“Wh-where does this little brat get the audacity…!”
Idel secretly clicked her tongue as she watched the man trembling as if he had never faced such humiliation before. It was incomprehensible to her.
‘It’s not like I said anything particularly profound; I just stated the obvious. Why is he so angry?’
Then again, what could one expect from someone who splashes water on others and seriously argues with a seven-year-old?
‘If we were to think logically, it would be best to wrap this up here, but…’
The “second child of Clementine” was someone who would only become more childish, not someone to back down first.
Seeing the situation dragging on, the owner approached Farell and cautiously spoke up.
“Um, sir. How about we end the conversation here? At this rate, it will disturb the other guests.”
“Owner, why are you saying that to me? I’ve already told the café staff from the beginning that I would compensate if necessary. I tried to resolve this as smoothly as possible. It’s not my fault things escalated this way; it’s that side’s fault.”
“But …”
The owner hesitated, trying to think of a response but ended up closing his mouth awkwardly. He couldn’t say that he was the one who started the trouble.
Instead, he deliberately averted his eyes and rubbed his chin with his finger, expressing his discomfort.
In simpler terms,
‘Hey, look around. Everyone thinks you’re weird.’
He expressed his annoyance in a roundabout way.
Fortunately, Farell seemed to pick up on that hint; he glanced around and cleared his throat softly before speaking again.
“However, out of consideration for the owner’s reputation, I’ll back down this time. Of course, as a noble with a long history, I must impart some lessons to this foolish child.”
“…Ah, um, sir.”
“Which family do you belong to?”
Farell’s voice, dripping with arrogance, caused the owner’s expression to subtly harden again. It was only natural, given that he was aware of the full circumstances.
“Are you talking to me right now?”
“Then did I ask about the Ivan Ernest family? Which family has raised their child so poorly?”
“Engaging in such a crude act of twisting someone’s words…”
Even without recalling her past life’s younger sister, it seemed clear. This was the moment to deliver “that line,” the highlight scene that would peak the drama’s viewership.
Realizing perfectly what she needed to do, Idel placed one hand on her hip and nodded.
“If you’re this curious, I should tell you. My name is…”
Just as that line was about to escape her lips…
“What on earth are you doing, Farell Underwood?”
Another iconic line, the counterpart to “that line,” interrupted Idel. She instinctively turned her head toward the source of the voice.
A charming voice, a tall and handsome figure, and a stunning appearance with silver hair and piercing eyes.
The appearance of a woman who looked like she belonged in the spotlight made Idel cross her arms slightly. It wasn’t that she felt bad; it was just something like…
‘…a sense of déjà vu?’
She wondered why the name Ivan Ernest felt so familiar and struggled with thoughts that seemed just out of reach.
“Vivian? How did you…”
“Countess Bright.”
Idel let out a small gasp without realizing it at the two men’s exclamations. Why did that name sound so familiar?
‘Ivan Ernest.’
He was the journalist who had sensed Idel’s suspicious behavior in the latter part of the original story and prevented Gianna’s death.
‘And he remained as Gianna’s ally afterward, right?’
Furthermore, the father of the male protagonist, Dante Knightley, founded the media company he worked for, “Shellami,” under a pseudonym.
Recalling these details, Idel decided to observe the situation for a moment next to the seemingly indifferent Sigmund.
No matter how chaotic things were, she couldn’t act recklessly with someone of significant importance involved.
‘Who would have thought that even the ally would end up being the main character in this mess?’
Idel’s gaze landed on the three individuals forming a triangle. Vivian Bright was coldly looking at Farell while keeping Ivan, who was drenched, behind her.
“I told you not to contact Ivan separately.”
“Are you taking his side right in front of me? The fiancé chosen by your family isn’t that guy; it’s me!”
“It’s just a formal engagement.”
Farell clenched his fists at the countess’s response, which was harder than iron. Determined not to back down, he bared his teeth and pointed at Ivan with a fierce look.
“Do you really think a nobody who barely earned a noble title in the previous generation could gain recognition from the count’s family?”
“At least he’s not the one who splashed water on someone in public like a fool.”
“Splashed water? Ha! That was a staged act by Ivan Ernest to elicit sympathy!”
Contempt flickered in the countess’s eyes at Farell’s outburst. She let out a small laugh, then slowly spoke in a voice filled with disbelief.
“Farell, are you actually claiming that Ivan poured the water on himself? Do you think that makes sense?”
“If it doesn’t make sense? Do you have any evidence that I poured water on Ivan Ernest? You don’t. Even the owner here can’t prove that.”
“That…”
The master, now unexpectedly burdened, trailed off with a troubled expression.
While Idel briefly contemplated what to do, a rebellious voice unexpectedly erupted from Sigmund, who had been standing silently.
“It’s been really noisy since earlier.”
“What? Who’s…”
“Hey, are you going to drag this out? It’s getting tiresome.”
Ignoring Farell completely, Sigmund stared directly at Idel. The way he raised his eyebrows seemed to threaten that if Idel didn’t resolve this, he would make them pay directly for the trouble.
In response, Idel calmly nodded, not missing the signal.
“No, I was actually getting bored too.”
Receiving the gathered attention like flowing water, Idel tossed her hair with one hand and smiled brightly. Of course, she meant it to appear annoying.
With her hands on her hips, she stood at an angle and spoke in a clear voice.
“I saw it; that guy over there was playing with water.”
Idel’s bold statement made Farell flare up.
“How dare you spout such blatant lies in front of me? Even if I scolded you, that was something an adult had to do. But to harbor resentment and fabricate stories like this!”
“Hmm? That’s strange?”
Hearing Farell’s words, Idel pressed her finger against her lips as if she didn’t understand.
Then, with a mischievous smile typical of a naughty child, she continued.
“Do you have any evidence, sir? Is there anyone who can prove that I made this up out of spite?”
“W-what kind of nonsense is that…!”
Idel responded to Farell’s words, understanding that they were merely a bluff.
However, just like when she had forcibly handed the ointment to Diane, Idel decided to wield the privilege of being seven years old.
“There’s none, right? You can’t prove it, right?”
“You, you really!”
“Oh wow, is this a lie? My dad said lying is bad. Oh? Wait a minute, isn’t this that? Which family raised their child so poorly…?”
Farell’s face turned red at Idel’s mocking. The increasing attention from those around, as well as the situation not going his way, made him raise his voice.
“Can you be quiet?!”
“Right now, it seems you’re the one who should be quiet, Lord Farell. What are you doing, bullying a child?”
“Ivan Ernest, you still don’t know your place… Ha! Enough.”
After Ivan’s calm rebuttal, Farell, frustrated, opened his mouth again and exhaled deeply. Sweeping his hair back with one hand, he scanned the surroundings with a piercing gaze before speaking.
“It seems everyone wants to paint me as the bad guy, so go ahead.”
“Why, Farell? Are you leaving?”
“I don’t want to stay in such a low-level place.”
With a contemptuous look, Farell adjusted his cravat and walked toward the door.
Grabbing the doorknob with a crumpled face, he smirked slightly and sneered.
“I won’t forget what happened today, so just wait.”
