I took on the role of an adopted daughter a bit too well. Chapter 51: Tundra couldn’t help but snicker repeatedly.

In my hands, I held ten egg tarts.

Viola once said, “You can eat about ten, right?”

And there they were, exactly ten.

“I hope she likes them.”

These egg tarts were made with extra care.

I really wanted Viola to enjoy eating them.

“I hope she does.”

Just imagining that moment filled me with joy.

But on the other hand, I was worried.

Whenever it involved Viola, I found myself fussing about every little thing.

“Will she get angry?”

She should like them since they were obtained through proper means.

The sweet aroma of the egg tarts tickled my nose.

“They look delicious.”

I couldn’t help but drool a little.

In fact, Tundra also really loved these egg tarts.

He always gave up his share because Viola liked them.

It was a taste I could only experience in Winter Castle, and I was thankful that Azulegia was nearby.

Knock, knock.

I knocked and entered Viola’s room.

“Here are ten egg tarts. The shopkeeper from Azulegia specially made them.”

Fortunately, Viola liked them.

After requesting a bitter citrus tea, she paired it with the egg tarts.

Chomp!

In no time, she had devoured four.

“Tundra. Sit down too.”

“How could a dog sit at its master’s table?”

Tundra stood stiffly, looking down at Viola.

Viola found that uncomfortable.

So, true to Bellatu style, she said fiercely, “I find it unpleasant when you look down on me from above.”

“I apologize.”

Tundra knelt right there, lowering his eye level to be below that of Viola, who was sitting in a chair.

I must have given him the wrong order.

“Ugh.”

It became even more awkward.

“Just sit already.”

Tundra had a bit of an obsession with manners.

“Anyway, stubborn dog.”

I could command him to sit in front of me, but I chose not to go that far.

“Isn’t he just as stubborn as Han-jun in strange ways?”

Han-jun also had his quirks.

With his tightly pursed lips, he seemed to take my displeasure entirely at face value, kneeling and staring at the ground with no flexibility whatsoever.

He must be uncomfortable on his knees, but he didn’t show it at all.

“Why does he behave more like Han-jun as time goes on?”

The older he got, the more so.

The version of Han-jun that loomed large in the memory of Han Ah-rin was from his late teens to early twenties.

Tundra had reached seventeen and was drawing ever closer to the image of the powerful Han-jun from those memories.

“Han-jun loved sweets too.”

He was even nicknamed the chocolate killer in the orphanage.

“Interested in one?”

“How could a dog eat with its master? I’m just happy and enjoying the time spent with my lord.”

“… You don’t like sweets?”

“I dislike sweets.”

But why was he swallowing so hard?

And why were his nostrils flaring?

“Do you really hate them?”

“Yes, I do.”

Viola narrowed her eyes.

It was obvious he loved them, but he insisted he disliked them.

“I hate lying dogs.”

He flinched.

Tundra’s body trembled.

“I’ll ask again. You don’t like sweets?”

Tundra hesitated for a moment.

He was quite flustered.

If he admitted to liking sweets now, it would mean he had just lied.

But if he said he disliked them, I felt like Viola would be disappointed.

“Open your mouth.”

Viola forcefully shoved an egg tart into Tundra’s mouth.

Tundra couldn’t react.

Mumbling with the egg tart in his mouth, he said, “Gamsahamnida (Thank you).”

“Be honest in front of me.”

“Yes.”

There was a bit of egg cream smeared on the corner of Tundra’s mouth.

He seemed so nervous that he didn’t even notice it.

‘How cute.’

Was my older brother like this in his childhood?

The fifteen-year-old Han-jun from my memories had been quite big, and from Viola’s point of view, he didn’t seem that large at all.

With Han Ah-rin’s consciousness, Viola saw Tundra as a young version of Han-jun.

‘What should I say for him to treat me more comfortably?’

Just saying “treat me comfortably” wouldn’t mean much to him.

In the style of adapting to the world of “Bellatu’s Shadow,” I said, “You are a dog. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know the difference between a person and a dog?”

“If you tell me, I’ll study.”

Seeing his extremely polite response, I felt even more frustrated.

“People need to think deeply, while dogs don’t have to think deeply.”

“…”

“If you like something, just say you like it. If you dislike something, say you dislike it. If you are happy, say you’re happy. If you’re hungry, say you’re hungry. Just be honest. You’re a dog. Why think so deeply about anything?”

If you want to eat, just say you want to eat.

If you like sweets, just say you like them.

I couldn’t understand why it was so hard.

“I’m sorry.”

“If you understand the meaning of that, figure out your identity properly. Got it?”

