Chapter 28

I ended up playing the role of the adopted daughter a bit too well. Jeaenee came in with a bright face to deliver the absurd news.

“I’ve handed in my resignation, Miss.”

Jeaenee smiled.

“I won’t be a butler anymore.”

He knelt on one knee.

In one hand, he held a strawberry ade with ice cubes floating in it.

“Would it be alright if I became a good adult for you? I’ll be a better adult than Sir Hixon.”

Viola’s head became a jumble of thoughts.

In the novel "The Shadow of Bellato," Viola and Jeaenee were comrades who worked in sync until the latter part of the story.

A resignation, all of a sudden?

Such a huge element has changed.

‘What kind of resignation?’

Although her head was a mess, she still took the strawberry ade.

Another day passed.

In the end, Jeaenee’s resignation was rejected.

It was settled by the head butler, Carlton.

‘You haven’t completed your mandatory 7 years.’

‘If you still want to resign, follow the contract.’

‘The penalty is 100 billion Dallia.’

Viola, sitting in her chair, laughed in disbelief.

‘100 billion Dallia?’

Dallia was a unit similar to the Korean won.

So 100 billion Dallia was equivalent to 100 billion won in Korean currency.

‘Did you really sign such an absurd contract?’

The novel didn’t detail the specifics of the contract.

So this was the first time she learned about it.

When she asked for the reason,

‘I didn’t think I’d ever resign, so I didn’t look at the termination clause.

‘The other conditions were too good, though.’”

Viola let out a sigh of relief.

‘There can’t be too many variables.’

The novel had to be twisted, but not excessively.

One wrong move and heads could roll.

She had to change things carefully, bit by bit.

Jeaenee entered the room.

Today, he was also holding a strawberry ade.

“What a shame.”

“Yeah.”

How disappointing it must be!

The novel mentions it directly.

There are hardly any butlers as competent as Jeaenee.

‘That competent butler couldn’t have missed the contract, right?’

He must have known the contract’s contents.

That’s why it seemed like he was playing a strong move by handing in his resignation.

The head butler wouldn’t approve it, and even if he did, Jeaenee couldn’t pay the penalty.

She had asked him to test things subtly, but it seemed he was testing her in a clever way.

‘He’s truly an outstanding character.’

She almost fell for his scheme again.

She needed to snap out of it.

Even if she were dragged into Jeaenee’s trap, she could survive if she kept her wits about her.

‘Why is he such a good actor?’

And,

‘He’s a master at making strawberry ade.’

Viola sipped the ade through a straw.

It was delicious.

She had never tasted such delicious strawberry ade, even in 21st-century Earth.

Moreover, with her refined taste, the strawberry ade Jeaenee made was a revelation.

She said sincerely,

“You can’t be freed from being a butler.”

“It seems so.”

“So, stay by my side as a competent butler.”

“Of course.”

Jeaenee pulled out a notebook from his pocket.

“But there’s something I need to report.”

“Report?”

“It’s...”

Jeaenee scratched the back of his head.

He seemed a bit hesitant to speak.

“It’s okay, go ahead.”

“It’s about your dog.”

“Tundra?”

“Yes. Despite being beaten to a pulp every day, he hasn’t calmed down. There are even rumors that he might die.”

“I won’t kill him.”

“I’ve seen it myself; he’s been beaten to the brink of death.”

Jeaenee seemed a bit worried.

Murder was strictly forbidden within the Winter Castle.

Even if it were Hixon, he would be beheaded for killing someone inside the Winter Castle.

“No, I won’t kill him. I’ll only beat him to the brink of death.”

That’s how it was in the novel.

It might look like just beating, but it wasn’t.

Through this beating, Tundra would grow into a fine individual.

Viola knew this from the novel and felt at ease.

Jeaenee’s eyes narrowed.

“So, you completely trust Sir Hixon?”

“I trust him. He won’t kill my dog.

It’s mine, after all.”

“I see.”

To Jeaenee, it seemed like Viola trusted Hixon completely.

Jeaenee was momentarily surprised by himself.

‘I seem to be developing feelings.

And the name of this feeling is...

