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### Chapter 034: I Overdid the Role of an Adopted Daughter

“Is this it?”

It was quite large.

It was a ten-story building.

This was a fantasy world.

Although magical engineering had advanced, the architectural technology for building tall structures wasn’t exactly phenomenal.

The magical engineering here wasn’t necessarily inferior to science; it was just that in this vast land, there wasn’t really a need to build higher than necessary.

“A ten-story building? That’s pretty impressive, isn’t it?”

It was hard to make a direct comparison, but it felt like it could be likened to a building about 70 stories tall in modern terms.

It was the biggest building in the area.

Viola’s heart raced.

“Owner of the building!”

They say there’s a creator above the creator.

“But being a building owner at twelve years old?”

In some ways, that was a ridiculously overpowered character.

I had read the original work and knew this, but feeling it firsthand made it all the more poignant.

I reassured myself.

I must get along well with her.

“I really like you, Sister. Truly, sincerely.”

I stepped into the top of the Tera building.

Inside, people of all kinds were bustling about.

“Who’s the shopkeeper here?”

“You know about that?”

I assumed that being from the slums, she wouldn’t know anything.

The more I looked, the more astonishing it became.

I kept thinking that my father hadn’t brought me to Bellatu for no reason.

“There used to be a respected merchant nearby.”

It wasn’t “there is,” but “there was.”

“What about now?”

“Dead.”

Viola’s heart sank.

Such details weren’t elaborated on in the original.

Just to confirm, I steadied my mind and asked,

“Did you kill him?”

“Of course not.”

That’s what I thought.

The nature of the Bellatu family was clear.

They were brutal to enemies but didn’t indiscriminately murder commoners.

“He was dead.”

Hela said quietly.

“So, what did you ask about?”

I could tell where Viola was going with this.

“Seivan Marcos!”

That’s right.

Owner of the Tera building.

At this point, the current owner was Seivan Marcos.

He could skin a body to recreate a completely identical person.

It seemed Seivan Marcos was playing the role of the shopkeeper by removing a face.

“Ahhh!”

I suddenly lost my guard.

Right. This world is like that.

I mustn’t let my guard down.

Viola steadied her heart.

“So where is Seivan Marcos?”

“Seivan Marcos?”

Hela turned her head to look at Viola.

Hela chuckled again.

She wasn’t denying the facts.

“You figured that out already?”

Hela reached out her hand. Viola, confused, took it.

Hela pulled the hand and placed it over her left breast.

“Do you feel it?”

“The heartbeat?”

“Yes. You would know if it’s you.”

What does that even mean?

I didn’t understand her words at all.

“That my heartbeat is much faster than usual.”

Ah, that’s what she meant?

“I’m a bit happy to meet you, Viola.”

Although it was a situation Viola intended, it felt somewhat embarrassing.

Still, Hela was relatively within the normal range for a Bellatu kid.

Using knowledge from the original work to charm this kid’s heart felt oddly unsettling.

‘What’s unsettling about it?’

I steadied my heart again.

‘It’s fine if we become really close.’

Having a rich friend is great, right?

Especially if it’s a building owner friend, even better.

Wouldn’t it be nice to help this building owner grow even bigger?’

Hela chuckled several times.

I felt confident that I could definitely become good friends with Hela.

Then, using knowledge from the original work, I could help Hela, which would be even better.

‘Well, Hela would probably sort things out in time anyway.’

But what if I sped up that timing a little bit?

Then we could get closer, and she’d be on my side!

After roaming inside the building with Hela, they boarded a carriage.

“Sister.”

“Yes?”

“Do you have a lot of money?”

Hela smiled brightly.

“Why? Are you trying to rob me? Are you greedy after seeing my wealth?”

“What would I do with a few measly coins?”

In the future, Hela would become a mogul.

Even now, she was rich but would be even richer in the future.

“Measly coins? I’m still pretty wealthy, you know.”

“You’re not rich.”

Viola firmly denied it.

That was the truth.

Compared to future Hela, she was practically at a beggar level.

I met Viola’s confident gaze.

I realized that Viola was indeed filled with assurance.

‘She can’t be serious, can she?’

Hela felt a bit flustered inside.

Seeing the size of the building, calling it “measly coins” was surprising.

‘She said she grew up in the slums, right?’

Still, her confidence seemed as vast as a whale.

Han Ah-rin, who felt like she would gain a future tycoon friend, excitedly continued.

“I’m talking about cash. Tangible assets and cash assets are different, right? Isn’t cash always lacking for you, sister?”

…

Where did that cash idea suddenly come from?

“I want to join your business.”

It would be good for both of us.

All three of us benefit, right?

“How much do you have?”

“Nothing.”

“Then how are you planning to join?”

“Sister, how much do you need?”

