The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 31

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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 31

“Come to think of it, Lady Ansi liked our head chef’s apple pie, didn’t she?”

“Pardon? Oh, yes…”

“I asked the kitchen to prepare that as a gift for you, Lady. I completely forgot you were coming!”

Evangeline exclaimed dramatically and rushed out of the drawing room before anyone could stop her.

“Wait just a moment, I’ll bring it right back!”

Watching Evangeline’s retreating figure, the same thought crossed both Larite and Dietrich’s minds.

‘That apple pie… couldn’t she just ask a maid to bring it to the main gate?’

An awkward silence fell.

“…”

“…”

Dietrich cleared his throat briefly and turned to look at Larite.

“Lady Ansi. I’d like to express my gratitude once more.”

Huh? What’s this about?

Larite’s eyes widened as she looked up at Dietrich.

At the same time, Dietrich smiled warmly and met Larite’s gaze.

“Evangeline seems very happy lately.”

A gentle smile spread across Dietrich’s face as he spoke.

It was the expression of a brother who cherished his younger sister dearly.

“This is all thanks to Lady Ansi.”

“…”

Larite felt momentarily speechless.

Why was that?

Was it because she was overwhelmed by the beauty befitting a male protagonist of this world?

But she had already witnessed plenty of stunning beauty while dealing with Lady Claudius…

“…Lady Ansi?”

Ah.

Larite suddenly snapped back to attention and quickly responded.

“I’m delighted to hear you say that. However, I too…”

She trailed off for a moment.

Then Larite smiled faintly.

“…am truly happy to have such a wonderful friend like Lady Claudius.”

Larite’s earlobes had turned bright red.

And Dietrich found himself thinking that those flushed earlobes were quite endearing.

* * *

Inside the carriage returning to the Ansi Family Townhouse.

‘I’m crazy, absolutely crazy!’

I was replaying what had happened earlier, screaming internally.

‘Did I just openly oppose Lord Claudius’s opinion?!’

Lord Claudius had surely offered to increase the budget out of goodwill toward Lady Claudius.

And I threw cold water on that!

“It’s easy to adapt to an increased budget, but cutting back is quite difficult.”

…And why did I act like such a know-it-all?!

The one fortunate thing was.

‘B-but still.’

I swallowed dryly and recalled what Lord Claudius had said earlier.

‘Lord Claudius didn’t seem offended by my words, did he?’

Of course, Lord Claudius was such a well-mannered person that he might have made an effort not to show any displeasure in his expression or attitude.

When Lady Claudius had left earlier, saying she was going to get the apple pie.

Lord Claudius had certainly…

“Evangeline seems very happy lately.”

Those blue eyes filled with smiles, sparkling like a sunlit lake.

“This is all thanks to Lady Ansi.”

…And there was me, strangely tongue-tied when facing that beautiful countenance.

‘I… honestly.’

I absentmindedly touched the pie box resting on my lap.

‘I was happy that Lord Claudius said that to me.’

Something deep in my chest tickled like being brushed with a feather.

This tickling sensation was unfamiliar yet pleasant, making me restless.

It felt like I had truly become someone needed.

The scent of apple pie suddenly reached my nose.

It was a pie that Lady Claudius had personally prepared as a gift for me.

Smelling that sweet fragrance.

…I felt incredibly happy somehow.

* * *

One week later.

The regular retainer meeting of the House of Claudius was held.

‘Hmm?’

Dietrich, who had entered the meeting hall early to wait for the retainers, paused.

Something about the meeting hall seemed different.

The first thing he noticed was…

‘The air.’

It seemed like the room had been ventilated for a long time in advance.

The meeting room was filled with fresh air.

Also, the heavy curtains that had blocked sunlight had been replaced with lighter material, making the entire meeting room brighter.

Dietrich suddenly recalled his conversation with Evangeline during breakfast that morning.

* * *

“She said just changing seasonal items like curtains and carpets can really change the atmosphere.”

“Who said that?”

At that question, Evangeline, who had been barely eating while studying a document, gave him a look of disdain.

“Who else? Lady Ansi, of course.”

The moment he heard that answer, the image of Larite sitting upright suddenly flashed before his eyes.

Dietrich, who would normally have scolded his cheeky sister, simply kept quiet.

“The wallpaper and flooring weren’t too worn, so I left them as is. And when moving furniture, there could be damage… What’s with you being so quiet?”

Evangeline, who had been chattering away, pouted and complained.

“I worked so hard, and you can’t even praise me.”

Since he couldn’t very well say he had been quiet because he was thinking about Larite,

“You got jam on the front of your dress.”

Dietrich shrugged and changed the subject.

“What? No! This is one of my favorite dresses!”

Evangeline panicked and wiped her chest with a napkin.

“Oh, really!”

But the jam stain had already set.

Realizing this wouldn’t be easy to fix, Evangeline quickly put down her utensils and ran out angrily.

Just then.

Evangeline spun around.

“Oh right, you have the retainer meeting today, don’t you? Look forward to it, I decorated the meeting room beautifully!”

With a final proud tilt of her nose, Evangeline disappeared from the dining room.

* * *

The current meeting hall seemed to be the result of that effort…

“Oh my, His Grace the Duke has arrived first again today.”

Just then, someone greeted Dietrich.

Dietrich turned around.

“Ah, Lord Warren. You’re here?”

Stephen Warren.

He was a long-time retainer of the Ducal House and the person who oversaw all budgets used by the Ducal House in Jedo.

The middle-aged administrator, who was starting to put on some weight, looked around the conference room with wide eyes.

“Ah, I heard Lady Claudius was redecorating the conference room… It’s certainly changed quite a bit.”

Dietrich slightly furrowed his brow.

“Did Eva go around showing off to you too?”

“Haha, is that how you put it?”

Lord Warren let out a short laugh and continued.

“Actually, Lady Claudius showed me the conference room budget proposal in advance. She asked me to give advice if I had any…”

Lord Warren soon shrugged his shoulders.

“It was so detailed and waste-free that I had nothing particular to tell her.”

“Really?”

Dietrich looked surprised.

Though he had a gentle face on the surface, Lord Warren was sharp as a knife when it came to budgets.

When it came to budget issues, he was the type who would fight tooth and nail even with Dietrich, to put it somewhat dramatically.

For such a Lord Warren to show such a favorable reaction?

“She said she would only replace the curtains, lighting, and chairs. The allocated amount was also reasonable.”

“Hmm.”

“However, honestly, I wondered if such minor changes would make much difference…”

Lord Warren continued with a satisfied voice.

“Even to my eyes, which know nothing about interior design, it feels much more refreshing than before.”

Dietrich agreed with that assessment.

Evangeline had efficiently organized the interior without making major changes to the conference room’s structure.

“You seem to like it.”

“Of course. Above all, I’m delighted that Lady Claudius is moving with passion for the family’s affairs.”

Lord Warren couldn’t hide his obvious joy.

“Honestly, when Lady Claudius first said she would take charge of the Townhouse’s internal affairs, I was worried…”

Lord Warren concluded with a proud expression.

“I had no idea she would handle it so magnificently.”

“Lord Warren.”

“It seems I worried unnecessarily.”

At that response, Dietrich felt as if he had been stabbed right in the heart.

It was only his desire for his precious younger sister not to go through difficult hardships.

…But his actions of protecting Evangeline, thinking he was being considerate in his own way, seemed to have made both Evangeline herself and those around her worry instead.

“Really, do you know how hard I studied?”

Evangeline’s sulky voice rang clearly in his ears.

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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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