Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 221

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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 221

* * *

“Everyone, straighten your uniforms!”

“Hey, hey! Look here! Why are you putting that there!”

“Think of it as Crown Prince visiting and sweep and clean every corner!”

Blanche Manor was in complete chaos to welcome their master who had suddenly disappeared and then announced their return.

All the employees stayed up all night cleaning every corner of the manor, and paid attention to their appearance so that not even a wrinkle in their clothes would show, lest they be found at fault.

Even while preparing so fiercely to welcome their master, the employees couldn’t shake their lingering doubts.

Had they really found Belinda Blanche?

Last night, their young master who received a messenger bird hurriedly left, taking only his aide.

This had happened several times over the past two years or so. However, their young master always returned alone, stepping on the morning dew.

Though he tried not to show his disappointment outwardly, the butler remembered that on such days he would shut himself in his room and not show his face to anyone.

Naturally, the employees’ discipline became lax and hyena-like branch family members began crossing the threshold of Blanche Manor as if it were their own home.

The butler, maid supervisor, aide, and even the heads of the vassal families that formed the backbone of the house put their heads together, and not only the Magic Tower but even the royal family stepped forward to protect the Blanche family, but they couldn’t stop the rot from within.

It was a natural result, if you could call it natural, since all of Belinda Blanche’s rights had been delegated to a thirteen-year-old child who wasn’t prepared for anything.

‘But when was it that our young master began to change?’

The butler’s eyes, who had been commanding the employees lined up in front of the manor’s massive main gate, turned toward the carriage running from afar.

He remembered it was on a bitter winter day before Belinda’s birthday.

Leo, who had been preparing a gift for a master who wasn’t there, suddenly came to find the butler in the middle of the night.

“Until Belinda returns, I want to protect what belongs to Belinda. Butler, what can I do?”

The child’s eyes were red and swollen as if he had had a nightmare, but there was no wavering to be found in the gaze that looked up at the butler.

The butler felt like he was welcoming a new master as he carefully taught Leo about the tasks that needed immediate attention until dawn.

Despite his young age, his small master had excellent comprehension – if you taught him one thing, he would understand two and solve three problems.

By the time the head of house’s desk, which had been too large for a child to use, began to suit the small master quite well.

On fourteen-year-old Leo’s face was a firm smile created by waiting and determination, hardened like a fossil.

That smile, so unlike a child’s, repeatedly broke the butler’s heart.

‘If this time is also fruitless, he’ll be terribly disappointed.’

While the butler worried about Leo, the carriage stopped in front of the main building.

The carriage door didn’t open readily, but the butler was relieved nonetheless.

“So I hugged Byeol-sa-tang tight and swung my stick! That was the goal that made me the best player of that year.”

Their young master’s lively voice could be heard from outside the carriage.

Then, as the carriage door opened, the standing employees bowed their waists.

“We have been waiting for your return, Master.”

At last, their master had returned.

In their bowed field of vision, they could see an elegantly fluttering hem of a skirt, and soon a beautiful but sharp voice answered.

“Everyone may raise their heads.”

The butler who raised his head momentarily held his breath.

It was partly because Belinda was still so beautiful it made one sigh involuntarily, but also because she looked unchanged, as if she had just gone out yesterday and returned.

Belinda’s eyes, which had been surveying the employees and the manor, fixed on the butler.

“Butler, you…”

Tears welled up in the butler’s eyes as he saw Belinda and Leo standing together…

“You’ve aged.”

“Ahem…”

They evaporated instantly.

There was no way he could have visibly aged in one year and eight months.

Belinda, who had surveyed all the standing employees, spoke again matter-of-factly.

“Everyone has aged.”

“…”

“Only I haven’t aged.”

That voice sounded somewhat bitter, and just as the butler was about to subtly check Belinda’s complexion.

“Belinda, hurry.”

Leo, with a face as bright as a sprout that had been thoroughly soaked by long-awaited rain, pulled Belinda toward the annex.

“Everyone is waiting.”

Despite all the day and night cleaning being rendered meaningless as Belinda didn’t even set foot in the main building, the butler’s face showed a smile as he bowed once more toward the two masters.

* * *

As soon as I entered the annex, the first to greet me were the Cerberus dogs.

I was happy to see the Cerberus dogs too, but they were barking loud enough to bring down the manor and spinning around me in circles, making my head dizzy.

“Ker, Bero…”

Just as I was reaching out to stop them since they were completely uncontrollable.

“Stop!”

When Leo spread his palm and spoke firmly, amazingly the Cerberus dogs froze and lined up in a row in front of Leo and me.

The Leo who couldn’t bring himself to say a harsh word and would forgive them even when Ker burned his homework was nowhere to be found.

