The Villainess Lives Twice

Finally, the Emperor made a decision.

“The Eimmel Kingdom was the first to declare war. If we are invaded, we cannot help but defend.”

The Emperor declared.

“If they really wanted to uncover the background behind the Queen’s assassination in the Eimmel Kingdom, they should have politely requested cooperation in the investigation, rather than raising an army to invade.”

And he said this too.

“Although the truth is not certain, it is difficult to tolerate the act of accusing a subject of the Empire as an assassin and then assaulting us. The Prince of Eimmel does not want to reveal the truth, but raises an army recklessly, so the truth is deeply questionable. As a protector who protects the subjects and honor of the Krates Empire, I want to clarify the truth of this matter clearly and hold the Eimmel Kingdom accountable.”

In addition to the will of the Emperor, the temple added points.

Its main content was to raise suspicions that the assassination of Queen Eimmel was related with Prince Cadriol.

What ability and power did a woman who was a silk merchant have, that she could have committed such a mortal sin? Rather, did he frame Madame Lexen and kill her so that she couldn’t reveal who was behind her?

There was one more condemnation.

“With what qualifications does a prince, not a king, dare to send a letter of state? This only proves that the state of the Eimmel Kingdom has been disturbed.”

It also meant that they wanted to drive a wedge between the relationship of King Eimmel and the prince.

Papers and intellectuals shaped public opinion. Grand Duke Roygar thoroughly followed it.

All papers criticized the Eimmel Kingdom at once. Not only in salons and coffeehouses, but wherever people gathered, it became an atmosphere of praising the bravery of the Emperor.

It wasn’t difficult. There were many people whose self-esteem was hurt by the fact that they were being defeated by a small country like the Eimmel Kingdom.

“He should have done this earlier. Since when did the Empire care about things like Eimmel?”

“It’s a country infested with pirates after all. I wish we could sweep it away on this occasion.”

Over time, people forget the pain.

The same is true of personal suffering experienced by a person. It was more than two generations ago that there was a war in the center.

It was not strange that there were many who cried out for all-out war. After all, what flows is someone else’s blood.

And as the numbers gathered and a little incitement was added, a voice calling for an all-out war swept public opinion.

***

An air of anxiety and concern flowed through the Grand Duke Evron’s residence.

In Grand Duke Evron’s residence, few people knew what war was.

It was not something that could be ignored just because the effects of the war did not directly reach because it was so far away from the South and the North.

Hayley couldn’t hide her worries and asked Artizea.

“Will there be an all-out war?”

“No.”

Artizea replied.

“The reason for forming a public opinion calling for war is to threaten the Eimmel Kingdom. Even in the Eimmel Kingdom right now, they must be doing their best to understand the atmosphere of the imperial government.”

“Are you saying they’re not actually going to send an army?”

“They will send it. In the beginning, intimidation must be accompanied by actual actions, only then will it be really scary, right?”

“I heard that the supply plans for the Southern Conquest Army have already collapsed. It would be a huge undertaking to connect the supply routes from the central part.”

“Nevertheless, it is the Empire, they can do it.”

Artizea said, reclining comfortably on the sofa.

“Whether the people fall into chaos, monsters sweep and ruin the farm from time to time, or the soldiers shed thousands or tens of thousands of blood……, if squeezed, they can continue to mobilize the military and get supplies.”

When she started playing with numbers, the Empire was a really huge country.

Even if the Eimmel Kingdom and the wealthy Iantz Kingdom joined forces to create an army, it was impossible to mobilize more soldiers and supplies than when parts of the Empire were squeezed out.

No matter how meager and miserable the materials that go to each soldier are.

“But it’s okay. What makes up the Southern Conquest Army is His Majesty’s elite army. Even if he meant to use it to support brother Lawrence, he wouldn’t want to waste it on something unexpected like this.”

“But I don’t think it’s going to be easy to succumb to the Eimmel Kingdom, which is gaining momentum right now……. Are they trying to send a fact-finding team?”

Hayley asked. Artizea nodded her head, fiddling with the corners of the cushion.

“Perhaps they are.”

And the fact-finding team will probably aim to estrange King Eimmel and Prince Cadriol.

Artizea said.

“It has been three months since the Queen died. King Eimmel’s sorrow will have gone away to some extent.”

And then, slowly, other thoughts began to arise.

Like that he gave too much power to the eldest son whom he should be wary of.

“It’s only been three months. Didn’t King Eimmel say that he loved the Queen very much?”

In the meantime, Sophie, who had been by Artizea’s side and picked up a lot of stories, intervened.

Hayley replied.

“It is common for an old powerful man to fall for the young wife, who is of his daughter’s age, but how sincere the love can be.”

“It must have been sincere at that moment, but…….”

Artizea muttered like that.

“Anyway, from the King’s point of view, he may have given all power to Prince Cadriol without thinking at first out of sadness, but he must have come to his senses by now. The King must be well aware of the relationship between the Queen and Prince Cadriol.”

“Yes…….”

“If he adds the excuse that it is for the Queen, it becomes easier for the King to change his mind.”

