I Became the Male Lead's Adopted Daughter-Chapter 207
Remus sat dazed, pressing a hand against his bloodied cheek where the skin had split.
He never imagined—even in his wildest dreams—that Varia would hit him. She had always looked terrified of him, after all.
But now, she looked like a completely different person.
No, not even a person.
“No matter how insane someone gets, there’s got to be a limit!”
To Varia, Remus no longer seemed human.
How could every word that came out of his mouth be so despicable and vile? He was garbage. A defective product that needed to be discarded immediately.
“If what you said is true!”
Varia growled.
“Then Lady Regina gave birth to Leo at eighteen! She was a minor when she got pregnant!”
And you dare call that love?
You call it something precious and joyful?
“A union between two families? A grand purpose beyond understanding?”
As Remus tried to push himself up, Varia kicked him hard in the chest.
He collapsed again. A strange groan burst from his lips.
“Whoa…”
Leonia murmured in awe.
“That must’ve hurt.”
“She’s got great kicking form.”
Despite the situation, Leonia and Ferio—who stood nearby—remained entirely peaceful.
Neither made the slightest effort to intervene. Ferio even had his arms crossed, smiling with satisfaction.
Naturally, the commotion immediately drew the attention of those walking through the palace corridor.
“The whole world knows you prey on minors!”
It was no secret that Remus was sexually attracted to underage girls.
Everyone knew it. They just pretended not to. His family—House Olor—was one of the most powerful in the Empire.
“You wanted to marry my younger sister just because she was younger than me!”
“Ugh…”
Leonia’s expression turned grim.
She hadn’t expected such a disgusting truth to be behind the engagement between House Erbanu and House Olor.
“Lota was only seventeen at the time!”
“So I waited until she became an adult…”
Remus stammered as he tried to rise to his feet.
His bloody mouth no longer smiled. His red eyes glared fiercely at Varia. The kind, harmless expression he had worn on his face was gone.
But it did nothing to intimidate Varia.
“You waited until she became an adult…”
“You shouldn’t have proposed the engagement in the first place!”
Seventeen and mid-thirties?
Varia, about to scream again, stood there seething with a clenched fist raised in the air.
“You’re disgusting, your whole family is disgusting, and my parents who sold off their daughter to your family are disgusting too.”
In the end, that engagement only happened because Count Erbanu and his wife agreed to Remus’ request—for the youngest, Lota.
No decent parent would’ve accepted that.
No decent adult should have done that.
“You bastard…!”
Varia finally raised one hand high.
Her middle finger shot up toward the heavens like the towering Northern Mountains.
“Go choke on it and rot in hell!”
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Remus flinched, but the Voreoti father and daughter beside her were absolutely aghast at the unexpected gesture.
“Mom! Where the heck did you learn that!”
“Leo, wasn’t it you?”
“Dad! What the heck are you saying!”
But neither of them had the chance to stop her.
“You’re not worth a damn thing!”
Varia raised her other hand high as well.
“Take two and rot in hell!”
Two middle fingers now seemed powerful enough to pierce the imperial palace roof.
“…Pfft!”
And from behind the window, Prince Chrisetos—who had been secretly watching the whole commotion—could no longer hold back his laughter.
“Puhahaha!”
He rolled on the floor, pounding it as he laughed.
“That duchess is hilarious!”
He was genuinely impressed by the wild side of the duchess, who had always seemed so elegant, mild, and adorably round-featured.
“Man, Olor really got hit hard.”
“You’ll get caught if you keep laughing.”
Princess Scandia, disguised as one of his guards, gave a casual warning.
“Aren’t you going to stop this?”
Prince Chrisetos turned to ask Prince Alis, who stood beside him, watching silently.
“He’s still your uncle.”
“……”
“Well, I guess having a pedophile uncle is embarrassing, huh?”
Rather than answering, Prince Alis turned and walked away. His expression twisted as if he couldn’t bear to watch any longer.
“That was so satisfying.”
Prince Chrisetos turned back toward the window.
Things had calmed down a little. Varia was brushing off her hands as she turned away, with Leonia and Ferio following beside her.
Remus, still left behind in the hallway, staggered to his feet and spat in the direction the Voreoti family had left. A truly pathetic gesture.
“You know…”
Prince Chrisetos leaned toward Scandia.
“I think we’re involved in something huge.”
“You mean what happened during the trip to the East?”
“Feels like it.”
Voreoti is really something.
The prince shivered slightly.
“Something huge is going to happen.”
“Will everything be alright?”
Princess Scandia spoke in a worried tone. Her gaze was fixed solely on Leonia, walking closely beside Varia.
“Worry about yourself.”
Chrisetos flicked his sister lightly on the chest.
“You’ve got something coming your way too.”
***
“I’m so sorry, really, I’m so sorry…”
Back at the mansion, Varia embraced Leonia tightly, apologizing over and over.
“I was so mad earlier, I didn’t even realize what I was doing. Did I ruin anything? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”
“It’s okay, Mom.”
