The Villainess Lives Twice

Marchioness Camellia said in a low voice,

“You are the one who advised Luca to go east.”

“Yes. Even if things go wrong, it’s not Father’s or Luca’s responsibility. I told Luca to be ready to go into hiding at any time while in the East.”

“You did something stupid. His Majesty would have been suspicious.”

“Anyway, His Majesty must be suspicious of everything. Mother doesn’t say anything because you think so too, and you also told Father to do so.”

Skyla took a deep breath and said,

“Be patient and earn time. What do you do after that? Are you going to assassinate His Majesty?”

Skyla lowered her voice so that no one could hear it.

In the past, it was enough to keep Lawrence in check and then drive him out.

Grand Duke Evron was completely out of the race for succession. He was the one furthest.

Grand Duke Evron himself seemed to have no intention of staying in the Capital under the favor of the Emperor.

So, at that time he just had to hold on. The Emperor had no other choice, as he had no children.

But it is different now.

Inheritance law is not driven by public opinion. However, it is about determining the Emperor’s successor.

The people’s welcome and the support of the temple are justifications. How much more can they say than God had given grace?

Now, Grand Duke Roygar had no choice but to hold on. The Emperor had to die before the succession ranking could be overturned for any other cause.

The only way to ensure that is to assassinate him.

“Do you think that would be possible?”

“It won’t be easy.”

To Skyla’s words, Marchioness Camellia responded in a whispering voice.

Both the mother and daughter did not feel repulsed against the idea of assassinating the Emperor. If they are a member of Grand Duke Roygar’s faction, they must have thought about it at least once.

Why they haven’t done it so far is not because they have loyalty or because it’s wrong, but because it’s not easy.

“In a situation where Princess Leticia is not able to affect anything?”

“It doesn’t have to be right now. If His Majesty had in mind Princess Leticia as his heir, then he would not remove His Grace Grand Duke Roygar. We have to contain Grand Duke Evron.”

That is the Emperor’s tendency.

They don’t know if they can remove both at once, and if they can’t, they won’t remove either.

And neither Grand Duke Roygar nor Marchioness Camellia were confident that they had enough power to remove both at once.

“I don’t know what King Eimmel will say.”

“Yes. But no matter what King Eimmel says, His Majesty will not kill Grand Duke Roygar right away.”

“Even so, he will cut off his limbs! Mother, by gathering people to the memorial service, Uncle challenged His Majesty head-on.”

“Don’t worry too much. Because that would be the story of failure.”

As Marchioness Camellia said so, she stood up from her seat.

Skyla tried to follow her, flustered.

And she cried out in surprise,

“Mother. Mother!”

Because Marchioness Camellia had closed the door in front of her.

“I understand what you mean, Skyla. I knew you betrayed me.”

“Mother!”

Click.

The door is locked.

“I hoped it wasn’t like this.”

“Mother! Eliminating King Eimmel won’t change anything! It’s just a matter of time!”

“I understand your concerns. I’m thankful, and I felt like you’re already all grown up.”

said Marchioness Camellia.

“But I will never separate from Her Grace.”

There was no obligation to take care of Garnet until the end. She made a deal with Marquis Luden, but she didn’t even think the deal was justifiable.

She was jealous. There were times when she felt unfair. There were times when she felt deprived.

If she had been born as the legitimate daughter of Marquis Luden, she was confident that she would be superior to the Marquis Heir Apparent, to Garnet, and to any other he called his child.

In such a position, even if she had not received the same education as the Marquis Heir Apparent, she could not have had any feelings toward Garnet, the daughter of Marquis Luden.

When she was younger, she thought many times if she had been born into Garnet’s position.

However, she has been watching over Garnet for all her life. There were not only duties and transactions there.

“As long as His Grace and Her Grace are alive, we can still fight. Legal inheritance is a powerful thing.”

If it is before the Emperor establishes an official succession scheme, they can overturn it in just one shot.

“Mother! No! Grand Duchess Evron has made all the preparations!”

Skyla exclaimed,

“Free me, Mother! I am now……!”

Skyla was unable to speak until the end and gasped for her breath.

“I’m sorry. I’ll send someone soon, so go to the East after your father and Luca. You’re smart, so you’ll know when to disappear and when to come back.”

Marchioness Camellia said so and left. Skyla heard the sound of stepping on the stairs going down to the attic.

Skyla took a deep breath and sat down in her seat.

Her eyes turned round and round, and she grabbed her hair with both her hands.

She was going to try anyway. It was just the last thing she was going to ask.

She wanted to stop and discuss with her mother if she ever wanted to turn around.

