She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 120
[Mom, Dad. I’m sorry.
No, I shouldn’t call you that anymore. It is time for me to face the truth.
Perhaps I intercepted the letters that were meant for your real daughter. If that is the case, I apologize for that as well.
The truth is… when the first reply came back, I realized I had written the address incorrectly. Both of my parents have passed away, and the address of the house where I lived with them no longer exists.]
The Marchioness gasped as she read down the letter. In the end, all of this had truly been a “coincidence.”
‘A person with the same name, Cordelia, and an incorrectly written address.’
Because of her high status and position, she had worried that even this might be someone’s scheme, but those thoughts lasted only a moment.
Marchioness Grant was certain that couldn’t be the case.
‘Because if it were, the interactions we’ve had wouldn’t make sense.’
To begin with, the vast majority of the letters exchanged between the “Cordelia” in the writing and the Marquis couple were meaningless, everyday conversations.
The rest were expressions of missing each other, words of love, and reassurances of how much they cherished her.
Where on earth could one even use messages of mourning intended for a child who had already passed away?
Suppressing her complicated emotions, she read the rest of the letter.
[The truth is, I intended to tell you the moment I realized there was a misunderstanding. However, the replies I read were so comforting that… I hesitated, and for just a short while, I tried to pretend to be your daughter.
As I postponed it once, then twice, it eventually became today.]
It seemed the Cordelia who wrote the letter had agonized for a long time at that point. The Marquis touched a dark ink smudge on the paper as he lowered his gaze to the next line.
[Actually, I recently reached adulthood. So, I will be leaving the place where I’ve been staying to live independently. Because of that… I think it will be difficult to continue contacting you like this.
It’s late, but I want to sincerely thank you for everything and offer my apologies.
I hope that you both stay healthy always, no matter where or when. And I wish you nothing but happiness.
—Cordelia Pearce]
The Marquis, gazing at the neatly written name, looked urgently toward his wife.
“Tara. This is……”
“I think you’re right. Cordelia is planning on leaving the place where she is staying now.”
She must be settling her affairs for that very purpose. As they read the letter filled with sincerity, the two shared a look.
Confirming that their hearts were in the same place, the Marquis spoke to Felix, who was waiting nearby.
“Felix! Find the owner of this letter, Cordelia Pearce. Conduct a brief investigation into her as well.”
“Yes, sir. I will move immediately.”
The two watched Felix’s retreating figure as he left the room before lowering their eyes once more to the letter they had just received. They had looked at that tidy cursive for so long now that they felt they knew even her smallest habits.
“It might be a sensitive suggestion, but… I would like us to take this child in. It would be ideal if we could bring her into the Marquis’s house, but even if that isn’t possible, I want to ensure she never faces hardship for the rest of her life.”
“If the child wants it, I am more than willing to do the same.”
Even before receiving this letter, they had wanted to see her, but knowing the full truth made the desire to meet her even stronger.
‘I have so much I want to say.’
He wanted to tell her she had nothing to be sorry for. If anything, they were the ones who should be grateful. Thanks to her, they were finally able to bid a complete farewell to their late daughter.
‘…And I want to tell her that I want to meet her as she is, not because of some lingering attachment to the past.’
Though it had started with a longing for their lost family, they had built a relationship of their own during the time they spent exchanging letters.
‘Perhaps this accidental meeting itself is a gift from our daughter and Cordelia’s parents.’
Having explained events up to that point, the Marchioness lifted her teacup and let out a small sigh.
“Of course… things didn’t go smoothly. Once we revealed that we were the House of Grant, the child left only a brief note and vanished.”
“She vanished……? Was there a reason left in the note, by any chance?”
“She said she truly had no idea we were the Marquis and Marchioness. She hadn’t written the letters with any intention of gaining something. Furthermore—though I’m not sure what kind of misunderstanding arose—she said she had no intention of appearing and causing trouble for the House of Grant.”
After saying this, the Marchioness raised her hand to cover her mouth. A faint shadow of anxiety lingered in her eyes.
