Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 207

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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 207

“Two years ago, when I first met you. I was in quite a mess back then. If I hadn’t met you at that time, I probably would have looked quite different from who I am now.”

As Ophelia’s words continued, my drowsiness gradually faded away.

I only turned my head to observe Ophelia’s profile.

The short hair that didn’t even reach her shoulders when we first met had grown long and now swayed gently near her chest.

She was leaning against the World Tree with a peaceful expression, quietly closing her eyes, but somehow I couldn’t feel at ease.

Because her words sounded exactly like a farewell.

Perhaps sensing my gaze, Ophelia opened her eyes and looked back at me.

Sunlight filtering through the leaves gathered like tears at the corners of her eyes, but Ophelia didn’t blink even once.

“Even if we hadn’t become friends, you would have been a special person to me. There’s no one else in this world who could understand me as much as you do.”

Saying this, Ophelia smiled lightly. As if trying to hide the weight of the words she had just spoken.

“I just wanted to say thank you before going to the Barrier Forest this winter. You know, both you and I have been so frantically busy lately that we haven’t even had time to properly drink tea together.”

I grabbed the wrist of her hand as she tried to get up and leave.

“Ophelia, is something wrong?”

I felt like I shouldn’t let her go like this.

There are people in this world who desperately need help but find it difficult even to ask for it. Just like Vivian used to be.

“I’m someone with fairly wide connections, power, and wealth that’s second to none. So if you need my help, tell me anything.”

Among all the people I’d met in this world, Ophelia was the only one I could call a friend.

The only person who called me Belinda casually without being bound by social status or upbringing.

Even if we had met in my previous life, we probably would have become good friends.

So I continued speaking while looking straight into her eyes, trying my best to convey my sincerity.

“I also think I’m fortunate to have met you.”

At my words, Ophelia bit her lips tightly and contorted her face before dropping her head.

Her trembling was transmitted through the hand I was holding.

“…was.”

“What?”

I thought I heard her mumbling something. Just as I was about to reach for her shoulder out of concern.

“Pfft.”

I heard a sound like air escaping from somewhere, followed by cheerful laughter.

Ophelia lifted her head and laughed for quite a while until tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

“My goodness, Belinda! What are you thinking so seriously about? I told you. I just wanted to say thank you to you once.”

“…”

“Pfft, to think that Marquess Blanche, who has wide connections, power, and wealth second to none, would worry about me this much. I don’t know where to put myself… Ahem, hmm. I’ll stop at one verse.”

As my expression gradually became more menacing, Ophelia hurriedly changed the subject and avoided my gaze.

“There’s really nothing wrong, right?”

“I told you there isn’t. Did my expression look that serious? The High Priest’s mood has been quite ominous lately, so maybe I unconsciously caught that heavy atmosphere.”

Only after receiving confirmation from Ophelia several times that there was nothing to worry about could I finally feel at ease.

Ophelia, who got up before me, extended her hand to me.

I took her hand and was getting up when I spotted something beyond Ophelia’s shoulder and paused.

“Ophelia.”

“Hm?”

“Isn’t that a sprout?”

“What? Where?”

Ophelia hurriedly turned her head to follow my gaze.

On the branches of the World Tree that drooped down like a willow, silver buds had sprouted.

Soon after, as if it had been waiting for me to discover it, a system window appeared before my eyes.

The entrance to ‘The First King’s Report’ has begun to bloom.

(!Warning!) Entry through an abnormal route has been confirmed. The Star of the Hero’s emblem is required to enter ‘The First King’s Report’.

The system window clearly informed me.

That I had finally found the entrance to ‘The First King’s Report’ that could only be accessed by drawing the holy sword.

* * *

After that, I didn’t even need Ophelia’s help.

As if following a predetermined sequence, fruit-like buds formed in clusters on the World Tree’s branches that hung down like curtains, then sprouted, and silver leaves began to grow on each branch.

Like that for a month.

“This is spectacular. To think I’d see the World Tree with leaves in my generation.”

The sight of the World Tree sparkling silver under the sunlight was incredibly beautiful.

According to Mikhail, while buds sprouting on the World Tree happened occasionally, leaves actually growing was extremely rare.

“I don’t see anywhere that looks like there could be an entrance.”

Rather than admiring the World Tree’s beauty, Cheri examined every corner of the World Tree like a botanist and reported his findings to me.

As he said, even from my perspective, I couldn’t see anywhere that looked like it could have the rumored ‘World Tree passage’.

