The Villainess Lives Twice: Butterfly's Dream (IF Story) - Chapter 112

Epilogue

That night, Cedric Evron suddenly woke up in the middle of the night.

He was in the familiar bed of the Empress’s palace. Because it was a summer night, the window was open and bright moonlight spilled in, making it possible to see the person beside him even in the dark.

He was lying there, holding Artizea’s hand.

Almost unconsciously, he reached out to gently touch his wife’s pale face. And as he’d done countless times before, brought his hand under her nose.

He felt the unmistakable brush of her breath against his fingers. Her skin was cool.

He pulled the blanket up to cover both their bodies. He felt a bit warm, but this was still faster and more reliable than having a servant heat up a hot water bottle to warm the bed.

Though it was the middle of the night, Cedric felt oddly refreshed, as if he’d slept for hours.

His once-robust body was showing signs of age now. Sometimes old injuries from his youth and years of overwork left him aching at night. But tonight, he felt only contentment. The sweetness of the pleasant dream still lingered in his body.

With his fingers, Cedric gently brushed Artizea’s hair aside.

Her eyelashes, shining silver in the moonlight, fluttered like butterfly wings. Cedric found himself caught between not wanting to wake her and wanting desperately to see those turquoise eyes. So he simply waited.

Soon, Artizea’s eyelids fluttered open.

“Ced…?”

She called him in a low voice. Cedric blinked in surprise.

Artizea never called him by that name before. During their engagement, she’d sometimes tried to sound affectionate by calling him ‘Lord Ced’, but she had always kept the title.

“Ah… Lord Cedric…”

Artizea let out a long sigh, then mumbled his name again, almost like she was talking in her sleep. Cedric couldn’t help but smile.

“Did you sleep well? It’s still the middle of the night…”

“Mmm…”

Artizea murmured in a drowsy voice. With her eyes closed, she spoke almost as if to herself.

“…I had a good dream. A long…unbelievably good dream.”

“I did, too.” 

Cedric with a smile.

He didn’t need to ask what dream she’d had, he could just feel it. Maybe it was the moonlight, or the lingering magic of the dream itself, but there was no trace of skepticism in his mind.

He simply knew. Artizea seemed to feel the same too.

She opened her eyes again and looked at him with a hint of annoyance. Though in her expression Cedric could glimpse not the cold, detached strategist but the girl who had laughed and cried and grew angry in his dream.

“If it was such a good dream, you must have had a lot of fun bossing me around.” 

“….I was just doing my duty as an adult.” 

“…..” 

Artizea looked down, saying nothing. Cedric felt a strange sense of unease and carefully watched her face.

Luckily, she didn’t seem truly upset. Relieved, Cedric drew her hand up to rest over his heart.

“It’s strange. I thought that was my dream.”

“So did I…” 

Artizea whispered softly.

The two of them fell silent, reflecting their own thoughts.

While dreaming, it had felt so real that they hadn’t even realized it was a dream. But a dream is a dream. Now it already seemed to fade and blur in their memories. 

Still, the feelings and emotions lingered, soothing the harshness of the years they’d endured.

And with it, a sense of certainty.

Smiling, Cedric pressed Artizea’s hand to his lips.

Now, at last, he felt he could be at peace. Even if she left first, he knew she would go somewhere happy. He was sure she would be able to start again, free of any burdens, and that he would be able to save her in the end.

They would meet again.

“There was a time…” 

Cedric whispered. 

“When I resented God. When I couldn’t accept that God imposed incomprehensible duties on people with nothing in return, or told someone to bear the weight of the world alone.”

“I wasn’t the one who carried the world.” 

Cedric shook his head. He knew what she meant, but for him, at least, God had never laid an unfair burden on him.

“You and Lysia may have come to terms with it, but I still think it was unfair. This isn’t about atonement for sin.”

“You’d have to debate that with Bishop Nikos. If God rewards those who follow God’s will, then it’s not really God. And as for atonement…”

“I’m not trying to argue theology. Maybe it’s just my selfishness talking.” 

Cedric smiled and sighed, pressing another kiss to her hand.

If God truly existed, shouldn’t God let those who followed God’s will experience perfect happiness at least once? If it was impossible to wipe away the past, at least give comfort for the future.

But the present and the future are both built on the past. So long as the memory of guilt remains, something that will never truly be forgotten or forgiven, Artizea would never know perfect peace.

Such things were only possible in another world.

In a hushed voice, Cedric said.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence we had the same dream.”

“…You’re probably right.” 

Artizea murmured, eyes closed.

Her divine power had already left her. The temple still called her a saint, but it was nothing more than a political title now. She’d heard God’s voice just once, and even then had never truly understood it. She doubted she had ever been a real saint.

Yet, even so, she understood and agreed with Cedric’s meaning. Maybe it was just selfishness that she wanted to believe.

But she chose to believe anyway.

“We’ll find our way back, won’t we?” 

Now, she understood every side of Cedric that had seemed incomprehensible in the dream. She realized that world, that impossible and beautiful future, had been achieved by the slimmest of chances.

But even knowing it was nearly impossible, just knowing such a world could exist was enough to save her. And the one who had given her those odds, who had made that future possible, was the beloved husband holding her hand now.

Cedric spoke as if the dream were a reward from God, but what she’d truly been given was him.

This time, she was the one to echo what he had said to her in the dream.

“One day, we’ll go back. You and I…”

One day, when they woke up, not in this bed, but on that sun-dappled swing, with the warm breeze blowing. 

Even if they forgot the details, the feelings would remain.

When she thought about that, the thought of saying goodbye, of leaving him behind all alone, didn’t frighten her anymore. After all, they would meet again.

“Yes.” 

Cedric answered gently, pulling her into his arms.

Under the covers, their cold hands and feet grew warm together. Artizea gave a small smile, resting her forehead on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

Out of habit, Cedric checked her breathing once more. Her breath was faint, but steady.

He no longer felt despair like he once had. Even as the years wore down his heart, it had grown stronger. Knowing that his time left was finite, and that happiness and reunion waited on the other side, he felt at peace.

Surely, this dream had been the salvation God had promised.