I Became the Male Lead's Adopted Daughter-Chapter 262

Even if Remus hadn’t acted out of line, Aust’s future could have turned out completely different.

All the more so considering that Consort Usia knowingly left Remus’s base and operations untouched—it wouldn’t be excessive even now to flip the entire South upside down.

In that light, Voreoti pinning the rebellion on Olor was a tempered form of revenge.

To have all the efforts Aust and Meridio had prepared reduced to a crime committed by none other than Olor—depending on how you looked at it, it was more disgraceful than having the rebellion exposed.

In truth, the two members of House Aust standing before him seemed to think the same.

“From the beginning.”

Salus’s voice, in response, lacked any strength.

“It was never going to succeed.”

They had long held the bitter prediction that this rebellion would never work from the start.

“Did you see it in a prophecy?”

When Ferio asked, Salus shook her head.

“Even if cowards who remained in hiding in silence for so long were to rise up all of a sudden...”

Her face was filled with bitterness as she spoke.

“They wouldn’t amount to even a puppy before the black beast who’s weathered countless checks and trials.”

“......”

“From the moment we failed to trust Voreoti, our defeat was sealed.”

Salus acknowledged their defeat and its cause without resistance.

Prophecies could only show limited futures. They could always change, and sometimes, knowing the future could actually make things worse.

As Ferio silently watched Salus, a faint emotion lingered in his otherwise indifferent gaze—then disappeared.

“The next head of the duchy...”

Ferio set his teacup fully down on the table and asked.

“Is it the young lady?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Salus glanced at the Duchess of Aust.

The duchess gave a small nod with a faint smile.

Salus soon answered.

“Originally, my father was to inherit the title, but he carries guilt over the rebellion and the role my mother played in it.”

“In other words, even if given the chance, he won’t accept it?”

“My father and mother lived apart for far too long. Don’t you think they should finally be allowed some peaceful time together?”

Salus answered sincerely, though she couldn’t quite grasp Ferio’s intention behind the question.

She thought she had a good sense of things, but today, her instincts felt unusually off.

“Let me attach one condition.”

Ferio picked up a cookie from the refreshments, one with a particularly pretty shape, and handed it to Salus.

Salus accepted it reflexively, a puzzled look darkening her face.

“The Olor family name and title are currently returned to the Imperial household.”

“That’s true, but?”

“I’d like to ask Her Majesty the Empress to entrust them to you.”

Salus’s eyes widened at those words, her hands still turning the cookie over in surprise.

Only the Duchess of Aust continued listening quietly.

“What is the reason?”

“The Olor name currently bears tremendous debt and dishonor.”

They needed to compensate the victims harmed by Olor, and return all illegally obtained lands and assets to their rightful state.

But the Imperial household was far too busy to manage all that.

“With the late Emperor’s death, Her Majesty the Regent Empress is overwhelmed, and so is the Crown Prince, preparing for his formal succession.”

So the point was—someone from House Aust would take the Olor name and the title of viscount, and handle it all in their stead.

Of course, Ferio’s proposal had already been agreed upon with the Imperial household.

“......Wow.”

Salus was stunned.

“Isn’t that a bit cruel?”

The legitimate heir of the Aust duchy had given up his position. His twin daughter, Salus, was now set to inherit.

That left only one candidate.

‘Alis will hate this.’

The exiled Prince Alis, son of Consort Usia who had gone missing, was currently said to be staying at a southern villa under house arrest.

Salus knew better than anyone that her younger twin brother, who despised Olor more than anyone else, would never accept such a condition.

‘......But it might be kind of fun.’

The mischievous sister became curious about how her little brother would react once he found out.

“Grandmother......”

Salus glanced at the Duchess of Aust. As the granddaughter who had no final say, she waited for her grandmother’s response.

The duchess quietly rearranged the light shawl draped over her shoulders, falling into brief thought.

But even she wore a smile of interest, just like Salus.

She even looked pleased.

“Duke Voreoti.”

The Duchess of Aust opened her mouth.

“It may not be my place to say, having sinned...”

And yet, this one thing—she had to say.

“You’ve changed a great deal.”

And quite splendidly, too.

“Even if you say so, it changes nothing.”

Ferio tilted his head slightly as he spoke.

To Salus, the Duke of Voreoti’s voice somehow felt unusually blunt. She thought it sounded very much like Leonia’s.

“You may not believe it...”

The duchess added.

“But I did worry about you quite a bit.”

“Well...”

Ferio chuckled dryly as if he couldn’t believe it.

Still, for all the regrets surrounding what happened now, Ferio knew—back then, the Duchess of Aust had been one of the very few people who showed concern for him as a child.

It was just that her family’s problems had been more important than some unfortunate child from another house.

In any case, thanks to that, House Aust had gotten through the crisis without much difficulty.

And so had Ferio.

“Think of it as payment for the prophecy.”

Though it left an unpleasant aftertaste to think that the gods beyond the Northern Mountains were scheming «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» behind it all—Ferio decided to move on, using the prophecy as an excuse.

Leonia and Varia shared the same view.

There was no use in holding a grudge between the only two ducal houses left.

“Oh, right.”

As Salus rose to leave, she remembered something she’d forgotten.

“You know Lota Olor, don’t you?”

At the sudden name, Ferio, who was just opening the door himself, showed a curious expression.

“She’s at our house.”

