I Became the Male Lead's Adopted Daughter-Chapter 78

“...To be honest, I wish she weren’t going.”

Abipher, having come to visit the Voreoti estate, let out a long sigh she’d been holding in.

“Whichever lady’s tea party I attend, it’s all anyone talks about. They keep asking me endlessly.”

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Madam.”

Leonia apologized with a genuinely regretful expression.

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Young Lady.”

Abipher patted the back of Leonia’s hand to reassure her.

“Still, you’re sharp and clever, so I feel a bit relieved. I’ll arrive ahead of time that day, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

“Thanks to you, Madam, I feel much more at ease.”

Leonia responded firmly, her face brimming with confidence. She looked more like a knight preparing for battle than a little girl.

‘You dare to provoke me?’

There was only one reason Leonia had agreed to the invitation.

‘I’ll show them hell.’

The invitation had been blatant in its intentions. Pretending to care about Voreoti—what a laughable excuse to toy with her.

Leonia thought of her first etiquette teacher, Kerena.

Thanks to that experience, like a vaccine, she had built up resistance and was more than prepared.

She seriously contemplated how to throw the Emperor and the nobles into disarray.

Of course, she had Ferio’s full approval.

‘If you’re going to do it, do it right.’

He even gave her his full support to cause a complete stir.

‘Luckily, I’m not some average brat.’

Leonia decided to use her young age to her full advantage.

“Kehehehe...”

While Abipher was momentarily distracted, Leonia let out a wicked smile.

Inside the adorable baby beast’s body resided the soul of a completely rotten adult.

Leonia headed to the plaza with Abipher to choose her dress.

With no elder women in the household, she needed someone to help her.

As much as Ferio tried to take care of everything, there were limits.

Thankfully, Abipher had offered to assist.

“Don’t you have your hands full, Madam?”

“I always have time for the Young Lady.”

“But raising kids is no joke, right?”

Leonia gave a knowing smile.

“I get frustrated just watching my dad sometimes. I nagged him so many times not to do certain things, but he just pretends he didn’t hear me.”

Leonia joked that sometimes it felt like she was the one raising the child.

“They say men are just big kids.”

She said it matter-of-factly, sighing as if women always had to suffer for it.

“Oh my...”

Abipher didn’t know how to respond, so she simply smiled.

From experience, she had learned it was best not to reply to comments like this.

Besides, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

The place they arrived at was a dress shop currently skyrocketing in popularity in the capital.

It was also the shop Leonia had visited when she first came to the capital for her wardrobe.

Today’s visit was to order an additional dress for the banquet.

Ding-ding, the bell jingled as the door opened.

“Young Lady Voreoti!”

A man with his hair tied tightly back greeted them with a wide smile. He was clearly a man of impressive build.

His raised right hand held a thick pin cushion for dressmaking.

“Baron Theon!”

Leonia happily waved back.

“Countess Rinne has come as well, I see.”

The man called Baron Theon greeted Abipher politely.

He was the owner and rising designer of the boutique.

And he had recently gained fame for being entrusted with the Duke of Voreoti’s wardrobe.

“You two seem to get along quite well.”

Abipher asked, genuinely surprised.

The two looked like old friends. Theon let out a hearty laugh.

“The Young Lady did me a great favor.”

Not long ago, Ferio had summoned all the capital’s designers to the estate to make clothes for Leonia.

Each had brought their best designs in hopes of being chosen.

Only Baron Theon had been selected by Leonia.

“His outfits were the best.”

...Was it because of the muscles?

Abipher couldn’t help but briefly doubt Leonia’s judgment.

Theon’s rolled-up sleeves revealed thick forearms—exactly the type a muscle enthusiast might admire.

But her doubts were soon dispelled.

“Perfect timing. A few pieces have just been completed.”

At his command, the staff brought out several small mannequins.

Each was about Leonia’s size and dressed in a different outfit.

“Wow!”

Leonia stood up and twirled around the mannequins.

“This dress has a wider collar, as the Young Lady requested. It’ll allow for a variety of decorations. And these trousers...”

Baron Theon explained each outfit in detail.

His designs were all unique, creative, and striking.

Abipher found herself wondering how she had never heard of such a talented designer before.

She already wanted to have her own children’s clothes made here in the future.

“These are amazing!”

Leonia exclaimed, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° truly impressed as she examined each piece. Baron Theon, a bit embarrassed, simply nodded.

