Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 250

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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 250

At my words, Ophelia raised her head.

Our eyes met through the iron bars.

A perfect expressionless face with no emotion showing through.

With eyes that merely reflected my face like a mirror, Ophelia gazed at me and asked.

“My sentence has been decided?”

“…Yes. In a month, an unofficial five-nation conference will be held in the Kingdom of Jenos, and there they’ll reveal all your crimes in detail. And…”

Ophelia finished the words I couldn’t bring myself to say.

“Death penalty, I suppose. It’s not my first time, so I’m not surprised. I just hope it’s not burning at the stake. That’s the most painful.”

Ophelia looked bored.

When I hesitated at her attitude of casually mentioning even her own death, Ophelia smiled bitterly as if she had no choice.

“Don’t make that face, Belinda. You don’t really think I’d be afraid of something like that, do you?”

I know. What Ophelia finds most horrifying is…

“Having this life continue would be the most terrible punishment. You’ll understand too once you repeat this about five times.”

It wasn’t a curse filled with malice. Rather, what I could read in her words was something like a trace of worry for me.

“Poor Belinda. You’ve become the official caretaker of the ‘Hero’s Star,’ haven’t you? Now you’ll repeat the same fate as me. You’ll repeat time that no one acknowledges until you finally want to die.”

From the moment I became Leo’s ‘official caretaker,’ the First King’s black magic became bound to me.

In other words, raising Leo as a hero, completing the Main Quest, and returning to the starting point every time I failed – all of it became my responsibility.

That was exactly why Ophelia felt guilt toward me, and why she gave up on returning to the original world in this cycle and chose to die here as Ophelia.

Because she thought that was the only atonement she could offer me.

I recalled her guilt that I had felt as my own thanks to Ophelia’s memory fragments and countered.

“Ophelia, there’s one thing you’re misunderstanding. I’m very happy to have been able to come to this world.”

At my words, Ophelia’s brow furrowed. As if she’d heard the most unbelievable thing in the world.

I continued speaking slowly, paying no mind to her reaction.

“Because unlike you, I came to this world after dying in the other world. So now this place is my hometown.”

“…”

“It wasn’t intentional, but you feel guilty about bringing me to this place. But you don’t need to. Even if the opportunity came, I wouldn’t return to the other world.”

“You don’t want to go back? Then…”

Ophelia opened her mouth with a dazed expression, then hurriedly covered it. As if the moment she spoke those words, there would be no turning back.

Nevertheless, I nodded as if I had heard what she was about to say.

“That’s right. I’m going to complete the Main Quest and receive the reward. I absolutely won’t let your thirty-seven lives pass meaninglessly. I promise.”

Even though I only said that much, Ophelia caught on to what my words meant. For the first time, fear appeared on her face.

“When I encountered 【Hirome】 in the other world, a new ending was updated every month. Each time you met an ending in this world, it must have been updated into the game.”

“Stop…”

“That means while you spent 8 years here, only a month passed over there. So-“

“Don’t say any more!”

“In the other world’s time, only 3 years have passed since you came here.”

“Shut up! What do you plan to do by planting pointless hope in me? What now, after all this time…”

Ophelia clung to the prison bars. Her face was contorted with pain more than I’d ever seen.

I spoke to her calmly.

“You have the right to return. You raised the Hero’s Star thirty-seven times, and throughout all thirty-seven lives, you tried to save this world.”

The Leo from the past that I saw in Ophelia’s memory fragments couldn’t save the world, but he was an ordinarily happy child.

In some lives, the protagonist regarded Ophelia like a friend, and sometimes he followed her like a parent.

Sometimes he treated Ophelia as a fragile person who needed protection, but in all those lives, at least the protagonist wasn’t lonely.

…Except for the thirty-seventh life when he became the Demon King.

“Others might not know, but I do. As you said, I am…”

After catching my breath for a moment, I spoke the last words like a confession.

“I am your only understanding person.”

In the end, at those words, Ophelia collapsed.

“Don’t speak of hope to me, please. Don’t be so cruel.”

Her sobbing continued for a long time as she curled up on the cold stone floor.

I left the prison with her crying behind me.

A month later, Ophelia’s death sentence was decided at the five-nation conference.

Since it was an incident that threatened continental peace, to avoid causing unnecessary chaos, not only her execution but even information about her was not disclosed to the public.

Only those who knew the inside story of the war could attend Ophelia’s execution.

I also attended, pulling my hood down deep to see her off for the last time.

In the distance, I could see Ophelia climbing onto the platform where the guillotine stood.

“Do you have any last words?”

The priest standing beside her to hear her confession asked. Then Ophelia looked down at the people below the platform.

Was it my imagination? Her gaze seemed to linger on me.

The distance was too far to properly see her expression, but her quiet voice reached everyone’s ears clearly.

“When you think… you have reached the end, lift your head and look at the sky. There lies hope.”

A part of the First King’s heroic epic.

