Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 108

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 108

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Around dawn as the sun began to rise.

Cesar, who had returned to his room, took out a palm-sized velvet box from his inner pocket.

Click.

When he opened the lid, a pair of rings inside reflected the dim light, sparkling like the morning star rising over eternal snow.

These were rings embedded with ice stones, now known to be extinct, and a family heirloom passed down through generations to the Duke and Duchess of Baluashten.

“The gift I’m preparing is not from Penandel, but from Cheri to Lady Blanche.”

Cesar, recalling Penandel’s message, roughly closed the ring case with a hint of private emotion.

His aide was quite cunning, unlike his bear-like, dull appearance.

Contrary to Penandel’s words, this wasn’t a gift for Belinda.

A proposal that could never be refused.

He now understood that this was the gift his aide had prepared for his lord.

He had already missed many opportunities.

When he had thoughtlessly spoken up on the festival day.

When he failed to achieve good results in the cooking competition that offered to grant any wish as the grand prize.

Even on the day he first revealed himself to her as ‘Cheri.’

He had chosen to remain as Penandel, making excuses that it wasn’t the right timing to tell the truth, that he might not be forgiven, and that he wanted to stay by her side instead of returning to the North.

However, deceiving her any further would be treachery.

Cesar had intended to reveal his identity to Belinda tonight while presenting her with the family heirloom.

Though he had firmly resolved himself, constantly feeling the texture of the velvet box in his inner pocket.

“I need you, not the Duke.”

Faced with her desire to break off the engagement, he couldn’t bring himself to take out the ring,

“Become mine, Cheri.”

And once again, he couldn’t speak the truth in response to that sweet command.

Cesar roughly ran his fingers through his hair.

To him, emotions were like footprints left on snow that had silently accumulated during the night—traces that would eventually be covered by continuing snowfall and melted away by rain.

So all he needed was time.

The feelings he had for Belinda would also sink beneath the surface and become a handful of the past once time passed.

No, it had to be that way.

A member of House Baluashten, who lived with the burden of the demonic beast’s curse, must not become obsessed with anything.

This was because the demonic beast’s instincts that came with the curse would urge him to destroy what he held most precious.

So the broken engagement with Belinda was actually for the best.

She must distance herself before she becomes too meaningful to me. Otherwise, tragedy will repeat and the castle will be stained with blood once again.

After helping the Marquess’s Daughter and receiving the mine as compensation, let’s return to the North immediately.

Thinking this way made everything simple.

The only regrettable thing was perhaps Belinda’s declaration that she wouldn’t leave Schubel Blanche’s fate in someone else’s hands.

‘If the Marquess’s Daughter entrusted me with dealing with Schubel Blanche, I would tie him to a horse and drag him all the way to the North.’

I would carefully tend to him so he’d survive until reaching the North, letting him feel the agony of having his limbs torn apart by gravel roads, thorn bushes, and spears of ice.

No, perhaps the opportunity isn’t completely lost.

I could seize the chance to spirit away that bastard whose head deserves to be crushed, making him beg to be killed…

“…”

Cesar, who had been casually planning this bloody scheme, suddenly turned toward the window as if realizing something.

Eyes tinted blood-red like a beast’s gaze were glaring at his own reflection in the window.

Just briefly recalling the night of rebellion allowed the curse to penetrate his defenses like this.

‘Calm down.’

This murderous impulse is because of the curse.

Cesar habitually covered his eyelids with his hand and recalled the precious memory buried in a corner of his heart.

The ability to purify curses, passed down through generations in House Baluashten.

No special method was needed to use this ability.

When standing at the boundary of evil, one simply had to recall memories precious enough to choose returning to humanity.

Though the demonic beast’s instincts try to destroy precious things first, fortunately, what he held dear no longer existed in this world.

Cesar recalled memories preserved like an old painting in his mind.

His family gathered in front of the fireplace in Winter Castle that never went out all year round.

Though the curse’s influence made his family’s features appear blurred and smudged, that peaceful daily life was the most powerful memory that allowed Cesar to return to his humanity.

As always, he made a vow toward that memory. That he would definitely protect this tranquility.

And when he opened his eyes again.

“Why…”

His pupils reflected in the dark window were still tinted red.

The curse was still brazenly gnawing away at Cesar.

‘I need to recall a different memory.’

He hastily turned the pages of memory in his mind.

The majestic scenery of the North made of ice and snow.

His knights who wouldn’t spare even their own lives under the belief that demonic beasts cannot be sent to human lands.

The people of the Northern Territory whose daily lives were arduous.

His first disciple whom he met in the Royal Capital.

Nothing was not precious.

However, it wasn’t enough to make him return to humanity.

The pages of Cesar’s memory turned slowly until they reached the end.

The moment he recalled a single point of Belinda’s smile engraved there.

His ominously glowing red pupils instantly turned blue like a clear sky.

“Ha…”

It wasn’t that memories of his family weren’t precious.

It was just that something more precious had appeared.

Cesar had no choice but to acknowledge with a heavy heart the fact that his feelings for Belinda weren’t mere footprints carved in snow, but would remain forever fossilized in a corner of his heart, never to be erased.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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