I Played the Role of the Adopted Daughter Too Well

Viola asked, “Do you want money or information?”

 

“You understand very quickly.”

 

These were the two ways to buy information. Money and information.

 

“Let me tell you one thing. Butterfly is in critical condition right now.”

 

“I know that.”

 

“She is past the point where she can be manipulated with magic, therefore she needs the help of a priest. But here’s where the dilemma comes in.” 

 

Viola frowned slightly. No matter how well the cat was frozen, it wasn’t an all-powerful technique.

 

Viola interrupted, “To heal a cat with such deep wounds, we would need a high-ranking priest with extremely high divine power. But a priest with that level of skill would not have enough divine power to heal people. On top of that, they can’t be moved by money.”

 

Whenever their divine power was full, they used it all up to save people in danger. Using their power to save cats? It was an unacceptable action for some. If the divine power that would be consumed to save a cat is used to save a person, it should be used to save a person. Many people in the empire thought so, and the actual policy of the temple was the same.

 

“Are you saying that the priests who can be moved by money have low skills and are not capable of saving Butterfly?”

 

“Um-hm.”

 

Gaia nodded. 

 

“Indeed, you are worthy of receiving the approval of Princess Medea and of being coveted by Minister Celine.”

 

At this point, Gaia was doubtful whether Viola was really thirteen years old. 

 

“You are so smart.”

 

“I came to see you to solve that dilemma.”

 

“If even that intelligent White Bellato doesn’t know a method, how could I know a method?”

 

“You should know.”

 

Viola’s words naturally turned into a downward tone. Gaia’s eyebrows flinched, however, she didn’t show any sign of displeasure. 

 

“That sounds like a threat, am I mistaken?”

 

“How did the Nameless Knights of the Palace come to be?”

 

Information must be fought with information. That was the way to deal with Gaia. At first, she didn’t know this place was the ‘Night Cat.’

 

‘The smell of death that I first sensed.’

 

[The ‘Night Cat’ always had the smell of death because a lot of blood was needed to summon Gaia, the leader of the Night Cats.]

 

‘A bar located in the middle of Centa Street.’

 

[The Monarch Capital’s branch of ‘Night Cat’ was in the middle of Centa Street.]

 

‘A black cat walking along the table.’

 

[The mascot of the Night Cat organization was literally a cat with black fur. His name was Nero, and Nero was the companion cat of Gaia, the leader of Night Cat.]

 

Gaia’s expression didn’t change at all and she pretended not to care. 

 

“What are the Nameless Knights?”

 

“There are nameless knights in the palace. A ghost group with no name or official existence. You must know that.”

 

“Do you believe such a ridiculous rumor?”

 

“You know better than anyone that it is not a lie.”

 

Gaia smiled brightly. 

 

“What is the basis for that?”

 

“Because your name is Gaia.”

 

Only then did Gaia’s expression change. She had never told anyone her name.

 

“Because Gaia is the leader of the Night Cat and the ‘mother’ of the Nameless Knights.”

 

The reason Celine tolerated the Night Cat organization was because Gaia was the ‘mother’ of the Nameless Knights. The Nameless Knights were a top-secret group under the direct control of the Empire. The members of the Nameless Knights were drafted from all over the continent, most of them being orphans with outstanding talent. The person who recruited them and secretly raised them to a certain level was Gaia. 

 

“That must be why Minister Celine turns a blind eye to Night Cat.”

 

Gaia was speechless for a moment. 

 

‘I thought this would never happen. Has Princess Viola outpaced me?’

 

Where on earth did she get this information? Gaia knew Viola was amazing, but very few people in the palace knew that information. Even Princess Medea and Duke Heron didn’t know it.

 

“Princess Viola, what is your true identity?”

 

Viola hid her impatience and smiled lightly. 

 

“Isn’t it your job to find out?”

 

“…”

 

Gaia was caught up in Viola’s pace again. Viola paid the price by taking out the information she knew. She even gave Gaia a new homework assignment. The situation continued as Viola had intended.

 

‘Your mind must be incredibly complicated.’

 

Gaia was a smart character, so she couldn’t help but consider and think about things more than others. And yet, she would never consider something like ‘possession,’ so of course her mind must be incredibly complicated. 

 

‘There’s no answer anyway, so in the end, you have no choice but to accept my offer.’

 

Gaia shrugged and stood up. 

