I Played the Role of the Adopted Daughter Too Well - Chapter 37
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Chapter 37
“It’s a mistake. I can’t believe it’s an actual gift.”
“This kind of thing?”
‘What do you mean you can’t believe it’s an actual gift? Waaahh, look at this father of mine while talking. I can’t take this. It looks like I’m going to have to scold him with a piece of a wreath.’
Viola strolled towards Heron with the wreath. She didn’t move stealthily as if she was going to spray water on him nor did she move hesitantly, rather, she just walked normally.
The daughter walking towards her father didn’t look like the sinister Duke’s Princess.
“I worked hard doing it while thinking about you, Father.”
She then put out her hands and showed them. Standing before Heron, she showed her muddy hands. She was much smaller than Heron, who was in the chair.
Viola lifted her tiptoes and placed the wreath on Heron’s head.
She laughed and clapped her hands.
“You look so good.”
‘Of course, he’s my favorite character. I can’t believe he looks that good with a flower crown. You look like you came out of a romance manga, Dad!’
Heron Verratoux and a crown made of flowers. These two things were an incongruous combination that actually suited each other.
Heron didn’t say anything.
“…”
‘I’m in a bad mood.’
No. It wasn’t like he felt that way rather…
‘I think I should be in a bad mood.’
No…
‘Do I have to be in a bad mood?’
Heron Verratoux was a little confused by this sort of child he had never experienced before. Eventually, he opened his mouth with a serious look on his face.
“A man doesn’t do fancy things like this.”
Oh my.
‘We’re talking about fantasy worldly stuff here, my ‘oh-so-favorite’ character.’
“You look too good for that.”
“…”
“Really pretty.”
A normal lady in a typical noble family wouldn’t express themselves directly like that. They especially don’t say that to men. Because they think it’s vulgar.
Then, Viola laughed.
“It was worthy.”
He looked at his daughter’s hands covered in dirt. Seeing her like that, he felt a lump in his chest. Heron raised his hand silently and touched the crown.
“You sure laugh a lot.”
At that moment, Viola shot him a bloodthirsty glare.
It had been three years since she possessed Viola’s body.
Viola was a dream-like character, a promising child born to be a murderer. ‘Thanks to this genius body, this much is possible for me ‘
She opened her mouth with a smirk.
“You know how I usually look.”
She didn’t look like that often. After the welcome dinner, Viola was nicknamed the Iron-Blood Princess. Rumor said that even if she was Verratoux’s adoptive daughter, she acted more like Verratoux more than anyone else, and she played her role vehemently.
Heron was well aware of that fact, too. So, he didn’t deny it.
“…”
She calmed her expression once again.
It was this very hand that held out a single egg tart three years ago. Now, she laughed again, reaching out her muddy hand.
“I am just like this in front of you, Dad!”
Viola smiled brightly like the sun.
“Only in front of my dad. Can’t I? I won’t forget that I’m Verratoux. But, in front of Dad, I can act like a daughter!”
In her third year of possessing this body, Viola had perfectly adapted to this fantasy world.
* * * *
Carlton was the butler of Duke Verratoux.
It was no exaggeration to say that Heron Verratoux absolutely trusted him, and except for the Duchess, he was now the second-in-command of the Duchy.
Hence, he had quite a privilege. Carlton could enter the Duke’s main Office without knocking if he delivered information that was extremely valuable or urgent.
This method was the product of war, because knocking was like a luxury on the battlefield, even for a second. And that tradition has continued through and through.
Creak.
The door of the Main Office opened. Carlton was breathing heavily.
“Gasp… Gasp…”
Carlton’s gaze was fixed on something.
“Duke…?”
“…”
The Duke didn’t reply, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
As if it was nothing, Heron placed his hand on his head with a very calm expression and relaxed manner. His head was covered with a flower crown, a wreath made of rugosa roses.
He slowly removed the wreath and placed it on the desk with careful hands, in case it may be ruined.
“What’s going on?”
“…”
Carlton had to doubt his eyes.
‘Was the Duke wearing a flower crown?’
If anyone else had seen it, Duke Verratoux’s prestige would have been damaged. There was a flower crown upon the very head of the famous sinister Duke.
A wreath! On the head of the man called the punishment of heavens!
‘In addition, is he even flustered right now?’
Carlton, who had been serving the Duke for a long time, could feel it. On the surface, it seemed like nothing, but the Duke was embarrassed.
He couldn’t believe it and didn’t want to believe it. It felt like Carlton’s world was slowly collapsing.
“Is it a report urgent enough that needs an immediate response?”
“It’s… not.”
It was also related to Viola’s report.
“It is also related to Princess Viola. Shall we see it right away?”
Heron asked about Viola.
“She said she wanted to be a White Verratoux. At this point, I can guess what you have to report so urgently, Carlton.”
He then continued,
“And, three years ago, I think it would be related to the whereabouts of the two hundred million Dalias?”
After finishing his words, he turned to the butler. Meanwhile, Carlton, who had earlier doubted his eyes, now had to doubt his ears.
‘…White Verratoux?’
Viola Verratoux, the iron-blooded Princess? That Verratoux, who was even more Verratoux than anyone else, wants to become a White Verratoux?
“Carlton, that’s not like you.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
He hurriedly answered with a slight bow.
“That’s right. It’s related to the two hundred million Dalias.”
“Then, Viola, why don’t you tell me first?”
Viola nodded her head.
Three years ago.
Viola said to Hera,
“I have two hundred million Dalias. Two hundred million Dalias in cash. You can borrow a hundred million Dalias from the Imperial Bank with my cash as collateral.”
