I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter

If the North was known for its supernatural power [Fangs of the Beast], and the West specialized in ora, then the East was a region abundant in mana, where mages were born in great numbers.
Among them, the House of Ortio had long been renowned for their vast mana reserves, enough to produce generations of Mage Tower Masters.

Using that power, they had ruled the East for ages and contributed immensely to the advancement of magic by founding the very first Mage Tower.
“The Tower’s gotten filthy while I was away.”
Marquis Ortio had purged the Mage Tower using the information passed to him by Ferio.

The underground prison of the tower was now crawling with mages who had participated in the illegal monster trafficking and others deemed worthy of punishment.
“Duke.”
The marquis, now facing mountains of work upon returning, called out to Ferio.

“It’s already late. Shall we call it a night?”
“Let’s.”
Ferio agreed without hesitation.

He too had to wrap things up quickly and return to Leonia.
He couldn’t help but wonder if she had stirred up trouble in the West—or worse, if she missed him terribly. The thought unsettled him.
Perhaps because of that…

The red Fangs of the Beast that had been faintly flickering behind Ferio began to waver ever so slightly.
But as if nothing had happened, the fangs quickly reshaped themselves into a smooth, rounded form.
Their small, tidy shape opened just enough not to harm the Gladiago Knights or Marquis Ortio nearby.

“…That’s chilling.”
Marquis Ortio wiped a cold bead of sweat from his brow.
Even with a magical shield protecting both himself and the nearby knights, the unique bloodlust and pressure of the Fangs of the Beast pierced through his whole body like needles.

It was a truly overwhelming power.
“He’s extremely angry.”
Mono, the vice-commander, furrowed his brow under the oppressive aura.
“For the one [N O V E L I G H T] who handles the Fangs best to be leaking bloodlust even with them that small… it means he’s furious. And impatient.”

“Impatient?”
“He had to be separated from Lady Leonia because of them.”
Mmhmm. The Gladiago Knights all nodded in agreement.

Marquis Ortio tilted his head in confusion.
‘What on earth happened in the North?’
When had Duke Voreoti become such a doting father?

And why were they all explaining things in such excruciating detail?
But none of that mattered now.
Marquis Ortio decided to stay and witness with his own eyes the moment the fangs pierced through the bound traitors.

It was a rare and precious sight.
The prisoners, crushed under the weight of the killing intent, couldn’t even scream properly—only grotesque moans escaped their throats.
Their jaws hung open, drooling uncontrollably, and some even foamed at the mouth.

Just before the Fangs of the Beast fully skewered them—
“……”
Ferio frowned as he stared at Musca Tabanus, who had wet his pants.

‘Even Leonia doesn’t make that mistake…’
Tsk.
He couldn’t believe a man of that age could be so utterly disgraceful.

***
“Manus oppa!”
Leonia ran up and threw herself into Manus’s arms.

“If you trip while running, you could die.”
“I wouldn’t die from just that.”
“We would.”

Manus pleaded sincerely, saying the master would kill them instead.
Manus had been one of the knights present when Leonia was adopted from the orphanage by Ferio.
He had almost become Leonia’s escort knight—but was ultimately dropped for unforeseen reasons.

“So, um…”
Taking a step back, Leonia hid both hands behind her back, twisting her upper body bashfully.
“Can I touch your leg muscles?”

“No.”
At his immediate reply, Leonia drooped.
“……But you let me surf your abs before.”

She pleaded earnestly, reminding him of the time they had bonded over his “muscle song.”
“Which is exactly why I can’t let you.”
Truthfully, Manus was quite fond of his muscles.

And he liked that Leonia recognized their worth.
He was glad that the future heir of the North had such refined muscle appreciation.
But ironically, that was the very reason he had been disqualified as her escort knight.

Manus boasted the bulkiest frame in the Gladiago Order.
He was taller than Ferio and broader than even Vice-Commander Mono. In sheer build, Manus was unmatched.
Ferio had decided that placing someone like that beside Leonia would only cause trouble—and excluded him.

From Manus’s point of view, the reason felt terribly unfair.
“The master specifically ordered it. He said if we let the young lady touch our muscles too easily, she’ll become a pervert. We shouldn’t indulge her too much.”
“I’m already a muscle pervert!”

Leonia answered shamelessly.
“……”
For the first time, Manus pitied Ferio.

Even the mighty Black Beast of the North must have a hard time raising such an audacious and perverted daughter.
“Young lady.”
Unable to take it any longer, Manus offered a heartfelt warning.

He couldn’t stand by and watch the young lady devolve into a full-blown pervert.
“Try thinking about it in reverse. What if I said I liked your soft, squishy cheeks and kept asking to touch them? Would that feel good to you?”
“I’d tell Dad.”

Leonia answered with a straight face, saying she’d report him and tell Ferio to pierce him with the fangs immediately.
“I’m not some kind of pervert…”
“Exactly!”

Her sharp tone was a little annoying, but Manus was relieved that his point got through.
“If you truly love and cherish muscles, you must show restraint.”
Manus murmured somberly that Leonia’s muscle tastes could easily be misunderstood as perversion.

