The Villainess Lives Twice

Chapter 40

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Artizea cut him off.

“I’m already being generous at the level of a philanthropist, Sir Lexen. What I’m asking for is a marriage certificate that will give me the name of Mrs. Lexen, and to make sure this transaction is unknown, you hand over all your assets and move to the East to stay quiet. For that, I decided to rent a small manor for free.”

“Madam……”

“After relocating to the East, you don’t have to declare that you are legally divorced from your wife. If you don’t want to enter the social world, there is no problem.That’s it,“ Artizea said.

In general, the transaction of title is made through a successor.

Those who want to buy titles marry their successors. Then, as a spouse of the successor, they will inherit it, and the family’s surname is changed.

And it ends when the child takes over the position as a successor. It is a transaction spanning three generations.

In some cases, the successor of the family who sold the title, but it was okay if not.

This is because if the spouse’s approval is given, inheritance is possible even if the child is out of marriage. So, it was common to divorce after granting inheritance rights.

Artizea did not demand that far.

Lexen knew Artizea as a rich businesswoman who wanted to establish herself in the Crates Empire.

Therefore, instead of buying the title as it is, she is only trying to obtain the name of Mrs. Lexen.

By marrying a successor, inheriting an inheritance, and divorcing them, you can obtain the title, but you cannot obtain an imperial lineage.

Even in the social world, a noble woman with an imperial husband is better than a foreigner who bought the title in many ways. Eventually, the words came up to Lexen’s throat, asking if it was because of her own interests.

But Artizea wasn’t wrong.

In the end, the eldest son of Lexen will inherit the Lexen family.

The only thing lost is honor and wealth. The title remains intact. His descendants will have a chance to come back as nobles.

However, his wife is in a different position. If Artizea was active in the capital’s social circle under the name of Mrs. Lexen, relatives and acquaintances could not be unaware of the circumstances.

It would be better if the divorce was real. However, if he signs another marriage certificate, then if he still lives with his current wife, she becomes a mistress in an instant.

A disgrace, but his wife will not be able to easily reach the temple.

Lexen bowed his head deeply.

“I can’t abandon my wife.”

“Then, you’ll go bankrupt together. There will be a lot of hardships for the two of you until you die.”

Artizea pointed at the door with her hand. It was an order to get out.

Lexen’s complexion turned pale.

She has said many things, but the one who was at a disadvantage was Lexen.

Artizea chose him as the best trading partner for several reasons.

As a low-ranking aristocrat in the western region, it is difficult enough to sell his title. At the same time, he had no strength, no fame, and he was an unobtrusive opponent even if he disappeared.

However, Lexen is not the only poor noble of similar circumstances.

It was more so considering that what Artizea needed was not the title of inheritance itself, but the marriage certificate.

While Lexen sighed for a moment, a new guest arrived.

The second guest was a priest.

“Oh. Madam, no matter how simple it is, it’s a wedding, and you wore a black veil.”

The priest looked at Artizea and said so with a laugh.

However, he was already a man who had already received a large bribe from Artizea. He knew well that this marriage was not a normal marriage. He didn’t say anything else.

Lexen sat silently.

The secretary, who followed the priest, laid down several documents in front of Lexen.

Among them were divorce papers. The divorce papers already had Mrs. Lexen’s signature.

Artizea had already worked on it separately. Lexen realized it and trembled a little. But in the end all the papers were signed. The secretary handed out the divorce papers to the priest.

The priest brought out the marriage vows. The secretary first brought it to Lexen.

When Lexen signed, this time the papers came to Artizea.

Freil glanced over the papers.

[Terry Ford]

It was already signed that way.

After Artizea checked it, the secretary brought it to the priest.

There was no formal exchange of gifts. The priest smiled with a big smile and acted as a witness that made it all true.

“I hereby inform you that this marriage was formally established before God. Congratulations Sir Lexen, Mrs. Lexen.”

Lexen’s face turned gray.

“I want to give a gift to the priest as a sign of gratitude,” Artizea said.

The secretary gave the box prepared in advance to the priest. The priest laughed as if embarrassed.

Artizea said softly.

“In commemoration of this marriage, please use it for good things instead of us.”

“If so…”

The priest stood up with the box. Artizea instructed the secretary to see him off.

And looked at Lexen.

“You can go back now.”

“Is this… the end?”

“Yes, that’s it. All your debts are cleared. Go back now. Your estate manager will clean up the rest of your financial ties and tell you where to go. I want you to spend your life quietly, happily with your wife, without much socializing.”

Lexen wandered for a while while standing up.

But in the end, he couldn’t talk to Artizea again. He turned around and went out.

