I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter-Chapter 243

I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter-Chapter 243

Varia felt as if the lioness were filled with some quiet regret.
Her unusually clear black eyes seemed to glisten faintly with unshed tears.
Her gently drooping, rounded ears gave off a mournful impression.
Varia cautiously extended her hand. She had an inexplicable certainty that the lioness would neither bite nor harm her.
The lioness had never once growled threateningly or scraped her claws against the ground.
Instead, she sniffed Varia’s outstretched hand, then gently pressed her head into the palm and closed her eyes peacefully.
“......”
Varia felt a strange sense of déjà vu from the lioness.
‘...Leo?’
Whenever her daughter wanted to be coddled, she would always nuzzle her face just like this.
It was one of those endearing gestures Varia had loved, because it reminded her of a cute kitten.
“Ugh...”
Just then, a groan was heard.
The snow that had piled up in soft heaps stirred, and there lay the collapsed figure of Remus.
Varia quickly stepped away. She was so startled that she forgot to pick up her sword.
Not that it would’ve mattered—she wouldn’t have been able to kill Remus with that sword anyway. At least the snow now covered it, which gave Varia some relief.
At the very least, Remus wouldn’t be able to find it either.
It took a long time for the barely-conscious Remus to even open his eyes.
‘Should I bash his head with a rock?’
Rocks and stones littered the area, and Varia thought it might be a good idea to strike the back of his skull while he was still dazed.
It was a technique Leonia had once taught her—called “Cracking the Skull.”
“...Ha, hahaha!”
Varia flinched just as she was about to scan for a suitable rock.
“It was real! It was all real!”
Staggering to his feet, Remus let out a crazed laugh as he looked around.
To Varia, his white breath rising into the air along with his laughter looked like something toxic.
“The Northern Mountains! That legend—it was true!”
But Remus’s manic reaction quickly subsided.
Panting heavily as he stared at the desolate snowfield, he finally noticed Varia.
Immediately, the lioness stepped in front of Varia, shielding her.
Varia was taken aback by the sudden behavior. The lioness had been as gentle as a puppy mere moments ago.
But she didn’t lunge at Remus. She merely revealed her fangs and claws, keeping her gaze fiercely locked on him in full alert.
“...Voreoti is truly something,” Remus said in a slow, mocking voice.
“All it took was a change in surname through marriage, and yet she has such power now.”
“Bet it feels great to win that gamble.”
Varia let out a scoff.
Inside, however, she was on high alert.
Remus looked at her with an inscrutable expression. Varia met his gaze with a frown, clearly uncomfortable with the way he stared.
“What happened just now?” he asked.
“What?”
“You’re the one who brought me here.”
“...Who knows.”
Varia had absolutely no memory of that. In fact, from the moment she entered the Imperial Palace to when she passed through the Gate, everything was a complete blank.
But she forced herself to act nonchalant, as though it had all been part of a grand plan.
Whatever had happened, and whatever she’d done while her memory was missing, it was enough /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ to visibly rattle Remus—that much was clear.
It was, at least, a small consolation.
“So, how does it feel to be here?”
Varia forced a smile.
The lioness standing protectively in front of her still hadn’t taken her eyes off Remus. It was incredibly reassuring.
“...The Imperial Family was right, after all.”
Remus’s voice had lost its frenzy and became calmer.
“That wretched emperor... he must’ve died with regret. After wanting this so badly...”
He couldn’t finish his sentence. His hesitant lips moved less and less, and his body slowly curled in on itself.
‘...He’s shivering?’
Even though they were in the same place, under the same biting cold and fierce winds, their conditions were starkly different.
Varia didn’t feel cold at all. On the contrary, she felt cozy.
Her body felt strangely light—so light that she felt like she could run at full speed if she only took off her shoes.
But Remus was another story.
He trembled from the bone-piercing chill. Even his lips were frozen stiff, making it hard for him to utter a single word.
He even struggled to breathe, panting heavily.
‘This is the Northern Mountains...!’
Varia realized once again where she stood.
This was the place where the god who had gifted the Voreoti with the Fangs of the Beast could be found.
The god had permitted both her and Remus to enter.
But only the ‘Voreoti’ was welcomed.
Varia knew she had survived safely thanks to the child growing in her belly.
Remus, however, was not.
The unbearable cold, the thin air—he was experiencing the full severity of the Northern Mountains.
Thud.
The lioness, who had been silently watching, nudged Varia’s arm with her snout.
Then she turned as if to say, “Follow me.”
Varia did just that, climbing the mountain behind the lioness. She was grateful she had chosen shoes with low heels.
Remus, who finally spotted Varia ahead, cursed under his breath and trudged after her with difficulty.
For every five steps Varia took, Remus could only manage one.
Once she was sure she wouldn’t be attacked from behind, Varia allowed herself a moment of relief and simply followed the path the lioness led her along.
The snowy plain held nothing ahead—only the hazy sky hidden beneath a layer of clouds.
‘It’s there.’