Leonia remembered hearing that Manus had recently been dumped by his ex-girlfriend—for being a “muscle pervert.”
On that point, Leonia had to agree.
“But I’m still a kid!”

Leonia answered confidently, saying she was small as a speck of mouse poop, so it didn’t count.
“Young lady… you don’t mean…”
As Manus recoiled in horror, Leonia gave him a slow, wicked grin in place of a response.

“…You’re diabolical.”
This translation is the intellectual property of .
Manus shuddered with a cold wave of betrayal.

That cunning young lady had been using her age and small size to brazenly grope and lust after muscles this whole time.
She was blatantly wicked.
“But I’ve been better about it lately.”

“Better…?”
Manus was dumbfounded.
The memory was still fresh in his ears—Leonia shouting during a sparring match between the Duke and Count Rinne, demanding they tear the Count’s pants so she could see his iliac crest.

“But I miss Dad.”
In the middle of her cheerful babbling, Leonia murmured her longing for Ferio like it was a natural breath.
“Is Dad really busy?”

“Hmm, I’d say he should be arriving soon.”
Manus thought back to the hunt Ferio was finishing up in the North.
It had already been ten days since Leonia had arrived in the West. It was about time for Ferio to be wrapping up and heading down.

“Dad…”
That lifeless voice called out again.
“Why.”

And Ferio answered.
Startled, Leonia whipped her head toward the voice.
Ferio was standing there, holding a black stuffed toy in his arm.

It was a lion plushie with a bright yellow ribbon tied around its neck.
“I told you to wear your coat when you go outside.”
Even after ten days apart, Ferio didn’t greet her with a “I missed you.” Instead, he scolded her for her clothing.

He even added a dry, old saying that catching a cold would only be her loss.
“Here.”
Ferio stepped up to her and held out the plushie.

“It took a little longer to finish.”
His tone was flat, as if he’d picked it up on the way.
In truth, he just didn’t want her to know he’d been painting the North red with blood and cleaning up the mess. So this was a cover story.

But the lion plushie was a real gift—something he had prepared ahead of time.
“……”
Leonia stared at the plushie in silence.

With two black gem-like eyes, it looked nothing like the fierce beast on the Voreoti family crest. It was cute.
Its fur was so soft that it begged to be rubbed against her face.
“You’ll like it.”

Though he spoke with confidence, Ferio anxiously observed her reaction.
But she didn’t respond with a shy, embarrassed thank you—or with a haughty, teasing sniff.
Her jaw began to tremble as she stared blankly at the plushie.

“……Uwaaaaaah!”
And then, fat tears burst from her eyes as she wailed at the top of her lungs.
“Waaaaah! Huhuhuuuaaaah!”

Clutching the plushie to her chest, Leonia cried so loudly it felt like the whole world might collapse. She even began to gasp between sobs.
The two adults stood frozen, blindsided by the unexpected outburst.
“Dad! Daaaaad!”

It was only when she screamed for him that Ferio snapped out of it and gathered her into his arms.
Leonia, now in his arms, wailed even harder.
“You idiot! You dumb beast!”

Panting between sobs, she began yelling at him.
“Why did you send me here alone without saying anything?!”
The moment she saw his face, the emotions she had tried so hard to suppress all came bursting out.

It was longing.
“I missed you! I was scared!”
“Leo…”

“Don’t leave me alone! Don’t go anywhere without me!”
The moment she had woken up in the carriage, Leonia had remembered the fear she’d forgotten.
The nightmare of one day suddenly waking up in an unfamiliar world, in an unfamiliar body.

She thought it was happening all over again. Her heart had dropped to her stomach.
Without knowing a reason, she had come to the West, and the entire journey had been filled with sadness and loneliness.
She had hated Ferio for sending her off by herself.

And yet—every night, she had clung to the jar of candy and waited, hoping he would come.
Because she had missed him so much.
“Hicc…”

After crying her heart out, Leonia wiped her eyes with her sleeve, drained of energy.
“I don’t even want to see your face right now…”
She tried to glare at Ferio with her eyes swollen and red—but couldn’t.

“……”
The face she saw through her tears looked unfamiliar.
Even during their usual teasing and bickering, even when he was mocking her, Ferio had always seemed relaxed and composed.

Even when he laughed aloud, he never lost his dignity.
But now, he looked like a child who had made a huge mistake and gotten caught.
He looked nervous, unsure, and afraid.

“Dad.”
So Leonia taught him.
“Say sorry.”

In a voice thick with tears, she spoke clearly and firmly—this was the time to be honest and apologize.
“…Sorry.”
Ferio, still looking stunned, apologized.

It was the first time Leonia had ever heard such an awkward, emotionless apology.
It might’ve been the very first apology Ferio had uttered in his twenty-seven years of life.
It wasn’t even as good as a half-hearted bow.

“I’m sorry.”
But the second apology was different.
“I’m really sorry.”

Ferio gently stroked Leonia’s tear-soaked cheek, carefully watching her reaction.
Like someone who had committed a grave sin, he tried to figure out how to comfort her, what to do.
So, just like that time before—when she had sat alone, sobbing in solitude—he wrapped her in his arms and patted her back for a long, long while.

“……”
Watching from nearby, Manus quietly slipped away.