The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 16

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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 16

Lady Claudius glanced at me sideways, then deliberately put on an indifferent tone as she continued speaking.

“I’m saying there’s no need to be so formally polite between friends. It’s just the two of us anyway.”

“Ah…”

Friend.

That word touched me in a ticklish way.

“If I had known you were coming today, I would have told the head chef to pay more attention to the tea food.”

Lady Claudius, who had been grumbling for no reason, suddenly looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“Oh, that’s right. Do you like lemon cake? We baked a fresh one today, and it’s quite delicious.”

“…”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

Lady Johansen’s picnic, where I first realized the irrationality of this world, came to mind.

“Sera likes refreshing snacks, right? Would you like to try this?”

Gregory, who looked at Seraphina with affectionate eyes and personally served her lemon cake.

Seraphina, who smiled happily while eating large pieces of cake.

And myself, sitting there blankly like an invisible person in the middle of it all…

“Lady Ansi?”

Lady Claudius called me with suspicion.

I quickly came to my senses and hurriedly answered.

“Ah, yes. I like lemon cake.”

I like it.

Those words felt strange on the tip of my tongue.

Really, how long has it been since I expressed my own preferences…

“That’s great.”

Lady Claudius smiled with her eyes.

“You can look forward to it. Our patissier has quite an expertise in baking too.”

After that.

Lady Claudius and I shared various conversations while enjoying refreshing lemon cake with black tea.

About the rose seedlings Lady Claudius had recently become interested in, the lace patterns trending among ladies, or how the newly debuted opera singer was very handsome…

And so, when the cake and tea were nearly finished.

I suddenly felt a strong sense of incongruity.

‘Lady Claudius seems incredibly leisurely, doesn’t she?’

Isn’t this the time when there’s not much left until the large event hosted by the ducal house?

Of course, she wouldn’t need to be frantically busy, but shouldn’t she at least supervise the management of the event?

I cautiously observed the situation and spoke up.

“By the way, Lady Claudius. Is there anything I can help with?”

“Hmm? Help with what?”

“Well, I understand there are about two weeks left until the salon is held.”

I continued carefully.

“Since you’re the host of the salon, I thought you’d be busy. If there’s anything I can help with, I’d like to help.”

“Ah.”

Lady Claudius’s expression suddenly darkened.

Lady Claudius, who seemed about to say something as her lips moved, soon turned her head away with a huff.

“It’s fine.”

Huh?

“My brother will take care of everything anyway.”

Lady Claudius muttered with a somewhat sulky expression.

“It’s been like this since we were young. He says he’ll handle all the difficult things himself, and tells me to just stay comfortable.”

“Lady Claudius.”

“Of course, I’m grateful that my brother thinks of me, but…”

Lady Claudius let her shoulders droop.

“…he doesn’t need to do that.”

Her blue eyes sank with a complex light.

“It seems like my brother overexerts himself every time because of me. He’s already a busy person, and it feels like I’m adding the salon work on top of that…”

I looked at Lady Claudius, who had shrunk her shoulders small, with sympathetic eyes.

‘Lady Claudius is worried about Lord Claudius.’

Well, she had no choice but to be.

Lord Claudius, Dietrich, was one of the busiest people in the Empire.

The vast ducal territory and its people, numerous vassals under his command, and various business enterprises.

That alone was more than enough for Dietrich to oversee, and he happened to be the head of the most influential noble house in the Empire.

Considering the issues of interaction with other nobles and relations with the imperial family…

‘Probably even 24 hours wouldn’t be enough, would it?’

Ugh, I couldn’t live like that even if I wanted to.

I shuddered inwardly and casually asked Lady Claudius a question.

“Have you looked at any salon-related documents?”

Lady Claudius shook her head gloomily.

“No.”

“Then, Lady Claudius.”

I slightly lowered my head to meet Lady Claudius’s gaze.

“Still, since you’re the host, wouldn’t it be okay to at least review the related documents?”

“Is, is that so?”

“Of course. Completely staying out of it and at least understanding the situation are completely different things.”

I nodded emphatically.

Most importantly.

‘Lord Claudius cherishes Lady Claudius, so he’s deliberately being considerate so she can live comfortably.’

I glanced at Lady Claudius sideways.

‘But in the long term, Lady Claudius needs to know how to handle these kinds of documents too.’

There are several reasons for this.

First, Lady Claudius is one of only two direct descendants of House of Claudius.

Even if she doesn’t actually handle the practical work, she should at least know how the ducal house operates, shouldn’t she?

And the basics of work are documents, after all.

Also, the second reason is…

‘She can’t just meekly fall victim to Seraphina.’

In the original work, there’s a scene like this.

In the latter half of the original work, when the confrontation between Seraphina and Lady Claudius reached its peak.

A fraud case breaks out.

They imported and sold luxury perfumes from overseas, but inflated the supply costs to rip off the nobles.

And Seraphina discovers the inflated cost part in the sales documents and makes it public.

Her reputation in high society skyrockets…

‘Actually, that inflated cost was caught by the original Larite… that is, me.’

Well, it naturally became Seraphina’s achievement.

And Seraphina led that situation to her advantage.

“Lady Claudius couldn’t discover what Lady Lopez found?”

“Lady Lopez is really amazing!”

“But Lady Claudius seems to be somewhat… more incompetent than expected?”

Honestly, it must have been incredibly unfair from Lady Claudius’s perspective.

The ducal house wasn’t even defrauded by that perfume business.

The perfume was just mixed in among the gifts that came to Lady Claudius, but suddenly she got caught in the crossfire.

Moreover, Seraphina’s cunning part was that she subtly planted suspicion in people’s minds.

“Lady Claudius said she received it as a gift, but she might have bought it herself and is making excuses, right?”

…and so on.

Anyway.

‘Even if it’s just to prevent such problems, it would be good for Lady Claudius to learn how to review documents.’

Most importantly.

‘I thought Lady Claudius had no interest in work at all, but that wasn’t the case?’

In the original story, only Seraphina was portrayed as endlessly devoted, while Lady Claudius was depicted as an arrogant, extravagant, empty-headed villainess.

I had thought that was the case too.

But the Lady Claudius I actually met….

‘If she simply never had the opportunity to learn, then I can help her.’

I steeled my resolve.

“Well, if Lady Ansi insists that much.”

Lady Claudius, who had put on a prim expression, instructed the maids to bring the salon-related documents.

After that.

Lady Claudius and I sat facing each other with neatly stacked documents before us.

There were roughly the list of artists and invited guests attending this salon, the budget proposal for the salon, blueprints containing the internal structure of the salon, and so on.

“Hmm….”

Lady Claudius made a subtle expression as she stared intently at the documents.

Now that the documents were before her, she looked like she didn’t know what was what.

‘Well, that’s understandable.’

Since she’s never done any of this kind of work before.

But since the ducal house’s budget proposal is sensitive material, it would be somewhat inappropriate for me to ask to see it first….

Just then.

One document caught my eye.

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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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