The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 144

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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 144

* * *

Isaac, who had emerged from the High Priest’s reception room, looked unusually pleased.

‘Maybe today will be somewhat decent.’

Lately, Isaac had been like a bomb that could explode at any moment.

If you accidentally rubbed him the wrong way, crude profanity would come pouring out.

“Um, High Priest Evans.”

One priest approached Isaac with an anxious heart.

“Father Pedro has come to see you.”

“Ah…”

Isaac’s face became openly annoyed.

“I’m busy with work right now, so please tell him it’s difficult to meet.”

“Understood. Then shall I also refuse the audience with Lady Lopez?”

“Lady Lopez?”

Isaac, who had paused momentarily, answered coldly.

“Well, I suppose I should at least see her face.”

“Understood. Then I’ll tell her to wait in the reception room…”

“No.”

Isaac shook his head firmly.

“She’s not worth that much.”

“Pardon? Then…”

“Have her wait outside.”

* * *

‘No matter how displeased he is, how can he make someone wait outside!’

Seraphina stood in front of Isaac’s reception room, grinding her lips.

Earlier.

When she had requested to meet Isaac, a priest had delivered the message with a troubled face.

“He says to wait outside.”

Even so, Seraphina couldn’t storm off and leave.

Through Father Pedro’s accusation, the Imperial Curia had cornered the House of Claudius.

Isaac had essentially secured another stepping stone for his comeback.

‘Ah, really. When exactly is Priest Evans coming?’

Priests passing by glanced at Seraphina with strange expressions.

Just as Seraphina’s face was burning with embarrassment.

Thud, thud.

The sound of shoe heels echoed heavily.

Seraphina quickly lifted her head.

“High Priest Evans!”

“Ah, who might this be.”

Isaac looked Seraphina up and down with a displeased gaze, then smiled broadly.

“Isn’t this Lady Lopez?”

His tone was strangely sharp.

Seraphina forced a smile across her face.

“I felt like I haven’t seen your face often lately. I came to inquire about your well-being.”

“Well, I thought you were trying to cut ties with me entirely.”

Seraphina flinched momentarily, then answered as sweetly as possible.

“What hurtful words you speak. You seemed very busy recently, so I was just trying not to disturb you.”

“…”

Seraphina desperately tried to charm him.

Isaac, who had been watching her quietly, suddenly threw out a question.

“So, did you bring any useful information?”

“Ah, well…”

“I arranged for you to meet regularly with Her Majesty the Empress. You should earn that privilege.”

It was true.

The Empress still regularly invited Seraphina to her tea time.

Isaac, who had been Seraphina’s backer until now, was still the High Priest of the Imperial Curia.

And Seraphina was, after all, a pretty and eloquent lady popular in high society.

There was no need to cast her aside just yet.

“Um, I’ve recently started exchanging occasional letters with Her Majesty the Empress.”

Seraphina, who had been rolling her eyes awkwardly, spoke with a forced smile.

“Once our friendship deepens, she’ll surely tell me various things…”

“I heard Her Majesty the Empress attended the Claudius Foundation’s exhibition this time.”

Isaac interrupted Seraphina mid-sentence and pressed her.

“Didn’t she say anything about that?”

“Th-that…”

Seraphina could only move her lips helplessly, unable to give a proper answer.

And for good reason—she wasn’t close enough to the Empress to share such intimate thoughts.

“Ah, I see.”

Disgust appeared on Isaac’s face as he watched the hesitating Seraphina.

“So you’re saying you don’t have any information right now?”

“H-High Priest Evans.”

“Really… I never thought you’d be this incompetent.”

Isaac spat out the words and coldly turned away.

“W-wait a moment! I…”

Seraphina frantically chased after him, not knowing what to do.

However.

Bang!

The door slammed shut right in her face.

Seraphina glared at the closed door with fierce eyes.

“Ha, really…”

Her beautiful emerald eyes flashed with venom.

And.

There was someone watching this scene from a distance.

‘What? He wouldn’t even see me because he was too busy!’

It was Father Pedro.

‘How could he do this!’

His face contorted with a sense of betrayal.

* * *

The Claudius Estate was quieter than ever due to the untimely controversy.

Worried that there might be reporters trying to peek inside, all the curtains were drawn.

The drawing room was lit only by the light of lamps.

“Dietrich, are you alright?”

I looked at Lord Claudius with worried eyes, as he seemed to have complex feelings.

Lord Claudius glanced at me briefly.

Then he smiled as if to tell me not to worry.

“Of course, the Imperial Court has contacted us too.”

“Contact?”

“Yes. They said the Imperial Curia is investigating, so please wait a little longer.”

Lord Claudius shrugged lightly.

“They also said not to worry because there won’t be an audit from the Tax Office.”

“…I see.”

If that’s the case, it means the Imperial Court already knows of the Claudius Estate’s innocence.

I couldn’t hide my suspicious expression.

“So Larit can rest easy.”

Just then, Lord Claudius’s long fingers reached out and playfully pressed against my forehead.

“If you keep frowning like that, you’ll get wrinkles.”

His blue eyes sparkled as he smiled mischievously and added teasingly.

“Of course, Larit would be beautiful whether she has wrinkles, becomes a grandmother, or at any time.”

“Really, Lord Claudius.”

Even as I rolled my eyes at Lord Claudius without any real annoyance, my heart remained heavy.

‘Lord Claudius probably knows too.’

That the longer this drags on, and the more intense the controversy becomes.

The greater the damage to Claudius’s moral standing will be.

Yet the reason he can smile so cheerfully like that.

Is simply because he doesn’t want to worry me, which I know all too well….

“If it’s a difficult question to answer, you don’t have to respond.”

I impulsively threw out a question.

“Do you happen to have any materials that could reverse the current situation?”

I asked without much expectation, grasping at straws.

“I do.”

Unexpectedly, Lord Claudius nodded readily.

However, his expression didn’t seem particularly pleased.

“But there are entangled parties involved with those materials. So it’s somewhat difficult to disclose them carelessly.”

Entangled parties?

Seeing that I couldn’t grasp it at all, Lord Claudius added an explanation.

“The Imperial Court.”

“Ah.”

“The records of donations made to the Imperial Curia so far have been separately organized with the Imperial Court’s notarization. Of course, I didn’t bother mentioning it since the Imperial Curia would be displeased.”

Only then could I feel somewhat relieved.

After all, Lord Claudius is such a thorough person.

There’s no way he wouldn’t have prepared records in advance while making such large donations regularly.

“So the rebuttal itself isn’t difficult. However….”

“The Imperial Court itself would be the obstacle.”

“Correct.”

I couldn’t hide my complex expression.

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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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