I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter

"Not exactly...!"

Meleis had been about to deny it—but then paused.
"Well, it’s just that…"
Compared to the capital or other regions, the North definitely had a more… flexible attitude toward etiquette.

That didn’t mean etiquette was completely ignored, of course. Even Meleis, who came from a commoner background, understood that much.
And yet, the reason she hesitated was simple.
Every etiquette tutor Leonia had encountered so far had been anything but ordinary.

The first one went without saying. And now, the Countess Bosgruni was currently engaged in a brutal brawl with her husband behind a closed door.
“Northern people are just… hearty.”
“Doesn’t seem that way to me.”

“No, you’re right.”
Meleis admitted it honestly.
It was just that couple who were extreme. Leonia and Meleis sighed at the same time.

“But etiquette is still an important virtue in the North. Back in her debutante days, Countess Bosgruni was quite the star of society. There’s even a famous story that young noblemen would faint just from seeing her lift a teacup.”
Right on cue—crash! The sound of a teacup shattering rang from beyond the door.
Followed by the startled voice of a distressed old man.

“She still seems to have that effect.”
“……”
“And that was our teacup, too.”

They were tearing through the Voreoti estate like it was their own home.
'What on earth are they going to do about the damages…'
Even if she was an old-blooded noble, throwing around Voreoti estate property like that was a serious issue.
Leonia stared at the door where the commotion was still going on, like it was someone else’s problem.

“…Shall we wait in the sitting room instead?” Meleis gently suggested.
Thankfully, Leonia agreed without much resistance. It looked like today’s lesson was doomed anyway.
Arriving at the sitting room, Leonia picked up the book she’d left earlier.

For the sake of her mental health, she put her cherished Life Is All Pointless aside and reached for a cheerful, childish fairy tale.
'Why does Dad only hire people like that?'
Surely Ferio knew what would happen if Ardea and Countess Bosgruni were reunited under one roof.

Leonia paused, resting her chin on her hand, and began thinking seriously.
Was this all to teach her that the world is full of lunatics?
Or maybe he really did hire based on skill alone?

'The "bad example" theory seems most likely.'
Leonia reached a tentative conclusion: Ferio hired such chaotic people as a way of teaching her, “Don’t turn out like this.”
Ridiculous as it sounded, it was entirely believable coming from Ferio.

'Still… I just want peace and quiet…'
One incident involving a tutor was more than enough.
“Young Lady.”

Just as Leonia was refocusing on her fairy tale, Kara entered with a tense expression.
Leonia noticed immediately. Her eyes went wide as she jumped up and hurried over in quick steps.
“Grandpa, what is it? What’s—”

“Lady Leonia Voreoti.”
A familiar voice came from behind the door Kara had tried to block.
Leonia, who had just lifted herself on her toes, froze mid-motion. Her small body stumbled back slightly as she looked up at a much taller man.

A sharp gaze and a neatly trimmed mustache.
“I hope you’ve been well.”
The Marquis of Pardus stood there holding his fedora respectfully, bowing with practiced grace.

***
“I came to see the Duke, but I happened to run into the young lady.”
“This is the third floor. My dad’s office is on the fourth.”

“Oh my, I must be getting old. I can’t tell floors apart anymore.”
“Then you should rest.”
Leonia replied flatly as she led him toward the office.

“I’m not that old yet.”
The Marquis responded shamelessly, laughing heartily.
'Ugh, this slippery old snake…'

Leonia glanced at him out of the corner of her eye with unconcealed irritation—but not outright hate.
In truth, the Marquis of Pardus had come to the third floor on purpose, knowing Leonia would likely be in the sitting room.
It hadn’t been hard for him to guess.

He already knew that Countess Hero Bosgruni was visiting the Voreoti estate as the new etiquette tutor.
News from the North was always in the palm of his hand.
And naturally, he # Nоvеlight # knew that the Countess would inevitably clash with her estranged husband, Ardea.

Which meant the young lady’s lesson probably wouldn’t happen.
So where would she go?
Either her own room, or the sitting room long favored by the estate’s residents.

The Marquis calculated that a young girl like Leonia would prefer the busier sitting room to being alone in her bedroom.
Having perfectly deduced this, the Marquis shamelessly asked Leonia to escort him to the office—almost like he was rewarding himself for his own cleverness.
Leonia reluctantly complied with his request.

'I guess I can see Dad while I’m at it.'
Since returning from the Kerata estate, Ferio had been overwhelmingly busy.
Back when snowstorms hit in early winter, he had been the laziest dad in the world—now, he was the busiest.

Lately, there were even days when she didn’t see him at meals.
Still, Kara and Connie had told her that Ferio always stopped by her room late at night, once she was asleep, to check on her.
The strawberry milk candy always left on her nightstand was the proof.

