She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 72
‘Is Vilred going crazy and planning to move?’
Idel frowned and rolled her eyes as she interpreted the short message sent by Sigmund.
“…What about my curse? Moving?”
Fortunately, she had contacted Sigmund separately to gather information; otherwise, it would have been like getting blindsided.
“Ha, haha…”
Idel let out a small, incredulous laugh and bit her lip tightly.
‘He said with a weary expression that the deal was important, not his identity…’
Could it be that this was the big picture that aimed to catch her off guard?
‘…No. The probability of Vilred doing that is extremely low.’
As she momentarily calmed her rising emotions, Idel sighed softly.
If Vilred had intended to betray her from the start, there would have been no reason for Sigmund to say things like “emergency” or “the master is crazy.”
There wouldn’t have been a need to use a “magical contract” when making agreements related to magic. Moreover, he hadn’t even received her payment yet.
‘This means something must have happened to Vilred.’
Something so urgent that it narrowed his vision and forced him to make an extreme choice.
‘What could it be?’
Just as Idel was staring blankly into space, another note popped up from the crow artifact.
[Tomorrow. 6 PM. Wedding alley]
[Confirm. Reply. Must]
Without hesitation, Idel picked up a pen, as the message demanded a reply. She didn’t even have the luxury of getting a separate piece of paper.
She sent a positive response.
This was, as Sigmund said, an “urgent” situation.
‘The problem is whether I can go out at that late hour tomorrow.’
Waking up in bed, today was the day that would determine the treatment of the servants. The atmosphere in the duke’s household was still buzzing.
‘I’m sure the duchess and the duke will say no.’
If she went out, she would definitely have to be heavily guarded. There were even external threats like Farell Underwood…
‘Wait, Farell?’
As Idel recalled the arrogant man’s face, she blinked twice and let out a small gasp.
‘Yes! There’s a way to go out safely at that late hour without a guard!’
Having thought of a solution, Idel jumped off the chair and rummaged through the drawers in her room.
She quickly began writing a letter on the neat stationery she found inside.
“Diane! Diane, are you outside?”
“Ah, yes, Miss! Did you call for me?”
Idel reached out to Diane, who rushed in as if she had been waiting for the call. In her hand was the letter, still with wet ink.
“Yes. I need you to run an urgent errand right now.”
“Got it! Is this the letter? Ah, are you sending it to Sigmund like last time?”
Diane, having received the letter from Idel, casually asked. She had done a similar errand before.
“No. It’s for Ivan. Ivan Earnest.”
“Oh, that journalist!”
“Yes. I wouldn’t mind sending it to Count Bright, but it feels awkward to go directly to the count’s residence, and she might be at the palace. I think it’s better to go to Shelami to find Ivan.”
Noble mansions and the palace were filled with various annoyances. They had to verify the identity of the letter carrier and check for any procedural risks.
‘And the more procedures there are, the longer it takes for the recipient to receive the letter, and there are more eyes watching!’
Diane quickly grasped the point of Idel’s words and nodded in understanding.
She has worked alongside Idel several times now. By this point, she could handle things neatly and efficiently without needing to be told.
“Just trust me, Miss Idel! I’ll deliver it as quickly and discreetly as possible!”
“Uh? Okay.”
Idel reflexively replied to Diane, then tilted her head slightly.
‘Ever since I collapsed and woke up, something feels different. Has there been a change in her mindset?’
Unaware of how much Diane had grown stronger through the recent events, Idel shifted her thoughts.
‘I need to check the orphanage when I go out this time. I think I need to hear the details from Sigmund, but no matter how I think about it, it seems like Vilred’s actions are related to that token.’
To do that, there were a few things she needed to prepare before tomorrow.
Trusting Diane, who had gone to deliver the letter, and Ivan, who would receive it, Idel moved swiftly.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The next day.
As Idel waited anxiously in her room, she sensed that the news she had been waiting for had arrived the moment she was summoned by the duke.
That instinct became a reality when she saw Count Bright in the duke’s office.
“Ah!”
“Idel, this is Count Vivian Bright. Count Bright, this is Idel Clementine. You met at Florent Café, right?”
“Yes, I met her with my lover… no, now my partner. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Miss Idel.”
“……Yes, I’m also glad to see you again.”
Since that day, they pretended not to have met, and the two exchanged pleasantries skillfully. It seemed Diane and Ivan had been careful about it.
Sitting across the table from Count Bright, Idel turned to look at the duke.
“So, did you call me to introduce us?”
“No. It’s not such a simple reason. I called you because…”
“Ah, Duke. If it’s alright, may I explain it myself?”
“Of course.”
With a slight nod from the duke, Vivian, wearing a firm smile, turned to Idel.
“First of all, I’m relieved to see that your health seems to be fine. I’m also sorry about what happened in the duke’s household.”
“Ah, um, thank you for your concern.”
“I mean it.”
Though it was a rehearsed line, sincerity shone through Vivian’s eyes when she mentioned Idel’s health.
Pretending to calmly assess Idel’s condition, she continued speaking.
“I wish we could have waited until you fully recovered… Unfortunately, Farell Underwood is involved in this matter. Do you remember what happened at Florent Café”
“Vaguely. I don’t recall much.”
“That’s understandable. To you, Farell is just someone you met once. But it seems Farell thinks otherwise. Miss Idel, could you spare some time to accompany me? I need your help.”
Idel raised her eyebrows, feigning reluctance while meeting Vivian’s serious gaze.
“I haven’t seen that man since then. How could I possibly help?”
“Due to the confidentiality of the temple, I can’t share everything, but some criminal evidence he possessed seems to be related to you.”
Pausing for a moment, Vivian leaned forward and spoke earnestly.
“If you step forward, it would greatly help both our Bright family and the temple. Since Farell has become a priest, we can’t punish him in our way, but I promise you, neither I nor the temple will let this matter slide.”
“……”
As Idel opened her mouth to respond, the duke interjected into their conversation.
“I think we’ve heard enough of the explanation. Count Bright, if you don’t mind, could you step out for a moment?”
“Ah, of course. The tea served in the reception room was excellent; I’d be delighted to have another cup.”
“Make sure to mention that. Colin, please take care of the count.”
“Yes, this way, Count Bright.”
Before leaving, Vivian gave Idel a light wink and confidently exited the duke’s office.
As Idel gazed at the silently closing door, the duke spoke softly.
“Idel, even though Count Bright said that, you don’t necessarily have to do it.”
With deep shadows under his eyes, as if he had been through something tiring, the duke gazed intently at Idel.
“There are many ways to make him pay beyond what Count Bright mentioned. So…”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll do as Count Bright said.”
“Why? You didn’t seem to have any interest in Farell.”
The duke’s eyes clearly showed his reluctance for Idel to get involved.
It seemed he disliked the very idea of her being entangled in this matter.
‘The duke is just like Gianna; he’s probably doing this because he’s concerned about me…’
But the answer was already clear.
“I want to. I’ve become curious about that man, Farell.”
This was a plan she had devised herself.
