Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 3

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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 3

* * *

The smile immediately disappeared from Schubel’s face as he turned his back on the dining hall.

His expressionless face was surprisingly cold and ruthless, making him look completely different.

“Any news from the messenger?”

Schubel asked his aide who followed behind him like a shadow.

“The last report was a sighting of someone who appeared to be a notary in the North, but there’s been no new information since then.”

After the Marquis’s sudden death, the eyes and ears of the social circle focused on Marquis Blanche’s will.

This was because the will contained the name of the heir who would inherit everything from the Blanche Family.

However, contrary to people’s expectations, the contents of the will were not revealed even after the Marquis’s funeral was completed.

In fact, they couldn’t even find the will itself, let alone break its wax seal.

The notary who possessed the Marquis’s will had gone missing.

The aide looked around to see if there were any listening ears, then lowered his voice further.

“As you instructed, we’ve won over most of the merchant guilds owned by the Blanche Family. Even if we can’t find the will, they’ll all gladly follow your wishes, young master.”

A smile finally returned to Schubel’s face.

Yes, there was nothing to worry about.

Whether in terms of ability or popularity, there was no one more suitable as the next heir.

He had come such a long way for this day.

All this time, he had kept his head down, pretending to be a foolishly good-natured older brother with no ambitions whatsoever.

That too would end today.

Schubel had been waiting for this day ever since that ‘accident’ happened.

He wore what had now become a skin-deep benevolent smile on his lips.

“Once the situation is settled, I should introduce Bel to a good marriage prospect. Though I’m not sure if she’ll like the match, considering how picky that child is.”

Unmistakable mockery leaked through at the end of his words.

“I’ll look into ‘suitable’ marriage prospects.”

“Yes, I’ll leave it to you as always. Oh, my sister absolutely detests children, so it would be better if the husband were infertile.”

Even while saying such things, not a trace of malice showed on Schubel’s face.

“It would be troublesome if any offspring tried to leech off my family.”

He still only appeared to be a pitiful older brother who willingly forgave his younger sister’s misdeeds every time.

* * *

‘There’s no one on Belinda’s side in this house.’

My assessment of the situation was completed with last night’s dinner.

Now I even doubted whether my deceased uncle truly cared for Belinda.

The gossip magazines said that Schubel always laughed off the damage caused by his troublemaker sister.

But unlike the articles, he seemed very accustomed to ‘provoking Belinda and fabricating misdeeds she never committed.’

How much of Belinda’s evil acts reported in the articles were actually true?

Probably not everything was false. It was true that she had a nasty temperament and was steeped in elitist consciousness enough to abuse the protagonist.

I calmly accepted my current situation.

Let me organize things first.

The reason Belinda died was mostly because of the ‘patrons’ who appeared in the game.

Well, maybe she was born under an unlucky star, as she often died in accidents too.

Anyway, the patrons would notice the protagonist’s talent and help the player support the protagonist, while proving their affection for the child by punishing Belinda who abused the protagonist.

So, if I ended up hurling abuse at the protagonist because of the translator, the probability of being brutally killed by the patrons would increase tremendously.

I still didn’t know the conditions for raising the synchronization rate, and all I had figured out was that the translator applied to written communication too and didn’t work if there was no one listening.

On top of this, there was even a family register mate who was grinding his teeth at me.

“Hmm, no matter how I think about it, escape is the answer.”

The jewels I had found by searching Belinda’s room all night jingled in my hand as if cheering me on.

Considering the prices in the game, this amount seemed enough to live modestly alone in a quiet rural village.

‘If I have spare funds, maybe I could even open a small cafe or something.’

In my previous life, I didn’t want to be a burden to my aunt, so I fled and became independent as soon as I graduated high school.

I wanted to live normally like others, so I gritted my teeth and studied hard, desperately earning money, but when I came to my senses, I didn’t even have a proper hobby.

The only joy in that barren life was 【Hirome】.

But somehow that hobby ended up becoming my main job, so in this life I should live lazily, finding new hobbies and doing what I want.

However, there was one major problem with this plan.

“After going through all the trouble of possessing someone, am I not going to see the protagonist’s face even once?”

Would it be too stalker-like to visit the Royal Capital later and steal a glimpse of the protagonist’s face from afar?

While I was pondering, I heard two sets of footsteps from beyond the door.

The measured steps of an adult and quick, cautious footsteps like those of a timid young animal.

I quickly swept the valuables into the vanity drawer just as a light knock came and the door burst open.

I barely avoided looking suspicious, but isn’t this too little privacy protection? I didn’t even say it was okay to come in.

“What is it?”

Perhaps reflecting my mood, a sharper voice than usual came out.

Nevertheless, the maid supervisor who had opened my door only announced the purpose of her visit with a machine-like expressionless face.

“I’ve brought the child who will serve you starting today, miss.”

Saying that, she pushed forward a scruffy, skinny young child.

“…?”

An employee to serve me. But why a young child?

The moment I tilted my head, what Schubel had said at yesterday’s meal flashed through my mind.

“We happen to have an orphan we brought in for the purpose of helping the poor….”

Orphan boy.

Belinda’s personal servant.

‘Could it be that the protagonist appears at this timing?’

The setting values were similar enough that it roughly fit.

