The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 4

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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 4

Seraphina, who had been making a pitiful expression the entire time, suddenly scrunched up her face.

I continued speaking without caring.

“I was just trying to check if her shoelace was really untied, so I tugged it lightly… but Seraphina’s body is so frail that she fell backward.”

I continued speaking as if for Gregory to hear, then glanced at Seraphina sideways.

“Of course, Seraphina, you would surely understand such a minor mistake between friends…”

After all, we’re friends. Right?

Returning the words Seraphina habitually said, I slightly lowered my head.

It was to hide the smile lingering at the corners of my mouth.

“Still, I thought I should apologize. I’m truly sorry.”

“…”

Seraphina glared at me menacingly.

Even in this situation, it was truly remarkable how only her glaring eyes were sharp while she perfectly managed her expression.

I suppose you need to be at that level to become a female protagonist who receives everyone’s favor.

Regardless, I addressed Lady Johansen again.

“Lady Johansen, I shall take my leave now.”

“But, Lady Ansi…”

“Having caused such a commotion, I’m not shameless enough to continue attending the picnic.”

At the same time, both Gregory and Seraphina’s faces contorted.

With my single statement, those two became ‘people who shamelessly stayed glued to the picnic despite causing a commotion.’

‘Hah, how satisfying.’

I smirked inwardly and slipped away from the picnic.

After that day.

I blocked all correspondence and visit requests and holed up in my townhouse.

“Miss, letters keep coming from Lady Lopez and Gusto Youngshik…”

“Oh, those? Just toss them in the fireplace.”

Sitting at my desk, I answered without batting an eye.

They’re probably just asking me to apologize to them anyway.

The documents in front of me were more urgent than that.

<Letter of Annulment>

That’s right.

I had decided to break off my engagement with Gregory Gusto!

Actually, from my position, there was nothing holding me back.

Gregory was from a count family, but he was the second son who couldn’t inherit the title.

In contrast, I was the heir to a marquess family with territory.

Honestly, Gregory didn’t get engaged to me because he liked me, but rather…

He maintained the engagement because he calculated that marrying me would make him Marquess Ansi.

His intentions were so blatant that,

“Lari, are you really thinking of getting engaged to Gusto Youngshik?”

“Gusto Youngshik seems to have his heart set on Lady Lopez.”

Even my parents, who noticed this, subtly tried to dissuade me…

Fortunately, since the engagement was just a verbal agreement between families, I could cleanly resolve it by simply sending a letter of annulment.

If it had been a marriage certified by the imperial court, imagine that.

I would have been stuck becoming Gregory’s wife without being able to move a muscle, right?

I recalled the original story’s development.

In the original work, to shower the female protagonist with all sorts of benefits and favor, plausibility was completely ignored.

This meant they were merciless to supporting characters other than Seraphina.

‘Moreover, I’m not the only one who suffered because of this female protagonist buff.’

For example.

‘There’s Lady Claudius.’

Lord Claudius, one of the male protagonists in this world, has a younger sister.

That sister is Lady Claudius, the villainess of this world who brings all sorts of hardships to Seraphina.

The Lady regards Seraphina as a thorn in her side and commits various misdeeds.

In contrast, Lord Claudius, being a reasonable character, becomes entangled with Seraphina while trying to stop his sister’s misdeeds.

However, since this is still the beginning of the original story, Seraphina hasn’t even made contact with the Claudius siblings, who are key characters in the novel.

‘Right about now… the Lady’s situation must be quite difficult.’

Recently, rumors have been circulating in high society that the Lady is arrogant and presumptuous.

In the original work, Lord Claudius, unable to bear those rumors, sternly warned his sister to restore her reputation.

He threatened to cut off her dignity maintenance allowance if she didn’t.

The Lady, who leads high society trends and lives and dies by appearances, became quite troubled…

‘Come to think of it, Seraphina was involved in those rumors, wasn’t she?’

Of course, she didn’t spread rumors outright.

She just used her pure and pitiful image to subtly guide people to shun the Lady.

She cleverly exploited how people usually feared the Lady’s aloof atmosphere.

In the novel, it was portrayed as giving the villainess her comeuppance, but…

Actually watching it unfold from the sidelines, it didn’t feel like that at all.

‘Isn’t this just rotten character?’

That’s because, so far, the Lady hasn’t done any particular harm to Seraphina.

I don’t know the exact reason, but she just doesn’t like Seraphina.

Rather, the one who first antagonized the Lady was Seraphina, who harbored resentment that the Lady wouldn’t get close to her.

Which means.

‘If we’re being strict about it, Lady Claudius is also a victim of Seraphina, isn’t she?’

Yet Seraphina, being the female protagonist of this world, will continue to receive everyone’s favor and succeed triumphantly.

‘Ah, I hate this so much.’

Honestly speaking, I’d like to see Seraphina’s crumpled face at least once.

I’ve been playing the role of Seraphina’s doormat for how many years now.

I should be allowed to wish for at least this much, shouldn’t I?

‘…In that case.’

Suddenly, my eyes sparkled.

‘What if I build a friendship with the Lady?’

The Lady needs to restore her reputation right now.

And I want to give Seraphina and Gregory a taste of their own medicine.

We could scratch each other’s itchy spots!

[To the esteemed Lady Claudius.]

I didn’t know at the time.

[I know of a way to restore your reputation.]

I had no idea what consequences that letter, scribbled carelessly in my rage, would bring back to me.

* * *

The next morning.

“Aah, aaaah…”

Unable to overcome the rushing regret, I buried my head deep in my pillow.

‘What on earth did I do?!’

House of Claudius.

The empire’s highest noble family comparable to the imperial family itself. The only ducal house.

In fact, most nobles can’t even speak properly to the Claudius ducal family.

That’s how different their family status is.

The only reason Seraphina, a lady from a baron family, could maintain a rivalry with Lady Claudius in the first place.

Was because of Seraphina’s special position as the female protagonist of this world.

In reality, lower nobles without even territory can’t properly look at Lady Claudius.

And yet.

I, who had only been serving as Seraphina’s doormat until now, a mere lady from a provincial baron family.

Had actually sent a letter proposing a deal to none other than Lady Claudius!

Just how absurd my actions were can be sufficiently proven by the reaction my faithful maid Amy showed yesterday alone.

“Miss, are you really going to send this letter?”

“The recipient is truly Lady Claudius, correct?”

Amy had asked me several times with a face full of worry and concern.

But with my eyes completely flipped upside down from surging anger and desire for revenge,

“Of course! Lady Claudius absolutely must receive and read that letter, understand?!”

…I had even pushed Amy’s back as I said that!

Once I came to my senses, I couldn’t regret it more.

“Ah… this is a dream. This has to be a dream.”

In romance fantasy novels, there are countless female protagonists who regress to the past.

Couldn’t I also regress just one day?

No, really.

It’s already pitiful enough being reincarnated as a minor extra who devotes herself to the female protagonist only to be treated like trash.

Now I have to accumulate embarrassing history in real time too…!

“Should I just return to my hometown now? Still, as their one and only daughter, my parents wouldn’t cast me out, right?”

Just as I was clutching my head and groaning in agony.

Knock knock.

A brief knocking sound was heard.

“Miss, a guest has come to see you.”

It was a voice that sounded somewhat perplexed.

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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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