I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter - Chapter 23

“Even if you compliment me like that, I feel very sad.”

“There is nothing to be sad about.”

“And Uncle Lupert has more work anyway.”

“It’s a lot of work, but if you give him a lot of money in return, it’s not unfair.”

“The worst boss in the world is right here.”

The conversation between the two father-and-daughter was always like this. There wasn’t much helpful information, and they just exchanged and quarreled about whatever came to mind. If it was Pelliot the other day, he would have cut off the conversation itself, thinking that it would be more efficient to go to sleep during such a conversation.

“Are you gaining weight?”

But now, Pelliot was the first to start a nonsensical conversation.

“Grandmother Kara and Felica said that I lost all the weight I barely gained.”

Then Leonia continued the conversation with another topic. Such a carefree conversation put Pelliot’s heart at ease. Leonia presented comfortable feelings to the boring daily life, and she, who showed various expressions while looking at him, made him feel happier.

“Honestly, I want to gain more muscle…”

“Leo.”

“Than flesh… Huh?”

Leonia, who was hoping for muscles, widened her eyes.

“Leonia is a long name.”

Noticing Leonia’s curiosity as she had become so surprised, Pelliot answered indifferently.

“What’s wrong to call my daughter by her nickname?”

As if she wasn’t used to it herself, she averted her eyes and added words.

‘Leo’, which Pelliot called a while ago, was an abbreviation of ‘Leonia’. As an affectionate nickname for only family and close friends, Pelliot was the first to call Leonia with that.

Leonia was right next to him, and even when she heard the name in person, she looked at him in disbelief.

“Leo.”

So, as if to confirm again, Pelliot called the child by her nickname.

“I am your father and your family.”

The area around his eyes, which had been languid a while ago, was full of energy. There was some tension in the dark eyes staring at the child. At the same time, Leonia met his eyes and swallowed a gulp, barely controlling her trembling heart.

She often heard Pelliot refer to himself as ‘Dad’, but this time it was somehow strange. It felt like her feet were strangely hard. Even now, in Pelliot’s arms, her legs are shaking in the air.

“Do you know why?”

“That’s because you adopted me, Mister…”

“Wrong.”

Tap, and his finger touched the tip of her little nose.

“Because you are my family.”

Leonia’s eyes fluttered.

‘Mister!’

From the moment the scruffy child, wearing shabby clothes that couldn’t even be called a mop, dared to stand in front of Duke Voreoti, the two of them became an invaluable family for each other.

“So you don’t have to worry about who you are.”

The daughter of the cousin who ran away, the illegitimate child from the orphanage, and the black beast of the North. They didn’t need all those titles.

Between the two of them, they were just ‘father and daughter’ and ‘family’. That was it. The rest were just useless noises from the people around them.

Pelliot looked at Leonia and raised the corners of his lips.

“You must have been really sick this time.”

Instead of arguing like usual, she was crying like this.

Pelliot suddenly lowered his head and pulled Leonia, whose eyes were dripping with tears, to gently cradle her on his shoulder. Soon the dampness seeped into the hem of his suit, and the child’s sobs grew louder and louder.

“Sniff, hicc…!”

Leonia cried. Suddenly, her short arms wrapped around Pelliot’s neck. Between her sobs, she struggled to utter the trembling word.

“D-Dad…”

“That’s right.”

“Dad…!”

“Yes, Leo.”

There was a gentle joy in Pelliot’s voice as he answered.

“Tell your Dad anything.”

The large hands stroking the child’s hair were slow and cautious as they patted the child’s back last night. Soon the little head that rested on his shoulder and moved slowly.

“Getting beaten at the orphanage, and being so full that you felt like throwing up.”

The thought that a murder case was likely to happen at Duke Voreoti’s residence, a wish to collect a bottle of strawberry milk candy, a desire to meet the orphanage friends, and the sadness at her father who was away for work.

Even when she shudders at the indescribable longing.

“Even if it’s a stupid worry.”

Pelliot’s tone of voice, giving each example one by one, had no highs or lows. However, the monotony was a great comfort to Leonia. It was more comfortable than a sweet lullaby, and more cozy than a soft blanket.

Leonia sobbed for a long time, and she embraced Pelliot’s arms.

“Dad…”

The emotions that had been churning in her chest began to recede little by little.

In an unfamiliar world, after waking up with an unfamiliar body, the longing that has been on her mind endlessly. The despair that piled up one after another every time the hope of returning to her original place collapsed. Ever since she met Pelliot, she wondered what would happen if his future went wrong because of her.

Little by little, the longing she had endured alone began to recede.

The longing and indescribable memories and emotions that seemed to disappear forever became a fairy tale. And it was placed in a bookshelf called Memories, which was hidden very deep in Leonia’s heart.

Very rarely would it come to mind.

