Chapter 67

I overdid it with the adopted daughter role, Chapter 067.

Viola hugged Jermi.

Viola, nestled in Jermi's arms, was sobbing.

“...Don’t.”

“What?”

Suddenly, Jermi felt a chill down her spine.

Don’t die suddenly.

It was terrifying, coming from anyone, but especially from Viola, sending shivers down her spine.

It felt as if a blade would fly from somewhere unseen.

“Don’t go.”

“Huh?”

“If you die like this, I’ll resent you for the rest of my life.”

Jermi realized that Viola was talking to someone else.

At that moment, she had a hunch.

‘Illusion?’

It seemed Viola was seeing an illusion.

It looked like she was witnessing the death of someone precious in the illusion.

‘Did someone precious to Viola die?’

Her shoulders were trembling unusually today.

A body that usually seemed the strongest was now feeling as fragile as if it would shatter.

“Please don’t die. Just open your eyes.”

“I won’t beg for pork cutlets.

I won’t be a bother. Just, just open your eyes, please.”

Jermi understood why Viola was trapped in the illusion.

Her affinity with spirits was incredibly high.

It seemed she was vulnerable to the illusions shown by the spirits.

‘If she had Bella’s blood, she wouldn’t fall for the spirits’ tricks.’

High spirit affinity was a double-edged sword.

“I’m fine, Viola. I’m not dead.”

Jermi patted Viola’s back.

She believed that Viola could break through this illusion.

‘All I can do now… is just pat her back.”

It was surprising.

Viola’s weak side. She had never imagined that Viola could have such a vulnerable side.

‘Who is she missing so much?’

Who in the illusion is making Viola so afraid?

Even the great Viola.

Jermi’s heart became a bit complicated.

‘She was found in the slums, right?’

She guessed that Viola had been abandoned by her parents.

When the Duke first found her, she had stabbed a slave trader with glass shards.

‘Not abandoned…’

Listening to Viola’s sobs, it didn’t seem like she was abandoned.

‘Don’t die.’

‘If you die like this, I’ll resent you for the rest of my life.’

The person in the illusion was most likely her parents.

Jermi was certain.

‘Viola is seeing her mom or dad.

Her heart ached terribly.

***

At seven years old, Jermi had a crush on a girl.

Every evening, she went to Svon Square to meet the girl.

The girl survived by begging and scavenging in Svon Square.

Unfortunately, the girl was blind.

Clang.

The sound of a coin falling into the begging bowl.

“Thank you.”

“Five dalia.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m giving you my allowance.”

Jermi sought out the girl every day.

She boasted about giving her allowance.

The girl would bow and say thank you every time.

Six months passed.

“Can’t you say anything else besides thank you?”

“Well….”

Jermi was always dissatisfied.

She wanted to hear something else from the girl, but she only said thank you every day.

Frustrated, Jermi finally introduced herself.

“My name is Jermi.”

At that moment, Jermi was very nervous.

Just telling her name made her heart race and feel excited.

“Don’t you have a mom and dad?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“They abandoned me.”

At that moment, Jermi learned something new.

Parents can abandon their children.

Children can be abandoned.

‘It hurts…’

Another six months passed.

The girl’s name was Muelan, and she was the same age as Jermi.

About a year after meeting Jermi, Muelan asked.

“Why are you so nice to me?”

“Well….”

Because I like you!

But she couldn’t say that.

At eight years old, Jermi didn’t fully understand why she was so nice to Muelan.

“Because you’re my friend.”

Muelan smiled brightly at the word friend.

It was the first smile Jermi had seen in a year.

“Friend. That’s a nice word.”

“Right?”

“Then I’ll stop begging.”

At eight years old, Muelan had learned to polish shoes and could earn enough to live.

She no longer needed to beg.

That day, Muelan and Jermi had their first argument.

Jermi got upset and asked why Muelan didn’t want her money, while Muelan shouted that she was no longer a beggar.

That night.

Lying in a soft bed, Jermi bit her lip.

“I’m so frustrated.”

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand what she had done wrong.

The words of her nanny came to mind.

‘It’s not frustration, young master. It’s heartache.’

An hour, two hours passed, and she still couldn’t fall asleep.

The sound of insects that usually sounded like a lullaby was now irritating.

‘I’ll apologize tomorrow.’

She decided to apologize when the sun came up.

Actually, she still didn’t understand the reason.

But to Jermi, the reason didn’t matter.

What mattered was that Muelan was sad.

Early the next morning.

Jermi went to Svon Square.

‘Why isn’t Muelan here?’

Muelan, who polished shoes every day, was nowhere to be seen.

A day passed, then two.

Jermi became increasingly anxious.

It wasn’t until the third day that Jermi heard news about Muelan.

A gang of robbers had attacked the slums behind Svon Square.

The guards of Storm Fortress were severely reprimanded for this incident and hastily formed an investigation team.

The Storm Sword Jackal was also furious.

‘They are tracking the gang of robbers.

They were robbers and slave traders at the same time.

Only then did Jermi realize.

Muelan had been captured by slave traders.

“Please take me too, Father!”

Jermi cried, insisting on joining the pursuit, but Jackal refused.

