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“Adopted Daughter” Role Gone Overboard 137th Episode

Viola’s true feelings were burning up inside her.

‘Oh no!’

It was a bit different than before. In the past, when her body was taken over, it felt like she was losing consciousness or dreaming.

But now, everything was crystal clear. ‘Please!’

Just before Viola’s dagger reached Heron’s heart, he grabbed her wrist.

In that moment, Viola regained her body. ‘It hurts!’

Heron’s grip was so strong that she instinctively grimaced.

‘Oops.’

It hurt so much that she couldn’t help but show it for a moment. She thought she had been doing well until now.

She felt like she had built a tower only to see it collapse.

But Heron’s words were unexpected. “That was a good attempt.”

He released Viola’s wrist without saying much about her trying to stab him.

Before long, the Grass Sword lost its power and crumbled, revealing Hixson, who had been trapped in the storm of vegetation.

Hixson had light scratches on his body.

“Wow, that was close!”

Hixson grinned without much sense of crisis. Then he cheerfully said, “You seized a good opportunity, Viola.”

The duel between the two had paused, but Viola’s head was in a haze. Why do these people seem happy? ‘No. I understand it in my head.’

Rationally, she understood. This was the world of “Bellatu’s Shadow,” so such things could certainly happen.

‘Still…’

She still couldn’t adapt. She was trying to stab his heart and he was praising her, she was trying to kill him with the Grass Sword and he was pleased.

Heron said, “The timing was good, but the piercing force was weak.”

“…Thanks for the good lesson.” Heron tapped Viola’s shoulder with two fingers. “Use the rotation of your shoulder.”

Heron demonstrated by slightly rotating his shoulder while extending it.

“If you had the same timing as just now, the piercing force would double.”

Then Heron turned his gaze to Hixson and said, “You are wounded.”

“Don’t mock me. It wasn’t my fault; it was Viola doing well.”

“Both of you, right?”

“Are you provoking me?”

“Provoking requires the opponent to match your level.”

Hixson saw a clear smirk on Heron’s face. Hixson disliked yet took pleasure in that smirk.

‘That guy.’

Acting like an emotionless machine. ‘But he’s smiling?’

Of course, it was a faint smile that ordinary people couldn’t see. Hixson could barely catch that very subtle smile.

‘I think it’s the first time since Rael died.’

Moreover, they continued a conversation that was uncharacteristic of Heron. Hixson felt that right now, Heron was not the Duke, but rather a human being.

‘He seems like the old Him.’

In their childhood, Hixson and Heron trained together at the Place Where the Eye Shines and accompanied each other multiple times on the battlefield. Back then, Heron wasn’t an emotionless person.

‘Is it because of Viola?’

Hixson felt it certainly. Heron was changing little by little.

He didn’t mind that change.

‘Should I test it out?’

Hixson chuckled and continued, “Of course, if I hadn’t gone easy on her, Viola would probably be fainting by now.”

Viola, who was nervously gulping down the subtle tension between Heron and Hixson, jumped a bit. ‘Minimum fainting, huh? What’s the maximum, Uncle?’

“That would be praise.”

Through their conversation, Viola could infer the situation. So, Uncle Hixson could have actually gotten away without being hurt? To summarize:

1. The best way to subdue the Grass Sword was to subdue the person wielding it (Viola).
2. Fortunately, Viola was attacking Heron, so she had many openings.
3. If Hixson had indiscriminately subdued her, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt.
4. However, Hixson didn’t do that and chose to fight the Grass Sword directly.

…That’s what it meant.

Heron remarked, “I wouldn’t do something like that to show off, though.”

“What?”

“How do you think Viola would view that?”

Both Heron and Hixson’s gazes turned simultaneously toward Viola. Viola wished she could just sink into the ground.

‘Oh, why are you looking at me?’

The two sets of eyes were so overwhelming. It felt like people waiting for a verdict.

Viola tried to calm her trembling legs, biting her lip slightly.

“Did you choose to go easy on me, Uncle?”

Thanks for going easy on me, sob. “Oh, no, it’s not like that…”

She had to blurt out something different from her true feelings.

“I didn’t even recognize that you were going easy on me.”

It’s best not to make mistakes. But if one made a mistake, one should recognize and admit it. “…I’m sorry.”

She wasn’t actually angry, but pretended to be. She had to show her determination to grow from this anger. Fortunately, the Duke didn’t insist on further punishment, extending his hand to Viola.

“Would you like to come with me?”

“To where?”

“I have something to discuss.”

Viola lifted her arm to take Heron’s hand. Given their significant height difference, she had to reach overhead.

But then Hixson approached. “Wait a minute.”

Hixson extended his hand too. “I’m going with you.”

“Why you?”

“I’ve just experienced the Grass Sword firsthand. At this timing, is there anyone more helpful to Viola’s growth than me?”

Hixson continued with a valid point. “The sensation of the Grass Sword is still fresh. Right now is the most suitable timing to give Viola advice.”

“It will fade over time, though.”

Hixson’s fiery gaze was fixed on Viola. It felt like he was burning with a flame.

And that flame felt like it was saying, ‘Grab my hand right now!’

Viola reluctantly took his hand.

