Chapter 3

I ended up playing the role of the adopted daughter a bit too well 003. Viola said, "Bring me the quill and the red frog venom." "Red frog venom? That's a rather potent neurotoxin, isn't it?" Viola flinched inwardly. The hidden gaze in Xenon's smiling eyes made her uncomfortable. It felt as if he could see right through her heart. She knew this from the novel, but it was still a bit scary. "Butler, what is your role in this household?" "To assist and monitor the young lady." "Then be faithful to your role." Xenon nodded and bowed. "You are right." He straightened up and smiled. "Be faithful to your role." It was a quintessentially Velatus statement. "It will take about 12 minutes." And exactly 12 minutes later, a knock came. Not a second off. The magic clock, created by a renowned mage of this era, which allowed no error of even 1/10,000th of a second, indicated that exactly 12 minutes had passed. It gave her a slight chill. "Here is the quill and the red frog venom. I brought some memo paper too, just in case. Young lady." "Well done." Viola sat at her desk and thought about what would happen the next day. There were hardly any normal people in this household. The world was like that. Most of the characters were twisted and broken in some way. The same went for the Fifth Prince, Bizhen, whom she would meet tomorrow. 'Innocently, without malice, a killing machine... grown to be that way.' He had been trained that way since birth. He was described as a character with no sense of guilt about killing. He was even described as innocent and kind. 'Tomorrow.' The main story would start from tomorrow. Viola bit her lip. 'Survive.' She decided to do her best. *** Viola straightened her clothes with a determined attitude. The fabric touched her hands. The soft silk felt as if it would melt at her touch. It was a red dress. The hem wasn't too long, so it didn't hinder her movements. She waited for Bizhen. Eight years old. His name was Bizhen. He was also a character who would become Viola's main rival in the early part of the story. 'Hmm.' It seemed he was about to come. Knock, knock. A knock came. "Come in." The door opened. A blond child, the young killer in training and her older brother by a year, Bizhen, walked in. 'Cute...?' Dressed in a suit with suspenders, Bizhen almost made Viola laugh. 'No, don't be fooled. This is Bizhen. A young killer in training. I can't let my guard down.' Bizhen's face showed no smile. He said menacingly, "I hope you don't make the mistake of thinking you're my sister." But Viola knew. That wasn't Bizhen's true self. "Before entering Viola's room, Bizhen clenched his fists and thought, 'I'll show her a scary face.' He decided to act like the Third Prince, Kun." Seeing this, Viola would end up having a serious argument with Bizhen. Both would end up badly hurt. From there, their relationship would start to become complicated. But Bizhen's words weren't sincere. "In fact, Bizhen wanted a younger sibling. 'All the older brothers and sisters have younger siblings, but I don't.' So Bizhen had always hoped for a younger sibling. Then, Viola was adopted. "Bizhen's mother, Isabella, said, 'Bizhen, that child is not worthy to be your sister.' 'Why?' 'She's a lowly one who doesn't carry the blood of Velatus. She's not your sister, but a sacrifice.' 'Then, should I not greet her?' 'You can, but make sure she's not your sister.' " Knowing the whole story, Viola smiled. The little lord, pretending to be scary and intimidating, was actually a cute young killer in training who wanted a younger sibling. Crucially, Bizhen was very weak in verbal sparring. "If you're not my sister, then what are you?" "That's..." What did Mother say? Right! "You're a sacrifice." "I see." Bizhen seemed a bit flustered. 'Why isn't he angry? Is he stupid? Is he so stupid that he can't get angry even when he's ignored?' 'That would be a huge disappointment.' He thought it would be better if Viola got angry. It wasn't like Viola to hold back when insulted. "Why aren't you angry?" "Do you want me to be angry?" "I insulted you. You should be angry." "Wait." "Okay." Bizhen blinked and looked at Viola. He had forgotten his initial intention to look stern and intimidating. With bright eyes, he observed Viola. 'What is she going to do?' Whoosh! Something flew past. Bizhen flinched. 