Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 128
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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 128
“The head of the family told me to convey this to you.”
The man took a breath and quickly continued.
“‘Silvio unchangingly respects those who carry the most noble bloodline.'”
The man who had mimicked the stubborn old man’s voice scratched the back of his head sheepishly before conveying the family’s will.
“Therefore, Silvio recommends Lady Belinda Blanche as the next head of the family.”
With this, all three vassal families had declared their support for Belinda.
The representative of the branch families, who couldn’t even postpone Belinda’s succession let alone block it, roughly slammed the table and vented his anger.
“You beast-like bastards who know nothing of loyalty! You took bribes and ate them all up, and now you’re stabbing us in the back?”
“Ahem, I don’t know what you’re talking about… Didn’t you clearly say it was development funds for greater art? But now calling it bribes leaves me quite flustered.”
“My father donates all money of unknown origin and purpose to society. So if you sent something to father, it surely went to a good cause, so please don’t be too angry.”
At the successive words of Rachelle and Silvio’s son, Dukoff shook his head.
When even the branch family representative was left speechless by their shameless responses, Belinda’s gentle voice broke the silence.
“Dear relatives.”
The heads of the branch family members turned toward the head seat.
When they first set foot in this mansion, Belinda was nothing more than a foolish woman who had luckily survived the divine trial.
But now, facing her as she sat there leisurely as if she had anticipated all of this, they couldn’t help but realize.
“If you have any objections to today’s meeting results, please speak freely. However, if you’re thinking of uttering even a single word, you’d better steel yourselves to make me your enemy.”
That no luck or coincidence had played any part in her reaching that seat.
Seemingly satisfied with the suffocating silence that followed, Belinda raised the corners of her mouth and said.
“No one has any objections. Then shall we enjoy the dinner with pleasant hearts?”
* * *
The branch families who had visited Blanche Manor in high spirits all had to acknowledge my succession with faces like they’d eaten shit.
If even one of the vassal families had opposed, they would have somehow found fault and tried to drag out time, but fortunately all three families declared their support for me.
But honestly, I didn’t expect the head of Silvio to support me.
And the reason being that I’m still the legitimate heir.
‘He’d be the perfect type to go bankrupt from stocks.’
Even while watching a plummeting graph, he’d never bend his stubbornness. Of course, thanks to that obstinacy, I could breathe easier.
Later, when the guests were leaving one by one, Silvio’s son lowered his voice and spoke to me secretly.
“I’m terribly embarrassed to say this, but I have nowhere else to turn, so I’m telling you.”
As expected, supporting me for being legitimate was just an excuse, and he had something else he wanted in recommending me.
I nodded without letting my guard down.
“Please speak.”
“My father is, ahem, sulking. Quite seriously too.”
“Pardon?”
“The head of the family is very hurt that you visited Marquess Rachel and Count Dukoff separately but didn’t come to see him. So when I told him to visit you himself if he was so disappointed, he got angry saying he wouldn’t show his face first, but now what face could he have to visit you…”
“…”
“I know it’s a rude request, but if you don’t hold any grudge against father, could you come visit him?”
“…I’ll visit him soon.”
“Thank you so much!”
He boarded the carriage with a bright face as if a ten-year burden had been lifted.
Silvio’s son, like Rachelle’s son, seemed to suffer a lot because of his father.
Only after seeing off the last guest did I finally feel that everything was over.
Feeling slightly tired, I spoke to the butler as usual.
“Send someone to the annex to prepare tea and refreshments. Six participants in total. One is a child, so prepare something appropriately sweet for drinks.”
“Yes. But aren’t you thinking of moving your residence?”
At the butler’s words, I looked up at the high, ornate ceiling of the main building.
Though Belinda had spent her childhood in this grand mansion, unfortunately the annex felt more like home to me than the main building.
“I’ll conduct business and receive guests here, but I’ll continue living in the annex as I do now. So supplement the staff at the annex.”