Leonia consoled the worried Varia.
“Mom, you were super cool back there!”
“You were amazing.”
Ferio also offered his praise.
He even said she was so beautiful in that moment—and placed soft kisses all over her face. Smack, smack, little affectionate seals echoed one after another.
“Hey, I’m right here, you know?”
Leonia hurriedly shoved herself between her parents.
Honestly, this mature child had it hard—having to break up her parents every time they locked eyes and started acting like lovesick teens. Her sigh was heavy.
“You really were wonderful earlier.”
Ferio smiled as he confessed how satisfying it had all been. Finally, Varia smiled with relief, her body relaxing after the tension left her.
“But really, he was so confident.”
Leonia recalled the appearance of the Olors back in the imperial palace.
“And then he had the nerve to swear on the Empire’s honor.”
“He must have a death wish.”
Ferio called it an impressive method of suicide.
“I’ve learned about it, but I’ve never seen anyone actually do it.”
Leonia remembered what she’d studied in class.
It was called the ‘Rite of Honor.’
A noble would place all their honor on the line before the Emperor and declare something as truth before all other nobles.
The Emperor would serve as the witness to whatever unfolded next.
Because it resembled offering a sacrifice to a god and praying fervently, it was called the ‘Rite of Honor.’
If the noble’s claim proved true, they would gain even more prestige.
But if not…
“They’ll end up worse than dead.”
Varia, now calmer, explained.
“A noble proven to have lied can never show their face in noble society again.”
“Hmmm…”
Leonia imagined it.
Not being able to reappear in noble society meant never being able to live as before.
She understood how devastating such a fall could be.
Because she had lived through it—at the orphanage.
‘…No.’
It might be far worse than her time at the orphanage.
The world would stay the same—but everything in it would turn its back on them.
“Scary, isn’t it?”
Ferio said, watching his ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) daughter’s brow furrow as she imagined the situation.
“That’s why most nobles don’t do it.”
“Many prefer to go through an expensive trial instead.”
Varia agreed, mentioning the current trend.
“I would, too.”
The child nodded at her parents’ words. The risk was just too high.
“But Mom.”
Leonia turned to Varia.
“Are you really okay?”
“Hm? About what?”
“Earlier… your little sister…”
Leonia remembered how Varia had asked about Lota in the palace. It lingered in her mind. She suspected Varia still held some lingering sympathy.
Ferio must have thought the same. He waited quietly for Varia’s answer.
“I…”
Varia started to respond—
“My lady.”
Just then, a maid approached Varia.
“There’s someone here who wishes to see you.”
“Mom?”
Leonia asked who it was.
“Um… she says she’s your sister…”
At those words, Varia’s expression shifted subtly.
“Shall I show her in?”
Ferio asked. Leonia also looked at Varia, waiting for her reply.
“…Could you prepare the drawing room?”
Varia asked the maid. The maid bowed and retreated.
“Speak of the devil, and she shall appear.”
Leonia muttered.
“Leo, the tiger is from the West.”
Ferio corrected her.
“Dad, that was a figure of speech.”
“It was a really off one.”
“Ugh, nagging!”
As the beastly father and daughter bickered again over nonsense, Varia let out a chuckle.
“You two never leave any room for seriousness.”
“Is that an insult?”
“Is that a compliment?”
Ferio and Leonia both hesitated.
“Of course it’s a compliment!”
With her heart a little lighter, the motherly beast planted loud kisses on both their cheeks.
Leonia grinned, while Ferio looked sulky, as if pouting about not getting one on the lips.
“Grow up already…”
Falling in love really turned him into a puppy.
Leonia gave her father a disappointed look. In her eyes, he had floppy dog ears and a limp tail. It was a bit horrifying.
“I’ll be back.”
But before leaving, Varia leaned over and hugged Ferio tightly to her chest, which made the dog ears perk up and the tail lift.
Even more horrifying.
“…I could conquer the world right now.”
The baby beast’s sense of independence and self-reliance surged anew.
***
Varia went straight to the parlor where Lota was waiting.
There sat Lota, tense and silent.
Varia found the sight oddly fascinating. Her younger sister, always so confident and dazzling, was now shriveled and meek.
‘Is it because this is the Voreoti mansion?’
Varia guessed the reason and shook her head.
That couldn’t be the only reason.
She knew Lota well. That girl would usually take pride in being received as a guest in the Voreoti estate.
If not that—then maybe jealousy toward the sister who had married into House Voreoti?
“Lota.”
Varia entered the drawing room and called her name.
Lota, who had been sitting with her back to the door, slowly turned her head.
“Sis…”
Even after all this time, her younger sister was beautiful. But to Varia’s eyes, something had clearly changed. She no longer radiated life.
For the first time, Varia felt pity for Lota.
“You came without even sending word.”
But instead of asking “Are you okay?” with warmth, she pointed out her sister’s rudeness in showing up unannounced.
Just because she felt pity didn’t mean she could forgive her.
