The Villainess Lives Twice: Butterfly's Dream (IF Story) - Chapter 73
It had almost been 10 years since Artizea met Cedric. And Cedric had told her from the very beginning.
[You can meet anyone, do whatever you want. Until you turn eighteen.]
When she was younger, Artizea didn’t fully understand the meaning of those words. But now, she did.
It meant that he would protect her as a child for the entire 10 years. That she didn’t have to strive to be useful during that time.
And he truly kept his word. Over the past 10 years, Artizea was protected, loved, and allowed to explore her future and pursue what she wanted.
And Artizea also knew that he had become engaged to her in order to protect her. It was to create a legitimate relationship, to separate her from her mother, and to give a reason to raise her in Evron. It was also necessary for overseeing Marquisate Rosan in her stead.
So now, when the protection ended, would the engagement end as well?
Although she had never heard directly from him, there was a good chance that it would. Cedric had always told her to do whatever she wanted, so if she chose to marry someone else, he probably wouldn’t oppose it.
‘That can’t happen.’
Artizea imagined this scenario on her own, and then grew angry with herself. And she became sulky.
She had received so much from Cedric, and she had never once doubted his affection for her. But it had always been within the scope of a guardian and caregiver.
Cedric was already so mature that at times, she felt the age gap between them was even greater than it actually was. As Pavel often joked, she even wondered if Cedric truly thought of her as his daughter.
[If this keeps up, as soon as I turn eighteen, he’ll probably break off the engagement and send me off to Countess Endar’s ball to find my own path.]
[No way. The Grand Duke dotes on you too much, Tia.]
At her complaint, Hazel merely tilted her head.
[Look at my father or my uncle… Oh wait.]
Seeing Artizea’s furious expression, Hazel quickly closed her mouth. The comparison to her father was problematic on so many levels. There was a small incident where Artizea stormed out of the room after Miel laughed loudly.
[But things will change now.]
Miel said this as a form of comfort, but Artizea couldn’t just take it at face value.
From when she was eight years old until now, the childhood crush that started with admiration had become something much stronger and more affectionate. Even if the engagement didn’t break, she wouldn’t be satisfied with just that.
She didn’t want to be Grand Duchess Evron, she wanted to be Cedric’s lover.
What good is studying deep psychology if she can’t understand what the person she likes is thinking?
Last winter, Artizea felt disappointed about not being able to go to Evron, but looking back, she thought it might have worked out for the better. Eloise had said, laughing as usual.
[Do you really think an older child who has always seen you as a child suddenly sees you as a woman? It’s not bad to keep a bit of distance. Things will change when the perspective shifts.]
[Do you think that can happen in just a few months?]
[It won’t happen just like that. You need to show a new side of yourself.]
Eloise seemed so amused that Artizea wondered if she was enjoying the idea of making her her lady-in-waiting just for the fun of it.
However, it did sound plausible. It was shortly after that Artizea went to Milaira to learn makeup techniques. She also had a new dress made, as Eloise had chosen for her.
“You’re still young and your skin is beautiful, so there’s no need for heavy makeup. Just close your eyes for a moment.”
Sophie’s makeup brush glided over her eyelids. Artizea obediently let her do as she wished, leaving her face in Sophie’s hands.
“All done.”
After applying a soft, pink lip tint, Sophie turned the chair to face the mirror and asked Artizea to look.
Artizea gazed at herself in the mirror, her expression slightly dissatisfied. The makeup was light, giving her a pure and fresh look. It wasn’t as mature as she had hoped for.
“Wouldn’t it be better if the lips were a bit redder?”
“This suits you better, Miss. And it’s morning. You want to look a bit more beautiful but still look like yourself.”
“Hmm.”
Artizea made an ambiguous sound, unsure whether she agreed. While it made sense that heavy makeup wouldn’t suit the morning, it still didn’t meet her expectations…
Marie smiled softly, watching her.
‘She’s at that age, I guess.’
She thought this was Cedric’s fault. All the staff at Grand Duke Evron’s residence shared similar thoughts to Marie. Occasionally, even Ansgar would sigh.
Having raised her like a child, it wasn’t easy for them to see her as a woman now, but the idea of Cedric, now 23, being interested in another woman was unimaginable.
Eventually, after Sophie’s persuasion, Artizea decided to head to the dining room.
It was 8 AM. Given how much time she’d spent on her appearance, she had indeed made a real effort to wake up early.
Even though he had returned late the night before, Cedric, who was not one to sleep in, had already risen early and started his day. The only real rest he had was from skipping training.
Checking the schedule and reading letters had filled up his time. Ansgar had taken over the estate’s matters, but there was still the report to be given on the northern defense and a long list of people to meet.
In a month, Artizea would be turning eighteen.
That meant the time was approaching for her to take charge of the rights of Marquisate Rosan.
Cedric had not left everything to Milaira when it came to Marquisate Rosan’s property and interests. As her guardian, he had made sure of that. When he suggested placing Lawrence under Graham’s care, the Emperor had separated Milaira from Marquisate Rosan in return for that.
A significant portion of the estate had to be given away, and many of the privileges granted to Milaira had been revoked. Even with those subtractions, Marquisate Rosan was still a very wealthy family.
Although Artizea could not inherit the title directly at eighteen, she would still be able to manage the family as the young Marquis. Cedric had already decided to return the family over to Artizea.
“Honestly, I am a bit nervous.”
He let out a sigh as he read through the report.
He had attached experts to the merchants and the mines to ensure the businesses were run as conservatively as possible. However, unlike the stable farms that operated smoothly year after year, the trading houses could collapse in an instant if they failed to follow the trends.
Cedric never thought of himself as a merchant, and the incompetence of his aides in such matters was a well-known fact.
Fortunately, though he was still young and inexperienced, he knew some future stars of the Treasury Department. While managing a trading house and working in the Treasury might be different, at least it wouldn’t lead to disaster.
More importantly, there were people issues to deal with. The collateral blood relatives of Rosan and the old employees who were more like retainers. Most importantly, the Hansens.
‘It might be time to start introducing her to them now.’
As he turned the page, the door to the dining room opened.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Good morning.”
Cedric put down the report he had been reading and warmly greeted Artizea, who walked in.
She was dazzlingly beautiful, but it didn’t particularly stand out to him. She has always been beautiful.