The Dead Villainess Had A Child With The Male Lead

Chapter 28 New Face

The Emperor and Empress immediately summoned the crown princes and prince to the investigation room. They needed a meeting of the minds.

After a long silence, Tate was the first to speak.

“Perhaps it’s for the best.”

“What do you mean, prince, that the death of the princess is a good thing?”

“Isn’t she the favorite of the people, and the news of her death will send the entire empire into shock and grief?”

“Of course.”

The Emperor looked at Tate, still puzzled.

Of all his children, he considered Tate to be the most intelligent, so he hoped he could come up with a good solution this time.

“A period of mourning will surely calm the unrest in the south. The death of a beloved and respected princess would put a stop to violent protests.”

“Certainly.”

The Emperor nodded in agreement. Seeing that, Tate continued.

“Let the state funeral last for ten days, Your Majesty, so that the people can mournfully, and why don’t you levy a special tax on the entire empire and use it to quell the unrest in the south.”

“Ohhh… that is a very good idea, my prince.”

The Emperor’s mouth curved into a satisfied smile.

Tate inwardly squealed with delight at the first point he’d scored in a long time, but he couldn’t let it show.

He didn’t want to stir up Jonathan’s jealousy.

Tate looked at Jonathan out of the corner of his eye.

Sure enough, Jonathan’s brow was furrowed in a fine line.

‘Tsk, you’re bothering me again. It’s going to take me a while to get you off my back this time.’

Tate rolled his eyes.

Eventually, he decided it was too late to just sit back and watch, so he spoke up again.

“I think we should take this opportunity to bring Caspian to the forefront.”

Caspian’s eyes widened at Tate’s suggestion, as he’d been sitting blankly throughout the meeting.

He was surprised, as was everyone else.

“Caspian, in what way?” Tate asked.

“In the way of a brother grieving the death of his sister.”

Tate answered the Empress’s question calmly. But Caspian immediately frowned.

“I don’t like it, brother. In fact, I’m not even that sad.”

“Caspian, honey, take it easy. We’re all the same. You’re more angry than sad. You feel betrayed.”

“…”

“But you can’t show off like that in front of others, can you?”

The Empress chastised her youngest son in a soft voice.

As she did so, she was reminded of her own angry outburst in the investigation room just moments ago, but she shrugged it off.

“You must sympathize with the people’s grief, mustn’t you, Caspian, and show that you suffer with them? I’m sure they’ll like you as much as they liked Veronia.”

“Do you think they will, my dear?”

“Of course they will. People are apt to feel compassion and love for small and delicate things.”

“…”

Caspian finally nodded, and for a moment the Empress’s face lit up.

She gave him quick instructions.

“Caspian, I want you to attend every day of the next ten days of state and shed a tear. I need you to look a little leaner, so watch your diet for the next few days. I want your hair and skin to look a little ragged. Okay?”

“… Yes, mother.”

Caspian’s face showed a hint of disapproval, but he didn’t show it.

Even the youngest of the family was not unaware of the gravity of the matter.

Veronia, the shield of the imperial image for so long, was dead, and the southern provinces were in uprising by angry people.

In many ways, this was a time to keep a low profile and gauge the mood. He must not let his temper show.

‘It’s all because of Sister Veronia, why did she have to die!’

The prince, who was particularly beautiful with shiny blonde hair, cursed at his sister in his mind.

***

By the time the debriefing and noble council had concluded, it was already dark.

As he was about to leave the palace, Killion turned and headed for the palace shrine. It was where Veronia’s body lay in state.

It was quiet inside the temple.

Only the footsteps of a few priests and priestesses and the faint sound of someone chanting a prayer could be heard.

Killion trudged to the centre dais of the great chapel.

Veronia’s body lay in an ornate coffin, trimmed in gold.

Charred, blackened, and bony, the body bore no resemblance to Veronia.

It was customary for the body to be embalmed and the coffin lid left open during the state funeral.

But not in this case, where the body had been so badly wrecked: the lid would remain closed to avoid shocking people with its gruesome appearance.

