I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter

"Alright, close your eyes."
Steam curled through the bathroom air.

Leonia was fully submerged in the enormous bathtub—large enough for three adults to lie in comfortably—her wet hair slicked down as warm water was poured over her head.
She covered her eyes with both hands.
"I’m going to wash your hair now. Keep your eyes shut tight so the soap doesn’t get in."

Connie, with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, began gently lathering Leonia’s hair.
The soft, foamy bubbles tickled her scalp, and Leonia giggled.
"Connie! I brought a towel for the young lady!"

A voice called from outside just as it was time to rinse.
"That’s Mia’s voice!"
"Yes, young lady. It’s me."

"Oh, young lady! You shouldn’t move yet!"
Connie, who had just taken the large towel from where it hung on the wall, wrapped Leonia’s damp body in it and effortlessly lifted her up.
Leonia always found it fascinating how easily Connie could carry her.

"Aren’t I heavy?"
"You still need to put on a little more weight, young lady."
"I have! Dad said I’m turning into a pig."

Leonia huffed, tattling on him.
Connie and Mia found their young lady’s chatter endlessly amusing.
"He meant you’re as cute as a little piglet."

"He literally said I’ll be just right for eating in a couple of months."
"Mia, hand me the fresh towel."
Deciding it was best to ignore their master’s lack of eloquence, Connie pretended not to hear and took the new towel.
Mia, who had been listening to everything, clutched her stomach, laughing.

"Did the master really say that?"
"Yeah. He even teased me again at dinner."
Pointing at the bacon on his plate, he had said, ‘Your friend is here.’ Then, he had carefully cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and fed them to her himself.

‘Here comes your friend.’
"Hmph. If he likes me, he should just say so."
Leonia grumbled as her pajamas were pulled over her head.

But her grin stretched so wide it nearly reached her ears.
Connie and Mia exchanged amused glances behind her back.
The same Duke of Voreoti—who made children cry just by looking at them—was teasing his daughter because he found her adorable. And not only that, but he personally fed her during meals.

Their master’s clumsy way of showing affection, and the young lady’s way of grumbling about it while secretly enjoying it, were both incredibly endearing.
Of course, neither of them would dare say this aloud.
Especially not in front of Ferio.

"But lately, Dad’s been acting kind of…"
Leonia muttered, slipping her feet into soft indoor slippers.
"Ever since we went to the orphanage, he’s been different."

"The master?"
"I can’t really tell…"
No matter how much more "human" Ferio might have seemed, to Connie and Mia, he was still the Black Beast of the North.

Just the thought of his overwhelming presence sent shivers down their spines.
Of course, none of that ever seemed to affect Leonia.
Feeling warm and refreshed from her bath, Leonia was in high spirits.

The lingering heat from the bathwater kept her cozy even in the cold air. Her new white pajamas were so soft they felt like they would slide right off her skin.
And with the fluffy nightgown wrapped around her and the faint scent of soap clinging to her, she felt invincible.
She walked with the confidence of a queen.

The maids following behind her had to stifle their laughter.
"Dad!"
When she arrived at the study to say goodnight, Ferio was alone, lounging on the sofa.

He was practically slumped against the backrest, but at the sight of his daughter running toward him, he let out a small chuckle.
"Dad, sit properly."
Leonia scolded him, hands on her hips.

"You’ll mess up your back."
"Listen to yourself. You sound like an old woman."

Ferio set the papers he had been holding onto the nearby table and pulled Leonia onto his lap.

Bringing his nose close to the damp ends of her hair, he inhaled the faint scent of flowers.
"Smells nice, doesn’t it?"
Leonia chattered away, proudly telling him it was her favorite shampoo.

"You don’t like strong scents, right?"
"Did I ever say that?"
"It just seems like you wouldn’t."

Of course, she knew this because she had read the original novel—the foundation of this world.
But that was a secret.
"Oh, today I…"

As usual, Leonia began recounting her day.
One of Ferio’s more noticeable changes since their trip to the orphanage was the time he now set aside to listen to her talk about her day.
Though, in reality, it was mostly Leonia doing the talking.

Ferio simply listened.
But if she ever asked him something, he would answer.
"…So, uh, I pulled my hood all the way down and went shopping with the maids."

Leonia, who had been animatedly talking about her outing to the city, suddenly yawned widely.
Her speech began to slow.
Ferio, feeling her gradually lean against him, placed a hand on her forehead and glanced at the clock.

Warm body temperature.
Nine-thirty at night.
"It’s time for bed."

Despite her seemingly endless energy, Leonia actually had a very regular sleep schedule.
Ferio scooped up his drooping daughter into his arms.
Not even she could resist the weight of sleep.

She let out a small, sleepy hum and rested her head against his shoulder.
Her well-fed cheeks squished softly against him, melting like warm dough.
"Master."

