I Became the Male Lead's Adopted Daughter-Chapter 73

“...Not really?”

Leonia shrugged her shoulders.

She was the very picture of composure.

The reason her existence had been erased from those love letters and marriage proposals was obvious, even without it being said aloud.

They all looked down on her—as the illegitimate child of the Voreoti family, born of an unknown mother.

In noble society, prejudice ran deep and narrow.

And this was the heart of the capital, where the rumors about Voreoti were at their worst.

Not even the infamous Duke of the North could escape the stain of “an illegitimate scandal.”

But Leonia didn’t find any of it particularly upsetting.

Strange that I’m not shocked at all.

Even to herself, it was odd. If she had to guess, maybe it was because she hadn’t formed any real attachment to the parents who’d given birth to her.

Her mother had run away for love—an estranged member of a Voreoti branch family. Her father was supposedly some unknown wandering knight.

Leonia didn’t feel any bitterness toward them.

Maybe because she had no memories of them to begin with.

She couldn’t remember anything from before the orphanage.

Poor Regina.

The more she thought about it, the more pitiful her biological mother seemed.

Did Regina love her?

Had she cherished her?

Leonia gently touched her own cheek. She wondered what kind of life the ‘her’ before all the chubby baby fat had lived.

Looking back, that earlier version of herself had been just as pitiful as Regina.

Paavo looked at Leonia with a gaze full of quiet sympathy.

While Leonia absentmindedly rubbed her cheek, lost in thought, Paavo misunderstood completely. To him, it looked like she was putting on a brave face about her origins.

He found it both admirable and heart-wrenching.

“Young lady.”

Paavo got down on one knee and gently took her small hand.

“Shall we go have some fun today?”

Today, the two of them were going out together.

They were headed to the Academy—to visit Paavo’s younger brother.

Leonia had asked to go, and Paavo had readily agreed.

However, after the recent letter incident, Ferio had become extremely wary of letting Leonia go anywhere without him.

He hadn’t banned outings outright, but it was close.

Still, he eventually gave permission.

“But there’s a condition.”

If anyone made her uncomfortable or said anything unpleasant, she had to tell him immediately after returning.

And Paavo was to wear the official uniform of the Gladiago Knights while accompanying her.

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“Let’s walk around proudly, so His Grace won’t worry.”

Paavo gave her hand a confident squeeze.

“...Aren’t you hot, though?”

Leonia asked, looking up at him in her sleeveless dress. Just looking at him made her feel warm.

***

Leonia and Paavo rode to the Academy in one of the large, black carriages Ferio had provided. Even the horses were massive northern steeds—the strongest in the estate.

On the way, Paavo told her about his brother.

“My younger brother’s name is Bopa.”

“...What?”

“Bopa. Bopa Gaber.”

Paavo pulled out a letter his brother had sent.

It was wrinkled all over—evidence that Paavo had read it dozens of times.

What’s with those names?

Backwards, it was Bopa.

And reversed again—Paavo.

Leonia was utterly stunned by the Gaber brothers’ names.

No wonder they both tried to cut ties with their family.

She was now convinced that their rebellion had started with those names.

Naming your kids like that was basically child abuse. A domestic crime.

“What’s your brother studying?”

“He’s learning watchmaking.”

“Wow, he must be super smart!”

“He’s liked watches ever since he was little.”

Their family had sold luxury goods like jewelry and watches, so his interest in them had come naturally.

Even as a child, if he found a broken watch, he’d disassemble and reassemble it for fun, all day long.

Thanks to that, even Paavo could now handle minor watch repairs.

“Even the other knights in our order trust me with theirs.”

He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, hinting at a nice little side income.

“...You’re not just a pretty face, are you?”

Mm, money is the best.

Leonia grinned wickedly, rubbing her fingers together just the same.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the Academy.

Right then, a loud bell rang out across the campus—signaling the end of regular classes.

Before long, students began crowding around the carriage.

Paavo stepped out first.

“Well then, young lady.”

With a dramatic swirl of his white cloak, Paavo spread his arms. Behind him, the whispers of female students grew louder.

Someone said he’s a knight, another murmured a beast from the North—the gossip was loud and clear.

Then, for no reason at all, Paavo swept his long wine-colored hair back.

“......”

Leonia stared at him with a look beyond description.

It was... impressive.

Either way, thanks to Paavo’s help, Leonia stepped down from the carriage and entered the Academy.

The two of them registered their visit and signed the guest book.

At the Academy, all students were required to stay in dormitories during the semester.

However, they were allowed to go out for a certain amount of time after classes, and families were permitted to visit most parts of campus.

“What if someone breaks in?”

Leonia voiced her sudden concern while writing her name in the logbook.

“No need to worry!”

The flustered Academy staff member—clearly unprepared for a surprise visit from the Voreoti heiress—quickly answered.

“From the front gate to the rear, the entire campus is secured with enchanted surveillance artifacts. The dormitories are protected the same way.”

The staff offered to escort them, but Leonia politely declined.

“We’ll take care of our business quietly and leave.”

The staff member stood frozen, stunned by the little lady’s maturity.