I patted the heads of the Cerberus dogs who were looking at me with sparkling eyes with a bewildered expression, then…

“…”

I discovered Leo sneakily standing next to Bero waiting his turn, so I ruffled his hair messily and finally gave him a tight hug.

We had hugged so much since the carriage that there was practically an imprint of Leo’s forehead on my shoulder, but no amount of hugging felt like enough.

Perhaps noticing my return because the Cerberus dogs were barking so much, Suga, Vivian, and Jerry, Terry’s younger brother, came running out.

【Bel! How many days did you run away leaving Suga behind! Suga… Suga can’t live without Bel…】

During my absence, Suga would have been treated like a shadow by people, unable to receive magic power.

Feeling sorry for that, I quickly supplied magic power, and at that moment.

“Gold coins don’t taste good! Pay me the overdue 1,265 gold! Give me food!”

Suga’s affectionate cry echoed through the hall.

Terry, who had been following behind me like a shadow, subtly gave me a hint.

“Don’t be fooled, Master. For the past 1 year, 8 months, and 13 days, not only three meals a day but also snacks were provided, 5 gold per day placed in the fairy’s miniature house, and they disappeared every time.”

Relieved by Suga’s unchanged appetite, I now turned my gaze to Vivian, whose eyes were puffy from crying.

“Vivian.”

“Be, Belinda!”

Having cried for who knows how long, Vivian was soaking her sleeves with tears to the point where, with a little exaggeration, water would pour out if you squeezed her.

“I, Belinda, *sniff*, forever, *sob*.”

Unable to finish a single sentence properly, Vivian began wailing again.

Just when I was worried she might collapse at this rate, Jerry, whose presence here I had inwardly questioned, stepped forward.

“Vivian, calm down while eating some meatballs. Okay? At this rate, all the moisture in your body will drain out.”

“Jerry! Belinda, came back! *wail*!”

“Yes, yes. Now, say ‘ah.’ You have to chew thoroughly.”

Jerry, who skillfully fed Vivian a meatball to stop her crying, let out a sigh of relief.

When I looked at Terry with a face demanding explanation, I discovered Terry’s expression looking at his younger brother as if he were looking at a cockroach, and nodded my head.

‘Something must have happened between Vivian and Jerry while I was away.’

After the grand welcome ceremony concluded, I gathered the calmed family members in the drawing room with the fireplace burning to share the stories that had accumulated.

However, Cheri didn’t come to Blanche Manor with me, because the Baluashten family head had also suddenly gone missing, so there were many things to handle.

‘Since Penandel is in the Royal Capital, Cheri must be having a hard time right now too.’

Sending small comfort his way, I brought up the name of someone not present.

“Where’s Chaser?”

“He went on a business trip to the west for some matter. He said he’d return by tomorrow at the earliest, but I think it would be better to hear the details directly from him. It’s related to ‘that’ organization.”

That organization. It must be referring to ‘Those Who Lift the World’s Veil.’

I nodded nonchalantly, conscious of Vivian and Leo.

“Really? That’s too bad. I was curious about what kind of expression Chaser would greet me with.”

Probably the same attitude as usual, just like Terry, wouldn’t it be?

I could too easily imagine Chaser playfully saying he thought his neck would fall off from waiting while giving his usual gentle eye-smile.

‘I should also meet His Highness the Crown Prince.’

I needed to hear the results of the 5 Nation Conference and check on Ophelia and Giuseppe’s movements.

From what I overheard in the carriage returning to Blanche Manor, it seemed everyone was unaware of Giuseppe’s betrayal.

Moreover, since Giuseppe had left for the Barrier Forest two months ago to face winter, there was no need to move immediately to confront him.

So for now.

“Everyone, thank you for waiting.”

I greeted my family who had trusted and waited for me.

Vivian was about to burst into tears again, but Terry timely threw a piece of bacon into her mouth.

The night was far too short to catch up on one year and eight months that felt like two years.

* * *

Late dawn.

Having barely finished our conversation and returned to my room, I stood by the window while yawning.

As I was about to draw the curtains to sleep through the morning, I saw something whitish fluttering in my sight.

“A butterfly?”

There couldn’t be butterflies in the middle of winter.

I looked around and spoke the name of someone who could summon butterflies even in winter.

“Chaser, are you here?”

Just then, the window opened and fierce winter wind rushed in.

When I squeezed my eyes shut due to my hair whipping around and opened them again, Chaser was standing before the window like an apparition.

“Protagonist?”

“….”

“Is it really you, Protagonist?”

However, I couldn’t bring myself to answer Chaser’s words.

Because in his golden eyes looking at me, doubt, longing, and disappointment were shining darkly like ancient stars.

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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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