I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter-Chapter 254

I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter-Chapter 254

The Voreoti family, upon crossing through the Gate, looked absolutely wrecked.
From head to toe, they were covered in snow, their clothes soaked with melted frost, mud, and even blood.
The Gladiago Knights quickly stripped off their cloaks and wrapped them around the Duke’s family.
“Varia, are you alright?”
“J-just a little cold...”
“Cold?! Of course you’re cold! Your clothes are soaked through!”
No sooner had they returned from the Northern Mountains than Varia began to shiver from the cold.
Up there, a strange force had kept her from feeling the cold, but now the wet clothing and the emotional exhaustion from dealing with Remus hit her all at once.
Ferio and Leonia each took off their own cloaks and bundled them around Varia.
But even that wasn’t enough—Ferio took it a step further and embraced her, sharing his body heat to warm her.
“Gather some stones!”
Leonia heated the small rocks the knights brought using the Fangs of the Beast, wrapping them in cloaks to create makeshift hand warmers.
“Mom, hold onto this!”
The moment the warmth reached her, Varia’s face relaxed noticeably.
‘Wait... I used the Fangs?’
Leonia realized the change belatedly. Ferio, too, was using his own faint Fangs to warm Varia’s body.
“Duke Voreoti!”
Someone suddenly called out.
“Someone’s calling for you, Dad.”
“Technically, you’re the Duke now.”
Ferio gestured with his chin at the emblem pinned to Leonia’s coat. Now damp with melted snow, the crest glinted faintly.
“...Oh, right.”
Leonia groaned as she stood, having completely forgotten about it.
‘Should I just give it back?’
Actually being Duke had turned out to be a lot more trouble than she expected.
Leonia was starting to suspect that Ferio had passed on the title to her just so he could slack off and enjoy himself.
“Whoa!”
Before she could react, two arms suddenly wrapped around her, making her let out a short yelp.
“...Your Highness the Princess!”
Leonia’s eyes went wide at the sight of the silver-haired knight who had hugged her tightly.
“You really startled me.”
Hands still hovering awkwardly in the air, Leonia stood frozen in genuine shock.
“What’s going on? And what are you doing here?”
“I told you I’d be here to greet you.”
The princess muttered in a low voice, laced with gentle reproach—like she was asking, ‘Did you forget?’
“Did you really wait all this time?”
Leonia suddenly felt guilty. The princess didn’t answer—only gave a small, silent nod.
“What a silly knight...”
The sun had almost completely set, and the sky was growing dark.
Leonia felt both worried and touched knowing the princess had waited this long—all for that one promise. It made her heart ache and flutter at the same time.
“What if I’d just gone straight back to the North to rest?”
This kind-hearted fool...
Leonia awkwardly rested her arms on the princess’s back and gently patted her.
“You poor, innocent knight!”
The moment Leonia’s hand touched her, the princess’s back muscles tensed up—but she slowly relaxed and leaned into the hug.
“I’m not that innocent.”
“Then why wait here like a puppy!”
“You said you’d come back. So I believed you would.”
“Didn’t Her Majesty the Empress teach you how dangerous the world is?”
Leonia stepped back slightly, frowning.
The Empress had been so obsessed with work that she’d apparently neglected to give her adorably naïve son any proper survival lessons.
Everything he said was just too cute—it made her wonder how he’d manage in the world like this.
‘Guess I’ll have to protect him.’
Despite the thought, Leonia couldn’t stop the happy smile curling her lips.
The princess, not knowing why Leonia was smiling, tilted his head in confusion.
Meanwhile—
“...!”
Ferio’s eyes burned with barely restrained killing intent as he watched.
With every twitch of his temple vein, the knights slowly {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} inched away from him.
“Brrr, so cold!”
So, so cold! Freezing!
Reading the desperate glances from the knights, Varia awkwardly pretended to shiver from the cold.
Ferio snapped out of it and wrapped his arms around her again. But his eyes never left the princess, who was still clinging to Leonia’s side.
Worried Ferio might actually lunge at him, Varia tightened her embrace and locked her arms around him.
“Just leave them alone.”
Varia whispered to her husband.
“It’s a sweet scene. Innocent, even.”
“What part of that is innocent.”
“Oh, so it’s not innocent?”
“That one’s got a pitch-black soul.”
Ferio growled, and Varia looked closely at the two—Leonia and the princess, who were smiling sweetly at each other.
“...You mean our Leonia?”
Unfortunately, what Varia saw was Leonia pretending to comfort the princess while sneakily checking for muscle development.
“Leonia is... well, she’s Leonia.”
Ferio didn’t deny it.
“But pests must be exterminated the moment they appear.”
Letting them go unchecked was exactly how people like Olor had been allowed to thrive.
“Don’t call him a pest!”
Varia scolded.
“No matter what, he’s the princess...!”
Ah.
Varia realized her slip too late.
She clamped her mouth shut, but the damage was done—everyone nearby had now figured out who the silver-haired knight really was.
In truth, they’d already guessed—Leonia had loudly outed the princess’s identity earlier.
“P-Princess?!”
“That knight is the princess?”
“But wait, the princess is a girl!”
“Then how do you explain that?”
“Gasp—girl and girl?!”
“That’s not the issue!”
