I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter

Leaving behind the minor commotion, Leonia and Ferio arrived at the knights’ training grounds, housed within a massive circular structure. Due to the harsh weather, Leonia had yet to explore the entirety of the Voreoti estate, but she was certain that aside from the mansion itself, this was the largest building. It was so vast that the knights training in the distance looked like mere dots.

However, their booming battle cries were anything but distant—they tore through the air, sharp and clear.
“Look over there.”
At some point, Ferio had picked Leonia up in his arms and was now pointing at the ceiling of the building.

“Wow!”
Leonia tilted her head so far back that she nearly lost balance. The ceiling towered high—easily five stories tall. And at the center of it, the symbol of House Voreoti, a black lion, had its jaws wide open, baring its fangs.
“What’s that on the ceiling?”

“It’s said that one of our ancestors carved it.”
“What a noisy thing to look at.”
Leonia stuck out her tongue in distaste. She didn’t like things that disrupted her peace, and something like that seemed like it would give her bad dreams. Ferio glanced up at the ceiling again, indifferent, though the black lion’s fangs were indeed quite menacing.

“Why is it so high up, anyway?”
“It’d be a problem if the roof collapsed when aura is released.”
Ferio explained that three knights in the Gladiago Order—of which he was the commander—could release aura through their weapons. He also added that having even one aura-wielding Swordmaster in a knight order was already considered incredible.

“What’s aura?”
“It’s an internal energy refined through rigorous physical training.”
Unlike mana, which was an innate, spiritual talent used by mages, aura was its opposite—an acquired, physical ability.

“Of course, it still requires some degree of natural talent.”
Ferio bluntly stated that sheer effort alone wouldn’t be enough.
“Can you use aura too, Uncle?”

“Why would I, when I have something stronger?”
“The fangs of the beast?”
Ferio smirked in silent confirmation, the corner of his thin lips tilting upward.
“You’re so annoying.”

Leonia grumbled and plucked a strand of his black hair. Ferio didn’t react in pain or anger—he simply blew the hair out of her fingers with a puff of air.
“You need to learn how to use your fangs too.”
“Even if I learn, will I be good at it?”

“It’s already inside you.”
It was something passed down through blood.
He tapped her forehead with a long, sturdy finger. Leonia’s head tilted back slightly, and she absentmindedly rubbed at her forehead with her palm.

“When you learn to fully reveal your fangs, I’ll teach you everything in detail.”
“When I do, the first thing I’ll bite is you.”
“And what if I bite you first?”

“I’ll bite your chest first!”
Ferio abruptly loosened his hold, lowering her slightly.
“Why are you so obsessed with my chest?”

“I’m not!”
Leonia huffed, looking scandalized. She insisted he stop treating her like some kind of pervert.
At least she’s aware of it.

But then, what was with the way she always stared at and sneakily poked his chest? Ferio gave her a deeply unimpressed look.
“Listen carefully, Uncle.”
Leonia’s lips curled with determination.

“I like big, bulging muscles!”
Big, bulging muscles!
Muscles!

Muscles!
Her enthusiastic declaration echoed through the training grounds.
“…Huh?”

Mono, the vice-commander of the Gladiago Knights, who had been overseeing training, abruptly froze. He had just heard something about liking big, bulging muscles.
“What was that?”
“She likes muscles, apparently.”

“What the hell is ‘big, bulging’?”
“Where did that come from?”
“Did a pervert sneak into the training grounds?”

It wasn’t just Mono who had heard it—the entire Gladiago Order had come to a halt. Naturally, all eyes turned to the source of the outrageous personal preference that had just been broadcasted across the training field.
Two figures were approaching. One was a large, familiar figure. The other, a tiny, unfamiliar one.
Soon, they revealed themselves to be none other than Ferio Voreoti, the Duke and their commander, and Leonia, the one who had just boldly declared her love for muscles.

“My Lord.”
Mono bowed in greeting. Ferio responded with a small nod, while Leonia, still nestled in his arms, rested her head against his shoulder and stared directly at Mono.
“…Mono is married.”

Ferio casually covered Leonia’s eyes with his palm.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Leonia narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“It means he can’t be your muscle.”
Leonia clenched her fists, struggling to suppress her rising irritation.
“Are you trying to flip my lungs inside out today?”

“You’re still breathing just fine, so I guess I haven’t succeeded.”
“Oh, you’re so childish! Uncle, did you mentally age backward or something?”
“And you must not have aged at all.”

Their exchange was so immature and relentless that it barely resembled a conversation between a father and daughter. Neither of them was willing to back down, holding onto every word like a battle of wills. No one dared to interrupt them—especially not when Ferio, who rarely displayed emotions, was looking so openly entertained.
This unfamiliar side of their commander left the knights shaken.
“…Knights, assemble!”

Mono, the first to regain his composure, called the knights to attention. Only then did the childish bickering between father and daughter come to an end.
At his sharp command, over fifty knights swiftly moved into formation. Including the squires and trainees, their numbers easily exceeded a hundred.
“Meleis!”

Among them, Leonia spotted a familiar face and eagerly waved. Meleis smiled and bowed her head in greeting. It had been nearly a week since they had last seen each other.
That’s because Uncle’s been keeping me close by lately.
This translation is the intellectual property of .

