She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 116

Looking down at the robe fallen at her feet with a lukewarm gaze, Idel raised her eyes to look at the man standing before her.

Standing with his back to the window, the man exuded a somewhat decadent and rugged aura, despite being properly dressed.

‘To be honest, it feels sinful enough that meeting secretly like this in the temple’s prayer room feels like a crime.’

Glancing at the statue of the goddess placed on one side of the room, Idel slightly tilted her head back to look up at him.

Perhaps it was because he had been eating only the finest things since returning to the Imperial Palace, but at some point, Sigmund’s height had shot up.

Their eye levels, which used to be similar, were now completely different; if she held eye contact with him for too long, her neck would begin to ache.

‘Besides, he’s still so handsome it’s almost annoying.’

Idel quickly erased the thought from her mind and spoke to him again.

“So, why did you really come? Diane was the one supposed to show up today.”

“I told you a moment ago. My cold-hearted fiancée wasn’t answering her messages, so I came in person.”

Sigmund shrugged before Idel could even respond and continued.

“Did you check your crow artifact on your way back from Port Bay?”

“Yes.”

“There were no messages, right?”

Idel nodded at Sigmund’s words, let out a small gasp, and spoke.

“Wait, you couldn’t get through to me? This whole time?”

“Exactly.”

Sigmund nodded lightly at Idel’s realization and spoke again.

“Gianna came running to the Imperial training grounds this morning saying something must have happened to you. She said there was no response from your side.”

“Ah…”

Even without further explanation from Sigmund, Idel could easily imagine what state Gianna must have been in.

‘The moment she realized she couldn’t reach me, she must have rushed to Sigmund without a second thought. And she’s only just joined the Imperial Knights.’

The affection evident in those actions was secretly pleasing. Idel gave a faint, helpless smile and replied to Sigmund.

“I understand. So that’s why you came.”

“Yeah. Well, to be honest, the master said he’d check on it, but I volunteered. I had business at the temple anyway.”

“Business at the temple?”

“Yeah. Lately, rumors have been circulating that the deceased Crown Prince was spotted near the temple cemetery. The problem is, the rumor reached the Empress’s ears, so I needed to discuss it with the High Priest.”

“Ah.”

The phantom she had seen in the temple hallway as a child?

‘That thing is still there? I haven’t seen it once since then.’

She had passed through that area numerous times while serving as a pilgrim priest, thanks to the temple’s consideration.

‘I haven’t encountered it again, so I assumed it was just an illusion. You mean it wasn’t?’

Frowning slightly, Idel crossed her arms and asked Sigmund,

“What did High Priest Othello say?”

Instead of speaking, Sigmund simply tilted his head askew. That gesture alone was enough of an answer for the two of them.

“Now the problem is how to report this to Her Majesty. Perhaps because it concerns her dead child, she’s taking this matter quite seriously.”

Watching Sigmund’s face, which was tinged with annoyance, Idel blinked slowly.

‘He still calls her “Her Majesty.”’

Perhaps because Nox was the reason he returned to the Imperial Palace, the relationship between the Emperor, the Empress, and Sigmund felt incredibly peculiar.

While the royal couple actively pushed the fact that he was of the imperial bloodline and the legitimate successor, they seemed to have no intention of becoming a true part of Sigmund’s life or environment.

‘Should I call it strictly business? It felt like they didn’t exchange emotions more than absolutely necessary.’

Either way, it didn’t look like the bond between parents and a child lost long ago.

‘Of course, Sigmund said he prefers this over them clumsily trying to play parents.’

Whether it was because he had Vilred, he didn’t seem to view the Emperor and Empress as his parents at all. He wasn’t even hurt by their businesslike coldness.

‘Back then, I was the one who felt troubled by it instead…’

Idel frowned more deeply, thinking of the trio’s subtle dynamic, the still-unresolved ghost commotion, and Nox.

‘He said the Empress was particularly concerned about this ghost business.’

It was just a hunch, but the fact felt unpleasant. It felt as though something was being hidden behind that superficial exterior.

‘Good grief, who knew I’d actually be glad that Sigmund has no interest in those two?’

