The Villainess Lives Twice

Chapter 185

Proofreader: somnium

When Cedric returned home, Artizea was building a castle on the table with a block the size of a finger.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m bored.”

Artizea answered.

She decided not to work, and she couldn’t read a book because that was tiring and there was no one to send and receive letters with when there was no work.

She often lay down and took naps, but it was also too early to spend the entire day sleeping.

So now she has nothing to do.

“Have you given up sewing?”

“Even if I finish it, I don’t think I will be able to use it anyway. My head hurts when I look into it.”

Artizea replied sullenly.

At first, she was planning to make a baby swaddle by hand. But she wasn’t on the dexterous side.

Cedric laughed.

“No way. I think I’ll do it better than you.”

“It’s harder than you think. The fabric is thin, so the needles are thin…….”

Artizea meant that it would not work with the skill of sewing torn sleeves on the battlefield.

Well, Cedric wouldn’t be making baby clothes himself.

“You just have to do what you are good at.”

Artizea let out a sigh.

In fact, she even tried to make her own educational materials.

Her handwriting was rather elegant, so it suited for transcription. Copying something like a spelling manual seemed like a good way to pass the time.

However, a textbook for children is different from that of an adult.

Before she could write, she said it would be good for an illustrator to draw, but that never came back.

Come to think of it, it was enough to write down a few letters and words anyway. It wasn’t something that would be used for a long time.

When she could afford it, she wanted to make something. She could say she wanted to leave it to the baby.

In this case, no valuable judgment has entered her mind.

It has to be usable over the years, and it has to be the same no matter what person made it.

So, it’s still too early, but when she started making old language textbooks, it was taken away by Ansgar.

[“You are struggling too much. Madam says you’re not tired, but when we watch from our side, it looks like you’re getting ill right away. Aren’t you sweating too?”]

He said so, and she couldn’t resist.

Ansgar said kindly.

[“You need to rest well and take care of your body. After that, you will have time to take care of all the things yourself.”]

Artizea thought it was something she didn’t know deep down, she smiled bitterly. But she couldn’t say it out loud.

It was boring to sit still, so she was looking for something like a baby toy and pulled out a colored block.

“How was it? The audience?”

“It seemed true that His Majesty was ill.”

“He shouldn’t be angry, but bad things happened one after another.”

Artizea spoke plainly, as if speaking about someone else.

Cedric laughed bitterly.

“It felt a little weird. If it were you, you wouldn’t have met me in that state.”

“Some fish cannot live in water that is too clear. What did Chancellor Lin say?”

It was about Treasury Bellon’s passing information to Lawrence.

Of course, Cedric didn’t tell Lin all the information itself. He has only asked for character reviews about Bellon.

“Chancellor Lin did not speak badly of Sir Bellon. He’s bright and meticulous with numbers, but he’s not good at improvisation.”

Artizea nodded her head calmly.

“What do you think? If he is very loyal to Lawrence, he must be in for the throne.”

Even now, if he was a bureaucrat of the Emperor and a loyal follower of Lawrence, he would have been widely used for his privilege.

But in Cedric’s memory, the name has never been active. He may not have been well aware of it, as it was the job of the Treasury Department.

Artizea said.

“I got my throat cut early. Because I’m ignorant.”

Cedric flinched.

Artizea put down the block she was fiddling with.

“It’s not that brother Lawrence doesn’t have the ability to grasp that the prospects are slim……. I think there must be a different story.”

“Another story?”

“Belonging to an organization you can’t get out of.”

Saying so, Artizea fell into thoughts.

The chief attendant said that. It means that the source of the information is not from the Ministry of Finance or the Guards, but from within the Imperial Palace, perhaps from the Ministry of the Interior.

He did not use his own hands to create an organization within the Imperial Palace. However, there was no guarantee that an organization interested in the next Emperor would not have arisen within the palace.

Inside the Imperial Palace, there were many supporters for Lawrence.

Lawrence’s bad handed habit is only a minor matter.

The servants were all those who had brought the Emperor up till now. Unlike bureaucrats and nobles, he was not a person who could negotiate and share power.

At the same time, they were too deep to be ignored, like servants and low-ranking officials.

If Grand Duke Roygar became Emperor, they were just something that had to be beaten out of course.

It was the same with Cedric. Even now, there were people who had Cedric sitting in the waiting room or brewing bitter tea that could not be put in the mouth without frowning in front of the Emperor.

It was a little worse in his childhood.

Even if the Emperor had suppressed Cedric, there was no way he would have ordered such petty bullying.

Cedric is not the type to hold such personal grudges for long.

By nature, people use their own image as a mirror to reflect on others.