‘Is it jealousy, as I’ve only heard about it?’

He couldn’t understand why she trusted Hixon so much.

A former hero, but hadn’t he been living like a recluse for three years?

And why did she trust him so much?

‘Am I, feeling jealous of Sir Hixon?’

Jeaenee tried to maintain a calm expression.

He recalled Viola’s words.

‘So, stay by my side as a butler.

Viola Bellato wanted Jeaenee as a competent butler.

If that’s what she wanted, he would be that butler.

He steeled his resolve.

Viola Bellato was the quintessential Bellato.

He needed to be the butler Bellato wanted.

Jealousy was a completely unnecessary emotion for a butler.

He decided to cut it out.

“Still, wouldn’t it be good to visit the training ground once?”

“Why?”

“Seeing how Sir Hixon treats your things might be beneficial.”

Viola tilted her head.

For some reason, it felt like he was trying to expose something.

It seemed like he disliked Hixon a bit.

...Maybe it was just a feeling?

He had been acting a bit strangely recently, but it was definitely a test.

‘Jeaenee is a character with almost no emotions.’

It was probably just a feeling.

Viola thought so.

***

In the end, Viola agreed.

She was a bit curious.

How was Tundra training?

How much had he grown?

She felt a bit sad thinking about seeing him actually being beaten.

Tundra, who had the face of Gang Hwanjoon.

She was also a bit scared.

Finally, they arrived at the training ground.

Viola looked around with a bewildered expression.

‘Huh? Why?’

Bichen and Tundra were swinging their weapons at each other, emitting intense killing intent.

‘Why are you here?’

She looked around with a bewildered gaze.

She felt a sharp, pointed killing intent.

It felt like being pricked by sharp needles.

‘Why is it so intense? What’s going on?’

Hixon, who had been sitting on a bench, approached.

“Hey, you’re here?”

“Why are they fighting?”

“It’s a sparring match, a sparring match.”

“Is that a sparring match?”

With such intense killing intent?

“Yeah, it’s a sparring match. Don’t worry about it.”

Hixon chuckled and put his hand on his waist.

“Look, he’s lost weight, hasn’t he? He looks a bit cooler now, doesn’t he?”

While a fierce sword dance was happening there, Hixon seemed to be in a different world.

‘Is he... okay?’

Hixon seemed to be in his right mind. She decided it was safe to trust him.

She decided to answer his question about looking cooler.

“Uncle, I’m sorry, but I went to a welcome banquet yesterday.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Unfortunately, our dad was there, Uncle.”

Compared to Duke Heron, most people become squids.

While she had a bit of a crush on him, it was almost true.

Duke Heron’s beauty had a strange ability to make everyone around him look inferior, regardless of age or gender.

“Compared to dad, you’re a squid.”

“I’ve never heard such a creative expression, but it’s surprisingly unpleasant. It’s spot on, and I don’t like it at all.”

He frowned deeply.

“And another thing.”

Hixon’s eyebrows twitched.

He pointed out another aspect.

“You called him ‘our dad’?”

“Yeah, Duke Heron Bellato.”

“Since when did he become ‘our dad’? Have you gotten that close?”

“Is dad the type of person you can get close to?”

“Indeed, he isn’t, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Not close, then?”

“It’s hard to say we’re close.”

“Yeah, yeah. He’s a difficult person to get close to.”

Hixon had a somewhat satisfied look on his face.

“But, why are they fighting?”

“It’s a sparring match, I told you.”

Bichen and Tundra were sparring.

It was too intense to be called a sparring match.

Bichen held a wooden dagger, and Tundra held a long sword.

If those weapons weren’t made of wood, one of them would have died.

Hixon had a mischievous look on his face.

He lowered his voice and asked playfully.

“Who do you think will win in a fight between them?”

“Ask a proper question.”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you asking who would win in a normal fight, or who would win in this specific situation?”

Hixon’s eyes narrowed.

‘Look at this kid.’

He already knew she was no ordinary girl.

But he didn’t expect her to pinpoint the core issue so accurately.

The current situation:

1. The space is completely open,

2. They are aware that the other is attacking,

3.