The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 141

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 141

Roman Orphanage.

It was one of the orphanages operated by the Imperial Curia’s childcare foundation.

The orphanage director’s name was probably…

‘Pedro, wasn’t it.’

Just an old director of a rural orphanage at best.

A low-ranking priest not even worth remembering.

Nevertheless, the reason that name remained in Isaac’s mind was.

‘He was incredibly annoying.’

Complaining about lacking bread and milk to feed the children.

Saying the bedding and clothing were worn out.

He was a priest who constantly sent letters whining about when they could provide more budget support for the orphanage.

Normally Isaac would have ignored such requests.

But when the letters requesting support exceeded fifteen, he finally got fed up.

Naturally, Isaac rejected every audience request that came in.

Yet Father Pedro, far from being discouraged and accepting this, continued sending letters requesting audiences.

Whenever Isaac thought he’d forgotten, Pedro would come up directly to request an audience.

This had been going on for a year now.

So for the first time, Isaac had sent a reply with the gist of ‘figure it out yourself’…

‘And then he followed me all the way to Jedo to request an audience?’

He was so persistent that during the 3 days staying in Jedo, he submitted no less than nine audience requests.

It seemed he sent them morning, noon, and night.

“He says there are matters regarding orphanage operations to discuss, and this time he absolutely must see the High Priest.”

The priest who had been reading the room carefully concluded his words.

“Tell him to get lost right now…”

Isaac, unable to hold back any longer and about to utter harsh words, suddenly hesitated.

‘Wait.’

A rural orphanage director who cherished children dearly and knew nothing of the world.

Moreover, he had enough passion and initiative to personally seek out the High Priest.

‘This might actually be useful if handled well?’

The sky-blue eyes that always seemed benevolent sparkled with a dangerous light.

“Tell him we’ll accept that audience request.”

A short while later.

Father Pedro entered the study.

“Greetings, High Priest Evans. Though I am lacking, I am Pedro, serving as director of Roman Orphanage.”

Father Pedro was an elderly man with a gaunt frame.

His old priest robes were wrinkled at the back, and the goddess pendant around his neck was a crude wooden object.

He looked like a shabby rural priest in every way.

However, his eyes alone shone brilliantly as if they would never break under any hardship.

“The reason I have taken the liberty of seeking out the busy High Priest today is…”

Gulp, Father Pedro swallowed dryly and carefully opened his mouth.

“To request that you provide even a little more support to our Roman Orphanage.”

As if telling him to say more, Isaac gazed steadily at the priest who was far older than himself.

It was an extremely arrogant attitude.

However, Father Pedro paid no mind and continued speaking.

“I heard that over ten million derks in donations come to the Imperial Curia every year.”

Having apparently come with firm resolve from the start, the numbers flowed smoothly from his lips.

“If you could support our orphanage with just a small portion of those donations, the children could live eating their fill.”

Desperation crept into Father Pedro’s voice.

“Currently we can only provide thin stew without even oil and hard bread twice a day. Even this will end this month, and from next month we’ll have to cut out the stew. Please…”

“Father Pedro.”

Isaac cut off the priest’s lengthy plea.

Father Pedro closed his mouth and looked at Isaac with desperate eyes.

Toward such a priest, Isaac spoke leisurely.

“First, I pay my respects to Father Pedro’s affection and devotion toward the children.”

Having begun thus, Isaac put on a sorrowful expression.

“This is something I’m saying because you’ve been requesting support for so long.”

“Yes, I will listen carefully.”

Father Pedro answered politely.

Licking his lips, sighing deeply, shaking his head, and so on.

As if it were truly a difficult matter to discuss, after a long silence.

Isaac opened his mouth heavily.

“I’m sorry for rejecting Father Pedro’s audience requests until now. Actually, there’s a reason why the Imperial Curia… finds it difficult to generously provide budgets to frontline orphanages.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You said ten million derks in donations come to the Imperial Curia. That’s correct.”

Isaac nodded and clicked his tongue briefly.

“However, more than half of those donations come from House of Claudius.”

“I heard House of Claudius recently established a new welfare foundation, so did that make things difficult?”

Father Pedro trailed off with a suspicious expression.

“But they wouldn’t have reclaimed the donations they’d made so far…”

“No, that’s not what I mean.”

Isaac suddenly stared directly at Father Pedro.

“Why do you think the donations sent by the ducal house belong entirely to the Imperial Curia?”

“Pardon?”

Father Pedro, momentarily unable to properly understand the words, blinked his eyes blankly.

Isaac concluded with a sigh mixed in his words.

“Listen carefully. Only 30% of those donations are ours.”

“No, I don’t quite understand. What do you mean by that…?”

“Money laundering.”

Money laundering?

The priest who had lived buried in the countryside his whole life was nearly confused by the tremendous term that suddenly appeared.

“To launder money, you first need to make that money pass through various places.”

Isaac shrugged his shoulders.

“And childcare foundations can be an excellent method for laundering money.”

“Ex-excellent method, you say?”

“Yes. Childcare foundations, and the frontline orphanages under them. Aren’t there plenty of holes for money to flow through?”

Father Pedro’s eyes widened.

“Surely not!”

“That’s right. That ‘surely not.'”

Isaac declared in a bitter tone.

“House of Claudius has been laundering funds in the form of donations all this time, creating their slush funds.”

“This can’t be…”

“Please blame this inadequate person, but don’t blame the other High Priests and the High Priest.”

A wistful smile appeared on Isaac’s refined face.

“You know well the influence Claudius wields throughout the Empire. Those people didn’t turn a blind eye because they wanted to either.”

A faint lament mixed with sighs flowed out.

“They simply lacked the power…”

“…”

Not knowing what to say, Father Pedro unconsciously closed his mouth.

Isaac, who had been silently observing the situation for a moment, firmly grasped Father Pedro’s hands.

“I needed someone like you.”

His voice sounded resolute.

“Me… you mean?”

“Yes. I’m beginning to think the goddess must have guided you to me.”

At those sweet words, emotion welled up on Father Pedro’s face.

“Though I lack the courage to expose this ugly truth myself…”

Isaac slipped a business card beneath Father Pedro’s hand that he was holding.

It was from a tabloid media company known for covering the most gossip in Jedo.

“I hope you can set the goddess’s will straight.”

Father Pedro, who had been looking down at Isaac’s hand with trembling eyes, soon gripped the business card tightly.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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