And the leader of the fact-finding team will be Grand Duke Roygar.

In order to go beyond Prince Cadriol and have a conversation with King Eimmel on an equal footing, it was necessary to have a proper status.

Artizea was hearing more details from the information network in the palace.

Grand Duke Roygar insisted to the Emperor that he felt responsible for the affairs of the Ford family.

[“Terry Ford’s misunderstanding is absurd. However, that misunderstanding eventually led to death. I also feel a sense of responsibility for not actively resolving the misunderstandings.”]

Of course he said that, ostensibly to assert that he had nothing to do with Terry Ford.

However, in reality, he implicitly revealed that this had something to do with wealth, indicating that he and the Emperor had the same goals.

It makes Terry Ford meaningless.

After all, only a few within the Empire know of the grudge between Terry Ford, Marchioness Camellia, and Grand Duke Roygar.

So they can bury it. Digging into Terry Ford’s background will inevitably lead to him being held accountable for having the Queen of another country become involved in the political situation within the Empire.

So it was time to focus their attention on Queen Eimmel, and not on Terry Ford.

Grand Duke Roygar persuaded the Emperor to attack Queen Eimmel’s assassin from this angle first, claiming that it was Prince Cadriol.

[“It is Prince Cadriol who will benefit the most from this assassination. Even if he’s not, it must end up being someone from the South.”]

Grand Duke Roygar insisted.

In the beginning, there was no one in the center of the Empire who would have a grudge with Queen Eimmel, and no one had a cooperative relationship.

There was no motive to kill.

Even the claim that the Duke of Riagan had a connection with Queen Eimmel and assassinated her is not convincing.

Why would Duchess Riagan use up the disguised identity created through such meticulous craftsmanship only for everything to be revealed in the end?

[“Above all, the wealth that Madame Lexen Terry Ford made came from the Kingdom of Iantz.”]

[“I know what you mean.”]

The Emperor immediately nodded his head at Grand Duke Roygar’s words.

The truth doesn’t matter.

They were able to attract the Kingdom of Iantz.

The Kingdom of Iantz was a small but wealthy country. Many of the luxury items used in the Empire were made by Iantz.

If pressure can be used to gain diplomatic supremacy, huge profits can be obtained.

To Raise an army and threaten the Kingdom of Eimmel and Iantz. At the same time, demand cooperation.

Even the Kingdom of Iantz would know that it would be better to cooperate. Because the sudden presence of a prince of a neighboring country who is belligerent and strong heading an army at their own border will not be surprising.

The odds were good enough.

Thus, the Emperor accepted Grand Duke Roygar’s proposal.

Hayley asked.

“Grand Duke Roygar is resourceful……. You don’t seem to care much.”

“Because it’s not that important. After all, the real power of the Eimmel Kingdom has already passed to Prince Cadriol. Even if Grand Duke Roygar goes, the situation cannot be completely reversed. From the beginning, the real purpose was not to investigate the truth.”

“…….”

Hayley vividly remembered Artizea being kidnapped by the people of the South Sea.

How could she forget about it?

Cedric buried the matter. The South Sea people are pirate mercenaries, and the main culprit is a person who had a grudge against the Marquisate of Rosan.

Since Cedric said it was over, the people of Evron accepted it as all over.

They wouldn’t have had any doubts. Hayley was one of them.

But the Grand Duchess was a foreigner, the Marquis Rosan. There was nothing strange about the fact that someone had a grudge against Marquis Rosan.

She tried to find out, but there was no way she could.

But when she thinks about it now, the South Sea people who came at that time must have been from the Eimmel Kingdom.

Hayley never thought that Cadriol himself would be among them.

But at that time, it was clear that an agreement had been made between Artizea and Cadriol.

What is happening in the South right now is through Artizea’s hands.

Hayley was sure.

Without that being the case, Artizea could not have been so leisurely like this in the face of such an important event.

Artizea said whether or not she knew Hayley’s heart, as if teaching.

“Hayley, keep one thing in mind. Whether in war or diplomatic negotiations, the politics of the capital have only one purpose.”

It was the same for Artizea herself.

“It is the imperial family and power.”

“The imperial family and power…….”

“What happens in the South is, of course, an important thing for the Empire, but it is not important in politics. Now, think about what is most important to the imperial family and politics.”

“…… Is that Sir Lawrence?”

“Yes. His Majesty’s most important thing is to ask if brother Lawrence was involved.”

The fear and upliftment when the word war was evoked, and the hostility toward Eimmel, swept away all suspicions about Lawrence.

That was what the Emperor wanted the most.

“Grand Duke Roygar made it clear that he would not attack brother Lawrence by proposing to His Majesty to shift the blame for the assassination of Queen Eimmel elsewhere.”

It was that part of the negotiations that took place between the Emperor and Grand Duke Roygar that had the most significance.

In return, the Emperor agreed to allow Grand Duke Roygar to step up and exercise some influence in the southern provinces.

That was all that mattered.

***

And three weeks later, Cedric, who had made the change to the new commander of the Southern Conquest Army, returned.