Leonia held Paavo’s hand tightly as they wandered deeper into the Academy.

A pristine white building topped with a dark blue domed roof.

The exotic architectural style came from the chief architect—an immigrant from the East.

But inside, it was very much Imperial—excessively extravagant.

Wherever Leonia passed, people stopped in their tracks to stare.

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Some stared openly, while others whispered to their friends beside them.

Some students flinched at the sight of her black hair, while others simply remarked how cute the tiny Leonia was.

“Are you all right?”

Paavo asked carefully.

If she felt even the slightest discomfort, he was ready to glare at every single onlooker and wrap her up in his cloak on the spot.

“I’m fine.”

“Please don’t hesitate to tell me if you’re not.”

“This is better than last time.”

The stares were still uncomfortable, sure—but definitely more tolerable than before.

“Hmm, why is that?”

Leonia mused aloud. She tilted her head to the side as if deep in thought—a habit—and somewhere nearby, a small squeal escaped.

She turned toward the source of the sound and spotted a group of three or four girls staring at her with flushed faces.

Of course, the moment she turned, their expressions turned pale.

Wow... Voreoti...!

Just the name alone was enough to scare people.

Leonia was reminded again of the empire-wide prejudice surrounding the Voreoti name.

I mean, how scary could a seven-year-old turning her head possibly be?

It wasn’t her they feared. It was the Voreoti behind her—and Ferio, in particular.

But I’m not scary at all.

She flashed a bright, reassuring smile and waved her hand.

Slowly, color returned to the girls’ faces. After a moment’s hesitation, they waved back.

“Hello, ladies!”

She called out in an adorably chirpy voice, prompting the girls to break into wide grins and wave enthusiastically.

“Cuties,”

Leonia murmured with affection as she turned away.

“Everything in the world was wonderful at that age—even falling leaves could make you happy.”

“Grandma?”

Paavo suddenly remembered his late grandmother, who used to call him by a sweet nickname when he was small.

The two of them continued walking.

“So, where are we meeting him?”

“It’s in the letter...”

Paavo pulled a slightly crumpled letter from his coat.

His younger brother Bopa had written to meet under the white-blossomed tree in the left garden of the main academy building.

“What does your brother look like?”

Leonia asked, having grown tired of walking. She now sat comfortably in Paavo’s arms.

“I doubt he’s your type.”

After a moment of hesitation, Paavo replied.

“...What do you mean, my type?”

Leonia, confident and unashamed of her preferences, frowned at the offhanded remark.

“Bopa doesn’t have much flesh on him.”

“Well, I’m fair. I appreciate lean muscle just as much—”

“...He doesn’t have any muscle either.”

“Aaagh...!”

Leonia let out a theatrical groan of despair.

She quickly adjusted her expression, however, as she caught the dry, pointed look Paavo gave her.

She cleared her throat awkwardly.

“I don’t judge people based on that kind of thing!”

“You do show... preference.”

“People could misunderstand if they heard that!”

Leonia objected quickly.

“It’s not favoritism—it’s... selective interest.”

Paavo held back the urge to ask what the difference was.

If they kept talking, he was worried the young lady’s scandalous tastes would get exposed to the entire Academy.

“My brother was very sickly when we were young.”

Apparently, Bopa had suffered frequent illnesses and couldn’t go outside often.

Because of that, he had pale skin, was very thin, and was often picked on by neighborhood kids.

“I became a knight in part because of him.”

“To protect him?”

“He was such a kind and diligent kid.”

“You’re kind and diligent too, you know...”

Leonia patted Paavo’s head. He gave her a soft smile in thanks.

Just then, a white flower petal drifted by their field of vision.

The large flowering tree planted in the Academy’s left garden swayed gently in the breeze. Its snow-white blossoms clustered like wisteria.

And beneath it—

Someone was standing beneath the flowering branches.

Sensing their presence, the figure slowly turned.

A head of wine-colored hair—just like Paavo’s—shimmered in the light. It was cut neatly into a straight bob that reached just below the ears.

Sickly uke energy...

Leonia’s mind spun with memories from her younger, fandom-filled days.

But Paavo’s pretty good-looking, so maybe this one’s a pretty uke too...

Though she still hesitated to look at Ferio through those lenses—probably because she knew how the original story linked him to the heroine Varia—other people were fair game.

He seemed soft-spoken too. Probably a classic gentle uke... no, that’s outdated—what do they call it now...

Her head full of biased and unwholesome thoughts, Leonia watched as Paavo’s younger brother approached from under the tree.

A clean bob of wine-colored hair. Fair, delicate skin.

“Bro!”

A deep, warm voice filled with joy.

Thick biceps and flexing upper arms waved excitedly.

And with every powerful stride, the thigh muscles beneath his uniform stood out prominently.

“......AAAAAAHHHH!”

Paavo let out a scream ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) of pure panic.

“It’s a tank uke!”

Leonia shouted in shock, pointing a trembling finger at the charging Bopa.

“Please don’t call my brother that!!”

Paavo, still halfway screaming, swatted Leonia’s finger away as she gestured toward his brother.