The Villainess Lives Twice

Chapter 252

Proofreader: somnium

There were many people in the audience hall.

But no one made a sound of breathing. It was partly because they were overpowered by Cedric, and partly because the words he said stabbed them in the chest.

Negil was not agitated.

He was now a merchant, but was once a bureaucrat.

He knew better than Cedric how the central politics of the Empire worked.

“You shouldn’t respond so emotionally.”

Negil said calmly. He lowered one knee with his head bowed deeply.

Everything that needs to be said has already been prepared. It was better to just say the prepared words than to make eye contact with Cedric and be crushed by his dignity.

“Who doesn’t know that Grand Duchy Evron has played a major role in defending the Empire against Karam until now? The central government also knew it, so it had provided a huge amount of support to Grand Duchy Evron.”

Cedric tried not to twist his lips.

Negil was about to mention the indulgence-privilege.

The mainland was paying enough for Evron’s blood.

No matter what God’s teachings, no matter how ethical, human life has never been expensive.

Especially if it’s the life of a Northerner.

After all, don’t they defend in order to survive? It is this side that was helping them by supplying.

In fact, it means that the central is feeding the northern part.

That was the perception of the central.

Negil was to uncover that part.

“So, even more, shouldn’t it be made transparent even for the young people who have died in Evron?”

Negil said,

“If the Grand Duke really communicated with Karam, he would not only betray His Majesty and turn against God, but also betray the Evron people who were loyal to the Grand Duke.”

There was a commotion in the audience room.

The Emperor, who had been sitting on the throne until then, said,

“Bring evidence and witnesses. It is not enough just that a half-blood was in the stronghold.”

As if waiting, Negil summoned a person.

A new witness, who had been waiting outside until then, entered the audience hall with hesitation.

“Sir Roun?”

“You?!”

An alarming sound broke out among the vassals of Grand Duchy Evron.

A knight named Roun glanced, then quickly turned his head.

And he knelt before the Emperor.

“Identify yourself.”

“…… My name is Roun Jaden.”

When Roun only spoke up there, hesitating and unable to speak any more, Negil spoke instead,

“Jaden is a family that has served as the fourth-generation knight in Grand Duchy Evron.”

“Roun!”

One of the knights standing behind Cedric tried to run out.

Cedric motioned again to stop him. He grabbed the knight who was about to run from the left and right.

The Emperor looked down at Roun.

“Does a person who has worked as a knight for the fifth generation try to accuse the master?”

“…… It cannot be said that there were no facts.”

Roun hesitated and said this time with an unsure attitude.

His grandparents died along with the predecessor Evron Grand Ducal couple. His father lost an arm to Karam in Cedric’s first battle.

His older sister followed Cedric to help rebuild the Western Army and defend the Monster Wave, but she never returned.

The pain that had accumulated in his heart was great, but Roun didn’t know how to get rid of it.

From Cedric’s marriage to Marquis Rosan, a central nobleman, to adopting an accommodative policy toward Karam, it was full of things that didn’t make sense.

Accepting mixed race was tolerable. The problem with crops was discovered recently, but that was understandable.

Because it was all for Evron’s people.

But what reason is there to promote interaction with Karam?

It was different from having a poor and starving peasant barter with Karam or giving pity to a straggled Karam and saving their life.

Roun still held it in.

If they can’t attack Karam and annihilate it, it was better not to go to war to reduce the sacrifice of allies. Even Roun could make that kind of judgment.

However, the moment Cedric was adopted by the Emperor, the accumulated anger exploded.

He felt betrayed by everything he had believed and endured until now, believing that it was for Evron’s sake.

What did his grandparents die for? Why was his father proud of losing one of his arms?

Why did the older sister become a body that even could not return as a corpse?

When a subject pays loyalty, the monarch must repay him for it.

Instead of reciprocating, Cedric chose to surrender and flatter the Emperor for his own power and for his wife and children rather than Evron.

Roun thought so and came to the Capital. He promised to pay back everything his grandparents had been betrayed.

“…….”

But in this place, on the other side, his companions stood guarding Cedric, and he was kneeling in front of the Emperor.

He looked at his appearance, and he was rather like a traitor himself.

A cold sweat was running down his back. His body trembled as he lost his confidence.

“Why don’t you speak? If you were trying to be innocent, you wouldn’t dare to accuse the Imperial Family with blasphemy!”

The Emperor’s shouts hit his ears like lightning.

Roun didn’t have the courage to stand up in front of him. It took another kind of courage to pull out a weapon and jump into the enemy line with his comrades.

“Tell me. You can’t turn back anymore.”

Negil said.

Roun swallowed his saliva.

“The winter of last year, I was at the Thold Gate.”

“Therefore?”