It was so precious, like pulling out the fairy tale book and reminiscing about it. Tears might well up in her eyes because it was a story that she so much missed and loved, so there was a high possibility that Leonia had been holding onto the fairy tale book for a long time.

She might cry.

But in the end, she was sure to get back up after tidying up the books.

And she was going to run to her dad.

‘Amazing…’

Leonia snuggled into Pelliot’s arms and sniffled her nose. The sound of her father’s heart beating as fast as her was so happy and reassuring. Leonia rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.

“You’re crying over nothing.”

Pelliot put Leonia’s hand away, and instead, with his sleeve, rubbed the corner of her eyes.

“Are you done crying?”

Leonia nodded her head without saying a word. Her hair, tied in two high pigtails, falling down just below her ears, shook. Her long hair was as long as Leonia’s stay at Duke Voreoti’s residence.

“Shall we walk hand in hand?”

“Yeah.”

Leonia set her feet on the ground and grabbed the large hand, which had reached out in front of her. It looked like a small hand like a maple leaf on a large palm.

The world’s strongest and most reliable father was now next to the coward who was bluffing, arrogant because this world was still unfamiliar to him.

“Dad.”

Leonia bent her wet eyes.

“I like my dad quite a bit.”

“…What’s with the ‘quite’?”

“It means you don’t like to be teased.”

“I don’t hate it even when you don’t speak well.”

However, on Pelliot’s face, there was a smile that was quiet enough to ignore the words that had just been said.

It was a perfect start for the baby beast to take its first steps into this world.

* * *

A few days later—

Leonia heard from Kara that Countess Cerena Tedross got divorced and she became Cerena Meleocca. The Meleocca family sent the daughter, who had returned from a great sin, to a villa in the distant province.

“Dad said it was very far away.”

Leonia now explicitly calls Pelliot ‘Dad’ and not ‘Mister’. Kara, who was pleasantly surprised by the change, smiled warmly.

“It’s a small villa in the western countryside.”

Since half of the year is winter in the North, northern nobles often build vacation homes in the West or South, where the climate is warmer. The Voreoti family also owned many villas and mansions in various regions outside the North.

The place where Cerena went to recuperate is a very insignificant villa compared to the others owned by the Meleocca family, but it is a beautiful place surrounded by green forest like the background in a landscape painting.

“There are only forests and trees around.”

It was so secluded that it took half a day to get to the city by horse-drawn carriage. It also meant that the Meleocca family had given up on their daughter, who had returned from a great sin.

It wasn’t just this. Other noble families, including the Meleocca family, are said to have paid Leonia colossal compensation. All the nobles gathered that day paid the price for maliciously inflating and spreading rumors about the child.

Separately, they were also paying a reasonable price for the crimes they had committed while Pelliot was away.

“Those punks.”

Cursing at the greedy people, Leonia came down from the couch. Her dark hair, tied up in two ponytails, swayed up and down. The yellow ribbon tied around her head was held tight. She put on her robe that Kara had brought with her. Leona, clad in a tight pink cloak, wore bright red leather boots.

“Are you going to the orphanage today?”

“Yeah, I promised Dad.”

Pelliot did not forget his promise that he would take her to the orphanage after the monster hunting expedition was over.

She went out to the hall that had been completely restored now. Pelliot, who seemed to have just come out, was standing next to Lupert and talking about work. The movement of examining the documents and the voices of the two adults who lowered their voices were quite serious.

“Grandma Kara, my dad is working.”

“Is it cool that he’s working?”

“I thought we were just eating and playing.”

“It’s your job.”

Suddenly, Pelliot, standing next to Leonia, narrowed his eyes.

“Dad!”

Leonia, who ran without hesitation, clung to his leg.

“Don’t run. Then you’ll break your nose.”

Pelliot, clad in a dull red coat, tilted his head. Leonia grinned as she alternated between her pink cloak and her dad’s red coat.

“Dad and I have the same color clothes.”

“Red and pink are different.”

“It’s just similar.”

“If you say so, then it probably is.”

Pelliot playfully pressed Leonia’s forehead with his fingers and pushed her back. Leonia desperately pressed her neck to hold on, saying that she would not lose again.

“I’ll make sure to come back before dinner.”

“We will organize and collect the materials until you arrive.”

Lupert nodded to the two of them and left.

“Then how do we prepare the meal?”

“Prepare the usual.”

“Grandma Kara, I want to eat chicken dishes.”

“With cream sauce, right?”

Slurp, Leonia salivated and nodded her head cheerfully. Kara perfectly grasped the taste of the young lady. Leonia liked sweet and soft foods. She especially liked the chicken when it was simmered in a creamy sauce.

“See you later.”

Leonia and Pelliot got on the carriage, leaving behind the skilled butler’s as she sent them off.