Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 61

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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 61

Since he couldn’t read the expression behind the mask, the Crown Prince’s gaze turned to the Grand Duke’s attitude and gestures.

Cesar dropped sugar cubes plop plop into the tea the Crown Prince had personally served him.

Was he protesting that he wasn’t pleased with the treatment?

But soon the Grand Duke began sipping what was nothing more than sugar water.

“….”

It wasn’t a protest, but apparently just his preference.

The Crown Prince cleared his throat and continued speaking.

“As you know, His Majesty was quite pleased and entrusted this matter to me. So before I approve this sacred marriage, I have something to ask you, Duke.”

“Please ask.”

Although a massive dowry would flow into the North, having a central noble who received royal stipends form ties with the North was something the royal family could welcome.

Moreover, since it could even damage the financial power of the Blanche family, who had somehow become the leaders of the noble faction, it was an opportunity beyond compare for the Crown Prince.

Therefore, he was treating their engagement as top secret, using the fact that Schubel Blanche had not yet formally inherited the family as an excuse.

This engagement was only possible because it respected solely Belinda Blanche’s wishes according to the former Marquess’s will.

No matter how much the House of Baluashten carried royal blood, that was already a story from too long ago.

Nevertheless, the reason for interfering in their marriage under the pretext of a royal marriage was to check the power of House Baluashten, which had become too mighty from protecting the barrier.

Therefore, Mikhail had to strongly support this engagement as Crown Prince while pretending to disapprove and finding fault to probe the Grand Duke’s true intentions.

But for the first time in a very long while, he set aside his role as Crown Prince and asked.

“Duke, have you met the Marquess’s Daughter before?”

As if it was an unexpected question, Cesar couldn’t easily open his mouth.

Strictly speaking, they should have been meeting for the first time today.

According to what was publicly known, Cesar had secluded himself in the North for about four years after becoming Grand Duke, and even before that had never left the North.

Also, Belinda Blanche, the most famous celebrity in social circles, had traveled to the South but never headed North.

Considering various circumstances, he answered plainly.

“It’s a private matter, so it’s difficult for me to answer.”

“I see… But you’ll have to answer this question. If I don’t like your answer, I’m planning to delay the engagement approval as much as I can.”

The Crown Prince continued with a fresh smile.

“What do you think of Belinda?”

* * *

After leaving the Crown Prince’s Palace, Penandel carefully observed Cesar, who was unusually quiet.

Though Cesar was famous for being unreadable due to his lack of expression, Penandel had assisted him since he was toddling around, calling him “young master, young master” while following at his heels.

Even with a mask on, reading Cesar’s mood was easier than guessing tomorrow’s weather.

“Your Grace, what did His Highness the Crown Prince say to make you look so troubled?”

Cesar, who was changing back into regular knight’s clothing in the carriage, didn’t answer but asked something irrelevant instead.

“Penandel, why did you take off your mask?”

Penandel answered with a shameless attitude, sticking his finger through the mask’s eyehole and spinning it around.

“I have sensitive skin, so if I wear this thing all day, I’ll get metal poisoning. Besides, who actually wears these masks all day nowadays?”

“….”

“Don’t tell me… Your Grace, have you been living with that mask on the entire time you’ve been in the Royal Capital?”

When leaving the North, wear an iron mask.

It was a rule that had long governed the North, but old things are always forgotten.

In reality, Northern Knights only wore masks in front of the administrators who checked their entry and exit when crossing the North’s borders, but once they entered the Royal Capital, they immediately took off their masks and enjoyed their freedom.

The Royal Capital was a safe zone where magical beasts didn’t appear, so there was no risk of becoming a magical beast.

But this stubborn Grand Duke was following customs that even Penandel’s great-great-great-grandfather’s generation had observed.

“…There were times I took it off.”

Cesar answered, somehow feeling like he was making excuses.

It was true, after all.

When he had visited orphanages looking for a certain child while hiding his identity for some reason, he had taken off his mask.

He had visited that orphanage again later, but all he got back was an excuse that they couldn’t track the child’s whereabouts due to administrative negligence.

Even after making time to visit various orphanages, he hadn’t achieved any notable results.

Despite the Sewer Rats’ help, finding a child whose life or death was unknown in this vast Royal Capital was like finding a needle in a desert.

Penandel, who had been looking at his lord with suspicious eyes, casually threw out a leading question.

“That’s good. How about taking this opportunity to tell Lady Blanche the truth? If she sees Your Grace’s real face, the young lady will surely soften her anger.”

“….”

Good, first he confirmed that he had never shown his face to the Marquess’s Daughter.

He continued speaking as if testing Cesar, who was acting uncharacteristically evasive.

“Your Grace, you are going to reveal the truth to the Marquess’s Daughter, right? You’re getting married in a few months. It’s better to take your medicine quickly, so reveal your identity today.”

By nature, Cesar didn’t like deceiving others.

What reason could he have for deceiving Lady Belinda and acting as her escort knight?

Penandel wanted to believe there was some human reason behind it.

But Cesar seemed to be thinking about distant future matters rather than immediate reality.

“Would it be very strange to keep wearing a mask even after marriage?”

“Why on earth would you do such a thing?”

“Lady Blanche seems to…”

The Blanche family?

“She seems to place importance on appearance.”

“…?”

“When I visited her with the marriage proposal, she asked about my appearance several times.”

“…?”

“It might be better not to show my face at all. That’s right, since I wasn’t planning on having a normal married life anyway, spending six months in The Forest doing the cleaning I’ve been putting off…”

“Your Grace, wait, just a moment!”

As soon as Cesar mentioned The Forest, Penandel snapped to attention.

What insane nonsense was this crazy man spouting!

“The premise is wrong. Even if you wear a mask, since you introduced me as Your Grace today, anyone with eyes would realize we’re not the same person. And haven’t I told you many times before?”

Penandel declared solemnly with a very serious expression, as if he had discovered the enemy’s only weakness.

“Your Grace is handsome.”

“I appreciate your personal opinion.”

It didn’t work at all.

But Penandel didn’t give up.

“Why are you acting so unlike yourself, Your Grace? Think of this as your last chance to tell the Marquess’s Daughter the truth, take off your mask and face her confidently. You can’t avoid this problem forever.”

“But taking off the mask goes against regulations…”

“Ah, why did you grow up so stubborn? No, come to think of it, Your Grace was an old soul even as a child. Your Grace, Northern Knights taking off their masks outside the North isn’t breaking the law. It’s just custom, that’s all.”

Since every word was right, Cesar was rarely left speechless.

As Penandel said, he couldn’t hide the truth forever.

Perhaps it would be better to reveal the truth now that Penandel was here.

If he judged rationally, it would be right to give up searching for the child at this point, return to his original status, go back to the North with Penandel, and send someone else as the young lady’s escort.

Penandel made a final appeal.

“Your Grace, you are handsome. Handsome, I tell you! So please take off this mask and meet the Marquess’s Daughter!”

Cesar stubbornly turned his gaze to the window and said as if making excuses.

“…How presumptuous.”

“Presumptuous my foot, just take off this lid!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Penandel exploded.

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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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