I Played the Role of the Adopted Daughter Too Well

Viola was so shocked that she laughed.

 

‘Hey.’

 

Was this the group bullying she had only heard about? Seeing it through the eyes of Viola, Han Arin, who lived in modern times, thought it was extremely childish. So to speak, this was a one-stop game. The stupid Senna and the beggars.

 

‘They seem to think that if they get together, they can make something happen.’

 

Seven people total, including Senna. Four were women and three were men. One of the pups stood out because he was much larger than his peers.

 

‘What you are thinking is transparent, so very transparent.’

 

They seemed to be eagerly anticipating how Viola would react, expecting her pride to be hurt and wanting her to cry.

 

‘It’s so cute.’

 

Viola just stared at the jewelry box for a while. Senna, confident of her own victory, burst into laughter.

 

“My arms are heavy. Will Princess Viola not accept my sincerity?”

 

“Are we close enough to exchange gifts?”

 

“Not yet, but I think we will be soon. I think we can be good friends.”

 

Viola smiled and looked at Minister Celine.

 

‘Celine seems to be interested in this, and Jeremy isn’t here either.’

 

It was the perfect time.

 

‘Let me act appropriately childish and turn Senna into an enemy. That way my appearance will come across as a very disappointing sight to you, Celine.’

 

The Duke of Mariantu was one of the three major Dukes of the empire, and at the moment, it was one of the most powerful families in power. Celine would definitely be disappointed if she got into a childish fight with Senna, the daughter of this family. It was also a good opportunity for her to get revenge for Hera.

 

“Why should we be good friends?”

 

Viola twisted her hair around her index finger.

 

“I don’t need a friend like Princess Senna.”

 

“Yes?”

 

Senna was embarrassed for a moment, but she soon regained her composure.

 

‘Okay. Her pride must be hurt. Unless she’s an idiot, she’ll know why I’m giving her a ring.’

 

Senna was sure that Viola’s pride had been greatly hurt. Wasn’t that why she reacted so harshly? Thinking like that, Senna became a little more relaxed.

 

“I’m upset. How can you ignore my sincerity like this?”

 

Then, one of the boys standing behind Senna stepped forward. His name was Jakila, a son of a baron located in the Gili region. He was the biggest boy in the group of seven and really stood out.

 

“Princess Senna is kind. Princess Viola has no manners.”

 

Jakila spoke subtly, seeming to be polite. Jakila thought that today was the perfect opportunity to impress Princess Senna, so he actively stepped forward. He was very large compared to his peers and could have a scary appearance, so friends his own age would feel intimidated whenever he frowned. But what was this response?

 

“Who are you?”

 

Viola wasn’t frightened at all by Jakila’s appearance. Instead of being scary, he was ridiculous.

 

“W-what?”

 

“You’re so intelligent but without an introduction. You are very polite, too. Do you know me?”

 

It was against etiquette to raise objections or speak without having been introduced. This was especially true when the genders were different. Even though Viola deeply offended them, she strangely took care of etiquette. Jakila was speechless for a moment as this was a very unfamiliar situation to him.

 

“My, my name is Jakila. I’m from the Gili region and I’m the second son of Baron Robert Nam.”

 

“So what do you want to say?”

 

“Apologize to me and Princess Senna.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because you were rude.”

 

How dare you treat Princess Senna like that? His eyes clearly said so.

 

‘Jakila, the second son of Baron Robert from the Gili region.’

 

She couldn’t remember this family at all. It was said that supporting roles were never directly described in <The Shadow of Bellato>.

 

“Why are you taking care of Princess Senna when she didn’t ask you to?”

 

She muttered to herself, “I guess it’s because it’s a supporting role.”

 

“What?”

 

She said the wrong thing. But the Duchy of Mariantu would be ruined within a few years. 

 

‘That’s rotten for him. Let me give him a little sincere advice and then let it go.’

 

“Even if you follow Princess Senna, her power won’t be shared with you.”

 

Viola chuckled.

 

“Ah. Did Princess Senna throw herself at you?”

 

“Hey, Princess Viola! Are you insulting my friendship with Princess Senna?”

 

“Right. It’s friendship, right?”

 

Viola shifted her gaze to Senna.

 

“By that logic, you insulted me?”

 

She spoke quietly. Loud enough for Senna to hear but not loud enough for the crowd beyond her to hear. Senna’s body began to shake. She didn’t know that Viola would openly talk to her so rudely.

 

‘These barbarians are finally showing their true colors!’

 

Bellato of the North. Everyone praised them as a great family, but Senna didn’t think so.

 

‘Local nobility of the frontier, ha!’

 

In fact, she hated that Viola Bellato was praised as coming from a ‘Duchy’ like herself. What kind of people were those bug-catchers at the northern end of the country? They were a people with no dignity, no manners, and no trace of nobility, even if you looked hard to find it.

 

“What did you say just now?”

 

Viola pointed her finger at Jakila.