“......Why?”

“Leonia asked me to.”

So that she wouldn’t cling to her mother again, Leonia had asked Salus to get Lota out of the way—and Salus had hidden her at the Aust villa.

“My mom did a good job persuading her.”

“......”

“Though apparently, there wasn’t much to persuade. She’d basically been abandoned by her family—left without even looking back.”

As a result of recent events, House Erbanu had lost their title and fallen into ruin.

Now Lota had no family to return to. The only hand extended to her was the one offered by Consort Usia.

“At best, what future does she have left...”

Salus folded her fingers one by one.

“...A maid?”

Though she shrugged, unsure if even that was something Lota could manage.

Her reputation was already terrible among the southern maids, thanks to how spoiled and arrogant she’d been growing up.

“Not that it’s my concern.”

Ferio felt déjà vu as he watched the grinning Salus. She reminded him of the Marquis of Pardus.

Especially that annoyingly sly smirk.

“Well then, see you again soon.”

Ferio addressed the two members of House Aust as they exited.

“At the Emperor’s funeral.”

***

The funeral of Emperor Subiteo was held very quietly.

In fact, the prevailing opinion had been that there shouldn’t even be a funeral at all.

Given the crimes that had been revealed, some argued his very existence should be erased.

But the Empress carried it out.

Because he was the Crown Prince’s father—because, no matter what, he had been a member of the Imperial family.

That alone was the reason the funeral was held, and it was as modest as that of a commoner.

Still, quite a few nobles attended.

Not to mourn Subiteo, but to get on the good side of Empress Tigria, now acting as regent, and Crown Prince Chrisetos, who would soon be formally appointed.

“This is such a pain. When is this going to end...”

“Leonia, your voice is too loud.”

“Then can I curse more quietly?”

Of course, among them were the Voreoti father and daughter, who made no effort whatsoever to impress anyone, speaking openly even during the funeral.

“...But the coffin’s closed?”

Growing bored, Leonia, sucking on a strawberry milk-flavored candy, looked at the coffin.

“They usually keep it open.”

Ferio, also sucking on a piece of candy, replied. A faint wrinkle formed between his brows—and not just because of the sweetness.

“I heard they closed it because it was too unsightly.”

The corpse of the late Emperor Subiteo was apparently so gruesome that even after washing and preparing it countless times, it couldn’t be helped.

His eyelids had even shot open in some final injustice—and wouldn’t close again.

“He wasn’t easy on the eyes while alive either.”

Leonia sneered.

Honestly, she felt like spitting into the coffin if they’d left it open.

The final part of the memorial was led by Prince Chrisetos and Empress Tigria.

“No hidden fortune stashed somewhere?”

We’re running short on funds trying to clean up after you.

The prince spoke toward the closed coffin.

“...I tried to kill you, you know.”

Tch.

The Empress’s sharp tongue-click marked the end of the late Emperor Subiteo’s funeral.

Meanwhile, the event that followed the next day was far noisier and more hectic—the noble council.

“It’s been ages since we had a proper noble council.”

Returning from it, Ferio looked tired.

Still, he seemed quite satisfied—it had been his first time attending such a properly conducted council.

The main issue discussed was the punishment of those from the former emperor’s faction.

“There was also the matter of stripping the titles and assets of the missing Consort Usia and the exiled Prince Alis.”

“Ohh, interesting.”

Leonia listened with interest.

“Ferio.”

Varia asked hesitantly.

“Among the punished nobles, is...”

“Erbanu is included.”

“What is their punishment?”

“No one is being executed for this.”

Instead, either their titles were stripped, or they were fined enormous sums.

Or both.

“In Erbanu’s case, it’s the third option.”

They lost their title—and were fined a massive sum.

“But that’s still your wife’s family.”

Leonia tilted her head—not out of concern for Varia, but because it felt strange that even the duchess’s family was punished so severely.

Ferio responded.

“Erbanu was the one who won the auction for the black diamond suspected of leading to Regina’s death.”

Leonia gasped in shock, eyes wide.

“Erbanu had that kind of money? That diamond is insanely expensive...”

“It seems a few of them pooled their money. The winning bid was made by the previous Count Erbanu.”

“The previous...?”

Leonia glanced at Varia.

“My god...”

Varia closed her eyes tightly.

The last time the black diamond was auctioned had been over twenty years ago.

At that time, the current Count Erbanu had still been the heir.

“...The first emperor coveted the North from the very start, so it’s not even surprising.”

Ferio comforted Varia.

Since the empire’s founding, such schemes had occurred countless times. This was just the first time one had been exposed.

“What about them?” 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Leonia gently patted Varia’s hand.

“The count is in prison, the countess ran back to her family after filing for divorce.”

“What about my legal aunt?”

“She’s in Aust.”

Varia’s head shot up.

“Whoever’s daughter she is...”

Ferio glanced at Leonia with a faint smirk.

“It seems some rascal begged House Aust to take Lota in. The Lady of Aust is planning to use her as a maid.”

“I see...”

Varia, answering softly, hugged Leonia tight.

And Leonia hugged her back.

“It’s really over now.”

Finally cut off from her family ties, Varia felt the last weight in her heart lift.

“Since it’s over...”

Ferio lowered himself to meet their eyes.

“Let’s go home to the North.”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

“Yahoo! We’re finally going!”

It was time for the black beast to return to the North.