Those verses, which Ophelia who hated the First King would never speak, became her final words.

Swoosh.

Soon the blue blade severed Ophelia’s life.

Even after the execution ended, I stood guard in that spot for a very long time.

I remained motionless until the execution site was cleared, then quietly murmured.

“Quest window.”

[Main Quest] The Hero’s Mission

A disaster for humanity has been born. Exterminate all the demonic beasts beyond the forest and close the gate.

It’s okay to fail. As long as there is hope, there are countless opportunities.

Reward: The one wish you desperately desire

Most of the northern demonic beasts died in this war, but we couldn’t find the massive gate that supposedly exists somewhere.

Without finding and destroying it, completely exterminating the demonic beasts would be impossible.

But thanks to Ophelia’s past lives, I possessed an enormous amount of information.

Ophelia’s thirty-seven failures.

I had no intention of repeating them.

* * *

After Ophelia’s execution.

Though somewhat rushed, Mikhail’s coronation proceeded.

The kingdom’s citizens and nobles, as well as foreign leaders who had attended the five-nation conference and stayed for several days, celebrated Mikhail’s succession to the throne.

The entire country rejoiced and cheered for the new king’s ascension as if it were their own affair, but there were exactly three people who were furious about Mikhail’s coronation.

The Queen, her offspring, and the former king.

Led by the Queen, public opinion arose claiming that Mikhail was a traitor and his coronation was unjust, but voices without power couldn’t even stir up rumors.

After confirming that Mikhail safely ascended to the throne, Belinda hurried to prepare for Leo’s return to the Academy.

Though the summer semester classes had already passed, fortunately he was able to attend the winter semester classes.

“I’ll be able to see my winter semester friends’ faces after so long!”

Watching Leo eagerly await his return to school, Belinda finally immersed herself in the peacefulness of everything returning to how it was before the war.

…Though she would soon realize it was her misconception.

“Where did the war supply payments you received from the northern lords go? …What? A fairy ate them all? …Then tell it to cough them up. Even if it has to poop gold, make it cough up everything!”

“Marquess, you’ll need to work hard to cover this quarter’s losses. Ahem, coming to the casino about seven times a week should be sufficient. Oh, you said you planned to support the northern demonic beast subjugation business. Then you’ll need to come ten times a week.”

“It’s fine. Let’s write a new casino legend like Lady Adelia did!”

The karma of squandering all the gold coins in the north to receive Suga’s blessing was beginning to return.

And so Belinda’s work hell began.

No matter how much she scribbled signatures, the mountain of documents piled on her desk didn’t decrease even a little.

How long had she lived the life of a stamp-pressing machine like this?

Terry, who had decided not to disturb Belinda unless it was urgent business, entered her study and spoke carefully.

“Master, His Grace the Duke has come from the north. He’s waiting in the drawing room, wishing to see you.”

“I’m sorry, but please tell him to wait in the drawing room for a moment.”

Belinda answered without even turning her head toward Terry. Then, instead of an acknowledgment, silence returned.

Belinda poked her face out from between the tall stacks of documents. Terry’s expression was somehow strange.

“Is it urgent? Does it look serious?”

Could something have happened related to the north?

It was when Belinda, suddenly worried, half-lifted her bottom from the chair.

“No, it’s not that kind of matter. His Grace can certainly wait.”

Terry calmed Belinda down and shrugged his shoulders.

“Rather, it seemed like an appropriate wait was needed.”

“…If that’s the case.”

I need to finish this work first. Otherwise, tomorrow’s me will be dying.

Belinda sat back down in her chair, gripped her pen, and began scribbling signatures again.

She was concentrating frantically, not knowing how time was passing.

Knock knock knock.

She heard light knocking followed by the sound of the door opening.

When Belinda belatedly came to her senses and looked up, the surroundings were reddish. It had already become evening with the sunset.

“My goodness, Lord Cheri. I was so out of it…”

She hurriedly stood up and looked ahead, where Chaser was waving his hand gently at her with a smile.

“It’s okay, Master.”

Chaser approached Belinda with graceful steps and snapped his fingers.

Then the documents scattered messily on the desk floated up into the air and began to be sorted by type, stacking neatly to one side.

Chaser sat on the now-cleared desk and smiled playfully at Belinda.

“You look too busy, Master.”

“…What’s the matter.”

Belinda crossed her arms and stared at Chaser with a cold attitude.

After the war ended, she and Chaser had been maintaining a kind of cold war. This was because Belinda still couldn’t forgive Chaser for carelessly treating his own life and trying to sacrifice himself.

“If you treat me so coldly, I’ll be too sad.”

“Then swear. That you won’t do such things again.”

“But I did it because I like you and Leo too much, Master.”

“Answer.”

“Master.”

“Ah, I see. So you won’t say you won’t do it until the end? I understand your intention well, so please leave now.”

When Belinda waved her hands dismissively, Chaser sighed as if defeated. Then he raised both hands to face level as if surrendering.