*

Tundra felt like he had just been hit over the head.

Viola’s words were all true.

A dog is a dog.

A dog shouldn’t pretend to be a person.

‘She scolded me.’

I was reprimanded.

Then I needed to show a changed side.

‘Act honestly, like a dog.’

That was what Viola wanted.

So Tundra decided to do just that.

It wouldn’t happen overnight, but he resolved to be a bit more honest in front of Viola.

And the next day…

I went to look for Viola again.

As it turned out, Viola was having tea with Zeno.

“I brought this for you, my lord.”

I decided to act like a dog.

After being reprimanded and taught, Tundra moved without hesitation.

Viola tilted her head.

“Flowers?”

It was a vase holding white flowers.

Zeno’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s a Marguerite flower.”

Marguerite had pure white petals with a yellow center.

Viola’s gaze fell on the vase.

“I remembered seeing you admire this flower blooming by the roadside.”

“Tundra, do you know the meaning of this flower?”

“I don’t.”

Tundra was confident.

He didn’t know anything about flower meanings.

He just recalled Viola’s gaze landing on those flowers, and he wanted to bring them to her.

Viola murmured, “True love. Prophecy. To reveal secrets.”

“Do you study the meanings of flowers, your highness?”

Viola simply stared at the vase.

I didn’t understand why this was happening.

‘But it was an amulet that Han-jun gave me long ago.’

‘Take this.’

‘If you keep this, good luck will come to you.’

At that time, Han-jun didn’t even know the name of this flower.

He just said he brought it because it looked pretty.

For Han Ah-rin, who had a hard time in the orphanage, the Marguerite served as an amulet.

Time passed, and she had looked it up in a dictionary.

[The meaning of the Marguerite flower is ‘true love, prophecy, foretelling love, revealing secrets.’]

So, Han Ah-rin secretly fluttered with excitement.

She even imagined the absurd thought that her childhood Han-jun confessed to her through the flower.

But, “Hey, you once gave me a Marguerite flower.”

“Ah, did I?”

“Yeah. It was an amulet for me.”

“I should’ve given you more amulets since you cried so much.”

“Do you know the meaning of the Marguerite flower?”

“Let’s see? I don’t know.”

Actually, I did, but pretended not to know.

I felt embarrassed for being overly excited.

Zeno said, “It seems you have no idea about flower meanings.”

“I didn’t know, but is that a problem, Zeno?”

“No, if the princess doesn’t take issue with it, it won’t be a problem.”

Zeno’s eyes narrowed even further.

“By the way, this vase has been treated with a special magic. It must have been costly.”

“I also receive a salary from Bellatu.”

For the past three years, Tundra had been receiving a salary from the Bellatu Duke House.

This was Zeno’s consideration.

He ensured Tundra had enough to maintain the minimum level of dignity while serving Princess Viola.

“An item like this would take three years of saving without touching a single penny, you know?”

Tundra nodded.

“I’m simply grateful to be able to gift three years of effort.”

I really hoped that Viola would like it.

I hoped she would be happy.

I hoped she would enjoy it.

Those thoughts completely occupied my mind.

‘Will she like it?’

I glanced at Viola to gauge her mood.

She seemed to be both happy and unhappy.

With a mysterious expression, she kept staring at the Marguerite vase.

‘What on earth is she thinking about?’

Was this just a coincidence?

A person with Han-jun’s exact face suddenly gifted me a flower.

‘Especially a Marguerite, and how come I don’t even know its meaning?’

Why was he acting so much like Han-jun?

‘You aren’t my brother.’

Viola opened her mouth.

Even though he wasn’t Han-jun, he reminded me of him.

I had to firmly restrain myself.

‘He’s not Han-jun.’

I steeled my heart.

I said coldly, “What if you used three years of effort on weapons or armor instead? As a dog, sharpen your teeth.”

It was both a harsh admonition towards Tundra and a self-flagellation for Viola.

And then a few days later,

Viola received her official second mission from White Bellatu.

‘So it has come to this.’

It was a mission that Viola herself had requested.

Duke Heron accepted Viola’s request.

‘I never thought the day would come when I’d be dispatched as an envoy.’

In reality, it had been the second time.

I had already been to Storm Fortress.

I wanted to live long and happily, but being dispatched as an envoy at the age of twelve was quite something.

‘Still, this must mean I’m doing well, right?’

It felt like I was getting involved in bigger affairs, but it must just be my imagination.

‘Still, it’s better to struggle as an envoy now than face the great mage Bengus in the future, I guess.’

The news of Viola’s envoy dispatch was covered quite thoroughly by several newspapers, and rumors about her began to spread across the world.