She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 86

At the moment when the savior Diane appeared, the two were safely moving.

Vilred was pacing inside the shop with a very anxious expression.

This was because he had unexpectedly heard something while tidying up the shop to move to another place.

“Street leader? Seriously, when does Sigmund have time for that? It seems he’s been busy hanging out with that cheeky girl lately.”

“What?”

“You know, that girl who looks like a noble lady. He got invited and went today, you know?”

Recalling that conversation, Vilred nervously raked his hair.

“Invited? Does he even know how dangerous that place is…!”

He had already thought something was off.

Even though Sigmund was known as ‘Crazy Dog’ for rummaging through the raven’s den, he had never formed a group.

Not only did he not have a group, but he also used to dismiss friends as a nuisance, so how could he suddenly be a street leader?

“I should have thought faster about hiding myself. I was too complacent.”

He shouldn’t have underestimated the two kids’ ability to take action. After all, they once recklessly dashed out at the count’s wedding.

How long had he been pacing inside the shop, filled with unpacked belongings?

His steps halted at the sound of a familiar voice from outside.

“Oh, it’s really nothing serious.”

“Nothing serious? I saw it with my own eyes! Are you not going to say anything?”

“…Aren’t you going?”

The unusual conversation between the two pierced Vilred’s ears as the door creaked open.

Vilred did not hesitate. He took a rough step forward with a wide stride and spoke in a cold voice.

“I’m curious about what you’re talking about too.”

The two who had just entered the shop froze at the voice they shouldn’t have heard.

The two, who were looking at each other with startled eyes, slowly turned their heads. In their line of sight was Vilred.

In the dark shop, where the lights were barely on, Vilred was looking at them with a blank expression.

“Miss…”

Sigmund, clutching his heart, spat out harsh words while magically lighting a candle, wrinkling his brow in frustration.

“What are you doing, not even lighting a candle? You’re not a ghost.”

“That’s what I should be asking you, Sigmund. What have you been up to?”

Sigmund fell silent at the serious expression of his usually laid-back mentor. He realized from the short words and expression that he had been caught.

With a long sigh, Sigmund lightly brushed the back of his head with one hand and nodded.

“It’s nothing. I just thought your actions were suspicious, so I dug a little.”

“How is that nothing!”

Vilred, unable to contain his anger at Sigmund’s response, grabbed his shoulder firmly. The trembling hand clearly revealed his anxiety.

“Are you crazy? Can’t you see I’m busy moving to a new place? Do you have any idea how dangerous those lunatics are, following behind me…?”

“Then you shouldn’t have tried to hide it.”

“…What?”

Vilred raised an eyebrow at Sigmund’s low, growling voice.

But before he could speak, Sigmund spat out sharply.

“Do you know what Nox is? What kind of madmen are in there, engraving brainwashing curses on little kids? You should have told me why you’re running around like a scared dog.”

“…You….”

“You know, I hate being dragged around without knowing what’s going on more than anything in the world. Especially if it concerns me and you.”

Vilred was taken aback by Sigmund’s words and couldn’t utter a single reply.

All he could do was repeatedly open and close his partially parted lips and tightly shut his eyes.

As if they didn’t want to face what was happening right in front of them.

Irregular breaths filled the shop, a struggle to suppress the emotions surging from deep within.

Idel quietly observed this scene before slowly opening her mouth.

“I’m sorry for moving so recklessly. But I really didn’t have time.”

“…You didn’t have time? For whom? For you?”

“No. For you, Vilred, and Sigmund.”

The sharpness of Vilred’s demeanor was dulled by Idel’s resolute expression. Her voice and gaze were serious, not something that could be dismissed as an excuse.

“How much do you really know…?”

“The symbol we saw back then is the emblem of an organization called Nox. There are major players like the Count Lopez family and the Fleet Guild involved in supporting Nox. What else…?”

“That there’s not a sane person in Nox? The ones we saw were a mad witch casting brainwashing curses, a knight who seemed half-crazy, and a merchant whose mind was elsewhere—all three were off their rockers.”

“Oh, right. There was a merchant. He was talking about treasure while trying to kidnap you…”

“What?”

Every time the two kids spoke in turn, Vilred narrowed his eyes in disbelief and shouted.

“Kidnap? Are you seriously saying that?”

“He failed. But I had a run-in with her mother instead.”

“A run-in?”

At Vilred’s sharp voice, Sigmund briefly looked away.

Of course, he had no intention of hiding it. Given the clues presented, he knew his mentor wouldn’t back down.

‘Who do you think I take after to be like this?’

His mentor.

Thinking this curtly, Sigmund clicked his tongue lightly. The intensity of the two pairs of eyes on him was too much to handle.

“Alright, just say it.”

Brushing off Vilred’s hand on his shoulder with an annoyed expression, he pointed to his forehead.

‘Forehead…?’

As Vilred followed Sigmund’s hand to examine his forehead, his face contorted in shock. He had sensed the familiar yet strange traces of magic on his disciple’s forehead.

“You, you can’t be…”

“It’s the same curse as that guy.”

“Sigmund!”

“Hey!”

At the shouts coming from both sides, Sigmund briefly covered his ears. He groaned while looking back and forth between the two who bore strikingly similar expressions, then irritably gestured for them to be quiet.

“Come on, seriously!”

“Seriously? You said it was nothing, that you were fine! Did you throw away the ring necklace I gave you?”

“Oh, that.”

Recalling the ring necklace imbued with strong divine power, Sigmund nodded lightly.

At that time, he had been too preoccupied with controlling the curse to notice, but looking back, he realized that ring had been a great help.

‘After all, it effectively suppressed the evil energy at the core of the curse.’

To be honest, it was not an exaggeration to say it nearly neutralized it.

‘If it hadn’t been for that, no matter how delicately I layered my magic, it would have been useless.’

If the two had known, they would have been angry about thinking of it now, but what did it matter?

‘In the end, I won.’

Sigmund concluded his thoughts with a pleasant resolution and flashed a smile at Idel.

“That worked really well. Thanks to you, I got some help.”

“So what?”

With a look that seemed ready to get truly annoyed if he said one more word, Sigmund quickly continued.

“When that witch cast the brainwashing curse on me, I ended up taking control of the curse instead. It was really tough, but I pulled it off.”

“…What?”

“If I had failed, it would have been my fate, so it was a big deal, but since I succeeded, it’s nothing now.”

With one corner of his mouth raised, Sigmund smiled smugly. It was the kind of expression you’d make when pulling a good prank on someone.

“So you’re saying that all that spinning around and raising your hands was just an act?”

“Exactly. I was so annoyed just doing what I was told; I thought I was going to die.”

“…Why?”

Why did he do something so dangerous?

As the question slipped out before she realized it, Idel quickly shut her mouth. This wasn’t a good question. Because she already knew the answer herself.

‘It must be because it was worth the risk.’

If he could resist, the brainwashing curse would be a good way to get a read on the opponent’s cards first.

‘The fact that I asked this question knowing that…’

Just as Idel was reflecting on her sudden emotions, Sigmund met her gaze directly and spoke.

“Let me ask you instead. Why go this far?”