The Villainess Lives Twice
chapter-234-30041322

Chapter 234

Proofreader: somnium

Artizea entered the palace in an hour.

She came back from meeting Cedric and immediately changed her clothes.

It was because she had to move quickly, whether she received a call from the Belmond editor or the situation in the Imperial Palace changed.

She didn’t know that the Emperor’s call would be the first, though.

‘It means that something has changed.’

She didn’t think Cedric had created a headache.

It is Cedric who decides what he has to do.

To make him Emperor does not mean to simply put the Emperor’s crown on his head.

She wants the world to move the way he wants it to.

The ideal was not originally achieved easily. It is her role to bring down the dreamlike ideas to a realistic level and to achieve the goal by making up for the deficiencies.

Didn’t she come to his side to become his wife?

Hayley asked anxiously as she climbed into the carriage alone.

“Are you really going alone?”

“If the Emperor is trying to harm me, you can’t stop it anyway. Even if Evron is fully mobilized.”

“Yes…….”

“No worries. Going alone is an honor.”

Artizea said so.

But she couldn’t guess what the Emperor was trying to say.

When she arrived at the Imperial Palace, Artizea was guided to the Emperor’s private parlor.

The chief attendant greeted her in person and apologized to her,

“I am sorry. His Majesty is sleeping without anticipating that you will arrive so early.”

“I see. I did come too early.”

Considering that preparations for a lady’s entrance usually take a couple of hours, it was true that Artizea, who arrived in less than an hour, was too quick.

It was because she entered the palace in a simple dress without being glamorous.

The chief attendant bowed his head.

“I am sorry. In the meantime, His Majesty has been under a lot of work every day, so I want to make sure he gets a good sleep.”

“Of course, I have to wait.”

“If you need anything, please tell me. Shall I bring a lady-in-waiting to accompany you?”

“It’s okay. If there are books in the library, I would like to borrow one.”

“Yes.”

The chief attendant took note of the title of the book she was talking about and entrusted it to an errand runner.

And he brought snacks and honey tea by himself.

Aside from his birth status, the position of the chief attendant was never low. Only the Empress could serve the Emperor, alongside him.

So, it was very special for him to kneel down on one of his knees beside Artizea and pour the tea.

It would mean that the Emperor is sorry for making her wait so long.

Artizea and the attendants watching all thought so. The chief attendant had the authority to act on behalf of the Emperor to that extent.

But Artizea held her breath.

The chief attendant poured the pale yellow honey tea into a transparent glass until it almost overflowed.

Then, he stopped his hand and added two more drops. Now the honey tea was on the verge of overflowing. The water, held by surface tension, formed round on the teacup.

If he pours even one more drop, it will upset the balance and overflow.

The chief attendant stopped his hand just before that.

Of course, teas shouldn’t be served like this. If she tries to drink it, she will spill it.

But the chief attendant spoke in a calm voice,

“This is herbal honey sent by Countess Eunice. His Majesty is also cherishing it.”

Artizea opened her eyes wide and looked at the chief attendant.

Not a single word came out of her throat.

The chief attendant had a calm face. Artizea barely opened her mouth.

“I…… heard that my lady-in-waiting went to Countess Eunice’s house and made it together. I drink almost the same thing.”

“Because it’s good for your health.”

said the chief attendant softly.

“Then, I will bring the book to you.”

Artizea nodded her head. He withdrew.

Artizea was looking down at the honey tea for a long time.

She didn’t have much acquaintance with the chief attendant. It was the same before she came back.

The chief attendant had a tendency to be indifferent rather than meddling in political strife.

She doesn’t know if he may have been like this in his youth, but once he decided to serve the Emperor, he made his place by devoting himself to the Emperor for the rest of his life.

When he gave Cedric the information, she wondered if it might have been different.

She may not have been able to recruit him in the past because it was Lawrence whom he was serving. Just like Chancellor Lin did.

She told Cedric that if he could, he should try to get acquainted with him.

But then, even after he had said the name of Lord Bellon, the chief attendant did not change. Far from recruiting him, Cedric couldn’t get more than a polite relationship based on their status.

The question of why he had given the information about Lord Bellon continued to remain within Artizea.

The position of the chief attendant was too important to ignore.

Now, Artizea fully understands why he is unapproachable and unwaveringly loyal to the Emperor.

And why did he tell her about it?

‘Alone…….’

Artizea could understand the servant’s mind.

It is better to cross the single wooden bridge alone. Even if he accidentally falls, he doesn’t drag anyone into it.