Hixson ended up getting hurt again.

‘That guy grabbed my hand quickly.’

It wasn’t just about being fast. Heron’s hand stretched out like he really wanted to hold it.

That fragile little hand was filled with affection.

‘Why am I!’

Yet he seemed reluctant when it came to giving her his hand. Anyway, Hixson, who held her hand, looked at Heron. Don’t think you’ve won, Heron. Coincidentally, Heron was looking at Hixson too.

Their gazes met in midair, but petite Viola couldn’t see that.

*

Seivan Marcos, the puppet sorcerer of Winter Castle and an excellent disguise artist, was slightly puzzled.

“The Chief Butler is disguising?”

“Please do.”

“Why? You don’t have any missions outside Winter Castle.”

“I was ordered to go fetch Egg Tarts.”

“Why would you issue such an order? That too, to Sir Carlton?”

There was absolutely no reason for high-ranking personnel like Carlton to line up to buy Egg Tarts. It could only imply some underlying purpose from Heron.

Regardless, Carlton managed to line up and brought back two Egg Tarts. “Well done.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Carlton was surprised to see an unexpected sight. Heron and Hixson were sitting with Viola between them.

Hixson laughed as if incredulous. “Don’t tell me you sent Carlton to run an errand for Egg Tarts?”

Carlton, who had been about to turn around and leave, paused. Hixson seemed to have an inkling of the reason.

“After all, there aren’t many who can perform a task as perfectly as Carlton. Right?”

Heron slightly grimaced. “Still so talkative. Chief Butler, you may leave.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

Carlton thought he had gotten a hint. ‘A flawless task. Fetching Egg Tarts. It was a task that required perfection.

‘Right. There’s surely something I don’t know.’

There seemed to be something important hidden within the Egg Tarts. It felt like Hixson and the Duke were conspiring together.

Interestingly, Viola was involved in their conspiracy.

‘They’re diving headfirst into the succession war.’

He felt a ridiculous sense of pride. He remembered the first time he found the seven-year-old Viola.

In fact, it wasn’t Heron who discovered Viola first, but Carlton. Carlton had kindly watched her standing barefoot, clutching a shard of glass, and throughout her growth process, he had supported her quietly.

‘Though I may have started late.’

Carlton’s gaze deepened. ‘I support you, Iron-Blooded Princess.’ And not long after, Viola found herself in a highly uncomfortable situation.

“Hmph! You’re saying the training grounds aren’t a public place?”

Hixson accurately hit the nail on the head. “You mean you considered it a date spot with your cute daughter!”

At those words, Viola was shocked. ‘What nonsense is this!’

It couldn’t be true. She’d done well over the past six years, but she knew very well that Heron could never have those feelings, as someone who had been a genuine reader.

Hixson’s words came out without a hitch.

“Using that kind of place for a date for a full year. There’s no mood to speak of!”

No, Uncle Hixson. A date place?

A cute daughter?

Look at my atmosphere!

‘Is that nonsense or what!’

Viola, who looked in the mirror every day, knew very well that she was not cute.

For the first time today, the Egg Tart didn’t taste good.

She completely lost her appetite.

‘Uncomfortable.’

The two of them were extremely uncomfortable. They seemed to be having a light quarrel, but the intensity emanating from them was something ordinary people couldn’t handle.

And it was only because of Viola’s physical strength that she was managing to endure.

‘What’s scarier is that those two aren’t even trying to give off that intensity.’

They were just having a casual conversation, yet the mana was resonating with their emotions. It felt like they were brewing lethal magic.

‘I want to leave. Please.

Is this what they mean when they say, “a shrimp back is broken in a whale fight”?

This place felt so uncomfortable that it might cause her to choke. She hadn’t even touched the Egg Tart.

“The reason I invited you here was that I deemed it necessary to give you some guidance for Viola’s growth. Otherwise, shouldn’t I just head out?”

“Even a dog wouldn’t touch you while eating.”

Hixson’s finger pointed at Viola.

“Viola loves Egg Tarts. She’s probably drooling and waiting to eat that? You don’t know that either?”

Cough! Viola barely suppressed a cough that almost escaped her.

In truth, she didn’t understand why she had to be there. “How adorable is she? But isn’t it a bit harsh to keep talking about swordsmanship and growth at this moment?”

Viola subtly stood up. She felt dizzy just by being here and was about to faint.

“If it’s not too impolite, may I rise now?”

“Oh! Good idea, Viola. Yes, yes, let’s go to the training grounds together. I’ll share what I noticed earlier.”

Hixson also stood up. Seemingly aware of Zeno’s absence, it was as if he extended a hand to escort her.

His eyes seemed to be saying to take his hand immediately.

Just before she could grab that hand, a chilling voice echoed. “Sit.”

Viola was jolted with surprise once more. It felt less like a mere command and more like a magical decree.

Not obeying those words felt like it would cost her her head.

“Why do you—”

Heron’s dry gaze was fixed on Viola. Viola had to hold onto her racing heart in fear.

“Are you so reluctant to spend time with your father?”

…Excuse me? It wasn’t reluctance; it was extreme discomfort. She wanted to argue but couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“Don’t you truly understand why I brought you here?”