The Villainess Lives Twice

Proofreader: somnium

Yucis fell asleep on Artizea’s knee while the carriage was swaying. She was worried he might get motion sickness, but she was glad he didn’t.

Artizea stroked Yucis’ head. Yucis’ hair was exceptionally thin. As she patted him like this, he felt like a young puppy with white fur.

She heard Leticia shouting excitedly from the front.

“It’s high! Dad, the top of the mountain is so close!”

Artizea smiled.

Leticia insisted that she be on the horse, so she went ahead with Cedric. By next year, she won’t be able to let her go without a real horse.

She had once wondered what Leticia was doing, maybe it was because she herself wasn’t interested as she wasn’t likely to have a horse or a dog when she was young. She wondered if as a child, they usually like to run and play, so they all should have been curious about animals.

But seeing that Yucis sits quietly in the playroom, likes to touch clay and draws, and learns to make words out of spelling blocks faster than running, it seems innate.

So, it strangely softened Artizea’s heart.

At that moment, the carriage, which had been traveling on the incline the whole time, came up to a flat surface. They seemed to have arrived.

Artizea stroked Yucis’ forehead and gently shook it.

“Yuci, wake up.”

“Ung…….”

Yucis turned his head in his sleep. Artizea stroked Yucis’ cheek again.

Mel said,

“I will carry him down, Your Majesty.”

“He has to get up anyway.”

The carriage stopped.

From outside, Freil knocked twice and opened the carriage door.

“Was the road unco, ugh.”

Red rushed over like an arrow and dug into the side of his thigh before jumping into the carriage.

“Ack.”

Freil groaned. It was because Red had put its feet on Artizea’s knees, when its feet were muddy from running along the mountain road.

“It’s okay.”

Artizea said. Her clothes were not soiled because she was covering her lap with a blanket.

“Huff huff!”

Red gasped and looked at Artizea, then licked the sleeping Yucis’ face.

“Hng, uwaah, Mooommm……. uwaah.”

Yucis closed his eyes and twisted his body into a huddle, but he couldn’t beat Red.

“Red, stoopiiiitttt. Uwaaaah.”

Neither Artizea nor Mel bothered to stop it.

When Yucis finally woke up and sat on the floor of the carriage, Red stepped back and placed its chin on Artizea’s lap as if its mission had been completed.

Mel comforted Yucis, who had woken up in tears, and wiped his face.

“Red! Red!”

A call from Leticia came over there. Red licked Artizea’s hand once and then jumped out of the carriage again.

Freil shook his head.

“Hasn’t it also grown?”

“Red is grown up.”

It was Leticia’s side whom she was worried about when Red would grow old.

Artizea took Freil’s hand and got off the carriage.

“Was the road uncomfortable here?”

“It wasn’t very shaky. The whole road has been repaved.”

It was natural to make the road, but it was made so that not only horses and carts but also carriages could move without shaking.

There was no need to do this for general supply distribution.

“Ahem,” said Frail.

“Now, I can afford it. Isn’t it important to take care of the symbol?”

“Still, it is not for the governor to directly act as an attendant. This is a family outing, not an official itinerary.”

“Don’t be like that. I am also a person who has served Lord Cedric for a long time.”

Freil said so and grinned.

“And it’s not an official business, but isn’t it important that the Governor did it himself?”

“Well…….”

Artizea did not have to deny it.

Anyway, this isn’t on an official schedule, so it could indicate that Cedric has no intention of overturning the imperial lineage. However, since the Governor followed directly as an attendant, it means that he was fully devoted.

Freil pointed to the chapel leading to the family tomb and explained,

“The security system has also completely changed. Destroying them to protect them is dangerous and too outdated.”

“Have you dismantled all the equipment?”

“It didn’t come that far. That will have to be at the level of rebuilding the tomb. Instead, we removed all the machinery that could have caused the collapse and destroyed some of the buried parts.”

It would be nice not to have a war with Karam again, but even if it did, there was no need to fear that their ancestral tomb will be defaced.

It was not such a time.

‘One day, the fortress will disappear and only the family tomb will remain like a monument.’

Artizea thought so.

Evron became directly under the direct control of the Emperor. The title of Grand Duke Evron will be inherited by the Emperor’s eldest child, but only honor and formality will remain, and it will be another title for the Crown Prince.

As a result, there were no great nobles left in the Krates Empire.

So no one else will be buried in this family tomb.

There are not many people who remember grandfathers and grandmothers whom they do not even know their faces. After Cedric died, Leticia or Yucis did not have to visit this place.

Officially, these two children are descendants of the Krates Imperial Family, and Emperor Gregor was their grandfather, so there won’t be a protocol for them to come for any reason.

In the meantime, there have been several people who encouraged Cedric to honor Princess Floella as he was the Emperor and to transfer his parents’ remains to the imperial tomb.

It was understandably humane to miss one’s parents, and even though Cedric didn’t say anything out of his mouth, there were many people who tried to win favor by guessing prematurely that he would actually want to honor his mother.

Meanwhile, there were even calls for the nullification of Emperor Gregor’s regime after his death. Few would really think that it would be possible.

However, there were many who wanted to at least undermine legitimacy, thereby invalidating the laws and political decisions he made. Even though he made it clear that Emperor Gregor had abdicated and he was the adopted son of Emperor Gregor.

Artizea also told him.

[“It is difficult at the moment to honor your mother as it will incite controversy over the legitimacy of the Emperor, but I don’t think this is a bad thing. There will be no more opportunities to go to the North in the future.”]

[“I’ve said it before, but it’s okay. I’ve already obeyed all the filial piety, but if she was upset that I didn’t visit her, she wouldn’t like it even if I brought her there.”]

Cedric said that with an awkward smile and made a soft face.

