I Became the Male Lead's Adopted Daughter-Chapter 263

“Young Lady!”

Leonia, who had been packing to return to the North, suddenly turned her head.

Today, she was set to return to the North with her family.

Since they would be traveling through the northern Gate located inside the Imperial Palace, preparations were relaxed.

“Connie? What’s wrong?”

Leonia, who had been checking over the items and clothes she would be taking, asked.

“You’re the one who ran errands for the Young Lady, right?”

“What’s with all the fuss,” Mia scolded her.

True enough, in Connie’s hands were snacks and art supplies sold only in the capital.

“This! Young Lady!”

Unable to contain her excitement, Connie set the items on a nearby table and pulled out an envelope from her chest.

“What is it?”

“Someone asked me to give this to you.”

“Connie, you know I don’t accept things like this,” Leonia said firmly, shaking the letter.

Ever since Ferio had suffered from the flood of love letters sent by noble young ladies, House Voreoti had an unspoken rule to ignore all such correspondence.

“It’s not just some love letter!”

Still worked up, Connie stomped her feet.

“It was from the silver-haired knight!”

“Who?”

Leonia, who had been growing tired of random strangers claiming to admire her, suddenly gasped.

“W-Who did you say?”

“The silver-haired knight! The one you gave the wristwatch to!”

“Oh my gosh! Hurry, open it!” Mia jumped in, urging her as well.

“Ugh! Why are you two making such a big deal out of this!”

Leonia snapped irritably at the two maids.

But truthfully, she was the most excited one of all.

Since returning from the palace, she hadn’t been able to meet Princess Scandia again, and now she hurried to tear the letter open.

“What does it say?”

“It’s a love confession, right? Isn’t it?”

“Ugh, just wait a second, both of you!”

Dodging the two maidservant-sisters, Leonia darted outside.

There were disappointed voices behind her, but Leonia wanted to read this letter alone, just this once.

She slipped into a nearby empty room and immediately locked the door.

“What even is this...”

That she was this nervous reading it was ridiculous.

She felt pathetic, but the smile on her face didn’t disappear as she stared at the letter.

Standing by the sunlit window, Leonia’s hands trembled slightly as she carefully opened the envelope.

Her throat bobbed as she kept swallowing.

“Haah, haah...!”

Her breathing grew needlessly rough as she unfolded the letter.

[Dear Lady Voreoti,]

Leonia smacked her own forehead with her hand.

“...Calm down, northern lunatic.”

It was just a letter from someone she knew—a single line greeting wasn’t enough reason for her lips to curl into a stupid grin. She had to maintain her dignity.

“But the handwriting is so pretty.”

It might even be prettier than mine?

With that fleeting thought, Leonia resumed reading. Her wide eyes scanned the letter quickly, and with each line, her body inched closer to the door.

Bang!

“Whoa, Young Lady!”

One of the servants ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) passing nearby fell flat on his back.

“Ah, sorry!”

But Leonia, in a rush, only threw out a half-hearted apology before running down the stairs.

At the bottom of the steps, nearly flying down them, stood Ferio.

He was directing departure preparations and frowned.

“How many times have I told you not to run in the mansion...”

“My bad! I’ll be right back!”

“Where are you going?”

Ferio swiftly grabbed the collar of his daughter’s coat as she tried to slip past him.

“We’re about to leave for the palace.”

“I’ll be quick! I’m not going far!”

Leonia squirmed to free herself, but Ferio only eyed her with suspicion.

“...What’s that?”

He pointed to the letter in her hand.

“Just a letter.”

“Leonia, we don’t allow love letters in this house...”

“It’s not a love letter!”

Leonia shrieked, wiggling free from her father’s grasp.

“So it’s not a love letter?”

Instead, Ferio’s expression grew darker.

“Then what kind of letter is it?”

“It’s just something someone sent me! Why are you interrogating me?!”

“Is that how you talk to your father? I’m asking because I’m worried. The world’s a dangerous place—what if something happens to you because of some stranger...”

“My Bboomboom isn’t that kind of person...”

Ah.

Leonia’s irritated reply faltered with embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Ferio’s face lit up with the smile of a victor.

It meant: no matter how clever Leonia thought she was, she was still in the palm of his hand.

“They just said they wanted to see me for a moment...”

Having fallen for her father’s trick, Leonia confessed.

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? They’re just coming to say goodbye since I’m heading to the North.”

“I said, why.”

“What’s wrong with you, Dad?”

Leonia huffed in frustration.