“Though the First King’s magic has been detected, that’s probably because his magic was imbued in the World Tree when the sapling was planted. So it’s not impossible that it’s just a false rumor.”

Mikhail spoke coolly, but since the system window had appeared, it was certain that the World Tree was the entrance leading to ‘The First King’s Report’. The conditions just weren’t met yet.

As the system window had informed me, entering the King’s sanctuary would require the Star of the Hero’s emblem.

‘I don’t like it, but there’s no choice.’

I asked Leo, who was continuously admiring the World Tree.

“Leo, could you examine the World Tree together with Cheri?”

“Yes!”

Leo ran over excitedly and found the entrance to the sanctuary not long after.

“Knight! Over here! There’s a door here!”

He had simply pushed aside the World Tree’s branches that hung down to touch the ground, like lifting a curtain.

Then, instead of seeing the garden scenery beyond, a solid wooden door appeared.

“Your Highness, how long will the World Tree maintain this state?”

“According to the literature, it can sustain the blooming state for a week.”

“That’s enough. I’ll return with my hands full of treasure, so I’ll leave guarding the surroundings to Your Highness.”

“Of course, how could there be any question about it.”

While I was conversing with Mikhail, Cheri, who had been examining the door leading to the ‘King’s sanctuary’, nodded toward me.

Eventually, Cheri and I each took one of Leo’s hands—who was essentially the key to the sanctuary—and stood before the wooden door.

The moment I placed my hand on the door handle, I suddenly remembered a message I had forgotten and hurriedly called out to Mikhail.

“Ophelia will probably request permission to visit the Royal Palace today.”

“The Saintess?”

“She says she wants to see the World Tree with leaves, and we can’t ignore the request of the person who made the World Tree sprout. However, I didn’t tell her the reason for making it sprout, so I trust Your Highness will handle the explanation well.”

“Well now, I’m always the one cleaning up afterward.”

Leaving behind Mikhail’s complaint mixed with laughter, I vigorously opened the door to the sanctuary.

Entering ‘The First King’s Report’.

As soon as the system window appeared, everything before my eyes turned pure white.

* * *

After Belinda’s party disappeared between the World Tree’s branches.

Just as Belinda had said, Ophelia set foot in the Royal Garden.

She gazed at the garden where only Mikhail was present for a long while before asking the Crown Prince.

“Has Marquess Belinda already left?”

“Yes, there was an urgent matter with her family.”

“How unfortunate. I wanted to see the World Tree together with the Marquess. Oh, may I take a closer look at the World Tree?”

When Mikhail readily gave permission, Ophelia approached the World Tree.

As she tilted her head, she could see the World Tree’s leaves, beautifully bloomed like silver craftswork, sparkling dazzlingly.

It was a scene that would make anyone gasp in admiration, but not even the slightest emotion dwelled in Ophelia’s eyes.

“…To think a place like this would be the entrance to the sanctuary.”

Ophelia, who had muttered quietly, brought her hand to the World Tree.

The World Tree, grown with the Nurturer’s ability, swayed its branches gently as if welcoming her.

To coax this stubborn World Tree and make it sprout, Ophelia had poured quite a lot of care into it.

She had even given the tree a pet name, so her feelings toward the World Tree were tender, but.

“You really are a useless child.”

There was no hesitation in Ophelia as she whispered harsh words toward the World Tree.

“I regret helping you grow.”

As the malicious words continued, the World Tree’s gently swaying branches gradually stopped moving and fell silent.

Confirming this, Ophelia finally stepped back.

The Nurturer’s ability to make anything grow specially when tended with affection.

Conversely, Ophelia realized too late that if one cared for something with malice and hatred instead of affection, it could grow more worthless and ugly than anything else.

Soon, as Ophelia was about to whisper her final malice, Belinda’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

“So if you need my help with anything, just say so.

Ophelia knew well that there was no lie in those words. If she could, Ophelia would have asked for her help too.

But….

“It’s already too late to turn back.”

That day, the words Belinda couldn’t hear slipped between Ophelia’s lips.

She had already come too far. So far that the starting point of where things went wrong had become blurred.

“I wish you would just die instead.”

At the words she spat out, the World Tree’s most tender leaves began to slowly wither from their tips.

Confirming this sight, Ophelia smiled toward Mikhail, who was waiting for her, and said.

“The World Tree is truly beautiful. I’m proud that I helped this child grow.”

Ophelia’s face as she spoke was innocent, without a trace of falsehood.

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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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