The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 166

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 166

“Let me tell you in advance, as it might help with your deliberation.”

Dietrich shrugged his shoulders.

“If you hadn’t been caught by me, perhaps things would be different, but now that you’re captured, I can no longer guarantee your life.”

To Jacob, who was looking at him with eyes full of wariness, Dietrich drove the point home once more.

“For reference, the attacking party isn’t us, but the Viscount Evans family.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“As you well know, the priest who played the role of informant was almost murdered, wasn’t he?”

Father Pedro?

At the familiar name that suddenly came up, Jacob frowned.

And.

“The person who commissioned the priest’s murder was a farmer living in Viscount Evans’ domain. His name was… Paul Wood, I believe?”

To think they had uncovered even this much.

Jacob squeezed his eyes shut.

“Paul Wood and Warren Torres, both were people from Viscount Evans’ domain. Quite interesting, isn’t it?”

Dietrich, who asked this with a face that found it anything but interesting, declared once more.

“From the moment you fell into my grasp, you’re no longer a useful pawn to the Viscount Evans family.”

“…”

“Rather, you’re a rope strangling their own necks.”

That calm voice stabbed deep into his lungs.

“I’m rather curious. Do you truly believe that you won’t end up like Father Pedro?”

Dietrich narrowed his eyes as he looked at Jacob.

“Where exactly is the guarantee of that?”

“…”

Jacob remained silent for a long time.

‘Damn it!’

No matter how desperately he tried to think of a rebuttal, no words came to mind.

Lord Claudius’s words were not wrong in the slightest.

The Viscount Evans family really might try to kill Jacob to silence him.

…Just as Jacob had once done to Father Pedro under the Viscount Evans family’s orders.

“What.”

Finally, Jacob asked in a suppressed voice.

“What do you want from me?”

“The truth.”

Dietrich smiled as if he had been waiting for this.

“Hand over all the information you know.”

A man who had served as the viscount’s shadow for over ten years.

Someone who had participated in a plan to poison the Empress and frame Lady Claudius as a witch.

That man would surely be holding most of the information Dietrich was curious about.

“Of course, honestly, I can’t completely forgive you.”

Dietrich leaned back in his chair leisurely as he continued.

“Even though you were following the viscount’s orders, you deliberately introduced that rose to Evangeline. Because of that, my sister suffered greatly.”

“…”

“However, if you tell me the truth properly.”

Dietrich’s eyes darkened to black.

“If you reveal the truth about my sister’s rose, the ink bottle my parents used, and the mercenaries related to the organization…”

Honestly, he wanted to grab that man’s neck with all his strength and snap it right now.

If only he could remove that man from this world forever with his own hands.

But.

‘I mustn’t do that.’

Dietrich took a short breath.

‘Larit thinks of me as a ‘good person.”

In order not to shatter that expectation.

To straighten his shoulders and confidently look into her honest flower-pink eyes…

‘I need to make an effort too.’

Dietrich, who forcibly suppressed the anger burning hotly in his chest, calmly concluded.

“At the very least, I’ll guarantee your family’s safety.”

“…”

Jacob looked at Dietrich with a pale face.

And.

His head nodded slightly up and down.

* * *

After that.

Dietrich and Larit shared the information they had each obtained.

“Seraphina was being blackmailed by High Priest Evans.”

Larit spoke in a clear tone.

“Her body had weakened considerably. It seems like she was poisoned by something.”

“Poisoned?”

“Yes. In exchange for periodically receiving medicine from the high priest to alleviate her symptoms, she was told to keep her mouth shut…”

Larit clenched both fists as she concluded.

“I promised to treat Seraphina in exchange for her testimony about the truth of this matter.”

Dietrich, who had been looking into her intelligently sparkling pink eyes, smiled gently.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Not at all. Oh right, this is supposedly that medicine.”

Larit took out the medicine she had received from Seraphina.

“Can we deduce the identity of the poison with this?”

“Let’s entrust it to the medical research institute for now. Even so, it’s a place where the Empire’s finest elites gather, so they should be able to find it in most cases.”

Dietrich nodded and continued.

“And I also found that garden employee.”

“Wow, really?”

Larit’s eyes sparkled like stars with anticipation.

If they continued gathering puzzle pieces like this, wouldn’t they really be able to clear Lady Claudius’s false accusations?

“His name is Jacob Hobbs. He was a shadow the viscount family had utilized for a long time, and he had his hands in various affairs.”

“Various affairs… what kind?”

“Not only did he introduce the rose to Evangeline, but he was also the one who commissioned Father Pedro’s assassination. And…”

Dietrich clenched his fist tightly.

He applied so much force that his bones protruded white over his knknuckles.

“Jacob was also the one who commissioned the ink’s creation.”

Larit froze for a moment.

“You mean…”

“That bastard Jacob… contributed not only to Evangeline’s false accusations but also to our parents’ deaths.”

The composed facade he had carefully constructed crumbled miserably.

Dietrich gritted his teeth.

Larit’s eyes became worried.

“Are you alright?”

“Well, I’d like to say I’m fine, but…”

Dietrich smiled faintly.

It was a tired and weary smile.

“Honestly, I’m not fine.”

“…”

Larite, who had been gazing up at Dietrich quietly, stretched out both arms and pulled him into a tight embrace around his neck.

“…You’ve really been through so much until now.”

A low whisper echoed.

Instead of answering, Dietrich pulled her slender waist firmly toward him.

As Larite’s delicate frame filled his arms completely.

Like swallowing hot flames, his chest that had been boiling uncontrollably began to calm down little by little.

“Yes.”

Larite gently stroked Dietrich’s back as if comforting him.

Feeling that tender touch, Dietrich slowly closed his eyes.

…Only then could he breathe easily.

* * *

Two days later.

Jacob and Seraphina stood in the courtroom.

Considering that trials usually take at least a month to be held, this was an exceptionally fast schedule.

Moreover, this trial was presided over directly by His Majesty the Emperor, not by a judge.

‘Since Lord Claudius himself directly petitioned for it, it’s natural, but….’

I glanced sideways at Lord Claudius.

Sensing my gaze, Lord Claudius looked back at me briefly and gave me a gentle eye smile.

“What is it, Larit?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

I quickly shook my head and looked around.

‘The spectators… there are so many of them.’

I swallowed my dry saliva.

Just looking at the packed spectators proved how much attention this trial was receiving.

Then.

‘Oh, that person?’

As I was examining the faces of the spectators, I spotted a familiar face.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————