She knew that the one who brought her here—the one whose voice had whispered into her ear—was beneath that sky.
As tension simmered in the air, the lioness’s tail brushed against Varia’s hand.
‘...Can he not see you?’
Judging by Remus’s earlier behavior, it seemed this beautiful lioness wasn’t visible to him at all.
***
An hour had already passed since the scheduled time for the noble council to begin.
Empress Tigria still had not arrived, and the Duke of Voreoti, who had only briefly stepped out, had yet to return.
“Why isn’t anyone arriving?”
“More importantly, things outside the palace sound increasingly chaotic.”
“Did something happen?”
The nobles who had remained seated were growing anxious.
Especially since the noise coming from outside was only getting louder, their unease continued to grow.
Most of the nobles, who had stayed seated out of formality, were now gathered by the windows, peering out.
“They’re running later than expected.”
Marquis Ortio spoke quietly, just loud enough for Carnis to hear.
Carnis nodded in agreement. He, too, felt something was off.
He glanced over at the seat where Ferio had been sitting.
‘An unexpected variable.’
One of those variables was the appearance of Unicia Ortio.
Originally, the child had been assigned the role of using magic to bind Meridio and escort the Empress here.
In other words, Unicia wasn’t supposed to show herself publicly.
And yet she had appeared in the council chamber—and taken Ferio away.
But the most critical variable was Ferio’s absence.
“That guy, something was wrong with him, wasn’t it?”
“I thought so too. Could he be unwell?”
“I’ve never heard of Ferio being sick.”
At most, he’d once grumbled to Carnis about having a headache from his daughter’s education.
But Ferio coming down with a fever or suffering from illness like normal people? Never heard of it.
Still, there had been something strange. He’d been sweating coldly and kept pressing his hand to his chest.
“...For heaven’s sake!”
Viscount Olor, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly stood up.
“What is the meaning of this? We’ve all been summoned here, only to be locked up like this!”
“Isn’t it you who’s out of line, Viscount?”
Marquis Ortio frowned and warned sternly.
“Her Majesty the Empress has not yet arrived. We are to wait until she takes her seat...”
“When the hell is that damn Empress going to show up?!”
“Viscount!”
Marquis Ortio couldn’t hide his displeasure at the outburst.
The other nobles turned to Viscount Olor with shocked disbelief in their eyes.
“What an outrageous thing to say!”
Marquis Ortio was dumbfounded.
“Do you not even understand where you are? How dare you speak that way of the revered mother of the Empire...!”
“Did I say anything that wasn’t true?!”
Viscount Olor, unable to endure the hellish wait, seemed to lose his grip on reality.
“I’m about to lose my title and my life—what’s so sacred about that?!”
“V-Viscount! This is beyond rude...!”
“Compose yourself and maintain dignity!”
Several nobles, unable to bear it, tried to restrain Viscount Olor and urged him to sit.
But having already given up on everything, Olor shoved the nobles aside and hurled curses.
“It’s all over anyway!”
The blood vessels in his eyes bulged as he let out a crazed laugh.
“If my son meets the god, then all of you will kneel before us!”
“He’s lost it.”
Carnis furrowed his brow.
“Don’t tell me you actually believe in that Northern superstition? Even Voreoti doesn’t believe in that—”
“L-Look over there!”
At that moment, a noble pointed outside the window.
Knights in stark white uniforms were beginning to surround Kasus Palace.
Even from afar, it was clear their swords were soaked in blood.
And among them, someone with black hair was approaching.
‘Ferio?’
Carnis instinctively thought of his old friend—but his expression froze the moment he realized the truth.
“...Lady Voreoti!”
The figure entering Kasus Palace was Leonia.
It took only moments for her to storm through the doors of the council chamber.
“Sorry for the wait,” she said, not looking even the slightest bit sorry.
Leonia casually swung her bloodstained sword once before sheathing it.
The blood splattered on the wall resembled raindrops in a violent storm.
“My Lady, what in the world—?”
Just as Carnis was about to ask what had happened, his eyes caught sight of the badge on her chest.
It was the insignia worn only by successive Dukes of Voreoti.
“Where shall I sit?”
Leonia glanced around the tense chamber.
“...Over here.”
Still flustered, Marquis Ortio directed her to the seat Ferio had occupied.
“Hmm.”
Leonia promptly took her seat.
“Are we all here now?”
“Ah, well...”
“We only await Her Majesty the Empress.”
Marquis Ortio answered in place of the stammering Carnis.
At the mention that everyone except the Empress had arrived, Leonia gave a small nod.
“So Viscount Olor is here too?”
She flashed a smile at the stunned Viscount Olor.
“Let’s do well today.”
“......”
“As a noble, I’ll make sure your final moment is a memorable one.”
Barely had she finished her chilling declaration when the Empress entered the chamber.
“Apologies for the delay.”
Even in Empress Tigria’s hand was a bloodstained sword. She handed both the sword and its scabbard to the attendant who followed.
“Are you all right, Your Majesty?”
The young heir of Marquis Pardus respectfully inquired after the Empress’s wellbeing.
Pleased with the loyal gesture, Tigria smiled faintly and replied affirmatively.
Even the blood on her cheek moved with her expression.
“My apologies for being late,” she said sincerely.
“I was busy putting down a rebellion.”

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Chapter 243