The Villainess Lives Twice

Nicholas, Count Eison, was not alone.

Three nobles stood behind him. There were more people who shared the will.

If this accusation does not work, there will be a second accusation. A third accusation was then prepared.

[“If you win just one time, you win. There’s nothing to fear, Nick.”]

The one who sent him said so. Count Eison also agreed with that statement, so he has gathered like-minded people.

Still, his body trembled with fear.

Count Eison was a typical small man who could only shout out to the lowly and powerless.

The Eison had tradition, honor, and wealth.

His great-great-grandfather was one of the public servants who supported the former Emperor when he ascended to the throne. However, he withdrew from politics early and lived the rest of his life in enjoyment.

And he left teaching for his descendants.

[“Power is gambling at the risk of life. Glory seems to be waiting for you, but in the end you will lose all your stake. I have already left behind riches and wealth, so you don’t have to bother with gambling.”]

His children were not particularly fond of the will.

But fortunately, there were no ambitious descendants until Earl Eison.

Count Eison found his pleasure without taking any dangerous paths.

The present system also recommended such a trend. If they praised the Emperor’s authority, paid taxes and enjoyed the game, the Emperor rewarded them with appropriate silver coins. As long as the joke doesn’t make the country noisy.

Many of the nobles gathered around Miraila were such people.

He thought that such a life would last forever, so he never ventured into politics at the risk of the fate of his family.

To borrow the words of Count Eison’s ancestors, he gambled with money, not with his life.

Count Eison became friendly with Lawrence, but did not actively assist him when he was ousted.

He did not even actively support Grand Duke Roygar.

In his view, Grand Duke Roygar’s faction was a foolish group of greedy and over-enthusiastic people.

When Cedric was to be crowned Crown Prince, he was grumpy. Cedric wasn’t friendly with any of them, and he hated the entertainment they enjoyed.

But Count Eison didn’t even think that the old peace would be broken.

They were nobles. Even if they stepped back from politics, they were the ruling class that supported the monarch and consolidated the status system and power structure.

No matter how important the Emperor may have hired commoners, the imperial system of rule is hereditary by lineage.

At its peak is the Imperial Palace.

Therefore, denying the nobility was no different from denying the Imperial Family.

He thought so. Until he heard this.

[“Why do I think so? He has plenty of powers that can replace nobles.”]

[“What are you talking about? Because of this, the Eastern nobles lost their titles, so without our cooperation…….”]

[“Northern people.”]

It meant the place of origin, but also the lineage.

[“Cedric forgot his grudge? I would say so now. He will try to win the favor of His Majesty and ascend to the throne. But does he feel the need to be so patient even when he has reached a peak where he doesn’t have to pay attention to anyone?”]

To Count Eison, those words felt far more real and logical than saying that there are people who struggle to endure and forgive a grudge.

Still, he talked about the positives as far as he knew.

[“But didn’t Grand Duke Evron marry your younger sister and start a new family?”]

[“Now that he has a new family, will he be relieved and seek stability?”]

Lawrence stifled a laugh.

[“Nick, believe me. My younger sister is the best person in the world to incite and exploit others’ resentment.”]

[“…… your younger sister?”]

[“What about those who raised Cedric? Wouldn’t they have brought any resentment against the death of his parents? As Cedric becomes Crown Prince, will he just cut off the northerners?”]

Lawrence smiled softly. A tongue peeking through the soft cherry lips moved like that of a snake.

That can’t be true. Count Eison moved his lips nervously.

[“Only half of his blood is from the North, but his heart is entirely North. He’s been living for the North so far, but if he was crowned with the Emperor’s crown, do you think he’ll suddenly become your monarch?”]

Perhaps, he’ll wipe you out and put the Northerners in your place.

Lawrence whispered.

The point was also to awaken something the nobles of the Capital were deeply afraid of.

The North will retaliate as much as they have been persecuted so far. Northern nobles alone would not be enough, but combining the knights and the semi-noble classes was enough to change the ruling class.

If the North came to rule the Empire, they would be annihilated.

It’s not just the North. Count Eison recalled that Cedric was also supported by the warlords of the West.

[“Shouldn’t you attack first before being isolated?”]

At Lawrence’s words, Count Eison finally nodded his head.

Of course, even if there was a need, Count Eison would never have done this if there was no chance of winning.

But digging as Lawrence had told him, he literally found conclusive evidence.

“This person is ready to confess”

Count Eison spoke fiercely and pointed to the Witness.

He didn’t have hair, and his face, covered with scabs, swelled, making it difficult to recognize his figure.

He could not even stand fully, and had to be held up by two men from both sides.

“Who is he?”

The Emperor frowned and asked.

“It’s a Karam captured from Grand Duchy Evron’s stronghold.”

Saying so, Count Eison approached him with his own hands and took off the hood that was on his head.

His third eye was revealed.

“Gasp!”

“Oh my God!”

“It’s a monster!”

Screams erupted from all sides.

