Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 139

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

Chapter 139

* * *

The first monthly meeting held after Belinda finished the succession ceremony and officially became the head of the family proceeded in an extremely serious atmosphere.

The heads of the three vassal families that followed Blanche confirmed Belinda’s appearance, which showed quite the dignified presence of a family head in just one month, and inwardly clicked their tongues in amazement.

As they reported the progress of their respective businesses and reviewed plans for new ventures, the heads of the three vassal families were giving quite high marks to their new master’s work capabilities.

Belinda, who had shown no signs of fatigue despite this being her first meeting, opened her mouth with a heavier tone than ever before.

“There’s one thing I’d like to ask everyone’s opinion on.”

The meeting atmosphere, which had become somewhat relaxed as it showed signs of ending, became tense again with that single statement.

The family heads exchanged glances with each other.

Just as they had evaluated Belinda, they instinctively sensed that Belinda would also be evaluating them.

“Please speak.”

Viscount Silvio stepped up, stroking his beard.

Belinda looked around the assembly and continued speaking.

“If your children were trying to hide something from their parents… what would you do?”

“…Pardon?”

“I mean, to explain metaphorically with an example, suppose your children got into a fight with a classmate at the academy.”

Despite adding the qualifier “suppose,” Belinda’s voice began to grow increasingly agitated as if she were actually facing such a situation.

“But they absolutely won’t say who they fought with or why. Since the child is tender-hearted and always thinks from the other person’s perspective, the other side must have started the trouble first. They might even be getting continuously bullied, as they often come home from school with their uniform disheveled…”

Scritch. Belinda’s fingernails viciously scraped the armrest of her chair.

“How far should I go in dealing with someone else’s child who’s bullying mine to be justified?”

Seeing Belinda’s eyes flash with murderous intent, Family Head Silvio let out a groan. Having a grown child himself, he carefully answered by presenting his educational philosophy.

“Understanding the situation should come first. You should ask the young master what happened.”

“What if they absolutely won’t talk? Even when I threatened them with a week-long cleaning ban, they wouldn’t budge an inch.”

“A cleaning ban?”

“Think of it as a punishment as terrible as being grounded.”

“…Then you should corner them with even harsher punishment and scold them if necessary to find out.”

“But what if the child’s pride gets hurt in the process? Maybe the child doesn’t want me to get involved.”

“Well… then couldn’t you just let the children resolve it among themselves?”

“But how can I leave it alone when my child might be getting ostracized!”

“Yes, that’s right. Of course it is.”

Baron Rachelle, who immediately backed down at Belinda’s words, had a gut feeling that this conversation would go on longer than any previous agenda item.

As his prediction proved correct and the meeting grew longer and longer.

Viscount Silvio looked at Count Dukov, who had remained silent throughout, and asked.

“Count Dukov, what are your thoughts?”

She was the most decisive and rational person present.

Confirming that everyone’s attention was focused on her, the Count calmly opened her mouth.

“I have two things to say.”

Tap, tap. The Count gathered her stack of documents and knocked on the table a few times, then continued speaking as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Marquess, it would be best if you refrained from personal magic stone purchases. Since you only collect the magic stones you buy without consuming or selling them, the Magic Tower has begun to suspect that you might be trying to raise magic stone prices through hoarding. There’s nothing good about getting on the Magic Tower’s bad side, so I recommend gradually releasing some quantity even now.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Lastly, please refrain from personal conversations during monthly meetings.”

“…Right. Tell the Magic Tower that they don’t need to worry about that since I’m selling magic stones in small quantities through people I know.”

“Yes.”

Then, Baron Rachelle, who had come up with a brilliant idea, pounded his chest confidently and said trustworthily.

“Don’t worry, Marquess! My son goes to and from school with the young master, doesn’t he? I’ll subtly question my son without him noticing to find out what happened.”

At those words, Belinda’s eyes finally lit up.

Why hadn’t she thought of that!

As Baron Rachelle said, Ian might know something about this matter.

Moreover, unlike before when they were distant, hadn’t the two been sticking together a lot lately?

Belinda looked at the Baron with more trust in her eyes than ever before and said.

“I’m counting on you, my Baron.”

“Yes, leave it to me!”

* * *

“…That’s what Father consulted me about, and it seems the Marquess is misunderstanding that you’re getting beaten up somewhere.”

“…”

At Ian’s explanation, Leo couldn’t say anything and ended up covering his face with both hands.

The reason Leo couldn’t speak honestly to Belinda wasn’t because he was isolated at the academy and being bullied by classmates, as Belinda thought.

‘I should have acted more nonchalant back then.’

In Belinda’s eyes, Leo appeared to be the softest and most fragile child in the world, but the reality was different.

‘Lady Belinda told me to make lots of friends.’

How could he tell her the truth?

