I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter

"The same one as before."

Leonia ran her palm over the plush seat.
The large, black carriage bearing the Voreoti family crest and its steady, unshaking seats were exactly like the one she had ridden in when she was adopted from the orphanage.
"See? I didn’t throw up this time, so I can ride again."

"Instead, that poor tree took the brunt of it."
Ferio also recalled that same day.
"That just means it got good fertilizer! If we go check now, I bet it’s grown a lot."

"I’ve never felt sorry for a tree before. You really have no conscience."
"Of course I don’t! I take after you, Dad."
"My conscience is as vast as those mountains."

"Yeah, dried up and barren—just like your conscience."
As the father and daughter exchanged their usual childish bickering, the carriage smoothly entered the city.
Once again, Leonia pressed her face against the window, eagerly watching the bustling streets, while Ferio quietly observed her reflection in the glass.

Her dark eyes, mirrored in the window, darted around ceaselessly, taking in every little detail.
"Leo."
"Hm?"

"Shall we get off here?"
Ferio glanced outside, judging the distance. They were close enough to the orphanage that walking the rest of the way wouldn’t be an issue.
And if Leonia got tired, he could simply carry her.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Really? Can we get off and look around?"
"It’s been three years since I’ve been in the North. I’d like to see the streets again."
That, of course, was a blatant lie. Ferio had never been fond of crowded places.

But his distaste for busy streets was easily overridden by the desire to let Leonia explore.
When she first arrived in Voreoti Territory, she had been utterly mesmerized by the lively city center.
The memory of that thin, frail child murmuring that she had never seen a place like this before overlapped with the healthy, bright-eyed girl standing beside him now.

"Then let’s walk!"
The carriage, adorned with the roaring black lion crest, came to a halt.
Ferio stepped out first and held out his hand. Leonia eagerly took it and hopped down from the carriage.

"You’re going to get hurt doing that."
His words of concern had become second nature by now.
"Dad, you worry too much."

"That’s what parents do."
Ferio suddenly paused at his own words.
He had spoken them naturally, without thinking—such a common, cliché phrase, yet he had meant it.

And that realization made him feel strangely awkward.
"Dad, what’s wrong?"
Hearing her call, he looked down to find Leonia blinking up at him with her big, round eyes.

Before he even thought about it, he reached out and gently poked her cheek.
As she tilted her head curiously, her chubby cheek wobbled.
Looking at her like this, it made perfect sense that such words had slipped out.

"Dad, do you want to go pick some flowers?"
The moment of sentiment was short-lived.
Ferio frowned slightly at her ridiculous question and took her hand.

His long strides moved at a slow pace, prompting her short legs to scurry along beside him.
"Leo. I told you that phrase is weird."
"It’s clever and fun."

"In what way?"
"It sounds like someone peeing in the bushes and knocking over flowers."
Leonia burst into laughter at her own joke, hopping up and down with amusement.

Meanwhile, Ferio’s face darkened. The faint hint of a smile on his lips completely vanished.
‘This…’
For the sake of his precious daughter, he realized he needed to seriously consider her sense of innocence.

‘The orphanage really was the problem.’
Ferio thought of the orphanage director and teachers who were still locked in the underground prison of the Voreoti estate.
Just as Leonia had put it, they were being ‘treated’ so thoroughly they would rather die.

Today, he felt even more assured that his decision had been right.

‘That just proves how terrible it was for her.’
Ardea, the live-in tutor, had mentioned that Leonia’s intelligence far surpassed that of the average child.

In fact, if one exaggerated a little, she was on par with students at the imperial academy.
And yet, this sharp, observant, and capable child had survived two years in that awful orphanage.
She had spent every day witnessing despicable adult behavior, hearing their disgusting words, and enduring relentless physical abuse.

How could she have retained any sense of childlike innocence?
She might be laughing now, her hand firmly in his, but not long ago, she had been holding everything in, only just managing to let it out.
‘First, I need to teach her how to play with toys…’

Ferio was deep in thought, contemplating ways to restore his daughter’s lost childhood.
"Wow!"
A bright exclamation broke his train of thought.

Following her gaze, he saw several burly men hauling heavy sacks over their shoulders, carrying them one by one into a store.
Despite the cold weather, the men wore only thin tunics and trousers, seemingly unbothered by the chill.
The weight of the sacks made their work difficult, generating enough heat to keep them warm.

"Ooooh…!"
Leonia suddenly let go of her father’s hand.
"Dad, did you see that? Their clothes are soaked with sweat!"

"…Are we skipping the orphanage now?"
"It’s not like my feet are glued to it."
Brushing off his comment, she openly stared in fascination.

"Their muscles are different from the knights’."
Muttering seriously to herself, she admired how their physique was unbalanced but appealing in its own way.
"This is what real, everyday labor-built muscles look like…"

"Enough. Just hold my hand."
"Okay, here."
Without even glancing at him, Leonia lazily stuck her hand out.

Ferio grabbed it with a defeated sigh.
And with his other hand, he quietly reached up and rubbed the back of his neck.
For the first time in his life, the truth of parenting hit him—there was more frustration than joy.

