Chapter 96

I overdid it with the role of the adopted daughter, Chapter 096: Carlton was momentarily stunned.

"Mi, Miss!"

Carlton knew why Viola was acting to such an extent.

The Viola he had seen was always fierce, living each moment to the fullest.

'She must be doing this to rise above her disadvantages.'

Viola was at a disadvantage from birth.

She was not a pureblood of Bellato and was far too young.

She had conditions that were far too poor for the succession competition.

'So she must be putting in her best effort every time and making such desperate moves.'

This is not right.

While I understand that Lady Viola is fierce, her direction of fierceness is wrong.

'If I intervene, Lord will be angry, right?'

He probably would be.

Is it worth it to intervene?

Is Lady Viola important to me?

She might not be important to me, but she is important to Bellato.

For a moment, it felt like an hour.

'If I intervene, Lord will be angry, and the situation won't resolve itself. But I can give Lady Viola a warning.'

Even if Carlton intervened, the situation wouldn't change.

However, his act of intervening could give Viola a small warning.

Having made his decision, Carlton took a step forward.

"Miss. What impolite words are these?"

"Carlton. Did I give you the right to speak?"

Carlton was slightly startled.

He could feel Heron's presence.

Even though Heron didn't have the intention to pressure Carlton, an overwhelming sense of authority was felt.

Carlton involuntarily swallowed.

"No. I apologize."

"Get out."

Carlton bowed deeply.

It was what he had expected.

But this action alone would be enough to warn Viola.

"I understand."

Carlton closed the door and left the Lord's office.

Wrinkles formed on Carlton's forehead.

'I'm worried.

I just hope that this young lady, who always gives her best, doesn't make the wrong choice.

'I hope this intensity doesn't come back to haunt her.'

***

Heron, Viola, and PongPong.

In the office where only the three remained, Heron spoke first.

"You demanded an apology from me. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is."

Viola felt the same pressure that Carlton had felt.

An immense sense of authority was felt.

'Even though he's not trying to pressure me...'

It was just his presence.

This was a setting value created by the author, a power inherent to the character of Heron.

'I can't breathe.'

She tried to control her breathing, but it felt like she was underwater.

Dizzy and suffocating.

'...Huh?'

Suddenly, it became easier to breathe.

Heron hadn't done anything.

'It must be because of the ring.'

It seemed to be due to the ring.

The ring contained a whole field of marguerites imbued with the water of life, which harmonized with Viola's body, which had an extreme affinity for spirits, neutralizing the external energy.

'So this is what it does?'

Originally, this artifact didn't appear in "The Shadow of Bellato."

Yet, it had such significant effects.

'The neutralization of external energy...

Does that mean... other things as well?'

For example, external hostility or poison.

It seemed to be a rare artifact with the power to block harmful external energies.

'Jackpot.

I've obtained a treasure I never expected.

'This must be worth a fortune.'

Meanwhile, Heron read Viola's expression.

'She's breathing easily.'

Ordinary children can't even breathe properly in front of Heron.

Some even faint.

Heron didn't intentionally emit a pressuring aura, nor did he deliberately control it.

He naturally met his opponents without artificial adjustments.

"You must have been very nervous to demand an apology from me."

Heron wasn't entirely displeased.

Seeing her breathe so easily made him feel good.

He was also a bit curious about what this cheeky adopted daughter would say.

"This child is my subordinate. I named her PongPong."

"Is that so?"

"My subordinate gave the name 'Nalreum' to the marguerites."

"..."

She gave them names.

It wasn't just about naming them.

Especially for people from powerful families like Bellato.

"At that moment, the marguerite field became a place I had to protect and tend to.

Because my subordinate gave them names."

"You failed to protect it, didn't you?"

Names are not given lightly.

Especially in Bellato.

"I failed. Because I didn't know Father would destroy the marguerite field."

"Are you saying you're disqualified as a White Bellato?"

"No. I learned that in Bellato, even the only father I have can't be trusted."

Viola was confident.

"I'm young. I thought it was okay to make mistakes. I made a mistake this time. I didn't doubt everyone, and I didn't doubt Father."

Heron's body twitched slightly.

No one noticed the twitch.

"Because... I considered Father an adult I could trust.

I firmly believed that he wouldn't destroy me or what was mine."

Heron looked at Viola expressionlessly.

But his mind was a mess.

He should be angry, but he wasn't.

He needed to set the rules straight for Bellato, but Viola's words kept swirling in his ears.

