The Villainess Lives Twice

Chapter 112

Proofreader: somnium

“Tia.”

Miraila flinched at the sight of Artizea.

However, she clenched her fists with a determined sharp expression and approached Artizea.

Lysia and Hayley immediately recognized who Miraila was.

She was such a beautiful woman that no one could help but look back.

In her current look, she no longer felt youthful. She was like a flower in full bloom about to wither, overly splendid, loose, and fragrant.

But no one can deny her beauty.

Once upon a time, men of the highest ranks in the Empire had thrown themselves down at the feet of this woman.

Now that her master had been decided, it was understandable that she would let sumptuous gifts pile up at her doorstep, even though she could not dare to lay her fingertips on it.

There couldn’t have been two such beauties in this imperial palace. It was even more so, considering that the Emperor’s private residence was right behind this.

Miraila immediately approached Artizea.

Hayley hesitated. She heard that Artizea had cut ties with her mother.

[You are my ladies-in-waiting, but you don’t need to pay attention to Marquisate Rosan. More so about my mother and brother. Pretend you don’t know anything.]

But the other person was the Dowager Marchioness Rosan. While she thought of the title, she walked forward, but she couldn’t pretend she didn’t know.

Even though Artizea had told both of her ladies-in-waiting and vassals of Evron to stand down, as a biological daughter, Artizea herself did not know what to do.

Alphonse also seemed hesitant.

However, Artizea moved in equal measure without any sign of agitation.

Artizea held her head upright and moved her steps. And she casually brushed by without giving Miraila a gaze.

“Tia!”

Miraila called out to her with a loud voice.

Artizea heard it, but she did not look away from her.

Instead, Lysia and Alphonse blocked it at the same time.

Miraila, in anger, raised her hand to hit Lysia’s cheek.

Lysia lightly flicked Miraila on the back of her hand, making it bounce off hers.

It never occurred in history that a way to end any situation with ease was by giving a slap.

The hand was swung towards the lady-in-waiting of Grand Duchess Evron. It wouldn’t be acceptable.

Even if the other person was Artizea’s mother.

The back of Miraila’s hand, which was lightly hit by Lysia, did not hurt. But she was astonished by the fact that she had never had such a behavior done to her.

And she exploded and screamed.

“You, you hillbilly bitch bastard!”

“Dowager Marchioness!”

Hayley screamed in surprise and ran to Lysia’s side.

Miraila swung her hand again. Lysia frowned and grabbed the wrist, then let it go slowly.

Alphonse intervened slowly between the two.

As a knight, it would be difficult if he grabbed Miraila recklessly and got her bruises anywhere. He couldn’t use his hands.

Instead, he turned into a large human shield.

Hayley said sharply.

“That was impolite, Dowager Marchioness.”

“What?”

Miraila asked back in absurdity.

“What are you guys doing right now? Are you locking up my daughter now?!”

“That is inappropriate for a subordinate to speak to a superior first, Dowager Marchioness. Have you dared to regard Evron’s mistress as a Marchioness at best just now?”

Hayley said.

“You lived in the Imperial Palace for several decades, but it seems that you don’t know the court manners that even us, who are hillbillies, would know.

In reality, it was a word that could not be used between mother and daughter. Even more so for Miraila.

Over the years, the only one who dared to tell Miraila about court manners was the Empress’ lady-in-waiting.

Even the Grand Duchess Roygar softened her attitude in front of Miraila.

Miraila’s face turned red with anger, and her complexion faded away again. She staggered as if she was about to fall.

Artizea moved her steps without a word.

It was then that Lysia and Hayley turned their body after her.

“I was wrong!”

Miraila exclaimed.

Artizea’s feet stopped.

“Mo… mother was wrong. I’m sorry for getting angry every day.”

Miraila said in a trembling voice.

At first, it was a forceful voice.

But by the time she finished saying sorry, Miraila was half weeping.

“I will never do that again. I won’t interfere with what you want to do, and I won’t get angry in front of others.”

Large, pooled tears crept down her cheeks.

Miraila, forgetting that her makeup was ruined, rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. And she cried out loud.

“I’m sorry for saying harsh words every day. I will never hit you or anything like that. Mom was wrong. Can’t you forgive me just once?”

A cry echoed in the hallway. Miraila lost strength in her legs and sank down.

She didn’t care about her dress or the eyes of others, and she cried her eyes out

A noble should always treat things gracefully without showing any emotion. However, no matter how noble she was, she was so pitiful that people could not help but pity her rather than despise her.

