I Played the Role of the Adopted Daughter Too Well

Chapter 44

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 44

A few minutes ago, Heron thought as he took his steps.

‘Why am I going to Viola’s room?’

He was looking at the flower crown that had been preserved with super-rapid freezing magic before. Then, he suddenly remembered Viola and came here.

There was no particular reason.

When he arrived in front of Viola’s door, he could hear a voice.

“Please, be older sister Medea.”

When he felt a presence outside the room, it seemed that Viola and Medea were hugging each other.

He had extreme control over his mana, killing all sights and sounds.

And so, Duke Heron slowly opened the door without making any noise.

Just as expected.

Viola and Medea were hugging. Looking at them, Viola was very short and lifted her heels tight.

“What are you doing? I think I need some explanation.”

Heron’s reason thought.

What a beautiful sight this is.

Why are Veratoux’s siblings so soft?

Medea took a step away from Viola. Then, she bowed her waist slightly and placed her right hand on her left chest.

“Greetings, father.”

A greeting towards Heron, her father and Lord of the Winter Castle.

Viola contemplated whether she should or not.

‘Actually, father doesn’t like that kind of polite manners.’

Everyone usually greeted the Winter Lord, although Heron didn’t really like that greetings and courtesy.

‘Should I still do it?’

Because there was such a thing as etiquette in this world.

‘Well, I guess I missed the timing…’

To be polite, she should have done it earlier. It would be more awkward to greet now and put her hand on her chest right now.

‘Well, I don’t know.’

With that thought, Viola just decided to take it easy. She lifted both of her skirts slightly and lowered her waist.

“Welcome.”

Medea’s body flinched as she greeted.

‘What do you mean, welcome?’

It was such an ordinary greeting. It was so ordinary that it became a problem because this was not an ordinary family, but the Veratoux family.

Medea was worried inside.

‘Viola. Don’t relax.’

The other person was a thousand-kills Duke Heron before a father.

It was the same for Medea.

The Winter Lord Heron was closer than her father, Heron.

“But, what explanation are you asking for?”

“Didn’t you support White Veratoux?”

A white Veratoux must be smart.

The white Veratoux are those who can penetrate and read the other person’s innermost thoughts and devise strategies.

So, now Heron’s words mean, ‘If you’re a white Veratoux, interpret the situation yourself.’

“I hugged Viola.”

“I hugged sister Medea.”

Hearing them, Heron’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“You both know I’m not asking about the situation.”

Medea thought for a moment. The conversation they had earlier was not a conversation suitable for Veratoux. This was especially true for Viola.

‘A war between blood and flesh. Various plot tricks and dark battles to become an heir. I hate all of them. I’ve always wanted a family. The family I dreamed and admired is not like this.’

Whether or not her father had heard those words, Medea did not know.

‘I have to protect Viola.’

Medea explained with a common-sense answer.

“Isn’t that a basic virtue for Veratoux? Hugs the opponent, analyzes their body type, and feels the power and flow of the opponent’s mana.”

“Then, Viola?”

Heron was well aware of Medea’s skills.

She was a one-star knight in her early twenties. A swordsman who achieved growth comparable to that of Heron’s youth. There was no reason for Medea to hug Viola like that, because there was no need for body shape analysis in the first place.

Moments later, Viola replied.

“I told her to hug me.”

“Why?”

Medea’s stomach burned.

In her judgment, Heron wasn’t in a good mood right now.

Veratouxs acted un-Verratoux like. However, she could not openly defend Viola since it was even less Veratoux-like.

‘What the hell are you trying to say?’

Please, be older sister Medea.

Viola said so.

Thinking that, Medea made a decision. She decided to be the older sister of this child. She decided not to be sister Medea Veratoux, but to be sister Medea. She had to protect this child from her disappointed father.

‘I do not know…’

But, she doesn’t know how to protect her.

If it was a fight between a sword and a sword, she could fight somehow, but this case was different.

Viola continued to speak.

“Can father hug me, too?”

“….”

Viola moved on to him without waiting for Heron’s reply.

Her movements were reflected in Heron’s eyes.

Suddenly, the figure of Viola came to mind. She clung to Medea like a cicada, lifting her heels with her little stature.

Now, she stood in front of Heron.

Viola was still smaller than her age.

“The reason is?”

“Hug me.”

Medea bit her lip.

She looked so dangerous… wanting to him recklessly like that. Wasn’t that kind of irrationality something her father hated?

‘The reason is?’

If asked, the reason should be explained. And, when he asked like that, the answer Viola gave was too vague.

Perhaps, their father was very offended.

The child is now ten years old, and if she is not Veratoux, she will be removed immediately…

However, something amazing happened.

Heron shoved his arm into Viola’s armpit. At that action, she could feel her body float.

‘Oh, I’m flying?”

It felt like she was flying in the sky for a moment.

Her body went up.

‘Looks like a feather.’

As Viola was held by Heron, she pressed her ear to his chest.

Thud! Thud!

His heart was beating.

