I Became the Male Lead's Adopted Daughter-Chapter 94

Erbanu?

Leonia flinched, a few grapes still clutched in her hand.

Erbanu was Varia’s family.

Startled, she hurriedly swallowed the grapes in her mouth.

She never expected to hear anything related to Varia here.

For now, Leonia paused her indulgence in the delicious fruit and focused on the adults’ conversation.

"Erbanu..."

Then Ferio dropped a remark she didn’t expect.

"Wasn’t their eldest daughter the top graduate of the Academy last year?"

Ferio had brought up Varia.

He didn’t seem to know her name, but it was clear that the figure of Varia had a place in his memory.

Leonia forced her pounding heart to calm down.

"You knew?"

Lupe asked.

"I don’t know her name."

As expected, Ferio didn’t know Varia by name.

"Then is the engagement with the eldest daughter?"

No way!

Leonia screamed internally.

"It’s the second daughter."

Phew. Leonia ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Oh, right. I already knew that.

She felt embarrassed for overreacting.

She had known from the original story that it probably wouldn’t be Varia, but since her presence in the world had changed things, she couldn’t be too sure.

However, the adults' expressions quickly darkened.

“...The second daughter is seventeen this year, isn’t she?”

Marquis Ortio finally voiced what made everyone queasy.

Leonia grimaced.

Gross! Disgusting!

It was a story that made her stomach churn.

In the Bellius Empire, both men and women had to be at least twenty years old to legally marry.

Because of this, it had become common practice in noble society to arrange engagements between families with children not yet of age.

Even so, it was considered appropriate for the engaged pair to be of similar age and close to adulthood.

An engagement for the seventeen-year-old Erbanu girl wasn’t the main problem.

It was the age of her fiancé, Viscount Olor’s son, that was the issue.

"Didn’t know they sold off their daughters too."

Ferio restrained his disgust as he looked down at Leonia clinging tightly to his leg.

The child made no attempt to hide her rotten expression—one she often wore when cursing the orphanage adults.

Clearly, she was thinking the same thing.

And it was true—these people were trash, no better than those others.

"Birds of a feather."

Marquis Ortio finally set his wine down. He’d completely lost his appetite.

At that moment, a trumpet sounded from above.

A short, commanding tune played simultaneously from the balcony above the banquet hall.

The noisy hall fell silent at once, everyone’s attention drawn upward.

A court attendant appeared.

"That’s not the one from last time."

"Don’t pay it any mind."

Ferio and Lupe whispered discreetly.

They were referring to the attendant who had once delivered false information to the Emperor, leading the Tabanus family straight to ruin.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

The attendant projected his voice loudly.

"His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress..."

The attendant paused for a brief breath.

"...and Her Highness the Consort have arrived."

It lasted only a moment, but Leonia caught the way Marquis Hesperi’s face twisted with rage.

***

The Bellius Empire.

Also known as the Kingdom of Beasts.

True to its nickname, the tradition of each noble house bearing an animal as their family emblem was widespread.

According to one prevailing theory, this custom originated with the ruling houses of each region.

Long before the empire was founded, those clans worshipped sacred animals, and those beliefs carried over into modern heraldry.

The East—House Ortio: blue snow leopard.

The West—House Hesperi: white tiger.

The South—House Meridio: scarlet whale.

The North—House Voreoti: black lion.

If House Aust were counted as the southern ruler instead, theirs would be the sapphire whale.

Finally, the central Imperial House—Belius—was represented by the golden eagle.

The golden eagle had long been considered the symbol of the imperial family.

In the founding myth, it is said that the first emperor, unsure where to establish the capital, received a sign when a golden eagle flew overhead and guided the way.

What a load of nonsense.

Leonia scratched her philtrum in secret.

The little beast cub didn’t know much else, but she definitely didn’t buy the founding myth.

It reeked of a fabricated story to give their rule legitimacy and an air of mystique.

In any case, the imperial banner featuring a golden eagle was hung in the highest place of the banquet hall.

It sparkled under the chandelier light.

Only after staring for a while did Leonia realize the eagle on the flag was embroidered entirely with gemstones.

And beneath that banner...

Seats were prepared for the Emperor and Empress to sit side by side.

A level below that, a seat had also been prepared for the imperial consort.

Leonia, gazing up at the lofty platform, muttered under her breath.

"Showing up late and still making a grand entrance."

"Because he’s trash."

Ferio said softly, instructively.

"Let’s hold off... for now."

Lupe begged desperately, whispering that they could insult him all they wanted once they were back home.

He hated the Emperor just as much, but right now, the Emperor was about to make an appearance.

And unfortunately, both his boss and his boss’s daughter were far too fond of insulting the royal family, which made Lupe’s heart freeze with anxiety.

He pleaded over and over for them to please be careful with their words just for a moment.

Soon, the Emperor made his appearance.

...Huh?

Leonia blinked in surprise.

He’s actually kind of handsome?

It was quite unexpected.

In the original story, the Emperor hadn’t been described in much detail.

Only Ferio, Varia, and the people on their side were ever described as good-looking. Other characters were sketched out with vague, minimal traits.

