I Became the Male Lead’s Adopted Daughter
Chapter 218

Emperor Subiteo had only just come to his senses after Remus's downfall.

Of course, his sudden lucidity wasn’t out of concern for his daughter being married off to another country. Rather, it was the backlash he feared if he did send her away that spurred his panic.

“The Emperor is in a very precarious position right now.”

Due to successive policy failures and his connection to several criminal scandals, his approval ratings had already hit rock bottom.

He had tried to use the ceremony of honor to divert the public’s criticism away from himself—but that had backfired spectacularly.

In fact, there were now calls to expedite the formal appointment of a crown prince as soon as the ceremony ended.

“...Wow.”

Leonia clicked her tongue.

It’s a miracle this country hasn’t collapsed yet.

She was genuinely impressed by the Empire’s political structure.

If it weren’t for the semi-federal nature of its autonomous regions, the Bellius Empire would have crumbled long ago.

With that in mind, Leonia could now understand how stifled and frustrated the Voreoti family must have felt all this time.

The baby beast paid silent respect to the efforts of past Dukes of Voreoti who had protected the North for generations.

“Then, regarding Her Highness the Princess’s marriage...”

Varia asked. Noticing the intent behind the question, the prince nodded.

“There’s a high chance it’ll be postponed.”

But that outcome was something neither of the parties involved actually wanted.

If things went that way, all the long-term planning would be thrown off course.

“The marriage talks have been ongoing for quite some time. It might still proceed as planned, but...”

“We can’t afford to get complacent.”

Before the prince could even finish his concerned words, Princess Scandia finally spoke.

“There’s a scheduled visit to the king under the pretense of a diplomatic acquaintance trip. That’s when I’ll rendezvous with the western forces.”

The plan was for Marquis of Hesperi, Ibecks, and select Revoo Knights to ambush the carriage en route and make it look like a bandit attack.

The western faction had already rehearsed the scenario in advance, coordinated by Empress Tigria herself.

“Will you be alright with that?”

Leonia asked the princess.

“So you’ll be the one in the carriage? Up until now, it was a maid’s daughter impersonating you.”

“That’s why I asked the Duke for a potion.”

Specifically, one that temporarily changed a person’s sex.

They couldn’t use the maid’s daughter again. This time, Princess Scandia would have to drink the potion and transform herself.

“Ugh.”

Leonia recoiled.

“Dad, why do you even have something like that?”

The child’s face twisted with a look of confusion and slight disgust, as if she truly couldn’t understand the reasoning.

Ferio was genuinely flustered by her reaction. Leonia knew well enough that magical artifact collecting was her father’s hobby.

“I just collected it.”

“Of all things to collect...”

“Lady Voreoti.”

Princess Scandia called out to Leonia. Though her voice was soft and barely audible, Leonia turned toward her instantly.

“A potion that changes one’s sex is extremely expensive.”

It only worked for a few hours, and even then, the process was so painful that the drinker would suffer a high fever for several days afterward.

Despite that, it was priced exorbitantly.

“It’s worth at least ten mansions.”

“...More like thirty,” Ferio added, inflating the value by threefold. He may have accepted the princess’s help, but he didn’t particularly feel grateful.

Rather, all he felt was annoyance—Why are you even involved in this?

Prince Chrisetos gave the duke a strange look. He really seemed to be losing it.

“What a weird thing to spend money on.”

Leonia didn’t approve.

“You should pick a productive hobby instead! Like building muscles. Or drawing muscles...”

“Coming from you, that sounds more like a prison sentence than a hobby.”

“There he goes again!”

“You started it.”

“Honestly, it’s just weird! If a big guy like you owns a sex-change potion, it’s like opening a forbidden door to another world—!”

“...Hold it!”

Before Leonia could get more worked up, Varia loudly cut her off.

“Wait! Just wait one second!”

Everyone turned their attention to Varia. Only then did they realize her complexion had gone completely pale.

Her pretty green eyes were trembling.

“Did I just hear that... correctly?”

Her lips twitched into a nervous smile.

“So... the knight is actually...”

“...Ah.”

Leonia realized her blunder too late.

They had just casually revealed the princess’s secret to Varia, right to her face.

“...It was only a matter of time anyway!”

The baby beast spoke with feigned innocence. Varia would’ve learned eventually.

“You know now, right, Mom? This knight is actually Her Highness the Princess.”

Varia’s mouth dropped open.

“...My lady, that’s a fairly serious secret.”

Prince Chrisetos looked half-dead as he pleaded, Don’t announce it like you just found treasure on a scavenger hunt.

They had come to ask for help and instead ended up exhausted.

I really don’t mesh with the Voreotis...

Every time he visited, he ended up getting dragged along with the chaos.

“Well, you came to ask for help anyway.”