Heron’s heart, known for having the coldest blood than anyone else, was the same as everyone else’s. It ran normally and had an ordinary warm body temperature.

Viola opened her mouth, burying her face in Heron’s chest.

“I wanted to find out what the Winter Lord and the White Wind had in common. Because sister Medea inherited father’s blood.”

“What do we have in common?”

“I do not know.”

“You do not know?”

Heron’s eyes narrowed at her answer.

If she couldn’t figure out anything, all these actions became meaningless actions.

That was to say, it was all a waste of time.

“I would have to grasp and for my hands to touch each other to understand.”

Saying so, she stretched out her arms, but Heron’s chest was too wide.

“My father’s arms are too wide.”

“In the end, it means you didn’t figure out anything.”

“I realized that my father’s arms were very wide and warmer than I thought.”

“What does that mean?”

“Does it have to be meaningful?”

Heron lowered Viola to the ground.

As her feet touched the ground, she continued. “Every time is worth only when they are meaningful. Veratoux should use all of their time wisely.”

“Just.”

Viola held her breath for a moment.

With the heart of a reader who adored her favorite character, she built the world in the novel.

“I wanted to hug you.”

“Why?”

Medea was confused.

She didn’t know what Viola was talking about, and it was strange that her father was more moderate than she thought.

‘My father is different than usual…’

What if Medea did the same thing?

He must have been very disappointed. However, it was difficult for her to find any sign of disappointment in Heron.

Something was out of the ordinary.

“I think it would be meaningful to find out why.”

“You mean you don’t know now?”

“Yes.”

Viola was confident.

“I think that the most necessary thing for White Veratoux is an insight into the essence of the world. That leads to intuition. I wanted to understand the essence of this unexplained heart. If my father hugged me, I wondered if I could find out the essence of that heart.”

She then frowned slightly.

Viola was like a child in her own agony.

“But, I still don’t know. There’s no good reason.”

In fact, this question was the question that Heron Veratoux posed in his mind.

Heron Veratoux must feel the same now.

“Why did I want to be hugged by my father? And, why did he hug me?”

If there is no reasonable reason, why did he hug this child and not question it? This question made a big wave in Heron Veratoux’s mind.

And, on the big wave, she blew a bigger wind.

“Just… Can’t you give me a lot of hugs? I’ll find out the rationale and essence.”

At that, she stretched her arms out.

In the end, Heron hugged Viola again as if possessed by something.

Viola whispered.

“Thank you. For hugging me.”

Heron returned to the room.

There’s a lot of irrational things these days.

‘Why did I go to Viola’s room and hug her without saying a word?’

Viola’s words pierced Heron’s chest.

[ “But I still don’t know. There is no reasonable reason.” ]

[ “Just… Can’t you give me a lot of hugs? I’ll find out the rationale and essence.” ]

Knock, knock.

Then, a knock resounded.

It was Medea.

Her eyes were like red marbles.

“What’s going on?”

“Will father punish the child?”

“Are you talking about Viola?”
“Yes.”

Medea bit her lip slightly.

This behavior is not Veratoux-like because it’s not right for a Veratoux to cover for another Veratoux.

Though today, she wanted to do whatever moved her heart.

Viola took off her mask and approached first. She first approached with a candid look and held out her hand. The little girl first gave her courage.

‘This time, it’s my turn to be brave.’

[ “I got sister wrong, and sister got it wrong. So, it’s okay if we’re making a mistake now.” ]

[ “It’s okay if we’re making a mistake.” ]

Even though Medea had lived her life acting perfect, she was well aware that she was not perfect herself.

But, an unexpected answer came.

“Well. If I was going to punish her, I’d have done it on the spot. Why did you think I would punish Viola?”

“…I thought father was different than usual.”

Different from usual.

He was much more gentle than usual. It meant that soon, both his interest and expectations for Viola would have been abandoned.

Medea Veratoux interpreted it that way.

Heron thought for a moment.

‘Different from usual.’

He also clearly recognized it. It was very different from usual. When dealing with Viola, he looks very different from usual.

“If it’s okay with you, I want to do this mission with Viola.”

“Your mission is to kill Jackal, the Head of Storm Fortress.”

“I know. I know it’s an overly risky mission for that kid now.”

Medea thought.

‘If this mission is successfully accomplished, Viola will be able to prove her ability once again.’

What she had shown so far wasn’t too bad, though killing the Head of the Storm Fortress was a completely different matter. If the appearances she had shown so far have been great for her age, this mission was a great mission regardless of your age.

If it could be done, Viola’s position and status would rise rapidly.

‘If I help, Viola will be able to prove her strength as a Veratoux once again.’

Medea sincerely vowed to help Viola.

[ “I wish you were my sister.” ]

She decided to become an older sister.

The next day, Medea visited Viola’s room.

She was drinking her strawberry ade at the same time.

She was handed the strawberry ade from Viola. It has been a long time since she had such a sweet drink.

The cool refreshing sensation permeated her body.

“Is it delicious?”

“It’s delicious.”

In Medea’s eyes, she was an innocent ten-year-old kid.