The Villainess Lives Twice

Chapter 295

Proofreader: somnium

Alwyn was a timid profiteer and had never entered politics directly. He didn’t even know what was going on in the Capital.

He had only the notion that the West is an important support base for Cedric, and that breaking it down would hurt Cedric.

However, even in his view, the collapse of the Abba River’s embankment was too much. It wasn’t because he was afraid that the village would be submerged and people would be harmed.

In his view, this was beyond what Gregor could tolerate.

Still, up until three or four days ago, Alwyn wasn’t all that desperate.

He thought Lawrence had an idea.

Besides, he seemed to be able to go unnoticed.

Artizea treated what she was looking for as a secret. It was because she was afraid that agitation would spread among the residents and the area would be engulfed in chaos.

Because of that, the nearby residents, who had fear and rejection of soldiers, did not cooperate at all.

However, two days ago, the movement of the trackers had completely changed. Not only has it become more daring and organic than before, but it has become far more difficult to get away with the residents’ full cooperation .

What happens if they get caught? Cedric was the Crown Prince. Alwyn only realized it now.

“Lawrence, Lawrence, did you want to become an Emperor?”

Alwyn asked, gasping. Lawrence wiped the smile from his lips.

Then, he smiled again.

“Stupid.”

“Lawrence!”

“Did you want to make me Emperor? Really?”

Lawrence asked mockingly. Alwyn asked what he meant,

“Are you speaking like that to the person who will be Emperor? What the hell do you think the Emperor is?”

Alwyn’s face hardened.

Lawrence sneered.

“Is it power to control people at will? Even so, after all, he is only a person living inside the Imperial Palace. If you ordered the execution of a person from the other end of the Empire you couldn’t see it happen, what joy would there be?”

“Lawrence…….”

“After all, you could have done whatever you wanted in your mansion.”

Alwyn broke into a cold sweat. Lawrence said with a hum,

“Even if it’s one or the other, your neck can fly away at the Emperor’s command. But even if you become Emperor, you cannot live without being conscious of others.”

Ironically, after the people who nagged with advice and everything disappeared, there was still no fun no matter what he did.

Lawrence lowered his head and kissed Lysia’s neck.

“You can’t control people’s hearts. Well, the world would have been less interesting if that had been the case.”

Dog barking could be heard everywhere. Now, the pursuer was right behind them.

“You can run and get down on your knees and apologize to him, Alwyn. He’s a soft guy, so he might spare you.”

Alwyn did not answer, he was pale.

About twenty minutes later, Alwyn had left the ranks and disappeared. Lawrence didn’t really care.

When he first entered the Abba River area, the number of bandits he brought was three-digit.

Although they were sent away separately for various things, he counted fifty three days ago.

But now there were only about a dozen. They were idiots who couldn’t get out in time.

When Lawrence turned to the side, his eyes met the bandit and the bandit flinched. His desire to run away was like a chimney, but he was afraid that he would be killed by Lawrence in doing so.

Lawrence giggled.

“You are lucky.”

“Yes?”

“Escape is the only way to go when you know what to do.”

Saying so, Lawrence threw one of the gunpowder pouches from his waist to the ground.

And he shot it with his pistol.

The gunpowder caused a small explosion. Then, a fire broke out in the grass.

It had already been oiled in advance.

It had rained the day before, so the fire was slow. However, no one knew how the fire would spread because the oil, which had been roughly poured here and there, flowed with the rainwater.

The bandit’s face turned pale blue.

“No worries. It wasn’t even a storm last night, so the water couldn’t have risen to a high place.”

With that said, Lawrence slowly turned his horse’s and headed toward the hillside.

Artizea paid attention to the embankment and focused on tracking people. Cedric was basically the same.

That wasn’t the only real reason they couldn’t search a large area.

She thought that if he had hidden gunpowder, he would have someone to manage it and light it.

It was because both of them always felt that they had to control the situation.

And it was because she thought Lawrence would move efficiently.

Lawrence had no intention of that.

Why would he want to kill as many as possible? Even if he doesn’t, he can break Lysia’s and Cedric’s hearts enough.

He had no intention of sending anyone to explode gunpowder. If the fire spreads there, the gunpowder will explode.

“Well, it could be extinguished before the fire spreads to the embankment.”

If they’re lucky, they’ll end up with wildfires.

If they’re lucky, it might rain.

Lawrence told Lysia,

“Have you prayed to God to let you use a power other than the healing power?”

Lysia did not answer. Lawrence grinned.