 

“I didn’t know that I would be manipulated like this by a thirteen-year-old. You’re giving me a new challenge.”

 

“I’ll allow you to figure out who I am, so you can fulfill my needs.”

 

Viola looked at Gaia. Gaia felt her gaze was infinitely arrogant, but it didn’t bother her.

 

‘Certainly, she was born with the destiny to be a ruler.’

 

She wasn’t acting like a ruler. Viola was born to be a ruler. Gaia made that judgment.

 

“I understand. Leave Butterfly to me. She’ll be able to recover at least some of her health within three days.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“No problem.”

 

Gaia cautiously accepted Butterfly. In fact, she had been planning to help Viola from the beginning. 

 

‘What kind of bastard made a baby like this?’

 

Gaia, who also raised a pet cat, wanted to save Butterfly. 

 

‘Oh my, her body is badly damaged. It’s the power of the Qualton family.’

 

She could tell right away when she received Butterfly. It was a very sophisticated and sensitive power. A strange power that only someone like Quiesa, the head of the Qualton family, or Isabella, the mistress of the Winter Castle, could handle.

 

‘Not Quiesa.’

 

Quiesa would never do something like this. It was Isabella, after all.

 

‘But why did Lady Isabella?’

 

Furthermore, she acted so obviously without hiding her traces. 

 

‘There’s something!’

 

Gaia had a hunch. It was too strange to simply dismiss it as Isabella’s prank.

 

“Butterfly is no different from Sir Hickson’s pet cat, right?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Duchess Isabella has even turned Sir Hickson into an enemy?”

 

“I suppose so.”

 

“That’s strange. It’s not like Duchess Isabella to act like this. It’s too extreme. Just because Princess Viola doesn’t like it, she wouldn’t turn Sir Hickson into an enemy. And recently, didn’t she want to use Princess Viola as a force for the Qualton family?”

 

Gaia had seen through many things in this distant imperial capital. She was truly worthy to be the leader of Night Cat. She already knew that Quiesa Qualton wanted Viola as her daughter-in-law.

 

“I have a really creepy feeling.”

 

Viola thought about it carefully, but couldn’t come up with an answer. 

 

‘What is she planning?’

 

* * *

 

Viola returned to her quarters and couldn’t hide her complicated feelings. She had tried her best to save Butterfly, and the results were good. It was the best Viola could do. 

 

‘For a priest with that level of skill… There must be many people waiting.’ 

 

Someone who missed the opportunity because of Butterfly being healed might die. It wasn’t a world like modern society where everyone could go to the hospital. There were few priests and many sick people. That bothered her.

 

‘Why do we have the Order of the Nameless Knights?’

 

Most of them were orphans with outstanding talent. They were treated impersonally and raised as secret weapons for the imperial family. Their human emotions are almost neutered and they become machines that carried out the imperial family’s orders.

 

‘Countless people are hungry and sick.’

 

It was incomparable to modern society. There was a splendid magical civilization here, but only a few people lived and enjoyed that civilization. This was a world where class clearly existed and it was divided into nobles and non-nobles. Even now, the majority of people lived in dangerous places where monsters were rampant.

 

‘Is it okay for someone like me who was born with both power and family to just dream of a little independence?’

 

Viola was born with all sorts of talents. She also had a lot of knowledge about this world and knew what would happen in the future. 

 

‘Should I just eat well and live well?’

 

Although things had changed, like a big mess, as the people around her changed. Still, this was a world where people lived and a world where warm families breathed. 

 

‘Is this right?’

 

“I don’t know what’s right.”

 

Tundra was sitting in front of the table. He listened to Viola’s words silently and then blurted out a thought.

 

“The important thing is…”

 

Tundra no longer called Viola master or princess because that wasn’t what Viola really wanted to be called.

 

“Viola has her own way of living.”

 

Tundra looked at Viola with strong faith and trust. Tundra knew why Viola was so upset. She was wondering if someone who lost their turn because of her would be hurt for no reason.

She must be thinking so warmly. 

 

“There is no right. Just live Viola’s life. I will be by your side.”

 

It was the same as before. 

 

‘I will be by your side.’

 

Those insignificant words came to her like magic. Viola sipped her warm cocoa in silence.

 

Suddenly, Medea appeared and Viola contemplated why she was there. But that wasn’t the end. An unexpected person was standing behind Medea.

 

‘Why is it Gaia again?’

 

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Translator Note: