The Villainess Lives Twice

Hazel didn’t call a maid, but brought hot water and prepared tea by hand.

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It wasn’t because she couldn’t trust the people of the Grand Duke’s residence, but to show Ian that she was keeping security well.

Ian was haggard.
His clothes were luxuriously made, but it was clear that he had suffered.

“May I ask why you are here?”

“Is it safe to assume that this is a question asked by Grand Duchess Evron?”

“No.
Sorry.”

Hazel touched her lips, blaming her mouth.

Neither her mother nor her father advised her to take part in important positions unless she learned to control her curiosity.

Hazel apologized again.

“I’m sorry.”

“No.”

Ian shook his head saying it was okay.
He was so exhausted that his head didn’t work well enough.

“If you think you’re sorry, may I ask you a question instead?”

“Please ask.”

“Is the rumor that Marquis Luden died true?”

Hazel didn’t hesitate.
Everyone knew that Marquis Luden was in critical condition.
Although not many people knew the deep details.

Seeing Ian ask that too, he must not have been one of the people who knew.

“I heard he’s not gone yet.
But he wouldn’t be far away.”

“I see.”

“He has no consciousness at all.
Right now, Marquisate Luden must be in a state of emergency.
Marquis Luden was a dictator, so he rarely shared power with his eldest son.
At this opportunity, there were a lot who were trying to become independent or to take even a small share in Marquisate Luden.”

The Luden Heir Apparent has a passive personality.
There were many who believed that what he now occupied would be maintained for at least several decades, until the death of the current Luden Heir Apparent.

‘No one thought that Marquis Luden would be destroyed.’

The history of Marquisate Luden is older than the Empire.

There are several families like this among the great nobles of the East, who never lost the productive power of the land and had no fierce competition.

The only threat to them was the power struggle between themselves.
And they seemed to think it would be the same in the future.

‘Even though the world is changing now.’

One of the evidence that the world had changed, Hazel thought the belief was ridiculous.

Ian found that Hazel’s comments were quite valuable information.

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So he was honest with her.

“If nothing could be done, I was told to go to Her Grace, Grand Duchess Evron.”

That was Skyla’s advice.

[“Grandfather and mother are more brutal and outspoken than you can imagine.
If you get caught by grandfather, please do whatever they ask for unconditionally.”]

[“Unconditionally?”]

[“Yes.
Because surviving is much more important.”]

While saying that, Skyla made a slightly puzzled face.

She wondered if Artizea had given him such a warning in advance.
But there was a possibility, and she couldn’t let it go.

[“You are already hurting both families to a certain extent just by being alive.
So, make surviving unconditionally a priority.
Unless you think that if you accept the request, you will be killed, then you should do the opposite.”]

[“If I grant their request, won’t all of my rights be taken away? If you’re thinking of using me too, you shouldn’t be advised me that.”]

[“If they are dismissed, Grand Duke Roygar can be overthrown.”]

[“Do you think they will be dismissed?”]

[“Yes.”]

Skylar asserted.

At the time, Ian didn’t know why Skyla was convinced.
But if she, an insider, said so, he couldn’t help but believe.

So he signed all the documents requested by Marquis Luden.
He also signed an engagement paper to Maideline Luden.

He was then left with a watcher attached.
Ian immediately hid his whereabouts through the route that Skyla had provided.

Skyla had some secret transportations that her mother didn’t even know about.
She also recently prepared it for Ian.

Since Ian had not prepared anything for himself, Marquis Luden could not track him down.

Even Marchioness Camellia didn’t think that Skyla would have been involved.

Ian didn’t even step out of the house.
He had money, but he was afraid of spilling traces, so he hid while buying minimal necessities with small changes.

Then, hearing rumors that Marquis Luden had been engulfed in a fire, he was finally able to come here.

Only after Ian had two more cups of tea did Artizea come out to the parlor.

Ian jumped to his feet.

“I heard that you are unwell, thank you for meeting me like this.”

“It’s hard to turn away from people who come through a friend’s introduction.”

Artizea spoke briefly and sat down at the head of the table.
She gestured for Ian to sit down, and then she did too.

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Ian hesitated.
He did not yet inform her that he had come because of Skyla’s advice.

So, was there something like a prior arrangement between Skyla and Artizea?

Suspicion rose suddenly.

Ian pressed it down.
He now understood the noble society of Krates a little more than before.

What matters is not the truth.
It’s about who can give what to whom.

“My story is quite famous, so I am sure Your Grace already knows.”

Ian said bluntly.

“Help me.”

“I don’t know what help you want from me.”

Artizea swallowed the tea slowly, immersed in thoughts.

Ian has already exhausted his utility.
She considered it a success if it went only to the point where he made visible the division that originally existed.

