She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 124

Over the funeral hall, which had fallen into an instantaneous silence now that the ringleaders of the commotion had vanished, a small sob echoed.

It was Marchioness Grant.

Idel, who had moved to the Marquis’s side when he burst out of the coffin, gently took her arm.

“Madam.”

“……Ah, Young Lady. I’m sorry. I……”

The Marchioness tried to speak but buried her face in her hands once more.

She knew the three candidates had been up to no good, and it was she who had conspired with Idel to set the stage for them to attack one another at the funeral. But still…….

‘Ah. What on earth have I—have we—been living for?’

Even those they felt closest to had not hesitated to betray them to seize their power and wealth.

Furthermore, the truth behind Cordelia’s death made her heart ache even after so much time had passed.

As the Marchioness struggled to swallow her tears amidst a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, a voice spoke.

“Excuse me……”

Along with a somewhat frail and youthful voice, a simple handkerchief appeared before the Marchioness’s eyes.

With her vision still blurred by tears, the Marchioness lifted her head and slowly looked at the person who had approached her.

Standing there was a young woman around the same age as Idel.

She was charming, with orange hair, golden eyes, and a cute dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose. And…….

“If you don’t mind, please use my handkerchief. Oh, I—I don’t have any other intentions. It’s just that you looked like you were in a lot of pain, Madam……”

And she was the person the Marchioness had wanted to meet more than anyone else.

Cordelia Pierce.

‘Of course, I can’t be certain just yet, but…….’

Trailing off her thought internally, the Marchioness wiped her tears with the offered handkerchief and quietly took in the sight of the woman before her.

Actually, the moment their eyes met, the Marchioness had a feeling. It wasn’t because of the girl’s simple attire—so out of place among the other nobles—it was just… she knew.

Clutching the tear-soaked handkerchief, she spoke softly.

“Thank you, My Lady.”

“Oh, no… I just… my heart went out to you.”

“That kind of sincerity is what matters most.”

The marchioness replied calmly as the girl waved her hands in dismissal, then continued.

“I will make sure to return this handkerchief to you. May I ask your name…?”

“Ah, no! There’s no need to wash and return it. It wasn’t expensive, and you didn’t even get it that dirty. If you could just give it back now—”

“I cannot do that. If I give it back now, you’ll run away immediately, won’t you?”

“Pardon?”

Meeting those bewildered golden eyes directly, the Marchioness reached out and gently took her hand. Unlike the daughter she had lost, this girl’s hand was covered in calluses.

‘Is this from the sewing she said was her specialty…?’

Recalling the letters they had exchanged, the marchioness offered a faint smile.

“I am so happy to be able to speak with you face-to-face like this, Cordelia. Have I guessed correctly?”

“…How…?”

Cordelia’s eyes widened at the Marchioness’s words. Her lips trembled as she struggled to find her voice, her eyes shaking with emotion.

“I… I really didn’t intend to reveal myself. Giving you the handkerchief wasn’t meant to be a sign…”

“I know. You simply couldn’t stand to watch me suffer because you are kind.”

“That’s…”

Cordelia couldn’t find the words. After a long moment of internal conflict, she spoke hesitantly.

“No, Madam. I am… not as kind as you think. Even coming here today was nothing more than self-satisfaction.”

“Self-satisfaction?”

“…It was presumptuous of me, but I had come to think of you both as my own parents. Then, I read in the newsletter that the Marquis had passed away……”

As if the memory of that moment hit her, Cordelia took a sharp breath and bit her lower lip.

“I realized there was absolutely nothing I could do for you. So, I came here with the heart to at least say one last goodbye……”

In other words, Cordelia had only tried to distance herself due to realistic constraints; in her heart, she had already accepted them as her parents.

“……Oh, Cordelia.”

Hearing the moisture in the Marchioness’s voice, Idel slowly let go of her arm.

‘It’s best to give the two of them—no, the three of them—some time now.’

Idel glanced at the Marquis, his wife, and Cordelia before turning her steps toward the other nobles. She couldn’t simply leave the guests unattended while the Grant family shared their heart-to-heart.

‘Besides, this is a good chance to make a fresh impression.’

While Idel was debating who to approach first, she realized she needn’t have worried. Before she could even open her mouth, the surrounding nobles swarmed her, firing off questions from all sides.

“My Lady! We’ve been waiting. If you’re willing, could you tell us what on earth is going on?”

“Was the Marquis perfectly fine from the very beginning? But earlier, the disciple, Leo Winston, said he had been attempting assassination……”

“The will! To be the one to personally announce it, you must be incredibly close to House Grant… Have you been staying with them all this time?”

Strictly speaking, their behavior was rude by etiquette standards, but no one thought to point that out. Their curiosity regarding the bizarre events they had just witnessed far outweighed their sense of decorum.

‘It’s like a school of fish swarming toward a piece of bread.’

Idel filtered through the barrage of questions and began explaining the situation. The gist of it was that this entire event had been orchestrated solely to resolve the succession crisis, and that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the Marquis’s health.

Strategic Rebranding of Idel Clementine

Idel has successfully transformed her social status from a “scandalous second daughter” to a “trusted political arbiter.”

“Of course, the Marquis also mentioned that he won’t forget the sincerity of the ‘friends’ who made the trip here today. As for who Cordelia is… I believe it would be best for you to hear that directly from the Marquis and Marchioness.”

Idel shifted her body slightly to reveal the three of them, a light smile playing on her lips.

The nobles, observing the trio standing together, wore puzzled expressions. From their appearance alone, it was difficult to discern the exact nature of their relationship.

It was then.

From among the crowd, which had grown somewhat calmer thanks to Idel’s explanation, someone abruptly threw a question at her.

“Excuse me, My Lady. The reason you lent a hand in this matter is because you maintain a good relationship with the House of Grant, isn’t it?”

“Pardon? Yes, that is correct.”

“Then, by any chance, do you know anything regarding the ‘Ghost Commotion’?”

“The Ghost Commotion?”

Idel paused at the question, which seemed to have no connection to the House of Grant. She soon realized that this ‘Ghost Commotion’ was the very incident Sigmund had discussed with her at the temple.

“Ah, that incident. But why ask me about that…?”

“Pardon?”

The young lady who asked the question widened her eyes. She looked as though she hadn’t imagined Idel would react this way.

After her eyes darted around for a moment, the young lady tilted her head slightly and asked, “Well… aren’t you on exceptionally close terms with His Highness the Crown Prince? Since you’ve gone so far as to assist the House of Grant, I assumed you would be even more deeply involved in the affairs of His Highness, whom you’ve been intimate with for some time……”

“That is……”

“Oh, could it be that I have misunderstood the relationship between you two?”

Idel couldn’t give an answer easily.

It was only natural. Because they had missed several opportunities to clarify things, Idel and Sigmund were still implicitly using each other.

‘I’m certain I only allowed him to use my name for a limited time.’

Above all, this was not a matter that could be spoken of lightly here. In the social world, a single wrong word would instantly become an established fact.

Just as Idel was debating how to deflect the question, she felt a hand gently rest on her shoulder from behind.

“I apologize, but I don’t believe His Highness the Crown Prince would be pleased to have his name tossed around like this. Especially not in a place where he isn’t present to hear it.”

At the sound of the poised, steady voice near her ear, Idel turned her head. Standing beside her was Dante Knightley; he had grown significantly and now carried the dignified air of a proper knight.

“Dante.”

“It’s been a long time, Idel. I didn’t expect to run into you here of all places……. Have you been faring well?”

Meeting those green eyes, which had grown much deeper than when they were children, Idel gave a light nod.