The Emperor was no exception.

Because she knew the backstory, Leonia hadn’t expected much from him.

She would not have been surprised if he had turned out to be an old man with a bulging belly and a sour face.

But the Emperor who appeared was shockingly attractive.

A dreamy church boy type?

He had a gentle, warm presence.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The bridge of his nose was tall and proud, and his golden eyes shimmered with light.

His glossy, tawny hair was tied neatly into a single knot.

Even from a distance, his sturdy build was evident.

“But it’s more the frame than actual muscle...”

Leonia’s inner muscle detector kicked in sharply, letting her know that it was probably his bone structure making him look big.

There was, however, one unfortunate detail—his pretty golden eyes carried an awkward tension.

Because of that, his handsome features didn’t quite harmonize.

“...Something’s just off.”

Momentarily dazzled by his face, Leonia quickly came to her senses.

Her mouth soured.

In the original story, both the irredeemable scumbag Emperor and the ever-competing Olor were described with little care. And now, here they were—each drop-dead gorgeous in reality.

And of all things, the Emperor’s face radiated gentleness.

Just imagining how many victims might be fooled by that look made the world feel all the more unfair.

Bored of the Emperor, Leonia turned her gaze.

“So that’s the Empress.”

She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her elegantly tied silver hair sparkled as if dusted with crushed gemstones.

When she tilted her gaze downward, she gave off an impression of serene detachment.

“Wow...”

Leonia had seen many beauties in her life.

Ferio alone was canonically described as the most handsome man in the world, and Lupe was no slouch either.

Even the Gladiago Knights and Voreoti’s staff were blessed in the looks department.

She considered herself immune to pretty faces.

But the Empress was so striking, even Leonia couldn’t help being startled.

She was like dewdrops resting on a leaf—clear, pure, radiant with self-confidence...

Yet there was a subtle sense of danger about her.

“Well, she lives with that guy, so...”

It made sense that she gave off that kind of energy.

In truth, the couple hadn’t looked at each other even once.

The Emperor occasionally stole glances, but the Empress never spared him even a glance.

It was like comparing gold-plated knockoff to pure silver.

“And that one in green...”

Leonia’s gaze shifted to the woman seated one level below the Emperor and Empress—the Imperial Consort.

“...Is that even legal?”

Leonia hesitated.

Consort Usia looked shockingly young.

Just from her face, she looked no older than Lady Hieina.

She gave the impression of a whimsical forest fairy.

Her green hair was thick and vibrant, with jade beads woven into it like flower petals.

She was adorable, sweet, and almost childlike.

But Consort Usia was, in fact, well into her thirties and the mother of the first prince, who had just turned twelve that spring.

“There’s the cesspool.”

What kind of man proudly brings both his wife and mistress to an official event?

“...He's even worse than trash.”

Leonia couldn’t help but mutter aloud.

“At least I only flirt with muscles. And I don’t act on it like that guy.”

“....”

“....”

Ferio, who had endured countless instances of muscular objectification, and Lupe, who had witnessed every one of them, were both struck speechless.

At that moment, the Emperor rose from his seat.

The nobles bowed their heads in respect.

Ferio inclined his head lightly. Leonia, after watching the adults, copied them a beat too late and with awkward form.

“Misunderstand me, go on.”

Let them think I’m some clueless little child.

Her clumsy motion was part of Leonia’s carefully calculated plan for chaos.

And it worked.

She felt a gaze fall heavily upon her from above.

Her instincts told her exactly where it was coming from.

That high seat.

“Gotcha!”

Leonia smiled quietly.

The Emperor was paying attention to her.

His prey had taken the bait.

And she wasn’t the only one who noticed the blatant gaze.

Right beside her, Ferio felt it too.

He clicked his tongue softly, clearly displeased that the Emperor was looking at his daughter.

Leonia sidled closer to Ferio.

Ferio wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her protectively to his side.

“Leo.”

He murmured quietly.

“This is your first hunt.”

I’ll be watching.

“Have fun out there.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, the little beast cub hugged the Black Beast tightly.

***

“This banquet is a very meaningful occasion.”

The Emperor began his speech.

To everyone’s surprise, the speech was brief.

He thanked everyone for coming and stated that this banquet, being the first since the late Emperor’s death, was meant as a tribute to his memory—blah, blah, blah.

The tone felt far too festive to be anything resembling mourning, but few seemed to care.

A short moment of silence followed.

Everyone closed their eyes in respect for the departed Emperor.

Even Ferio took this seriously—he had acknowledged the late Emperor as a true sovereign.

Leonia also bowed her head.

“Raising kids is tough, huh.”

She sympathized with the late Emperor, who had ruled the nation well but failed to raise a decent heir.

The moment of silence ended, and the banquet resumed.

Soft music flowed through the hall again. The guests began to move and chatter, their energy returning.

Some even took to the center to dance.

“Oh my.”

Marquis Ortio, who had been enjoying her wine quietly by the wall, smiled as a very special guest approached her.

“Lady Voreoti.”

“Good evening, Marchioness.”

Leonia appeared alone, giving a short and polite curtsy.