That on his first day of school, he had unintentionally conquered the Vilhern Academy Swordsmanship Department.

The full account of the incident as witnessed by the sole witness, Ian Rachelle, was as follows.

* * *

The luckiest person in the world.

That was exactly what people called the ten-year-old orphan boy who had been adopted into the Blanche family.

“I heard that child is so pretty that Marquess Blanche is raising him like a pet.”

“Really? I heard he was a faithful servant who helped in every way when Schubel was executed this time.”

“My guess is that he might be an illegitimate child from a great family.”

Because Belinda had kept everything about the child tightly hidden, only various false rumors were rampant, and most of them weren’t very favorable toward Leo.

In the rumors filled with jealousy and malice, Leo was merely a commoner brat who had neither the qualifications nor the ability to handle such tremendous luck.

‘Maybe it would have been better if he were arrogant like the rumors said.’

Ian suppressed a sigh as he lazily followed behind Leo, who was busy exploring every corner of the academy campus like a curious puppy.

In his eyes, Leo was no different from a strange monkey that had suddenly appeared before a peaceful troop of monkeys. One dressed in silk clothes that others would covet, no less.

If only he were nasty enough to intimidate his classmates, but wandering around campus with such an innocent face, chattering away…

“Hey, you’re an orphan, right?”

Naturally, trouble was bound to arise.

What kind of stupid monkey would dare antagonize the Blanche family?

Ian, who examined the opponent thinking he’d like to see that face, couldn’t hide his sense of dismay.

The figure who had the scions of families with some influence in the Royal Capital following him like servants was the undisputed leader of the monkey troop, the third son of the House of Hereios that ruled the southern seas and owned vast grain fields, and the second-ranked entrance student in the Swordsmanship Department.

Ian remembered that this blue-haired monkey named Asillia Hereios liked power struggles and had a simple temperament.

From the moment his father asked him to go to and from school with Leo, Ian had vaguely anticipated that something like this would happen.

Ian looked at Leo with an anxious expression.

If he handled this inappropriately here…

‘I’m cutting ties immediately.’

Father’s request or not, what mattered most to Ian was his own safety.

Soon Leo, who had turned to face his opponent, opened his mouth.

“Yeah, that’s right. But not anymore.”

Because Leo answered so nonchalantly, Asillia seemed to be at a loss for words.

The ducal boy, who had hesitated for a moment while shaking his deep sea-blue hair, raised his voice with an even more spiteful tone than before.

“Hmph! Once an orphan, always an orphan—what do you mean that’s not true?!”

‘It’s over.’

Ian closed his eyes and bid farewell to his peaceful Academy life.

No matter how gentle Leo might be, there was no way he’d laugh off such blatant mockery.

However, contrary to Ian’s imagination, Leo still answered clearly with an innocently clear face.

“Being an orphan is something you say about a child. Since children eventually grow up to become adults, being an orphan forever is impossible.”

Huh?

Ian looked back at Leo with a surprised expression.

He looked so gentle that he seemed like he’d burst into tears at the slightest sarcasm, but unexpectedly, he had the backbone to not be intimidated by most harsh words.

“What, what are you saying, you bastard? Do you think I’ll be intimidated if you act so smart?”

Asillia immediately turned red and huffed angrily, then suddenly snatched the paper schedule Leo was holding.

“You’re taking the same classes as me! So let’s see clearly who’s superior in this opportunity…”

Asillia’s voice gradually diminished as she examined the schedule.

Leo’s schedule was strange.

“Why on earth are you taking magic classes?”

“I was curious about what Academy magic classes are like. If you’re interested in magic by any chance… w-would you like to take them together?”

At Leo’s innocent question, Asillia let out a shriek.

“Are you an idiot? Only kids with at least 1st-tier mana or higher can take magic classes!”

“Mm, I can only handle 1st-tier magic so far, but I thought the classes might help me learn 2nd-tier magic.”

Leo smiled as if embarrassed, and Asillia was stunned.

Magic, really. He’s the top student in the Swordsmanship Department and he can use magic too?

“This kind of… I lost to someone who’s not even serious about swords…”

Instead of the dazed Asillia, the boys who had been following behind him like lackeys began to speak up one by one.

“Asillia, don’t believe what he says! It’s definitely just bragging.”

“He probably bought the top student position with money, right?”

“How could such a scrawny guy be the top student!”

Taking advantage of their chatter among themselves, Ian quickly grabbed Leo’s shoulder and turned around.

“Don’t mind those kinds of words.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good job, it’s best to ignore those kinds of comments.”

That’s when it happened.

“Marquess Blanche must have something wrong with his head too. Otherwise, why would he take in such an orphan…”

The moment someone muttered that, a gust of wind blew from beside Ian.

Whoosh.

‘Whoosh…?’

By the time Ian blinked once, Leo had already disappeared.

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