She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 118

Idel immediately set down the teacup she had been raising to her lips at the proposal of the Marchioness—Tara Grant. Had she taken a sip just now, she surely would have choked.

Placing the cup on its saucer with a steady hand, she forced a faint, apologetic smile.

“My goodness. Forgive me, Marchioness. I must be tired, as I think I’ve misheard you. If you wouldn’t mind, could you say that one more time?”

Marchioness Grant shook her head and spoke again. The wrinkled corners of her eyes, which betrayed her years, curved naturally into a smile.

“No, My Lady. You heard me correctly. I asked you to help my husband resurrect at his funeral.”

“…Marchioness, I know this is rude, but I must ask one thing. To my knowledge, Marquis Grant’s vigor is said to be as formidable as it was in his youth. Has… something unfortunate happened to him?”

“Thank you for your concern, My Lady. Don’t worry; he is quite healthy. Well, although the two of us are currently looking for an appropriate cause of death since we want to hold the funeral as quickly as possible. Ah, perhaps I could get a recommendation from you, My Lady?”

Watching the Marchioness clap her hands like an innocent young girl, Idel’s smile stiffened further.

‘What on earth is she talking about?’

They were planning a funeral for a healthy man, only for him to resurrect during the service?

‘And she wants me to help with that?’

Why…?

Baffling thoughts flooded Idel’s mind.

‘In the first place, the way we met wasn’t exactly typical, either.’

Just a day before she was to send a letter to Marquis Grant, Idel had received an unexpected message from the Duchess.

‘Idel, I heard you’ve returned from Port Bay. Are you still very busy? I wanted to tell you this in person if possible… but the thing is, an invitation has arrived for you. Knowing your situation, I would have handled it myself if it were anyone else, but I thought you ought to look into this one.’

The gist of it was that Marchioness Grant had sent an invitation to Idel first. Moreover, it was accompanied by a very long and sincere letter.

The Marchioness had even sent a hand-picked gift—a detail that both Idel and the Duchess found rather suspicious.

The favor shown by Marchioness Grant felt excessively large.

‘At the very least, it’s far too extravagant for a gift sent to someone she’s never even met in person.’

Because of this, Idel had expected today’s meeting to be more serious and perhaps more demanding—for instance, a proposal to join the Marchioness’s faction once she made her debut after her coming-of-age ceremony.

‘Well, Mother did say the Marchioness isn’t the type to get involved in factional squabbles. My own investigation confirmed that, too.’

Much like the Marquis, who had ousted a tyrant and cared for the victims, the Marchioness was known to be an upright and gentle soul.

‘They say her reputation is so high that young ladies in society often seek her out for advice.’

Idel’s gaze settled quietly on Marchioness Grant. The woman, still smiling softly, looked back at her and spoke slowly.

“I’m sure you’re wondering what this is all about. Asking you to kill a perfectly healthy husband and then bring him back to life.”

“……”

“To explain this absurd request, I must first tell you that my husband and I have no children. To be precise, we have none now. Long ago, we lost our only daughter.”

Her eyes, filled with a longing she still couldn’t hide, fixed on her teacup. She took a sip of tea and continued.

“My Lady, living as an elderly noble couple in a wealthy estate without children leads to many interesting situations. There’s never a dull moment. Distant relatives we never knew existed send letters day after day. Ah, sometimes they even show up in person.”

“Naturally, they must be after the title and the Grant estate.”

“Exactly. Without a child, we should have at least appointed a successor quickly, but even that position remains vacant. Oh, that husband of mine! I told him so many times to settle it quickly so things like this wouldn’t happen…”

Despite the Marchioness’s prodding, it seemed Marquis Grant had stubbornly refused to budge. His reasoning was that no one possessed the character or ability worthy of being his heir.

“Of course, half of it was likely because he couldn’t let go of our late daughter. Appointing a successor is no different from finally saying a permanent goodbye to her.”

“……”

“Then, a few years ago, something truly miraculous happened to us. A letter arrived… from our deceased daughter.”

The Marchioness continued to unravel the story in a quiet, soothing voice, much like a grandmother recounting a tale to a neighbor. All the while, she kept nudging various desserts toward Idel, insisting she eat more.

“My husband and I were so startled that we tore the letter open immediately and…”

“Wait a moment, Marchioness.”

“Hm?”

As the story was just beginning to pick up speed, Idel pulled the brakes. The Marchioness tilted her head slightly.

“Is there a problem, My Lady?”

“Yes. This sounds like it will be a long story, but before we go any further, there is something I must clarify.”

Idel gave a light nod of affirmation, her expression turning serious. Her slightly furrowed brows made her striking features stand out even more.

“Why are you telling me all of this, Marchioness?”

“Why am I telling you this?”

“Yes. As you are well aware, I haven’t shown my face in society once since my debut. I might have been a ‘celebrity’ in social circles as a child due to various incidents, but that is no longer the case.”

Idel’s firm voice cut through the cozy atmosphere of the Grant estate’s drawing room. Meeting the woman’s silver-gray eyes head-on, she spoke again.

“To be honest, it was unexpected enough that you even sought me out while I was so deeply hidden. But for you to find me and then say things that are so… beyond expectation…”

“Aha. So that’s what you were curious about.”

“Yes. I know it’s impolite to ask so directly, but I ask for your broad-minded understanding. I felt that if the story truly got underway, it would lead to even greater rudeness.”

The Marchioness finally realized exactly what Idel was getting at.

“Hmm…”

The woman covered her mouth with one hand, like someone weighing how best to explain herself. After watching the faint ripples spreading in her teacup for a brief moment, she looked up at Idel and spoke.

“I must offer an apology first, My Lady. I certainly was too hasty.”

“……”

“However, when an extraordinary event suddenly landed right in front of us and I went looking for a way to solve it—My Lady, only one person came to mind.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Our ‘Little Veil,’ who used to unravel the most tangled problems within the Empire with such ease. Though, of course, you’ve grown so wonderfully now that the title ‘Little’ hardly seems to fit.”

Idel’s eyes widened at the unexpected name coming from the Marchioness’s lips. Not only had she never imagined hearing that name again at this point, but she also hadn’t considered that anyone might know the true identity behind ‘Little Veil.’

Seeing Idel’s expression, the Marchioness widened her own eyes in turn and let out a small gasp.

“Could it be… you had no idea? After your debut, stories regarding that matter spread quite a bit……”

“……Yes. This is the first I’ve heard that anyone knew my identity.”

“Oh dear. Since there was no word from your side, I assumed it was a silent admission. You truly didn’t know……”

A hint of dismay clouded the Marchioness’s face.

‘I don’t know how it leaked after my debut, but my accidental silence ended up confirming people’s suspicions.’

Chewing over the woman’s words, Idel quickly realized where the misunderstanding had occurred.

‘I suppose. Considering the impact Little Veil had, who would think that name would be buried forever?’

Especially in high society, a place where people fight to be noticed even just one more time.

Idel quickly organized her thoughts and spoke slowly to the Marchioness.

“So… the invitation you sent me was, in a way, like sending a formal request for help.”

“Strictly speaking, yes. It might have been a bit much, but I put a lot of heart into it because I wanted to make a good impression. Just as ‘Ask the Veil!’ solved many cases, I wanted to borrow your insight to resolve this matter, if possible.”