 

“He said it. And having something thrust at me is an insult.”

 

“Be polite, Princess Viola.”

 

“Does the ring I’m wearing look insignificant?”

 

It probably seemed insignificant. You would have to look very closely at the ring made from a Marguerite flower field to see its special pattern. From afar, it looked like just an ordinary platinum ring. Senna liked very flashy and sparkly jewelry, so there was no way a ring with such a simple design would catch her eye. Viola indifferently tapped Princess Senna’s hand! Being bumped, the jewelry box in Princess Senna’s hands fell to the ground.

 

“You don’t even have the insight to know what kind of ring this is.”

 

At those words, Senna finally exploded.

 

“I can’t stand your harsh words any longer! Why are you looking at me with such pride, thinking that your ring is so amazing?”

 

Viola smiled with dignity.

 

“It’s much greater than you think.”

 

“Well, seeing how you treat such an insignificant ring with such care, I can fully appreciate your insight and wealth. Isn’t that right, folks? Hohoho.”

 

The group with Princess Senna covered their mouths and laughed. Senna narrowed her eyes on Viola.

 

‘I have to step on you properly.’

 

Otherwise, it was obvious that that insolent Princess Viola would continue to climb.

 

‘If you’re a bug-catcher, act like a bug-catcher!’

 

Senna said softly, “Those unsightly rings are everywhere in our Mariantu neighborhood.”

 

“Don’t lie.”

 

“What, if you can’t see it with your own eyes, you can’t believe it? You’re so stupid.”

 

“This ring is everywhere?”

 

Senna thought she had won. Of course, the northern border nobility and Mariantu couldn’t be the same.

 

“Of course. I can show you if you want. I have countless rings like that in my jewelry box.”

 

Viola glared at Senna. Seeing that, Senna mistakenly thought that Viola was seriously insulted.

 

“So, if you had just accepted the gift I gave you, you would not have your pride injured and you would have looked good, Princess Viola.

 

“You… now?”

 

The time was ripe. Attention was focused on the subject, and Celine must have overheard this small conversation. Now was the time to put an end to it. Viola shivered.

 

“It was a gift from the Lord of Winter Castle to his daughter.”

 

“I beg your pardon?”

 

“It was refined by the hands of the Master Magician Kurumkrum.”

 

“…”

 

“You laugh at my precious ring, the only one in the world, calling it shabby. It’s heartbreaking.”

 

The noble children were astonished because the names of some very important people had suddenly appeared. Winter Lord Heron Bellato. Master Magician Kurumkrum. As soon as those two names appeared, the surroundings became quiet. Meanwhile, Jakila saw Viola’s face and eyes.

 

‘This girl’s eyes… What kind of eyes?!’

 

Jakila unconsciously avoided her eyes. Everyone said that all Bellatos were monsters, and it seemed like they were right. He only made eye contact briefly, but his whole body froze and he felt like his skin was burning. He was overcome with anxiety, something was definitely wrong. Of course, that wasn’t Viola’s intention. Jakila was the only one who saw it and he alone was scared. After a moment of silence, everyone else in Senna’s group burst into laughter.

 

“A gift?”

 

Senna held her stomach and laughed. She was clearly mocking. A gift? A gift from Duke Bellato of the Winter Castle? The Thousand-Kill Duke gave her a gift? It was a ridiculous story that no one in the empire would believe.

 

“Now you’re selling your father’s name and making lame excuses. You’re even using the name of Master Magician Kurumkrum. Haven’t you gone too far?”

 

Senna continued patronizingly.

 

“Being poor is not a sin. But having a distorted mind and not being able to acknowledge it while being poor is a sin.”

 

Jakila, who had made eye contact with Viola, wanted to say something, but couldn’t. He couldn’t forget Viola’s expression and eyes. While he was covering his mouth out of fear, another lady spoke.

 

“Yes, Princess Viola. Even if you lie, you have to tell a believable lie. If you can’t control your anger and lie, your lies will grow like a snowball.”

 

“It’s the only ring of its kind in the world.”

 

Viola wasn’t very angry, but she acted like she was. She displayed the image of a young child who couldn’t completely control her emotions. Senna and the others, except for Jakila, enjoyed the feeling of victory as they saw her emotional display.

 

“I guess so. The Thousand-Kill Duke even had the romanticism of gifting a ring? Even a passing dog would laugh. Hohoho.”

 

But then, the banquet hall door opened, and a person that the children of noble families didn’t recognize appeared at the Forget-Me-Not Banquet. However, the banquet organizer seemed to know him. Lady Celine stood up from her seat and made her voice louder through magic.

 

“We have invited a special person today. Although he does not usually appear at public occasions, his greatness and bravery are already praised throughout the continent. I invited him as a surprise because I thought he would provide great hope and courage to those of you who are pursuing your dreams.”

 

It was the absolute figure from the North who rarely appeared in high society. Heron Bellato, the Lord of Winter Castle, had appeared.

 

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