She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 58
A shallow sigh escaped Sylvia’s lips as she recalled that day’s memories.
Perhaps because the day had been too long and exhausting, she now felt nauseous, and her head throbbed.
“…Sylvia?”
When Diane cautiously called her, Sylvia shook her head as if to say she was fine.
“It’s nothing. It’s just that I heard too much information all of a sudden.”
“Ah…”
“But we can’t stay here for long, so let’s share only the important information and head back today.”
“Okay, got it!”
Upon hearing Sylvia’s words, Diane straightened her posture again.
“The most important thing is to ensure that Veronica doesn’t harm Miss Idel during the dinner.”
“Right! My heart raced when she mentioned putting something in the food, but poison!”
“Yes. A maid working in the Duke’s household is trying to harm Miss Clementine.”
That’s a crime deserving of death.
A chilling voice echoed softly in the space. This wasn’t referring to Veronica alone.
How dare mere servants disgrace their young mistress within the Duke’s household and then lie to their direct superior?
‘This has gone beyond mere reprimand.’
Of course, Sylvia knew Idel’s intentions from Diane. She wanted to give the servants a chance.
However, it was only right to cut off those limbs that couldn’t even recognize their own master.
‘That goes for me as well.’
Sylvia decided that as soon as this incident was resolved, she would confess her wrongdoings to the duchess and leave her fate in her hands.
If Idel were to hear this, she would surely jump up in disbelief, questioning why Sylvia would do such a pointless thing.
If Sylvia voluntarily left Rowena’s side, Melisa would be pleased. And Melisa’s joy would inevitably lead to Idel’s misfortune.
With no understanding of Idel’s feelings, Sylvia firmly resolved and calmly gave instructions to Diane.
“Diane, when you go back, find out what kind of laxative the servants plan to use at the dinner.”
“Okay! By the way, a colleague who was with me said that Veronica gave her a laxative. Did she plan this from the beginning?”
“Well… the truth is known only to Veronica, but it’s true that I have my suspicions.”
After answering Diane’s question, she opened her mouth again.
“Oh, right. Instead of the exact name or ingredients of the medicine, pay more attention to what the ‘bottle’ containing the medicine looks like. It would be even better if you could bring it to me directly.”
“Got it!”
Veronica intended to switch the laxative the servants would use with the poison she brought.
If problems arose later, she could deny it and shift the blame onto other servants.
She would claim she had prepared a very mild laxative at a friend’s request, but it seemed someone had used it for malicious purposes.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
Sylvia lightly tapped her elbow with her finger, a habit she had developed.
“If you find out what that medicine is, I’ll handle the rest. If Veronica intercepts the servants’ laxative, then I can intercept Veronica’s medicine as well.”
“Ah! Understood.”
“Of course, just intercepting won’t be enough to prove that Veronica did this…”
At Sylvia’s vague words, Diane quickly responded.
“Don’t worry about that, Miss Sylvia! When I mentioned that the servants were planning to use a laxative at the dinner, Miss Idel said we could show it right there.”
Diane proudly smiled as she spoke about the ‘trap’ Idel had mentioned.
“I’m sure she and Miss Gianna have made plans regarding that ‘trap’!”
“Miss Gianna… Yes. If there’s anything I need to know about that plan, feel free to come to me anytime.”
“Of course! I’ll keep that in mind!”
Hearing Diane’s lively response, Sylvia smiled faintly.
‘No matter how much Miss Idel endures, I can’t let her continue living like this until the dinner. So, I need to resolve this immediately..’
To do that, she first needed to return to her quarters.
Confirming that she had finished everything she needed to do here, she let out a long breath and faced Diane.
“Alright. Then let’s head back now. It’s getting really late.”
“Ah, already… Oh, just in case, I’ll go out first and keep watch to see if anyone is coming!”
“…Okay, thank you.”
Sylvia’s gaze followed Diane’s figure as she dashed out like the wind.
