The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 145

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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 145

‘It’s certainly… ambiguous.’

Well, to think about it simply, it’s like this.

For example, let’s say Seraphina and I fought over a money lending issue.

And I had a notarized document stating that I lent money to Seraphina, made out in Lady Claudius’s name.

In that situation, if I revealed the contents of that notarization without Lady Claudius’s consent.

Wouldn’t Lady Claudius’s position become awkward too?

If we substitute myself with the House of Claudius, Seraphina with the Imperial Curia, and Lady Claudius with the Imperial Court, the story becomes roughly similar.

That means.

‘The moment this material is disclosed, it would look like the Imperial Court is openly taking Claudius’s side.’

From the Imperial Court’s perspective, wanting to maintain good relations with both Claudius and the Imperial Curia, it was inevitably a somewhat burdensome situation.

“Moreover, the atmosphere isn’t entirely favorable for just releasing the materials outright.”

“The atmosphere, you mean…”

“Since it’s a tabloid media outlet after all, there are some people who want to observe the situation a bit more.”

Lord Claudius gave a bitter smile.

“Watching someone who was riding high take a fall does have its entertainment value, after all.”

“…”

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

Honestly… I couldn’t say such tendencies were completely absent.

Lord Claudius’s bitter smile deepened.

“No matter how much we refute with materials, it only has meaning if the listeners are willing to accept it, doesn’t it?”

It was a situation that required caution in many ways.

At least it was less noisy because the side that broke the scandal was tabloid media with rock-bottom credibility.

Right now, the public was looking at Claudius with suspicious eyes.

That meant we had to present perfect evidence that couldn’t be faulted.

“Above all, I don’t quite understand why the Imperial Curia made such a reckless move.”

Lord Claudius continued with a thoughtful expression.

“Right now it’s noisy because the exposé just happened recently, but it’s obvious that Claudius will clarify this matter soon.”

His blue eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“Also, the Imperial Curia wouldn’t be unaware that we might refute this.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

“Then the only benefit the Imperial Curia could gain from this incident would be undermining our moral standing by spreading this controversy…”

Lord Claudius, who had been trailing off, soon shook his head.

“Of course, since it’s a childcare foundation, being attacked on moral grounds is quite damaging. Still, it won’t make the foundation’s existence itself difficult.”

“It does seem rather strange.”

I cautiously agreed with Lord Claudius’s words.

“If they really intended to attack Claudius outright, they would have supported Father Pedro’s accusation more strongly… but they didn’t do that either.”

“Exactly. They’re acting as if they have some plan to undermine Claudius’s reputation while still being able to resolve this matter appropriately.”

The suspicious mood was brief.

“Well, the Imperial Court has asked us to wait a little longer.”

Lord Claudius pushed up the corner of his lips.

It was his characteristic confident smile that I loved so much.

“However, I don’t intend to wait for long.”

* * *

Father Pedro walked along, lost in deep thought.

‘Indeed… something’s strange.’

Honestly, at first it was true that he had proceeded with the accusation without thinking it through.

Pity and anger for the orphanage children living in hardship.

And the assurance that someone as high as a High Priest would support him had moved Father Pedro to action.

But now that his head had cooled, the current situation seemed very suspicious.

‘High Priest Evans is definitely avoiding me.’

It was unsettling enough that he kept refusing meetings, claiming to be busy every day.

Yet during all that, hadn’t he met with Lady Lopez?

‘Then…’

After pondering briefly, Father Pedro turned his steps toward the news agency where he had first filed his accusation.

“Oh, isn’t it Father Pedro?”

Inside the office filled with acrid cigarette smoke.

A journalist who had been sitting lazily with both legs up on his desk brightened up and straightened his body.

“Do you have something more to tell us?”

“No, well…”

Father Pedro, who had been hesitating, opened his mouth.

“The materials I initially provided. Could I take a look at them?”

“Ah, yes.”

The journalist, with obvious disappointment on his face, guided Father Pedro to the archive room.

“They’re over there.”

“…”

Father Pedro looked at his materials shoved in a corner of the archive room with devastated eyes.

As if to prove they were indeed a cheap tabloid media outlet.

It was obvious they had almost no interest in the materials supporting their articles.

‘From the beginning… they were just thinking of making money with sensational articles.’

The slush funds that Claudius had illegally formed.

The orphanage children who were still going hungry because of it.

None of it mattered to the journalist at all.

“Take your time looking and come out.”

Saying that, the journalist left Father Pedro in the archive room and went outside.

“…”

Father Pedro looked down at the materials with complex eyes.

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

“With just the current materials, it doesn’t seem like solid evidence of creating slush funds.”

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

The blade-like questions the journalists had poured out rang clearly in his ears.

Father Pedro clenched his fists tightly.

‘Damn it.’

Since it was material provided by High Priest Evans, he had naturally believed there would be no errors.

At that time, he thought turning this unreasonable situation into an article was the way to get support to the orphanage children as quickly as possible.

But.

‘I was too complacent.’

Then he had to correct that complacency even now.

Father Pedro, who had been slyly looking around, slipped the materials into his jacket.

A moment later.

“I’ve looked at the materials well. I’ll be going now.”

“Yes, take care.”

The journalist didn’t even look at the priest and gave a perfunctory verbal farewell.

The street where dusk was falling.

Father Pedro hurried toward the single room where he was staying.

The old priest’s wrinkled face was frighteningly hardened.

* * *

Lady Claudius and I were sitting side by side reading books for the first time in a while.

No, more precisely.

The only person actually reading a book was Lady Claudius.

“Lady Claudius, you know you have to write a review today too, right?”

I quickly scolded her as I monitored whether Lady Claudius was reading her book properly.

From what I remember, I think I’ve already warned her about five times.

“Ugh.”

Lady Claudius, whose concentration had momentarily wavered, whined and buried her nose back in the book.

It seemed the book wasn’t completely against her taste, as she was turning pages fairly diligently.

There was a reason I was nagging Lady Claudius like this.

This week’s Reading Group meeting was just around the corner.

‘Has it already been three times that we couldn’t attend the Reading Group?’

Sigh.

I let out an inward sigh.

Between welcoming the Rosburg Delegation and the exhibition introducing ‘Claudius’s Children.’

We had been so frantically busy that we unintentionally neglected the Reading Group.

The Reading Group naturally understood our absence, but that didn’t change the fact that we had been neglecting the Reading Group.

From the members’ perspective, they couldn’t have felt entirely good about it.

‘Since we finally have time now, we absolutely must attend this meeting.’

Just as I was firmly making up my mind about that.

“Ah, seriously. What is this?!”

Lady Claudius, who had been leaning against the sofa reading, suddenly shot up in anger.

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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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