NOVEL NEXT chapter 23
"You sure have a strange way of accepting compliments. It makes me feel a little hurt."
"There’s no need for you to feel that way."
"And besides, Uncle Lupe is the one doing all the extra work anyway."
"With the amount of money he’s getting, he might as well work more to make it worth it."
"The world’s worst boss is right here."
Conversations between the father and ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ daughter always went like this.
They didn’t share any particularly useful information, just exchanged words freely, bantering back and forth.
If it had been the Ferio of the past, he would have cut off the conversation entirely, deeming it more efficient to use this time for sleep instead.
"Did you gain any weight?"
But now, it was Ferio who initiated the lighthearted chatter.
"Grandpa Kara and Felica said that all the weight I put on just painfully melted away."
And just like that, Leonia followed up with another remark, continuing the conversation.
Such aimless chatter brought Ferio an unexpected sense of peace.
It gifted a comforting presence in his monotonous daily life, and watching Leonia display an array of expressions just for him made him feel something even warmer.
"Honestly, I’d rather gain muscle than weight…"
"Leo."
"All big and strong—huh?"
Leonia, who had been dreaming of building muscle, widened her eyes in surprise.
"Leonia is a long name."
Sensing her shock, Ferio casually explained.
"What’s wrong with me giving my daughter a nickname?"
He averted his gaze slightly, as if even he wasn’t quite used to it yet.
The name Ferio had just called—‘Leo’—was a shortened version of ‘Leonia.’
A term of affection, one typically used by close family or loved ones. And it was the first time Ferio had ever used it for her.
Leonia, having heard her own nickname directly from him, stared in disbelief.
"Leo."
Ferio repeated it once more, as if to confirm it for her.
"I’m your father, and we are family."
His dark eyes, which had been drowsy just moments ago, now held a firm intensity. As he gazed steadily at the child, there was even a trace of tension in his expression.
Meeting his gaze, Leonia swallowed dryly, struggling to steady the emotions surging inside her.
Ferio calling himself ‘Dad’ was nothing new, but this time, for some reason, it felt different.
It was as if the ground beneath her feet had suddenly become more solid.
Even though she was currently dangling in his arms, her legs swaying in midair.
"Do you know why?"
"Well, it’s because you adopted me…."
"Wrong."
A finger lightly tapped her tiny nose.
"It’s because you became my family."
Leonia’s eyes wavered.
That day…
The ragged little girl, clad in clothes that could hardly even be called rags, had dared to stand in front of the Duke of Voreoti.
From that moment on, they had become irreplaceable to each other—an unshakable family.
"So you don’t need to question who you are."
A runaway cousin’s daughter, an orphanage child, an illegitimate child, the black beast of the North.
None of that mattered.
Between them, there was only ‘father and daughter.’ ‘Family.’ That was all.
Everything else was just noise—pointless chatter from those who didn’t matter.
Ferio smiled slightly as he looked at Leonia.
"You must have been really sick this time."
Otherwise, instead of snapping back at him as usual, she wouldn’t be sitting here crying like this.
Before he realized it, he had pulled her close, letting her rest her head against his shoulder.
Soon, he felt the damp warmth of her tears soaking into his clothes. Her quiet sniffles gradually turned into louder sobs.
"Hic, hff…!"
Between her trembling sobs, she managed to choke out a few fragile words.
"D… Dad…."
"Yeah."
"Dad…!"
"Yeah, Leo."
Ferio’s voice was filled with quiet warmth.
"You can tell Dad anything."
His large hand gently ran through her hair, just as it had patted her back last night—slow and careful.
Eventually, the small head leaning on his shoulder moved slightly.
"Like how I was beaten at the orphanage, how I felt so sick to my stomach I thought I’d throw up."
Like how she felt as if there was about to be a murder in the Voreoti estate, how she wanted to collect a whole bottle full of strawberry milk candies, how she missed her friends from the orphanage, how she felt lonely when Dad was away for work.
And even the times when she shivered from unspeakable longing.
"Even if it’s something foolish."
Ferio’s tone remained steady as he listed each one.
And that calm steadiness was the greatest comfort to Leonia.
It was more soothing than a lullaby, warmer than the softest blanket.
Leonia cried for a long time in Ferio’s arms.
"Dad…."
The tangled emotions inside her slowly began to recede.
Ever since she had woken up in an unfamiliar world, in an unfamiliar body, that lingering ache had never left her.
Every time she lost hope of returning home, despair stacked up layer by layer.
And after meeting Ferio, there was even the guilt of wondering—what if she somehow changed his future?
For so long, she had endured all of these emotions alone.
But now, that burden was finally starting to ease, little by little.
The longing she thought would never fade, the memories and feelings she couldn’t put into words—one by one, they started to settle.
Like a storybook.
A storybook tucked away in the deepest shelf of her heart, under a chapter called ‘memories.’
Every now and then, she would remember.
She might open it again, reminiscing about how precious it all was, and find tears welling up.
