The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 93
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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 93
“I was bored all by myself.”
“I’m sorry, I accidentally fell asleep while getting a massage.”
I smiled awkwardly.
Then Lady Claudius looked at me intently and suddenly asked a question.
“So you’re not tired anymore?”
“Of course not.”
Why is she asking such an obvious question?
I became a little puzzled.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been eating and resting so well.
Lately, my face has been as smooth and soft as a freshly boiled egg…
Then Lady Claudius muttered in passing.
“That’s a relief. I was worried because it seemed like you’d been through a lot of emotional stress.”
“Pardon?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Lady Claudius shrugged her shoulders, then her eyes sparkled brightly as she rattled off her words.
“So what should we do today? Should we go out for tea and have dinner? Or there’s a place nearby where the autumn leaves are absolutely beautiful…”
I hesitated for a moment.
Having tea would be nice, having dinner would be good, and viewing the autumn leaves would be lovely too.
But there was one thing that had been bothering me all along.
I finally opened my mouth cautiously.
“Um, Evangeline. All of that sounds good, but…”
“Hm?”
“By any chance, is Lord Claudius getting proper rest lately?”
“My brother?”
Lady Claudius tilted her head.
I trailed off quietly.
“Well, I feel like I’ve barely seen his face at all…”
That was true.
Although Lady Claudius and I had come down to the domain first.
I heard that Lord Claudius had also come down shortly after, as soon as he finished handling urgent matters.
A week had passed since then.
Perhaps because he was so busy, Lord Claudius’s face was rarely to be seen…
The few times I occasionally encountered Lord Claudius from a distance.
“Lord Claudius, please review these documents first…!”
“There are matters regarding this fall’s harvest that we need to discuss!”
“The Merchant Guild has raised a new agenda, and we’d like your opinion on this matter…”
Lord Claudius, surrounded by administrators with a rather weary expression, showed a faint smile when our eyes met.
All I could do was respond to Lord Claudius’s smile with a silent bow.
Since Lord Claudius spent most of his time in Jedo, it was unavoidable from the retainers’ perspective.
Still.
‘Isn’t he overworking himself?’
…Somehow I felt uneasy.
He had been a great help when resolving Gregory’s matter, but I hadn’t been able to properly thank him.
And I was a little disappointed not to see his face…
‘Wait, disappointed?’
Just as I was quietly furrowing my brow.
“Why?”
Lady Claudius asked me back, playfully drawing out her voice.
“Could it be that you’re concerned about my brother?”
“What? No, I mean, I was just wondering if Lord Claudius might be overworking himself…!”
“Isn’t that what being concerned means?”
For a moment, I was a little dazed.
‘That’s right.’
A sudden realization struck me.
‘I’ve been constantly worrying about Lord Claudius.’
However, admitting that right away would be foolish.
Because Lady Claudius was now looking at me like a predator eyeing its prey.
This looks like I’ll become teasing material for three or four days if I get caught?
“It’s not like that, I just…!”
I frantically waved my hands at that judgment, but it was already too late.
“Really? Are you really sure?”
Lady Claudius began grinning mischievously…
“Then whether my brother overworks himself or not, you could just leave him alone, right?”
Lady Claudius asked me back in a playful voice.
I tried my best to make excuses somehow.
“No, well, humanly speaking, when you see someone struggling… it’s natural to worry…”
“Larit.”
Lady Claudius clicked her tongue and wagged her index finger.
“The very fact that you’re worried about my brother overworking is proof that you’re interested in him, Larit.”
“No…!”
“People usually don’t even know whether someone they’re not interested in is overworking or not.”
“…”
She hit the nail on the head.
My face heated up, so I avoided her gaze for no reason.
Lady Claudius stared at me with an expression that said she was having the time of her life.
“Anyway, you’re worried about my brother, right, Larit?”
And then she kept prying persistently…
“You want to see his face at least once, right? You’re curious about how he’s doing, want to have a conversation with him, hm?”
At that question, I hesitated just as I was about to reflexively answer ‘no.’
To be honest.
‘I’m curious.’
Seraphina’s destined partner.
I tried to sort out my feelings by recalling Lord Claudius’s position in the original story.
But no matter what excuse I made, it was impossible to stop my growing fondness for Lord Claudius.
I finally answered with my eyes tightly shut.
“Yes, I’m curious.”
“Good.”
Lady Claudius smiled with her eyes.
“Just trust me.”
“…”
Suddenly I felt as if cold water had been poured on me, my spine turning chillingly cold.
Wait a minute, Lady Claudius.
What kind of scheme are you planning this time?!
* * *
Late at night when all things were asleep.
“…Whew.”
Dietrich, who had been looking at documents for a long time, let out a long sigh and took off his silver-rimmed glasses.
‘I expected it would be busy, but I didn’t think this much work would have piled up.’
When he heard the news that Larite would be visiting the domain, he was very happy.
He had also harbored expectations that he might be able to see her face under the pretense of coincidence.
But….
‘A whole week has already passed.’
Dietrich felt as if his insides were twisting somehow.
He had been so busy struggling with the endless stream of work that he had only seen Larite once since coming down to Lord Claudius’ Domain.
Even then, it was just exchanging greetings with eye contact from a distance.
Since he couldn’t neglect his work either, only unresolvable frustration kept building up day by day.
“….”
Dietrich, who had been furrowing his brow, irritably pulled the bell cord.
A moment later.
“You called for me, Lord Claudius.”
“Please bring me a hot towel.”
He was planning to rest for a while and apply a warm compress to his eyes.
“Understood.”
The servant bowed his head and left.
Dietrich leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes tightly.
His eyes, which he had overworked until late, were throbbing.
‘Come to think of it… Lady Ansi was the one who taught me about warm compresses too.’
Suddenly, Larite, whom he had encountered in the library, came to his mind.
“If you cover your eyelids with a hot towel, it helps rest your eyes.”
Those flower-pink eyes that had been looking up at him quietly, and.
“Lady Claudius often says her eyes get tired from paperwork, and whenever that happens, she’s pleased when I apply warm compresses for her.”
That gentle voice mixed with laughter….
But then.
Knock knock.
A short knocking sound rang out, and without even waiting for an answer, the door burst open.
Evangeline poked her head through the gap in the door.
“You ordered a towel, right? Delivery’s here.”
Evangeline, who had walked briskly into the study, set down the tray with the hot towel on it.
Dietrich looked at his sister with a surprised expression.
“What brings you here?”
“I ran into the servant just outside. So I said I’d bring it in.”
Evangeline gestured toward the door with her chin as she continued speaking.
Then she showed a sly smile.
“How about it? There’s no one but me, right?”
“…What are you scheming? Did you run out of allowance money?”
Dietrich looked at Evangeline with eyes full of suspicion.
At that question, Evangeline narrowed her eyes and glared at Dietrich.
“Having such a wonderful sister, what kind of nonsense is that?”
Then she raised her nose haughtily and shot back again.
“And you owe me a debt too!”
“….”
Dietrich looked dumbfounded, but couldn’t particularly argue back.
In fact, Evangeline’s contribution had been significant in getting Larite to come down to Lord Claudius’ Domain this time.
Of course, even so, he had been so busy that he hadn’t had any time to spend with Larite at all….
“Close your eyes and lean back in the chair a bit.”
Evangeline spoke as she picked up the warmed towel.
Dietrich swallowed a sigh and closed his eyes.
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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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