She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 57

Diane was silently horrified by the chilling conversation.

Poison? Poison…!

Even for her, who knew most of the truth thanks to her plans with Idel, Veronica’s words were shocking.

‘If I feel this way, how must the head maid feel…’

While Diane was too afraid to confirm, the two lovers were wrapping up their grim discussion.

“Anyway, don’t worry about anything. I’ll protect our love. Got it?”

“Uh? Uh-huh, okay.”

“You focus on seducing the head maid to get a guarantee. That’s the only way to get out of this suffocating relationship quickly.”

“You’re right. I’ll do my best for our marriage.”

With those words, the two began their lovemaking once again.

It was enough to make anyone feel embarrassed, yet Diane couldn’t even blush. The reason was simple.

Sylvia, who was pressed closely against her, was trembling.

“P-please, Miss Sylvia, hang in there…!”

Desperate to prevent Sylvia from jumping between the two, Diane tightly wrapped her arms around her waist.

‘Even if I get scolded later, I have to stop this now!’

Did they sense Diane’s desperate feelings? The two exchanged several more embarrassing words before leaving.

“Phew…”

Groaning as she exited the cramped space, Diane quickly ran to Sylvia after confirming the two had disappeared.

She had been worried about Sylvia’s condition while watching their secret meeting.

“Miss S-Sylvia… are you okay?”

Despite Diane’s cautious question, Sylvia did not move an inch.

She simply stood there, staring at the spot where the two had engaged in their affectionate display.

“Ha…”

An empty laugh echoed quietly in the cold space. After briefly glancing down at her palm, which bore the marks of her tightly clenched nails, she slowly lifted her gaze to look at Diane.

“First, I should say thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would still be deceived by those two.”

“Uh, that’s…”

“Now that this has happened, I need to confirm one more thing.”

Sylvia’s calm silver eyes trembled slightly.

“…Is everything Veronica said about Idel true? Is the report I received the truth? I heard from Veronica that you also struggled because of Idel.”

“Ah, about that, um…”

Diane hesitated, unsure of how to start explaining.

She had been told by Idel that it was okay to reveal her plan, but somehow, it felt like Sylvia wasn’t simply asking about this incident.

“I’m not sure where to begin… um, first of all, it’s a bit different from the truth that I struggled because of Miss Idel.”

“…”

“This is the first time I’m saying it out loud, but I consider it an honor to serve Miss Idel! Ah, well, of course, that wasn’t how I felt at first… I only realized it later.”

That our lady isn’t the bad person the rumors say.

Diane’s words, as she wiggled her fingers, made Sylvia furrow her brow.

She now understood the words Idel had said recently and thought she should ask Diane about them if given the chance.

“Hmph, she was probably just pretending to look for it.”

“After all, this is all because of her…”

Veronica had said that Idel knew about their relationship. That’s why she incited the servants to torment her.

“Miss Idel must have already known back then that the servants were treating her unfairly because of matters related to me.”

But if that were the case, why didn’t she come and tell her directly? That day, Veronica had interrupted their conversation, but today she could have sought her out just like Diane did.

‘No, Idel did come to me.’

She didn’t know when she found out about Veronica and Demaric’s relationship, but she had definitely come to her office asking for a resolution.

She said it seemed like things were disappearing and asked for help.

‘…At this rate, I wouldn’t have any excuse even if I were stripped of my position as head maid.’

It was true that she secretly didn’t welcome Idel. She was the daughter of Melisa, who had tormented her master, and unlike Gianna, she had behaved poorly.

However, regardless of her personal feelings, Idel deserved to be treated as a member of Clementine, and she had treated her politely and without deficiency in her professional capacity.

‘To be precise, I believed I acted that way. Until today, that is.’

Having been betrayed by those she trusted most and realizing that things she hadn’t doubted were lies, she couldn’t even tell if her assessment of Idel was correct.

Suddenly, she recalled the eldest lady who had clung to her and cried sorrowfully. Especially the moment when she thought Idel had placed a hand on her…

‘What did the lady say back then? Did she say that Idel wasn’t like that?’

As she rummaged through her memory to recall what Gianna had said, Diane, who had been glancing around awkwardly, let out a small gasp.

“Ah! And there’s one more thing I need to tell you, Miss Sylvia!”

“Hmm?”

“The story about Idel and Gianna fighting is a lie!”

“What…?”

“Uh, no, it’s true that they fought, but they reconciled quickly… and the fight wasn’t a serious issue! Right now, they’re just pretending to fight because of a plan!”

Sylvia pressed a hand to her forehead at the sudden flood of information.

How much had the duchess worried about reconciling the two, only to find out their relationship wasn’t bad to begin with?

‘No, the important part isn’t that.’

Amid the confusion, Sylvia quickly grasped the key point from the information Diane provided.

“A plan? Are you saying that Idel and Gianna are currently making plans together?”

“Yes! Something like that!”

“…For what purpose?”

Seeing the look of confusion in Sylvia’s eyes, Diane realized there was still information she hadn’t shared.

“Well… It’s true that the bullying has intensified since Veronica incited the servants, but in fact, even before that, the servants had been playing mean tricks on Miss Idel. Miss Idel and Miss Gianna were both aware of it.”

“Miss Idel knew, but are you saying Miss Gianna knew too?”

Sylvia gasped, as if she couldn’t believe it.

If it was the Gianna she knew, she would have rushed to the duchess, the duke, or at least to her as soon as she learned of the servants’ injustice.

Diane nodded, understanding the head maid’s shock.

“Yes. Both Miss Gianna and I suggested telling the Duke and Rowena, but Miss Idel refused.”

“…Why?”

How many times had she asked such a foolish question since becoming head maid?

Biting her lower lip in shame, Sylvia couldn’t help but repeat the same question.

If she hadn’t known before, she needed to know now.

“Miss Idel said that telling the Duke and Madam Rowena would only be a temporary solution. She said that making a plan like this would create an ‘opportunity.’ She didn’t say it directly, but both I and Miss Gianna understood what she meant.”

“……”

“Well, this is something only I know that Gianna doesn’t… Miss Idel was concerned about the servants being driven out because of her. She said, ‘If I tell the Duke, everyone will leave.’”

Sylvia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was only natural. The Idel Diane described was so different from the “daughter of Melisa Lopez” that she knew.

‘So dissonant.’

But Sylvia read sincerity in Diane’s expression. The bittersweet smile filled with pride couldn’t be faked.

‘I was the one who was wrong.’

Blinded by personal emotions, she hadn’t properly understood the person she served.

‘No, it would be more accurate to say I didn’t even think to understand.’

Sylvia closed her eyes tightly, critically reflecting on herself.

Not long ago, a conversation she had shared with the duchess suddenly stirred her insides.

‘Sylvia, as I told Vincent, Idel is younger than Gianna. You understand that, right?’

‘Yes, I understand.’

‘The fact that she’s being sensitive is likely a form of self-defense. So, as head maid, you need to observe her with time and patience.’

‘…I will keep that in mind.’