“That was already two weeks ago. Of course, I know that child isn’t a noble lady like the one in my imagination. She is a strong girl, so I’m sure she’s managing her life steadfastly. But still… wouldn’t there be things that make her uncomfortable? Moments when her chest feels tight with worry, or she feels distressed?”
It was a strange sensation. Despite them being entirely different people, Idel saw a flash of Rowena in the Marchioness’s expression.
‘She must cherish this person named Cordelia that much.’
Idel carefully chewed over the story the Marchioness had told her before speaking.
“Does your desire to hold the funeral as soon as possible have something to do with finding Cordelia?”
“Ah, as expected of Little Veil. Yes. We don’t know that child, but that child knows who we are, don’t they? Given Cordelia’s personality, I felt that while she might ignore other things, she wouldn’t be able to ignore a funeral.”
It was a powerful trap. It was a snare that utilized the information gap between the two parties, layered with a sense of natural inevitability.
‘Still, even so, this is too much.’
A Marquis’s funeral was not a matter that ended as a mere “family event.” It was a major affair involving the estate’s citizens and other nobles alike.
After a moment of thought, Idel spoke to her again.
“By the way, Marchioness. I heard that both you and the Marquis enjoy playing chess?”
“Hmm? That’s right. We both love chess. Since it’s not physically taxing, I like it slightly more than my husband does.”
“I don’t think people like you would mention a funeral for that reason alone. Especially since you specifically asked me to help with a ‘resurrection.’”
“Ahahaha!”
A light laugh escaped the Marchioness. Wiping the corners of her wrinkled eyes with a finger, she replied to Idel with a soft smile.
“I’m sorry, My Lady. I didn’t intend to speak in riddles. Hmm… My lady, do you remember me saying that living as elderly nobles means there’s never a dull moment, right before I told you about Cordelia?”
“Ah.”
“Yes, it’s to solve that part. My husband and I want to take Cordelia in, but in the current situation, that is a difficult task.”
It was a logical conclusion. Based on everything she had heard so far, Cordelia was a commoner without a title.
‘Furthermore, the Marquis—who has stubbornly delayed the issue of succession until now—is personally taking someone in?’
Even if the Marquis had no intention of making Cordelia his heir, it was obvious that everyone else would think otherwise.
Idel’s blue eyes flickered slightly.
“There was a reason you sent me so many gifts, Marchioness. I will serve as a very useful ‘example’ to the nobility.”
“……”
The Marchioness did not deny Idel’s words. In the difficult task of bringing a commoner like Cordelia into the Marquis’s house, Idel’s mere presence held significant meaning. Especially since she possessed a demeanor that was more ‘aristocratic’ than anyone else’s.
However, the Marchioness’s proposal wasn’t without its benefits for Idel.
‘Issues regarding my birth will likely follow me like a tag anyway. If that’s the case, it’s better to make a grand re-debut into society by assisting with the Rose Marquis’s funeral.’
This way, as a person more noble than any other, she could directly crush the “concerns” of the aristocracy.
‘And I’ll have the support of the Marchioness of Grant, a major figure in social circles.’
From the problem of Nox to the complexities of high society.
After considering various angles in a short span of time, Idel signaled a maid to refill the empty teacup and lightly moistened her lips. Her manner of handling the servants and using the teacup was flawless, leaving no room for criticism.
Idel naturally met the Marchioness’s eyes and offered a soft smile.
“To be able to mourn alongside the House of Grant as a close friend… it is an honor.”
“……My Lady.”
Upon hearing Idel’s answer, a sense of relief once again washed over the Marchioness’s face.
No matter how many benefits she had arranged, for Idel—who was already under the protection of the Duke of Clementine—these weren’t strictly necessary. In other words, the Marchioness was well aware that Idel was extending a sincere favor to her.
“Well then, regarding the issue of the succession… Marchioness, do the potential heirs possess the right qualities?”
“By qualities… do you mean the potential to become the next Marquis?”
“No. I mean, are they enough of a spectacular mess that the ‘deceased’ Marquis would be moved to resurrect in pure fury? ”
Idel tilted her head slightly, a playful yet sharp glint in her eyes.
“After all, making that kind of scene isn’t something just anyone can do.”
