Chapter 33
“My name is Viola Verratoux. I turned seven this year.”
This seemingly simple greeting included a stern warning, as Viola also revealed that she is a Verratoux.
“V-Verratoux?”
“Did you say Verratoux?”
Viola grinned inwardly.
‘You mean you approached me without knowing I was Verratoux?’
She guessed they are mercenaries who are commissioned by Hera herself. They seemed to have been hired without knowing who their opponent would be.
‘Well, a strong-minded mercenary wouldn’t carry out this request.’
A mission to kidnap a child—
Those who try to kidnap and sell the powerless little girl of the fallen aristocracy as slaves are usually not properly trained mercenaries. Maybe, they had done a lot of evil hence why they have accepted this mission without alarm or much concern.
The masked people, who were briefly flustered, soon burst into laughter as though they were dumbfounded.
“You’re Verratoux…?”
“A Verratoux is walking around this secluded place without an attendant? Hahaha!”
“Of course, you’re a Verratoux!”
They did not believe Viola.
“First, I revealed that I was Verratoux, and secondly, I also revealed that I was seven years old.”
“What on earth does this lady believe in to be so bold?”
The masked men approached with a grin.
“Here, in Winter Castle under the strict orders of Duke Heron, every child under the age of ten is to be protected. Nevertheless, you have threatened me with weapons…”
She muttered softly.
“…Trash.”
She was sure they were literal trash, but she asked just in case.
“How many children have you kidnapped and sold as slaves?”
“At least twenty.”
They said it as if they were bragging. Then, one of them interrupted. “No, brother. Didn’t we have a big one last time? I think it is over thirty.”
“Oh, it was.”
Well, kidnapping and slave sales seemed to be something to be proud of for them.
He let out a laugh.
“Especially, for cute children like you, we sell them at a high price.”
Viola reached out her hand.
“Xenon, clean water.”
At that, something wriggled up from her shadow.
The masked people were frightened. A state to which a person can be completely hidden in the shadows—it was impossible thought by the masked people.
“Here.”
Viola, who received the water bottle, washed her ears and her palm.
“I’ve heard something too dirty.”
“Y-you! Who are you…!”
Shouting, the masked men pointed weapons at Xenon, although he just simply chuckled.
Then, the man, who appeared to be a lot larger than the four, tilted his head.
“Ho…?”
Everything went by so fast that they couldn’t even catch a glimpse of him. As they were feeling dizzy…
Flop.
All their bodies collapsed onto the hard floor.
No one was able to move.
Everyone was poisoned. Their bodies didn’t move, and even their mouths were stiffened still. It was as though they had turned hardened like a statue.
“The one who fell was poisoned, and the other three who are paralyzed… I’ll give you a choice.”
Xenon continued with a grin.
“In an hour. They are gonna die, anyway.”
Only his voice echoed in the dead silence.
“….”
“You may take your leave from Winter Castle in an hour. That way, I’ll let the other three live.”
Murder in the Winter Solstice Castle is prohibited. Therefore, killing people in the castle would only complicate things.
“When I count down from ten, the poison will be released—Ten, nine…”
When the numbers are counted, moments after, Xenon snapped his finger.
With that, the paralytic poison has been lifted as if it was a lie.
“Choose. Do you all want to die in poison, or do you want only one of you to die?”
“I-I, I’ll take my leave, then.”
“That would be in an hour.”
“I-I see.”
She held the fallen man. The other three started running.
Viola said with a relaxed smile.
“Sister, if you don’t come out right now, I’ll kill every one of the Terra Merchant.”
She thought about it for a while, Viola had to adapt to this world.
Words of warning are powerless, after all.
She ate her heart out.
“And, Xenon, they should all be dead as soon as they get out of the Winter Castle.”
The door to ‘Moon Night’ opened again.
She could hear the wheelchair wheels rolling. There, Viola could see a silver-haired girl sitting in a wheelchair, and she came close with the thin arms rolling the wheels.
“You promised not to bring the butler.”
“I don’t think there are any mentions of you bringing such trash as well, sister?”
“I didn’t bring them. It’s just that I’ve leaked information about the coming of a fallen aristocracy.”
Viola grinned. She said something she didn’t mean.
“You should know that I brought the butler as an act, sister.”
“Why?”
She then gazed at Xenon, as she tried to imitate the original Viola.
“If I didn’t bring the butler…”
She smiled.
“I would have killed them all.”
If a pure-blood Verratoux commits murder in the Winter castle, the incident would have escalated way too quickly. A group of inspectors will come to the Duke’s castle and get to the bottom of the case.
“I’ve announced that I’m Verratoux, and I’ve already revealed that I’m seven years old. Nevertheless, they threatened me. I would have killed them all, so it could be deducted as self-defense.”
Viola wanted to cry.
‘Damn it! My pronunciation is off again!’
Though luckily, Hera didn’t notice it.
“I have to take some responsibility, but who’s going to be in more trouble? The person who did this dirty, frivolous thing, which is unlike a Verratoux, would suffer the most, right? Won’t your position be narrower? Rather, I think I would be praised.”
Hera was speechless at the moment.
Viola stood in front of her and made eye contact with Hera.
“I had a good view of my sister. I’m still looking forward to you.”
Viola in the original novel hates backhanded tricks. She thought ploys and tricks were just cowardly tricks. But, Han Arin did not think of it that way. Hera is doing the best she can, and she was one of the readers who supported Hera.