“Well, what you desperately needed was healing power. Was it my heart that you wanted to fix?”

He said jokingly.

It was then.

There was a whistling sound mixed with the barking of a dog.

Lysia understood the sound. It was like the sound of a winter snowstorm, and it was the sound of arrows used to signal wolves in Evron.

The sound came from right behind her. Lawrence clicked his tongue over Lysia’s head.

Lysia looked around with a squint.

There were nine people left.

Can she shake off 9 people or bide her time? With her wrists tied? Would Lawrence really kill her?

Thinking, Lawrence’s arm gently covered the corner of her eyes.

“Don’t think about it, Lysia.”

Lysia did not hesitate at that moment.

She sprung her body up as she pressed hard on Lawrence’s feet.

Lawrence grabbed her by the waist with one of his arms and hugged her tightly, but he was a step behind.

Lysia’s occipital hit Lawrence’s chin. Lawrence let out a painful groan, but he did not let go of his hand holding Lysia.

Lysia’s body rolled under their horse.

Kicking his feet into the air, Lawrence tumbled from his horse while hugging Lysia in his arms.

The bandits that followed stopped. A gunshot rang out from behind.

“Kuk, ahk!”

It was a warning shot, and one of the unlucky ones was shot and fell to the ground.

Lysia lowered her body and laid her face on the ground. Lawrence covered her with his body.

Lysia struggled to get her hand out from under him. She wanted to untie the pockets that had been covering her hands.

“Lysia!”

Cedric’s voice was heard.

Lawrence grabbed Lysia and put a knife to her neck. Lysia held her breath.

Cedric pulled the reins. The knights following him stopped in a hurry.

The sound of horseshoes scattered across the mud.

Lawrence sighed and grabbed Lysia by the back of her neck.

“Haa. Haa.”

Lysia gasped.

Cedric got off his horse. Lawrence said,

“Send your men away.”

“Let Lysia go, Lawrence.”

Cedric said in a low voice,

“Then, I will get you out of this place safely.”

“You must have misunderstood something.”

Saying so, Lawrence tapped Lysia’s neck. A thin red line was drawn on her white neck.

“I don’t mind killing Lysia here. I’d rather just kill her than give her back to you.”

“You’re crazy. She was your wife.”

“That’s right. So instead of giving her to you, I’m going to kill her.”

Cedric clenched his teeth and glared at Lawrence. Lawrence grinned.

“Well, I am fine. It would be fun to stand here together like this and watch the Abba River overflow. Or, shoot me to death with Lysia.”

Lawrence grumbled. He knew Cedric couldn’t.

It wasn’t a matter of practical benefit.

And if that happened, it would be pretty fun for Lawrence.

Cedric hesitated. Lysia looked at him with a painful face.

That was the moment.

BANG!

The roar pierced the ears. The vibration shook the earth.

Cedric, Lysia, and the others all looked at it reflexively.

Even in the middle of the hill, the collapse of the embankment could be seen. The fire spread and finally ignited the gunpowder.

“Ha, hahaha!”

Lawrence burst out laughing.

“You’re tense, Lysia. What’s wrong with that? If Cedric did a good job, that might end up being the end of it?”

“Lawrence!”

Cedric burst into rage and ran to Lawrence.

Lysia shouted,

“It’s not over yet!”

The water that sprang up from the explosion over the embankment did not pour down.

A barrier of pure white light was blocking it.

＊＊＊

Brother Colton said on the day she received the oracle.

[“You may not know the meaning of the oracle right now. You may think you shouldn’t follow it.”]

Artizea clearly remembered that day’s conversation.

[“Someday, you will understand what is in place for you.”]

It seemed that the day would never come.

〚Return!〛

The oracle was too abstract.

There was too much to return. Conversely, there were too many things that returned.

Among them, which one was judged by God to be “returned”?

Is it time? Or the history that Artizea has reversed once?

Or, is it justification? Is it the Saint’s future? The victims of the evils she has committed?

But as she climbed the hill and looked down on the embankment, Artizea realized that she had to return, as if struck by lightning.

It was an error caused by her executing an imperfect great magic.

It may be different from God’s words, but Artizea understood the reality set before her in that way.

If it was true, she should have ceased to exist at the same time as the execution of the great magic.

But the traces of the past that were undone didn’t go away. The people with that memory did something that they would not have done or could not have done on their own.

It was one’s own evil deeds.

Under Artizea’s hand, the magic circle drawn in blood spun frantically and radiated light.