Since it was filled with such dear and beloved moments, she would probably hold onto it for a while.
She might even cry all over again.
But in the end, she would close the book, put it back on the shelf, and stand up.
And she would run straight to Dad.
How strange…
Sniffling, Leonia buried herself deeper in Ferio’s embrace.
Hearing his steady heartbeat, pounding just as firmly as her own, brought an unexpected sense of relief.
Leonia rubbed her eyes roughly with her sleeve.
"Crying over nothing…"
This translation is the intellectual property of .
Ferio gently moved Leonia’s hands away and instead used his own sleeve to softly dab at her tear-streaked face.
"Are you done crying?"
Leonia silently nodded. Her high twin ponytails, which had now grown longer, swayed with the movement.
The length of her hair mirrored the time she had spent living in the Voreoti estate.
"Shall we walk while holding hands?"
"Yeah."
As she stepped into the snowy ground, Leonia grasped the large hand that was extended toward her.
Her tiny hand, no bigger than a fallen autumn leaf, fit snugly in Ferio’s broad palm.
The world had once been unfamiliar and frightening, making her bark and bite in fear like a cornered cub. But now, by her side stood the strongest and most reliable fatherly beast in the world.
"Dad."
Leonia’s still-damp eyes curved into a smile.
"I think I like you quite a bit."
"…‘Quite a bit,’ huh?"
"It means I still don’t like being teased."
Yet, despite his words, Ferio had a quiet smile on his face.
It was a perfect beginning for a little beast cub taking her first steps into the world.
***
A few days later.
Leonia heard from Kara that Countess Kerena Tedros had been divorced and was now Kerena Mereoqa.
The Mereoqa family, having deemed their disgraced daughter a burden, had sent her away to a remote villa in the countryside to recuperate.
"Dad said it’s really far away."
Leonia now called Ferio ‘Dad’ with certainty, no longer referring to him as ‘Mister.’
That change brought Kara great satisfaction, and she smiled warmly.
"It’s a small villa in a rural part of the West."
Since the North was practically winter for half the year, northern nobles often built retreat villas in the warmer western or southern regions.
The Voreoti family also owned numerous villas and mansions outside the North.
Compared to the rest of the Mereoqa family’s properties, the place where Kerena had been sent was insignificant, but it was described as a scenic area surrounded by lush green forests, like the background of a landscape painting.
"There’s nothing around but trees and forests."
To reach the nearest town, one would have to ride a carriage for at least half a day.
In other words, the Mereoqa family had abandoned her.
And that wasn’t all.
The Mereoqa family, along with other noble families, had paid an enormous sum as compensation to Leonia.
Every noble who had gathered that day and spread malicious rumors about her had faced the consequences.
In addition, they were now paying the price for the wrongs they had committed while Ferio had been away.
"Honestly, the richer they are, the worse they get."
Clicking her tongue at the greedy nobles, Leonia hopped down from the sofa.
Her twin ponytails, tied high on her head, bounced with her movements.
The yellow ribbon securing her hair remained perfectly in place.
Kara draped a warm outer garment over her. Leonia, now wrapped in a snug pink cape, had bright red leather boots on her feet.
"Today is the day you visit the orphanage, right?"
"Yeah, I promised Dad."
Ferio had not forgotten his promise to take her to the orphanage once his monster-hunting expedition was over.
As she stepped into the now fully restored entrance hall, she spotted Ferio standing next to Lupe, discussing work.
Judging by the way they were reviewing documents and speaking in hushed, serious tones, it seemed to be an important matter.
"Kara Grandpa, Dad is working."
"Is it surprising to see him working?"
"I thought all he did was eat and laze around."
"That’s your job."
Before she even realized it, Ferio had appeared beside her, narrowing his eyes.
"Dad!"
Without hesitation, Leonia ran toward him and clung to his leg.
"Don’t run. You’ll trip and smash your nose."
Ferio, dressed in a muted red coat, tilted his head slightly.
Leonia glanced back and forth between her pink cape and her dad’s red coat before breaking into a wide grin.
"Dad, our clothes are the same color."
"Red and pink are different."
"But they’re still kind of similar."
"If you say so, then I suppose they are."
Ferio playfully pressed a finger against her forehead, gently pushing her back.
Not one to back down, Leonia stubbornly tensed her neck and resisted.
"Be back before dinner."
"I’ll have all the documents prepared before you return."
Lupe gave a small bow to the two of them before walking away.
"What should I prepare for your meal?" Kara asked.
"The usual."
"Kara Grandpa, I want chicken for dinner."
"With cream sauce, I presume?"
Leonia’s mouth watered as she eagerly nodded. Kara had already memorized her young mistress’s favorite dishes.
Leonia had a particular fondness for sweet and tender food—especially chicken slow-cooked in a rich cream sauce.
"Have a safe trip."
With the experienced butler’s farewell behind them, Leonia and Ferio climbed into the carriage.