'By the way, he’s calling him ‘the Duke’ again.'
Last time at the Kerata estate, the Marquis had referred to Ferio as “the Duke” too.
Leonia didn’t yet know the reason for this—because it was something hidden even in the original story.

Back then, there had been too many watching eyes. Now, there were none.
Usually, people acted friendlier when others were around. But the Marquis of Pardus was the opposite—he had to.
Only a select few knew that the House of Pardus had served House Voreoti from the shadows for generations.

Publicly, they were known as loyalists to the Emperor, well-integrated into the North.
To serve the Voreoti family like a shadow, the truth had to stay hidden.
So in public, the Marquis would casually refer to Ferio as “the Duke,” appearing to uphold the image of a supporter of the imperial faction.

Even the original novel never revealed this setup.
Which is why Leonia couldn’t understand the Marquis’s inconsistent behavior—and remained suspicious.
'Huh?'

Just then, her eyes caught sight of two boxes the Marquis was holding.
One was covered in soft, dark navy velvet.
This translation is the intellectual property of .

And the other box—
“…It’s a Fluffy Cloud Cream Puff.”
Leonia murmured like she was in a trance.

That colorful, familiar box—it was the very same packaging for the Fluffy Cloud Cream Puffs Ferio sometimes bought her.
“You recognize this?”
The Marquis of Pardus whipped his head around. The sudden motion, like a doll’s neck snapping, startled Leonia into flinching. She quickly slapped her hand over her mouth.

She hadn’t wanted to speak to the Marquis at all. And she’d failed.
As if he had read her thoughts, the Marquis’s lips curled upward.
In contrast, Leonia’s hidden smile drooped in silent disapproval.

“…Dad bought it for me.”
The first time he brought it, Leonia had been bedridden for days from the backlash of unleashing the beast’s fangs—and hadn’t even been able to eat it.
Ferio, preoccupied with taking care of her, had forgotten all about the cream puffs.

But a few days later, he bought them again.
That time, the two of them sat in front of the fireplace and shared them together.
Ferio took one bite and complained it wasn’t to his taste—but Leonia liked it so much she devoured two of them on the spot.

Fluffy Cloud Cream Puffs were Leonia’s favorite snack.
“The Duke must really cherish you.”
“Well, duh, I’m his daughter.”

Leonia huffed smugly, puffing out a snort like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“…Truly?”
“What, you think there’s another reason?”

“Who knows? I certainly don’t.”
“Then live your whole life not knowing.”
Leonia resumed walking.

“You’re very mature for your age, Young Lady.”
“I’m pretty smart.”
“You’re like an adult in a child’s body.”

“You’re like a grandpa.”
“I am a grandpa. I have three grandchildren.”
The Marquis was doing everything in his power to figure her out, while Leonia was doing everything she could not to give him a single opening.

Meleis, quietly following behind, was about ready to collapse.
Before long, they reached the fourth floor.
Leonia knocked, tok tok, on the office door.

“Young Lady?”
Lupe, who answered the door, was startled to see her standing there—next to the Marquis of Pardus.
“…Wait, what about your lesson?”

Regaining his composure, Lupe first checked on Leonia.
“The teachers are fighting.”
“They actually started, huh?”

Lupe asked like he’d been expecting it.
“Chairs were flying. And Countess Bosgruni took down Professor Ardea with a teacup.”
Ah… that painted a clear enough picture. Lupe sighed and nodded with a strained smile.

Then he offered a polite nod to the Marquis of Pardus beside her.
“Father, you’re here.”
“You’ve lost weight. Are you eating properly?”

“I still have time to eat, for now.”
But probably not for long, Lupe added bitterly.
“Anyone hearing this might think I’ve been starving him.”

A familiar voice spoke from behind Lupe—Ferio, gesturing with his eyes for Lupe to step aside.
Lupe quietly made way, and Ferio bent down and scooped Leonia up into his arms.
“How was your lesson?”

“You’re not seriously asking that, are you?”
If you are, then you're a terrible person, Leonia’s side-eye seemed to say.
Ferio chuckled softly, brushing his lips against her temple.

It had been a while since he heard his daughter complain—it was surprisingly heartwarming.
“You’re late.”
Finally acknowledging the Marquis, Ferio turned to him, still holding Leonia in his arms.

The Marquis was watching the two of them like a scholar who had just made a fascinating discovery.
Ferio strolled out into the hallway as if nothing were out of the ordinary, Leonia hiding her face behind both hands in embarrassment from the earlier kiss.
“I arrived five minutes early, actually.”

“Wait inside.”
Ferio turned on his heel, saying he’d drop Leonia off in the sitting room first.
“…Lupe.”

Only after Ferio’s figure had completely disappeared did the Marquis speak again.
He silently prayed that what he’d just seen wasn’t a dream.
Ferio Voreoti… acting like a real person?

It was enough to rattle even the well-prepared Marquis of Pardus to his core.
“…Is she really your biological daughter?”