“I’ll definitely have you make my banquet dress too.”

“Young Lady...”

“We may not have much time, but let’s do our best!”

Leonia clenched her little fists in determination.

Baron Theon, moved, clenched his own fists tightly—so tightly it was as if they were set ablaze.

“I’ll pour all my skills into it!”

“Yes! Until the dress explodes!”

“Explodes... huh? What’s going to explode?”

“Our passion!”

Leonia hurriedly corrected herself.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

***

Leonia’s first banquet dress was decided after much debate.

“Well, since it’s a banquet dress, shouldn’t it be flashy? Like, uh...”

Leonia trailed off mid-sentence.

Memories from her previous life surfaced—mainly red-carpet dresses worn by actresses, dazzling with extreme exposure.

“...Cleavage?”

The word slipped out before she realized it.

“Side cutouts would be nice too...!”

She thought of the actresses’ abs peeking through and unconsciously grinned.

“Baron, cover everything.”

Abipher, pretending not to hear any of that, quietly discussed the design with Theon.

Feeling ignored, Leonia sulked and began poking a cushion on the sofa.

“Then put a cape on it.”

She suddenly remembered the capes she often wore in the North.

During winter, Ferio always had her wear a cape indoors because of the cold.

Even now, she often wore cape-like outerwear whenever she went out.

She happened to be wearing a short cape today too.

“That’s a great idea!”

Baron Theon seemed inspired and began sketching excitedly.

While they were finalizing the design, a message arrived from the Voreoti estate.

The processed gemstones for the dress would be delivered within a few days.

“His Grace really thinks of you, Young Lady.”

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At Theon’s remark, Leonia beamed.

After finishing the order, Leonia and Abipher stepped out of the boutique. The sun blazed down from a clear sky.

A servant, waiting in the shade nearby, came over and handed them parasols.

Abipher opened hers, and Leonia followed suit.

“Next time, let’s bring Ufikla and Pinu too.”

At Leonia’s suggestion to go sightseeing in the plaza with them, Abipher smiled.

The two of them decided to rest at a nearby café.

Soon, their drinks were served—Leonia’s was a chocolate beverage topped with heaps of cream, and Abipher’s was a lemon-floating black tea.

“When I’m with you, Young Lady...”

Abipher murmured while scooping out the lemon,

“...It feels like I’m hanging out with a friend.”

“Same here! It’s like I’m with someone my age!”

“...My age...”

Abipher managed to swallow her tea without choking, though just barely.

She had almost spat it out.

At first, Leonia’s precociousness had been jarring, but now that she was used to it, the girl truly did feel like a friend.

“Then, Madam—should we drop honorifics?”

“No.”

Leonia pouted at the firm response. The expression was so amusing that Abipher burst into a soft laugh.

“If I did that, His Grace would scold me terribly.”

No matter how close they became, some boundaries had to be kept. A countess calling the heir to Duke Voreoti by name was just not appropriate.

“Then, how about you call me by name instead? I’d love it if you did.”

“Then please call me by name as well.”

“Abipher!”

“Yes, Leonia.”

The two smiled brightly at each other.

It was the moment they became true friends.

After their cheerful chat, they stepped out of the café—only to be greeted by Meleis, who wore a troubled expression.

“What’s wrong?”

Leonia’s face turned serious as an ominous feeling settled in her chest.

“My apologies. A suspicious individual is lingering near the carriage.”

“Suspicious?”

“Is it dangerous?”

Abipher gently pulled Leonia toward her, shielding her with her skirt almost instinctively.

If it truly was dangerous, she was prepared to defend this little girl.

Meanwhile, Leonia was running through possibilities in her mind.

The most likely scenario: the knights couldn’t draw their swords carelessly in the middle of the street.

Alternatively, the person could be someone of higher status—or even if a fight broke out, they might not win.

‘That last one seems unlikely.’

The Gladiago Knights, the pride of Voreoti, were known as the empire’s strongest.

And those accompanying her—Meleis, Paavo, and Probo—were among the most skilled even within the order.

But the fact that Meleis had entered the café herself likely meant the person wasn’t physically dangerous.

“Who is it?”

Leonia asked.

And Meleis finally spoke the name.

“It’s Lady Hieina.”

This was a situation Leonia had never expected.

The stalker had arrived.