The official reason was that it was too dangerous for a nine-year-old, but the real reason was that he sensed an unusually strong killing intent from Jermi.

‘Calm down and stay in the room of thoughts.’

‘This is an adult’s matter.’

Jermi was locked in a solitary room for three days.

After a long time, Jermi heard news about Muelan.

Muelan was no longer alive in this world.

“I don’t want to do anything.”

Jermi didn’t leave the solitary room for seven days.

It was a conversation with her nanny that finally brought Jermi back to her feet.

“There are many Muelans in this world.”

“What do you mean? Muelan is one person.”

“Even in a place with good security like Storm Fortress, such terrible things happen.

Similar things happen countless times in this world.”

A second Muelan, a third Muelan, a fourth Muelan.

There were many Muelans in this world.

“You have power, young master.”

You inherited the blood of the Storm Sword Jackal and have already shown the qualities of an outstanding warrior.

People even called Jermi the ‘Little Storm.’

“Those with power enjoy many things in life. And they must use that power for the weak.”

“Why?”

Because it’s the right thing to do and the just thing to do.

He didn’t speak in such abstract terms.

“Didn’t your heart hurt, young master?”

“...Yes.”

“What if many people felt the same pain?”

“They would be sad.”

“Protecting them from feeling that pain is the duty of a noble.”

Jermi felt it clearly.

The fact that she could no longer see Muelan was too scary and frightening.

So she made up her mind.

To do her best to prevent another Muelan from happening.

A year later.

Jermi stood in front of Muelan’s grave, where her ashes were buried, and made a vow.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

After that day, Jermi never showed mercy to slave traders.

She killed them on the spot whenever she found them.

Her reputation grew, and Jermi became known as the ‘Little Storm.’

***

Jermi recalled the past as she looked at Viola in her arms.

Jermi didn’t forgive slave traders or parents who abandoned their children.

On the contrary, she tried hard to help abandoned children.

She thought it was her duty to do so, as she couldn’t protect Muelan.

Viola’s words kept echoing in her ears.

‘Don’t die.’

‘If you die like this, I’ll resent you for the rest of my life.’

She realized she had only seen Viola’s bright and glamorous side.

A lucky girl adopted by a duke.

But it seemed she wasn’t that lucky after all.

‘Why didn’t I think about her past before adoption?’

The fact that she stabbed a slave trader with glass shards at seven years old overshadowed the underlying issues.

Why was she wandering the slums alone at such a young age?

Why did she have to pick up glass shards?

‘There was no one to protect her.’

Just like Muelan.

Both of them had no guardians.

No one protected them.

If there had been someone to protect her, Muelan might still be alive.

‘Viola was the same.’

The only difference was that Muelan was captured by slave traders, while Viola killed them herself.

‘If there had been an adult for Viola.

She wouldn’t have had to hold glass shards.’ Jermi said.

“I’m fine.”

“...Don’t go.”

“I’m fine, Viola. I’ll protect you.”

Jermi patted Viola’s back.

She hugged her tighter.

She held Viola’s trembling body tightly.

“What you’re seeing is an illusion.”

Viola didn’t hear her words.

The sound of ambulance sirens. Doctors in white coats running around.

Paramedics in orange uniforms. People shouting in urgent terms.

And Han Jun, covered in blood.

It was cold and scary.

It felt like Han Jun was about to leave her.

Suddenly, she felt a warmth.

‘It’s warm.’

She felt a warm sensation.

She felt something tightly hugging her.

She felt a reliable presence protecting her.

A warmth she had never felt since becoming Viola Bella.

“I’m fine. No one died. It’s okay. I’m here.”

Jermi made a vow.

To never leave Viola’s side.

To protect the young Viola who had been abandoned in the slums and received no protection.

“You can overcome this, Viola.”

It was too dark to see Viola’s face.

But she met Viola’s eyes.

Through the darkness, she could feel Viola’s lavender eyes.

“You’re not alone.”

You don’t need to hold glass shards.

Back then, you lost your parents and lived in the slums, but not anymore.

You’re now the Countess Bella and I’m here with you.

“We’re friends.”

The illusions in Viola’s eyes gradually faded.

Small voices could be heard.

[Stop it, kids.]

[If you keep playing, we’ll be destroyed.]

To the spirits, it was just a game.

But this illusion had a fatal weakness: it would break when confronted with a human’s sincere wish.

[What is this kid?]

[Our bodies are going to shatter.]

The spirits couldn’t continue their game.

Jermi’s sincerity and wish shattered the spirits’ illusion.

Soon, Viola regained her peace.

Softly.

Viola fell asleep.

Jermi sat quietly and patted Viola’s shoulder.

“Sleep well.”

The illusion seemed to be broken.

When she wakes up, she’ll be back to being Viola Bella.

Not a young girl abandoned by her parents, but the Iron-Blooded Countess Viola.

‘It’s a bit sad to think about it.’

A little time passed.

Footsteps echoed in the darkness.

“So.”

Jermi tensed up.

She carefully laid the still sleeping Viola against the wall and stood up.

She drew her sword.

‘Who is it?’

A voice was heard.

“What is Korea, anyway?”

Jermi couldn’t understand the words.

“Then are you Han Jun?”