입양딸 역할을 지나치게 잘해버렸다 065화

“I have something to say.”

Zeno smiled brightly.

He continued with a kind expression and warm tone.

“I want to do a little background check on Prince Jeremy.”

“……Huh?”

My younger sister, Jeremi, who was typically positive and absent-minded, let out a giggle as if she didn’t quite understand.

“My background check?”

“Yeah.”

Zeno looked at Jeremi with a warm smile.

Jeremy also laughed heartily while facing Zeno.

An awkward silence hung between them.

“Um. So you’re talking about checking my background? Not someone else’s, but mine.”

“Yup. I want to do a background check on Prince Jeremy.”

“You’re saying that so openly?”

“I wanted to get your permission.”

“Does that mean if I don’t give permission, you won’t do the background check?”

“Well, I’d still do it.”

“Then why did you ask?”

“People’s feelings are different, you know. It’s different to get permission and not get it.”

Jeremy blinked a few times.

It seemed Zeno was an unpredictable character even to him.

Viola, who was quite used to Zeno’s personality, just watched quietly.

‘But why does he want to do a background check?’

Given Jeremy’s character, he was likely to just say okay.

But did Zeno have a reason to insist on checking Jeremy’s background?

No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem like there was any particular reason.

“I’ll set a condition in exchange for letting you check my background.”

“What kind of condition?”

“I’ll drop the honorifics.”

Jeremy giggled.

Viola found that laugh somewhat irritating.

Was a dead ghost clinging to him because he couldn’t speak informally? Every time he turned around, he wanted to drop the honorifics.

Zeno, who openly declared he’d do a background check, and Jeremy, who accepted it in exchange for dropping the honorifics.

‘Neither of them seems to be in their right mind.’

I had to pull myself together.

There were all sorts of unpredictable individuals spread across this world.

“But why are you doing a background check on me?”

“Hmm.”

Zeno tilted his head.

He seemed to ponder for a moment before answering honestly.

He had no lies to tell.

“Because Duke Heron gave the order.”

“Lord of Winter Castle?”

“Yeah. He directly ordered it via written document.”

“Why?”

“Well, I’ve never thought about it from the perspective of the one who received the order.”

“You must have some idea of why.”

Viola also focused on Zeno’s words.

Why exactly did Heron suddenly want to check on Jeremy?

This content was completely absent from the original work.

Even recalling the world-building materials, there was no reason for Heron to investigate Jeremy.

‘Are there things happening that I don’t know about?’

It couldn’t be said that this was strange.

Viola had changed many things, and the butterfly effect could not be ignored.

Viola thought rationally.

‘There seems to be some political issue between Winter Castle and Storm Fortress.’

However, Jeremy thought a little differently.

‘So Duke Heron is just a dad like any other.’

He didn’t think about it in the complex and difficult way that Viola did.

He understood intuitively.

‘The notorious Prince Jeremy, who will soon enter the social circle, attracting all sorts of rumors.’

Jeremy was somewhat aware of all the rumors surrounding him.

The most outrageous rumor was that he had twenty-four wives.

It was absurd to the core, yet some people even believed that rumor.

‘And I am sticking next to his daughter.

So it only makes sense that they want to investigate me.’

Jeremy said, “But is it really okay to be this open about it?”

“I didn’t receive any order to keep it a secret.”

“Still, it’s usually supposed to be a secret, right?”

“In cases where secrecy is required, there’s a special marker that indicates it’s a secret mission.”

“I see.”

Which meant it didn’t necessarily require secrecy.

Jeremy chuckled.

So the pretext was a background check.

But it would be more accurate to read it as a warning.

A warning shot fired at the dark hand reaching towards a father’s daughter,

‘I’ll be watching you openly, so take care of yourself, or something like that?’

Jeremy felt more amused by the situation.

Having already felt a bit competitive because of Tundra,

‘Tundra is one thing.

I’ve heard he saved Tundra’s life.

He took him in and has helped him so far, and Tundra has grown up just fine, taking on the role of a pet dog.

So it was understandable why Tundra was obsessed with Viola.

‘But Duke Heron too?’

The more it developed, the more it fueled his competitiveness.

Why do they all want to get close to Viola amongst themselves?

Why are they excluding everyone else?

That didn’t seem like a good thing.

‘How fascinating, how interesting.’

He mumbled quietly.

“I want to get closer and closer.”

Viola shivered for no reason.

*

By the time they reached their destination, the “Red Tree Forest,” Viola was deep in thought.

Why is my father behaving like this?

What kind of political dynamics could be involved?

As a White Bellatu, what position and attitude should I take?

‘Truly, unraveling content that isn’t in the novel is brain-racking.’

Anyway, they arrived at the Red Tree Forest.

The name was given because the trunks made up a forest of red trees.

“The first exploration team went missing around here. The location of their disappearance is this way.”

Jeremy pointed to a spot on the map and moved ahead.

After about two hours, Jeremy once again pointed to a location on the map.

“The second exploration team went missing here.

And the third exploration team had reported this would be where the ruins are.”

Discovering the existence of ruins was the exploration team’s job.

Activating those ruins and thoroughly investigating them was the “responsibility and duty of those in power.”

“I hope something really good comes out.”

According to the setting in the novel, there existed an ancient civilization called the “Golden Magic Civilization.”