Count Eison said with a flat attitude.

“It is said that even those who are more terrifying than this will meet the Grand Duke in person.”

“Hmm.”

The Emperor vomited a sigh.

“I brought this one because it is the only one that can speak, but there are even more terrifying beasts! If you allow me, I will bring it right away.”

The Emperor glanced at Cedric. Cedric had a frighteningly expressionless face.

The Witness looked at Cedric once, then lowered his head and closed his eyes. And he was speechless, with only tears from his three eyes.

“Speak quickly.”

Count Eison said to him.

“Tell His Majesty what he confessed!”

Slap!

He swung his hand and slapped the Witness in the cheek. Blood gushed from the mouth of the Witness who had just been injured.

Cedric’s hand stopped the vassals of Grand Duchy Evron, who stood behind Cedric, from raging.

And he looked at Count Eison with dark eyes.

Count Eison looked triumphant, then froze when his eyes met Cedric.

His body, terrified of him, retreated without realizing it.

As if he did not want to admit it, he made a stronger voice and confronted Cedric.

“Aren’t you going to make excuses?”

“You haven’t told me yet what you accused me with.”

“Urgh! What more do you want me to say with this clear and obvious evidence here!”

Count Eison groaned.

“A disgusting monster with four arms or hair from the top of the head to the tailbone comes and goes without any hesitation in the stronghold!”

“They were caught and witnessed in Evron’s stronghold.”

The leather merchant who had taken a step back until then came forward.

It was because it was unlikely that any logical words would come out if he left it to Count Eison.

The other three nobles were equally foolish in his eyes. Perhaps, he was surprised by Karam’s shocking appearance and apparently did not even understand how to drive Grand Duke Evron into heresy.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, will you give me a chance to speak a word?”

“Tell me. Instead of that stupid bastard.”

“This person is not just a mutant, but a hybrid of Karam and human.”

“Evron’s dominion has been on the northern border with Karam for hundreds of years. It’s ugly, but it wouldn’t be strange to have a mixed race.”

The Emperor looked towards Cedric and narrowed his eyes.

“The North is a barren and sparsely populated place. The predecessor Emperor has abolished slavery, but it is not surprising that the Grand Duke captured them and used them as slaves.”

There was a subtle part in the Emperor’s tone.

So, it was difficult to know whether it was acceptable, or whether he had committed a crime against the imperial law because he had slaves.

Perhaps, he was trying to get rid of the big sin of internal communication and leave the small sin of slavery behind.

Count Eison jumped.

“Those who cheated with the devil and even the devil bastards should all be burned to death, but what if they keep them alive! The fact that the temple of the North was blind to this means that everything was in unison!”

Negil said calmly,

“It was not that Grand Duke Evron was kind enough to spare the mother and child who had a relationship with Karam. He was actively using it to communicate with Karam.”

Negil gave another piece of evidence. It was several sheets of paper copied by hand, which included a planting diary with drawings.

Negil didn’t think that alone would be enough, so Viscount Connor, who was standing behind Count Eison, stepped forward.

“This is a crop cultivation diary brought in from Karam. It was said that a village was created in order to study cultivation methods. Beyond the Thold Gate, a mix of Karam and human.”

“This person came from that village and was caught going in and out of the stronghold.”

Negil added.

“There are many doubts about the war last winter. There were too few casualties for there to have been a war.”

Negil knelt before the Emperor and raised his voice. It was clear that it was meant to have a dramatic effect.

“I have been a regular visitor to Evron’s stronghold as a merchant for over a decade. But there was no war in any other year that has been as calm as last winter.”

“Shut up.”

Cedric spoke in a low, strong tone for the first time.

Negil flinched. He tried not to look back on Cedric.

However, although he succeeded in not looking back, he failed in not being pushed by that momentum.

Grand Duchy Evron’s vassals, who stood behind Cedric, were now ready to run out and kill Negil upon command.

Negil’s body trembled. Count Eison and three other nobles, who had not received the momentum head on, also broke out in a cold sweat.

“Was it interesting that people didn’t die in Evron?”

The intonation was completely gone from Cedric’s frozen voice.

“Did it seem so natural to you that with every knock on the Thold Gate, young people disappear in droves?”

“Grand Duke.”

Chancellor Lin intervened as if trying to stop him. Cedric didn’t stop.

“Do you mean that the Northern rationale was to cut down big trees in the summer in advance and pile them up in a warehouse for fear of not having enough trees to make a coffin?”

Cedric clenched his fist. It sounded as if there’s a popping sound.

“How many of those who live in the land of Evron have lost their parents and children to Karam? Do you think there is a single person who has not lost a relative or neighbor to Karam? There are also those who have witnessed the loss of both their grandparents and their parents to Karam and have their son amputated in front of their eyes.”

The voices of the vassals who stood behind him were all overlaid on his voice. Beyond that, the voice of the land of Evron.

“How dare you drag Karam to chastise Evron?”