“Alright. I’ll swear.”

“Good, then…”

“But close your eyes.”

“Do you think you’re in a position to make conditions?”

Belinda’s expression twisted fiercely, but Chaser boldly brought his hands to cover her eyes.

“I’m embarrassed, so I’ll swear like this.”

“…Fine. I’ll let it slide this much.”

Chaser hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Master.”

“Yes.”

“I really, really like you a lot.”

More than my own life, much more.

Chaser, who conveyed his feelings like a light joke, kissed the back of his hand covering Belinda’s eyes.

As if kissing her eyelids, respectfully and tenderly.

Soon Chaser removed his hand, revealing Belinda with a dissatisfied expression.

“You can’t get away with just those words.”

His confession couldn’t make Belinda blush or show even brief confusion or embarrassment. Confirming this, Chaser smiled bitterly and jumped down from the desk.

“Since Master dislikes it, I won’t carelessly try to sacrifice myself from now on.”

“Try treating your life so carelessly again. Then…”

“Then?”

“Then know that I’ll never look at your face again.”

“Wow, that’s a really scary threat.”

Chaser answered annoyingly and left the study.

Leaning his back against the door, he let out a deep sigh and muttered.

“It’s never easy, Master.”

However, there was no gloom or frustration on his face.

* * *

After receiving an apology that wasn’t quite an apology from Chaser.

“Lord Cheri, you’ve waited long…”

As soon as I hurried to the drawing room and opened the door, my words trailed off due to a sense of déjà vu.

Lord Cheri was standing with his back to me, looking out the window. His shadow, stretched long by the sunset light, had horns and looked quite menacing.

Just like the day we first met.

Soon Lord Cheri turned around and approached me. Though his presence was threatening as he wore the fierce northern mask, I didn’t retreat even a little.

His walking manner was so perfectly angled it looked admirably elegant, but if you looked carefully, you could notice his left foot and left arm moving together.

‘What, why is he being awkward again.’

Eventually Lord Cheri, who had stopped in front of me, quietly called my name.

“Lady Blanche.”

Thanks to being out of the backlight, I could finally see his appearance clearly.

He was already to my taste in looks. But today, from his hair to his toes, and even every accessory, was styled to my taste, making my face heat up a little.

As I examined his somewhat familiar accessories, I realized they were all jewelry I had once bought for him when I didn’t know his identity.

“I’m late with introductions. I am Cesare Baluashten.”

“…?”

Suddenly, what’s with this random self-introduction?

Then, a sense of déjà vu flashed through my mind.

“I’m late with introductions. I am Allen Penandel.”

This is… that day.

The day Lord Cheri came to me hiding his identity and suddenly delivered a marriage proposal.

Now I seemed to understand what he was trying to do, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“As the Duke of Baluashten, I have come to see the Marquess’s Daughter.”

As expected, he said the same words as that day. Except not as Lord Penandel, but as Cesare.

I tried to recall my memory to match his rhythm. What did I say that day? So probably…

“So. What business brings His Grace from the northern countryside to this distant place?”

His lips beneath the mask curved into a faint line.

“I’ll speak directly. I want the Marquess’s Daughter Blanche. Therefore, I wish to propose a deal to the Marquess’s Daughter.”

Lord Cheri knelt on one knee and held out a velvet box containing a ring.

“For life, I want to stay by the Marquess’s Daughter’s side. So would you please date me?”

The heat that had flushed my cheeks descended to around my heart, making my insides noisy.

I pretended to examine the ring and asked as if troubled.

“Well. What kind of man is the Duke?”

He opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for this.

“Among countless people, the Marquess’s Daughter is always the first to catch my eye. You are always in one corner of my mind, and more than anything else in this world, I love the Marquess’s Daughter. And.”

He hesitated for a moment, then continued as if he had made up his mind.

“My face… is also quite suited to the Marquess’s Daughter’s taste.”

I let out a small laugh at those words and removed his mask.

A face that looked stern but was actually full of tension was revealed. Unlike that day when I had rejected his proposal, I grasped his hand with both of mine and answered.

“From the very first day we met, there has been no one but you by my side.”

A bright smile bloomed on Cheri’s face, which had been rigid with tension.

Led by my touch, he stood up and slipped the ring that was House of Baluashten’s heirloom onto my finger. As before, the ring fit my finger perfectly as if it were made for me.

Soon, a moment of silence fell between us.

Eventually, Cheri lightly pressed his lips to mine.

The brief kiss with him burned my lips hot like a brand.

‘Ah, I have so much work to handle.’

For a moment, the documents piled high on my desk came to mind, but…

I stood on my tiptoes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and this time we shared a deep kiss.

Clatter.

The mask that fell from my hand rolled across the floor. However, neither I nor Cheri thought to pick it up.

Let’s leave today’s work to tomorrow’s me.

Right now, I didn’t want to let go of this happiness.

Continues to the epilogue.

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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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