While Idel was lost in thought, recalling the ghost she had dismissed as a hallucination, Sigmund examined her crow artifact.

The magic within the artifact he had tuned was completely scattered, rendering it useless. Seeing this, Sigmund raised a single eyebrow.

‘Gianna wasn’t worrying for nothing.’

For magic set to a specific frequency to scatter like this meant that something extraordinary—and likely dangerous—had occurred in the region she visited.

Sigmund’s crimson eyes settled on Idel, who was still deep in contemplation.

Just as he had grown, the Idel standing before him had matured significantly.

Taking in her face, which had lost its childhood softness to become more slender, and her sharper, refined eyes, he suddenly spoke.

“Idel.”

“Yeah?”

“How was Port Bay?”

“Ah…”

Idel fell silent for a moment at his question before speaking with a serious expression.

“You know how lately, people with entangled memories have been popping up all over the Empire, right?”

“Yeah. And how accidents, big and small, keep happening around them. The Knights are suspecting foul play…. Am I right?”

“Exactly. The disaster at Port Bay wasn’t natural either. It was man-made. And guess what I found there?”

“Wait. That pink hair and the crest…. Don’t tell me Patrick left evidence behind?”

“Peace is over. Now, Nox is really going to move.”

At Idel’s words, Sigmund narrowed his eyes and briefly recalled the past. Specifically, what happened after Idel checked the items Patrick had left behind at the abandoned orphanage.

Several years ago.

A few days after meeting the saint at the temple with Idel, Sigmund received a barrage of notes from her.

[Sigmund, Patrick left clues about Nox.]

[To be honest, it’s not like he left a proper trail but rather threw a bunch of disorganized books at me… but every single one of these books feels like a clue.]

[For example, in the book Understanding Magical Creatures, there’s a mark on the page describing the Simic. In Principles of Chanting, there’s content related to ancient evil gods.]

[Hey, are you even reading my notes? Why aren’t you replying?]

[…Anyway, I couldn’t think about it before because I was busy solving the problems right in front of us, but the moment I saw this, something occurred to me. Melisa’s ultimate goal was to have my mom… I mean, the Duchess. Then what about Nox? What is Nox’s ultimate goal?]

The crow artifact spat out notes incessantly, as if she had far too much to say.

After reading the notes, Sigmund lightly tapped the crow artifact, his finger coated in mana. He did this to recharge it, fearing the artifact might overload if left alone.

Even then, Idel’s notes showed no sign of stopping.

[To be honest, I haven’t figured out Nox’s ultimate goal yet, but one thing has become certain.]

[Sigmund, Nox is after you.]

[Thanks to Vilred telling us the truth, we both know Nox plans to make you a puppet, right? But looking at these books Patrick left, the way they brainwashed you seems fundamentally different from how they brainwashed me.]

[I’m really just… a sort of disposable tool to be used and thrown away, but for you, it feels different. I don’t think they’re coveting you simply as a ‘Crown Prince’ to swallow this Empire. This… I’ll look into it more. Something might come up if I retrace my memories.]

Idel paused for a moment after saying that.

[I don’t know if you’re even reading these notes, but…]

[Anyway, at this stage, I’ve decided that Patrick is useful. So, during the “time of peace” he foretold, I’m going to do some preparation. I’ll dig into the clues Patrick gave me, too. The people of the Duke’s house are my family now, after all.]

[Oh, in case you were going to ask how I can suddenly trust Patrick… apparently, Patrick was married to Dante’s mother’s younger sister. Did you know that?]

[……Seriously, no response. Are you sleeping? I’ll be waiting for a reply, so contact me anytime! I’m dying to know what you and the Saint talked about, too. Got it?]

Idel’s notes ended there.

Even after reading every single one of them, Sigmund couldn’t easily pick up his pen.

Because…

‘That saint you’re so curious about told me some incredibly bizarre crap.’

Ruffling the back of his hair with a conflicted expression, the voice of the saint he had heard a few days ago echoed in his mind again.

“Brother, by any chance, are you interested in a way to defy a predestined death? If not, I suggest you start taking an interest from now on.”