“I’m just going to say goodbye. And technically, I’m the dangerous one here.”

“How are you dangerous? You’re beautiful because you take after me.”

“Of course I’m beautiful! And if I take after you, then my face is a weapon...”

“In any case, don’t go out. Stay inside.”

Ferio firmly ordered her to stay with Varia.

“Your mother’s belly is starting to show. It’s probably not easy for her to move around—stay and help her.”

“She’s only having trouble because you insisted on chaining her down.”

“It’s not a shackle, it’s an anklet.”

“You say anklet, but it reads shackle.”

Leonia was still bothered by the anklet on her mother’s ankle.

‘Technically, it was that damn god who manipulated Mom...’

But even knowing that, Ferio had bought the anklet himself and fastened it to Varia’s ankle, wearing a self-satisfied and sinister smile. Leonia had watched it all with dry eyes.

“...Fine.”

Shoulders drooping, Leonia turned and slowly made her way toward the parlor where Varia was.

Ferio stood watching until she went in and closed the door.

Lupe and Tra approached cautiously.

“My Lord, wasn’t that a bit... forceful?”

“The Young Lady seems a little sad to part with her friend.”

“What friend.”

At Ferio’s dismissive reply—as if this ‘Bboomboom’ Leonia wanted to meet was nothing more than a pest—Lupe and Tra were horrified.

“But still, she’s her friend...”

“And to be honest, I think the Young Lady is...”

“...Is what?”

“...Far more impressive.”

Lupe, barely clinging to life, sighed in relief.

“...Hmm.”

Tra, who watched Lupe with sympathy, tilted his head.

‘Why does this feel so familiar...?’

Then it clicked—this whole situation reminded him of when Leonia first ran away after arriving at the capital mansion.

She really was Voreoti to the bone.

“Oh my, ‘stole a horse,’ you say.”

At that moment, Varia appeared from the parlor, giggling.

“She said she had someone she wanted to meet. I told her to go.”

“Varia...”

Ferio looked at his wife with betrayed eyes.

But Varia, trying to maintain a stern face, scolded him.

“You can’t stop her from seeing her friend! A father shouldn’t do that.”

“You do know who she’s meeting?”

“Of course I do!”

Varia placed her hands on her hips indignantly.

“...She said she’d be right back.”

She gently caressed Ferio’s cheek.

“Our Leo is still young. Whatever you’re imagining—those things are far off.”

“Leonia is a child capable of bringing that future much closer.”

“Well...”

Varia averted her gaze.

She couldn’t exactly deny it. Among the three of them, Leonia had the most unstoppable drive.

“Why did you help her?”

Ferio lowered Varia’s hand from his face. But their hands remained tightly clasped.

Varia, now somewhat reassured, smiled.

“What else could I do? I’m her mom.”

If a mother doesn’t help her daughter, who will?

Varia grinned sweetly.

***

'May I wait for you?'

The last line of the letter was so oddly earnest and desperate that Leonia justified her anxiety by blaming it.

The place she hurried to on horseback—was laughably right behind the mansion.

Though not as big as the Northern estate, the capital mansion was still large. Even riding along the wall took a while.

Eventually, she reached the back.

“Your Highness!”

Leonia pulled her horse to an abrupt stop and practically leapt off.

But she had moved too hastily—her balance tipped forward.

Yet she didn’t fall.

“...You startled me.”

Someone’s arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her gently into an embrace.

The unfamiliar warmth pressing against her whole body and the familiar voice from above made her brain freeze.

“Are you all right?”

Princess Scandia asked with concern.

Leonia, instead of replying, simply stared up at her with wide eyes.

“Did you get hurt?”

The princess asked again. The reins were in her other hand—she had calmed the horse while catching Leonia at the same time.

“...What a letter.”

Leonia stepped back and fanned her face, blaming the heat for her flushed cheeks.

“You were going to wait anyway—why ask for permission?”

“I came without an appointment. I thought I might be a nuisance.”

The princess, assuming Leonia was genuinely hot, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her face.

Leonia pouted but didn’t resist.

The fingers holding the handkerchief were thick and long—a sign of how hard the princess had trained in swordsmanship.

“Were you upset?”

Scandia studied Leonia’s expression.

“If I were upset, I wouldn’t have come. Do you know how expensive I am?”

Despite the arrogant tone, Leonia’s smile bloomed, unable to hide her happiness.

The hand wiping her face paused.

As the princess pulled the handkerchief away, the cheeks hidden beneath were even redder than before.

Somehow, Princess Scandia felt like the warmth had spread to her, too.