His build was smaller than expected, and because of his shaggy hair like a dog that hadn’t been groomed in a long time, I couldn’t see the child’s features properly.

If I could just see his face once, I’d know immediately.

Oh, maybe!

‘St-status window?’

“….”

‘Window status! Mister Window!’

I tried hard to call up a status window in my mind, but nothing like a window showing the protagonist’s information as in the game appeared.

I couldn’t blurt it out loud like a crazy person either.

While wondering what to do, I unconsciously lifted the child’s chin with the tip of the fan I was holding.

Rustle. As the rough hair fell back, revealing the boy’s pale face.

“…!”

Thump. My heart dropped to the floor. For a moment, my chest felt heavy with strange emotion.

Hair as black as a raven.

Round, gentle eyes like a puppy.

Blue eyes with warm tones as if they contained the spring sky with flower petals fluttering.

Everything was exactly the same as the protagonist in 【Hirome】.

No, if there was one difference, it was that the real thing was about five times cuter than the illustration?

I was genuinely amazed.

My goodness, how could such a lovable creature exist?

‘He’s just like a small animal.’

“What a beastly appearance.”

…This damn translation function, I really can’t let my guard down.

I quickly turned my head away, pretending as if I hadn’t said those words.

Just then, a single blunt remark from the maid supervisor instantly deflated my excitement.

“From now on, if you have any tasks, please use this child.”

I hurriedly shot the maid supervisor a desperate look.

‘Please help coordinate between the two of us instead of me.’

Fortunately, my look seemed to get through as the maid supervisor nodded with a tense expression. And then.

“Well then, I’ll be going now….”

Bang.

The sound of the maid supervisor hastily closing the door echoed through the room.

What? Did she just run away?

“….”

“….”

Heavy silence settled over the room.

Trying somehow to lighten the awkward atmosphere, I asked with the brightest smile possible.

‘Um, our baby, how old are you this year?’

“How many years have you lived this year?”

The child, who had been nervously keeping their head down, startled and stood stiffly at attention.

“Y-Yes! I am currently living my, probably ninth year!”

Probably ninth year.

‘How cute.’

The moment I unconsciously let my lips curl up.

“Hic.”

The child made a choking sound as if they’d seen something they shouldn’t have and shrank back completely.

My face… is it really that scary?

Belinda’s eyes are fierce, but it shouldn’t be to the point where just making eye contact would make someone choke.

I lowered my head glumly, pretending to drink tea.

That’s when I saw it. My face reflected in the clear black tea.

‘What is this?’

It’s a complete scheming villainess expression!

Don’t tell me… my facial expressions are also within the synchronization range?

No wonder everyone flinches whenever I smile, and the maid supervisor ran away too!

I quickly opened my fan to cover my face, showing only my eyes. The protagonist’s complexion seemed to relax a bit.

‘By the way, they said nine years old.’

That means there are roughly 6 months left until the game’s introduction begins.

Six months from now, in early spring when the protagonist turns ten.

This child will meet Ophelia, who comes to the kingdom as a refugee.

Now that I’ve seen the protagonist in person, my last lingering attachment melted away like snow.

Now I’m only curious about the ending this child will face 8 years from now.

【Hirome】 had various endings depending on how you cleared scenarios and quests, with dozens of different conclusions that were updated with new endings every month.

【The ‘Hero’s Star’ has become the Royal Knight Commander, the kingdom’s sword that pledged eternal loyalty to the royal family.】

【The ‘Hero’s Star’ has become the owner of ‘that bakery’ that people say is the most popular in the Royal Capital.】

【The ‘Hero’s Star’ has become the kingdom’s greatest archmage who conquered the top floor of the Gray Tower….】

【The ‘Hero’s Star’ has become the successor to the High Priest who rules the White Palace….】

I played through multiple times, conquering the endings one by one.

All except one—the true ending.

In fact, 【Hirome】 was notorious for living up to its name, as no one had ever seen the true ending, the Hero Ending.

‘Personally, the youngest Royal Knight Commander ending was my favorite.’

Or the ending where they become the High Priest’s successor was good too. The white priest robes really suited them well.

While imagining the distant future, one chilling question crossed my mind.

‘Wait? But what happens to the protagonist if I run away now?’

Not only would the protagonist’s position in this manor become precarious immediately, but it might even affect the event where they meet Ophelia.

After all, the Hero’s Star and Ophelia meet through the incident of rescuing the protagonist from Belinda.

What…. Could it be that my running away itself would destroy the original story?

As I was mentally clutching my head, a frail voice shattered my thoughts.

“Um, I….”

When I glanced down, the child was looking up at me with both fists clenched tightly, as if they had firmly resolved something.

“I’ll work hard at whatever you tell me to do!”

“….”

“I, I can clean well. I know how to thoroughly wipe the cracks between wooden floorboards, and I know how to make furniture shine brilliantly. And, and also….”

As my obvious gaze turned toward them, the child who had been enthusiastically doing self-promotion and rattling off various cleaning methods gradually lowered their voice.

“I’ll become a useful servant. So if you could let me work here….”

Though they couldn’t finish their words, the child’s desperate feelings came through heartbreakingly clear.

In that moment, the scales in my heart tilted completely to one side.

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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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