Did you catch it from her or what!
Paavo kicked Probo in the rear.
“Oof, my head...”
Prince Chrisetos, watching from afar, covered his face and groaned as he rubbed his hands down it in agony.
“She only needs the seed.”
Ferio growled viciously.
Startled, Varia gave her own cheek a little slap.
‘Get a grip, woman.’
If she didn’t pull herself together now, Leonia really might grow up to become some kind of cold-hearted scoundrel who took the seed and tossed the rest.
‘Right, baby?’
Varia asked the child in her womb.
‘...Stay focused!’
A chill ran down Varia’s spine. She had a horrible feeling that once born and able to speak, the baby would run around yelling “Seed! Seed!” all day.
***
Since it was late, the Voreoti family stayed at a guest residence in the imperial palace.
Empress Tigria, despite her busy schedule, sent her personal physician to attend to Varia.
“You’re pregnant?”
The physician was visibly surprised during the examination. He immediately ordered his assistant to fetch a variety of supplies.
Soon, the assistant returned with tools Varia had never seen before.
“What’s going on?”
“Is Mom really sick? Is she?”
Worried by the commotion, Ferio and Leonia rushed in from the hallway.
Startled by their intense expressions, the poor assistant almost dropped the equipment.
“I’m sorry, but please wait outside for a moment.”
The physician firmly dismissed them.
When he returned to Varia’s side, his face was pale.
Still, he steadied himself and examined both Varia and the baby more thoroughly.
With Varia’s consent, he conducted a careful checkup.
Eyes shut tightly, Varia prayed with all her heart for the baby’s health.
“As expected of a Voreoti.”
The physician smiled.
“The baby is perfectly healthy.”
At those words, Varia finally relaxed. All the worry and fear she had kept hidden since what happened on the mountain vanished like melting snow.
Even so, the physician firmly warned her to be careful.
“For the next few days, you must rest. Only then will the baby grow strong.”
“Thank you so much.”
Varia gently caressed her stomach, grateful.
Leaving her with a recommendation to get plenty of rest, the physician exited with his assistant.
“KYAAA!”
Moments later, a shrill scream echoed from outside the room. Alarmed, Varia could already guess what had happened.
“Are you okay, Mom? Are you okay?”
“Move over, you’re making it worse!”
“You’re the one who scared the doctor earlier!”
Of course. Her husband and daughter had ambushed the physician with questions the moment he stepped out. Now they rushed to Varia’s bedside.
They snarled at each other, accusing the other of being in the way.
“...You heard the physician earlier, right?”
Varia calmed them both.
“Everything’s fine.”
“The baby too?”
Leonia leaned her upper body over the bed and asked.
“Of course, the baby is health—”
Varia cut off mid-sentence, her mouth falling open.
“You sneaky daughter.”
Ferio gently closed her mouth for her.
“We already knew.”
“Eheh!”
Leonia scrunched one eye playfully.
“W-Why!”
Varia looked disappointed.
“I wanted to surprise you!”
“Well, Dad’s been clinging to your waist and stomach all day.”
Unable to argue, Ferio pressed his lips together. Embarrassed, Varia fiddled with the blanket in her hands.
“I’m worried the new baby will learn from all this nonsense.”
Leonia shook her head.
“I guess I’ll have to raise them myself.”
“Don’t ruin your sibling’s future.”
“Excuse me!”
Hmph! Leonia sucked in a sharp breath, as if scolding a child, and glared at Ferio.
“How dare you! What insolence to question the words of the Duke of the North!”
In disbelief, Ferio stared at the emblem still pinned to her clothes.
Then he plucked it off.
“My title!”
Leonia held out her hand, demanding its return. But Ferio stood up first and easily dodged her.
“Dad’s committing treason!”
“This isn’t treason.”
Ferio scoffed, lifting his chin.
“You were never the Duke to begin with.”
“I was the Duke!”
Leonia puffed out her chest proudly. She had led knights to suppress a rebellion and participated in a noble council.
“You foolish daughter.”
Ferio’s tone was tender, but full of mockery.
“The name on the official title deed still says ‘Ferio.’”
The lion-emblazoned crest was just decoration. It was often worn during official business in the Duke’s name, but sometimes he forgot to put it on.
The legally binding title deed was safely stored in the North’s estate vault.
“......”
Leonia glanced around with shifty eyes, then slowly turned away and hid her face.
“...I knew that.”
Ferio and Varia exchanged a look. It was obvious Leonia had forgotten.
“But Mom, I still thought you were amazing.”
Varia smiled, praising her. “You were a truly splendid Duke.”
Leonia turned back around with a beaming grin.
“In any case, your flair for theatrics already makes you a Duke.”
Ferio acknowledged it in his own roundabout way.
“So dishonest.”
Leonia hummed a tune and rubbed her head against Ferio’s hand as he patted her. Ferio’s lips curled up into a soft smile.
“Well, it doesn’t matter! I’ll steal the title again soon!”
“She’s really going to get assassinated.”
“Anyway, what matters now!”
Leonia grinned at Varia.
Varia suddenly gripped the blanket tight, a shiver crawling down her spine.
“Is that it’s time for Mom to be scolded.”
“Now that you mention it...”
Ferio’s lips curled into a wicked smile as well.
“O-oh gods...”
Varia prayed desperately.
But what came to her wasn’t divine salvation.
It was a storm of nagging from her husband and daughter.

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Chapter 254