What happened was that the division was accelerated by Leticia’s events, and the death of Marquis Luden arose.

It was enough.
Even if he had more use than this, there was nothing to use him for.

If he could survive to the end on his own, she was thinking of succeeding the title to him after the fall of Marquisate Camellia.

That did not mean that Ian could be any symbol.
As long as wealth and power are attached to titles and families, the fight over inheritance cannot be stopped.

However, it is not good to get rid of too many great noble families at once.
It will have to be done someday, but a change that is too abrupt would force the nobles to unite and resist.

They fight with each other over and over again, but they always fight against external pressure with one mind.

‘Did Skyla know that I had used Ian as a card to throw away, or did she send him because she didn’t know?’

Either way, it was true that he was introduced by a friend and that he could not be ignored.

Ian entered through the front gate of Grand Duke Evron’s residence.
This gave her an excuse to be publicly involved in this.

She had nothing to lose.
It became difficult for Marquisate Luden to maintain the status quo.
Marquisate Camellia must help defend Marquisate Luden.

It wouldn’t be bad for her to earn ancillary income either.

Ian bowed his head.

“I want personal protection.”

“Are you going to continue the lawsuit? If you agree to settle it now, I will mediate.”

“I don’t want to.”

Ian looked at Artizea.
As he lost weight, a brilliance revolved in his eyes deepened.

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“You don’t want to?”

“It is my right to inherit Marquisate Camellia.
I have no desire to compromise with the one who stole it.”

Artizea looked at him with a smile involuntarily.

“There is no one in the world who gives help without payment, Sir Ian.”

“There are several documents that were written by Marquis Luden.”

Ian brought out the list he had written down beforehand.
They were some of the most important Marquisate Camellia’s fortunes.

Marquis Luden made him write a contract to give it as a gift to his wife when they got married.

“I will give everything on that list to Grand Duchess.”

“You mean you can give yourself to others, but you can’t give it to the usurper?”

“It may seem unreasonable, but after doing this, all that is left is mine.”

This is a deal.
When the transaction is complete, the give and take disappears.

Better than being coerced by intimidation or writing debts in the name of favor.

“Well, it will be difficult to get it back anyway with the power in Sir’s hand.”

At Ian’s words, Artizea spoke to herself, immersed in thoughts.

At that moment, Ian suddenly realized that Grand Duchess Evron was the woman in the veil.

“Ah.”

He moaned unknowingly.

Hazel turned and looked at Ian.
Ian swallowed the question that had risen to his throat.

He must pretend not to know.
Even revealing what one knows is the privilege of those in power.

Ian bowed his head.
Artizea smiled.

“I know that you have just come to the capital, but you seem to have had a lot of worldly experiences during that time.”

“…… Yes.”

“To write a contract.
Even if the documents from Marquis Luden come out, if the prerequisites are not met, it will be just a piece of paper anyway.”

“Yes.”

“I will ensure that Sir’s whereabouts are protected until the lawsuit is over.”

It was unplanned, but there was nothing wrong with raising extra income.

Even if they keep Marquisate Camellia, they don’t have to leave it as wealthy as before.

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‘It is enough to add just enough to maintain honor, tradition, and proper dignity.’

Artizea checked half of the items in his list and returned it to Ian.

“If Sir succeeds the title in the future, please dedicate it to the country; for Sir yourself.
It will also be a good example for other families.”

Ian understood the meaning of her words.

He bowed his head and said ‘yes’.
This was the first time he knew that he wasn’t in a business where he dared to get involved.

“Hazel.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Let Sir Ian stay in the guest room of the annex.
Sir Alphonse, please choose a suitable knight and attach him as Sir Ian’s escort.”

“Understood.”

Artizea looked at Ian this time and said.

“You don’t seem to be deaf, so you probably know what kind of situation the Grand Duchy is in these days.”

“Yes.”

“Greeting guests is prohibited.
Only go out when consulted with the escort knight.
Still, it would be safer not to go out as much as possible.”

“Yes.”

“Due to the risk of poisoning, do not put anything in your mouth except from the kitchen of the Grand Duchy, and do the same with objects.
If you need anything, ask to get it from the butler or through Hazel here.”

“Yes.”

Ian took a deep breath.
It felt like a hurdle had been crossed.

Artizea leaned on the armrests and stood up slowly.
Then she asked,

“Do you trust Skyla?”

Ian looked at her with an ambiguous face.

“I don’t know her intentions.
But she definitely understands that we are on the same boat.”

“…….”

Artizea’s silence made Ian uneasy.

“Skyla is wise, but she still doesn’t know what it means, yet.
Just like Sir Ian.”

“I have learned it now.”

“You will have to learn more.”

Artizea said so and left the room.