'What was that?' He turned around and saw the quill stuck in the wall. He felt a slight sting on his cheek. "Wow." He touched his cheek. "You throw well!" He was genuinely impressed. Bizhen was sure Viola had aimed very precisely, just grazing his cheek. But Viola's true thoughts were different. 'Oh no, it was a mistake. I'm not used to this body yet. I just wanted to scare him by throwing it next to him, but I hit his face. Is he okay?' The quill's tip was sharp, and Bizhen's cheek must have stung a lot. 'If I had hit his eye, it would have been a disaster.' Her heart raced. What if she had hit his eye? 'And how did it fly so fast?' She couldn't even see it clearly. Fortunately, Bizhen didn't scream or get angry. He seemed satisfied with Viola's reaction. "You were warning me, right?" Instantly, cold sweat trickled down Viola's back. His eyes narrowed, and a glint of madness flashed. "What an interesting... no, sacrifice!" Viola, trembling, asked, "Did you find it interesting?" "Yes, the warning was amazing." The precise trajectory, faster and sharper than an arrow, exceeded Bizhen's expectations. Bizhen saw no hesitation in Viola's movements. She seemed to have a natural talent for killing. Although it wasn't intentional, Viola exuded a sharp, murderous aura. "You're crazy, but I like it." "Thank you for the compliment." "Do you want to hug me?" Bizhen spread his arms. Even with his arms spread, he was short and small, making him look like a cute doll. Viola almost blurted out, "Sure!" She just stared at Bizhen for a while. Bizhen asked with innocent eyes, "No?" In Velatus, a hug meant more than just a physical embrace. In the Velatus family, hugging someone was a way to analyze their body and find their weaknesses. Viola nodded. "Sure." "Hehehe." Bizhen hugged Viola tightly. "I like you. I wonder who will be better at killing. Hehe." He recognized Viola as a rival. Viola's heart sank. 'I got recognized... by Bizhen.' Being recognized by Bizhen meant being acknowledged as a rival in the cruel succession competition. "Let's do our best from now on. Hehe." Hearing those chilling words, Viola felt her body stiffen. But then, a voice came from behind. "Prince Bizhen, hello. I am Xenon, the butler assigned to the youngest princess." Xenon, dressed in a neat suit, smiled. "Yes? What is it?" "The Duke has given the princess ten days." It meant not to touch her for ten days. "So?" "I would appreciate it if you stepped back." An awkward atmosphere formed between them. "I don't want to." "Then I'll have to report it officially." "Report?" "Yes, I have the role of butler, monitor, and reporter." "Monitor? Report? Why?" "It's suspicious. Such composure at that age." Bizhen scratched his head. "Isn't that usually kept secret?" "I didn't receive an order to keep it secret." Xenon smiled calmly and continued, "Anyway, I have the authority to report. Of course, I don't want to report if I don't have to." "Tch." Bizhen let go of Viola. His face was full of a broad smile, but he emitted a thick, murderous aura towards Viola. It was a curious and enjoyable kind of murderous aura. Viola felt as if the sharp aura was piercing her lungs. Indeed, he was a young killer in training. She reaffirmed her resolve. 'I need to make him an ally.' If she failed, he would chase her with a knife, rain or shine, laughing maniacally. That's what happened in the original story. She didn't want that to happen. Bizhen waved his hand. "See you later. Sis... no, sacrifice!" Phew. She almost called him 'sister.' Calming her shocked heart, Bizhen went out. Or rather, he tried to go out. He couldn't walk and fell down. "Ugh, the world is spinning." He lay on the ground, mumbling. "Am I flying?" The red frog venom had finally taken effect. Viola looked at Bizhen calmly. He would get up soon, as he had an incredible resistance to toxins. "What a spectacular welcome. A perfect victory for the princess. If the princess had harbored murderous intent, the prince would have died today." Xenon approached. His hair, similar in color to Viola's, was a purple hue, and he had a kind smile. However, his eyes, which shone strangely, were hard to read. "Is that why you asked me to get the quill and the frog venom?" "Yes." "But, princess." Viola deliberately put on a haughty expression. But she was scared inside. 'What will I say if he asks why I asked him to prepare these things in advance?' 'I'm a spirit and I know everything. I asked you to prepare them in advance.' If she said that, she would be accused of witchcraft. But Xenon's next words were not that question.