She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 79

Idel, having grasped the unexpected hand and emerged from the ‘rabbit hole,’ took a deep breath.

“Haah…”

Although she hadn’t been inside for long, the outside air felt particularly refreshing.

Perhaps because she was sitting on the ground, merely breathing, Vivian, who had placed a hand on her shoulder, checked her condition somewhat anxiously.

“Miss, are you feeling unwell? Dizziness, or nausea…?”

“Pardon? No, I’m fine.”

“Really? Is it hard to breathe…?”

As Idel shook her head to indicate that she was truly fine, she caught sight of Sigmund’s expression, which was slightly askew.

“I told you, didn’t I? You look pale.”

“…….”

Although she had a lot to say, instead of speaking, Idel handed Vivian the book she had brought.

“What’s this?”

“I thought about it inside, and I think it’s best to leave this with the Count. Sigmund, you brought yours too, right? Hand it all over.”

“Did you see it already?”

As if to say there was no way she wouldn’t, Sigmund pulled out the papers he had tucked away.

Idel understood his intentions without needing to say anything.

‘It’s likely that if either of us holds onto it, the chances of being discovered or having it taken are high right now.’

Moreover, in a way, Count Bright owed them a kind of debt.

Humans are creatures that clearly distinguish between when they are desperate and when they are not. She wasn’t sure if she feels the same way now that all problems have been resolved, but still.

Vivian blinked seriously as she received the documents from both Sigmund and Idel.

“Is this what you were looking for, Miss?”

“Yes. It seems to be somewhat related to the Count as well. It’s information related to the organization the black magician belongs to.”

“…Are you sure you want to entrust this to me? It seems you wanted to keep even your visit here a secret.”

Upon hearing Vivian’s words, Idel nodded. That was right. Originally, she hadn’t intended to tell Vivian about coming to the abandoned orphanage or the matters involving Melisa.

As there would be many variables to consider and be mindful of. However, having more variables also meant that there were more methods she could utilize.

‘Thanks to successfully deceiving Melisa at the banquet, I can move a bit more freely now…’

Above all, she could no longer manage alone.

‘When events related to the original plot suddenly occur, there’s nothing I can do by myself.’

This applied to both Vilred’s movements and the attack by the black magician, who had referred to himself as a merchant.

While she couldn’t involve key figures like the Duke or Duchess, who were closely tied to Melisa, she at least needed people who could share her burdens and act together.

In that case, she had to abandon the idea of being “just enough connected to leave a decent impression.” One must give up something to gain something.

“The Count is the right person for this. They wouldn’t think she would have something like this. Even if they notice, they won’t easily take action against the Bright family.”

“That means…”

“There’s a lot to do, the opponents are too strong, and there’s no time.”

“…….”

“So, I’m planning to ask an adult for help. After all, I’m just a child, right?”

She looked up at Vivian with a shameless expression. Perhaps due to Sigmund’s light magic, Vivian thought that, at this moment, the child’s eyes were sparkling.

Count Bright, who had listened to Idel without responding, finally burst into laughter, her lips twitching.

“Aha-hah!”

Startled by her sudden laughter, Idel blinked, but Vivian couldn’t easily stop laughing.

Eventually, when Idel exchanged glances with Sigmund, Vivian finally calmed down. Wiping the tears from her eyes with her fingers, she spoke up.

“Oh, I think something similar happened in the carriage. I’m sorry about that.”

“…….”

“I mentioned it back then, but I’m not laughing at your words. I swear by the title of Count Bright.”

…There’s really no need to go that far.

As Idel pursed her lips with a somewhat displeased expression, Vivian faced her with a lighter demeanor.

“Should I be pleased with my partner’s insight, or should I admire you for surpassing that? Well, I can do both.”

“…Pardon?”

“If Ivan hears about today, he’ll definitely be surprised. This is a huge difference from what you requested in the letter. Ivan was marveling at your cleverness to the point of salivating… but seeing this, you’re also wise. I almost envy the Duke for having such a daughter.”

Idel’s ears turned slightly red at Vivian’s blatant praise.

‘Is this how knights are?’

Both Dante and Vivian seem overly direct.

Deliberately frowning more, Idel stood up and brushed off the dirt from her head and clothes.

“Hmph. Let’s go! Staying longer in this abandoned house will only attract ghosts. I need to get home too.”

“Right, right. Plus, both of you need to wash up. If I send them back like this, your guardians will have a fit.”

Vivian smiled softly at the two, covered in dirt, dust, and all sorts of leaves.

“Oh, I don’t really need to. My guardians won’t be surprise about… Ah.”

“They’ll probably be quite surprised because of the recent events.”

“Hmm….”

“Just wash up and eat. You’re not worried about getting scolded by Vilred, are you?”

“Me, worried? Ha.”

Sigmund snorted as if to say not to make such ridiculous remarks. At that, Idel lightly shook her head and followed Vivian.

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

As expected, the Bright family was in an uproar upon welcoming the three.

The worries had grown as they hadn’t returned long past the scheduled time, and now they appeared to be in a state as if they had been rolling in the dirt!

“Idel! What is this…?”

“…Oh, it’s nothing much.”

“Nothing much? Can’t you see the small scratches on your fingers and the back of your hand? And what happened to your clothes…?”

“…….”

“I expected you and the Count to come directly to the Bright family mansion, but where on earth have you been until now?”

“I’d like to ask you the same thing, Miss Idel. I’ve been concerned ever since receiving your letter.”

“Ugh….”

At Ivan’s supporting voice, Idel subtly rolled her eyes. She had no idea where to start explaining, and she was sure she would hear a lecture.

‘Just like Vivian Bright when she first heard what Sigmund and I said.’

Vivian came to Idel’s rescue. After handing the butler the books, documents, and weapons she had brought, she placed her hands on the shoulders of the two children and spoke.

“First, let’s stop there.”

“Vivian.”

“Since they’ve been treasure hunting, both of them must be very tired right now. Let’s have them wash up and eat first.”

“That seems… reasonable.”

“Prepare some medicine, and you should take good care of the young miss.”

“…Thank you for your kindness, Count!”

With a gentle push on Idel’s back, Vivian watched the two walk away with a distant gaze.

Seeing the Count’s expression, which seemed somewhat pleased, Ivan tilted his head slightly.

“Treasure hunting can’t be real… Vivian, what happened?”

“Hmm? No, we really did something like that. The place was just a bit… unusual. Oh, and the young miss is much wiser than you said.”

“Excuse me?”

“It means the young miss asked for help.”

“…Excuse me?”

Seeing Ivan furrow his brow in confusion, Vivian let out a small laugh.

She always enjoyed these moments when her usually calm and thoughtful partner became a bit flustered.

Caught between wanting to tease him a bit more and her mature instincts, she stretched briefly and then spoke up.

“Oh, I should wash up too.”

“Vivian!”

“Since I’ve handled the urgent matters, don’t worry too much, Ivan. While the young miss is washing up, it wouldn’t hurt to check the documents I left with the butler.”

As she took off her gloves, Vivian smiled somewhat coolly.

“Separately from how commendable and welcome the young miss’s change of heart is, those documents seem extremely suspicious. They appear to be related to the black magicians who turned Farell into that.”

Now that she thought about it, where did the young miss get such information and how did she manage to find her way there?

For a moment, blinking her eyes and pondering the question, she shook off the thought lightly.

That’s something she could just ask directly.