“It was said that there was a war, but the actual battle took place only six times, and it was caused by clashes between the reconnaissance teams or just local friction.”

Roun continued stuttering.

“There was an order not to fire even if Karam was within range. There was no war.”

“Hoo!”

Someone moaned loudly as if to hear that.

“A barracks was built halfway between Thold Gate and Karam’s camp. The Grand Duke personally met there five times with the son of the chieftain of Karam. I know that the mixed race there was an interpreter.”

Astonished people looked at Cedric.

Cedric kept his expressionless face. Roun’s betrayal was heartbreaking, but it wasn’t something he hadn’t thought of at all.

He didn’t expect anything on such a large scale to be completely secured as confidential anyway.

So he did his best on the preparation. He wrote a handwritten report from Grand Duchy Evron and sent a letter to the Emperor. Even after coming to the Capital, he reported in person once again at a military meeting.

However, he looked at the contents together with Artizea. Subtly change the words to disguise the truth, but not completely lie.

So, the Emperor and other important members of the military were already aware that he had come into contact with Karam during the war.

In the end, the Emperor made an uncomfortable face. Gayan said instead,

“The military commander is empowered to negotiate with the enemy commander for tactical purposes during operational situations. For Grand Duke Evron, who holds all power, there is no need to say anything. If Sir is a Knight, you would know.”

“How can you negotiate with Karam! They are the seeds of the devil!”

Count Eison exclaimed excitedly.

It didn’t matter if they could communicate or not. How do you communicate and compromise with those terrible things?

Even if that three-eyed monster is half-human blood, how can they be recognized as the same human being?

That was the idea of most people except the Northerners. In fact, even among Northerners, the residents of the southern villages would think like this.

The devout old Marquis Blancro crossed and said,

“I understand your concern for the people. But there are also standards for showing mercy.”

“I think so, Your Majesty. No matter how much we try to reduce the damage from war, the opponent is Karam.”

“If you kept alive the man who had conspired with the devil and his seed to talk to Karam, what would it be, if not an apostasy?”

Those who agreed with him came out one by one.

“I’d understand if he had made him a slave, but…….”

There were people who mumbled like that.

Negil sighed in relief.

Negil risked everything for this. He, who was not a noble, accused the heir who would become the Crown Prince, so if things go completely wrong his neck will be cut away.

[“If an apostasy controversy arises, no matter how set the date is, there is no way to hold a Coronation Ceremony. Even the temple will reject it.”]

[“Will pushing it back solve the problem?”]

[“There is nothing to be anxious about. You can’t really see any tangible results with a single stab at any of these things. It is to stimulate fear and hatred.”]

The man who made him work said that was all Negil had to do.

[“If the Ceremony is delayed, your neck will not be cut off.”]

[“The Princess has been blessed by God. Would the temple consider the Grand Duke for apostasy?”]

[“Don’t worry. He is not the Princess who has been favored by God. That is not the final goal.”]

Negil was drawn to his convictions.

A person who is addicted to gambling only thinks about sweeping the stakes.

When Marquis Luden was assassinated at Negil’s house, he had no way of colluding with political power.

If he closes his business and lives in seclusion with the remaining wealth, he will be able to live comfortably.

But Negil was a person who couldn’t do that.

If Count Eison’s ancestors knew, they would say he was addicted to the life-threatening gambling board.

He wouldn’t have been with Marquis Luden in the first place if he was going to be indifferent.

It was then. The calling attendant shouted,

“Grand Duchess Evron has arrived.”

Artizea raised her head straight and entered the audience room. Cedric’s eyes met her for a moment, but she didn’t look at Cedric.

She briefly listened to the full story of the conversation inside in front of the audience door.

She had a queasy feeling.

In the past, she has not attacked Cedric for Karam issues. Because she didn’t know.

However, she alienated the North from the Empire and created the impression that Cedric was a Northerner. She’s preventing him from building a base on the central.

‘Miss Lysia stopped it, but……, but it was half successful.’

This time too, the end purpose is not to reveal the fact that he negotiated with Karam.

The purpose is to show that Cedric is a Northerner and acts and rages for the North.

Even if they don’t succeed in driving him into apostasy, he can be branded as a Northerner.

If he was stigmatized either way, not only upright believers, but also those who do not want to have Northerners over their heads, and those who want to take down the imperial power by accusing him in advance, will think bluntly and rush in.

‘As expected, it’s Brother.’

Artizea thought to herself.

This method of encouraging the evil side of a person instead of getting the desired result at once is clearly similar to hers.

Cedric probably noticed, too.

She made eye contact with Cedric. However, she pretended not to know, and went up to the place where Negil and Roun stood in front of the Emperor, bending her knees to greet him politely.

“Artizea of Evron has something to tell you.”

The Emperor beckoned her to straighten her back. There was anger on his face.