I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter-Chapter 242
“It seems you've done more than enough already.”
Empress Tigria praised the young daughter of Marquis Ortio once Unicia had finished putting on her clothes.
“I still have a long way to go.”
Unicia hadn’t been surprised to find the Empress nearby. She had already sensed her presence. What frustrated her was the clumsiness of her own magic.
“My training is lacking.”
Unicia was deeply ashamed of herself.
She had made the terrifying Duke angry. It was only natural for him to be worried since his precious family was in danger, yet she had stood in his way.
And then, she had nearly wet herself in fear of that very same Duke.
“...The Duke is truly incredible.”
That Duke’s daughter had now become the Duke herself.
Unicia thought the new Duke was so cool—so strong, so composed.
“She’s not even an adult, yet she’s more admirable than most adults. I want to be like her.”
“That’s something that would make the Marquis very sad to hear...”
The Empress smiled awkwardly.
Leonia was certainly mature and commanding for her age, but that was easy to admire only because she wasn’t your child.
If her own daughter had been like that, she would’ve been so stressed she’d be bedridden every day.
“Still... um... I did defeat those ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) people.”
Unicia tried to subtly brag about her accomplishment.
The Empress thus learned an important piece of information: the next head of House Ortio was utterly adorable.
“I used illusion magic mixed with sleep spells. They’ll sleep like that for at least an hour.”
“A reliable little mage.”
“Well, I learned from my mother and father.”
Unicia lifted her chin proudly. That expression made her look like an innocent child again.
“Oh! Goodness, I almost forgot.”
Suddenly, Unicia remembered why she had come here in the first place.
“Your Majesty, I’ve been assigned to escort you to Kasus Palace on behalf of my mother.”
“Marquis Ortio has sent quite the dependable escort.”
The maid’s words made Unicia smile so wide her cheeks hurt.
“Indeed.”
The Empress felt sure now: the future of the Empire was in bright hands.
***
Varia couldn’t believe the sight before her, even though she was standing in the middle of it.
“W-Where is this...?!”
A gently sloped snowfield, blanketed in soft white snow up to her ankles. Varia stood there alone.
‘What in the world...’
Shivering with fear, she wrapped her arms around herself.
For a moment, she thought it was a hallucination.
But the snowflakes drifting from the sky melted into cold droplets as they touched her skin.
That vivid sensation proved this was no dream.
‘It was definitely the Imperial Palace...’
She had been crossing that damned little escape tunnel, thinking about how she could stop Remus.
Then, just for a second, fatigue overtook her and she shut her eyes tightly—only to open them here, in this snowy field.
Varia instinctively knew—
This was the Northern Mountains.
Finally grasping her location, she hurriedly placed a hand over her abdomen.
Her reflexive motion was to check on the baby inside her.
She couldn’t really feel anything, but there was no abnormal pain or discomfort, which was reassuring.
‘What about the others?’
The first person who came to mind was Probo.
But there wasn’t a single tree or blade of grass in sight. Kea, the child who had been taken hostage, was nowhere to be found either.
‘Should I scout the area?’
But she quickly abandoned the thought.
If this really was the Northern Mountains, then it was crawling with monsters—one of the most dangerous places in the empire.
If she wandered around unarmed and happened to run into one of them, that would be the end.
Getting out of the Northern Mountains was one problem—but surviving here long enough to even try was the bigger issue.
“...Huh?”
That’s when Varia realized something strange.
“Why... am I not cold?”
The North was a region so frigid that snow fell as early as autumn. The Northern Mountains, infamous even within the North, were known for their brutal cold.
You could see the snow-capped peaks from the windows of the Voreoti mansion year-round.
Yet here she was, standing on that very snow—dressed in light fabric—and she felt no chill.
She should have been freezing.
The air brushed against her skin, her breath came out in white puffs, and the snow beneath her soaked her shoes—clear signs of a freezing environment.
And yet, instead of cold, she felt... warmth.
It was as if something invisible were gently wrapping around her entire body.
Varia cautiously patted her arms. Of course, there was nothing there.
But the strange warmth she felt was like that of a large animal pressed tightly against her side.
“...!”
That’s when something red entered her vision.
At first, Varia thought it was blood—but as it swayed in the wind, she realized it was hair.
Remus.
‘Why is he here...?!’
Varia was stunned.
Even if she didn’t know exactly how she had gotten here, she could assume she’d passed through the Northern Gate.
