Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 260

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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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Side Story 3

Belinda’s eyes widened as she turned to look at the door.

There were few who would dare enter the Duke and Duchess’s bedroom without permission, especially in the middle of the night.

Though she thought it impossible, Belinda found herself unconsciously speaking that name.

“Cesar?”

The door, which had been only slightly ajar as if trying not to make a sound, opened wide in response to her voice.

“…You’re still awake.”

Unbelievably, it really was Cesar.

Snowflakes and cold air that he hadn’t yet brushed off clung to his shoulders. As Belinda hurried to get up, Cesar stopped her and approached the bedside.

“You said you wouldn’t be able to return today.”

“Yes, I quietly slipped away from camp, so I need to return soon.”

…Quietly slipped away? Isn’t that desertion?

She had many questions, but Cesar was quicker.

“I came briefly because there’s something I wanted to show you.”

“Something you wanted to show me?”

To meet the gaze of Belinda sitting on the bed, he knelt on one knee. Then, like showing an injured bird, he awkwardly opened his cupped hands and held them out before Belinda.

“I found a Blue Ice Flower during our night camp.”

In his large hands, as big as his frame, a single flower bloomed, transplanted roots and all into a crude wooden cup.

Blue Ice Flower. Belinda had heard that name before too.

The young maids she kept by her side were extremely chatty and lively, never resting their mouths for their mistress who was unfamiliar with the North.

So they would list countless sources of pride unique to the North so their mistress could come to love it, and this Blue Ice Flower always appeared in those tales.

An ice flower said to be created by the breath of winter spirits, so precious that it was difficult to see once in a lifetime.

The flower that supposedly remained frozen as a bud all year long, then bloomed fully for just one day when signs of spring appeared, only to sublimate and disappear the next day, was half-bloomed and sparkling with enchanting light in the darkness.

Its layered petals were transparent as if made of ice crystals, allowing one to see clearly through them.

Faced with this beautiful flower that could steal one’s soul, Belinda somehow felt her throat tighten and barely managed to squeeze out her voice.

“You came to show me this? From the unexplored region? In the middle of the night?”

“Yes.”

At his simple answer, Belinda opened her mouth briefly, then closed it again.

He really had ridden all night from that distant place. Just to show her a single flower.

“You don’t particularly like flowers.”

Though she hadn’t intended it, her words came out as if scolding him.

But as always, he confessed his feelings sincerely without misunderstanding her words.

“But people say it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. I wanted to show it to you too, my lady.”

No matter how precious the flower, it wouldn’t move him at all.

Yet he had ridden through darkness and cold, driven solely by the desire to show it to Belinda after seeing people admire the flower’s beauty.

Belinda bit her lower lip hard and glared at the Blue Ice Flower. Otherwise, tears might trickle down in a way so unlike her.

Seeing that expression and perhaps misunderstanding, Cesar slightly pulled his hands back and asked.

“Do you perhaps not like it?”

Belinda quickly shook her head.

“No. I like it. It’s so pretty.”

However, Belinda’s gaze was no longer lingering on the flower as she said this.

Cesar’s blue eyes, more beautiful than the Blue Ice Flower, with ice crystals formed in them.

His handsome nose bridge falling at a dizzying angle.

Even his neat lips that had the talent of conveying sweet words without being cloying, sweet enough to make one’s tongue tingle, as much as he loved sweets.

“Yes, really pretty.”

Whispering this, Belinda got down from the bed, knelt on the floor, and embraced him tightly.

The Blue Ice Flower, suddenly caught between the two, bloomed to its limit from their body heat, then finally dropped its petals with a soft sound.

“Belinda, the flower will wither.”

“It’s okay. I don’t just like looking at pretty things, I like touching and hugging them.”

“I see. I’ll remember that.”

He remained consistent, never catching on to what she was really saying, making Belinda burst into soft laughter.

