I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter

“You haven’t been working lately, Uncle.”

Leonia eyed Ferio suspiciously, her tone resembling that of a nagging wife.
“Just worry about not spilling your snacks.”
Ferio pointed out her outfit, mocking her as he glanced at her apron. “How messy do you have to be when eating that you’re wearing an apron?”

Today, the Young Lady of Voreoti was dressed in a thick white dress, black stockings, and an apron intricately stitched with lace.
Leonia shrieked in frustration at his teasing.
“This is just a dress! It’s called an apron dress!”

Exasperated, she stretched out the apron to show him, tossing her beloved book, Life Is Ultimately Meaningless, to the floor in the process.
“You were spilling your snacks earlier. And drooling.”
“That was just once!”

Leonia felt wronged. Thanks to her well-balanced diet, one of her lower front teeth had started to wobble and had finally fallen out a few days ago. She had been absentmindedly poking at the empty space with her tongue out of curiosity, which had led to that embarrassing incident.
“I didn’t spill anything when I lost my teeth.”
“Do you just want to beat me at everything, Uncle?”

“It’s a lesson for you. Watch and learn.”
“What exactly am I supposed to learn?!”
Ever since the fierce snowstorm had begun, Leonia hadn’t seen Ferio actually doing any work. These days, he spent most of his time sprawled on the sofa, either teasing her or lazing around.

Narrowing her eyes, she scrutinized him. If there was one thing to learn from Ferio, it was that as long as you were rich, high-ranking, handsome, and capable, you could throw away all sense of responsibility and still be treated like royalty.
“Hmph!”
Feeling frustrated, she picked up her fallen book and tried to focus on reading again.

“I won’t be home much longer anyway.”
“Huh? Why?”
“It’s the time of year when monsters get restless.”
“‘Restless’? That’s not exactly the right term, is it?”

Leonia frowned, saying that such crude language wasn’t appropriate for a child’s upbringing.
“You should be grateful I’m not a normal kid, Uncle.”
“You should be grateful I’m not a normal father.”

After their brief, equally stubborn bickering, Ferio continued.
“The Voreoti Territory is filled with monsters—enough for it to be called the monster’s den.”
So, once the snowstorm settled, he and the knights would head out to cull their numbers.

Both father and daughter turned to look outside. The heavy curtains—made from a thick, luxurious crimson fabric—framed a window that was fogged up from weeks of unrelenting snow. Even so, compared to the first day of the blizzard, this was relatively mild.
“How long will you be gone?”
Leonia trotted over, her tone laced with concern.

“A month at most, two weeks at the shortest. Monster hunting depends heavily on the weather. If the skies clear while we’re out, we’ll finish quickly. But if the wind picks up, it’ll take longer. Monsters are physically superior to humans.”
Understanding that a prolonged hunt would be to the humans’ disadvantage, Leonia nodded seriously.
“I’ll take you with me one day.”

“Where? Why?”
“You’re my heir.”
Leonia’s eyes widened in shock. Ferio, in contrast, looked completely indifferent.

“I took you in with that in mind from the start.”
“This man really lives life recklessly…”
Leonia was speechless. He had taken in an orphan—without even realizing she was his niece—intending to make her the successor of a ducal house? The fact that such a careless person was her guardian was both unsettling and concerning.

“…Uncle, are you never going to get married?”
“For now, raising you is more entertaining than that.”
“So that time with Lupe—”

Leonia smirked and rubbed her hands together mischievously.
“If you bring that up again, I’m getting rid of all your snacks.”
Her hands immediately stopped moving, and she clamped her mouth shut. Satisfied, Ferio closed his eyes.

‘…And yet, he treats me well.’
Ferio was the typical novel protagonist—handsome but with an ominous, intimidating presence, and a personality that was far from kind. Yet, at least to her, he was a caring father.
“Uncle.”

Leonia crawled closer on her knees, propping her chin on the edge of the sofa.
“You’re not going to suddenly change your mind and kick me out, right?”
“…What do you take me for?”

Ferio, frowning deeply, opened his eyes. His expression twisted in clear displeasure before he took a deep breath, collecting himself. He didn’t want to startle the child. Fortunately, the little beast cub in front of him had nerves of steel and remained completely unfazed.
“Leonia.”
His long, firm finger tapped the tip of her tiny nose.

“You are my daughter.”
His jet-black eyes, filled with unshakable certainty, locked onto hers.
“That means I’ll take responsibility for you until /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ the very end.”

His voice was firm, almost scolding, as he told her never to say such things again. Perhaps because of his serious tone, Leonia’s chest felt strangely tight. But it wasn’t sadness. It was something closer to overwhelming joy—an embarrassment born from not knowing how to handle such emotions. The warmth and security that wrapped around her felt unfamiliar.
She was still adjusting to living as “Leonia Voreoti.” Calling Ferio “Dad” still felt strange, yet he had always referred to her as his daughter. And he treated her as one.
It had been an impulsive adoption, but Ferio had fully accepted her.