“That’s why I’m keeping them alive.”
The masked man, whose eyes met Viola, flinched. He didn’t know why the seven-year-old’s eyes were so ferocious. That look, obviously, was the eyes that killed a man. It was as though she was from a different race and was born differently.
‘She is still young, but I feel like she’d be a killer if she grew up a little more…’
“Sister, why did you lie to me?”
“Why don’t you call it a day since you brought your butler?”
Hearing her words, Viola grinned slightly.
“Yes, let’s call it a day.”
‘I am a little relieved. I’m glad I was a reader.’
Because she just came here without knowing anything. Viola almost panicked.
“I’ll push you, then.”
As she walked behind Hera, Xenon came close as well.
“I’ll push her for you, Princess.”
“It’s okay. She’s my sister.”
Hera’s body flinched.
‘It’s okay. She’s my sister…’
That didn’t sound oddly bad…
Viola’s appearance now and Viola’s appearance before seemed to be different.
‘No, she’s really not different.’
Even if Viola showed embarrassment or stupidity, it’s still all right. The phrase, ‘she’s my sister after all’ she had said, wouldn’t have come out so warmly.
‘I must have been pathetic.’
Because of Viola’s performance, she already proved her talent as an ‘absolute person.’ That’s why her words sounded so warm. Even if it’s the same word, it sounds completely different depending on who does it.
Viola pushed the wheelchair.
“So, where’s the real Terra merchant?”
Hera had a conversation with Viola. During the conversation, there was a particularly interesting part.
Viola said, “Of course, money is the best.”
“…Money?”
“People need money. Money can call even ghosts.”
“No hesitation.”
Hera burst into laughter.
“Viola, you have become the Princess of the Duke.”
“I know.”
“So, can you not use such vulgar language? Like, Money is the best?”
“You don’t like money, sister?”
She couldn’t not like it. Hera succeeded greatly based on her resourcefulness and craftsmanship, which later became an enormous merchant network.
Viola knew that fact very well about Hera.
[ “I’ve been thinking since I was a child.”
“Why can’t we nobles say that money is good?”
“What’s the use of decency and appearance anyway?” ]
Hera answered honestly.
“No, money is good.”
“Then, you’re also vulgar, aren’t you?”
“Maybe?”
At her words, Hera had a subtle smile around her mouth. She concluded, “You’re very unique.”
“I know.”
There must be a lot of crazy people in this world. Still, there’s no one more unusual than a transmigrated one.
That was what Viola really thought.
“Do you know why noblemen don’t tell others they like money?”
“Why?”
“Because they’re full pigs. They never felt hungry, so they are just pretending to be prim and proper.”
At that very moment, Hera then bursts into laughter with a ‘kik!’ sound.
Viola felt as if she had a ray of light in her mind. ‘This setting still existed in the original story…’
「 When she talked to someone she really liked, she laughed out loud with a ‘kik!’ 」
She felt a little relaxed and recalled such a fact. Hera has finally now opened the door to her heart.
Viola grinned without anyone knowing.
‘There we go.’
This sister… She is definitely going to be on her side now. So, Viola decided to adapt what Hera said in the original book and drop a carpet bombing for her.
Here we go, rich wannabe dreamer sister! There was also this in the novel.
「 ” The idea of wanting to make money is an outdated way of thinking.” 」
“If you want to make money, you’ll talk vulgarly.”
“Don’t you think you’re vulgar?”
“Well, money is precious.”
Han Arin, who has lived in Korean capitalist society, knows better. Money is important.
“Having money doesn’t make you happy, does it?”
“That’s right.”
The same was true for Viola. She became an adopted daughter, who would be sadder in this worldview. However, she couldn’t just be happy.
A death rivalry with her siblings.
The male lead got kidnapped.
Got threatened by masked men.
“Even with money, you can be unhappy. However, you know what it’s like to have no money?”
“How is it?”
“Everything is unfortunate. Even the lack of money is unfortunate. It’s better to have money and be unfortunate than to have no money.”
Hera burst into loud laughter with a ‘kik!’ again.
“That’s not what a noble lady would say. As a matter of fact, a noble lady should be able to endure even misfortune and feel the sweetness of hardship.”
“Hardship is still hardship. How do you even turn hardship into something sweet?”
“You make it through mental discipline and strong will.”
“Hm. Who said that?”
“Everyone does.”
“You are out of your mind.”
“Also, poverty is not the standard of happiness.”
Viola grinned.
“Have you starved before?”
“You must not have starved because you are a noble, right.”
Hera’s face is full of smiles. It was fun talking to Viola. There was no unique feeling of nobility, and it came very fresh to her.
Viola continued without hesitation.
“What do you call that?”
“What are you even saying?”
“B*stards.”
She lifted herself up and did not intend to be something she wasn’t… That is the essential energy of the character Viola—the energy that eats up life.
“I’ll kill all those dogs, sister.”
Just in time, Xenon posted a report.
“I killed them all.”
“….”
Viola did not reply.
She felt uncomfortable and scared, though she could never let it show on her face. It looked to Hera that murder was nothing. Instead, she looked like a Verratoux Princess who was rather accustomed to murder.
It’s been a little while passed.
Eventually, they arrived in front of a building—the big building on the corner of the crossroads of seasons.
Viola was stunned inside.
“Not a rich wannabe dreamer…”
It wasn’t just a dream. Hera is already rich…
“Is this… Is this your building, sister?”