I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter

Leonia remembered something she’d heard at the capital’s academy before.
“Professor Bosgruni was hired after the Duke graduated. There were rumors that the North pressured them into it…”

That was something Bopa, Paavo’s younger brother, had said.
He’d also mentioned it was just gossip, nothing confirmed, but Leonia figured there was probably something to it.
After all, Ardea had abandoned his noble family and his wife and kids to run off to the capital. As the head of the North, Ferio should’ve been harsher about it.

“But then, what he said earlier…”
From what she just heard from Count Bosgruni, it didn’t sound like Ardea had been kicked out. If anything, it seemed like they were trying to protect him.
And come to think of it, those two never actually divorced.

Because of that, Ardea was still connected to the Bosgruni family.
In the world of nobility, having your family’s backing—or not—meant everything.
A noble abandoned by their family was, to put it bluntly, worth less than dirt.

“And Dad even brought Teacher Ardea to the estate.”
Hmmm. Leonia crossed her arms, deep in thought.
But she quickly stopped.

No point thinking about that grumpy old man on her happy birthday.
“Today’s all about me!”
Shaking off all the complicated nonsense, Leonia took Count Bosgruni’s hand and led him into the banquet hall where the party was already getting started.

The count’s warm smile was enough to make Ardea disappear from her mind completely.
***
The banquet hall was already buzzing with people.

The first guests to arrive were the noble ladies who usually joined Leonia for tea.
They made sure to get there before anyone else, eager to celebrate their little friend. Leonia happily welcomed them in herself.
“Oh my, look at that!”
The new Countess of Tedros, who had just married this spring, pointed toward something.

At the center of the hall, a mountain of brightly wrapped presents was piled high. And the servants were still bringing more in.
“All of them are from the Duke, just for the young lady,” said the Viscountess of Kerata.
“Lady Voreoti’s arms are going to be sore from opening all those gifts today.”

“Just imagining it is adorable.”
“It just shows how much the Duke treasures her.”
The noble ladies giggled like it was the most delightful thing in the world.

“So, do you think the Duke won’t ever get married?” one of the male nobles muttered as he sipped a non-alcoholic drink.
“Well, that’s his choice, isn’t it?” Count Urmariti replied, as if the question wasn’t even worth asking.
“He’s already named his heir, so marriage isn’t really important anymore.”

“Still…”
The male noble seemed like something was still bothering him.
“…Is there something you’re worried about?”

You’re not doubting the Duke’s decision, are you?
Count Urmariti asked with a polite but pointed smile.
And if that guy really was doubting him, the count was already ready to wring his neck with his own hands.

Thankfully, the man quickly picked up on the threat and waved his hands.
“N-no, nothing like that!”
“Then what?”

“It’s just, the Duke’s still young, isn’t he?”
He meant it was strange for a man not even thirty to remain unmarried.
“Of course, I’d never dare question Lady Voreoti being declared heir, not at all,” the man added quickly, his voice trembling.

In truth, it wasn’t just him—there wasn’t a single soul in the North who would dare oppose Ferio’s decision.
The story of Leonia boldly declaring herself the “sole heir” at a royal banquet had spread across the entire empire.
Now no one could whisper behind her back about being a bastard or whatever else.

“Still, it stands out when a noble doesn’t marry.”
“What an old-fashioned thing to say.”
“But he is a noble…”

“He’s a noble who’s already secured his heir.”
Count Urmariti cut him off.
“Marriage, for nobles, is just a way to ensure succession.”

That’s why marriage was important for nobles.
But on the flip side, if there was already an heir, marriage wasn’t really necessary.
Besides, rumor had it that the Duke was deeply in love with the commoner woman who had given birth to his child.

Some ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) even said he’d never marry at all because of that.
That unexpected romantic side of Duke Voreoti had crushed the ambitions of many nobles who’d been eyeing him.
“And if you keep worrying about the Duke, he might start worrying about you instead.”

Like, say, your lifespan.
He didn’t need to spell it out. The man got the message loud and clear, swallowed hard, and slipped away with an awkward smile.
“Tsk.”

Count Urmariti clicked his tongue.
Even with all the carefully crafted rumors spreading, there were still a few people clinging to their doubts.
But that too would fade with time.