Most of the ruins discovered currently were remnants of this “Golden Magic Civilization,” and tons of magical books, historical documents, and practical magical items and knowledge had been excavated from here.

“If it can help the people’s daily lives, that would be preferable. Don’t you think so, Viola?”

Most items from the Golden Magic Civilization were valuable.

Some of them were of great help to the common people.

Thus, those with power.

That is to say, martial artists or mages had to properly explore the ruins and bring that civilization into the spotlight.

Because that would be a positive contribution to the world.

‘But I know what will come out of here.’

A special magic circle that allows pact with guardian spirits is generated.

A special space that helps to make a pact with spirits, even with a low affinity.

‘First, I need to find a trident-shaped tree.’

Viola knew exactly how this place operated, what traps there were, and how to make a pact with the spirits.

‘For now, let’s just stay still.

Outwardly, it’ll be Viola’s first time here.

Having too much knowledge here would be an issue.

Six hours had passed since they entered the forest.

The night in the forest came very quickly.

‘It’s already dark.’

Whoosh!

Zeno lit a campfire.

“I don’t sense any dangerous monsters in the area, but just in case, I will take the night watch.”

“Why would the exploration teams go missing twice if there’s no dangerous monster?”

Viola pointed out the crux of the matter.

“Don’t classify dangerous monsters based on your standards; classify them based on the standards of regular people who lack mana.”

“In that case, this forest is incredibly dangerous, Your Highness.”

“Right. What should we do then?”

“I won’t let my guard down.”

Zeno smiled sweetly.

‘So you’re testing me, huh?

As a butler for the Bellatu family, I have to give my best at every moment.

No matter how safe the situation is and whether it’s practice, it should always be treated like the real thing.

Viola Bellatu was relaying that message now.

Don’t let your guard down and treat it like reality.

It was a heartfelt warning not to become complacent just because it’s not dangerous.

‘As expected of our princess!’

Viola let out a sigh of relief internally.

Just please get your standards right.

What isn’t dangerous to you is dangerous to me.

‘Anyway… I’ll do my best to take night watch.’

In truth, Viola was scared of this dark forest.

According to the description in the novel, it was a forest where faint wails could be heard.

It said that ghost-type monsters often appeared, luring explorers who entered the Red Tree Forest.

‘If Zeno stands watch seriously, we’ll be safe.’

Whooosh—

A sinister wind blew from somewhere.

Heeheehee~

The wails also echoed around.

The sound of spirits buried in the wind sharpened Viola’s nerves.

‘Ugh. I can’t sleep.’

I tried to sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come.

Why is the ground so damp?

Inside this magic tent, where a certain temperature and humidity are maintained, it felt unreasonably damp.

Morning came.

The ominous feeling of the wind disappeared, and the wailing ceased.

The morning sunlight peeked through the leaves, brightening the surroundings.

‘I can’t stay like this.’

In the story, Jeremy was said to have wandered around here for quite some time.

In the novel, it was described as ‘a few days later, by chance.’

‘I don’t want to stay here for days more.

Thoughts of the warm bed and delicious food at home came to mind.

Ah. I want to eat egg tarts.

I also want pancakes topped with honey.

And strawberry aid, floating with jiggly ice.

No, today, I strangely feel like having a strawberry shake.

“How long are you planning to wander around?”

“Today is only the second day!”

“Don’t you think it’s weird that you still don’t know something?”

Of course, not knowing was natural.

Jeremy was a martial artist, not a professional explorer.

Explorers had gone missing twice.

‘Thinking about it makes it a really irrational system.’

The ordinary exploration team first explores the site where ruins are supposed to be and submits a report.

Then, the noble class with power revisits to explore the ruins.

‘Anyway, it’s irrational. It would be much easier if they just came with explorers.’

There were reasons and logical explanations for it.

If a commoner dies or gets injured when a noble is present, the responsibility lies solely with the noble.

The “powerful” person who couldn’t protect them carries the burden.

So they let the exploration happen first and have nobles move separately.

‘No, I can’t. I need to tweak this setting for my safety and a happy future.’

Later, one of the social reformers, Lucas, will appear and change society.

He will grant titles to skilled explorers among explorers.

That way, there will be no issues.

But that’s a far-off future.

Anyway, for now, I needed to focus on the present task.

Viola took out her dagger and lightly grazed the tree trunk.

“This dagger is a specialty from the Winter Castle workshop.”

“Looks like it.”

“Any regular wood would have scratched the moment it touched it.”

But there was no scratch.

“The Red Tree is this sturdy. That’s why it used to be used as a material for magical armor.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“It’s too vulnerable to fire attacks.

As magical civilization advanced, fire magic also developed, and defenses made from Red Trees became too weak against fire magic. Ultimately, they faded into the annals of history.”

Viola pointed to one of the trees.

“Look at the tip of that tree.”

Jeremy tilted his head and looked up at the top of the tree.

“Aren’t the branches a bit strange?”

“Oh, now that you mention it, it does look a bit odd. It looks artificially cut. This sturdy wood.”

Some branches had taken on the shape of a trident.

Only a few trees looked like that; it didn’t seem like a characteristic of Red Trees.

It looked like someone had carved it out.

“Someone must have made that artificially. Do I need to explain everything to you?”

Viola walked over, placing her hand on the tree.

But then, something unexpected happened that even Viola didn’t see coming.

Suddenly, a strange voice echoed in Viola’s head.

[Who are you?]