I Played the Role of the Adopted Daughter Too Well - Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Tundra jumped up. “No!”The sound rang loudly. His cries even expended a small amount of mana.

Hickson hit the back of Tundra’s head. “Why are you screaming and going crazy?”

“Oh…”

With those final words, Jermi and Viola went on and held hands.

To be exact, it was actually just for a handshake, but in Tundra’s eyes, it seemed to have been holding hands.

He felt very unpleasant, thus asking Hickson, “Teacher, don’t you feel bad?”

“What?”

“Prince Jermi said he would be friends with the princess.”

“Viola accepted it.”

Instinctively, he hated it. The fact that Viola was burdened with Jermi.

That was why he hated him.

“Viola. I’m going to borrow him for a second.”

“Why?”

“I have a place to take him to.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know if I can tell you. Anyway, I thought of a way to make this man more powerful.”

Tundra actually tried to refuse. He didn’t want to be away from Viola for a moment, thinking it was a natural mindset as a dog.

“Will he become stronger?”‘

He realized it again while having a duel with Jermi. Tundra was progressing rapidly, but it was not enough compared to how far he had yet to go. If he had won overwhelmingly, it occurred to him that Viola would not have become friends with Jermi.

“Tundra, do you want to go?”

No.

He wanted to be by her side more.

But he hid his secret. He had to be strong.

“I will go.”

“Yeah, then go.”

This sight was also unfamiliar to Jermi. The Viola that he thought of was a person who ruled and commanded.

‘For someone to act like that towards a servant…’

Still, she seemed to care enough about Tundra.

She asked Tundra’s intention first, and she was doing what Tundra wanted.

Viola spoke informally, “Let’s go tomorrow at nine in the morning. Is that good?”

“Okay, good. I’ll be waiting at the front gate.”

Watching Jermi comfortably talking informally, Tundra growled again.

***
That night.

Tundra went to the place where Jermi was staying, a shabby inn’s room instead of a comfortable room provided by the institution.

“Why are you here?”

Jermi shrugged. “What kind of place is this?”

“…”

“An old and shabby place?” Jermi laughed softly. “Most people live like this. Have you forgotten?”

Tundra lived in far worse places than this one. His family had lived in a hut made of logs in a mountainous area without any infrastructure.

The security was bad and there was not enough food to eat.

‘…I forgot.’

His life with Viola was so abundant.

As he lived in a finely crafted house with everything, he forgot about the previous state of his life.

“If you look down from a high place, you cannot empathize with many people.”

“…”

“If you are a man of great power, you should have an eye-level suitable for that power. You said you want to be next to Viola.”

‘Why are you suddenly preaching to me?’

Tundra was speechless at the moment. He didn’t understand what Jermi was saying, so he just quietly listened.

“Viola is a ruler. I was born with a similar fate. The both of us must act like this, act appropriately.”

Jermi read Viola’s greed. In his eyes, she was a little girl who wanted to swallow Verratoux whole.

“So you have to fill in for the things that Viola can’t do. A role that empathizes with the people and approaches them from a humble point of view.”

“…”

She was a person with great ambition and desire to dominate, but at the same time, she was a warm person. There was a gap between what she wanted to be and what she was.

“She’s a warm person. That’s right. I’m also a person who shouldn’t be seen as warm. To anyone. So, for warmth… That role is yours.”

“…Thank you for your advice.”

“Why did you come to see me?”

“I came to warn you.”

“Warning? What warning?”

“You’re so close to the princess. What are your intentions?”

“What do you mean? I want to be friends with her.”

“Even at the expense of damages?” Tundra thought Jermi was being reckless.

He’d even hand over the priority of compensation for whatever was found at the historical sites. It was difficult for him to understand why Jermi made this choice.

“Can’t I just take the loss and leave it at that?”

What?

“I have a crush on Viola.”

It wasn’t something he could explain, something beyond rationality.

Jermi felt intrigued and amused when he saw her.

“If I like someone, can’t I lose some money?”

“If that’s your intention, I guess so”.

“Exactly.”

However, Tundra did not fully believe in Jermi.

Among the rumors about the scholar, there were also many rumors of ill intent.

Regardless of his conduct, he was wildly influential. There were also rumors that he had deceived many young women. It was an unavoidable rumor that followed him because of his splendid appearance.

“If you do anything wrong to the princess, I’ll slit your throat.”

“Isn’t that a bit excessive?”