The escort knights and attendants who followed Artizea stirred up.

They did this even though they knew how Miraila had treated Artizea before her marriage.

Hayley looked at Artizea awkwardly. Artizea had an expressionless face that she couldn’t understand what was inside.

“Your Grace.”

Lysia carefully called out Artizea.

Artizea slowly turned her steps towards Miraila.

Alphonse took a step back and opened a path for her.

“Tia.”

Miraila sobbed and looked up at Artizea.

Artizea held out a hand to Lysia. Lysia was startled, and quickly she handed a handkerchief that was in her hand.

“Mother.”

Artizea said in a calm voice and bent her body. Then she put the handkerchief against Miraila’s eyes.

Miraila’s face lit up with a glimmer of hope.

But Artizea spoke in a voice that was relentlessly calm.

“I did not abandon mother because mother beat me or treated me harshly.”

“Ti, Tia… … .”

“Because my mother is of no use to what I am trying to do.”

It was really true.

Artizea had never thought of resenting her or abandoning her, no matter what Miraila had done to her.

Even when she was betrayed by Lawrence and died, she did not resent Miraila.

When she heard the news that Miraila was dead, she didn’t think it was a bad thing, although she could feel that she didn’t have much feelings inside her anymore.

Miraila read the sincerity in Artizea’s eyes.

“Tia… … .”

She was stunned.

Artizea placed the handkerchief in Miraila’s hand and raised herself.

“Let’s go.”

As if nothing had happened, Artizea left the place with an elegant and dignified gait.

The attendants, who had cast their sympathetic glances at Miraila for a moment, followed Artizea as if they had forgotten.

Miraila wailed on the spot, clutching the handkerchief.

The maids surrounded Miraila, unable to sympathize or touch her.

***

As soon as she got into the carriage, Artizea let out a sigh. She rested her head against the glass window.

Lysia looked at her carefully. Being tired has been a constant thing lately. Rather, it seemed more so after arriving in the capital than on the journey.

‘Because it was understandable.’

Artizea moved so much that Lysia wondered if her life on the stronghold had really been idle.

It was the same when she didn’t even see any outsider guests. People who came in through the back door constantly came in and out.

Even when she’s alone for a while, the brain inside her white forehead must be constantly engaged in complex activities.

It was beyond Lysia’s imagination, who emptied her thoughts by moving her body.

In addition to that, today is not going to be a good day.

Although Artizea left with a cold expression on her face, Lysia saw her hand trembling faintly.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You shouldn’t have had to be so cold… … .”

Lysia didn’t say that out of sympathy for Miraila. On the contrary, Artizea looked distressed.

She thought it might have been easier for Artizea to say that she forgave Miraila.

She wasn’t asking for forgiveness. There is no need for her to be cruel at the cost of her own suffering.

It would be better for her to just ignore it and forget about it.

“Coming to the Imperial Palace, you didn’t think of the chance of meeting your mother? That’s fine.”

Artizea replied with her eyes closed.

“I did it because it was necessary.”

Lysia’s idea was right.

Artizea wasn’t treating her coldly because of emotional problems.

She is not out for revenge, but in order to win the war.

‘Your mother probably knows about that.’

But Miraila would understand superficially that Artizea had chosen the Empress over her.

It would make Miraila more miserable if she did so for power rather than for revenge or resentment.

The Emperor is right. Miraila was a poor woman.

She suffered all the misfortunes that a powerless and beautiful woman could suffer because of money and power.

Miraila is the flower of the Emperor, a lovely cat that sits on his lap. Scratches to the Emperor can be forgiven, but the power she holds is not hers.

Artizea knew why Miraila gave birth to her and kept her alive.

She gave birth to Artizea because she only wanted something of her own.

She was spontaneous and capricious, and because of her impatient temper she was ruthless and abusive.

But it was true that she risked her life to give birth.

Artizea knew that while Miraila was berating and cursing Artizea for not being pretty, she was determined not to make Artizea like herself.

That was all the more reason why abandoning her as a powerful person made Miraila feel like she was being pushed off a cliff.

Artizea could do it to anyone if necessary.

‘How can such a human being be a saintess, is it possible?’

Artizea looked down at her right hand.

A thin ring of light appeared around her index finger.

It is so blurry that it is impossible to recognize unless it was looked at with keen eyes.

There was no clearer evidence than this.

Artizea extinguished the light before Hayley or Lysia realized it.