The Villainess Lives Twice

Chapter 160

Proofreader: somnium

“Yes. I am completely uninterested.”

Artizea responded like so to Ian’s question.

“Even if Heir Apparent succeeds in taking over Marquisate Camellia, I don’t think that you will be able to claim the privileges that the current Marquisate Camellia has.”

The honest answer made Ian more understandable of the situation.

“Then, are you trying to only get what you want in the process?”

Artizea smiled again.

His head didn’t look that bad. But the view is still narrow.

Ian seemed to be able to include only direct gains within the scope of the event.

“I have no intention of swaying Marquisate Camellia like Marquis Luden. There is no need for that.”

“Then Marquis Luden…….”

Ian shut his mouth as he was about to speak. And he was lost in thought.

It was not wise to show such a contemplative appearance. It was something the Marquis Camellia should not have done.

Of course, from Artizea’s point of view, it didn’t matter whether he could live like the Marquis Camellia in the future.

The success or failure in itself was not a serious factor for what she was trying to do using Ian.

After all, he’s among one of the most promising candidates to target Marchioness Camellia. Even if he failed, there was nothing to lose.

Ian asked as if he had made up his mind right away.

“What do you want from me?”

“This question is much better.”

Artizea said.

“File an inheritance lawsuit. We’ll support you with everything you need. In the meantime, we will provide all support so that you can live a noble life as well as the cost of the lawsuit. I’m talking about including a sufficient level of escort.”

Ian frowned slightly. It was because he didn’t quite understand what Artizea’s purpose was.

“I know it is no secret that my mother and maternal uncles were either killed or driven to flee far away by the present Marquis couple. Can you shake that current Marquisate?”

“You don’t think you will be successful.”

“It has been over 20 years since the youngest uncle took over the title. Even great success in an inheritance lawsuit would, at best, be limited to obtaining a portion of the fortune…….”

“For Heir Apparent, that’s a good sense.”

“Because I can’t risk my life in exchange for a fortune.”

“You can’t even get wealth without taking risks.”

Artizea said.

“And if Grand Duke Roygar does not ascend to the throne, then the fact that you have filed an inheritance lawsuit will have meaning in itself.”

The courts of the Krates Empire are by no means a strict and impartial judicial body.

Judges usually judged under the eyes of the great nobility. The stronger the power, the higher the rank, the richer the wealth was always the closer to victory.

Although it deals with the emperor’s laws now, in the early days, it was an institution that coordinated agreements between nobles.

Therefore, the judgment is never permanent.

At Artizea’s words, Ian made a surprised face. Then his eyes soon shone.

“If Grand Duke Roygar fails to become an emperor and falls, then Marquisate Luden and the Marquisate Camellia will be purged together.”

A purge also needs a reason.

It can also be incurred by creating appropriate political reasons. But if there is a reason that already exists, the burden is reduced.

It is even better if it is corruption or evil behaviour.

It can be treated as a personal evil deed that Marquis Luden harmed and expelled his enemies in order to get his hands on Marquisate Camellia.

Needless to say, it was easy to implement if there were enemies who were already claiming their rights when they were determined to be purged.

This was a good cause to present to other nobles.

Nobles are sensitive to the elimination of noble families. This is because the Emperor believes that it is suppressing the nobility

However, they did not care much about the change of master, considering it as someone else’s house affairs.

Moreover, Ian was the grandson of the enemy.

He thought Artizea would be a noble on Lawrence’s side.

Having lived as a commoner in a distant country side, he had neither the information nor the analytical power to understand anything beyond that, nor the intuition to jump into the logic and reach the truth.

And if he thinks it’s Lawrence’s plan, it’s a good fit.

To put a disgrace on Marquisate Camellia. It would be good if Marquisate Camellia was shaken by that.

Even if it doesn’t, it’s making up an excuse to purge the area around Grand Duke Roygar in the future.

As Ian bears the risk, it was also a task that did not burden this lady and her master at all.

Ian thought that now was the time to bet.

“It is true for Madam too, to take risks to get greater things.”

“Hoo.”

“Isn’t there any guarantee that Grand Duke Roygar will fall? Rather, if he becomes emperor, I will only be in danger.”

“…… .”

“More than anything else, if I, who has been living in the East, to bet on an inheritance lawsuit, wouldn’t it be natural to think that there is a behind-the-scenes dealing?”

Artizea hid her smile.

In a nutshell, it seemed to mean that he should be properly placed in a faction and protected. Otherwise, he could reveal the existence of those behind him.

“Heir Apparent is like a thorn left behind by the Marquisate Camellia because it was difficult to extract one by one. I won’t betray you anyway, so don’t worry too much.”

“…….”