“Yes.”
Though I’m busy enough that even two bodies wouldn’t be sufficient, I couldn’t skip the daily teatime I enjoyed with the annex family.
* * *
In the Royal Capital in March, the phrase “Spring Queen’s jealousy” is popular.
It referred to the particularly large temperature differences and fickle weather of early spring, and unfortunately today, the Spring Queen’s envy was severe.
The employees had carefully prepared tea and refreshments in the garden in front of the annex, but by afternoon the weather had turned chilly, making me wonder if we should go inside.
“It looks like the master will need protective magic today.”
At the words of Chaser, the last participant in teatime, everyone looked tense, but their expressions immediately soured at his next words.
“The Spring Queen will surely be jealous of the master. Because you’re too beautiful.”
“Ugh, that guy really can’t help himself.”
Terry grumbled first, but soon had to keep her mouth shut.
“Little sprout, can I borrow Tori for a moment?”
When Chaser cast magic using Leo’s magic stone as a medium, a warm spring breeze soon enveloped the group.
Thanks to this, we could enjoy teatime feeling warm.
“Master, so all that’s left now is the succession ceremony?”
The succession ceremony where I’d receive the king’s recognition as head of the family would be held during the royal spring ball.
When I nodded, already feeling tired about the event just a week away, Terry showed her quite capable aide side while worrying about the outfit for that day.
Terry, who had become the annex’s butler and now also served as my aide, was going to be extremely busy following me around.
“I’m thinking of selling new magical tools at the workshop… Oh, of course I’ll continue improving the ‘Spring of All Things’ too.”
Vivian spoke with a slightly more confident voice than before.
The Magic Tower still didn’t recognize the ‘Spring of All Things’, but Vivian didn’t mind much.
Moreover, while she had previously said she’d name the healing potion after me, very fortunately she had given it the familiar name ‘Spring of All Things’.
After the ‘Spring of All Things’ saved Terry, Vivian seemed to have gained confidence in herself.
“Master, the compensation was set too high, can I repay the balance with my body?”
The compensation Chaser mentioned was for helping me at the winter travel destination and the magic he had cast throughout the annex in preparation for Schubel’s possible intrusion.
Chaser had wanted magic stones as payment, and I had gladly purchased a large quantity of magic stones for him, but it seemed a bit excessive.
Instead of being flustered by Chaser’s eloquence that made even ordinary words sound like flirtation, I nodded familiarly.
“I’ll allow it. For the time being, I’ll handle Jui-bam-tol’s education fees with the balance.”
A tiny crack appeared in Chaser’s smile that had been swaying like a spring breeze.
Finally, I looked back and forth between Leo and Penandel.
As befitting mentor and disciple, the two sat side by side and had been quietly munching on cake from earlier.
I pushed the moderately cooled warm cocoa toward Leo and asked.
“Jui-bam-tol, did something happen today?”
“Huh? Oh, no… Nothing happened…”
“You look like you have worries for that to be true.”
“Well, that’s… while cleaning my room, I saw something I shouldn’t have seen…”
Something he shouldn’t have seen?
‘Don’t tell me it was a, a cockroach?’
But Leo didn’t give an answer and took a sip of the cocoa in front of him, then whispered with a face still clouded with worry like a storm cloud.
“It’s really nothing…”
It was obviously a lie to anyone watching, but I couldn’t grab a child who clearly didn’t want to open up and interrogate him about what happened.
Having no choice, I just wiped the milk foam from the child’s philtrum and turned to Penandel.
“What about you?”
“Pardon?”
“What worries do you have that make your expression so gloomy?”
Though he was wearing his usual mask, having spent considerable time together, I could sense that his mood was different from usual.
“…I cannot tell you right now.”
“Why?”
The shadowed eyes visible through the mask’s eye holes swept once over the people participating in the tea time.
“I don’t think this is a good time to speak of it. Could you spare me some time after the succession ceremony is finished?”
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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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