I overshot the role of an adopted daughter. Episode 032. It felt like Hela was piercing through my true form, Han Ah-rin.

The cold, serpent-like gaze seemed to sweep over my entire body.

“It must be really hard to conceal the madness just before an explosion.”

“…Huh?

“Honestly, you want to rampage even more, don’t you?”

Me?

“Don’t you want to dance the dance of blades more ferociously, sing the song of poison?”

“………”

W-wait a moment.

Me?

Hela thought Viola’s silence meant something else.

She took it as implicit agreement.

“You’re doing a good job of holding it in.”

“Well, those who crave blood too much are just murderers, not Bellatus.”

Bellatu and murderers are different.

Murderers are simply criminals, but Bellatu is a ruler.

A ruler must act like a ruler.

In that regard, Viola was passable.

She controlled her madness and acted like a ruler.

Uncontrollable madness leads to destruction, but controllable madness is an essential virtue of a true Bellatu.

“Zeno reported this, right? That you also possess the reason to control the madness.”

“How did you know?”

“The butlers shared that information among themselves.”

Hela nodded.

“Honestly, I was wondering if Zeno was being too generous with the score.”

“Now that you’ve seen me in person, what do you think, sister?”

“An accurate score.”

Hela’s expression relaxed.

“I also liked you, Viola.”

Viola was a bit flustered.

It felt like things were accelerating faster than she had expected.

Hela reached out and caressed Viola’s cheek.

“I like your face too.”

At this point, it was Viola who felt absurd.

“No. This isn’t right.”

She had to pull herself together.

It felt like the initiative had shifted to Hela.

Hela was clever.

She was surely testing while pretending to fully acknowledge me.

“Hela wants a perfect absolute being.”

Hela wanted a solid absolute being who could perfectly protect her.

Anyway, the real absolute beings would take care of things on their own anyway.

That was their responsibility.

For now, all that mattered was to show an appearance that resembled an absolute being.

Viola swatted Hela’s hand away with a snap!

Then she swept Hela’s hair back.

“My beautiful sister.”

Viola’s fierce gaze bore into Hela’s eyes.

Hela involuntarily swallowed.

There was a strange sense of fear that the hand currently sweeping her hair back could strike at her neck at any moment.

Of course, Viola didn’t intend to go that far.

She was merely mimicking how the original Viola would have acted.

But she had no idea it could evoke such a sense of fear.

Viola said, “Don’t cross the line.”

“I’m the one choosing you.”

There was a chill in the air laden with malice.

It was the innate malice that Viola’s true self possessed.

Hela flinched in shock.

Though her body was quite uncomfortable, she had the sense to feel the malice.

‘What is this overwhelming malice?’

It seemed like she could kill someone just with her malice.

‘I can feel the powerful mana.’

The wave of tremendous mana surged.

However, Viola, the source of the malice, was completely unaware of her own malice and mana.

“It’s not you choosing me.”

“Do you understand?”

“If you understand, nod your head.”

Hela lightly nodded.

She glanced up at Viola.

Viola’s appearance was what Hela had always admired.

She had both strength and wisdom, and there was no sign of being intimidated by anyone.

An attitude and posture befitting an absolute being.

A natural talent capable of supporting such attitude and posture.

And a cunningness and schemes that allowed her to conceal herself.

Hela felt all of this in Viola.

Hela’s chest felt tight.

‘It’s hard to breathe.’

This was the presence that the character Viola possessed.

Though the real Viola had no clue about it.

On the other hand, Viola was secretly gauging the situation.

‘This should be enough, right?’

Imitating the original Viola wasn’t easy.

It felt like wearing ill-fitting clothes.

Was it not a bit awkward?

‘Today…

Me?’

Today’s performance seemed rather awkward.

Putting aside a bit of worry, she smiled softly.

“We can be good sisters.”

“I think so too.”

Hela’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘You are definitely much lacking compared to the first sister or the second brother. For now, anyway.’

She was still too young.

There was hardly any foundation for her position.

She couldn’t rely on her maternal family.

The gap between her and the first and second was already too wide.

However, there was one thing that was different.

‘After all, she’s only seven years old.’

The first and second weren’t like this when they were seven. She had high hopes for her growth potential.

Her potential was enormous.

‘Just with this malice, she could make it hard for anyone to breathe.’

If she grows properly, how strong would she become?

But then Viola spoke again.

“I hope we can be good family for each other.”

In that moment, Hela was left speechless.

That statement just now. It was warm.

It showed warmth but wasn’t servile.

She didn’t seem thirsty for affection or look lonely.

“What do you mean?”

“I said I’d like us to be good family.”

Rich sister. I’ll treat you well for real.

Let’s be close!

“It’s heartwarming, Viola.”

Just as Viola stayed alert, Hela didn’t let her guard down either.

The clever Hela interpreted Viola’s warmth in her own way.

‘There must be sharp thorns hidden within that warm tone.’

What does a good “family” mean to a Bellatu?

It is a concept that differs significantly from the typical notion of “family.”

