Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 262

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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 Episode 5

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The news that the Duke and his wife had visited the Royal Capital spread throughout the entire capital in an instant.

They decided to stay at the Blanche Estate rather than at Baluashten’s Townhouse within the capital.

Furthermore, to welcome the couple’s visit, Leo held a garden party in the garden he had personally cultivated, though its scale wasn’t large due to the limited number of invitees.

However, every single person who gathered was extraordinary.

An Alchemist who operated the most popular workshop in the Royal Capital.

Someone who appeared to be a cheerful employee working unpaid at a famous workshop, but whose true identity was the successor to Sewer Rat, the information organization that ruled the underworld.

The owner of the Adelia Trading Company, whose name was unknown to no one in the Royal Capital recently, and also Marquess Blanche’s Aide.

From the youngest Royal Vice-Knight Commander to an adventurer active as the most successful marksman in the Adventurer’s Guild.

The Duke and his wife shared recent news with people they hadn’t seen in a long time.

Then Belinda was just being introduced to Edmund, Leo’s companion from the northern subjugation and an adventurer.

After greeting Edmund, she looked around every corner of the garden as if searching for someone. There were exactly two faces that weren’t visible.

“Leo, where is the Saintess?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean the Saintess who participated in the northern subjugation with you. Since you introduced Edmund, I thought the Saintess had come too.”

“Well… Elsa, no, the Saintess is busy…”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm?”

“Hmmm?”

The people who gathered around the hesitating Leo had their eyes gleaming like cats who had spotted prey.

“The thing is… she really wanted to come, you know? But she only recently became an official Saintess… So…”

At that moment, Asillia, who had been peering over with both hands full of food wondering what was happening, spoke up nonchalantly.

“Hey, what’s Elsa busy with…”

“Young Master, please shut up.”

Surprisingly, it was Edmund, not Ian, who poked the clueless Asillia in the ribs to stop him.

Asillia, who had gulped down the food in his mouth, grumbled irritably.

“What? Sometimes you’re a bit harsh with your words to me, aren’t you? Where did your noble phobia go?”

“That condition was cured long ago because of you, Young Master.”

“Then don’t call me Young Master and call me by my name.”

“I have a noble allergy, so I don’t like that.”

“What’s that supposed to… You call Ian and Leo by their names just fine!”

“Speaking of which, Royal Vice-Knight Commander, the barbecue here was delicious. Have you tried it?”

“Ah, I haven’t had that yet. Where did you see it?”

Thanks to Edmund’s appropriate exit while dragging Asillia away, the group’s attention focused on Leo again. Leo sighed deeply and finally confessed.

“She really is busy, but not so busy that she can’t come to the party. The reason she couldn’t come today is simply… Elsa seems to need mental preparation to meet Lady Belinda. We have something to tell you together.”

“I see. That’s a shame.”

Belinda nodded and glanced at Terry’s face beside her.

Her loyal Aide was looking at his Younger Brother Jerry with the expression of someone who had discovered filth left at room temperature for three months.

To be precise, he was looking at Jerry, who never left Vivian’s side, taking care of her attentively and striking all sorts of poses.

“Why on earth… How did such a terrible disaster…”

Between Leo and Elsa’s relationship and this, it seemed many things had happened in the Royal Capital over the past year.

Then Belinda asked about the whereabouts of the last person who wasn’t visible.

“Then where is Chaser?”

“…Master is a bit busy.”

It seemed like waves of lies were visible above Leo’s head as he spoke.

Unlike Cesar, Leo was quick-witted and sharp, but one couldn’t ignore the bloodline of the Val family.

Even without wearing lie-detector glasses, and even without a system window, it was obvious to Belinda’s eyes.

That Leo was lying.

“Leo, did something happen to Chaser…”

“No. Nothing. There’s no problem at all!”

“…”

“…”

Belatedly, Leo made an ‘oops’ expression and avoided Belinda’s gaze, looking at empty air instead.

Seeing that he still wouldn’t come clean about Chaser to the end, Belinda nodded as if disappointed.

“I see. Chaser is busy too. Then it can’t be helped.”

The moment unmistakable relief appeared on Leo’s face.

“I have no choice but to go to the Magic Tower myself.”

At Belinda’s following words, Leo’s expression froze again.

