I Became the Male Lead's Adopted Daughter-Chapter 116

“I-I’ll do my best!”

“I’ll give it my all!”

Inseréa, her face flushed red, rushed out of the office as if fleeing.

Clutched tightly in her arms were Leonia’s designs and the book Lupe had handed her with a quiet “Good luck.”

“She’s really earnest,” Lupe said with a pleased smile.

“Idiot,” Ferio muttered, raising a brow.

He had caught the look in Lupe’s eyes—and it annoyed him. It was ridiculous. Ferio had no interest in his subordinate’s personal feelings.

“Two winters ago.”

At those words, Lupe flinched.

“You don’t even remember tossing Inseréa’s love letter into the fireplace?”

“T-That was...”

A cold sweat started forming on Lupe’s forehead.

“I clearly remember hearing over and over that that fireplace kept me warm all winter.”

And now, to cozy up to her like nothing happened?

Ferio looked at him with eyes that screamed pathetic. All those things Lupe had tried to pretend hadn’t happened stabbed at his conscience.

Still, Lupe had his own excuse.

“But Inseréa stalked you, didn’t she!”

At the time, it was obvious to anyone that she had been in the wrong.

She’d even gone to Count Rinne’s estate to apologize and bowed her head to Ferio.

“And yet you burned the letter.”

You burned a letter someone poured their heart into—just to keep yourself warm through the winter.

Ferio’s sarcasm was sharp and deliberate, as if kindly reminding Lupe that no matter how things improved now, what he did back then wouldn’t disappear.

It was borderline violent.

Utterly defeated, Lupe collapsed into a squat on the floor, furiously tousling his hair in frustration.

“If I’d known she was that decent, I wouldn’t have burned it!”

“You just spoke informally to me.”

“I was talking to myself!”

“God, everyone around me is a mess...”

Ferio sighed at the lack of sane people in his life.

If Leonia had heard that, she would’ve said Dad’s the biggest mess of them all.

But lately, the baby beast had been toning things down, thanks to the immeasurable asset that was Duke Voreoti.

She was, in her own way, being a very dutiful daughter.

“Go cry where I can’t see you.”

Whatever those two got up to outside the office, Ferio didn’t care.

Even if they ended up falling for each other and getting married—so be it.

The Duke of Voreoti had zero interest in his staff’s personal lives.

Which also meant he wasn’t generous enough to listen to their problems.

“Count Urmariti has left for the West.”

At last, Ferio explained why he’d dismissed Inseréa and kept Lupe behind.

“Regina will be coming.”

“Ah...”

Lupe, who had just stood up, straightened his posture.

The once-chaotic mood turned grave in an instant.

“Count Urmariti asked to have the child buried on his family’s land.”

“I understand.”

“Give him whatever support he needs.”

“I’ll handle the preparations.”

Lupe lowered his head slightly, his face tinted with sorrow.

Regina had always smiled so brightly.

Even if her head was full of flowers, she had brought a warm breath of life into the Voreoti estate.

But now she returned as a bare skeleton—her remains finally back in her homeland after years.

“And the young lady...?”

“I’ll tell her.”

Ferio’s short answer came with no further comment as he turned back to his paperwork.

“...She could’ve just lived well after running away.”

To return like this—what was the point? Ferio clicked his tongue.

Regretfully, he still felt little emotion or pity toward his cousin.

But when he thought of Leonia, his chest grew tight.

What do I even say to her?

She acted like she’d already lived several lives, but she was still a child—with wounds in her heart.

And worst of all, her birth mother’s remains had been discovered near the orphanage.

Explaining that alone was a challenge.

“For now...”

Ferio pushed his thoughts aside.

That wasn’t what mattered most right now.

“...Leo’s mother was a commoner.”

He murmured quietly.

It seemed random—but Lupe immediately understood.

Ferio was ordering him to fabricate the identity and background of the woman who would, going forward, be officially recognized as Leonia’s birth mother.

That also meant: modify Regina’s death report.

It’s for the young lady’s future.

It was unfortunate, but Lupe made the cold judgment.

Whatever fondness he had for Regina was secondary—her existence would only cast a shadow over the child.

Ferio’s decision was absolutely correct.

Regina would be recorded as a woman who had died young from illness years ago, and Leonia would become the illegitimate daughter of a nameless, ordinary woman—impossible to trace.

The Duke is impressive.

Lupe couldn’t help but admire it.

To go so far as to rewrite his own private history for Leonia’s sake—it was astonishing.

An unmarried man acknowledging a bastard child and embracing scandal—what a bold move.

I could never do that.

Even Lupe, who had been by Ferio’s side for years, was stunned by his paternal devotion.

