Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 274

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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 17

Elsa was about to say something, but the two of them were kicked out by the librarian for being too noisy in the library.

Since it was winter and the days were short, it was already dark outside.

The two walked across the dark campus as slowly as possible, having an awkward conversation.

Just as their conversation was getting comfortable, they could see the Blanche Family’s four-wheeled carriage waiting for Leo at the Academy Gate in the distance.

Had the distance to the Academy Gate always been this short?

As always, but especially that day, Leo climbed into the carriage with a particularly embarrassed heart.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked Elsa, who was waving goodbye to him.

“Elsa, since it’s gotten dark, would you like to ride in the carriage together…?”

“No.”

After answering coldly, Elsa seemed to realize her mistake and added in an apologetic tone.

“A big carriage like this can’t even enter the Neighborhood Alley near my house anyway. Thanks, but I’m fine.”

“Oh, okay.”

Leo, who had been standing awkwardly, slumped weakly into the carriage seat.

“Oh, right.”

Suddenly, as if remembering something she had forgotten, Elsa stood on her tiptoes and waved her hand.

Leo hurriedly stuck his head out the carriage window.

“I think I forgot to congratulate you. Congratulations on being valedictorian, Leo Blanche.”

As soon as Elsa finished speaking with a smile on her face, red from the cold, the carriage mercilessly departed.

Leo collapsed into the carriage as if the ground had given way beneath his feet.

The heat that started in his left ear, where Elsa’s voice had reached, instantly spread throughout his entire body.

He had heard congratulations for being valedictorian countless times from other people.

Strangely, Elsa’s felt incredibly special.

Even though his feet were clearly planted on the ground.

It felt like the world was turning upside down, just like the day he first met Elsa.

However, Leo didn’t yet realize that it wasn’t the world that had turned upside down, but himself.

* * *

At thirteen, Leo ran and ran.

Because he could see familiar silver hair in the distance.

Though his breath was coming up to his chin, he didn’t stop.

Still afraid he might lose sight of her, he shouted at the top of his lungs the name he had secretly written in the corner of his notebook.

“Elsa!”

Thanks to her stopping, Leo was finally able to catch up.

Elsa looked up at him with round eyes as he panted, trying to catch his breath.

“Blanche? Your height…”

You’ve gotten so tall.

Since Leo had started taking advanced summer classes, the two rarely had opportunities to run into each other.

Because of this, seeing Leo after so long, Elsa almost didn’t recognize him with how much taller he had grown.

“Elsa, are you already heading home? Aren’t you still in the middle of classes?”

Was the topic he brought up after finally catching his breath not a good one?

Elsa’s expression stiffened awkwardly.

“Well, somehow… What about you, Leo? Did you come to the Academy library to borrow books again today?”

She answered somewhat vaguely and changed the subject. This time it was Leo who hesitated to answer.

In truth, Leo didn’t need to come to the library to borrow books. Most things were already available in the study at Blanche Manor.

Yet the reason he visited the Academy library every fall and winter was because he knew Elsa would be there.

After hesitating briefly, Leo shook his head.

“No, today I just… stopped by while passing through.”

He had come to submit a leave of absence form, but Leo only said that much.

The news that Marquess Blanche had gone missing was already widespread gossip among the Nobility, but Elsa seemed not to know yet.

So that was fortunate.

If even Elsa had tried to comfort him, he might not have been able to hold back his tears.

An awkward silence flowed between Elsa and Leo.

The two people, each with secrets they couldn’t tell the other, couldn’t bear that silence.

“Well, I’ll be going first.”

Leo caught Elsa as she hurriedly turned around, as if chased by the silence.

“Um, you know, Elsa. So…”

He didn’t want to part like this.

This Academy was the only connection he had with Elsa.

So in his impatient desire to somehow create a new connection with Elsa, Leo ended up blurting out words he hadn’t even thought of.

“I, I want to, to be friends with you.”

Ah, this isn’t right.

He didn’t want to be friends with Elsa.

He wanted something more special than that, something even better than best friends.

He wanted to become a unique and special relationship that would be one-of-a-kind for Elsa.

While Leo was fumbling to take back the words he had already spoken, Elsa muttered with a dark expression.

“Friends?”

Did he sense the mockery in that tone?

Leo hesitated.

Elsa looked into his blue eyes without even blinking, trying to remember them for as long as possible, and said.

“How could we be friends? We won’t even be able to meet anymore.”

Today had been Elsa’s last class.

It had been decided a month ago, when she had to hold her parents’ funeral.

However, Elsa didn’t explain anything to Leo and added coldly.

“I have no intention of meeting with you, so there’s no point in being friends.”

Unable to bear looking at Leo’s expression any longer, Elsa turned around.

She could feel Leo’s gaze, but she didn’t look back.

The moment she thought she had left the Academy Gate and escaped from Leo’s sight, Elsa began running as if fleeing.

She wanted to run home like this, pull the covers over her head, and cry her heart out.

After that, she wanted to be comforted in her mother’s arms and fall asleep on her father’s lap.

But where her steps stopped was not her home, but the Orphanage affiliated with the Grand Temple.

Only after spending time with children who had lost their parents under similar circumstances could Elsa finally hold back her tears.

She would probably never return to the Academy again. And she wouldn’t be able to meet Leo either.

No, even if they were to meet again, it would be a different relationship than before.

Because she was…

“How dare a mere commoner.”

Because she was just a commoner.

Elsa only learned much later that Leo had actually stopped by the Academy that day to submit his leave of absence application.

When she learned that Marquess Blanche had gone missing and Leo was left alone, Elsa knelt on the Marble Floor of the Grand Temple until it wore thin, praying to God.

Please don’t take family away from Leo, as you did from me.

Please let Marquess Blanche return safely.

If you do that, I’ll do anything.

How long had she prayed with her hands clasped together like that?

“What are you praying for so earnestly?”

Startled by the gentle voice that suddenly came, Elsa looked to the side.

A platinum-haired Priest wearing a veil had been watching her, though she didn’t know how long he had been there.

Elsa was startled and barely managed to calm her heart, hiding her desperate inner feelings as she answered.

“I just, I confessed my wrongdoing. I spoke cruelly to a frie… nd.”

She thought he would lose interest and leave quickly if she said that.

But the Priest came a little closer to Elsa and asked.

“Wouldn’t it be better to go apologize instead of offering prayers to God?”

At those words, Elsa gave no response at all.

The Priest, observing Elsa’s troubled face, sat down beside her and spoke as if confessing.

“Actually, I too have committed a very terrible deed.”

“You too, Priest?”

“Yes. Something so terrible that I’ll be branded as humanity’s traitor in future history books. But I don’t regret it. So I have no intention of apologizing to anyone.”

Humanity’s traitor.

Thinking he might be treating her like a child and trying to deceive her, Elsa asked in a somewhat cold tone.

“But you might regret it later.”

“No. I won’t regret it.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“Because I’ve done enough regretting to last a lifetime. So after meeting That Person, I decided to make only choices I would never regret, not even for a moment.”

Though she didn’t know who That Person was, the story coming from the Priest’s lips sounded quite truthful.

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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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