I Became the Male Lead's Adopted Daughter-Chapter 195

If Leonia were to suffer a deep wound because of him and turn away—

If there ever came a moment when she severed all familial ties and abandoned every expectation—

Ferio was certain that he would be the one left deeply wounded.

“...Well, I suppose the Emperor doesn’t exactly have the right to feel wronged.”

Freed from that horrific thought, Ferio spoke indifferently.

Truthfully, Emperor Subiteo wasn’t even worthy of pity. He was merely reaping what he had sown.

“So, what exactly do you want me to do?”

“I hear the Duke collects magical tools as a hobby?”

It was Princess Scandia who replied.

“And that you’ve got medicine among them.”

“Where did you even hear that?”

Ferio narrowed his eyes.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

Prince Chrisetos took that as his cue and smirked. He felt immensely satisfied to have irritated Ferio, even if only slightly.

“We’ve traveled.”

The North was simply their final destination. The two imperial siblings had already toured the East and South.

“Just lend us a single dose of the medicine.”

“And how will you be paying for it?”

Ferio was the first to issue a warning, noting that his collection was quite valuable.

He was willing to help.

But that didn’t mean he was about to make it easy.

“You might just give it to me after hearing what I have to say.”

Yet the prince’s face still wore a smile.

“It’s the thing the East is making right now.”

Chrisetos cheerfully snapped his fingers twice.

“Though I’m not quite sure what it is...”

That was because the moment the word “East” left his mouth, Ferio’s expression twisted into something dark.

Truthfully, it was a terrifying look he hadn’t seen in a long time. Chrisetos nearly shrieked like a child, but managed to hold it in and leaned back against the sofa.

“We helped out a bit with it.”

***

“I’m feeling super good moooood today!”

“Super good mood?”

Leonia trailed behind Connie, who was carrying a basket of laundry.

“You seem to be in a great mood today.”

Connie smiled as she asked.

Leonia had grown prettier and more dignified as she aged, but today she was unusually cute—like a little puppy.

“That’s why I’m super good moooood! Because I’m feeling good!”

“And why are you in such a good mood?”

“Because!”

Despite wearing an annoyingly frilly dress for the first time in a while, Leonia grasped the hem of her skirt with both hands and twirled in place.

The lace-edged hem fluttered like a flower.

“Because later I’m going to pick out my birthday present with my parents!”

Connie beamed with joy, as though it were her own celebration.

“That’s wonderful! Another present shopping trip?”

“My parents love me so much, they’re buying me gifts even before my birthday arrives!”

“Oh dear, at this rate the room we prepared in advance will be full in no time.”

Connie smiled awkwardly.

At the Voreoti mansion, several rooms had been cleared out a full month before Leonia’s birthday.

They were known as the “gift-holding rooms.”

Starting weeks in advance, presents from all over the empire would flood in to celebrate the young lady of House Voreoti.

The issue was that there were so many, they began to obstruct movement through the mansion.

One year, the towering pile of gifts even collapsed, nearly injuring someone.

After that, Ferio had several rooms permanently set aside for the presents.

And on her actual birthday, only the gifts that passed safety inspections were personally handed to Leonia to unwrap.

“It’s a new record every year.”

Connie looked proudly satisfied.

“There’s still a week and four days until your birthday, and you’ve already filled all the rooms.”

“I mean, obviously!”

Leonia puffed up with pride. Naturally!

Full of ‘super good mood’, Leonia parted ways with Connie.

‘Birthdays are the best.’

Wandering the mansion, she basked in the busyness surrounding her upcoming birthday and soaked in the joyful atmosphere.

“Young Lady Voreoti!”

And even the prince and princess, who still hadn’t left the North, came to offer their congratulations.

Leonia looked unimpressed as the golden-haired and silver-haired siblings approached.

Were they really going to hang around until her birthday?

“Your birthday is coming up soon, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. Got a gift?”

The greedy girl held out her hand.

“Of course not!”

Prince Chrisetos grinned brightly.

“Ugh.”

Leonia poked his smug forehead with her finger.

“Ack!”

The prince immediately crumpled, clutching his stinging brow.

“What kind of person do you take me for, Young Lady?! I’m precious, you know!”

“Maybe in the imperial palace, but here you’re just a guest.”

Leonia looked down at the crouching prince and scratched her nose before giving a little puff.

“Is this how House Voreoti treats guests?”

Chrisetos asked, mildly annoyed.

“Yes.”

The instant reply stung like a blizzard.

“...I see.”

So much for taking control of the mood—the prince slumped his shoulders.

“Did you think you’d earn some brownie points with the future emperor?”

Leonia scoffed.

“Fu-future emperor?”

Chrisetos lit up at her words.

“You think I’ll be emperor?”

“Would I really let someone with Olor blood sit above me?”

Leonia clicked her tongue and shrugged, as if the idea disgusted her to her very core.

“You heard that, Skan! The Duke’s daughter supports me!”

“That’s wonderful, Brother.”

Princess Scandia smiled sweetly.

“Who knows? Maybe the Young Lady and I will have a close relationship like the former emperor and the previous Duke!”

