didn’t take anything that shouldn’t be stolen.”

Artizea said calmly. Countess Eunice flinched.

“No, but it is…….”

“It’s okay. Just because she spilled water doesn’t mean I can drive the maid out.”

Artizea said so.

Anyway, even if Artizea doesn’t chase the maid out, she’ll never come back.

Because exposed spies cannot be reused.

Hayley would have figured it out and she would have handled it well.

Artizea was deliberately leaking a certain level of information.

She wanted to figure out where it was going, so she could check the flow of information within the Imperial Palace.

Among the things she had now brought in, there was no information to be afraid of being seen by others.

Hayley quietly approached Artizea and spoke to her ear.

“Lord Frey wants to deliver news from the East.”

“East?”

“I think Sir Lawrence is gone. I’m not sure, but he says it’s a fake in his place right now.”

Artizea held her breath. Hayley said quickly,

“They’re going to check it out first. Since none of the Eastern sources knew Sir Lawrence’s exact appearance, they only had a copy of the portrait.”

If that was true, it meant that Lawrence had either deceived all the servants and knights sent by the Emperor, or turned them to his side.

Artizea put Leticia down without saying a word.

Hayley raised her voice a little more this time.

“And Marchioness Camellia set off for the port.”

“I see.”

Artizea then nodded her head. And she returned to her seat in a natural manner.

Countess Eunice asked,

“What’s going on?”

“It’s not a big deal. It seems that Prince Eimmel has arrived.”

Artizea said with a smile.

“Marchioness Camellia has headed to the port.”

“Oh. I have a feeling that it will be soon. With the Crown Prince’s couple of the Kingdom of Iantz arriving, all the important guests will gather.”

Countess Eunice’s eyes twinkled.

For her, with nothing to risk, the Crown Prince’s Coronation Ceremony and the visit by the foreign princes were more exciting than intense events.

＊＊＊

Cobb trembled and fell to the floor.

Sitting cross-legged in front of him was the most beautiful man in the world.

And he was also the cruelest and scariest man in the world, as far as Cobb knew.

“Dump the maid into the river.”

“There aren’t that many people sent into the Imperial Palace.”

Cobb said cautiously, terrified.

During the events of the South and East, the number of available people decreased.

Gayan of the Guard was strangely harsh towards the attendants and maids of the Imperial Palace.

Even if there is only a small string, they were implicated, dragged out and executed. Sometimes, they did it without even the slightest trace.

The reason was that no one should covet anything other than the favor of the Emperor in the Imperial Palace.

And only recently did Cobb find out the real reason.

[“Because that bastard Gayan is attached to Evron.”]

Lawrence spoke casually, as if it was nothing.

“If there are a few incompetent people, it’s like there aren’t any.”

He said in a bored tone.

“I…….”

“It is better to have nothing than to be clumsy. Was your ability so great that you could think Marquis Rosan was easy?”

Cobb didn’t answer and fell.

“Stupid. I even taught how to get Countess Eunice to bring up the Empress’ topic with her mouth, but she came back without a word.”

Lawrence said so and stood up.

Cobb said bitterly,

“Why do you care about Evron’s lady-in-waiting? Go to His Majesty Gregor. If he knows the truth, Evron and the traitorous Marquis Rosan will all be blown away at once.”

“Hmm.”

Lawrence revealed this and grinned.

“Let them rise high. Then, there will be joy in falling.”

And he got up from his seat.

Without Lysia, there was nothing more to see in the Capital.