She is the Daughter of the Villainess in a Ridiculous Novel - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Am the Villainess’s Daughter in a Melodramatic Novel
Chapter 24
“Uh… ah, yes?”
Ivan understood the bewilderment in the two children’s eyes. The words “Lord Farrel is pregnant” were enough to shatter every shred of biological common sense.
“Forgive me. I got ahead of myself and gave you the conclusion first.”
Ivan’s green eyes flickered with sheepishness as he began to explain in more detail.
“Well, this was not long after the commotion at Cafe Florang.”
* * *
The Bright Count Family had one long-standing tradition.
‘Every week begins with the whole family sharing a meal.’
No one bearing the Bright name was exempt, and so on that day the dining room of the Count’s Residence was filled with silver-haired faces.
The only thing out of the ordinary was that, among the familiar faces, one stranger had been invited to attend.
“Vivian, so where is the child?”
“I thought it was about time to introduce them, so I invited them. This is the person I’ve been seeing. Ivan?”
“Ah, thank you for having me. My name is Ivan Ernest. I’m a modest reporter with Shellami.”
“Hmm?”
Vivian gently patted the back of her lover’s hand, which had gone stiff and rigid with nerves.
In truth, she had wanted to take her time and introduce him gradually. After all, Ivan had asked her to trust him and wait just a little longer.
‘If only that incident at the cafe hadn’t happened…’
Seeing Farrel’s obvious fury, the two of them had changed their plans and decided to solidify their relationship instead. They simply no longer wanted to be tangled up in Farrel’s selfishness.
At the memory of that day, Vivian’s eyes darkened with displeasure.
‘Throwing water on someone—he’s out of his mind.’
It might have been only plain water this time, but who knew what it would become next time? Just as she was quietly swallowing her anger, her fists clenched at her sides.
“Ivan Ernest of the Ernest Family…”
Kalia Bright, Vivian’s grandmother, the woman credited with reviving the family’s fortunes, dabbed her mouth with a cloth and spoke.
“You’re modest. Even an old woman like me has heard your name, which must mean you’re quite capable.”
“Grandmother.”
“I’ve been retired for quite some time, but I still understand how the world moves. Welcoming a member of the press into the family would be a wise choice for the Bright House.”
Having opened on a favorable note, she linked her fingers together and studied the two of them intently for a moment. Her sharp, gleaming eyes were strong enough to erase even the years etched into her wrinkles.
“But Vivian, there is one matter we must settle before that.”
“A matter to settle…?”
“That Farrel Underwood, the boy.”
Farrel?
At her grandmother’s words, Vivian’s expression hardened.
Why on earth was Farrel’s name coming up now? Unable to read her grandmother’s intentions, Vivian asked urgently.
“Is this about the old pact between the Bright and Underwood families?”
“Why would I bring up such an outdated promise now?”
“Then if it isn’t that…”
She lightly raised a hand to stop Vivian’s words, then leaned forward with a grave expression.
“Is it true that Farrel is pregnant?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m asking whether it’s true that a child has been conceived between you and Farrel.”
What Kalia had said brought a silent shock over the entire dining room.
In a room where not even the clink of a fork could be heard, Vivian, who had been frozen for a moment, shot up roughly from her seat.
“What kind of nonsense is this! A child between me and Farrel?!”
“So it isn’t true?”
“Yes! It is absolutely not true. Ha, Farrel is pulling this pathetic trick again… If you need proof, you may call a physician to examine my body.”
Vivian’s composure was so unflinching, so free of any hesitation, that Kalia pressed a finger to her temple for a moment. Judging by her manner, it seemed her granddaughter hadn’t known anything about this either.
“That’s not it, Vivian. What I meant was…”
Feeling that they could not go on like this, Kalia was about to add a bit more explanation when—
A brief commotion rose somewhere beyond the dining room, and then the door swung open with a voice that rang through the room, bold and unashamed.
“What do you mean, if anyone has to be examined, it should be me, not you, Vivian!”
“Farrel? What on earth are you babbling about now…!”
“What do you mean, nonsense? It’s obvious, because I’m the one who’s pregnant, not you! Don’t you remember?”
“Rubbish! Are you toying with me right now?”
Of course she couldn’t remember. No, from the very start, this whole thing made no sense at all.
Seeing the family, still reeling from the shock, Kalia let out a deep sigh and raised her voice.
“Enough! Stop making such a racket.”
With that single curt remark, she drew everyone’s attention and continued.
“If it were pure nonsense, I would have cut it off on my end. But the reason I bothered to bring it up at all is that Farrel claimed he conceived the child through ‘Black Magic.'”