If she just gives the money, Hela will know how to grow it.

Hela would never lie or scam about money.

“If I say I need a certain amount, would you get it for me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To invest in you, sister.”

Hela chuckled again. Investing in her sister?

What on earth does this kid believe in?

“What if I run off with it?”

“Then my judgment was wrong.”

No way. My sister won’t run off with it.

She’s not the type to mess with money.

Hela laughed again, clearly amused.

Where does her confidence come from?

Hela said, “One hundred million Dalia.”

She didn’t actually need a hundred million Dalia.

In fact, for Hela, a hundred million Dalia was not such a huge sum that could dramatically affect her business.

This one hundred million Dalia was the most realistic amount that Viola could muster up in Hela’s view and also a symbolic number.

“One hundred million Dalia?”

“Yes. Too much?”

“No. It’s actually too little than I expected.”

“It shouldn’t be so easy, right?”

“I’ll get it for you.”

Hela pondered, lightly tapping her chin.

“What’s your scheme?”

“You’ll find out in due time.”

A few days later,

There was chaos in the finance department managing Bellatu’s finances.

*

Zeno pulled out a white towel to wipe his forehead.

“Are you really going to see the Duke yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Zeno wiped his forehead again.

Real sweat, which didn’t even appear when Duchess Isabella was grasping her neck, was now flowing.

“As you know, the Duke is extremely busy, and he values time more than gold.”

“So?”

Viola crossed her legs, comfortably sitting.

Even if her short legs didn’t touch the ground, she didn’t fall short of the Duchess’s ambiance.

“He really dislikes visiting without a prior appointment.”

“Then I told the butler to schedule an appointment.”

“So, the reason for the appointment is… you want to ask for some pocket money, right?”

Zeno cleared his throat, hoping to clarify; Viola nodded.

“Could you reconsider? I feel like I might lose my head here.”

But Viola was firm.

Zeno sighed dramatically, looking as if he had lost everything, before closing the door behind him.

He walked away, his expression changing in an instant.

The gloomy look he had in front of Viola vanished completely.

‘He should be in the study at this time.’

He headed straight towards the Duke’s study.

Knock knock.

He knocked and stepped in.

Sure enough.

As the Duke lived like a machine every day, he was busy working in his study.

“Duke, Viola says she really wants to see you.”

Hera, who was writing something with a quill, looked at Zeno.

“And the reason?”

“Um…”

He smiled awkwardly.

“She asks for some allowance.”

While looking at Zeno, the pen he was moving suddenly stopped.

Zeno smiled sheepishly.

“Should I tell her it’s not happening?”

“If that’s what you were thinking, you wouldn’t have said that to begin with.”

Zeno stood at attention.

“I’m sorry.”

“No.”

Hera trusted Zeno.

“Bring her in.”

“Yes, understood.”

Zeno stepped out.

Carlton, standing behind Hera, asked, “You’re not getting angry?”

“It’s amusing, isn’t it?”

“But you value your time even more than anything else, right?”

“Then you should just keep your mouth shut.”

“I’m sorry.”

Carlton held his tongue.

Hera began signing the documents on the desk.

Carlton found it hard to understand.

The Duke’s demeanor was a bit different from usual.

He didn’t like nonsense.

He detested people who wasted his time with senseless chatter.

To unexpectedly make a request and ask for allowance? Yet the Duke accepted it.

It was strange.

‘Is he planning to firmly reprimand her for it?’

Soon after,

A knock was heard.

It was Princess Viola.

Duke Heron, seated in his chair, looked at Viola.

“So you asked for some allowance?”

“Yes.”

Viola swallowed her saliva without realizing.

Why did her father have such an intimidating aura?

His glare seemed capable of chewing up the whole world.

“Why?”

“I need some money.”

Chief Butler Carlton was baffled.

This was the first time he had seen a princess frantically demanding her allowance directly in the Duke’s study.

Such a situation was unimaginable; Carlton looked at Viola with astonishment.

How could she be so brazen?

‘With that kind of attitude, she’ll lose her head for sure…’

Carlton thought.

But that thought was incorrect.

This method had already been used successfully by Rael.

““Please give me some allowance too.”

“Why?”

“Because I need some money.”

The Duke surprisingly liked straightforwardness.

He preferred direct speech over plotting behind the scenes.

Just that everyone was too afraid to try because of the Duke’s ominous presence and his piercing gaze.

Han Ah-rin, once a reader, had deeply studied her favorite character, Heron, and knew how to deal with him.

“Since Father formally adopted me, as his daughter, I have the right to demand some pocket money, don’t you think?”

“And that’s why you came here?”

“To use pocket money as an excuse to see Father again.”

At those words, the Duke paused for a moment.

An awkward silence enveloped the room, and Chief Butler Carlton began to sweat.