The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 162

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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 162

* * *

Honestly, I had been thinking somewhat positively about the situation.

First of all, the reason Her Majesty the Empress had fallen ill was poison, not a curse.

The process by which Lady Claudius had given those roses to the Empress as a gift was also clear.

She had received a recommendation from a garden she frequently visited, and the late Duchess Claudius had loved those roses.

So, she thought of Her Majesty the Empress, who had been the Duchess’s close friend.

Circumstantially, Lady Claudius had truly given the roses out of pure goodwill, knowing nothing.

There wasn’t even evidence that Lady Claudius had deliberately handed over the roses.

Her Majesty the Empress had also regained consciousness, and news came that she was recovering quickly.

Most importantly, Her Majesty the Empress had testified clearly.

“Those roses are indeed the ones Rosaline used to grow herself. The Lady must have had no malicious intent.”

Although the Imperial Curia continued to persist with their suspicions.

Even if she couldn’t completely clear her name, I believed she would at least be able to return to the Claudius Estate…

“I was merely used by Lady Claudius.”

Suddenly, during the interrogation process, Seraphina made a bombshell statement.

“Lady Claudius tried to assassinate Her Majesty the Empress. Also.”

Seraphina licked her dry lips with her tongue, then continued speaking clearly.

“…That ink was also something I received from Lady Claudius.”

* * *

The secluded palace where few people came.

Unlike other splendid imperial palaces, this place where soldiers strictly guarded the surroundings was.

A secluded palace where people of noble status who had committed crimes were confined instead of prison.

Evangeline was currently imprisoned in this secluded palace.

Since the Empress’s strange symptoms had been revealed to be caused by poison, the Imperial Curia could no longer frame Evangeline as a witch.

With the Empress’s strong insistence, the Imperial Court had taken custody of Evangeline.

And today.

The Empress visited the secluded palace.

“I greet Her Majesty the Empress.”

“…”

The Empress gazed at Evangeline quietly.

Evangeline’s face was pale without any color.

She looked even worse than the Empress who had just risen from her sickbed.

“Lady, no… Evangeline.”

Evangeline flinched and stiffened her shoulders.

And for good reason, as the Empress’s voice was simply warm.

Not even a trace of resentment could be felt.

“You know? I believe in you.”

“…”

For a moment, Evangeline felt a surge of emotion.

‘Her Majesty the Empress… almost lost her life.’

Yet she was saying that she believed in her.

Meanwhile, the Empress was earnestly trying to comfort Evangeline somehow.

“Lord Claudius and Lady Ansi too. They’re working hard in various ways to save you.”

Her brother.

Larite.

Hearing the names of the two people she loved, her anxiety subsided a little.

“Also, the Imperial Court is conducting its own investigation to find the real culprit.”

The Empress gently patted the back of Evangeline’s hand.

“So don’t worry too much and wait. Okay?”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Evangeline nodded bravely while trying to suppress the tears that were welling up.

‘That’s right, I’m not alone.’

She felt a little more energized.

There were so many people who believed in her.

So, Evangeline intended not to break down until the very end.

* * *

Now the parts that needed to be confirmed were.

First. Where and how Seraphina had obtained that ink.

Second. The whereabouts of the roses that Lady Claudius had supposedly been recommended.

Therefore, Lord Claudius and I immediately headed to Lady Claudius’s regular garden.

Delis Garden.

It was one of the finest gardens in Jedo.

Since they dealt with various rare plants, it was a place mainly frequented by nobles.

“Lord Claudius.”

The garden owner was fairly familiar with nobles.

But Lord Claudius was an overwhelmingly prominent figure.

“Wh-what brings Your Grace to our garden…”

The garden owner looked as if he might faint at any moment and opened his mouth creakily.

Regardless, Lord Claudius took out a checkbook and pen from his coat.

The amount written in elegant handwriting was…

[100,000 Derks.]

…An amount close to 100 million won in Korean currency.

Lord Claudius, who had written the enormous amount without batting an eye, placed the check on the desk with a thud.

“I have something I’d like to ask, and I’d appreciate an honest answer.”

“Yes, yes!”

The owner, who had been staring blankly at the check, suddenly came to his senses.

Lord Claudius continued leisurely.

“My sister said she was recommended the Lascott variety from this garden.”

Lascott.

The rose variety that the previous Duchess had loved, that Lady Claudius had cherished, and that had also been given to Her Majesty the Empress.

The owner nodded and continued speaking.

“The Lascott variety… Ah, yes. That was a rose our garden obtained with great difficulty.”

“Is the employee who obtained those roses still at this garden?”

“Ah, are you referring to Warren? Warren is…”

The garden owner, who had been lost in thought for a moment, finally spoke.

“He quit about a month ago.”

Instantly, Lord Claudius’s eyes grew coldly dark.

“He quit?”

“Yes. I heard he was returning to his hometown.”

A month.

It was shortly after all these incidents had occurred.

I unconsciously furrowed my brow.

Lord Claudius looked troubled and asked another question.

“Then I’d like to check his personnel records.”

“Ah, here they are.”

The garden owner readily handed over the file folder.

The file folder was quite thin.

Well, he was just a garden employee after all.

There was no reason to scrutinize his background that thoroughly.

A moment later.

Lord Claudius and I, who had been putting our heads together to examine the documents, looked at each other without either of us taking the lead.

Lord Claudius had a very serious expression.

My expression probably wasn’t much different from Lord Claudius’s.

“This is…”

“Again, a commoner from Viscount Evans’ Domain.”

Previously, it was a commoner from the same place of origin as the mercenary who had tried to kill Father Pedro.

…Somehow it feels like we keep getting connected to the Viscount Evans Family.

‘Could this really be a coincidence?’

I felt a chill run down my spine.

After that, we asked the garden owner various other questions, but he knew absolutely nothing.

The fortunate part was that we managed to obtain information about the appearance of the employee who quit.

“Well… he had a very common appearance.”

Dark brown hair, bronze-colored eyes.

His height was neither tall nor short, and his build was neither fat nor thin.

It was a harvest, but we couldn’t immediately find that person based on appearance alone…

But then.

The garden owner provided an unexpected clue.

“Oh right, he spoke very clean standard Imperial language.”

“Standard language?”

“Yes, he seemed educated. That was also part of why I hired him.”

The garden owner shrugged his shoulders lightly.

“After all, the noblemen who visit our garden prefer those who use standard language rather than dialect.”

Lord Claudius and I made eye contact with each other once again.

Viscount Evans’ Domain is a territory located in the eastern part of the Empire, so they heavily use the eastern dialect.

‘But he seemed educated and used standard Imperial language?’

That means.

‘There’s a high possibility he’s a close aide who serves his master at close range.’

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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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