Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 30

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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 30

Belinda glared at Cesar with triangular eyes, but he had already hidden his laughter and returned to his usual firmly set expression.

“Wh-what, mom and dad? To a little rat like you?”

“Tell him that even piglets have parents, so what’s strange about Jui-bam-tol having parents?”

“That doesn’t seem like a very mature response.”

Belinda elegantly replied to Cesar who had subtly interjected.

“What did you just say?”

No matter how tactless Cesar was, his instincts were sharp. His instincts told him that if he didn’t play along with Belinda, he would greatly regret it later.

“I said nothing at all, my lady.”

Heiron, who had been listening to their conversation, muttered in bewilderment.

“Are they really your parents?”

Leo glanced up at Belinda.

When Belinda nodded, Leo crossed his arms in imitation of her and said boldly.

“That’s right.”

“But earlier you called her master…”

“My name is Master. Do you have any complaints about that, little pig Heiron?”

Belinda’s expression was so menacing that Heiron couldn’t make a peep and just shook his head.

Cesar, who secretly sighed at the sight, called out to the stall owner who had been silently watching the situation.

“Stall owner.”

“Y-yes.”

“Could you make something big for my son to eat? I’ll pay for it.”

“That’s not it. Hey, make my Bam-tol’s cloud candy huge enough to completely crush the spirits of those other brats.”

Between Belinda and Cesar, anyone could see that Cesar looked more intimidating, but for some reason the owner hesitantly made excuses to Belinda.

“W-well, even if you pay, this requires skill, so making it any bigger than this is…”

Belinda held out a gold coin.

“It’s not entirely impossible either. Your son is so cute, I’ll make a special effort to make it huge!”

* * *

The highlight of the festival’s first day was naturally the parade that proceeded along Gold Street from the town square to the city gate.

Belinda’s purpose was also to watch that parade.

However, since there was an awkward amount of time left until the parade started, they decided to watch a puppet show to kill time.

More precisely, just Leo.

The puppet show depicting the life of the Kingdom’s first king was a performance for young children.

Countless children gathered to watch the small puppet show that used dozens of small wooden chairs placed under the clock tower in the town square, with a cart set up in front as a stage.

Eventually, Belinda and Cesar decided to take seats at an outdoor coffee house among the many shops that surrounded the square in a circle and wait for the puppet show to end.

Belinda infused caffeine into her tired body while occasionally checking the center of the square to see if Leo was doing well.

Then she turned to look at the table at the sound of something plopping repeatedly.

Unlike Belinda, who had coffee as black as poison in front of her, Cesar had ordered coffee with milk.

Cesar repeatedly added one sugar cube to his coffee, tasted it, then added another sugar cube and tasted it again, and only after throwing in a full five sugar cubes did he tilt his cup with satisfaction.

‘He really likes sweets.’

No, at this level, does he love them?

Come to think of it, when Leo got tired of eating the cloud candy that was as big as his torso, it was the knight sitting across from her who silently ate every last piece.

Feeling as if her mouth was filled with the sweetness of sugar, Belinda rinsed her mouth with black coffee before awkwardly opening the conversation.

“Sir, please don’t report what happened earlier to the Duke.”

“What happened earlier, you mean…”

“You and I pretending to be a married couple. The Duke might be displeased, so I don’t think you need to report it.”

“Ah…”

She hadn’t realized it in her excitement earlier, but looking back, she had done something embarrassing.

‘An adult getting involved in children’s fights.’

‘But that impudent thing, to our Leo!’

While Belinda was internally engaged in a battle with herself, Cesar, who had been hesitating to answer, opened his mouth.

“Before that, there’s something I need to tell you. I couldn’t mention it because you wanted me as your escort knight, but actually I am…”

“Don’t.”

“Pardon?”

“I have a feeling you’re about to say something incredibly tactless right now.”

“…That’s not the case.”

“Think carefully about when would be the best timing to say it. I’ll wait patiently until then.”

“…”

In the end, Cesar failed to confess that he was the Duke of Baluashten.

Come to think of it, it would have been quite out of the blue.

He couldn’t hide it forever, but as she said, it would be better to tell the truth at an appropriate timing.

So instead of telling the truth, Cesar brought up a different topic.

“May I ask what you plan to do when the contract is completed?”

When the contract is completed.

He was asking about what would happen after they safely married, continued their nominal married life in the North for a year, and then divorced.

Belinda answered dryly.

“I’ll leave for the South.”

“The South, you mean Hereoes?”

The Duchy of Hereoes at the southern end of the Kingdom, embracing vast granaries and harbors.

As it owned the Kingdom’s largest port, it was famous for its exotic scenery and popular as a tourist destination.

“No, farther.”

“Farther means…”

She would cross the border.

She was talking about crossing the great sea to go to another country.

Since Hereoes was the estate located at the Kingdom’s southernmost point.

Cesar checked the surroundings once, then quietly spoke.

“To escape the threat of assassination?”

Belinda gave no answer. She just looked at Leo with quiet eyes as he watched the puppet show.

When Terry said that her personal information was circulating in the assassination guild, Belinda hadn’t seemed particularly surprised.

She must have known in advance that there would be assassination attempts on her.

‘That’s probably why she asked me for protection.’

If she was planning to emigrate to avoid assassination danger, Cesar was prepared to gladly provide her with a place to stay in his estate and some private soldiers.

Though she would become the subject of gossips’ chatter, the harsh nature of the North would protect her from such rumors.

It was when Cesar was thinking such thoughts and about to speak.

“I just want to go somewhere where no one knows me.”

“But isn’t this your homeland?”

“Homeland.”

There seemed to be a hint of bitterness in Belinda’s tone as she said that.

“To me, this country and that distant Eastern Continent are the same. Equally meaningless.”

That couldn’t be.

For a noble, especially a noble lady, to leave her hometown for another country meant giving up unimaginably great conveniences.

However, Belinda had a carefree attitude as if there was nothing in this country to hold her back.

“If I manage to leave safely, I’ll give you my necklace. It won’t suit you, but well, it’s a matter of taste so I’ll respect that.”

Cesar’s gaze fixed on Belinda’s choker.

Though he had deliberately avoided mentioning it, he had never forgotten about it for a moment.

She seemed to think the gem on the pendant was a ruby, but it was actually a magic-sealing stone with the power to seal magic.

Since just possessing it would seal one’s magic power, it naturally couldn’t be good for the body.

While it wouldn’t cause fatal harm, chronic fatigue, headaches, or lack of stamina were side effects felt by the owner.

Therefore, Bonmaseok was often used to neutralize and imprison criminals who possessed dangerous powers.

Usually it had an ominous dark red color, but very rarely it would display a vivid red hue.

At first glance it looked like the finest ruby, but Cesar, who owned a Bonmaseok Mine on his estate, could tell immediately.

That Belinda’s was not a ruby, but Bonmaseok.

Bonmaseok was extremely rare and its sales channels were strictly recorded, so it was uncommon for someone to acquire it by mistake without knowing what it was.

However, the problem was that she possessed the Bonmaseok without knowing this fact.

After carefully choosing his words for a while, Cesar spoke up.

“I understand you always wear that necklace. It seems to be something precious to you, my lady… Would it be alright if you handed it over to me?”

Cesar rather hoped it held no value for her.

If it didn’t…

“I did receive it from someone dear to me. But what use would such a thing be when I’m leaving anyway.”

After all, she had practically been betrayed by someone she trusted.

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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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