The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 217

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Special Side Story — Episode 30
“…….”
Evangeline turned her head away stubbornly.
“Well, it’s not entirely unrelated, but…….”
Charmed by her expression, the Crown Prince burst into hearty laughter.
“Aha ha!”
At the same moment, Irene in his arms furrowed her brow in annoyance.
“Mmm…….”
“Hush, you’ll wake Irene.”
Evangeline quickly placed her index finger to her lips.
The Crown Prince’s smile deepened further.
He tilted his head slightly, beckoning to his wife.
“Eva, come here for a moment.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Evangeline hurried over to the Crown Prince’s side.
In the next moment, he planted a kiss on her cheek with a soft pop.
Startled, Evangeline’s voice rose involuntarily.
“What—what are you doing? What if someone sees us!”
“There’s no one else here right now anyway.”
The Crown Prince shrugged and added playfully.
“Besides, lower your voice. You’ll wake Irene.”
“…….”
Having her own words turned back on her.
Evangeline glared at him, her eyes flashing, then turned her head away with a huff.
At that endearing sight, the Crown Prince found himself overwhelmed with happiness.
* * *
“Lucas, are you all set?”
At his mother’s call, Lucas, who had been gazing into the mirror, quickly turned around.
“Yes!”
He answered eagerly and hurried out the door.
Larite, who had been waiting on the first floor, broke into a warm smile.
“The school uniform suits you wonderfully.”
“Thank you.”
Lucas also beamed back at his mother.
That was right.
At last had come the day Lucas had long awaited—his entrance ceremony at Imperial Lester Academy.
Lucas absently adjusted the collar of his jacket.
A shirt as pristine white as fresh snow.
A knit sweater and jacket layered over it.
And trousers pressed so crisp they practically crackled.
Every detail spoke of a nervous freshman stepping into school for the first time.
“Lucas.”
Dietrich spoke warmly.
“How are you feeling?”
“……I’m nervous.”
Lucas answered, swallowing hard.
Dietrich chuckled and gave Lucas’s back a playful pat.
“Why are you so stiff? Relax your shoulders.”
It would have been fine up to that point.
If only Dietrich hadn’t added what came next.
“The only time I’ve ever felt nervous in my life was when I was courting your mother.”
“…….”
“…….”
In that instant, both Larite and Lucas turned to regard Dietrich with expressions of resigned dismay.
It was true.
Dietrich was far too impeccably perfect to understand the anxieties of ordinary mortals…….
‘I really can’t survive this.’
Larite shook her head ruefully and gently placed her arm around her son’s shoulders.
“Come on, let’s go.”
The three of them climbed together into the carriage.
* * *
The carriage had been traveling for quite some time.
In the distance, the main gate of Imperial Lester Academy came into view.
The space before the gate was completely filled with carriages.
For the Entrance Ceremony, they had come to deliver the new students to the school.
The carriage bearing the Claudius crest drew to a smooth halt among the crowd.
“Wait, that carriage—?”
In that same instant, the cheerful chatter of the crowd fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it, the moment the Claudius family was spotted.
“My goodness, that’s the Claudius crest!”
“I heard the Young Count was enrolling this year—so it was true after all.”
“Wow, the Claudius family…”
Students and their parents craned their necks toward the carriage, their faces alight with curiosity and anticipation.
The carriage door opened.
The first to step out was a picture-perfect gentleman with pale golden hair neatly combed back.
When he had first set foot outside, his face had been utterly expressionless.
But when he turned to look back inside the carriage, it was different.
A radiant smile bloomed across his face—a countenance as beautiful as if sculpted by divine hands.
The gentleman extended his hand into the carriage.
A graceful noblewoman with her dark hair elegantly pinned up took his hand and stepped out.
“That must be Lord Claudius.”
“And that is his wife, the Duchess.”
“How wonderful—both of them are attending the Young Count’s Entrance Ceremony.”
The parents fixed all their attention on the carriage.
The last to emerge was a handsome young boy in a crisp school uniform.
The distinctive fair golden hair of the Claudius line.
Rose-pink eyes inherited from his mother, the Duchess.
His perfectly upright posture emanated the refined bearing of a high nobleman rigorously educated from birth.
Lucas von Claudius.
The current Young Count, and the future head of House Claudius.
‘If only my child could become friends with the Young Count…’
‘Where in this world could one find such a connection?’
The parents unconsciously swallowed hard.
Yet despite the torrent of gazes upon them, the Claudius family did not so much as raise an eyebrow.
After all, being the greatest ducal house in the Empire naturally drew countless eyes.
One grew accustomed to it out of necessity.
“Shall we go?”
At Dietrich’s words, the three family members walked together into the academy.
The first thing that caught their eye was the academy’s neatly ordered grounds.
“Ah, that building over there must be the Entrance Ceremony hall.”
After briefly surveying the academy, Dietrich pointed toward the building on the left.
Students and their parents were just entering the vintage-styled structure.
The family followed them inside.
The spacious Grand Auditorium was packed with students seated shoulder to shoulder.
“Lucas, you said you need to receive your diploma, didn’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Lucas gave a quiet nod at his mother’s question.
He had heard that the top student would take the oath as representative of the new class.
And the second highest student would receive the diploma beside him.
So he was told he should wait on the stage beforehand.
“We should head to the stage then.”
Just as the group began moving toward the stage.
“Lucas!”
A bright, cheerful voice called out to him.
A small girl with long silver hair tied in two pigtails, Irene, came hurrying over to Lucas’s side, cradling an enormous bouquet in her arms.
The bouquet was so large that it hid more than half of Irene’s small frame.
“This is to congratulate you on your Entrance Ceremony!”
Irene beamed as she held out the bouquet.
Previously, she had been sulking because she would not be able to see Lucas as often anymore.
But now her mood seemed to have brightened considerably.
“Thank you, Irene.”
Lucas accepted the bouquet with a gentle smile.
At the same moment, Evangeline approached and spoke warmly to him.
“Congratulations on your entrance, Luca.”
“Thank you, Aunt Eva.”
“Andy sends her apologies for not being able to attend the ceremony.”
“Please don’t say that. If anything, I’m grateful for your concern.”
Lucas replied with dignified composure.
Evangeline then shook her head playfully.
“You know, Luca, the older you get, the more you resemble your brother Dietrich. When he was your age, he wore that same stiff, formal expression.”
“What’s wrong with resembling me?”
Dietrich’s expression hardened before he could help it.
Evangeline shot back with mischief in her eyes.
“What? I only said you looked alike. I didn’t say anything negative about it.”
……
How was it that Eva never seemed to grow out of needling him, no matter how many years passed?
Dietrich did his best to suppress the heat rising in his chest.
Just then, Larite approached Evangeline with affection in her voice.
“Eva, thank you so much for coming.”
Evangeline’s expression softened instantly.
Gone was her playful teasing of her older brother.
She smiled brilliantly and spoke with endearing sweetness.
“Larit, doesn’t it feel like forever since we’ve seen each other? Don’t you think?”
“Exactly. Oh, would you like to visit the Townhouse sometime? I’ll bring Irene too.”
Larite’s face remained bright and warm whenever she spoke with Evangeline.
She added thoughtfully.
“I’ve brought in some new black tea recently, and it’s quite delicious.”
“How wonderful!”
As they all chatted merrily together,
Lucas found himself turning to look behind him.
‘Hmm?’
He felt the weight of a stare directed at him.
His eyes met those of a young girl at once.
The girl’s shoulders went rigid at the same moment.
‘That girl…….’

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