I Became the Male Lead's Adopted Daughter-Chapter 191

"Are you inside? Can I come in?"

“You’re already inside, so what’s the point of asking.”

Before Ferio could even give her permission, Leonia had already pushed the door open and entered the office on her own. In her arms was a thick book.

“I finished reading this.”

It was the book Ferio had given her a few days ago as part of her heir training assignment.

“It was more interesting than I thought.”

Leonia had even taken the initiative to look for the next volume.

“And it was funnier than expected.”

The book Ferio lent her was an autobiography written by one of the previous Dukes of Voreoti.

“That was funny?”

Ferio raised a brow at her unexpected impression. Leonia nodded and walked over to stand beside her father’s desk.

“You can really see his personality. That former duke—just like you—was completely aware of how amazing he was. I guess arrogance just runs in our blood.”

She said it cheerfully, as if amused by the fact that they were all so alike.

“Leo, you’re no different.”

Ferio thought Leonia had no right to talk. When it came to confidence and shamelessness, she might even surpass him.

“Hey, I’m not like that.”

“You have no shame, my child.”

“What’s that?”

Leonia pointed at a thick envelope sitting on the desk.

“The start of the hunt.”

Ferio raised the corner of his mouth.

“These are the corruption reports on pro-imperial nobles that Varia collected while working in the treasury.”

“Ohhh, you’re finally going to release those?”

“She said she finished organizing the last of it.”

“Eee! My mom is amazing!”

Leonia squealed and clasped her cheeks with both hands.

“So, when are we finishing them off?”

She walked up close, pestering Ferio as if she couldn’t wait to get rid of the eyesores.

Ferio, feeling bothered, simply pulled his daughter onto his lap.

But once he did, he realized she had grown too big for it.

“My thigh’s about to give out.”

“Dad, are you old? I’m super light!”

“You weigh a thousand pounds.”

“Then is Mom ten thousand?”

Clearly she’s heavier than me, right?

Leonia asked, tilting her head.

“Your mom should be ten thousand.”

“Huh? Why? Aren’t people supposed to say their wives are as light as a feather...?”

“That way she won’t fly off anywhere.”

“...I almost threw up just now.”

Leonia grimaced and immediately stood up. She was reminded once again of the terrifying reality of a duke in love.

“Wait—so when you said I’m a thousand pounds, that means...?”

She asked with a hopeful glint in her eye. Was it because he cherished her that much?

“No, you’re actually heavy.”

“If you weren’t my dad...”

She barely managed to swallow her urge to beat him, invoking every bit of her daughterly devotion.

“Go do your work!”

Huffing, Leonia turned her back and stormed off with a snort.

“Oh, you’re eating dinner with me, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Today’s cream...?”

“Chicken in cream sauce, right?”

“Hehe, see you later!”

Leonia’s mood instantly brightened, and she waved her hands wildly as she skipped out of the office. Amused by her antics, Ferio resumed his paperwork with a lingering smile on his face from their conversation.

Knock knock.

“Who is it?”

At that moment, someone else knocked on the office door.

“Your Grace.”

At the sound of the voice, Ferio’s smile vanished.

“My apologies for the unannounced visit. This is Pardus.”

Marquis Pardus’s heir called out with a slightly disheveled tone, saying the matter was urgent.

***

The North was peaceful.

The brief, cooler summer had already passed, and autumn—with its changing leaves—had arrived.

People were busy preparing for the long winter ahead, and the town square was livelier than ever.

“Honestly...”

Amid the bustling crowd—

“It’s not that different from the capital.”

“People are people, no matter where they live.”

Two young men in hooded cloaks wandered through the square.

Though referred to as “men,” their youthful faces betrayed their age—they were still boys.

Yet the air they carried with them was far from childish.

“People are so foolish.”

You only understand things once you see them with your own eyes, said the blonde boy, tying back his medium-length hair with a friendly smile.

“Still, it really is cold.”

His breath came out in a pale cloud as he spoke in amazement.

“It’s still autumn though, right?”

“Winter comes early in the North.”

“It’s the same empire, but it’s so different.”

When they’d left the capital, it had been swelteringly hot.

“Don’t get too excited.”

The silver-haired boy warned quietly.

“My little sister worries about me so much.”

The blonde boy grinned and clapped his companion on the back.

Though it sounded loud, the blow wasn’t painful. The silver-haired boy glanced around and calmly chided him.

“This is the North. Be mindful of your titles...”

“...Watch what I say? I know.”

The blonde boy brushed off the scolding with ease.

“So, what should we do for lunch?”

“Let’s keep it light.”

“Then I want fruit. I’ve never tried Northern fruit before.”

With that, the blonde boy bolted over to a fruit vendor.

“Excuse me! What’s your tastiest item?”

“Oh my, such handsome boys!”

The vendor, in the middle of setting up her fruit, laughed as she welcomed them.

“Of course, beauty recognizes beauty.”