She had once heard that the fifth gate connecting to the Northern Mountains could only be used by Voreoti.
So if she had made it here, it was likely because of the baby inside her.
But Remus? He should not be here.
He had driven a member of the Voreoti family to death. The Northern Gate shouldn’t have allowed him to pass.
‘If the legends are true, how could the gods have let him through?!’
Still in shock, Varia spotted something else.
It was the knife Remus had used to threaten the child hostage.
She picked it up. Remus lay unconscious, showing no signs of waking.
‘I have to kill him.’
I have to end him here.
The thought came, and Varia gripped the knife tightly.
But she didn’t approach right away. He could be faking unconsciousness.
No matter how much muscle she had built at the Northern mansion, she couldn’t easily take down a former Imperial Knight like Remus.
She watched him carefully.
Even after some time, Remus didn’t move.
Occasionally, wind whipped harshly around him alone. Still, he didn’t stir.
‘Is he... dead?’
Varia crept closer and looked at his chest. The snow lightly blanketing it rose and fell ever so slightly.
‘He’s unconscious.’
If only he were dead.
Varia was disappointed.
But this was a golden opportunity. There was no reason to hesitate now.
She bent down and raised the knife high.
She already knew exactly where to stab to make death instantaneous.
Because once, Remus had killed her.
‘It’s a shame to end it this easily...’
She had wanted him to live long enough to suffer for his sins. But right now, she didn’t have the luxury to weigh such things.
She needed to kill him and get back to her family.
To apologize for making them worry.
Recalling that precious life, Varia thrust the knife downward with force.
But the blade stopped just above Remus’s chest.
“What... what the...?!”
Varia stared in disbelief at her trembling hands still clutching the knife.
She had meant it. She had put her will to kill into the strike. There was no hesitation.
Remus wasn’t even human—he was a monster, and had caused so many people to suffer.
Especially Leonia and Regina.
Varia raised the knife again, this time with both hands, putting even more strength into it.
But again, the blade wouldn’t go down.
“Please, please, please...!”
Tears welled in Varia’s eyes.
She used every bit of strength in her arms, even leaned forward with her upper body to drive the knife down.
Still—it wouldn’t move.
There was no struggle or resistance. Her arms and the blade were simply frozen in place.
An invisible, overwhelming force suppressed her.
In the end, Varia let go of her strength. Only then did the knife move—and she threw it away in frustration.
“Hhk, huff...!”
Exhausted, she finally began to cry.
She had finally been given a chance—just one. And she couldn’t use it.
It felt as though the heavens themselves were shielding Remus from death.
‘Why? Why?!’
Varia slammed her clenched fists into the snow-covered ground.
Even if she cursed the sky, it wouldn’t be enough.
She had finally gotten a chance... and even that was denied.
Why him?
Why couldn’t she kill him?
If anything, Varia believed she deserved to be the one to kill Remus.
She had been murdered by this scum. So why, why couldn’t she end him?
[That’s why you mustn’t.]
A voice whispered near her ear, and Varia flinched.
Before she could even wipe her tears, she looked around—but all she saw were those cursed red swans.
[You mustn’t kill him.]
The voice repeated.
“...Why not?”
Varia asked in a trembling voice.
“Don’t stop me! He killed me! Maybe others wouldn’t understand, but I have every right to kill him!”
Her voice cracked with fury as she screamed into the air. The voice that had hovered at her ears shattered the fear and rage she had been holding back since the palace.
Breathing heavily after her outburst, Varia realized—
‘...I really have been holding this inside.’
When she had been killed by Remus in her first life, she hadn’t just been afraid—she had also been consumed by a powerful desire to kill him.
[No.]
But the mysterious voice still wouldn’t allow Remus’s death.
The firm tone filled Varia with despair.
[Bring him instead.]
Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind blew behind her.
The sudden blast made Varia cry out softly and blink rapidly.
The wind lifted her back up just as she had given up.
[Bring him to us.]
As her eyes fluttered half-shut, Varia saw something small and black in the corner of her fading vision.
[Follow this child.]
The wind quieted.
And when Varia finally opened her eyes fully, she found a large lioness before her.
Her eyes widened.
Too big to be a cub, but not quite a full adult, the lioness stared at her.
Her black eyes were filled with innocence and curiosity.
Despite being a predator, those pure eyes made Varia feel... overwhelmingly sad.
Chapter 242
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