Freil was confused.

He was caught in a subtle and strange feeling.

The signature on the marriage vows was Terry Ford. Of course, Artizea is not going to use her name directly.

Making Lexen feel as if he was married to Artizea herself was an intentional illusion. This is to prevent him from knowing who his real opponent is.

‘Whoever it is, it’s the Heiress’ henchman.’

Freil thought so.

‘A grain dealer…’

Something caught his mind.

Artizea’s words were absolutely right. There was little value in western farmland.

There are grain vendors in the west as well, but it meant nothing to big figures like the Marquisate of Rosan. It’s probably cheaper to buy than the building in this capital where they sit now.

‘Lending a manor in the east would actually be for surveillance. ‘

And no matter where or how Mrs. Lexen appears, no doubts will arise.

There was no gap at all.

Artizea has natural intelligence, wisdom, determination, prudence and observation.

She had a trusted figure named Marcus Hanson. Thanks to that, there were also trusted servants who asked Hanson for work.

But Freil knew a little about Marcus. He and his children are far from conspiring.

As soon as she acquired a huge wealth, she established a safe house, separated the assets that could be hidden, and invested in other places under a new name.

Freil knew about testing the employees of the Grand Duke’s Residence.

It looked like an attack but on the contrary, it seemed to be engaging in counterintelligence.

Based on that behavior, she is probably forming an information network. Freil was able to bet about 100 gold in the fact that she would have started working on other mansions at the same time.

Is all this really possible? For an 18-year-old girl who had just barely gone out of reach from her abusive mother’s hands?

Freil didn’t take her lightly just because she was young.

It was at that age that Emperor Gregor became the adopted son of the previous Empress and was engaged to the present empress who was from the Duchy of Riagan. Already by then he was a politician.

Even now. He would not have been surprised if Lord Lawrence and Roygar had shown such insight at the age of 18. At the age of 18, they were already in the midst of a political struggle.

But Artizea was different. Not long ago, she was in a situation where she had to wear a shortened dress with a layer of cloth. She wouldn’t know how to deal with money.

Miraila herself, was the emperor’s favorite mistress and social star, but her daughter was seldom seen out.

It caught his mind. However, the reason was unclear.

Artizea smiled and looked at Freil.

Unlike Freil, she had all the information, so Artizea could read all the confused thoughts in his head.

Knock, knock.

Freil’s thoughts stopped.

It was because the third guest had arrived.

“This is Terry Ford, my Lady.”

A woman in plain brown clothes knelt on both knees as soon as the door opened. It was the symbol of complete obedience.

Terry Ford was not a name Artizea had known since her previous life. It means that her existence had not played such an important role back then. Also, it never showed any kind of talent.

But she reached out to Artizea herself. Terry was a senior maid of the Weave’s own family.

Viscount Weave was a relative of the family of the Marquis of Luden, the father of Grand Duke Roygar and Marchioness Camellia.

After being sent on errands, several trips to and from the Viscounty, she realized something.

The cleaning maid was collecting small rumors from the master’s family.

It wasn’t important information. That Marchioness Camellia has come to like light purple velvet these days, or the Marquis made a bet that took 1,000 gold to determine whether this year’s vintage barque Wine would join the ranks of luxury goods at the gentleman’s club.

Perhaps such information is also useful somewhere.

However, it was a waste of time to stop it.

The maid whispered to her that the person giving her money was a reporter for a newspaper. He seems to be planning to dig up a scandal involving Marchioness Camellia.

However, after watching the process closely for two months, Terry was convinced that it was a lie. The employer couldn’t be a newspaper reporter.

Terry wanted to meet the real master. The one holding the laces of the money bag, the superior to serve, the precious noble who can’t even tie their own shoelaces, and the kind of person who controls a person’s life or death with a few fingers.

Terry was smart.

And she wanted to gamble.

Big bets were needed for big rewards. She had a wish, and she was ready to risk her life for that wish.

Terry backtracked the maid to reach the person who sent the gift directly from Alice.

And she said she has important information that cannot be traded with something like silver coins.

Artizea was interested in her. It’s not because she thought Terry’s information was great. This is because she was able to come to know Artizea’s existence by herself.

Of course, her intelligence organization was still poor.

However, from the top, Alice was still clumsy. That’s why she was asked to deal with small things like rumors or attires, not real information.

But that didn’t mean that a maid could find and dig up by herself alone.

So Artizea met her.

[“I heard that the lady is buying information.”]

Terry said so. Her complexion was pale, but she was full of determination.

Artizea asked slowly.

[“What kind of great information did you come to me to sell?”]

[“I want to sell my life.”]

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