Leonia let out a dry chuckle.

“That would be terrible...”

It seemed Chrisetos had no clue what his grandfather had done. Leonia was glad he didn’t.

‘His intentions are so obvious.’

As for Emperor Subiteo—

‘He wants it all to himself.’

What a greedy bastard.

To Leonia, Emperor Subiteo was like a spoiled, immature brat.

Of course, he was far too old and revolting to be called a brat.

But in Leonia’s eyes, he was nothing more than a pathetic child.

Still, the former emperor had entrusted the empire to Subiteo.

“But Young Lady,”

Scandia looked curiously at Leonia’s dressed-up figure.

“Are you going somewhere?”

“I’m going out with my parents.”

Leonia proudly put her hands on her waist. She was every bit the twelve-year-old girl.

“That’s wonderful.”

Scandia smiled gently.

“My, how handsome he is.”

Leonia studied her in fascination.

“This knight could stick around a bit longer. I have high hopes for his future.”

Chrisetos scowled at that and muttered bitterly,

“Aren’t you curious about me?”

“As I’ve said, I hate anything related to the imperial family.”

“I hate to admit it, but I am pretty good-looking.”

Too bad he looked just like the Emperor.

While bragging, Chrisetos let out a pitiful sigh.

“...Cheer up.”

Leonia, feeling a rare flicker of sympathy, offered him a bit of comfort.

“Well, if you bulk up, I might consider being nice.”

“Bulk up?”

“I like muscles. Look at my dad. Isn’t he amazing?”

Leonia clasped her hands and praised the glory of muscles.

“Muscles are the pinnacle of human affection! They never betray you. They grow big and beautiful depending on your effort. Especially the sweat that runs down the valleys between them...!”

Ha!

Leonia thrust her thumb up and shouted, “Thumbs up!”

“...‘Thumbs up’?” freewebnoveℓ.com

Chrisetos tilted his head.

“It seems to be a native Northern word.”

Princess Scandia offered cautiously.

“Ahh, probably a dialect.”

“Given how warlike this region is, it must be something strong.”

“Sounds like it...”

The prince agreed.

Every time Leonia shouted “Thumbs up,” it felt like the world trembled.

Having now experienced a true muscle freak, the two siblings stared at her in awe.

“Especially when you twist your waist!”

Leonia twisted her waist and pointed to her side.

“The way the external oblique muscles pop near the pelvis—that’s the wing joint of a heavenly archangel, blessed from above...!”

“Sister.”

Chrisetos spoke very quietly, almost in a whisper.

“I get what you’re saying.”

She’s no ordinary pervert.

“Told you.”

Scandia nodded knowingly.

The two siblings looked genuinely scared as Leonia shouted about muscles with burning eyes.

When she started shaping the air with her hands, they actually flinched and stepped back.

“Skan, you be careful.”

Chrisetos said, concerned.

Scandia already had well-developed muscles.

Even Chrisetos could see that she was going to grow into a big, beautiful body in the future.

“Muscles are the best!”

Mwahaha!

Leonia cackled with an evil and sinister grin.

“She’s worse than a demon.”

What a world-ending disaster.

The prince clicked his tongue. His eyes were now full of fear.

He finally understood why the imperial family had never been able to conquer the North.

***

“Wh-what is this...?!”

Bang!

“What in the world is happening?!”

Emperor Subiteo slammed his fist onto the table.

The teacups shook and splashed tea. A few droplets even hit the Emperor’s clothes.

But no one had time to care about that.

“Why did this have to happen now?!”

Fuming with rage, the Emperor threw the newspaper in his hand.

His face flushed red with anger.

Like a fallen autumn leaf in the Imperial garden.

The paper, soaked by the spilled tea, started to darken and crinkle.

On the front page, a headline had sent the Emperor into a frenzy.

‘Famous rising artists arrested for drug manufacturing’

It reported that the young artists being sponsored by a noble-backed foundation—one run by imperialist nobles—had been caught red-handed making drugs.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it.

The crimes of these newly popular artists had dragged their sponsor organization into the public spotlight.

The nobles affiliated with the group, the massive sums they donated...

Signs of tax evasion. Creation of slush funds.

It was as if the reporter behind this article knew everything.

They had even focused heavily on the Houses of Olor and Erbanu.

Not only were they the top donors to the foundation, they were also key figures among the Emperor’s loyalist faction.

And at the end, it was revealed that they supported the First Prince—Consort Usia’s son.

“Your Majesty, please calm yourself...”

One of the attendants who had brought the paper spoke in a trembling voice.

“Do I look calm to you?!”

The Emperor exploded.

“Have they still not caught the bastard who wrote this?!”

“M-my apologies...”

The attendant shrank back as if the fault were his own.

“We’ve sent out people to track them down.”

“What the hell are they doing?!”

The reporter had vanished without a trace.

Even the newspaper company claimed they had no idea where the journalist had gone, and that this article hadn’t even been scheduled for the front page today.

In other words, the journalist had planned this from the very beginning.

And that wasn’t the end of it...

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