Chapter 30

Adopted daughter role, I overdid it 030

"Viola, now I understand. Your secret."

Hixon said.

"My secret?"

Han Arin was startled.

Secret?

Surely he couldn't have figured out that she was a spirit possession.

"You have a natural talent for mercenary skills."

Hixon nodded to himself.

"Indeed. If you have that level of insight, your ability to influence people must be considerable."

It must be a natural talent.

Was everyone born with a killing instinct like this?

'I don't think so.

In any case, Viola was a unique child.

"So you approached me while hiding your true self, pretending to be a helpless child seeking help."

"What's my true self?"

"The Iron-Blooded Lady you showed at the welcome banquet?"

...

Iron-Blooded Lady?"

Viola vaguely remembered hearing something like that.

There was a rumor that the adopted lady had blue iron blood flowing through her veins.

A rumor that the adopted daughter, more Bella than anyone, had been adopted into the family.

'It seems the rumors are true.'

Viola wanted to clear up the misunderstanding but couldn't.

In fact, it wasn't a stigma but a reputation.

"Right. Iron-Blooded Lady. You're a tiny thing, but you're quite wild."

Viola boldly countered.

"So, do you dislike it?"

"No, who said I disliked it? It's just, you're so cute, so cute."

At those words, Zeon flinched.

'Has Sir Hixon... figured it out?'

Zeon felt like someone had discovered his secret, but he didn't show it.

Meanwhile, Tundra looked up.

'I wish you would look at me.'

Viola didn't even glance at her.

Viola had her own reasons, but Tundra didn't know that.

Please look at me.

She gazed at her with earnestness.

She longed for her master's attention.

And Viola read Tundra's gaze.

'Stop looking at me!'

Please, just look at me.

She looked like a young puppy.

But she couldn't look.

Otherwise, the real Viola might pop out.

Bichen read the strange atmosphere.

Viola wasn't even making eye contact with Tundra.

He didn't know why, but he felt a bit better.

"Hehe."

He couldn't hide his feelings.

He scratched his cheek and laughed.

Then, Viola said,

"Brother, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"With me? Alone? Just the two of us?"

Excluding him?

Just the two of us?

Us. Two. Only?

Bichen's gaze was very burdensome.

"Yeah, just the two of us."

"Excluding him?"

"Uh-huh."

Bichen's mouth stretched from ear to ear.

He was very aware of Tundra.

"Let's go! To talk! Just! The! Two! Of! Us!"

Walking ahead, Viola didn't see Bichen's beaming smile.

***

Viola's room.

Bichen sat in a chair.

He placed his arms between his thighs and leaned forward.

He looked like he was eagerly waiting for Viola to speak.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I saw you and my dog exchanging glances earlier."

If expressed in a novel,

"‘I'll kill you someday.’

‘I will kill you, sir.’"

That's the level of eye contact they had.

From Viola's perspective, this was problematic.

Fortunately, Viola had learned how to handle Bichen.

"I know why you lost in the sparring match earlier."

"I didn't lose. It was a draw!"

"You lost."

Without any special variables, Bichen should have won.

But it was a draw.

That meant he lost.

He was defeated by someone far less skilled.

"No! It was definitely a draw!"

Viola sighed.

She decided to explain it in simple terms.

"You're much more skilled, right?"

"Of course! Obviously! I'm the best."

Bichen acted all proud.

He straightened his shoulders and raised his nose.

No!

It's not a compliment!

"But a draw means you lost. The stronger person had a draw with the weaker one."

"Still, the result was a draw."

Viola frowned.

"That's not cool."

"Huh?"

Bichen's body flinched.

The young killer with amazing balance almost fell off his chair.

The shock must have been significant.

Bichen had his own reasoning.

"Is it because I lost?"

"No."

In fact, Viola didn't care who won.

Winning wouldn't make her think he was cooler.

From Viola's perspective, a strong and dangerous character wasn't ideal.

A weak and harmless character was better.

Viola said,

"If you were a true Bella, you wouldn't make excuses for what happened. Instead, you'd use the result to improve. That's logical, right?"

