The Villainess Lives Twice: Butterfly's Dream (IF Story) - Chapter 105
Preparations went smoothly.
Under Ansgar’s direction, the lobby and halls of Grand Duke Evron’s residence were renovated over the winter.
“We were planning to do some repairs sooner or later anyway.”
The last time the house had seen a major facelift was ten years ago. When Artizea had arrived, Cedric moved in as an independent adult. Since then, of course, minor repairs had been made, but now it was really starting to show its age.
“Isn’t it a bit of a waste to renovate such a huge mansion every ten years?”
Emily asked after running into the ongoing construction in the first-floor hall while coming to discuss Artizea’s wedding attire. But Ansgar simply smiled.
“Ten years ago, we only did the bare minimum since the place had been vacant for so long. Apart from Lady Tia’s room on the second floor, most of it wasn’t properly refurbished. Realistically, the last time the whole house was updated was twenty-four years ago, when the late Grand Duke got married.”
“Now that you mention it, it has been a while. Not exactly ideal for newlyweds.”
“There are things that no longer fit Lord Ced and Lady Tia’s lifestyle as well.”
“Even if they grew up in this house, living together as a couple brings a lot of changes. Plus, Lady Tia will be managing Marquisate Rosan as well.”
“Exactly. Not just the location and structure of the master bedroom, but Lady Tia will also need a study that’s more befitting her new status, as well as reception and waiting rooms. Her old rooms were designed to be inaccessible from the outside for privacy and safety. It was the same for the late Lady Floella. There are other things Lady Tia wants changed as well…”
“Can all that really be finished before winter’s over?”
“It’s fine. Both of them will be staying at Marquis Rosan’s residence for a while. They’ll move in three days.”
“What?!”
Emily stared at him in shock. Ansgar chuckled.
“I think there’s a misunderstanding. They’re not going to the mansion where Marchioness Rosan herself lives, but to another property owned by Marquisate Rosan.”
“Ah.”
Emily sighed with relief. She’d be seeing Artizea a lot in the coming weeks, and couldn’t quite predict how Milaira would react to the arrangement.
Normally, a mother would help prepare her daughter’s wedding; the dresses, travel clothes for the honeymoon, new nightwear and linens, and so on. Parents usually also order new formalwear for themselves for their children’s weddings.
But who knew if Milaira would actually want to do any of that for her daughter? Honestly, it’d be a miracle if she didn’t just get annoyed or jealous. Since Artizea had summoned her here to Grand Duke Evron’s residence, it was clear she wasn’t expecting much from her mother.
Both women were major clients, after all, and Emily wanted to stay on good terms with both.
“So from now on, I should visit that other property?”
“Alice will send you the address.”
Emily smiled.
“By the way, I was a little surprised to hear they’d be honeymooning in the South.”
“Oh, you heard?”
“Yes, the packing list I was given had clothes for the beach and swimwear. There was no need for that if they’d be headed north! I assumed they’d have a second wedding celebration in Evron.”
She had expected there’d at least be a formal reception for the vassals, if not another ceremony.
“They’re planning to go north in the winter, but for the honeymoon, they’re heading south for the summer.”
“It would make sense to travel north in the summer, though.”
“Lady Tia said the same.”
Ansgar said, smiling, fully aware of the little argument that had happened between Cedric and Artizea about the trip.
Garnet had suggested the South, but the one who really insisted was Cedric, not Artizea.
[It’s our honeymoon.]
[I like Evron.]
[But going there isn’t very honeymoon-like. Besides, we’ll be going often enough. There was no reason to make our honeymoon another work trip.]
Artizea had wanted to visit Evron, to pay respects at the ancestral shrine and appear before the vassals in her new role. But Cedric had only shaken his head.
[There’s no need. Everyone already knows who you are. We’ll invite representatives to the wedding, and we’ll visit Evron in the winter. For now, let’s spend some time alone together.]
At that, Artizea had relented. Ansgar, who’d overheard while delivering snacks, couldn’t help but smile. Except for a week-long visit to Duke Riagan’s residence, Cedric was planning to keep the rest of the trip’s destinations secret.
Emily let out a sigh.
“How nice. A honeymoon trip from spring through summer, dipping your toes in the sea…”
“You could take a trip yourself, Madame Emily. You have the means.”
“Me? I’ll never get through all my work, not even if I live to a hundred.”
Emily lamented. Just then, Alice arrived to let Artizea know her guest had come.
***
The small Rosan house known as the ‘villa’ was renovated last year.
At first, when Cedric ordered the work, Artizea had thought it unnecessary, and then, suspicious, wondered if he was just trying to send her away.
But now that it was finally being put to good use, she realized he’d been right all along. They’d stay here while the main mansion was being remodeled, and afterward it could serve many other useful purposes for Marquisate Rosan.
She liked that it was small, too.
Artizea sat in a sunlit rocking chair on the first-floor terrace, taking a rare moment to rest. Wedding preparations were no small matter.
For things like the ceremony itself or the return gifts, she could rely on Ansgar, but there was plenty she had to handle herself. Drafting the guest list, reviewing the marriage contract… Too much couldn’t be solved just by ‘combining everything we have’.
She even got involved in the redesign of Grand Duke Evron’s residence. Cedric told her to just let Ansgar handle it, but she couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to make a few changes herself.
And then there was the trip.
It wasn’t really something she had to plan out herself, but Garnet had drilled into her head how important a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon was. They might never again have such a leisurely chance to tour the South together.
So Artizea put together the travel plans with meticulous care. It was only after starting the wedding prep that she realized how much she needed to be in charge of everything herself, to anticipate every possibility and prepare for anything unexpected.
[Just relax and enjoy yourself. You’ll be lounging around the villa most of the time anyway.]
[No way. There’s so much I want to see.]
She wanted to visit the famous Riagan salt flats, see the crystal mines, even explore the underwater sights Cardiol had once described. Just imagining lying in a boat, drifting on the waves, made her happy.
Sitting there in the rocking chair, Artizea realized she felt as if she were floating on a dream. The gentle sway of the rocking chair felt just like the motion of the sea.
“Tia, are you asleep?”
Cedric’s soft whisper sounded in her ear. Even half-asleep, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck.