The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 218

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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 31
She was a lovely girl whose presence conveyed an overall sense of calm composure.
Her short hair, barely grazing her shoulders, was a deep navy blue reminiscent of the early dawn sky.
Her skin was flawless and pale as porcelain.
But what struck him most were her crimson eyes.
They held no servility, no timidity—only a defiant, radiant gleam.
The girl, who had seemed lost in thought a moment before, appeared to reach some decision, and she stepped toward him with purpose.
Then she offered a polite bow.
“Good morning, young lord. My name is Chloe. I have no family name, as I am a commoner.”
Chloe?
That name seemed oddly familiar.
Lucas’s eyes widened as recognition dawned.
“The Roman Orphanage!”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The girl nodded quietly.
Chloe.
There was a reason Lucas remembered this girl’s name.
Father Pedro himself had written her letter of recommendation.
[Chloe is truly a remarkable child.
I fear her talents will wither away if she remains at the orphanage.
If at all possible, I wish to provide her with greater educational opportunities.]
It was quite rare for Father Pedro to write such a letter.
So House of Claudius had supported Chloe with a scholarship and helped her sit for the Entrance Exam at the Royal Lester Academy.
And Chloe had passed with Top Score, as if to prove her worth.
For this reason, Lucas had harbored considerable curiosity about her.
“Is something the matter?”
Just then, the duke and duchess, along with Evangeline, approached.
Chloe seemed somewhat nervous, but she introduced herself once more with clarity.
And then:
“Father Pedro asked me to extend his regards. I am truly grateful for the opportunity you have given me to receive such excellent education.”
Chloe bowed respectfully.
Larite smiled warmly.
“Not at all. You have studied diligently all this time, haven’t you? You earned this reward.”
……
For an instant, Chloe’s eyes flickered.
At that moment, the Principal stepped up to the podium.
“We now commence the 128th Entrance Ceremony of the Royal Lester Academy.”
“Ah, we should head back soon.”
Larite glanced toward the Principal, then turned her gaze between Lucas and Chloe.
“Both of you, do your best out there.”
“Yes, do well, Luca.”
Dietrich gave his son’s shoulder a light pat, then offered Chloe a gentle smile.
“And you, Chloe—please go along. Congratulations on placing first.”
“Yes, Lord Claudius.”
Chloe bowed meekly.
The two of them walked together toward the podium with stiff, formal steps.
Along the way:
Lucas, keen to ease the tension, spoke to Chloe with casual friendliness.
“By the way, my name is Lucas.”
“Yes, I already know that.”
Hmm? Her tone was oddly clipped.
Or was it just his imagination?
Lucas tilted his head and tried again.
“Call me Lucas. And may I call you Chloe?”
Lucas had asked the question entirely without ulterior motive.
After all, they were the same age and would be classmates.
Among friends, it was normal to use informal names.
But Chloe’s reaction was strange.
She stopped dead in her tracks, fixing Lucas with a blank stare.
And then:
“No, how could I possibly presume to call you by your name, Young Lord?”
“……Huh?”
“Of course, Young Lord, you’re welcome to call me Chloe as you wish.”
Chloe finished speaking with perfect courtesy, then flashed a subtle smile that reached her eyes.
“We should hurry. We’ll be late for the Freshman Oath.”
With that, Chloe quickened her pace and pulled ahead of Lucas.
Scrambling to keep up, Lucas couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.
Just now, it felt as though Chloe had drawn a line between them.
Was I imagining it?
* * *
Once the Freshman Oath concluded,
Chloe offered a respectful bow and vanished into the dormitory in a flash.
The movement was so swift that there was no chance even to call after her.
Lucas, meanwhile, had decided to commute from home since the Townhouse wasn’t far from the Academy,
and so he rode back in the carriage with his entire family.
“Lucas, is something the matter?”
Larite asked gently.
Unlike before the entrance ceremony, Lucas’s expression had grown quite dark.
“It’s about Chloe, from earlier……”
Lucas hesitated for a moment, then opened his lips as if releasing a sigh.
“It’s just—she’s being so formal with me. I think she doesn’t like me.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I’m not sure. It doesn’t seem like I made any mistake with her……”
Lucas murmured, his face sunk in troubled thought.
“Why would she act that way? We only just met today.”
“……”
“……”
To that question, Dietrich and Larite exchanged a quiet glance.
They seemed to have some idea of the reason.
An exceptional scholar who had surpassed the realm’s finest young talents and entered the Academy at the top of her class.
And an orphanage foundling.
There was no overlooking how much hardship Chloe must have endured to reach her present position.
And how desperately she must fight to hold on to it.
‘Lucas can’t help but feel uncomfortable.’
The Young Lord of House Claudius.
That rank alone would weigh heavily—and worse, House Claudius itself was the patron of the Orphanage Foundation.
Of course she would feel the pressure.
So she maintains her formal distance, trying to keep him at arm’s length.
‘But Lucas is still too young to grasp such subtleties.’
For all intents and purposes, Lucas had grown up like a flower in a greenhouse.
The world he had inhabited until now was exceedingly warm.
No one had ever shown hostility toward the Young Lord of House Claudius.
And Lucas himself—blessed with looks, talent, status, and wealth—had known only affection his entire life.
Which meant,
the circumstances in which they had both grown up were simply too different for him to understand a young girl’s subtle sense of inferiority and her fear of losing what she’d fought for.
Yet to explain this directly……
‘……that would be its own kind of problem.’
If they laid this all bare to Lucas, he might well interpret his own gesture of kindness in a way that would wound Chloe instead.
Though Lucas was remarkably mature for his age,
a boy of fifteen was still fundamentally a colt at heart.
He lacked the delicacy necessary to navigate the fragile sensitivities of an adolescent girl.
‘For now, let’s not interfere.’
‘Agreed. We don’t know yet how things will develop.’
And so the married couple exchanged a silent understanding,
after which Larite gently probed her son.
“Tell me, what do you think of Chloe? Do you find her disagreeable?”
“What? Why would I?”
At once, Lucas’s eyes grew bright and eager.
“Chloe is amazing!”
“Is she?”
“You know her, right? She scored perfectly on the Entrance Exam this time. How is that even possible? I got two questions wrong. And did you see her giving the Freshman Oath? She spoke so eloquently and composed! I was so worried I might mess up…….”
Lucas rattled off compliments about Chloe without pause.
It was plain to see he was utterly smitten with her.
‘Well, at least there’s that.’
Lord and Lady Claudius felt their shoulders relax.
With him disposed so favorably, he wouldn’t dare treat Chloe with discourtesy.
For now, they could afford to leave matters in their son’s hands.
* * *
A few days later.
Having just entered the classroom, Lucas stole a sidelong glance at Chloe, who sat diagonally across from him.

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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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