Waiting outside the study, Connie and Mia stepped forward when they saw Ferio carrying Leonia.
"We can take her."
The two carefully reached out their arms.

"It’s fine."
Ferio carried her to her room himself.
Sensing his mood, Connie and Mia respectfully stepped back, but they took the lead to open the door and prepare the bed.

Once the maids had left, Ferio placed Leonia onto the bed.
He removed her nightgown and draped it over a nearby chair, then pulled the blanket up to her chin.
"Dad… candy…"

She mumbled, her fingers clutching a strawberry milk candy.
Ferio took it and placed it inside the glass jar on her nightstand.
Click.

The sound of it dropping into the jar made Leonia smile in relief. She let out a content sigh and closed her eyes.
"Leo."
"Mm?"

"Good night."
"You too, Dad…"
His pale lips brushed her forehead with a soft mwah.

And before he could pull away, a tiny hand reached up.
She pecked his cheek in return.
Saying her name while bidding her goodnight—and giving her a kiss—was another one of Ferio’s new habits.

"And dream of me."
"Let me rest in my dreams for once."
This translation is the intellectual property of .

Contrary to the phrase "Why do you only think about yourself?", Ferio’s gaze as he looked down at his daughter was endlessly gentle.
Even as sleep overtook her, darkening her vision, Leonia could tell without a doubt—her father was in an incredibly good mood.
"……."

Soon, soft, rhythmic breathing filled the quiet room.
The blanket moved slightly with each breath.
Ferio watched his sleeping daughter with fascination.

The bold little lady who always argued and nitpicked at his words now lay before him, fast asleep with the most innocent expression.
Lately, he had discovered that Leonia always fell asleep with the corners of her lips curled up.
Quietly, he closed the door behind him and let out a short yawn. Watching her sleep had made him drowsy too.

"Your Grace."
Right on time, Lupe arrived outside the study and spotted Ferio.
Noting where Ferio had just come from, Lupe smiled knowingly.

"It seems the young lady has fallen asleep."
"Sleeping early is the only childlike thing about Leo."
"But she’s still lovely, isn’t she?"

Even without Ferio saying it, Lupe already knew the answer. His sly grin said it all.
"Why do you even need to say that?"
Ferio’s face immediately hardened, his previous warmth vanishing in an instant.

"What? Can’t I even say that?"
Lupe blinked, baffled. This was the first time he’d been scolded for complimenting someone’s child.
"You’re on my watchlist."

Ferio entered the study and sat properly at his desk.
Leonia’s earlier nagging about sitting up straight still echoed in his ears.
He had often heard knights with children joke about how they were more controlled by their kids than by their spouses—and now, he was living ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ proof.

"This is unfair. Do you have any idea how much I’ve done for the young lady?"
From handling Leonia’s adoption paperwork to cleaning up the orphanage, supervising the removal of the teachers, and tracking down the sources of the malicious rumors about her—
Lupe had worked tirelessly.

"……Do you know what Leo said today?"
"How would I know that?"
"She asked me, ‘Is Uncle Lupe going to be my new dad?’"

"A… new dad? But, Your Grace, you’re already her—"
Lupe trailed off mid-sentence.
His face froze.

Then, his lips parted in utter horror.
A memory resurfaced—an incident involving a massive misunderstanding.
‘You were shirtless, and Uncle Lupe was on the sofa…’

He could still see Leonia’s accusing little finger pointing at them.
Lupe let out a silent scream.
"Wh-why would she think that again?!"

His complexion paled to the color of his hair as he clutched his head.
Now that he thought about it, Leonia had been looking at him strangely lately.
Especially whenever they crossed paths near the study.

He could almost hear her suspicious little voice ringing in his ears.
"This is your fault."
Ferio’s expression was just as unpleasant. In fact, he looked ready to rip out Lupe’s hair.

"Why am I to blame?!"
"Because you come to see me too often."
"Am I not allowed to bring you paperwork now?!"

Lupe was on the verge of outrage.
His job was to assist Ferio in managing the Voreoti Territory and overseeing the North as a whole.
Of course he had to report to him frequently.

But no matter how logical his argument was, Ferio wasn’t buying it.
Instead, he issued what was essentially a restraining order.
"Unless it’s urgent, don’t come to my study."

"Then when am I supposed to come?! And most of my work is urgent!"
"Only during Leo’s tutoring, nap time, or bedtime."
Ferio held up three fingers.

Lupe now had to align his entire schedule around Leonia’s routine.
He barely resisted the urge to slam his resignation letter onto Ferio’s desk.
‘There’s no better-paying job than this.’

The Black Beast of the North was rich.
And money was more terrifying than a predator’s fangs.
Through the wisdom of life, Lupe barely suppressed his urge to quit and instead forced a smile.

"Disgusting."
"Thank you for the insult."
Keeping his professional composure, Lupe grinned.

"This is the investigation report you requested."
Finally, he handed over the document—the actual reason he had come here.