And, of course, she did just that. Viola borrowed another hundred million Dalias as collateral, and she handed it to Hera. Since what she asked for was one hundred million Dalias only.
‘The remaining two hundred million Dalias will be used to buy land in the Shaikh wasteland.’
The Shaikh wasteland.
It was a forest between Winter Castle and the southern metropolitan city of Garnia. Because it was abandoned land, it was not worth using at all.
“The land, collectively called the Shaikh wasteland, was barren and unsuitable for farming. Besides, sometimes leopards roamed there, hence it was of no utility value.”
“Yes, deacons in the Treasury department even throw up.”
Viola turned to Carlton.
“So, what’s the market price now?”
“…Now, the official land price in the Empire has risen more than seven times, and market prices have risen more than ten times.”
Simply put, two hundred million Dalias have become two billion Dalias.
“But, no one has given up the land, so the value is still soaring. However… most of the parcels are owned by Princess Viola.”
Hearing his words, she nodded her head and said.
“Did I finally prove my qualification as a White Verratoux?”
“Why did you buy the land there?”
‘Because I saw it all in the novel.’
Viola swallowed her smile.
「 The Emperors of the Empire have deliberately isolated the Winter Castle. 」
It was a deliberate and political decision.
Making Winter Castle and continental communication too smooth creates two risks. In addition, it was also contributing to help assist the Winter Solstice Castle collapse.
Since it was easy for the creatures to invade the continent from the ‘snowy place.’
Or when Verratoux of Winter Solstice Castle decided to rebel. The Verratoux were dangerous people.
So, instead of giving Verratoux the honor of always being the ‘strongest shield of the Empire.’
Winter Castle had always been left in a barren and dangerous place.
“Winter Solstice castle has always been lonely. I understand. It’s a political decision. The more isolated and lonely they make the Winter Castle, the more courageous the warriors of the winter castle, including Verratoux, become.”
People in the Winter Castle were born different. They protect mankind from the snow.
Therefore, people from Winter Castle lived with their own pride. With that sense of duty of becoming stronger warriors. Therefore, they didn’t aim their swords at the empire.
Since birth, their enemies had been the monsters from the ‘snowy place.’
“We are beneficial to the Empire. We keep the people out of harm’s way and prevent those from plotting treason.”
“What does it have to do with the two hundred million Dalias?”
She then turned to Carlton.
“Can I have some paper and a pen, please?”
At her request, he gave her a paper and pen, and she drew a rough map.
“…so, if you draw a vertical axis between the stronghold cities and the Winter Solstice Castle, this is the perfect place.”
There were several stronghold cities scattered around the vertical axis.
“In the end, connectivity with cities is important to develop cities and roads. When cities are connected, the synergy explodes.”
“…”
“Hence, I bought a lot of land in the Shaikh wasteland. It was very cheap because it was abandoned land. And as you can see, this is what happened.”
She turned her eyes to Carlton. He coughed awkwardly and continued his report.
“Just before, the Empire officially announced it. It announced that it would build a huge trade road from the continent’s central city of Monarch to the Winter Solstice castle.”
Viola continued talking.
“Three years ago, an outstanding secretary of state of the Empire began to rule, right?”
He was a great person who sought the well-being of the Empire and the well-being of the people, rather than political reasons. His name is Sellina.
At the young age of thirty-seven, he became the Minister of Finance and took charge of one of the pillars of the Empire.
“Considering his actions, he always did it for the people. Even in the slums, you can hear songs about him.”
“…”
“I expected that one day that person would persuade the Emperor to make a way for the Winter Castle and the Empire. That’s the way for the Empire.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“No, it should be in the report given by Xenon. The Empire’s growth rate was negative, and inflation was seen in the forecast. There’s a lot of money in the market, but the direction of the money hasn’t been decided. The value of the currency continues to fall…”
As a result,
“It was decided that the Empire would try to boost the economy through massive civil engineering work.”
Viola smiled brightly and concluded her words, “I thought that would be about three years from now.”
‘Of course, that’s all that I saw in the novel. Exactly today. The day of the official announcement in the Empire.’
“That’s why at this point, I said I’d be a White Verratoux. What do you think?”
Heron and Carlton shut their mouths at the same time.
She was a ten-fold medium because she was a good talker and a whopping 1,000% in terms of yield. In particular, Carlton, the butler, was in utter shock and couldn’t say anything.
‘She made two hundred million Dalias into two billion Dalias…’
And, it’s still rising.
Leaving Carlton alone in shock, Viola continued.
“Still, I won’t do it all for the sake of the Empire like Sellina.”
Sellina was a warm person, but not everyone could do that for the sake of the entire Empire.
“I mean, it can be done in a somewhat coercive and fast way.”
This wasn’t a democratic society. It was a world where the Emperor and King’s power soared to the sky.
“So, if the powerless held the land, they might have been evacuated. It may have been removed without a single mouse or a bird’s knowledge.”
Viola laughed again. Her gaze towards her father was filled with trust.
‘Whaa… At times like this, it’s reliable, my dad is Duke Heron.’
“But, I’m your daughter.”
The pinnacle of Verratoux. He was Heron Verratoux, the owner of the Winter Castle and Shield of the North. Therefore, the land purchased by his daughter couldn’t be recklessly taken away. They couldn’t assassinate his daughter.
“Even the Emperor of the Empire cannot take it away. My father is Heron Verratoux.”
She held her skirt and bowed down.
“I’m glad I’m your daughter.”
Hidden under his desk, Heron’s fingertips shivered subtly.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