Soon the errand runner brought the book.

In order not to look suspicious, Artizea opened it to some page and placed it on her lap.

But not a single word of the writing caught her eye.

Artizea stared at the honey tea.

The inside of her eyes swelled up.

This was the most difficult thing she had to do from now on. She was able to put the ends of the puzzle pieces together.

Artizea clenched her teeth.

With so many cards, she could not fail.

She knocked the teacup down. Because she couldn’t get rid of it by drinking without spilling.

“I accidentally knocked over the cup, so bring me a new one.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The servant bowed his head deeply and withdrew the teacup that had fallen over.

* * *

The Emperor woke up after sleeping for more than four hours.

His body was warm and he felt good. The soreness that had been resting heavily on the nape of his neck was also significantly reduced.

When he woke up, the attendants, who knew he often woke up numb, rubbed his hands and feet.

The chief attendant came in with a basin full of hot water.

“I think I have been sleeping for a long time.”

“Yes. Dinner is coming.”

“You must have kept Grand Duchess Evron waiting for a long time. Without waking me up.”

After wiping his face with a warm wet towel and washing his face in the water from the basin, the Emperor said.

“I did not want to wake you while you were sleeping. I also told the truth to Grand Duchess Evron and asked for her understanding.”

“Is she still waiting?”

“Yes. I brought her to the parlor. She is into the books.”

“That’s a relief. Well, you must have taken good care of it.”

The Emperor said so and wiped his wet hands.

The servants cling to him, change his wrinkled shirt and trousers, and comb his hair.

The Emperor soon regained his usual appearance.

He regained his confidence and made his way to the parlor.

The parlor door opened.

Artizea was flipping through the book, then she put it down and stood up.

“Artizea of Evron greets His Majesty the Emperor.”

She politely raised her greetings.

The Emperor motioned for her to sit down, and he sat down, too. And he said,

“It’s been a long time. It’s the first time I’ve seen you since the naming ceremony.”

“Yes.”

“Are you still in good health?”

“I’m a lot better now.”

“After giving birth, you should take good care of yourself, but I didn’t take care of you.”

“It is by the grace of His Majesty that I am able to rest well at home without doing anything.”

Artizea said.

“What about Leticia?”

“She is healthy. Because she resembles Lord Cedric, she is very active.”

“Yes. She must have grown up a lot now.”

The Emperor paused his words for a moment.

Artizea was nervous that she might be asked to take her to the palace.

Leticia was healthy and she grew up a lot, but she was not yet able to bring her to the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor tapped the armrests with his fingers a few times, then said in a subdued voice.

“Be careful. Protecting them from predators is something parents can do their best, but what God collects cannot be stopped by manpower.”

“Yes…….”

What the Emperor thought of was probably the incident of his dead children.

Artizea did not think that the Emperor would have grieved at all when the Empress’ children died one after another.

However, his power must have been more important to him than his sorrow.

The Emperor pondered the old remorse. But he soon shifted his focus.

He looked at Artizea for a moment with wrinkled eyes.

Artizea was still young. But she was no longer a girl.

That child grew up in an instant. If he wasn’t always watching, he would find her as an adult at some point.

The Emperor had never experienced it in his own children.

Grand Duke Roygar grew up and became an adult, and Cedric returned from the battlefield as an adult.

With those eyes, he saw the moment when Grand Duke Roygar was no longer a young bird in his nest, but had grown enough to cover it with his own wings.

But his children did not.

Children who died young were buried in his heart.

Lawrence left as an adult. Countess Eunice gave birth to two children, but she was still a young daughter to him.

And Artizea, who was younger than her, was not sitting here as a clever girl, but as a noble lady of the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor felt that he had seen her grow up.

“I wish you were my daughter.”

The Emperor said impulsively.

Artizea smiled faintly.

“Her Majesty said that she would have made me a friend of the late Elder Princess. I know that you are saying it because neither Your Majesty nor Her Majesty believe that it will ever happen.”

The Emperor couldn’t help but laugh.

That was it.

Artizea knows what the power of the throne can do and fears its majesty, which causes her to try to be loyal and to win his heart.

That’s why her limbs feel like they move in sync. Naturally, there is no way that people’s minds are united as one.

If there is a match, it means that the opponent is being deceptive.

And to do that to yourself also meant that the other person was greedy for power.

The Emperor relaxed his seated position and leaned towards Artizea.

And he asked,

“How far have you been involved in the Roygar problem?”

“…….”

Artizea smiled embarrassedly.