Heron Bellato was experiencing this emotion for the first time from a child.

"Father must have known everything. That I gave PongPong a name, and that PongPong gave names to the marguerites and raised them."

That wasn't the case.

Heron knew most of what happened in the mansion, but he didn't know that PongPong had watered the plants.

It wasn't an important enough issue to pay attention to, and Heron wasn't an omnipotent god.

However, he couldn't say he didn't know.

As the head of the family, he didn't want to say that, and as a father, he didn't want to admit it either.

"Father deliberately destroyed the entire marguerite field."

It was to give the entire marguerite field as a gift to Viola, who seemed to love marguerites.

"After that, he gave it to me as a gift. They were living beings my subordinate had named. If this isn't an act of humiliation, what is?"

Viola's eyes were resolute.

It was as if she was saying, 'Father knew everything. If he didn't, he wouldn't have done this.'

"Does this ring displease you?"

"..."

Viola was silent for a moment.

A brief silence followed.

"So I was angry. This ring is clearly a ring that humiliates me.

I should feel humiliated."

Of course, that wasn't her true feeling.

This artifact would be worth at least several hundred million dalarias if put on the market right now.

A collaboration between the White Duke and Kurumkurum.

It might be worth several billion dalarias, not just several hundred million.

It was a great insurance for a secure and solid future.

Viola's mind, steeped in capitalism, had no time to feel humiliation.

"But I was happy."

It was sincere.

The sincerity of a capitalist spirit.

And this sincerity was conveyed entirely through the Duke's 'True Eyes.'

"So I was angry. The act of humiliation by Father, which brought me joy, is shameful and makes me angry."

Viola slightly bit her lip.

"It was the first flower field I ever received."

Of course.

Who would receive a flower field as a gift?

Especially one with tens of millions of flowers.

"And the person who gave me the flower field was the Father I had longed for so much."

The words 'the Father I had longed for so much' pierced Heron's heart, not his ears.

But he maintained a cold exterior.

"You're showing a disappointing face as a White Bellato."

"I apologize for that. I will improve in the future."

Heron is lenient with children.

Viola knew this well.

And he was even more lenient with children who honestly admitted their mistakes and promised to improve.

Knowing this, Viola could be confident.

"Tell me specifically how you will improve."

"I won't trust Father."

Suddenly, Heron felt as if he had been hit in the head.

"I will doubt even Father and not consider him an adult I can trust. If this is the path and destiny that White Bellato must walk, I will accept it."

Heron felt a tightness in his chest.

If his chest were the sky, it felt like dark clouds had gathered somewhere beyond.

"But that life will be very lonely."

Viola's eyes met Heron's.

"Like my Father."

***

Viola fell into a deep sleep for almost twenty hours.

It had been a long time since she slept for so long.

She had poured all her mental energy into the conversation with Heron.

After twenty hours, she finally opened her eyes.

'Wow... I finally did it.'

When PongPong caused trouble, she had to somehow clean it up.

And it seemed she had done a good job.

'You didn't intend to humiliate me, but it ended up that way. I apologize for that part.'

No one in Bellato could be trusted.

Carlton, the butler, probably couldn't have predicted this situation either.

So Viola replied like this.

'But I was genuinely happy. I needed a Father.

A Father who gave me a flower field. It was romantic.'

After returning to her room, she slept for twenty hours.

A few more days passed.

'The forget-me-not ball is coming up.

My debut in society is just a few days away.

But rumors began to spread that were a bit different from those in the novel.

"Miss, Lord Jermi is said to be attending this forget-me-not ball?"

"Jermi?"

"Yes. It's strange. I thought Lord Jermi disliked social gatherings."

Jermi was originally a character who didn't officially debut in society.

The content had changed.

The reason was unclear, but it felt ominous.

"Who is the host of this ball?"

In "The Shadow of Bellato," it was supposed to be hosted by Viscount Quiria.

Viscount Quiria was a minor character in the novel, described briefly as a luxurious noble who enjoyed social gatherings.

"It's said that the Countess Hailis family is hosting it."

"The Countess Hailis family?"

Viola snapped to attention.

'Why is the Countess Hailis family involved?'

The Countess Hailis family.

The family of Selina, the Minister, who was rumored to be the second-in-command of the empire and soon to be the empress.

'Jermi and Minister Selina...?'

Something had changed significantly.

As a result, the topic of 'Lady Viola Bellato' that had once heated up the social scene disappeared instantly.

The forget-me-not ball was just around the corner.