The Villainess Lives Twice: Butterfly's Dream (IF Story) - Chapter 22
Cedric gritted his teeth, fighting back his rising anger.
He couldn’t lose his temper in front of Artizea. Most children get scared when their guardians express anger in front of them, but for Artizea, it was even more intense.
Swallowing his fury, he called her gently again.
“Tia.”
Artizea’s eyelids fluttered, and she blinked her eyes open, squinting as if the light was too bright.
Cedric reached out and gently lifted her into his arms. Artizea, still groggy, mumbled.
“Lord Cedric…?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“You really came to find me…”
Her voice, barely audible, was more like a mumbled thought than a whisper.
Perhaps still half-dreaming, Artizea murmured something incomprehensible and wrapped her arms around his neck. Though she was still half-asleep, it was the first time she had approached him so openly, and Cedric gladly hugged her.
Turning around, he saw Hayley and Lysia standing with worried expressions, their heads lowered. Meanwhile, Aubrey, seemingly oblivious to the situation, twisted her face in confusion and was about to scream but was being dragged away by Kiesel.
Pavel offered an explanation with a guilty expression.
“I swear, we checked this room several times…”
“….”
Cedric remained silent. Since Artizea had been asleep, she likely couldn’t respond when they called for her, and no one would have thought someone had locked her in on purpose. They hadn’t even checked the cabinet, where she had been hidden.
Cedric, though he was angry, struggled to hold back his frustration and couldn’t respond immediately to Pavel.
Instead, Artizea, blinking her eyes, finally remembered she had been playing hide-and-seek. She smiled, her face blooming like a flower.
“Lord Pavel, you really kept your promise.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Pavel finally apologized, his face turning bright red. Cedric gently spoke to Artizea.
“You were really scared, huh?”
“I’m okay. I’m fine. I knew you would come to find me…”
Artizea wiggled, as if signaling for him to put her down, but Cedric, still holding her, stepped outside.
Count and Countess Jordyn arrived in a hurry after receiving the servant’s message. They were shocked to see Kissel and Aubrey, and Cedric nodded for them to follow as he briskly walked toward the residence.
It was only when they reached the bedroom that Cedric gently set Artizea down. He then instructed Marie to bring some water.
Artizea asked in surprise,
“What happened? Was there something wrong?”
Her tone seemed to say that she didn’t think being locked in was a big deal.
Cedric softly ruffled her hair. Marie returned with a glass of water, and Cedric handed it to Artizea.
“Drink. You must be thirsty.”
“Oh.”
Artizea hadn’t realized how thirsty she was until Cedric mentioned it. After taking a sip, she felt a deep thirst and quickly drank the entire glass in one go.
Cedric smiled as he spoke.
“It’s okay.”
“Yes?”
“No one will lock you up again. I’m sorry I didn’t pay enough attention.”
He considered mentioning that it was Aubrey’s doing but decided against it for now. Artizea had said it was okay, but there was no way she wasn’t startled by it.
He didn’t want to give her any more troubling thoughts.
“Do you trust me?”
Cedric simply asked, and Artizea nodded quietly. She fidgeted with her little fingers and murmured softly.
“Because you came to find me…”
It didn’t matter who hated me or why it had happened.
Cedric didn’t know what was going through her mind. He reached out to gently ruffled her hair before getting up to stand.
“Change your clothes and rest. You must be tired.”
“Ah.”
Without thinking, Artizea had grabbed his coat in surprise but quickly let go when she realized what she had done.
Cedric looked at her hand with a tender feeling. He was happy to be someone she could rely on, but it also saddened him to see her expressing herself this way, still too young to do so fully.
If she was like other children, she would’ve been crying and pleading by now.
He didn’t know how to respond to this. How could he open her heart completely? How could he make her trust him enough to cry and throw a tantrum if she needed to?
He sat back on the bed, brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, and made a promise.
“Tomorrow, let’s have fun together. I’ll show you the village.”
“The village?”
“Yes, we’ll visit the market, and I’ll take you to see the castle walls.”
Artizea’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Then, we need to get some good rest tonight and wake up early tomorrow, right?”
“Yes.”
Artizea answered eagerly, which was rare for her.
Marie was waiting outside with pajamas, and Cedric handed Artizea over to her before leaving the room.
In the living room, Pavel was anxiously pacing.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to not look for her…”
“I know, it’s not your fault.”
If anyone was to blame, it was himself. He knew the kind of trouble Aubrey had caused in the past, and he knew the seeds of it still existed. It was his fault for not stepping in and handling it, justifying her behavior because of her age.
Cedric’s face was hard as stone as he exited Artizea’s room.
Meanwhile, Count and Countess Jordyn, who had heard the full story from Kiesel and Hayley, were pale with fear.
Even if it was just a child playing and lashing out because they disliked another child, it was an unbelievable action for any parent.
But Artizea was Cedric’s fiance. Moreover, Cedric had specifically ordered them to treat her as his sister.
Aubrey had clearly overstepped her bounds.
Yet, their spoiled daughter was not apologizing but, instead, holding her head high even now, after being caught.
Cedric looked at both Aaron and Margaret. He wasn’t even in the mood to address Aubrey.
“I think both of you understand what I’m about to say.”
“We are deeply sorry. We failed as parents.”
“She’s still young and hasn’t fully learned proper manners…”
“Excusing her actions just because she’s young and hasn’t learned enough—this will be the last time.”
There was a coldness in Cedric’s voice that neither of them had ever heard before.
But there was nothing more to be said. They both knew that when Artizea and Aubrey first met, Aubrey had already done wrong, and Cedric had let it go.
“Locking someone up is more than just an issue of manners. And Aubrey doesn’t seem to have any remorse whatsoever.”
“We will ensure this never happens again. We will discipline her severely.”
Aaron and Margaret bowed their heads deeper. Cedric spoke coldly.
“All private rooms of Count Jordyn’s family in the estate will be demolished. And both of you will be on house arrest for one month.”
“Yes, we accept your orders.”
Since it wasn’t appropriate to punish an eight-year-old for insubordination, Cedric had instead issued the orders to her parents. The private rooms for Count Jordyn’s family within the estate were privileges granted due to their status as estate representatives.
For Cedric to revoke them meant, in effect, a significant demotion in status.
He then turned his gaze to Kissel, the governess.
“The governess is to be banned from entering the estate for the next two years.”
Kiesel had no reason to enter the estate unless she was overseeing the Jordyn sisters, but the punishment itself would be recorded. She lowered her head humbly, her eyes glistening with tears.
Finally, Cedric turned to look at Aubrey, who still seemed unaware of the situation, then looked sternly back at Aaron and Margaret.
“Aubrey Jordyn is permanently banned from entering the estate. Not just the estate, but any place where she could encounter Artizea. I hope I don’t have to see her again.”
This was essentially the end of any future for her within the Evron aristocracy.
Aaron and Margaret bowed their heads deeply, unable to speak.
“Mom? Dad?”
Only then did Aubrey start to feel uneasy. She anxiously scanned the room, hoping for someone to come to her defense. Margaret quickly grabbed her hand, urging her to lower her head.
Reluctantly, Aubrey complied, lowering her head. Even Hayley and Lysia, who were innocent, did the same.
Cedric looked down at the Jordyn family with a bitter feeling and then ordered them to leave. He knew this was something that needed to be done, but his heart felt bad.