I Became the Male Lead's Adopted Daughter-Chapter 185

“Oh for heaven’s sake, you lunatics!”

Leonia was now stomping on the door, not just banging with her fists.

Had Kara seen her, he would’ve clutched his neck and fainted on the spot.

“Get out here already!”

Leonia was convinced she’d been more than patient.

“What kind of parents shut themselves in a room and abandon their child for five days?!”

Any other child would have cried long ago, maybe even wailed from hurt feelings.

In fact, most kids wouldn’t even imagine their parents could be... doing that for five days straight.

“They’ve probably forgotten what I even look like!”

“We haven’t forgotten,” came Ferio’s voice from behind the door.

Fortunately, unlike yesterday, his voice didn’t sound weird.

It was just his usual low voice—the kind you’d hear when he just woke up.

“Oh really, you haven’t?”

But Leonia let out a disbelieving chuckle.

“So that means you just haven’t thought of me for a while, right?”

“We talked about you a lot.”

“You’re supposed to say that to my face!”

She growled, suppressing her irritation. If they mentioned her two more times behind closed doors, the floor of their bedroom might actually cave in.

“...Do you even know what you're saying?”

There was definite embarrassment in Ferio’s voice through the door.

“I do know. Why do you think I put up with five days of this?”

“Leo, you little rascal...”

“I should be the one saying that!”

You rascal of a dad!

Leonia clenched her rising fury beneath the boulder of patience and took a deep breath.

“I ate alone for five days. I worked alone. I slept alone.”

Her voice grew quiet.

“I’ve been all alone...”

Of course, she’d actually spent those days quite productively.

She’d eaten in her room while meticulously studying her muscle anatomy sketchbook, hung around the knights’ training grounds under the guise of acting duke to watch muscles in action, and even illustrated the spicier scenes from novels that Ferio had forbidden.

She’d enjoyed everything to the fullest.

But now, it was time to be loved.

“Don’t you miss me, Mom and Dad?”

Leonia spoke while picking her nose. The action made her voice stuffy and pitiful. A lucky side effect.

Her nose had been itching all morning—it seemed something was there.

Another lucky bonus.

She stared blankly at what she had pulled from her nose, then without hesitation, wiped it on the door.

“Mom... Dad...”

She murmured in a tearful tone. And immediately, there was bustling movement from within the room.

Leonia quickly rubbed under her eyes and sprayed eyedrops in both eyes from the bottle she had kept ready in her pocket.

Just as she shoved the bottle back in—

“Leo!”

“Young Lady!”

Ferio and Varia burst the door open at the same time.

Well, well.

Leonia barely held back a sarcastic remark.

Her parents, whom she was seeing for the first time in five days, looked a mess—bed hair, rumpled clothes hastily thrown on.

She could’ve sworn they’d lost a little weight. Still, their skin glowed healthier than ever.

As soon as they saw Leonia’s tearful face, both adults froze.

“Ah, it’s nothing!”

Leonia casually wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand.

The act—planned meticulously—made both their hearts plummet.

They dropped to their knees, meeting Leonia’s gaze.

“I shouldn’t have said anything...”

Leonia looked away, her eyes red from rubbing.

“I was just interfering between you two. What a rotten daughter I am, huh?”

She sniffled with a pitiful expression.

“That’s not true...!”

Varia, tearful herself, looked sorrowfully at Leonia.

“I don’t even deserve to speak. I’m so sorry. I never meant to leave you feeling this lonely. It’s just that...”

She couldn’t explain why she hadn’t come out of the room.

Her flushed face said it all. She mumbled and stammered, completely flustered.

“Leo. My daughter.”

Ferio looked at her more seriously than ever before.

“I’m really sorry.”

“Dad...”

“But Varia and I didn’t forget about you.”

“That’s right,” Varia chimed in.

“His Grace... well...”

“Why are you calling him His Grace again?”

Ferio interrupted.

“You were calling me by name earlier.”

“T-That was...”

“Do you want to be scolded again?”

He gently took her wrist.

His thick thumb moved slowly over her slender wrist, and her face flushed again.

Leonia stared at the burning chemistry between her parents with dismay.

Five days weren’t enough for them...

Feeling her gaze, both Ferio and Varia turned their attention back to Leonia.

“But His Grace really did talk about you a lot.”

“What did he say?”

Leonia asked.

“Of course, all about you, Young Lady.”

For someone who supposedly missed her, five days seemed like an odd way to show it.

“May I... hold your hand?”

Varia asked gently, extending her hand.