Leonia snorted.

“You just wanted advice on whether your plan with the Westerners and the royals would work, right? Now that you can’t use my secret as leverage anymore.”

She added that she’d known from the moment they arrived.

“Dad.”

She turned to Ferio.

“Can I help them out a little?”

“How?”

Ferio, who had been calming Varia down from the shock, asked. At his daughter’s words, Varia finally collected herself.

“Do you mean that ‘acquaintance’ you mentioned before?”

Varia asked.

The “acquaintance” Leonia had referred to was someone she had deliberately led to believe she might be Remus’s real daughter—before the ceremony of honor began.

“That’s the one.”

Leonia nodded.

“I have some things I need to tell them. And maybe ask for another favor while I’m at it.”

* * *

The reflection in the mirror was grotesque.

“....”

Lota’s thin fingers slowly traced the image of her body in the mirror.

Her once-glossy hair was now dry and brittle, tangled and split at the ends from lack of care.

Her fingers slid down the length of her hair to her neck.

There, as if she were wearing a violet collar, was a vivid bruise—left by Remus the night before.

“This is all your fault!”

That wretched thing that ruined the family.

“If only I’d married your sister instead! Meeting you was a mistake!”

“You ruined everything!”

Remus’s voice still rang in Lota’s ears, clear as day.

After the ceremony of honor, Remus had completely crumbled. The man who had once boasted of inevitable victory had now degenerated into a deranged pedophile consumed by delusions.

But he couldn’t accept the outcome. He demanded verification of the swan necklace Leonia had worn at the tea party.

But the necklace was judged to be entirely different from the Olor family’s emblem.

Of course it was. The Voreotis had anticipated this and had prepared a separate swan necklace in advance.

Remus’s necklace had been burned the moment he returned from the tea party.

He had never even seen the necklace Leonia wore in person.

Thus, he didn’t even realize that the necklace he submitted for verification had been swapped.

Having lost the right to show his face in noble society, Remus directed all his fury and blame toward Lota.

As he choked her, he denied her very existence.

He regretted every moment spent with her and projected all his despair onto her.

Each time, Lota’s beauty cracked further. She no longer had a reason to care for herself.

The elegance she had once maintained to gain her husband’s love and society’s respect shattered like an illusion.

“....”

The woman in the mirror looked dazed, her gaze vacant as if she were staring at a stranger.

“...Hah.”

Then, as if possessed, she began to laugh.

“Haha! Hahahahaha!”

Bending backward then collapsing forward, Lota trembled as she laughed uncontrollably.

I was right all along!

Through her tangled hair, her green eyes gleamed with a chilling intensity.

Her twisted smile was enough to inspire fear in anyone who saw it.

He should never have gone after the Voreotis like a fool!

Lota [N O V E L I G H T] had long been uneasy about Remus’s actions. Nothing good ever came from provoking the Voreotis, and Leonia should never have been his child.

And now, the ceremony had proven her right.

The Voreoti girl couldn’t possibly be Remus’s daughter.

“...It has to be here.”

Lota placed a hand on her flat belly.

“Your child must be born here... from here...”

Only a child born and grown in her own womb could be Remus’s true heir.

“I didn’t ruin anything...”

She caressed her stomach and muttered.

“You’re the one who was mistaken. You were wrong...”

Just then, the door burst open without warning. Lota flinched and collapsed in fear.

If her husband had heard her muttering to herself, he might lash out again.

But the person who entered was not who she expected.

“My goodness...”

Consort Usia rushed to Lota’s side.

Helping her up, the consort gently smoothed her disheveled pink hair.

“You must be going through a lot, aren’t you?”

“I’m nothing. What do I have to suffer for?”

Only then did Lota notice Viscount Olor beyond the doorway. He was glaring at her like she was his worst enemy.

Lota ignored her father-in-law and scanned the room. Remus was nowhere to be seen.

“Do you think he meant it?”

Usia gently stroked Lota’s cheek.

“He’s still young and inexperienced. He probably said all that without thinking.”

“If only he hadn’t spoken so carelessly—!”

“But it’s true, isn’t it? The Voreoti girl did wear the swan necklace.”

Usia cut off the viscount’s words.

“Before the ceremony, someone should have checked whether the swan necklace was actually from the Olor family.”

“......”

“His Majesty is truly furious right now.”

Though her voice was soft and full of concern, it carried sharpened thorns.

“Damn it all!”

The viscount kicked over a flowerpot by the door. Shards of shattered glass scattered with a crash.

He then stormed out of the room, cursing all the while.

“He’s got such a nasty temper, doesn’t he?”

Unbothered, Consort Usia turned to Lota.

“Birds of a feather, as they say.”

She smiled as if there was nothing to be done.

“You’re just like my sister-in-law.”