“But, Grandmother. Black Magic isn’t all-powerful. Surely Farrel is lying, isn’t he…?”
Kalia shook her head lightly.
“It was suppressed, but while I was still active in service, the Imperial Household secretly ran an experiment. At its core was male pregnancy.”
“That’s… what?”
“The late Emperor’s first childbirth was a brutal difficult labor, so the matter was of great importance. Since the Chancellor himself threw his full weight behind it, the research advanced quite far.”
“Are you saying it produced results?”
“Yes. But it was too dangerous, and the side effects were horrific, so it was halted. A few who protested the halt were ultimately banished from the Empire.”
“…”
“I thought time had buried all of it, but that child has dragged this story back out into the light.”
Kalia’s gaze settled on Farrel.
“It was too detailed to dismiss as mere nonsense.”
Taking the full weight of their stares, he raised one brow and fired back sharply.
“A desperate man will do anything. Since childhood, I’ve lived believing the seat beside Vivian belongs to me. And now you expect me to hand it over to some vulgar nobody? Ha!”
He laughed as if the very idea were absurd, then glared at Ivan with a venomous expression and ground his teeth.
“That isn’t going to happen.”
While Ivan faced Farrel with a grave expression, Vivian gave orders to the servants, her face twisted with anger.
“Go summon a physician at once. I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.”
“Of course you won’t.”
“Don’t mistake me, Farrel. Even if it were true, nothing would change. This is an atrocity you committed alone.”
“Oh?”
Still raising one brow as he looked at Vivian, he pulled one corner of his lips into a smirk and gave a slight nod.
“You’d better choose me, or you’ll be in a real bind.”
“What?”
He slipped a hand into the inner pocket of his jacket and drew out several photographs, setting them down on the table. Wary of Farrel, Vivian lowered her gaze to the photos, and the color drained from her face.
One showed her sprawled across a bed in disarray, and another her walking into a shop in Crow’s Den.
“Was it the day of your investiture ceremony? You probably don’t remember well, but I played your fiancé that day. The knights saw it with their own eyes.”
She crushed the photographs in her grip and shook her head as she turned to Ivan.
“Ivan, this isn’t what Farrel said. This is…”
“Vivian. Please calm down.”
“I can explain everything. I never slept with Farrel, and the shop in Crow’s Den, I went there for something else. How could I possibly leave you behind and—!”
“Hmph, how touching. But what now? I don’t think there’s any ‘evidence’ to prove your innocence.”
Mocking the two lovers, he ground his teeth, his eyes burning a fierce blue.
“If you think this is all I have, Vivian, you’re gravely mistaken. I’ve been preparing for this moment for a very long time, ever since you took an interest in that commoner. The Count Family will never escape this mess.”
“Farrel, you…”
“Then why do you force me into this choice?”
“You used forbidden magic, and yet you stand here so brazenly? The rumors that you’re obsessed with me are everywhere. Wouldn’t exposing this only hurt you?”
“Ha! I’m the fiancé you were bound to by a family agreement. Do you honestly think you’d believe it if I said I became pregnant through forbidden magic, hidden deep within the Empire, just so I could become the ‘Countess of the Count Family’? No. Rather, it would be…”
He paused for a moment, scanning the family members before continuing slowly.
“Rather, it makes far more sense that the fiancé became pregnant under the direction of the Count Family, who took part in the Imperial experiment and knew the method. And that’s especially true now, when you’ve only just settled into your post as a knight.”
“Such a flimsy story—!”
“Flimsy or not, you know it yourself, don’t you? What’s true doesn’t matter. At least not to the other houses that are after the Bright Count Family. This will hurt me too, but well, with you by my side, I’d even take hell.”
Hearing Farrel’s claims, Ivan clenched his fist lightly.
As a reporter, he knew better than anyone that Farrel’s words were not wrong. Erasing the truth and turning a rumor into fact was not a difficult task.
‘No matter which way this goes, once Farrel exposes the truth, the Count Family is bound to suffer.’
Seeing Ivan’s expression, Farrel smiled slyly and calmly tapped his waist.
“The physician seems to be waiting, so I’ll take my leave to get my examination. Enjoy the rest of your time, everyone.”
Unlike when he had left Cafe Florang earlier, Farrel looked confident. Kalia watched his self-assured back retreat, let out a deep sigh, and spoke.
“Let’s wrap things up here for today. Vivian and Derek, stay behind.”
“Yes, Grandmother.”
“…Yes.”
Catastrophe.
It was nothing short of catastrophe.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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