"Um, that's..."

"You lost your composure in that moment, and your movements were too big. That's why you allowed Tundra, who is much weaker, to attack. Tundra found your only weakness, and you failed, while Tundra succeeded."

Han Arin, a genuine reader, saw through Bichen's psychology.

You're so strong as a brother!

I'm the best!

That's what he wanted to assert.

"And when the sparring ended, you glared at Tundra."

"Yeah. It was a draw. But you only..."

"Only at Tundra?"

"Never mind. I won't say it."

It was a draw, but you only praised Tundra and didn't praise me. And you only worried about her.

Eight-year-old Bichen felt a bit resentful.

"That's not cool."

"Why not?"

"You're a Bella."

Viola had learned how to handle Bichen.

"And Tundra is just my dog.

Right?"

"Right."

"A Bella should always be strong. Isn't that right?"

"Right."

"I felt it when I saw Father at the welcome banquet. He was calm. Watching him, I realized that's the calm of a strong person."

Bichen was speechless.

Everything Viola said was true.

"A strong person can be calm.

Your eagerness to win is proof that you're not strong."

"I want my brother to be strong."

Bichen swallowed.

Somehow, everything Viola said seemed true.

"So don't show such hostility to a mere dog."

Tundra needs to grow up safely.

During this time, Bichen shouldn't seriously injure or kill Tundra.

So please!

Help the main character grow well!

"That's what a Bella should do. Be a strong brother."

Bichen huffed and shook his head.

But he felt good.

He couldn't hide his feelings.

He looked at Viola again.

"So, he's just a dog, and I'm your brother, right?"

It felt a bit off, but it wasn't wrong, so he agreed.

"Right."

"Of course. It's a bit strange to take a dog seriously. Isn't it?

I'm a Bella, after all."

Viola nodded.

"Maintain your dignity and the calm of a strong person, okay?"

"Would that make me cooler?"

Bichen's eyes held a strange sense of anticipation.

This content wasn't in the original.

Bichen and Viola grew at an equal pace in the early stages of the story, becoming rivals.

Viola could feel it.

The rivalry vibe

'Strange...

It's not right?'

It was an odd feeling.

For some reason, Bichen kept focusing on being cool.

Although this content wasn't in the original, it was good for Viola.

After using the whip, it was time for the carrot.

"You'll be cool."

"Hehe. Viola, would you like me to be cool?"

Being cool and all,

I'd prefer if you didn't chase me with a knife.

But she couldn't say that.

She just nodded reluctantly.

Bichen smiled even more brightly.

'I need to be cool.

To do that, I need to find my calm.'

Viola's words were spot on.

'I guess I shouldn't kill the dog myself.'

Even if the dog attacks fiercely, I should let it be.

I decided not to kill the dog.

Bichen returned to his room in a somewhat satisfied state.

Lulu, the sound of a whistled tune drifted into Viola's room.

Viola, sitting in her chair, tilted her head.

'Is this going well?'

Overall, it seemed to be going well.

Most things were flowing as intended, but there was a strange feeling of something being off.

'It must be my imagination.'

A few days passed.

Viola waited for someone every day.

In the novel, it was mentioned as "a few days later," but the exact date wasn't specified.

'Soon...'

It was time for Hera to appear. The next episode, "Meeting Hera," was about to begin.

Just as the first meeting with Duke Heron set the tone,

The first meeting with Hera needed to set the right tone.

I want to live a different life from the original Viola.

'This will be a very important meeting.'

A few more days passed.

'What is it?'

Two weeks had passed, but Hera hadn't shown up.

'Why hasn't she appeared?'

Something seemed to have changed. Time was passing, and she felt anxious.

'Time shouldn't pass too much.'

The original content shouldn't change too much.

Knowledge is power. I need to know to change things.

So she decided.

"Zeon, send this note to Sister Hera."

As the saying goes, the thirsty dig a well.

If Hera doesn't come first, I'll cast the fishing line.

It was too big a catch to pretend I didn't notice.

"What's the content?"

"Just. To get along."

Zeon took the note.

"Should I deliver it now?"