Viola’s inner turmoil flared up.
‘No, this can’t be happening!’
It was slightly different from before. In the past, when her body took over, it felt like losing consciousness or having a dream. But now, everything was crystal clear.
‘Please!’
Just before Viola’s dagger could reach Heron’s heart, Heron grabbed Viola’s wrist. At that moment, Viola regained control of her body.
‘Ouch!’
Heron’s grip was so strong that Viola couldn’t help but grimace slightly.
“Ow!”
It hurt so much that she momentarily let out a pained expression. She had thought she was doing well until now. She thought she had built her tower well, however it felt like that tower was crumbling.
Heron’s next words were unexpected.
“It was a good attempt.”
Heron released Viola’s wrist. He didn’t say anything about her attempt to stab his heart. Suddenly, the sword qi’s power diminished. Hickson, who had been trapped in the storm of grass, emerged with some minor injuries on his body.
“Phew. That was close!”
Hickson laughed with an unconcerned attitude. Then he continued cheerfully, “You seized a good opportunity, Viola.”
Although the duel between the men had stopped, Viola’s head still felt foggy. These people… Why do I like them?
‘No. I guess I can understand it intellectually.’
Intellectually, it made sense. This was the world of <Bellato’s Shadow>, so such things could happen.
‘But still…’
She wasn’t used to it. She had tried to stab Heron’s heart, yet he praised her. She had tried to kill Hickson with her sword qi, yet he seemed pleased.
Heron said, “Your timing was good, but your penetrating force was weak.”
“…Thank you for the valuable lesson.”
Heron grabbed Viola’s shoulder with thumb and finger.
“Utilize the rotation of your shoulders.”
Heron demonstrated it firsthand. He extended his shoulder blades slightly and rotated them.
“If you had done this with the same timing just now, the penetrating power would have doubled.”
Then, Heron shifted his gaze to Hickson and said, “You’re injured.”
“Don’t mock me. It’s not that I couldn’t do well but that Viola did well.”
“Maybe both.”
“Is that a provocation?”
“Provocation needs to match the opponent’s caliber.”
Hickson saw a clear smirk on Heron’s face. Hickson didn’t like that smirk, but at the same time, he did.
‘This guy!’
He acted like an emotionless machine.
‘Why is he smiling?’
Of course, it was a subtle smile that ordinary people couldn’t see. It was such a faint smile that it could barely be seen by Hickson’s keen eyesight.
‘It feels like it’s the first time since Rael died.’
Moreover, Heron was carrying on an uncharacteristic conversation. He felt that Heron was not acting like ‘Duke’ Heron at the moment. The current Heron was less like a duke and more like a regular person.
‘It’s like old times.’
In their childhood, Hickson and Heron had trained together in harsh conditions and had traveled together on numerous battlefields. At that time, Heron was not a person devoid of emotions.
‘Is it because of Viola?’
Hickson felt sure that it was. Heron was gradually changing and Hickson didn’t mind that change.
‘Shall we test it?’
Hickson exclaimed with a smirk, “Of course, If I hadn’t stayed out of it, Viola would have been at least unconscious by now, don’t you think?”
Caught in the subtle tension between Heron and Hickson, Viola swallowed nervously.
‘‘At least’ unconscious? Then what would I be if it was ‘at most,’ mister?’
“That’s a compliment.”
Through their conversation, Viola could deduce what had happened.
‘So, Uncle Hickson could have actually avoided getting hurt?’
In summary, it went like this:
- The best way to suppress the sword qi was to suppress the person (Viola) wielding it.
- Viola was attacking Heron at the right moment, so she had many openings.
- If Hickson had indiscriminately suppressed Viola, he wouldn’t have been injured.
- However, Hickson didn’t do that, instead choosing to fight directly with the sword qi.
‘…That’s the gist of it.’
Heron said, “If it were me, I wouldn’t act so condescending about it.”
“What?”
“How do you think that makes Viola feel?”
Heron and Hickson’s gaze simultaneously turned to Viola. Viola desperately wished to disappear into the ground at that moment.
‘Why are you looking at me?’
Their gazes were too burdensome. It felt like they were awaiting her to give a verdict. Viola struggled to calm her trembling legs and deliberately bit her lip gently.
“Are you deliberately looking down on me?”
“Oh, no, not really…”
‘Thank you for looking, sniffle.’
She had to continue speaking despite her inner thoughts.
“I didn’t even catch what you saw.”
It was best not to make a mistake in the first place. But once you made a mistake, you needed to recognize and acknowledge it.
“…Everything’s been dismantled.”
Even though she wasn’t angry, she pretended to be. Viola needed to show her ambition to grow stronger, using this anger as a foundation. Fortunately, the duke wasn’t currently looking at her with his ‘Eye of Truth’ and reached out his hand to Viola.
“Will you come with me?”
“Where to?”
“I have something to discuss with you.”
Viola immediately raised her arm and took Heron’s hand. There was such a height difference that she had to raise her hand above her head.
But then Hickson approached.
“Wait a minute.”
Hickson also reached out his hand.
“I’ll go too.”
“Why you?”
“She’s experienced real swordsmanship. Is there anyone else besides me who can help Viola grow more at this moment?”
Hickson continued with a valid point. “The sensation of her sword qi is still vivid in my mind. Now is the most appropriate time to give Viola advice.”
“Will that sensation really dull over time for you?”