However, many of the servants spent their entire lives in the Imperial Palace. In doing so, they saw the little things they did confirm their superiority as a person.

Talking about your own experiences is what most people do. However, there were especially many of the royal court servants.

There were those who could not distinguish between the authority of the Emperor and their own power.

Moreover, it was only natural that they were inclined to Lawrence, who had been favored by the Emperor in the Imperial Palace since childhood.

Artizea also had an information network inside the Imperial Palace.

However, for a long time, she could not figure out all the powers that took root in Miraila’s favour.

Rather, Artizea’s information network was dependent on that power.

It was because the beginning formation was based on the servants serving Miraila.

“It could be a good opportunity. Being associated with a treasury bureaucrat means being able to track the money.”

“It means that those who are simply inclined to know will not know, but those who are actually involved can find out.”

“If you have a relationship with the Treasury, it would be a good idea to open it up.”

“The opportunity to look into the Treasury is rare.”

Cedric nodded his head. If that was the case, it was something worth reporting to the Emperor.

“Can I afford to not doubt the chief attendant?”

After receiving Cedric’s gaze, Artizea made a slightly embarrassed face.

“It’s not that I know and control everything.”

“…… really?”

“Just because the chief attendant is trying to do that doesn’t mean he’s a good person. If it were, I would have taken him a long time ago.”

She couldn’t deny what she was trying to do.

Artizea said with a red face.

“I’m sure there’s a meaning behind it. The inside of the Imperial Palace is like a swamp that you can’t see.”

Perhaps even the Emperor did not know how the floor of the palace he lived in was moving.

“All right. Then I will meet with Sir Bellon separately.”

The only problem left was Lawrence’s side.

“His Majesty will react sensitively, so it would be best not to touch brother.”

“It’s a bit intimidating to just let it go. It’s not like Lawrence doesn’t have any organization at all.”

“Yes. You must not take your eyes off of it.”

Lawrence had many friends.

They were often criticized for being dissipated and thoughtless young people, but they had the power to act.

Artizea reached out her hand and picked up the block again.

Cedric reached out and grabbed her hand. Artizea flinched and looked at Cedric.

“Are you bored of what I’m doing?”

“Oh, no.”

Why did he ask such a thing? Cedric pulled the block out of her hand.

“I heard you were bored and that was why you were playing with it. If you were concentrating, it wouldn’t bore you.”

“Ah, that……. I mean, I’m bored right now…… no. It’s just in front…….”

Artizea blushed as she said so. Then Cedric stood up, holding her hand.

“Would you like to go for a walk before dinner?”

Artizea followed him.

The evening sun was long and the sun was still setting in the garden.

＊＊＊

A few days later, a special envoy for fact-finding, organized by Grand Duke Roygar, departed for the South.

With Grand Duchess Roygar, the special forces will move at a slower pace. By the time they arrived in the South, the Southern Conquest Army, which started first, would have cleared up the situation to some extent.

And the news will fly south much faster than that.

And two weeks later, when things were quiet, Lawrence left for the East.

The Emperor called Lawrence the day before and met him.

“Would it be because I hate you?”

The Emperor said in a calm voice as if to comfort him.

He made the decision, but the thought of sending him away made the Emperor sad again.

He was a child born in his old age. He was also the youngest from the Emperor’s point of view.

He was very pretty and cute from a young age, and the Emperor loved him especially.

So he got angry again. How much better would it have been if Lawrence had been a little more careful and thoughtful.

There is nothing to be done at the child’s will, but the corners of his chest feel stuffy.

“Go east and rest for a while. By the time people’s eyes fall, I’ll take your mother out too…….”

“Whether it’s because you hate me or to hold me accountable, there is no difference in that you are ordering me to be dismissed.”

“Am I holding you accountable?”

“Did you know it wasn’t me? If you’re going to remove me from responsibility, it’s better to do a thorough investigation as well. Otherwise, you should have completely covered me.”

Lawrence said quietly.

“To chase me away with the excuse of covering me up, Father is trying to avoid criticism. If you do an investigation, you cannot avoid saying that you made a person, who might be responsible for the southern conflict, a commander of the Southern Conquest Army, and if you completely cover me up without an investigation, you will be accused of putting favoritism ahead of national affairs.”

“Lawrence…….”

“If I get dismissed like this, I will be responsible for the conflict, and Your Majesty has punished me.”

Lawrence said so.

It was the first time he had called the Emperor Your Majesty instead of father.

So the Emperor looked at Lawrence in shock.

“I will take my leave.”

Lawrence bowed coldly and withdrew.

The Emperor let out a long sigh. Although it was his decision, he was somehow upset and uncomfortable.