The boy’s smooth-talking made her laugh even more.

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere!”

“I just called something pretty because it is. What more do you want?”

“Oh, hush, wipe your mouth when you speak!”

Despite her words, she seemed delighted and eagerly introduced a few fruits.

“This one is especially good. Northern fruit usually isn’t sweet, but this one is.”

She added that even the young lady of House Voreoti liked it.

At that, the two boys exchanged glances without a word.

“...We’ll take that one.”

The vendor packed the fruit in a rough brown paper bag.

She even gave them a discount. A reward for the compliments.

“Cheap lunch, huh?”

The boys sat at a resting area in the square and shared the fruit.

It was pale violet and wrinkled, almost like it had spoiled.

But one brave bite revealed a crisp, sweet flavor.

“How come we never had this stuff in the palace?”

“Brother.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. Nag, nag.”

The fruit didn’t last long with two healthy appetites.

“Want to rest a bit?”

The silver-haired boy nodded to his older brother’s question. The two sat in silence, watching the crowded square.

“...Skan.”

The blonde finally spoke.

“What kind of person is the duke’s daughter?”

“She’s just like Duke Voreoti.”

The younger one—‘Skan’—replied, thinking back to the two times he’d met her.

“...And a pervert.”

“...What?”

The older brother’s expression twisted in confusion. He hadn’t expected that response.

“In what way?”

Does she like hitting people or tormenting them?

“She doesn’t hit, but... she makes suggestive comments.”

“Suggestive comments?”

“She seems to like muscles.”

“That’s definitely a pervert.”

“Which is why I said—”

Just then, a black carriage passed in front of them.

“It’s the Voreoti carriage!”

A nearby child shouted.

“Is the duke in it?”

“The duke’s a busy man.”

“Then the young lady?”

“Hey! You should say ‘the young lady of the house’!”

The boys, eavesdropping, quietly followed the carriage.

It stopped in front of a shop. A knight escort opened the door and offered a hand.

First to emerge was a beautiful woman with loose, dusty pink hair.

Then came a girl with black hair tied up at an angle.

“Didn’t think we’d meet her this fast.”

The older brother smiled.

“......”

The younger one said nothing, simply watching the black-haired girl.

***

Lately, the Voreoti estate had been bursting with joyful news. Truly, blessings were overlapping.

First, the duke’s marriage.

The duke, who had been too consumed with parenting to even consider marriage, finally had a wife.

Though the ceremony had yet to be held, her name had already been registered into the family.

The second joyous event belonged to the future duchess—Lady Leonia Voreoti.

“Our young lady, h-hicc... finally...”

Paavo sniffled, standing among the carriage escorts.

“...Are you crying?”

Across the carriage, Meleis stared in disbelief.

“But the young lady...”

Paavo couldn’t contain his emotion.

Meleis looked on in shock.

“She hasn’t made a single inappropriate comment to us in over a week...!”

The second joyous event was Leonia’s rapid growth.

More precisely—Leonia had stopped harassing people over muscles.

Her tastes were well-known.

A cheeky, obsessive pervert with a creepy obsession for muscles.

And the primary victims were the muscle-bound knights of the Gladiago Order.

Naturally, her father Ferio was included. In fact, he was the greatest victim of all.

“There wasn’t a single complaint about the young lady’s behavior in this week’s suggestion box.”

“There was an uproar about whether someone tampered with it.”

Even Mono had declared she must be seriously ill.

But Leonia was perfectly healthy, and behind this miracle was Varia’s effort.

“The lord may have given up early on, but the madam never did.”

“Hey, the lord didn’t give up.”

Meleis quickly interjected.

“He embraced her with love.”

“Which is giving up.”

Paavo answered coldly.

In any case, Leonia’s restraint moved many.

That’s why today, they had brought her to the bookstore as a reward.

“My lady, Madam.”

Soon, the carriage stopped, and Meleis announced their arrival.

Varia was the first to descend. Leonia hopped out ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) right behind her.

“Mom, how many can I get?”

“Why don’t you buy as many as you can read?”

“Then let’s see...”

Leonia started counting the books she wanted, muttering excitedly.

Most were illustrated references and novels. A few specialized volumes on estate management slipped in as well.

“Are you getting anything too, Mom?”

“Hmm, I’ll take a look.”

“Read ‘Life Is All Pointless’! It’s my favorite!”

Leonia enthusiastically recommended her favorite title.

Varia smiled and said she’d consider it. Just the title alone already suited her taste.

The mother and daughter agreed to meet after picking out their books.

“Hmhmhm.”

Leonia hummed as she browsed the shelves.

‘I must’ve been born to act.’

She was rather pleased with her recent performance as a “good child.”

The cunning girl had faked restraint, pretending to suppress her muscle obsession. She burned her soul into the act—and it worked brilliantly.

Varia adored her even more. The adults around her heaped on praise.

Leonia’s performance was flawless.

‘Well... except with Dad.’

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