‘No. No. Unless Mother changes her mind, I have no choice but to do it anyway.’

Skyla thought as she crouched down.

Marchioness Camellia did not go to the South. She could not have been directly involved in this.

If it’s the collective punishment, she can cover it with her family’s merit. The first to betray will be able to escape.

Didn’t she intend to do just that?

She had nothing to suffer from. Whether or not her mother had the will to strike Marquis Luden was no longer important at this point.

Had she known much earlier, then could something have been different?

It won’t be. After all, it was up to Garnet.

Skyla sighed and grabbed her head again.

＊＊＊

It was three days later that King Eimmel’s welcoming party was held.

This was Ian Camellia’s first time attending an official banquet at the Imperial Palace.

Ian stood in front of the mirror and checked himself once. And he said to Hazel,

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

It was not an easy task for Ian just to wear a plain robe.

At Artizea’s order, Hazel took care of his outfit.

“I just called in a seamstress. It looks good on you.”

“Thank you.”

Ian saw that he had a pale complexion as he looked into the mirror. And the fact that Hazel is looking at him like that.

“I’m surprised.”

“That I decided to go out?”

“No. When you first attended an official banquet, you decided that it would be a welcoming party for the King of another country. Usually, people pick something like a New Year’s Eve party. It’s easy to be alienated in diplomatic banquets or banquets with guests.”

“I don’t really want to get too much attention.”

Ian said sadly.

Until now, banquets had to attract attention, so it didn’t make a very good impression because it was a banquet stained with scandal and insidiousness.

Hazel tilted her head.

But Ian didn’t bother to reveal what he was going to do.

He did not want to attend the banquet.

However, his request to visit the Emperor was rejected by Artizea.

[“It’s impossible for Sir to attend an audience alone with His Majesty.”]

[“So, I am asking you to write a letter of recommendation.”]

[“In that case, it seems that you have forgotten that all the work done by the audience is the responsibility of the recommender.”]

Ian didn’t really think of that part, so he bowed his head to Artizea.

[“Hazel will get you an invitation to the banquet.”]

[“That Your Grace will be attending?”]

[“I am not feeling well. I don’t know if it’s a dinner party, but I’m not in a position to attend the party.”]

Ian couldn’t help but nod his head.

He did one last check on his outfit and went out.

He offered Hazel to be his partner, but she declined. From the time he was told by Artizea that it was the responsibility of the recommender, he had been thinking about going alone.

He made his own decisions to repay her favor, so he didn’t want to involve the one he was trying to do a favor for.

He got on a carriage alone and arrived in front of the main gate of the Imperial Palace. He also separated from the escort knight there.

He was not a member of Grand Duke Evron’s family anyway, so he couldn’t bring an armed escort knight into the room.

The lesser nobles attending the banquet, each adorned with jewels and splendid clothes, lined up and entered.

Ian headed to the door through which the high-ranking nobles came in alone.

“Sir Ian of Marquisate Camellia has arrived!”

the calling officer shouted loudly.

Hearing a not-so-honorable title, Ian entered. People’s eyes were painfully pierced.

It seemed that Ian was the only one who could be called a high-ranking nobleman at the moment.

Ian slowly looked down from above the lobby. Skyla wasn’t here.

He thought that she might have come in disguise as a lesser noble, so Ian joined the crowd.

Because of his simple clothes and not many faces he knew, he was quickly forgotten.

“County Brennan couple and the Lord have arrived!”

“Chancellor Lin and the Madam have arrived!”

“County Eunice couple and the Lady have arrived!”

As time passed, the other high-ranking officials also arrived, and the calling officer called out one after another.

But Skyla never came. She was nowhere to be seen.

[“If I fail to convince Mother, I may not be able to come. I may probably be detained somewhere.”]

Skyla said.

[“Still…… , no, then all the more, do not hesitate to present this to His Majesty. Just don’t forget to mention that I was the one who brought this.”]

The calling officer shouted.

“His Majesty King Eimmel has arrived.”

And the last one came.

“Pillar of Krates, who received the scepter and orb from the god and became the sun on the earth, His Majesty Emperor Gregor Avanasi Nestor has arrived!”

Everyone knelt on the spot. People in all directions were lowered as if an ebb was going down.

Ian took in his breath. And, putting up with the feeling of a stiff neck, he moved forward.

Gossip and questionable gaze stabbed Ian.

As the Emperor and King Eimmel approached the front of the stairs, the guards blocked Ian’s way.

King Eimmel frowned at him, and the Emperor said something. Ian was nervous out of his mind and he didn’t hear it.

Instead, he knelt down in front of them and recited the words he had prepared,

“I would like to report a treason.”