The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 142

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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 142

And so the conversation ended.

Isaac stood with his arms crossed, gazing out through the glass window.

At the end of his coldly indifferent gaze, Father Pedro was walking away with determined strides and a resolute expression.

“How foolish.”

Isaac muttered with a voice laced with mockery.

“With just a little thought, anyone could tell something’s strange.”

If Claudius wanted to proceed with money laundering, it would be much cleaner to create their own shell companies from the start.

There would be no need to use such a risky method as utilizing the Imperial Curia’s foundation.

But Father Pedro was someone who had devoted his entire life to caring for children in the countryside.

As such, he was ignorant about how the world operated.

Then where exactly had all the donations that Claudius and other nobles had been making gone?

Those donations had gone to…

“Hah.”

Isaac’s lips curled upward in a smirk.

The Imperial Curia’s luxurious facilities, the extravagant lifestyles of the high priests, and even the finest fabric vestments that Isaac was currently wearing.

None of this could possibly be sustained by pure temple donations alone.

“Who would have thought that annoying fool would be this helpful.”

If the Claudius Foundation was currently receiving praise, all he had to do was tear down that reputation.

Raise questions, drag out the time appropriately, and wait for Claudius’s reputation to crash to the ground.

Claudius would surely try to refute, but voices pleading the truth after the fact usually get buried anyway.

Once the atmosphere ripened appropriately…

‘I’ll need to silence the whistleblower who first raised the issue.’

Frame this entire affair as one priest’s delusion.

If that could be accomplished, the conflict with Claudius could be cleanly resolved.

‘Things are going to get busy from now on.’

Isaac’s smile deepened.

…It was a despicable smile, completely unsuited for a priest who followed the goddess.

* * *

A few days later.

A certain tabloid media outlet raised questions about Claudius’s corruption.

Normally, this would have been quietly buried.

After all, it wasn’t even a major news outlet.

It was a place with a notorious reputation for usually spreading gossip and fake news for entertainment.

However, this time the situation was different.

An article questioning the foundation’s morality at a time when the Claudius Foundation was soaring like it had wings.

It was enough to draw people’s attention.

[Did House of Claudius Really Create a Massive Slush Fund?!]

Below the large headline, all sorts of sensationalist articles ran rampant.

Moreover, unlike the ‘anonymous whistleblowers’ that tabloid media usually favored, this whistleblower was a priest affiliated with the Imperial Curia.

He had a definite identity.

“We cannot let this matter slide! Because of Claudius creating slush funds, the children in the orphanages continue to starve!”

Father Pedro, who first raised the issue, denounced House of Claudius with veins bulging in his neck.

People were shocked.

“My goodness, Claudius created slush funds?”

“I heard that Father Pedro even presented ledgers to prove his claims.”

“Oh my, and I thought we finally had a decent childcare foundation…”

“This needs a quick explanation. Many people, myself included, applied for regular donations this time.”

Noblewomen’s drawing rooms, gentlemen’s clubs, upscale restaurants.

From dining rooms and inns frequented by commoners to taverns.

All walks of life were heated with this topic.

However, the Imperial Curia, which should have responded most actively to this issue, showed a somewhat reserved reaction.

<We are investigating whether House of Claudius created slush funds through the Imperial Curia’s childcare foundation.

We cannot confirm the authenticity of the materials presented by Father Pedro.

Please wait a little longer.>

Removing various polite modifiers and summarizing, this was the Imperial Curia’s position.

“Father Pedro! You’ve raised corruption charges against House of Claudius!”

“Please give us a statement about this.”

Meanwhile, Father Pedro, who had become the center of public attention, was withering away from being harassed by reporters.

But what weighed most heavily on Father Pedro’s heart was something else.

“The materials raising suspicions seem rather insufficient. Don’t you have any other materials?”

The materials seemed insufficient?

Father Pedro blinked his eyes blankly.

“With just the current materials, it doesn’t seem to be solid evidence of slush fund creation.”

“You claim they embezzled donations given to each orphanage to create slush funds. Have you finished cross-verification with all the orphanages?”

“That… let’s discuss the details later.”

Father Pedro, who was at a loss for words, hurriedly fled the scene as if escaping.

“Father? Father!”

“Please don’t leave like that…!”

After barely shaking off the reporters who came chasing after him.

Father Pedro, left alone in his room, gasped for breath and slumped to the floor.

‘Those materials were all provided by High Priest Evans.’

Father Pedro fell into thought with a bewildered expression.

‘Those materials cannot serve as solid evidence.’

Honestly, it was true that he hadn’t properly examined the materials.

Because.

* * *

“These are the evidence materials?”

Father Pedro looked at the materials Isaac was holding with a puzzled expression.

Somehow they seemed rather thin for ledgers exposing slush funds.

‘Well, the High Priest must have prepared them well.’

With that thought, Father Pedro reached out his hand to Isaac.

“May I examine those materials?”

But then.

Smack!

Isaac slapped away Father Pedro’s hand.

“You don’t need to check them. I’ve already finished reviewing them.”

“Pardon? But…”

“Don’t waste time on trivial matters and focus on bigger things.”

However, Father Pedro couldn’t hide his suspicious expression.

No matter what, this was an accusation made in his name.

Naturally, checking should be the proper course, right? Father Pedro was about to speak up to say he would check once more.

“Father Pedro.”

Then, Isaac called Father Pedro’s name in a voice soft as cotton.

But his smiling eyes weren’t so benevolent.

“You want the children to eat their fill, sleep in warm bedding, and live happily, don’t you?”

“…Yes.”

High Priest Evans was the person who oversaw the Imperial Curia’s childcare foundation.

Father Pedro couldn’t bring himself to defy him.

Isaac continued in a soothing tone.

“Don’t worry too much. This data is only partial, and the Imperial Curia will provide more detailed materials later.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Of course. We won’t just stand by and let Father Pedro shoulder all this burden alone.”

Isaac patted Father Pedro’s shoulder encouragingly.

“By reporting this issue, you’ll create an atmosphere that gives other witnesses the courage to come forward.”

“…High Priest Evans.”

“The Imperial Curia has wanted to report these unreasonable acts for some time now. But seeing all the various people in need that the Imperial Curia is responsible for….”

Isaac trailed off for a moment, then smiled warmly.

“Don’t worry, and do as you wish.”

The hand gripping his shoulder applied gentle pressure.

“Your courage and contribution will never be forgotten by the Imperial Curia.”

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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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