* * *

Contrary to Belinda’s suspicions, Chaser greeted her looking perfectly fine.

“What’s with the cat?”

Except for the unfamiliar black cat perched on his shoulder.

“It’s called Cookie, a cat I’m raising.”

Belinda’s question was answered by the Elder, who stood guard in front of Chaser like an iron wall.

At that sight, Belinda’s eyes narrowed.

As expected, it was suspicious. Both Leo and the Elder seemed to be desperately trying to prevent Belinda from meeting Chaser.

“Elder, my husband says he has matters regarding the development of unexplored regions to discuss with you in detail.”

“Pardon? His Grace the Duke?”

“…Ah.”

The Elder, along with Cesar who had been creaking as if asking what that was about, belatedly nodded.

“That’s right. I have matters regarding the development of unexplored regions to discuss with the Elder in detail.”

“B-but I cannot leave Master Ru’s side right now…”

“I have matters regarding the development of unexplored regions to discuss with the Elder in detail, so please make time.”

“I don’t have time right now…”

“No matter is more important than the matters regarding the development of unexplored regions that I need to discuss with the Elder in detail.”

While Cesar did his best to hold onto the Elder and buy time, Belinda carefully examined Chaser’s appearance.

“Chaser.”

“…”

At Belinda’s call, Chaser only nodded without answering, his eyes somehow dreamy.

‘Why does he look like that?’

She had seen Chaser for a long time, but this was the first time she’d seen him make such a stupid expression.

How should she put it. He looked exactly like… a boy who had fallen in first love?

“Chaser?”

“…”

“Can’t you hear me?”

When Belinda waved her hand in front of Chaser’s eyes, only then did his shoulders flinch as if he had come to his senses.

Then he muttered with a still dazed face.

“What. Why did Big Sister become even prettier… Gack!”

Right at that moment. The cat on Chaser’s shoulder wrapped its long tail around his neck and squeezed tightly.

Chaser, who had been gasping, frowned fiercely and grabbed the back of the cat’s neck.

“This little! You seriously tried to strangle me just now!”

Then he fought so fiercely with the creature the size of his forearm that the bell on the cat’s neck rang frantically.

Belinda stepped back to avoid the cat fur flying in all directions and bumped her back against something as solid as a wall.

When she turned around, Cesar was standing firmly behind her like a barrier.

“When did you get here?”

“I just arrived.”

“But you were just talking with the Elder a moment ago. So why…?”

“I came because I had a bad feeling.”

What kind of feeling?

…she wanted to ask, but Cesar’s eyes were extremely serious and ominous. Just like when he faced the Demon King.

Before Cesar’s ‘that thing’ could manifest outwardly, Belinda quickly linked arms with him and turned around.

“Chaser, if you’re very busy, let’s meet again next time.”

“Cough cough, no, I’m not busy! I, no, I have plenty of time to see the Protagonist!”

Was he worried that Belinda might leave?

Chaser, who had magically suspended a cat that was rushing toward him in mid-air, ran over to Belinda with a bright smile.

“Don’t go, stay here. I’ll give you something delicious!”

Whoosh.

As Chaser waved his hand, a three-person sofa that had been placed in one corner of his research lab flew over behind Belinda, Cesar, and Leo.

Chaser, who had forced the people to sit by tapping the backs of their knees with the sofa, excitedly shouted.

“What would you like? Cocoa? I tried it and it was incredibly delicious. Where is it? I saw that old man hide it somewhere around here.”

Belinda, who was holding Cesar’s hand tightly to calm him down, carefully observed Chaser as he frantically moved around various parts of the research lab.

His uncharacteristically rough gait and thuggish way of speaking.

His behavior of rummaging through every corner as if his own research lab was unfamiliar, and even his dazed expression as he looked at her like he had fallen in love at first sight.

Moreover, what had Chaser said earlier? Big sister?

Big sister. Big sister…

‘The one who used to call me that was…’

“Kiss?”

“Huh? Did you call me?”

Chaser, who had stopped searching for cocoa and turned to look at her, froze. Leo, who had quietly gotten up to rescue the cat and was now holding it in his arms, did the same.

She hadn’t expected that the words she blurted out would be the correct answer.

In the flowing silence, Chaser rolled his eyes around and then spoke with an awkwardly altered voice.

“I, I don’t know anyone like that.”

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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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