She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 91

The entire empire was shocked by the sudden news of the Crown Prince’s death. The fact that the Emperor and Empress had no other children added to the concern.

However, despite the empire’s despondency, the Crown Prince’s funeral was carried out swiftly.

Since it was an event that no noble of the empire could miss, Gianna and Idel also attended the funeral.

Idel squinted as he looked outside the carriage window. A procession of people was lined up outside the temple prepared by the shrine.

‘Are those people… all nobles?’

If the procession extended outside, then the inside of the building must be bustling with people.

‘Naturally, they would attract attention.’

Even in a solemn funeral setting, whispers were inevitable.

Wasn’t it about ‘that second one’ amidst the rampant rumors?

‘And they haven’t even shown their face in high society yet.’

Nobles in the empire typically debuted in high society at the age of 10. While it was somewhat early, this felt more like a first greeting or a rehearsal.

Engaging in social activities and seeking suitors would take place after reaching adulthood. The adult ceremony held annually alongside the founding festival is considered the true debutante ball.

‘Well, receiving attention three years early isn’t so bad.’

Moreover, not much would come from whispering at a funeral.

As Idel thought this and turned his gaze away from the window, the carriage came to a stop.

“Duke, we have arrived.”

“Alright, let’s get down. Gianna, Idel. There are many people inside the temple. Make sure you both stay close to us or Sylvia. Do you understand?”

“Yeah! Got it!”

“Yes.”

Hearing the concise responses from the two, the Duke nodded and got down from the carriage, escorting the Duchess.

Following her, Sylvia stepped down and extended her hands to the two, urging them.

“Be careful, as you might not see your feet clearly because of the veil.”

“Yeah, I’m fine!”

“Idel too.”

“Okay.”

After confirming that Gianna and Idel had safely set foot on the ground, Sylvia took their hands. This was the last thing she would do before leaving the Duke’s family for a moment.

The people who had been discussing various matters regarding the Crown Prince’s death momentarily paused their conversations. The Duke of Clementine, along with two young ladies following him, caught their attention.

“The red-haired one—is that the second one from the rumors? The child of the former Countess Lopez…?”

“Yes, that’s right. The second one has quite a notorious personality. It’s difficult to see her face with the veil on.”

“Since she has been officially registered in the Clementine family, it’s only right for her to appear, but it feels a bit awkward… After all, her birth mother’s family has some complicated history… you know?”

A few nobles, frowning with disdain, spoke in hushed tones.

“Oh, by the way, do you know where the former Countess is? I can’t see her inside the shrine.”

“I heard the current Count Lopez has the power? He doesn’t get along well with the former Countess, so I think he doesn’t treat her well… She’s probably outside the shrine with her relatives.”

“Oh my, that must be somewhat embarrassing.”

“That would usually be the case, but… if the former countess were someone who knew shame, would she have done such a thing to her sister’s husband?”

As they shared a secretive laugh, the nobles glanced at Idel again, as if trying to find traces of the ‘villainess’ they were disparaging in her veiled face.

Pretending not to notice the sidelong glances, Idel chuckled softly within her veil.

‘Yes, go ahead and tear me apart right now.’

They would eventually realize that it wouldn’t matter later.

‘For instance, the fact that Melisa is a man.’

With a joyful heart, Idel recalled the uproar that would ensue when the truth was revealed and took her seat in the designated area.

‘Surely, there will be more of an uproar than when Ivan and Count Bright announced their marriage in the newsletter. And if the incident with Nox comes to light…’

Come to think of it, the Bright couple must be here too, right?

With this sudden thought, Idel scanned the crowd for people wearing similar outfits. It wasn’t long before she spotted the couple near the seats assigned to the Duke of Clementine.

Although the aisle between them prevented her from greeting them, the two seemed quite pleased to have spotted Idel.

As Idel lifted her hand slightly in place of a greeting, a majestic bell rang out. The ceremony was about to begin.

—Deng! Deng! Deng!

Accompanied by the choir of the Imperial Choir, the saint who would preside over today’s funeral made his appearance.

The sudden appearance of the saint caused a stir among the attending nobles. It was a rare occurrence for her to show herself at the shrine.

“…It is true that one cannot dare to speak in the presence of the saint.”

“I felt the same way when I first met him. Of course, that was already ten years ago…”

Even as the commotion rose among the crowd, the saint’s expression remained calm. It wasn’t simply because she was accustomed to such environments…

‘It feels like she’s seeing something beyond this world.’

As she walked down the aisle at a pace that was neither slow nor fast, she passed by Idel.

‘…Huh?’

Idel had the strange feeling that she had briefly glanced at her as she walked by. Even if it was an illusion, it felt real enough to believe.

As she widened her eyes in surprise at this peculiar sensation, the saint had already passed her and was walking toward the platform.

‘Did I imagine it?’

Idel blinked slowly, tilting her head slightly.

‘No, our eyes definitely met.’

Perhaps she felt the energy of the curse Melisa embedded in her body. Didn’t the priests intervene when dealing with the ‘Simic’ within Farell’s body?

Surely, the saint, who was said to be chosen by the divine, would not be unable to sense the energy of a curse.

‘…This is just a thought, but if I could meet the saint in private, I might not have to struggle like this. Surely, with the saint’s power, she could lift the curse that Melisa cast, right?’

Of course, all of this was just her imagination, and it was uncertain if it was truly possible.

Being chosen by the divine doesn’t necessarily symbolize great power.

‘To think he only shows herself on rare occasions, this is my only chance to meet her…’

If she were to rush out right now and grab the hem of her robe, she would likely be arrested for blasphemy before even having the chance to lift the curse.

Today was not just any day; it was the ‘funeral’ of the Crown Prince. She could even be charged with royal defamation.

As Idel considered this, she hesitated for a moment.

‘Wait, does that mean today’s funeral is significant enough for the saint to appear?’

She squinted as she looked at the priests walking behind the saint.

It was the death of no one other than the Crown Prince. It was understandable for the shrine, which maintained friendly relations with the empire, to pay attention. But still…

‘Is it really necessary to be this attentive for a crown prince’s funeral, not even the emperor’s? ’

After pondering for a moment, Idel tugged at Sylvia’s sleeve and spoke.

“Sylvia, is it customary for the saint to preside over royal funerals?”

“Ah…!”

Sylvia gasped lightly at Idel’s question, then slowly shook her head and whispered.

“That’s not the case. During the late Emperor’s funeral, it was the Pope who presided over it. I don’t know the reason, but this seems to be a special case.”

“Special…?”

“Perhaps it’s because the Crown Prince was so young. It is said that the divine shows compassion for children.”

Hearing Sylvia’s addition, Idel slightly furrowed her brows. In the meantime, a solemn bell rang out again.

This time, everyone quietly rose from their seats and looked toward the entrance of the shrine.

As if to respectfully welcome the deceased, the doors opened wide, revealing the protagonist of this journey.

Because the Crown Prince was so young, the elaborately decorated coffin appeared somewhat small. Aside from the choir’s singing, the space was filled with silence, and Idel’s gaze shifted to the two individuals following the coffin.

They were the Emperor and Empress.

The first thought that came to Idel’s mind upon seeing them was how much they resembled Sigmund.

‘Of course, they would look alike since they are his biological parents…’

The black hair was a perfect match for the Empress, while the red eyes, reminiscent of pomegranates, seemed to belong to the Emperor. Even the sharp, wide-open gaze was similar, allowing Idel to easily imagine what Sigmund would look like as an adult.

And just as she thought about how strikingly similar that ‘wide-open gaze’ was, fragments of memories suddenly flashed in her mind.