With Meleis now officially assigned as Leonia’s escort knight, the other knights no longer needed to keep close watch over her. That didn’t stop Leonia from enthusiastically waving at every familiar face she spotted.
“You’re all working hard.”
Ferio caught her hand mid-wave and lowered it.

“It’s best to introduce everyone before we set out for the monster hunt. Everyone, this is my daughter, Leonia. Leonia, these are the Gladiago Knights, who protect the North alongside me.”
A large man with a rough, stubbly beard stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
“I am Mono Ceres, vice-commander of the Gladiago Knights. It is an honor to greet you on behalf of our order.”

“Hello! I’m Leonia Voreoti.”
Remembering Ferio’s earlier scolding about using formal speech with servants, Leonia hesitated and glanced up at him. But instead of scolding her, he simply looked down at her with an approving gaze. Unlike household staff, knights held a rank close to the lesser nobility, meaning formal speech was appropriate. Ferio even patted her head in approval, making Leonia grin.
He really likes his knight order, huh?

She had caught the subtle pride in Ferio’s voice as he introduced the Gladiago Knights. He usually acted indifferent to everything around him, but the people within his circle—his "territory"—were an exception. The knights were the clearest example of this.
“Are the preparations going well?”
After introductions, Ferio turned back to Mono, shifting the conversation to the upcoming monster hunt.

“This year, the monsters have been particularly active during their breeding season. While you were away, a few young ones came down and attacked some smaller villages. This hunt will likely be more difficult than last year.”
“Monsters that have given birth are especially aggressive.”
Ferio frowned, clearly displeased at the extra trouble this would cause. At the same time, he lightly patted Leonia’s back. As a father now, talk of wild offspring must have reminded him of his own cub.

While Ferio and Mono spoke seriously, Leonia had her own business to attend to—namely, evaluating the knights’ muscles.
As she stared at them, the knights fidgeted under her intense gaze. Because they had been training, most of them wore simple uniforms that clung to their sweat-drenched bodies, making every defined muscle visible. Some had even removed their shirts due to the heat.
The little beast cub’s dark eyes were so fierce that even the seasoned knights found themselves looking away in discomfort.

“Uncle, put me down.”
Leonia tugged on Ferio’s coat insistently.
Ferio, who was in the middle of his discussion with Mono, added one last ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ comment before setting her down.

“Stay with Meleis.”
“Why?”
“So you’ll be less likely to sexually harass the knights.”

Leonia’s confident expression froze.
She turned to him, looking thoroughly offended.
“Do you think I’m some kind of pervert?”

“Then why were you smiling just now?”
“Because I was excited to play with the knights.”
“It needs to be mutual play.”

“Oh, shut up!”
Fed up, Leonia wiggled out of his grasp. Only then did Ferio finally lower her to the ground, and she shot him a glare before dashing into the knights’ ranks. A moment later, she popped up in Meleis’s arms, grinning triumphantly.
“…You’ve grown much healthier.”

Mono had seen Leonia a few times before. However, those encounters had always been brief, and back then, she had looked painfully thin. Now, the child was lively, full of energy, and even bantering with Ferio without backing down.
She had changed.
Surrounded by knights, chattering excitedly, her face shone with happiness.

“It’s good to see she’s adapting well.”
“She was already home from the start.”
Mono smiled quietly, assuming Ferio was merely praising Leonia’s resilience.

But Ferio had meant his words literally.
***
Leonia continued greeting the knights from Meleis’s arms.

“Meleis! Have you been well?”
“Thanks to you, yes. And my, haven’t you grown even prettier?”
Leonia knew it was just flattery, but she still covered her face with her hands, pretending to be shy. Peeking through her fingers, she asked cautiously:

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“Of course not. We’re happy to have you.”
“It’s an honor, my lady!”

“We’re always glad to see you.”
The knights quickly reassured her. Between preparing for the monster hunt and enduring the relentless snowstorm, tension and exhaustion had been weighing heavily on them. Leonia’s sudden visit was a welcome distraction, a bit of warmth in the otherwise grim atmosphere of the estate.
“That reminds me, you made quite the declaration earlier.”

Paavo, one of the knights assigned to protect Leonia alongside Meleis, grinned. He swept back his long, wine-colored hair, revealing his tanned complexion—the only knight among them with sun-darkened skin.
Originally from the South, Paavo had sharp, fox-like eyes that made others compare him to a peacock. But to Leonia, he seemed more like a friendly dog.
“My lady, do you truly like muscles?”

“Yes! I love them!”
Leonia answered without hesitation.
“You have good taste.”

“Physical beauty is all about muscles!”
“Hard work never betrays you.”
Paavo and the more muscular knights immediately took the opportunity to flex, each one striking a different pose.

“…Ugh, what the hell.”
“This is disgusting.”
“What are you guys showing a child?!”

Meleis and some of the other knights groaned at the ridiculous display.
“Woooooow!”
But Leonia, fists clenched in excitement, cheered as if she had just witnessed the greatest spectacle of her life. One knight, who had been training shirtless, even made his pecs bounce alternately, earning a shriek of delight from her.

“My lady, you’re drooling.”
Meleis, still holding her, gently dabbed at Leonia’s mouth with a handkerchief.