…Still, he had a point.
The count thought that guy’s question wasn’t entirely off base.
Leonia being named heir and Ferio getting married were two separate issues.

The seat of Duchess Voreoti was still empty. Sure, no one was after it now, but it was still the second most powerful position in the empire after the Empress and Princess.
I hope he doesn’t marry.
Honestly, Count Urmariti would prefer it if Ferio stayed single.

What if Leonia had to butt heads with some new stepmother all the time? What if Ferio ended up handing over the heir position to a child from a new marriage?
Of course, this was all just the count’s own selfish worry.
And he knew Ferio wasn’t that kind of man.

It was all pointless fretting.
Still, as the girl’s honorary grandfather, he figured it wasn’t too much to be a little overprotective.
But having someone wouldn’t be so bad either.

This translation is the intellectual property of .
He wasn’t entirely sure Ferio could raise Leonia perfectly on his own.
Sure, he was starting to act more human now, but there were still plenty of things that worried him.

Even with capable people like Kara and Felica around, there were limits to what servants could do for a noble child.
If there was someone truly good…
If there was someone who loved both Ferio and Leonia sincerely, he could support that.

But for now, what mattered most was—
Leonia’s happiness.
***

“Everyone.”
A bright, clear voice called out to the crowd in the banquet hall.
At the same time, the crisp sound of a fork lightly tapping a glass echoed through the air.

The noisy chatter instantly died down.
Every eye turned toward the sound.
In front of a towering pile of presents, stacked nearly as high as the chandelier, stood today’s star, smiling sweetly.

Leonia wore a bright red dress with a pure white cape draped over it.
Next to her stood Ferio, dressed in black with a red brooch at his bolo tie.
He casually took the glass and fork from her hands and set them on a nearby table, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

And Leonia handing him things without hesitation—each little movement flowed like water.
It was obvious they were used to this. And it was proof of just how much Duke Voreoti cherished his daughter.
Even though the nobles had seen this before, they still couldn’t hide their surprise.

“Thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday.”
Leonia addressed everyone with a polite bow.
From a distance, Kara dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief again.

She’s grown so much…
More tears blurred his vision. He was already on his third handkerchief.
Today, for some reason, he kept remembering Leonia from around this time last year.

She’d been so small and frail.
Especially in Ferio’s large arms, she had looked even more fragile.
Like a bare winter twig laid across a massive boulder.

Her dry, tangled hair, her skin covered in scars—it still made his chest ache just thinking about it.
“Leonia Voreoti greets you all.”
But the little lady proudly addressing everyone now had changed so much, you’d never believe she was the same child.

Her chubby cheeks were rosy, her round black eyes sparkled with intelligence.
Her black hair shone with a silky gloss, and her fine clothes and jewelry matched her noble status, highlighting her now-clear skin.
Still small…

She was still petite for her age, but she’d caught up a lot.
In fact, in a few years, she might end up taller than most her age.
That thought filled Kara with joy.

Leonia had become a proud Voreoti, more than anyone else.
“Our young lady has grown so much…”
Felica, standing beside him, sniffled too.

It was a joyous day for them as well.
“Look at the master.”
Felica pointed to Ferio.

“He’s really happy.”
Just as she said, Ferio was watching Leonia with a warm gaze, more content than anyone had ever seen him.
The smile on his face was so clear, no one could miss it.

It was rare.
Leonia saw it all the time, but not anyone else.
It was like seeing sunlight in a rat hole—only for a cloud to roll in and strike it with lightning. That rare.

Thanks to that, the hearts of the noble ladies and young girls in attendance skipped a beat.
“Wow…”
Even Flomus, who usually burst into tears at the mere sight of Ferio, blushed.

The Duke is really… this cool?
She thought maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t cry the next time she saw him.
“…And lastly.”

Just as Leonia was finishing up her thank-you speech.
“Before we start the party.”
She pulled something from behind the pile of presents. It was clumsily wrapped, totally different from the rest.

“I have something for my Dad—no, my Father.”
Her chubby, maple-leaf-like hands held out the awkward package toward her dad.
“Father.”

Ferio instinctively raised an eyebrow. Not in anger—he was just genuinely caught off guard.
A formal title, a gift? Out of nowhere?
Even for him, this was unexpected.

But what really shocked Ferio came next.
“Thank you for raising me.”