She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 93

A story?

After hearing the Duke of Knightley’s words, Idel exchanged glances with Ivan for a moment.

As the two silently communicated with their eyes, the duke rubbed his chin and continued speaking.

“Is it not appealing? I thought it would be nice to select stories that could attract people’s attention and offer advice on them.”

“Ah…”

“I’ve been thinking that Shelami needs a fresh breeze these days. Just when I was pondering hard, I found inspiration from the two of you. Interesting stories that naturally draw the eye, along with responses to the dilemmas from two panels of different age groups!”

He wore a refreshing smile that contrasted sharply with his face, which resembled Dante’s.

“And if it’s truly necessary, we can focus on it intensively.”

“That’s a good point, but even if we adapt the stories and post them anonymously, as editors, we are likely to know who they are. Will people really send in their stories?”

Idel suddenly spoke up beside the visibly troubled Ivan.

“Isn’t that up to the storytellers? Surprisingly, they might not care. They could send letters anonymously from the start.”

Having been familiar with shows that collected stories as material in her previous life, she believed there were people in this world who would want to share their stories through such a channel.

With her arms crossed, Idel calmly continued.

“If it really bothers them, why not use the owner’s name?”

“Hmm?”

“If the owner promises to keep it a secret, people would feel reassured. That’s like putting the family name on the line, isn’t it?”

“Haha! That’s right, that friend would gladly agree to that!”

The Duke of Knightley burst into a hearty laugh and casually patted Ivan on the shoulder. It looked just like a boss encouraging an employee.

‘Well, he is technically the boss.’

As she quietly observed his nonchalant demeanor, he opened his mouth again.

“Then I should positively suggest this to my friend. I have a feeling this will become a beloved feature in Shelami.”

“Wait a minute!”

“Hmm?”

“Since you specifically mentioned two panels of different age groups, it seems you intend to assign me some work…”

Idel trailed off her words, lifting the veil that covered her face slightly to look at Dominic Knightley. With a clear gaze and vivid expression, she subtly raised an eyebrow.

“What do you plan to pay for the manuscript fee?”

At Idel’s question, a smile appeared once again on the Duke of Knightley’s lips.

“Recently, Dante has been talking a lot about the two young ladies of the Clementine family, so I was looking forward to meeting them.”

“…What?”

“I mean, it seems that the new external contributors being invited to Shelami are quite sharp.”

He winked lightly with a very satisfied expression.

“You don’t have to worry about the manuscript fee. We can discuss the details later. Since I have a position, I need to attend a banquet.”

The duke pointed to someone who had come looking for him urgently and, with a light nod, left the room.

As he suddenly appeared and then vanished, Ivan let out a small sigh.

“I wonder how much he heard of our conversation.”

“…Well, it should be fine.”

After all, he is the father of the male protagonist from the original story. Idel composed her expression calmly and turned to Ivan.

“I think you might have realized it halfway through… This is a good opportunity.”

“Yes, I think so too. Even if it’s anonymous, we can gather more information than if we were to investigate personally. This will have a similar effect to having ears in the Empire.”

“On a smaller scale, it might even help me build up some emergency funds.”

At Idel’s light joke, Ivan smiled faintly. As she watched him, Idel slowly looked around, surveying their surroundings.

“Indeed, I can’t say anything more here.”

There were still gazes observing her. Some people were curious about what she was talking about.

Just then, Idel spotted Kylon among the crowd and decided to wrap up the conversation.

“Shall we start heading back?”

“Yes, that would be best. Vivian has been glancing at me for a while now. It seems like the conversation is starting to dwindle.”

“Hmm…”

The charming smile of Count Bright and the excited expression of Gianna. Idel glanced back and forth between the two.

‘That doesn’t seem right.’

Their expressions were similar to when she had talked to the count in the carriage. They were probably excitedly discussing their first meeting with Ivan by now.

‘Or maybe bragging about Ivan…’

Shaking her head secretly, Idel moved closer to the two.

The moment she stood next to Gianna, the crow artifact she had tucked in her dress pocket spat out a small note.

Idel naturally pulled out the small paper that she felt at her fingertips and quickly scanned its contents.

[Captured. Trapped? Imperial Palace]

Then, pretending nothing happened, she slipped her hand back into her pocket and quietly stared beyond her veil.

‘…Sigmund has entered the imperial palace.‘

Her heart, which had been calm since seeing the coffin at the funeral, began to race a little faster.

‘I can handle this one step at a time.’

First, save the Duke of Clementine, capture Melisa, and then bring Nox to the surface.

‘After that, others will take care of it for me.’

As she crumpled the note in her hand, Gianna poked her with a finger.

“Idel, is there a problem?”

“Uh?”

“Um, no. Kylon and Sylvia are asking us to go, but I think you didn’t hear them.”

“Oh, okay.”

“If something happens, you have to tell me, okay?”

“…Got it.”

Hearing Gianna’s words, Idel nodded with a deflated smile. It was quite amusing to see her whispering while pressing close to her, as if someone might overhear.

Feeling her heart quiet down much more than when she first received Sigmund’s note, Idel let out a light sigh.

‘I’ve already succeeded once at the banquet, right? This time will be no different.’

So, what she could do now was to lift the brainwashing curse with Vilred, spy on Melisa’s plans, and track down information about Nox.

[The duke died in Idel’s hands on her birthday. I found that scene really impressive…! Melisa’s command to Idel was really…….]

Preparing for that day, the exact timing of which she did not know.

* * *

Three years later.

The new special feature “Talk to the Veil,” which started in Shelami, had garnered immense interest from the empire, becoming the most beloved segment.

This was somewhat expected.

[To the Veil. Hello? The person I am about to marry has sent me a divorce notice due to amnesia. However, I… am already pregnant with his child. Can you help with something like this?]

From the very first story introduced, the content sparked curiosity among the people.

If the content of the stories had only been provocative, their popularity would not have lasted long. The key figures that made “Talk to the Veil” beloved for a long time were none other than the two problem solvers, “Mr. Veil” and “Little Veil.”

[It would be best to get diagnosed by both a doctor and a priest. It may sound somewhat cruel, but we need to confirm whether the amnesia is real. After that, it would be wise to investigate in detail the reasons behind his request for divorce. Although it’s not a legal right, since it involves families, overly personal reasons may not suffice as grounds for divorce……]

Like Mr. Veil, who kindly and thoroughly presents solutions as if he is a long-time acquaintance of the story’s author…

[Sister. It will be a tough road, but do you want to see the regretful man who clings to you and the child late, or would you prefer to resolve the situation smoothly? If it’s the former, receive the divorce notice and live in hiding for a few years; if it’s the latter, stay alert. Someone is definitely trying to shake your fiancé during this gap.]

Though it was a brief remark, Little Veil spoke with an almost miraculous clarity, showing a good synergy from the start.

However, the reason both Veils could capture the hearts of the readers so quickly was…

[Hello, I am Amelia Turner, the one who sent in the amnesia fiancé story. The reason I revealed my real name is that I hope my gratitude reaches Little Veil! You were right! The one shaking him was none other than…….]

Not long after, the protagonist of the story sent in her feedback, even revealing her real name.

And she was completely excited, saying that Little Veil’s words were correct.