[“I think it is right not to do things that may cause trouble for future generations. It’s not like everything is really over.”]

At that time, Artizea just nodded her head.

Still, he did one thing.

Cedric hung a portrait in a private living room in the Main Palace. The gentle painting of the couple together against the backdrop of the Capital’s Grand Duke’s residence, the faces of Princess Floella and the predecessor Grand Duke Evron, were copied from different portraits and repainted.

It’s because there were no portraits of the two together before.

It was a sign that he had not forgotten his birth parents, but would not drag them out into public spaces.

Just as Cedric feared before coming here, the mountain breeze was cold and crazy even in the summer. She straightened her coat, which was fluttering in the wind.

“Achoo!”

When the cold wind blew, Yucis, who quickly caught a cold, sneezed. Mel tightened Yucis’ clothes, put his hat on, and then put him down.

From how far she had gone in front, Leticia hurriedly ran from the other side and shouted,

“Mom! Mom! I want to go up there!”

“If you get permission from Dad.”

“Dad told me to ask Mom’s permission! Then, can I go?”

“After the visit to the ancestral tomb, with Dad.”

“Mom’s not going?”

“Mom doesn’t want to.”

She was curious to see how the scenery beyond the Thold Gate had changed, but she didn’t dare to walk up that height.

Cedric followed Leticia with a large flower basket. The basket of fresh white flowers overpacked, and Red bit one of the fallen flowers and went round and round.

“Wow.”

Artizea gave a brief exclamation. Yucis rubbed his eyes and exclaimed,

“Moth ochids!”

“Wow, our Yuci is smart. how did you know?”

“I saw in book.”

Yucis said suddenly shyly.

“Really?”

Artizea asked, tilting her head. This was because she wondered if Cedric knew the name of a flower well.

“It’s exactly that, it’s probably the same kind of flower. Here, even in summer, it can only be grown in a greenhouse, so it is quite a precious flower.”

Cedric smiled and handed a flower to Artizea’s hand.

“It also resembled a butterfly.”

Yucis exclaimed, “I have two!” Then Leticia shouted, “Mine’s full!” as if in competition, and gathered flowers from the basket.

“You must not drop it on the ground.”

Cedric said. Leticia nodded her head and took the flower carefully.

Cedric put a basket of flowers in one of his arms, and extended his other hand to Artizea.

Artizea made sure the two children were following along, and she and Cedric went into the chapel leading to the family tomb.

Even though they had renewed the maintenance and cleaned it, the calm atmosphere as if dust had settled down did not change.

Cedric did not this time go to the outermost room where his parents were housed. He started with the innermost room of his ancestors, placed flowers one at a time in front of the altar and lit candles.

As the children had learned beforehand, they put their hands together and prayed.

So, they visited all the tombs from the inside, and came to the tomb of the predecessor Grand Duke Evron and his wife that was outside.

There, two silk flowers, which Cedric and Artizea had left behind a few years ago, remained, yellowed now. Cedric had never really been here before.

Artizea knelt in front of it on one knee, removed the silk flower with a polite gesture, and put down the flower she was carrying.

Between the two slabs stood a small monument carved out of a stone.

“May you rest peacefully without worries in paradise.

– Cedric

Artizea caressed the monument with a fresh feeling.

“Is Grandma and Grandpa here?”

Leticia, who understood the concept of death as she had the experience of visiting the imperial tomb, asked. Cedric answered in a hoarse voice.

“Yes. It’s Dad’s Mom and Dad.”

“Why did you take them so far? Isn’t it hard for Dad to come to see them?”

“When they died, they didn’t know Dad would go this far.”

“It will be difficult if Dad doesn’t see them often. I don’t want to be so far away from Mom and Dad.”

“Me, too.”

Leticia said maturely. Yucis followed her.

Cedric smiled a little and patted the heads of the two children.

“When I become an adult, even if they’re close, I won’t be able to come often because I’m busy……. Grandma and Grandpa will understand.”

“Right. Dad is too busy.”

Leticia said sullenly.

Artizea called the two children. One flower was placed in each of the tombs, so Leticia’s hand, who was holding the flower, became empty.

“Come on, let’s say goodbye.”

They took the flowers that Leticia and Yucis were handing, placed them on the altar, and put their hands together.

“Grandma, Grandpa, Leticia is here. Even if Dad pretends he doesn’t know that he is busy, please don’t be too harsh. I will visit you often with Yuci. Please help Mom and Dad and me and Yuci to get along well. I like a pony as a birthday present.”

“Yuci likes sunlight-colored paints.”

“Leticia.”

Artizea raised a stern voice. Leticia, who had learned her manners, quickly corrected her words.

“May you be warm and comfortable in the arms of God.”

Leticia drew a cross. Yucis stammered in drawing the cross.

Cedric poured all the rest of the flower from the basket on the altar to make a pile of flowers. And without a word, he just drew a cross.

Artizea saw Cedric made a cross for the first time, except when attending temple ceremonies or receiving a blessing for the baby. Come to think of it, he never even prayed.

His eyes were dyed red.

Artizea noticed it, but she didn’t bother to mention it. Instead, she took hold of the hands of Leticia, who slowly began to twist her body, and Yucis, who was yawning.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

Cedric didn’t say anything this time either.

It wasn’t really all over, but in some ways it was over. Artizea learned that she was now able to pray to God.

“Up you go.”

Cedric grabbed Yucis with one arm and lifted him up. Then, holding Leticia’s other hand, he and Artizea headed out of the tomb.

END

hello, this is effe again!

we have finally reached the end end of TVLT! thank you for sticking until the very end!

pardon me if the translations is still lacking in parts >.<

even though there might be some unanswered questions () i think this is a good enough ending for our beloved characters!

once again, thank you for reading and loving TVLT!