Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 134

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

Chapter 134

I couldn’t understand what it meant to have broken a pact, but it certainly wasn’t a favorable situation for Penandel.

The King immediately raised his right hand to face level.

Thud, thud.

Following his gesture, the guards protecting Laurel Hall struck the floor twice with their spears.

The threat didn’t end there.

Just as the King’s hand was about to fall completely like a guillotine blade.

“Your Majesty.”

A gentle voice softly touched the frozen atmosphere.

“The Duke of Baluashten has not broken the pact.”

The Crown Prince, who had stepped in front of Penandel with his usual soft steps, looked up at the King with a smiling face.

“Didn’t you entrust me with the engagement matter between the two families? But when things suddenly turned out this way, I summoned the Duke of Baluashten to the Royal Capital to question what had happened.”

‘Summoned.’

At those words, I could instinctively sense that the King’s mood had improved, even if just slightly.

The King’s voice that followed was as affectionate as the one in Belinda’s memories.

“Mikhail, how can you govern the country with such a soft heart?”

“I apologize for causing you worry.”

The Crown Prince picked up the crown that had fallen to the floor and placed it on my head as if hanging clothes on a rack.

“Your Majesty, how about we conclude the succession ceremony here and prepare for tonight’s spring ball?”

The Crown Prince naturally diverted the King’s attention and gestured to servants to escort out the nobles who had participated in the succession ceremony.

The nobles, suddenly finding themselves expelled, looked around in confusion and then stared at me as if demanding an explanation, but I was actually the one who understood this situation the least.

Still, if there was one thing certain…

“Your Grace, Marquess Blanche. His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered that you be escorted to the guest room.”

“Your… Grace?”

It was that Penandel had been deceiving me.

I looked up at Penandel standing beside me. Though he had removed his mask, for the first time I couldn’t read anything from his expression.

“Tell me with your own mouth. Is what they said true?”

Even to my own ears, my voice sounded dry and rough like parched sand.

“…It’s true. But I didn’t intend to deceive you from the beginning. I just…”

“You introduced yourself as Penandel to me. And now you say you didn’t intend to deceive me?”

“…I’m sorry.”

His expression, which had been solid as a stone statue even facing the King’s wrath, crumbled for the first time.

“You’re sorry…”

I could guess the weight contained in those words.

I had spent time getting to know him.

“He’s a coward… a pathetic man who’s afraid to tell the truth even when he knows he’s wrong.”

He was someone who suffered more than others when deceiving them.

“Could you spare me some time after the succession ceremony?”

And he had tried to tell me the truth.

“According to the contract terms, I’ll entrust my protection to you while staying in the Royal Capital. I don’t like other knights.”

Perhaps what made him continue to speak lies stemmed from my greed when drafting the contract.

“I think of myself as quite a rational person. So I think I understand why you couldn’t tell the truth all along.”

Yes, I could understand him well enough.

He was someone who would stand before the King without hesitation to protect me.

So I could overlook his lies.

I untied the white ribbon that held my hair in place.

Rustle.

My hair fell softly as the ribbon wound around my hand.

I carefully wiped the blood from the wound flowing down Penandel’s cheek with the clean inside of the ribbon and continued speaking.

“But it’s strange. I understand, but I can’t forgive you.”

I had clearly thought I would be able to understand and forgive him.

Something like aimless anger clawed wildly at my insides.

At my words, Penandel’s eyes shook unsteadily.

The white ribbon stained with his blood fluttered down to the floor.

I looked down at it and spoke in a dry voice.

“I need time to think. During that time, you… no, Your Grace need not protect me.”

* * *

Mikhail, who had been worried that Belinda would have to bear the King’s full wrath alone at the succession ceremony, had asked Cesar to attend the ceremony to help disperse the King’s anger.

He had thought that if the Blanche family, House of Baluashten, and Mikhail himself shared responsibility for the broken engagement, the royal fury each individual would have to bear would be reduced.

However, before Mikhail could even announce that he had summoned the Duke to the Royal Capital on his own authority, Cesar stepped forward to protect Belinda, causing the Duke to face the King’s wrath alone.

Thanks to Mikhail’s crude lie, Cesar was able to avoid major trouble, but ultimately the King issued an order forbidding all Northern Knights from setting foot in the Royal Capital for one year.

Cesar would have to leave the Royal Capital as well.

Even facing this sudden, or perhaps predetermined separation, Belinda couldn’t easily define her own feelings.

She still couldn’t forgive Cesar, but the reason wasn’t because she felt betrayed by him.

Late at night.

To organize her thoughts, Belinda stood on her room’s balcony looking down at the garden flowers bloomed by Leo’s magic.

With thick black clouds covering even the moon, the night was frighteningly dark and quiet.

It was so dark that even if Cesar had come out to his balcony like Belinda, they probably wouldn’t have been able to see each other’s faces.

Belinda, who had been looking toward Cesar’s quietly still room, briefly moved her lips.

She no longer even knew what to call her guard knight.

Then, without realizing it, she spoke that name.

“Cheri, are you there?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

Belinda was startled since she hadn’t expected an actual response.

“Why aren’t you sleeping… No, never mind.”

Belinda calmed her racing heart and then spoke about the visitor who had come to the manor during the day.

“A royal messenger came to the manor. You’ll be leaving the Royal Capital soon.”

Cesar didn’t respond, but Belinda continued regardless.

“I heard that the lords of the North have never left the Northern Territory for generations. When you leave the Royal Capital this time, you’ll do the same.”

In 【Hirome】, the Northern Duke had never appeared in the Royal Capital.

‘He probably left the Royal Capital after being rejected for the contract marriage by the real Belinda, before Ophelia arrived.’

So after this time, he would never set foot in the Royal Capital again.

Belinda was about to go back into her room, feeling no longer in the mood to continue the conversation with Cesar.

“May I… come over there?”

Had she unconsciously nodded at Cesar’s voice heard from the darkness?

She probably had.

Because the next moment, she could make out a faint silhouette standing two steps away from her.

If Belinda hadn’t given permission, he would never have crossed over the balcony railing.

“Lady Blanche.”

“I’m tired, so please keep it brief.”

Belinda answered indifferently, but couldn’t help but turn to look at Cesar at his next words.

“If you would permit it, I would like to return to the Marquess’s Daughter’s side next spring.”

“But… is that possible? You are… the leader of the North.”

Would it be possible for him, who protects the barrier, to leave the North?

Wouldn’t the Royal Court be wary of his visit?

All sorts of thoughts and worries evaporated at Cesar’s next words.

“If the Marquess’s Daughter permits it, I can return. No, I will definitely return.”

Ridiculously, Belinda felt she could finally forgive Cesar.

At the same time, she could understand the reason for the anger that had tormented her all this time.

Belinda was angry not because Cesar had deceived her, but because she had realized he was someone she couldn’t keep by her side.

The moment it was revealed that he was a Duke, he was no longer Belinda’s guard knight nor Leo’s swordsmanship instructor.

Despite the fact that his presence by her side had become so natural.

Just then, the dark clouds cleared and their figures were fully revealed under the moonlight.

Instead of answering Cesar’s words, Belinda quietly gazed at his bare face without a mask and asked.

“Cheri, why didn’t you honestly tell me about your status from the beginning?”

Cesar could answer immediately because he had pondered that question for a very long time himself.

“Because if I revealed my true status, I would no longer be able to stay by the Marquess’s Daughter’s side.”

“I want to ask one more thing.”

“Please ask.”

“Why is staying by my side important to you?”

At that moment, Cesar’s gaze, which had been calm throughout, wavered.

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