“…Hmph.”
Feeling awkward about facing him any longer, Leonia turned her head away.
“I don’t like fathers who tease their daughters.”

With that, she huffed and flipped her book open again.
Ferio, watching the tips of her ears turn red, smiled faintly.
This translation is the intellectual property of .

***
Since the topic of monster hunting had come up, Ferio decided it was time to introduce Leonia to the knights. It had already been a month since she arrived at the estate, and she had more or less adjusted. He figured it was about time to make her presence known.
“But it’s snowing like that!”

Leonia whined, claiming she’d freeze to death if she went outside.
“Have some decency and move around a little.”
Ferio scolded his daughter, who had remained by the fireplace for days on end.

“You told me to gain weight, so I’m staying still.”
“You always have an excuse.”
“Like you weren’t lying on the sofa all the time.”

She fired back, saying that anyone would think his back had been sewn to the couch. Ferio ignored the little beast cub’s complaints and casually draped a cloak over her shoulders. Leonia accepted it without resistance.
Together, they headed toward the western corridor, which connected to the indoor training hall.
“I’ve never been here before.”

The historic mansion exuded an overwhelming beauty, even in something as simple as a hallway. There were few lavish decorations or extravagant embellishments, yet the marble floors, the supporting pillars, and the occasional masterpiece hanging on the walls spoke of House Voreoti’s unshakable prestige.
This was a place that didn’t need excessive adornment—it was imposing by nature.
I’m a Voreoti…

Leonia fidgeted with her small hands for no reason.
Just then, several servants noticed their master and his daughter passing by and quickly bowed in greeting. As usual, Leonia greeted them with polite speech.
“…Now that I think about it.”

Ferio’s gaze swept over the servants. That alone made them lower their heads even further.
“You speak formally to the servants.”
“Huh? Yeah.”

“But you speak informally to me.”
And? Leonia raised her brows as if to ask what he wanted her to do about it.
“Want me to speak formally to you?”

“It’s disgusting, so don’t.”
He waved her off in distaste. “Still, drop the habit of speaking formally to the servants.”
“No rush. Time will fix it.”

Leonia glanced at a painting hanging in the hallway, answering half-heartedly. It was clear she had no intention of changing.
“No.”
Ferio scoffed, seeing right through her.

“Money will fix it.”
Leonia, who had been pretending not to care, and the servants, who had kept their heads down, all shuddered at the ominous feeling creeping up their spines.
“…I’m not that easily swayed.”

“I’ve never seen you stand your ground.”
“My principles are rare and valuable. I don’t show them to just anyone.”
“Then let’s see them now.”

His relaxed smile exuded confidence. With a faint smirk, his sharp features took on a dangerous, almost lawless charm.
“As of today.”
But Leonia felt a chill first, rather than any sense of admiration.

“All the servants are fired.”
At the sudden declaration, the servants snapped their heads up in shock.
“…Why?!”

Leonia, slow to process, shrieked, her eyes, nose, and mouth widening in perfect circles. Through her open lips, her missing front tooth was clearly visible.
“A mere servant dared to receive formal speech from a Voreoti?”
Ferio stated coldly, as if it were an absolute absurdity. He looked completely unfazed, as if he genuinely didn’t see the problem.

“As the head of the house, I will not allow the discipline of my household to weaken.”
“Uncle!”
“If anything, their ears should be cut off for such insolence.”

The merciless example left the innocent servants trembling in terror. If they were thrown out in this harsh winter, death wouldn’t just be a possibility—it would be a certainty.
“Therefore, in my boundless generosity, I will spare their ears and instead issue a dismissal notice. All servants must return to their quarters, pack their belongings, and gather in the hall immed—”
“Alright! Fine!”

Seeing that he might actually throw them out, Leonia quickly surrendered.
“I won’t use formal speech anymore!”
With a huff, she admitted defeat.

“So your so-called principles weren’t that valuable after all.”
Ferio chuckled.
“You used the entire household staff to blackmail me!”

“That’s why it worked so easily.”
“What do you mean ‘easily’?! They’re expensive!”
Did he think the salaries of all the Voreoti estate servants were as insignificant as a neighbor’s dog’s name?

Leonia glared at Ferio, baring her teeth—well, baring the gap where her tooth used to be. Meanwhile, he had no shame in having just threatened a seven-year-old.
And then, her dark round eyes flickered with gold.
The little beast cub, overcome with frustration, had revealed her fangs.

Even that brief glimpse of fangs sent shivers down the servants’ spines.
Ferio, unexpectedly pleased by the outcome, let a lazy smirk tug at his lips.
“See?”

He had not only broken her habit of formal speech but had also prompted her to practice revealing her fangs.
“There’s nothing money can’t fix.”