“I’m here because I don’t think you’ll even see this after today, Your Highness.”

Killion murmured quietly.

His heart sank as he caught one last glimpse of Veronia’s form.

“I always thought you were small and slender, but you look even smaller now, Your Highness.”

He reached out and gently touched the fingers of the corpse.

He was sorry he hadn’t held her hand a little harder, a little warmer.

‘May you rest in peace…’

May you never hurt anymore, and may you be happy in your new home… Killion had hoped and prayed for Veronia’s peace.

But it was strange. Even here, facing her body, he couldn’t believe she was dead.

So many things had already told him that the body in front of him was Veronia.

But something in Killion’s heart kept denying it.

The body lying here was not Veronia, but a fake. That Veronia is alive and well somewhere.

That it was all a dream, a lie. No, he thought, he hoped not.

‘…It can’t be, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?’

He laughed at the ridiculousness of his own insistence.

Is this how he wants to hold on to hope?

Is this the part of me that doesn’t want to lose her forever?

His chest was tight and his mind was racing. He didn’t know what to make of this situation.

But one thing was certain.

“I must have liked you more than I realized. To see you so sad and troubled. I’m sorry I didn’t realise it sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I liked you, that I adored you. I’m so… sorry, Your Highness.”

Swallowing hard against the sobs that threatened to burst forth, Killion turned away.

***

Late at night.

Riding on horseback away from the burning hut, Veronia met Onyx halfway.

They rode and rode and rode for two days.

Instead of heading straight for their destination, they used the teleportation scroll to pass through several places, hoping to disperse any traces they might have left behind.

She finally arrived at a town called Rosler, a fairly densely populated area close to the capital.

Onyx and Veronia parted ways at the mouth of the town.

“Thank you, Onyx. You really are an expert.”

“That’s true.”

Onyx smiled arrogantly and nodded. He never knew humility.

But the job was done, and Veronia decided that was enough.

“You’ll need my help for a while yet, so keep your communicator handy.”

“Yes, I will.”

“And even if nothing else happens, I’ll visit them at least once a month, acting as their herbalist. They’re herbalists.”

“I see, I see.”

What impeccable organization! Veronia marveled inwardly again.

It also helped that Onyx had been a regular visitor for some time now.

Onyx pointed to a spot.

“There’s the third house around that alley, the green-roofed bunkhouse. Go in there. Thank you for your trouble. Should I call you ‘Nia’ now?”

“That’s right, Nia, that’s my name now. Take care.”

Veronia waved her hand in the air, and immediately drove her horse in the direction Onyx had indicated.

It wasn’t hard to find the green-roofed bunkhouse. It was nearly midnight, but the house was brightly lit.

They must be waiting for her.

Veronia took a deep breath to shake off her nerves and knocked on the door.

The door opened immediately, and a grey-haired, elderly couple greeted her with a smile.

“Pleased to meet you, Hugo Lampert, and this is my wife, Luisa Lampert.”

“You must be very tired, we have a bath upstairs for you.”

The couple’s relaxed demeanor and voice eased Veronia’s tension. The small house was warm and smelled of savory food.

It was the first time she’d ever been in a place that wasn’t the setting of the original story, and talked face-to-face with people who weren’t the characters in the original story.

It now felt real that she had actually escaped from the original.

“Please call me Nia, and I’ll take good care of you.”

“Get a good night’s rest tonight, and we’ll save our greetings for tomorrow. I’ll have some hot soup and bread ready for you soon if you go upstairs.”

She wondered how many other times she’d had guests like this, and marvelled at their natural consideration.

Veronia was led up to the second floor by Hugo.

“Get some rest, then. Luisa will bring you something to eat soon.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Finally alone, Veronia headed first to the bathroom, where she needed to wash off the dirt that had accumulated over the past two days.

As she stepped into the warm water of the bath, she could already feel her fatigue beginning to dissipate.

As she stripped off her clothes, she absentmindedly glanced in the mirror and gasped at the unfamiliar reflection.

“That’s right. This is my face now.”