“Shall we register the mother as deceased?”

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Lupe, now recovered, asked.

“We must.”

Ferio agreed.

The story came together instantly.

A commoner woman he once met by chance had contacted him, claiming to be pregnant. When he searched for her, she was already dead, and the child had ended up in an orphanage.

That child was Leonia.

“I’ll say I loved her dearly.”

Ferio added a side note to the narrative.

After receiving a thumbs-up from Leonia last time for being a “decent dad,” he’d resolved to limit his romantic involvement.

Right now, all he wanted was to quietly raise Leonia and live in peace.

But he knew full well—life rarely made that easy.

So he added in this fictional commoner woman he once “loved.”

***

Most orphans don’t have a clear birthdate.

In such cases, the orphanage typically lists the day they were admitted as the child’s official birthday.

The same went for Leonia.

Her documents listed her birthday as early autumn.

She hated that mild weather—too warm for red leaves, too cool for summer.

It always brought her rage at the teachers who’d named her after a prostitute and fueled her desire to escape that place.

But now... it was different.

Ten days left.

Leonia hummed as she fiddled with the small calendar on her desk.

It’s almost my birthday!

Excited, she stretched her arms and rocked her upper body side to side.

It would be the first birthday she’d ever looked forward to since arriving in this world.

Ferio had said they’d make her birthday the day they first met.

Leonia had eagerly agreed.

It was technically still autumn—but the day they met had been late autumn, right on the verge of winter.

She was growing more and more excited for her first birthday in House Voreoti.

Dad’s definitely going to give me something amazing, right?

Just the indulgence of wondering what it could be was a joy in itself.

Last year, she’d worried about whether she’d get to eat, or if she’d even have hot water for a bath.

Mine ownership? Gems?

A glistening, greedy smile stretched across Leonia’s face.

It was the very same expression Ferio had once called “shameless.”

“Young Lady.”

Just then, Connie stepped into the room—with Mia beside her.

“The carriage is ready.”

“Shall we go?”

“Yup!”

Leonia skipped toward them.

With every step, her twin black pigtails bounced like bunny ears.

“Northern weather is definitely chilly,” Connie said as she carefully draped a cloak over Leonia.

The black cloak trimmed with soft white cotton suited her perfectly.

The ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) capital had been sweltering just days ago, but the moment they passed through the Gate and arrived in the North, the air had turned crisp.

Here, the weather turned cold the moment autumn began.

Leaves had already changed, and even the daylight hours had shortened.

Leonia had swapped out her summer sleeveless and short-sleeved clothes for long sleeves.

“Where are you going to play?” Mia asked as she smoothed the folds of the cloak.

Leonia puffed her cheeks.

“I’m not going to play!”

The baby beast let out a fierce rawr.

She was planning to visit the plaza and gather ideas for wristwatch designs.

“This is serious work.”

She flashed them the notebook and fountain pen she’d packed.

Leonia thought she was being very professional about it—but to Connie and Mia, she still looked like an adorable little cub.

“Leo.”

Ferio approached just then. Behind him stood Lupe and Probo.

“Heading out?”

“I’m going to work at the plaza.”

Leonia snorted proudly.

“Pfft!”

Probo nearly burst into laughter, but Lupe elbowed him hard in the ribs to stop him.

A strange groan escaped his mouth instead.

Leonia squinted suspiciously at the scene.

“Dad, Probo oppa thinks me working is hilarious. That’s why Lupe-uncle stabbed him in the belly.”

“That brat’s about to get stabbed in the belly by my sword too.”

Ferio said calmly, tying it off.

Probo squeaked out a final death cry.

Lupe glanced at him with a look that said, Told you so.

“Don’t work too hard,” Ferio said, kneeling to double-check her cloak.

“We don’t do overtime at Voreoti.”

“Lupe-uncle works overtime all the time.”

“There are always exceptions.”

Lupe shed a single invisible tear for himself.

It felt like hot water might fall from his eyes any second now.

Probo patted his back in sympathy.

“I’ll be back soon!”

Leonia kissed her dad on the cheek. Ferio returned the gesture with a kiss to her cheek as well.

Only after she boarded the carriage and it disappeared through the mansion gates did Ferio turn away.

“Sir Elephan.”

“Y-Yes!”

The recently-condemned-to-death Probo flinched.

“I believe there’s a vial sent by Marquis Ortio.”

The Eastern noble was known for cherishing his husband—who just so happened to dabble in potion-making as a hobby.

Ferio had recently requested a few prisoners from the dungeon as a “gift” for the husband.

In return, they’d sent a potion as a token of goodwill.

“You mean... the truth serum?”