“If Grand Duke Roygar hears about ‘behind the scenes’ from Heir Apparent, will he acknowledge your work and give you a reward?”

“But Madam.”

Ian tensed up and called her nervously. He was nervous at the thought he wouldn’t even get what she had promised at first.

Artizea knew his anxiety as if looking into the palm of his hand.

It wasn’t bad

His greed is great, but he has no gambler temperament. He seems to have a good brain, but that doesn’t mean he’s much smarter than usual.

Like Skyla, he was not thoroughly educated from an early age and trained as a high-ranking noble.

In other words, he would be just a petty criminal.

As long as she doesn’t strangely twist his ego while making him the Marquis, he’ll be easy to handle.

‘On the looks, it’s not bad compared to the rough life.’

Artizea thought for a moment. A new idea came to mind.

What could be the reason Marquisate Rosan couldn’t do what Marquisate Luden did?

Of course, the form would be quite different from what Ian thought.

Just as when Marquisate Luden was involved in the succession of the title, it was Marchioness Camellia that was the subject of the master-servant contract, not the Marquis.

Anyway, that was for later. For now, it was just a passing idea.

Artizea answered Ian with a darkened face.

“I don’t like those who don’t have any power and try to secure something with an uncertain price in the future.”

“Madam ….”

“But from my point of view, it is very embarrassing not to be able to do what I have been commanded to do. So, I’ll pretend I haven’t heard of it.”

Ian let out a sigh of relief as well.

“Thank you, madam.”

“Then, will Heir Apparent accept my offer?”

“I’ll, I’ll think about it. I am nothing to your master, but to me my life is precious.”

“Yes. Just think it through.”

Artizea didn’t say any more.

Ian could not hide his nervousness and stood up. He realized that there was no possibility that good conditions would be offered just because he held on longer.

The men came in and took Ian, who was blindfolded again, out.

Artizea also ordered his eyes that had been watching secretly to be closed.

Eventually, at the point when he got the offer and decided to come this way, Ian had to know that he couldn’t go back the way he was.

Freil asked.

“Have you decided?”

“Decided?”

“Yes. I was wondering if you had chosen Mr. Ian as the Marquis of Camellia. Lady Skyla has already come to see you three times, but you turned her down, right?”

“It might look like that. It would be better if even Skyla thought that way.”

“Lady Skyla has not yet decided to pledge her allegiance to Your Grace. If she doesn’t think Your Grace’s trust can be trusted, she’ll go all the way to Grand Duke Roygar.”

And, in Freil’s judgment, the only thing Ian had better than Skyla was that his purpose was well-rounded.

It could have been important. So they can feel at ease.

It was understandable if it was in the sense of reducing the variables rather than trying to bring Marquisate Camellia into power.

Artizea smiled brightly.

“Skyla’s position is a bit vague. In any case, just because she remains fully loyal to Grand Duke Roygar, following Marchioness Camellia as she is now, there is no guarantee that she will be able to fully exercise her rights as Marchioness Camellia in the future.”

“But at least the inheritance itself will be stable. Now, she will inherit the property and interests as it is, and she will become the Marquis of Camelia herself. Wouldn’t the political position be more stable than that of the current Marchioness?”

Freil objected.

“If His Majesty makes it difficult to inherit the title, there is a risk that she will turn into an enemy.”

Artizea continued.

“She’s been here three times already, haven’t she? it’s okay.”

“Your Grace.”

“I’m sure she knows who is in a bad position. She’ll be making her fourth visit soon.”

As if she had already made an appointment with Skyla, Artizea said calmly.

“As long as there are only a few things that can be achieved by attaching to Grand Duke Roygar, Skyla has no choice but to consider many things.”

“Lady Skyla has an active personality.”

“Yes. And as I said before, Sir Freil, it is the heart above all else that moves people.”

No matter how rational a person may appear, their judgment is ultimately influenced by their emotions.

The decision was more so than the judgment.

A lot of people act because they want to do it, and they decide because they can’t help it.

Skyla is resentful at the Marquisate Luden’s behaviour toward Marchioness Camellia.

And there is a resentment towards the Marchioness Camellia herself for accepting it obediently.

It would twist Skyla’s judgment. Especially since she respects and loves her mother.

And just as Artizea said, Skyla visited the next afternoon.

＊＊＊

Until her third visit, Skyla felt relaxed despite being rejected. It was only natural that Artizea, who had suffered from great troubles with her pregnancy, could not easily meet people.

But on her fourth visit, she didn’t have that much leeway. She failed to follow the rule of sneaking in through Alice’s back door.

The information network of Marchioness Camellia had already caught on that Ian had entered the capital.

Marchioness Camellia was not so concerned when news came that Ian had disappeared from where he was living.

But the matter was different if he had come to the capital.