The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 168

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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 168

I saw it.

The unbearable restlessness rippling beneath Lord Claudius’s calm exterior.

His tightly clenched molars and firmly pressed lips.

His tensed shoulders.

…Even his hands, clenched tightly in fists to feign composure.

“….”

I quietly placed my hand over Lord Claudius’s.

‘It will be alright.’

I hoped my warmth would bring him even a little comfort.

‘We did our best, didn’t we?’

Lord Claudius glanced at me.

His blue eyes, which had been filled with anxious light, finally softened somewhat.

At that moment, His Majesty the Emperor, who had been silently looking down at the evidence, spoke.

“I will render judgment.”

In the silence so complete you could hear a pin drop.

Only His Majesty the Emperor’s voice rang out coldly.

“Viscount Evans, life imprisonment.”

“…What?”

As if he couldn’t believe the current situation.

Viscount Evans looked at His Majesty the Emperor with trembling eyes.

He seemed to have never imagined he would rot in prison for the rest of his life.

And understandably so, since such severe sentences for high-ranking nobles were extremely rare.

His Majesty the Emperor continued the verdict in an unwavering voice.

“Isaac Evans. Life imprisonment.”

The more he heard the verdict, the more tension gradually left Lord Claudius’s body.

…Finally, those who had committed crimes were receiving appropriate punishment.

“Jacob Hobbs, 15 years imprisonment.”

Jacob heavily dropped his head to the floor.

“Seraphina Lopez. 5 years imprisonment.”

Seraphina, who had been slumped weakly against her chair, laboriously lifted her eyelids.

“However, in the case of Seraphina Lopez, given her current poor physical condition.”

His Majesty the Emperor added simultaneously.

“The sentence will be carried out after her treatment is completely finished.”

It was a merciful decision.

Seraphina silently bowed her head.

“Furthermore, regarding the deaths of the previous Lord and Lady Claudius, a reinvestigation will be conducted.”

With those words.

His Majesty the Emperor rose.

“This concludes the trial. That is all.”

Simultaneously, the surroundings became as chaotic as if a fire had broken out.

“Did everyone just get found guilty?!”

“Then what happens to the Evans family now?”

The answer to that question came immediately.

The security officers who had been waiting immediately seized Viscount Evans firmly.

“Let go of this! Release me!!”

The shocked viscount struggled wildly.

But the security officers simply dragged Viscount Evans away in silence.

Seraphina was taken away by a Claudius doctor who had been arranged beforehand.

Jacob was led to prison by the knights.

Lord Claudius and I silently watched the complete chaos.

And without either of us taking the lead, we looked at each other.

“Let’s go.”

I smiled brightly.

“We need to go get Evangeline.”

“Let’s do that.”

Lord Claudius, who smiled back at me, gently took my hand.

We rose together, hand in hand.

Our steps were light.

* * *

Lady Claudius was immediately freed from confinement.

“We are truly sorry, Lady Claudius.”

The Imperial Curia immediately expressed their apologies to the lady who had been wrongfully accused of being a witch.

There was a reason for such an immediate response.

The nobles’ gaze toward the Imperial Curia was far from kind.

They had falsely accused the House of Claudius, the very representatives of the nobility.

“My word, to act so unreasonably even toward the House of Claudius.”

“What guarantee is there that they won’t make such false accusations against other nobles?”

The nobles looked at the Imperial Curia with suspicious eyes.

Moreover, priests who had been harboring internal dissatisfaction with High Priest Evans, and even the High Priest himself, finally exploded.

“Just how long must we watch the High Priest’s mistakes?”

“The Imperial Curia’s reputation has hit rock bottom!”

“Really, I can’t hold my head up as a priest anymore!”

Thus, the Imperial Curia finally took drastic measures.

“I, as High Priest, deeply feel the responsibility for this incident and will step down from my position.”

It was the High Priest’s resignation.

Rumor had it that the High Priest refused to resign until the very end, but couldn’t withstand the priests’ strong demands.

Also, a comprehensive investigation was conducted regarding the deaths of the previous Lord and Lady Claudius.

As a result.

“My goodness, did the Evans family really assassinate the previous ducal couple?”

“To think he even killed his own brother.”

“Really, he’s worse than a beast….”

It became certain that the ducal couple’s deaths were connected to the Evans family.

This was thanks to Jacob, who had once served as the Evans family’s shadow, cooperating willingly.

In recognition of this, Jacob’s sentence was reduced to 10 years.

Conversely, the Evans family was completely ruined.

First, the family head Viscount Evans had his title stripped after being proven guilty of murdering the ducal couple.

His sentence was also increased.

The only sentence higher than life imprisonment is obvious.

Death.

Isaac also couldn’t escape punishment.

The attempt to assassinate Father Pedro and the attempt on Her Majesty the Empress’s life.

Additionally, framing Lady Claudius.

No additional crimes were discovered, so his life imprisonment sentence remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Curia didn’t end matters with just the High Priest’s resignation.

Claiming that framing the lady as a witch was Isaac’s scheme, they immediately excommunicated him.

Excommunication.

It was the highest punishment the Imperial Curia could impose, one step above stripping of position.

It meant they would completely erase his record from the Imperial Curia.

However.

“High Priest Evans fled long ago, didn’t he? No wonder he didn’t show up at the courtroom either…”

“Well, he’s no longer a high priest anyway.”

“That’s right. He was even excommunicated.”

“How could someone who calls himself a priest be so cruel?”

Isaac’s whereabouts remained elusive. At least for now.

The vacant position of Lord Evans was reclaimed by the House of Claudius, its original owner.

And while people were being arrested one after another.

Despite receiving a 5-year sentence with suspended imprisonment, even though Seraphina had received such preferential treatment.

She was not happy at all.

She couldn’t be happy.

* * *

Larit kept her promise.

Immediately after the trial ended, she had Seraphina admitted to a private room at the Claudius Medical Research Institute Hospital.

The finest medical equipment and staff began treating Seraphina.

And then.

“Th-that can’t be right.”

Seraphina looked at the doctor with a face pale as a sheet.

“…I am truly sorry to have to tell you this.”

The doctor’s explanation was as follows.

Seraphina had been poisoned for far too long.

And the symptom relief medication that Isaac had given her only alleviated symptoms, it couldn’t detoxify the poison.

It seemed Isaac never intended to save Seraphina’s life from the beginning…

“Unfortunately, it’s already far too late.”

The doctor gravely shook his head.

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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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