Hickson’s fiery eyes turned toward Viola. It felt like they were blazing and those flames seemed to be saying, ‘Hold my hand right now!’
Viola, feeling flustered, slowly took his hand. Hickson’s feelings ended up being hurt again.
‘She grabbed his hand so quickly!’
It wasn’t just about her speed. She had reached out for Heron’s hand as if she longed for it. Her small, fern-like hand had been filled with affection. But when he offered his hand to her, she appeared flustered.
‘Why not me?!’
Anyway, Hickson, who now held her hand, glanced towards Heron with a look saying, ‘Don’t think you’ve won because of this, Heron.’
Heron also looked at Hickson. Their gazes clashed in the air, but Viola, who was short, couldn’t see it.
* * *
Sebastian Marcos, the dollmaker of Winter Castle and an excellent disguise artist, was somewhat puzzled.
“The butler wants a disguise?”
“Please.”
“Why? You don’t even have a mission to go outside Winter Castle.”
“I was ordered to buy egg tarts.”
“Why would such an order be given? Especially to someone like Carlton.”
There was no reason for high-level personnel like Carlton to queue up to buy egg tarts. He could only assume that Heron had some intention.
Anyway, after that, Carlton was able to buy two egg tarts by queuing up.
“Well done.”
“Yes, thank you.”
In Heron’s room, Carlton discovered an unexpected scene. Heron and Hickson were sitting with Viola in between them.
Hickson chuckled as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Did you really ask Carlton to run an errand for egg tarts?”
Carlton, who was about to turn back and leave, paused. Hickson seemed to know the reason behind the errand.
“Indeed, there aren’t many people who can perform a mission as perfectly as Carlton, right?”
Heron frowned.
“We still have much to talk about. The butler should go back outside.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Carlton thought he got the hint.
‘It was a perfect mission.’
Buying egg tarts. It was a mission that required perfection.
‘Okay, there must be something I don’t know.’
There must be something important hidden in the egg tarts. Hickson and the Duke seemed to be plotting something. What was interesting was that Viola was involved in their conspiracy.
‘She’s jumping into the succession war in earnest.’
He felt strangely proud. He remembered when he first discovered Viola at the age of seven. In fact, it wasn’t Heron but Carlton who first discovered Viola. Carlton had regarded Viola, standing barefoot and holding a piece of glass, with respect and had secretly cheered for her throughout her growth.
‘Although she’s getting a late start.’
Carlton’s gaze sank deeply.
‘I’m rooting for you, Iron-blooded Princess!’
Soon after, Viola found herself in an extremely uncomfortable situation.
“Hmph! Aren’t the training grounds a private place for a conversation?”
Hickson then hit the nail on the head.
“You must have thought of this as a good spot for a date with your cute daughter!”
Viola was shocked by his words.
‘What nonsense!’
That couldn’t be true. Although she had done well for the past six years, Viola, a devoted reader, knew that Heron couldn’t have such feelings.
Hickson’s next words were blunt.
“I can’t believe you thought of your rooms as a place for a date. There’s not even a hint of ambiance!”
‘No, Uncle Hickson. This isn’t a date spot! And what do you mean, ‘cute’ daughter? Look at my face! Is that supposed to be a joke?!’
Viola, who looked in the mirror every day, knew very well that she wasn’t cute. Today, for the first time, Viola found the egg tarts tasteless. She just couldn’t seem to develop an appetite.
‘This is so uncomfortable.’
She wasn’t the only one uncomfortable. While these two men seemed to be only lightly arguing, the aura emanating from them was unbearable for ordinary people. Viola’s body alone could endure it.
‘What’s scarier is that neither of them seem to be trying to assert dominance.’
They were just talking casually, but the mana around them was being influenced by their emotions, making it feel as if they were casting lethal spells.
‘I want to leave. Please! Is this what they mean by little shrimp getting hurt during a whale fight?’
The room felt extremely uncomfortable, to the point of suffocation. Viola didn’t even touch the egg tarts.
“The reason I let you join us was because I judged that you would say something to help Viola’s growth. If not, can you leave now?”
“Don’t touch a dog when it’s eating!”
Hickson’s finger pointed towards Viola.
“Viola loves egg tarts. She’s probably drooling in anticipation of eating them. Don’t you even know this?”
“Ehm.”
Viola barely held back the cough she didn’t know was coming. In fact, Viola didn’t understand why she had to be there.
“How lovely is that? Isn’t it too harsh to talk about swordsmanship or growth at this moment?”
Viola quietly got up from her seat. If she stayed here any longer, she felt like she might faint from dizziness.
“If it’s not too rude, may I excuse myself now?”
“Oh! That’s a good idea, Viola. Yes, let’s go to the training ground together. I’ll tell you what I saw and felt earlier.”
Hickson also stood up. Whether he was conscious of Zenon not being here or not, he extended his hand as if to escort her. He sent her a look urging her to hold his hand quickly. Just before she could take his hand, a cold voice was heard.
“Sit.”
Viola was once again startled. It wasn’t a word, it was a command. It felt like if she didn’t obey, her head would explode.
“Why did you…”
Heron’s dry eyes were on Viola. Viola had to suppress the fearful pounding of her heart.
“Are you so reluctant to spend time with your father?”
‘…Yes?’
It wasn’t that she was afraid, it was just unbearably uncomfortable. She wanted to express how unfair it was, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“Do you really not know why I brought you here?”
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Bree.
If you like my work please support us in Patreon. Next post will be released on June, 11.
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