By the time Belinda finally unwrapped her arms from Cesar’s neck, the Blue Ice Flower had already withered completely and disappeared without a trace. But neither Belinda nor Cesar regretted that the flower had wilted early.

However, Cesar placed the wooden cup containing soil on the table and said.

“Then I should head back now.”

“What?”

He really seemed about to leave, so Belinda hurriedly grabbed his hand.

How long had he been here that he would leave so immediately? He must be terribly exhausted from riding all night.

“Just a little, just warm your hands before you go.”

Belinda hurriedly led him to the fireplace, then firmly interlaced her fingers with his cold hands. Cesar answered “Yes” as if reluctantly.

Before long, his hands regained their warmth. Then, wrapping him in layers of blankets, Belinda pleaded again.

“Until your body warms up.”

This time too, Cesar hesitated a bit before answering “Yes.”

“Just a little… more…”

At Belinda’s last words as she rested her head on his shoulder and dozed off while pleading, he finally seemed to give up and smiled, whispering “Sweet dreams.”

By the time Cesar was finally ready to leave again, the pale dawn had arrived.

This time, Belinda fought off the overwhelming sleepiness by pinching her thighs to see off her husband, holding his hand as they slowly walked to the castle’s outer wall. The employees busily followed behind them.

Cesar’s hands, which had been ice-cold, had somehow become similar to Belinda’s body temperature.

Taking one step, then two steps toward their reluctant farewell, Cesar suddenly stopped walking and looked up at the sky.

Far in the distance, a bird no bigger than a fingernail was circling above Winter Castle.

“His Majesty’s hawk.”

And as if understanding those words, the hawk began diving straight down.

The hawk, trained to deliver letters directly only to the Duke and Duchess, landed without hesitation on Cesar’s leather-reinforced forearm.

While Belinda skillfully untied the letter bound to the hawk’s ankle, Cesar embraced her in his arms and wrapped his cloak around her so she wouldn’t stand still in the cold wind.

With only her face and hands peeking out from her husband’s cloak, Belinda quickly scanned the letter’s contents together with Cesar.

After a moment, the couple exchanged meaningful looks before speaking.

“This is definitely…”

“We should go to the Royal Capital.”

The couple whispered one sentence each and decided on an unplanned trip to the Royal Capital.

Though sudden, it worked out well. They had been wanting to see Leo and were curious about how everyone was doing.

Having made up her mind, Belinda stepped out of Cesar’s embrace and threw the King’s letter to Ker, who had followed them out, carefully burning it.

Cesar looked down at his empty arms with longing, then tried to give a brief farewell by kissing her forehead as he had done in the bedroom.

“Ahem, hmm.”

However, his head was blocked by Belinda’s hands and couldn’t reach its intended destination.

After clearing her throat several times to signal, Belinda made a stern expression and gestured to the left with her eyebrows.

When he turned his head where her attention was directed, he saw the employees standing ten steps away from the Duke and Duchess, who had been smiling warmly but quickly averted their gazes, pretending they hadn’t seen anything.

With an expression that said “not a chance” with people around, Belinda threatened him and saw him off with dignity and grace.

“Then I’ll be waiting, so please return safely.”

Cesar gazed for a long while at Belinda’s prim face, which showed no opening whatsoever.

Just as questions began to appear on everyone’s faces watching, a fierce wind swept through the group.

While everyone was busy hunching over in the gale that made it impossible to open their eyes properly, only Cesar responded swiftly.

He grabbed and lifted one side of his cloak to protect Belinda from the strong wind and people’s gazes, then briefly kissed her forehead and whispered.

“Yes, my lady. I will return safely to your side.”

By the time the wind died down, what the employees confirmed was their master’s back as he had already mounted his horse.

Only after Cesar disappeared beyond the city gate did Belinda turn around, touching her forehead and muttering irritably.

“Really, where does he learn such mischievous things.”

Though her tone was harsh, all the employees present now knew that her reddened cheeks were definitely not due to the cold.

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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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