Jermi tilted his head. Rather than feeling bad, he looked genuinely curious. “If you claim to be a faithful servant, be faithful to your role. You’re obsessed with the princess.”

“I think you misunderstand my role. I don’t intend to be a loyal servant. My dream is not to be a servant, but a dog.”

“Are you serious about that?”

“Of course.”

Jermi read the sincerity contained in Tundra’s eyes.

To be able to say such nonsense so seriously…

Even Jermi smiled in vain. “Do you get jealous if I hold her hand when I talk to her?”

“It’s not holding hands, it’s shaking hands.”

“But the physical touch is there.”

Tundra growled again.

Jermi felt that sound was very interesting. “Hmm, anyway, you’re jealous. It’s fun. It’s a research subject.”

Returning to his own mansion, Tundra was deeply thoughtful. His head and heart were in conflict.

‘Jermi seems like a good guy.’

That’s how he felt. He had a special ability to sense the smell of mana. That helped him roughly guess whether a person was good or bad.

Jermi’s smell was good. No malice was felt at all.

‘But why do I hate him?’

He was definitely a good person, one who could be of great help to Viola.

‘Then I guess I’ll have to maintain a good relationship with Jermi.’

‘I don’t want to.’

‘Why?’

‘I’m someone who helps Viola.’

‘I should like it when she makes decisions that are good for her position.’

‘I do not know.’

Tundra tossed and turned in anguish after a long time.

***
Viola, who was treated to a grand farewell dinner by Viscount Seal, changed into comfortable leather clothes.

“It’s sad.”

“What?”

“The princess in leather is nice too, but in fact, the dress is much cuter.”

Viola frowned slightly.

In the original, Xenon never mentioned ‘cuteness’.

Of course.

Because Verratoux and cuteness could not coexist.

“I told you to try it on. Is it cold?”

But again, it was awkward, Xenon looked so serious.

‘No. Don’t be fooled.’

Viola in the original was a genius.

Xenon was the character who doubted and tested that genius until the end of the work.

A person who was a strong ally and always had to be vigilant.

“If you say the word cute one more time, I will sew your mouth shut.”

“Okay.”

Xenon was truly disappointed. What should he do? He was only telling the truth, but it seemed that she really hated the word.

Didn’t people normally like it?

As expected, a Verratoux was a Verratoux.

“Apologies”

Xenon hid his heart. Still, his imagination was free. “What kind of dress do you want to buy next time?”

“What?”

What dagger would look good on that dress?

The greatsword used by Princess Medea would go well with it. It’d be really cute.

He posted a report hiding his feelings.

“I posted a report to the great house and an answer came down.”

The answer was brief.

In summary, “Well done. Great job!”

“There was no Verratoux who was able to accomplish these things at the age of twelve. Even if they had achievements of beating up evil spirits or subjugating bandits, no one had ever managed to win a person’s heart by penetrating human and political relationships. Not even the First Princess, who is said to be amazing, too.”

“It’s fine.”

Viola just wanted the future to be on my side. Besides politics and complicated relationships, the only thing she wanted was to be safe from the archmage who had gone after her in the novel.

“What else?”

“It’s about permission to explore the remains. Of course, it was a formal reporting procedure.”

Verratoux’s degree of freedom for successor candidates was something she respected. As long as she reported that she went on the exploration, there would be no problems.

“But it’s a little odd.”

“What?”

“He asked me to do a background check on Sir Jermi.”

“A background check?”

Viola tilted her head.

‘Why?’

Were there any scenes like that in the novel?

She didn’t think there were.

“Yes. So I’m going to do some background research.”

“My dad doesn’t have to investigate Jermi’s background.”

Was there a reason to do that?

Was there anything she was missing?

Viola thought about the contents of the novel and the setting book, but she couldn’t remember anything.

“I don’t know.”

Xenon guessed it was the desire of a father who had a daughter, but he didn’t say it out loud.

***
It was 9 a.m.

Hickson and Tundra left for somewhere, and Xenon and Viola headed to the main gate with greetings from their own families and outsiders.

“Princess Viola. Long time no see.”

“It’s been a day.”

“Of course, it’s been a while.” Jermi was wearing a mask.

He seemed like a completely different person.

Xenon, who was following her, moved swiftly. It was soft and natural as if a ghost was moving.

“By the way, Sir Jermi.” He stood in front of Viola like a shield. “I have something to tell you.”

Xenon said something unbelievable.

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