His head pounded as he experienced an unfamiliar sensation—blood rushing to the back of his skull.
"Your Grace."
At that moment, Ferio turned his gaze.

"I didn’t expect to see you here. Ah, I am Kera—"
"Viscount ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Kerata."
The man blinked in shock, his eyes widening.

He had never expected Ferio to call his name first.
"…It’s an honor that you remember me. We were introduced at Marquis Tarandru’s estate, weren’t we?"
"That was before I left for the capital."

"I heard that the Lord of the North has returned."
Viscount Kerata, his plump face warm and friendly, gave a courteous bow as he apologized for the belated greeting.
Despite his affable appearance, he was a noble whose family had been rooted in the North since before the founding of the empire.

True to the warlike nature of Northern nobles, he was gentle in everyday matters but resolute when necessary.
Moreover, during the three years Ferio had been away, he had caused no trouble and had never spoken ill of Leonia.
"What brings you here? I heard you dislike crowded places…"

"I’m just out on a stroll with my daughter."
This translation is the intellectual property of .
"Ah, I see!"

Despite the widespread rumors about Leonia, Viscount Kerata showed no sign of curiosity or scrutiny—just a warm, genuine smile.
There was no trace of pretense or deceit in that expression.
Ferio found himself forming a favorable impression of the man.

"You seem to be enjoying your time in the square. I apologize if I interrupted your outing."
Leonia, still engrossed in watching the men carrying heavy sacks, had yet to notice the new arrival. All she did was proudly show off the back of her head.
Viscount Kerata chuckled at the sight.

"Actually, I’m here with my daughter as well."
"Your daughter?"
"My second child."

The viscount gave a gentle pat to the shoulder of the little girl clinging to his leg.
Ferio’s eyes met those of the child peeking up at him—eyes full of fear.

And then came a strange sense of familiarity.

"U-Uwaaa…"
Like most children, Viscount Kerata’s daughter reacted to meeting Ferio with visible terror, her small frame trembling.
Then, with a desperate whimper, she darted behind her father, gripping his pants tightly.

"Flo."
The viscount gently tried to soothe her while keeping an eye on Ferio’s reaction.
"The Duke of Voreoti isn’t someone to be afraid of."

"B-But…"
Her soft green eyes, round and gentle like a puppy’s, were already brimming with tears.
Ah, I had forgotten for a moment.

Because Leonia never cried at the sight of him—because she chattered away and bickered with him—Ferio had momentarily forgotten his natural-born talent.
Up until very recently, most children reacted to him exactly like this.
"Dad!"

At that moment, Leonia suddenly turned her head.
The little girl on the verge of tears flinched.
"I finished looking around!"

Satisfied with her little exploration, Leonia finally noticed the new presence, her eyes widening in curiosity.
"…Who are you?"
She subtly shifted closer to Ferio’s dark red coat as she asked. Ferio reassured her with a light hand on her shoulder.

"My apologies for the late introduction."
Viscount Kerata offered a polite bow.
"It is an honor to meet you. I am Viscount Rebous Kerata."

"Hello. I’m Leonia Voreoti."
Leonia introduced herself with flawless etiquette.
Ironically, she had learned this from Kerena Mereoqa—the woman who had been cast out to a distant estate.

Though her fate had changed, Kerena had once been called the flower of high society, and her lessons in proper manners were impeccable.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lady Voreoti."
"Are you my dad’s friend?"

"Haha, I am someone who learns from him."
The viscount chuckled, then added, "The Black Beast of the North is the pride and idol of all northern nobles."
"There’s no need to praise me in front of my daughter," Ferio replied flatly.

"Praise? I’m only stating the truth."
"Dad, you use formal speech?"
Leonia’s eyes widened, surprised by something completely different.

"It’s only natural to use it among fellow nobles."
"But you don’t talk like that to your knights."
"That’s because they’re my subordinates."

Unlike the knights of the Gladiago Order, who were in a hierarchical relationship with Ferio, Viscount Kerata was his peer, helping to govern and protect the North alongside him.
And as a noble from one of the oldest northern families, Ferio showed him a certain level of courtesy.
"Of course, that doesn’t mean I ignore the difference in rank."

Kerata smiled in amusement, assuring him that he understood those boundaries perfectly.
"Ah, I seem to have gone off track."
The viscount patted the back of the child still hiding behind him, gently nudging her forward.

"This is my daughter, Flomus."
"H-Hello…"
The little girl timidly greeted them, still hesitant as she stood near Leonia.

But at least she wasn’t trembling as much.
That was because the oppressive, overwhelming aura that usually surrounded Ferio had diminished.
No one noticed.

No one, except Leonia.
"Flomus Kerata."
"Nice to meet you. I’m Leonia Voreoti."

"My daughter is seven years old this year."
"Oh, so she’s still a baby."
Leonia grinned at Flomus as if she found her adorable.

"……"
"……"
The two fathers fell silent at the unexpected turn of events.

"Um, L-Lady Leonia, how old are you?"
Flomus was visibly shaken at being called a baby by someone smaller than her.
"Seven."

Leonia answered without hesitation.
They were the same age.