Seeing her diligently scanning the surroundings without being asked stirred a complex emotion within her.
“Miss Sylvia! It’s okay! I think you can come now.”
Without saying a word, Sylvia nodded and quickly gathered her emotions.
What mattered now wasn’t her feelings, but doing what she had to do.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
In the early dawn, when everyone should have been asleep.
Idel stood in front of Melisa’s bedroom. The reason was simple.
She believed this would be the most effective way to show her “anxiety” and “hesitation.”
‘It’s like a child wandering in front of her biological mother’s room at a time when she should be asleep.’
It wasn’t self-praise, but she thought that if she were Melisa, she would want to pull the final trigger.
Just a slight nudge would probably send her right into the net.
Taking a deep breath in front of the door, Idel, who had been pacing the hallway like a child who had caused a big incident, wore a frozen expression that clearly showed her tension, but the reality was a bit different.
‘Ugh, I really don’t want to do this.’
Idel internally expressed her true feelings as she glared at the doorknob.
She knew better than anyone what needed to be done.
If Diane and Sylvia were following the <real_plan_only_you_guys_know_internal_use>, then what she was about to do was <real_secret_plan_for_Melisa_use>.
‘Melisa will think that I’m cornered into her plan only if I show an unstable appearance directly.’
Everything was to make Melisa feel reassured that her plan was going smoothly. From the finale at the banquet hall to everything else.
‘And in the distant future, she will realize that ultimately, she failed to grasp me in her clutches and also failed to separate Sylvia from the Duchess.’
Thinking about the fruits that would come into her hands at that time made her dislike for the situation somewhat more bearable.
To buy even a moment more, Idel took a deep breath once more and clenched her fist.
– Knock, knock.
The knocking sound, particularly loud in the quiet night, broke the silence.
She didn’t need to worry that Melisa might already be asleep and not hear it.
‘The light in Melisa’s room was on.’
Even now, a faint light was seeping through the gap of the door.
Sure enough, not long after knocking, she sensed movement from inside the room, and then the door opened with a click.
“Who could it be at this hour… Idel?”
“Uh, Mom…”
Idel shrank back at the sight of Melisa visible through the door.
Unlike her usual appearance in front of the servants, she wore a face with drooping eyes, holding back tears.
“Idel, is something wrong? It’s time for you to be asleep by now…”
Melisa’s low voice, coming from so close, was particularly moist today.
She sounded like a concerned ‘mother’ seeing her child in an unusual state.
‘But, Melisa, do you think I would be deceived by you? I’ve seen everything.’
The way you smile.
It was a fleeting moment so brief that someone who didn’t know her true nature wouldn’t notice. In fact, the expression Melisa was wearing now looked just like a worried parent carefully observing her daughter.
‘Who would suspect that I’m brainwashed when she’s doing this?’
It’s not like we can do a video review like in a sports game.
I’m the only one feeling wronged after seeing that cold smile filled with superiority and the satisfied curve of her lips.
‘It’s not something I should say while practicing in front of a mirror, but is this what real-life acting skills look like?’
After all, she had to wrap her feelings for her sister in sisterly affection while liking her… For her, every day might have been an act.
‘To be honest, it’s not really my concern, though.’
Understanding a criminal’s psychology didn’t hold any significance.
While coldly belittling Melisa inside, Idel diligently carried out what she had to do.
“That is…”
“Hmm? It’s okay, sweetie. You can tell Mommy everything.”
“Mom, you said before that it was just you and me on our side…”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“And that there are only bad people here, and we shouldn’t be nice to those kinds of people…”
Idel hesitantly stammered out the warning Melisa had instilled in her, looking up at her with a face full of anxiety.
With a mixture of anxiety, disappointment, fear, and a hint of expectation in her eyes, Melisa smiled, pulling her lips back like a snake.
“Why…? Did my daughter suddenly want to be nice to someone?”