“Sure.”

Leonia offered her hand readily. Varia held it with care.

The child squirmed a little from the ticklish flutter in her chest.

Ferio watched the scene with a proud smile.

“Young Lady.”

“What now?”

“Would it be alright if I called His Grace by his name? Pelio?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

Leonia tilted her head.

They’d already gone as far as humanly possible—why would she be asking permission now?

“Because he’s your father.”

Varia replied.

Leonia’s eyes widened. Varia smiled warmly.

“I told you before, didn’t I? That if I were to marry His Grace, the relationship between you and me would change too.”

“That’s what you said, but...”

“What I meant back then was that the one who holds the real authority among us three is you, Young Lady.”

When Ferio and Varia had been alone—

Beneath the blankets, skin against skin—they’d had one quiet conversation.

“Varia, I love you. But no matter the moment, I will always choose Leonia first.”

Ferio had said that.

And Varia agreed.

Because she and Ferio hadn’t known each other for long.

Not that she ever thought his love was fake.

But Leonia was his one and only daughter.

No matter how close she got with the two of them, their bond was older, deeper, and unshakable.

Varia could not change that.

“I really do care for you, Young Lady.”

Just because she loved Ferio didn’t mean she was qualified to be Leonia’s mother.

It only meant she had earned the chance to ask.

Just as she had become Ferio’s partner and wife, she had to form a mother-daughter and family bond with Leonia too.

“So if you’ll let me... I’d love to love him freely.”

Varia’s voice was sincere.

“And if you’ll truly accept me...”

She paused to take a breath, revealing her nerves.

“I want to build a good relationship with you.”

“I’ve always wanted to call you ‘Mom,’ unni.”

Leonia threw her arms around her.

Caught off guard, Varia stumbled backward. Ferio quickly reached out and caught them both.

“Hehe, this is embarrassing.”

Leonia giggled shyly.

“I’ve always been happy just being with Dad.”

Ferio had always done his best, and she had never doubted his sincerity or love.

Not once had she thought she needed a mother.

Ferio gently patted her head with gratitude.

“But now I have a mom too!”

The little beast declared with pride.

“I’m the happiest kid in the world now!”

***

Two days later.

The newly united beast family of three headed early to the Urmariti estate.

It was at Varia’s request—she wanted to visit Regina’s grave and pay her respects.

Originally, they were supposed to go earlier, but it had been delayed by their five-day honeymoon.

“If Dad hadn’t bullied Mom so much, we’d have gone yesterday.”

Leonia shot a look at Ferio.

The word Mom now came naturally from her lips. Every time she said it, Varia flushed and squirmed with embarrassment.

“He didn’t bully me...”

Varia’s cheeks turned rosy.

Clearly remembering something steamy, she stole glances at Ferio.

Noticing her stare, Ferio smiled gently at her.

“Do you have something to say?”

“N-No! Not at all!”

“Is that so?”

Embarrassed, Varia dropped her gaze. Ferio then glanced at Leonia, wiggling his eyebrows.

Leonia, as if saying “What do you want me to do about it?”, flapped her lips soundlessly—a muted curse.

“Shameless old man.”

She glared at him. Seriously, he was the most brazen man in the entire empire.

“Leo, didn’t I tell you once?”

Ferio said.

“Your dad’s conscience is as vast as the Northern mountains.”

“And I told you—it’s as dry as them too.”

Leonia shot back.

“Honestly, you’re both the same in my eyes.”

Their banter made Varia ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) smile quietly.

At her innocent comment, both father and daughter winced.

If there was one thing neither of them could yield, it was which of them had the better conscience.

They chatted like that until the carriage entered the Urmariti estate.

Past the bustling square, they arrived at a secluded grove where few people came and went.

“We’re here.”

Leonia stepped down first.

This was the cemetery where the people of the Urmariti territory were laid to rest at the end of their lives.

Regina rested in the innermost section—reserved for members of the Urmariti family.

“It’s well maintained.”

Varia said, standing before the grave.

“Probably Grandpa.”

“Lady Regina’s father...”

“The Count of Urmariti,” Ferio said, placing a small bouquet on the grave.

The flowers—colorful and extravagant, just as Regina had liked—had been made by Kara himself.

“Regina was a rare case—she had the Fangs of the Beast, despite being from a cadet branch.”

Ferio offered a brief explanation about Regina.

“Is that why she lived at the Voreoti mansion?”

“That’s part of it. She didn’t like returning to Urmariti either.”

“Why not?”

Varia asked.

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