The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 159

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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 159

Lord Claudius, who was usually so composed and calm,

was now unable to control his emotions and was visibly shaken.

And I understood his feelings.

He must feel sad, angry, frustrated, and pathetic for not being able to rescue Lady Claudius immediately.

The more precious Lady Claudius was to him, the more painful it would be.

Because my heart aches this much too.

However.

“I think it’s inevitable that Dietrich feels such self-reproach.”

I looked straight into Lord Claudius’s eyes.

“Still, it’s not your fault.”

At my firm words, his usually cold blue gaze wavered briefly.

“Do you remember what I told Evangeline earlier?”

“That was…”

“Just as I didn’t want Evangeline to blame herself for problems that weren’t her fault… the same goes for Dietrich.”

I continued speaking with emphasis, word by word.

“It’s not your fault, so I hope you won’t torment yourself.”

“Larit.”

“And still, if it’s really hard. If you can’t settle your mind…”

I tried my best to smile confidently at Lord Claudius.

“It’s okay to lean on someone else a little.”

“…”

Lord Claudius just looked at me silently without saying a word.

If it were my usual self, I would have looked away, unable to overcome the embarrassment.

But the current me didn’t do that.

Instead.

“…And I hope that the person you can lean on would be me.”

I laid bare my true feelings.

At the same time, Lord Claudius bent his waist toward me.

Tap.

With his forehead touching mine, Lord Claudius spoke in a low voice.

“Larit, you really are…”

The blue eyes positioned right in front of me were rippling with various indescribable emotions.

Still, what was fortunate was.

‘Ah.’

Lord Claudius’s lips now bore his characteristic confident smile.

It was a smile I loved dearly.

“Thank you.”

A moment later.

Lord Claudius, who had pulled his forehead away, lightly shrugged his shoulders.

“Now my head has cooled down a bit. It’s all thanks to Larit.”

“I’m glad.”

I gave him a bright eye-smile.

“I’m thinking of going to the Claudius Medical Research Institute.”

“The Medical Research Institute?”

“Yes. It seems they haven’t found any particular clues about Her Majesty the Empress’s symptoms yet… but just in case.”

Lord Claudius glanced down at me.

“Larit must be tired, so on the way I’ll drop you off at the Ansi Family Townhouse…”

“No.”

I shook my head and firmly held onto Lord Claudius’s arm.

“I want to go together.”

It was quite brave of me to initiate physical contact first.

Perhaps noticing this, Lord Claudius’s eyes curved gently.

“Understood. Let’s go.”

* * *

The Claudius Medical Research Institute, which I was visiting for the first time, was a massive research facility that used three entire buildings.

Researchers in white coats were busily going in and out.

I heard it was one of the largest research institutes in the Empire, and the rumors seemed to be true.

However.

‘Somehow the atmosphere seems a bit dark…’

It was probably because the House of Claudius, which was the foundation of the research institute, had been suffering from various troubles recently.

The Medical Research Institute couldn’t have a bright atmosphere either.

A moment later.

“Have you arrived, Lord Claudius.”

The Senior Researcher came out to politely welcome Lord Claudius and me.

And the person standing beside him was…

“Ah, Simon… no, should I call you a trainee researcher now?”

Lord Claudius smiled and spoke up.

Simon.

He was the Wilson University student who had previously written about ‘high fever and delirium’ as his thesis topic.

“I heard you became a trainee researcher this year. Although the situation is like this, congratulations.”

“Thank you, Lord Claudius.”

Simon bowed his head.

After some ceremonial conversation like that.

“Um, Lord Claudius. We’ve done some research, but…”

The Senior Researcher and Simon exchanged glances.

Then the Senior Researcher closed his eyes tightly and spoke.

“We haven’t found a disease that completely matches Her Majesty the Empress’s symptoms… yet.”

“…”

Lord Claudius’s expression darkened instantly.

“We are also researching diligently, but we’re very sorry that we don’t have anything proper to report.”

“No. If it had been that easy, we would have found the cause long ago.”

Lord Claudius tried to answer as if nothing was wrong, but the heavy atmosphere was unavoidable.

“…”

“…”

A heavy silence flowed.

While no one could easily speak up.

“Um, excuse me. About Her Majesty the Empress’s symptoms.”

I cautiously spoke up while reading the room.

“Could it be because she was poisoned?”

At my question, both the Senior Researcher and Simon showed lukewarm reactions.

“Well… yes, that could be possible.”

The Senior Researcher nodded.

“However, I heard that the Imperial Court already investigated all of Her Majesty the Empress’s belongings. They were clean, weren’t they?”

“…”

I nodded silently.

“Then the possibility of poison is almost nonexistent.”

The Senior Researcher stated this definitively,

“That’s right. The doctors and researchers belonging to the Imperial Court are among the best in the Empire.”

Simon also chimed in with those words.

Is there really no answer…?

I felt my chest tightening with frustration.

As I was leaving the Research Institute without any results.

“You, who told you to store drugs like this?!”

Huh?

I perked up my ears.

One researcher was grabbing another researcher like catching a rat.

The atmosphere was so fierce that even I felt chills running down my spine…

“I must have told you a hundred times to store Penindule and Neonine separately!”

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

“Really, what would you do if toxic gas formed! Are you going to take responsibility? Huh?!”

The researcher who had been shouting angrily suddenly stopped, as if still not satisfied.

He had belatedly noticed Lord Claudius and me.

“L-Lord Claudius?”

The two researchers, pale as sheets, hurriedly bowed their heads.

“We apologize, you must already be troubled enough… We’ve shown you an unseemly sight.”

“Not at all. Please don’t mind me.”

Lord Claudius replied with a smile.

Meanwhile, I pondered over what the researcher had said.

‘Wait. Toxic gas forms?’

Suddenly, a certain possibility flashed through my mind.

I impulsively spoke up.

“Excuse me, you said that when Penindule and Neonine combine, they form toxic gas. Does that mean each drug is also toxic individually?”

“No, that’s not the case.”

The researcher shook his head.

“Penindule and Neonine are not dangerous individually. They’re only dangerous when mixed together.”

“So they have no toxicity when used alone?”

“That’s correct. That’s why we store the drugs separately… Tsk.”

The researcher glared disapprovingly at the other researcher standing beside him.

But I had no energy to pay attention to their quarrel.

Because.

‘The roses.’

I froze in place as if struck by lightning.

Her Majesty the Empress had fallen ill after receiving rose seedlings from Lady Claudius.

However, according to the Imperial Court’s investigation, the roses had no particular toxicity.

‘What if… those roses were similar to those drugs?’

What if some element in the roses combined with another element to act as a deadly toxin to the human body?

At the same time, Lady Claudius’s words flashed through my mind.

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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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