A Bellatu’s “good family” means that they can make use of each other.

A good family is one that can maximize benefits by taking advantage of each other’s strengths.

Viola’s words hinted at that.

‘I like that warmth.’

Hela unconsciously smiled.

Viola felt something ominous about that expression.

The next day.

Hela came to visit again.

“I have a place to go with you for a moment. Is that okay?”

“A place?”

Hela lowered her voice and continued.

“Yeah. I want to create a secret just for us.”

*

This phrase appears in the novel.

“A smart rabbit digs three burrows.”

The clever rabbit referred to Hela.

Hela had felt her physical limitations early on and, accordingly, prepared various countermeasures in advance.

“Located at the crossroads of the seasons, ‘Tera District’ was one of them.”

4th Princess Hela had realized long before that ice, common in the winter castle, was regarded as rare in the southern regions.

“To transport ice without melting it, magical power was essential.”

4th Princess Hela mobilized mages to create the Tera District.

This happened when she was nine years old.”

Viola fell into thought as she recalled the original content.

The place Hela wanted to go together was the ‘Tera District.’

That was fine up to that point. But there was a slight problem.

“You and I. I want to create a secret just for us.”

“A secret?”

“It’s a secret from the butlers. I want to go there with just you. I’ll show you my secretly nurtured power.”

“Not even the butlers know?”

“Yeah. It’s a secret. It’s a district I’ve been secretly cultivating.”

“What about father?”

“He doesn’t know either.”

“Why is it a secret?”

“Because an invisible knife is scarier than a visible knife.”

Originally, Viola and Hela wouldn’t become close.

There wasn’t such content in the original work.

Han Ah-rin had to solve this situation on her own without the original’s assistance.

That was the problem.

“There’s no way it’s a secret from the butlers.”

The butlers couldn’t possibly not know.

And there was no way that father wouldn’t know about the events occurring within the winter castle.

Yet, she stated otherwise.

“Father doesn’t know? About what happens inside the winter castle?”

That’s a lie.

It’s impossible.

So the answer was one thing.

“She’s lying to me.”

Then, was this a test for Viola herself?

What kind of test?

Could it perhaps be a scheme?

I couldn’t rule out the thought of a sinister scheme.

‘Since betrayal is commonplace in this world.’

Viola decided to prepare in her own way.

*

Viola examined the note Hela left behind.

[At 3:18 PM, I’ll exit through the western gate.

Viola, you come out through the southern gate 40 minutes later. Let’s meet at the crossroads of the seasons.

You must come alone.]

Viola left the Duke’s mansion alone.

No one stopped the seven-year-old young noblewoman from moving on her own.

‘They let me go out alone so easily?’

Without a butler.

‘Hela must have arranged things in advance.’

She likely had the gatekeepers handled beforehand.

If it were the Hela from the novel, she had the capability to do so.

‘Should I go?’

She moved her steps.

Crossroads of the seasons,

It was the third biggest intersection within the winter castle.

People and goods were bustling about, and numerous buildings rose along the main road in this bustling area.

However, behind this bustling area were tangled alleys resembling spider webs.

The main road was glamorous, but the nearby side streets were neglected.

It was one of the places where the socioeconomic disparity of the winter castle could be clearly felt.

‘According to the map…’

It seemed to be this way.

She walked following the map.

‘Turn left.’

Up ahead, she spotted a shabby tavern.

[Moonlit Night.]

It didn’t seem to be open yet since it was still daytime.

‘After passing by the Moonlit Night, turn down the second alley on the right.’

It was explained that a small two-story building would come into view.

But the building was nowhere to be seen.

‘There’s no building?’

It was blocked off.

Instead of a building, there was a wall where a building should’ve been. It was a dead-end alley.

Creeeak—

The wooden door of the Moonlit Night opened.

Four masked individuals walked out from there, wielding menacing weapons.

One of the masked men spoke.

“What brings a precious young noblewoman to this narrow, shabby alley?”

“Looks like you came alone and got lost.”

One man was holding a large hand axe.

“Charles was right, wasn’t he? If we wait here, we can catch one or two daft young noblewomen.”

“Exactly. What a big harvest after just two days!”

The four men slowly approached.

They radiated a menacing aura.

Like they had met the sworn enemies of their parents.

“From head to toe, nothing but valuables.”

“Is that all? Isn’t she a noble young lady?”

They spoke as if to be overheard.

“Right. A noble young lady without a guardian is quite the priceless treasure.”

This wasn’t entirely incorrect.

Among slaves, the most preferred were the children of fallen nobles.

“We need to deal with this quickly.

The winter castle’s security is quite good, after all.”

“Let’s kidnap her and head south before the guards catch wind of it.”

The four men surrounded Viola.

At that moment, Viola grinned.

“Masked gentlemen.”

Han Ah-rin was a reader of this novel.

She took pride in knowing more about Hela than Hela herself.

Viola grabbed the hem of her skirt and bowed slightly.

“My name is Viola Bellatu. I have turned seven this year.”

Han Ah-rin decided to unravel the situation her own way.