Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 63

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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 63

The festival atmosphere had spread even to the vast park south of the capital, where families and couples were scattered throughout, enjoying a peaceful evening.

We joined the crowds and leisurely enjoyed our stroll.

In the midst of this, Cheri, who had been quiet the entire time, suddenly called out to stop me.

“Lady Blanche.”

I stopped in the middle of the arched stone bridge and turned to look at him.

He had an extremely serious expression.

It seemed he was finally going to tell me the reason why he had appeared before me as Cheri today.

I swallowed nervously and waited for his words.

“You shouldn’t show such excessive kindness to someone you’re meeting for the first time. I’m concerned that you might be unreasonably taken advantage of later.”

What is this fool of a man saying? When he himself works as my escort knight without receiving a single penny in wages and even teaches Leo.

He wasn’t originally a talkative man, but it seemed he had been keeping his mouth shut while thinking such thoughts all along.

“Keep your mouth shut and chew on this instead.”

I stuffed one of the cloud candies I had bought for Leo into Cheri’s mouth to shut him up.

Cheri obediently chewed on the cloud candy with an expression that said he had much more to say.

Just then, the sunset began to sink beyond the horizon where the autumn leaves had turned red and yellow, dyeing the world crimson.

I leaned my arms against the bridge’s railing and quietly gazed at the handsome man gradually being tinted with vermillion light, then suddenly spoke up.

“Sir, do you know why your nickname is Cherry?”

Despite it being such a random question, Cheri carefully considered his answer.

“I was too young at the time, so I don’t remember.”

“I think I know the reason. Lean your head down.”

When I gestured with my index finger, Cheri readily lowered his head.

Even so, there was quite a height difference, so I craned my neck and gazed into his eyes for a long while.

It wasn’t my imagination.

His eyes, touched by the sunset light, glowed like ripe cherries, shining glossily red.

When I first saw them, they seemed like ice crystals would fall from them, but looking at them like this, they appeared sweet as if sweet fruit juice would drip from them.

His parents must have seen these eyes touched by sunset light and given him the nickname Cherry.

Unconsciously, my unorganized thoughts flowed out through my mouth.

“Your eyes… are very red.”

At that moment, Cheri quickly pulled back and covered his eyes with his hands.

I was so surprised I could only blink.

It was just for an instant, but some emotion seemed to have settled in his eyes. The kind I never thought I would see from him.

“Cheri? Did some dust get in your eyes?”

“No. Please stay as you are for a moment.”

Cheri couldn’t bring himself to remove his hands from his eyes.

Suddenly, I remembered his voice from the first day of the festival, when he spoke about why the Northern Knights wore masks.

“Corrupted knights’ eyes turn red. Once demonization begins, there’s no way to reverse it, so eventually…”

Only then did I realize what a rude mistake I had made.

What I had glimpsed fleetingly in his eyes.

It was definitely fear.

I hurriedly took a step toward him and opened my mouth.

“Cheri, no.”

However, whether Cheri was listening to me or not, he stepped back as much as I had approached and said firmly.

“I apologize.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“I will maintain this distance for a while.”

Hey! Listen to me!

I gave a menacing warning to Cheri, who kept backing away bit by bit.

“Sir, if you step back any further, this time I’ll have custom clothes and accessories made for you from head to toe.”

He froze.

Fortunately, the threat seemed to work as Cheri didn’t step back any further.

I continued speaking in a gentle commanding tone, as if handling a frightened dog.

“Put your hands down and come here. In front of me.”

“But…”

“You’ll need a mirror, won’t you? So come here. You want to check your eyes, don’t you?”

Only then did Cheri approach very slowly, like a wolf wary of humans.

When finally only one step’s distance remained between him and me.

Swoosh.

I grabbed his collar and pulled him toward me with all my strength.

Our faces came so close that our noses nearly touched.

Though he could have easily shaken off my hands if he wanted to, even in this situation he didn’t use force against me carelessly.

I stared up at his eyes, dyed by the sunset, without blinking once.

Just as I was reflected in his eyes, he too would be confirming his own appearance in my eyes.

“Your red eyes touched by sunset look as luscious as cherries, so I think that’s how you got that nickname.”

“…”

“That’s what I was trying to say. But is it really so difficult to listen to someone’s words until the end?”

“…No.”

“From now on, make sure to listen to people’s words until the end.”

Only then did I let go of Cheri’s collar. I had gripped it so tightly that his collar was wrinkled beyond repair.

I was the one who misspoke, yet I ended up cornering him.

But since Belinda never apologizes, I couldn’t say I was sorry for treating him roughly either.

In the end, I just walked forward looking only ahead, not turning back to look at Cheri, while carrying an uncomfortable feeling.

* * *

The carriage carrying Cesar and Belinda arrived at Blanche Manor in the late evening.

Belinda, who had gotten out of the carriage with Cesar’s escort, was about to enter the manor when she turned back to look at Cesar.

Belinda, who had been silent throughout the carriage ride, let out a light sigh and looked straight up at him to ask.

“Cheri, are you perhaps returning to the North with the Duke?”

The Northern Knights were famous for their excellent skills, but in Belinda’s view, her escort knight was excessively competent.

No matter how corrupted he was supposed to be, hadn’t he detected the presence of a fairy that should have been impossible to notice?

So she had been secretly expecting that his showing his face like this was to inform her that he would be returning to the North with the Duke.

That’s why she had given him so many things that might serve as farewell gifts, expressing her gratitude in her own way.

But even after arriving at the manor, Cesar hadn’t mentioned any farewell.

Meanwhile, Cesar had completely forgotten why he had been spending time with Belinda with his face revealed until she asked that question.

This might be his last chance to reveal the truth in the capital.

Cesar couldn’t answer immediately and hesitated before opening his mouth.

He must not miss this opportunity. He should confess everything.

Perhaps now was the appropriate timing Belinda had mentioned for telling the truth.

Finally, Cesar opened his mouth.

“That’s not the case.”

Only after uttering those words did he realize what he had done.

But he could no longer take back the words he had already spoken.

Because at that moment, he saw a faint smile bloom on Belinda’s lips like a pale moon.

“That’s good. Perhaps we might see each other on the streets from time to time.”

With those final words, Belinda turned around without hesitation.

Cesar only moved his feet after watching her enter the annex until the very end.

As he left Blanche Manor, he unwrapped the gifts he had received from Belinda throughout the day, one by one.

A pair of cufflinks set with blue gems the color of his eyes.

A handkerchief decorated with intricate embroidery on the finest silk.

Leather gloves made from young lambskin and a pocket watch crafted by a master artisan.

Cesar spoke as he carefully handled the luxurious crafted items, each one exquisite beyond measure.

“Penandel.”

At his call, a middle-aged knight who had been hiding in the shadows of a tree outside the walls of Blanche Manor revealed himself.

Cesar frowned briefly at the fact that Penandel had removed his mask, but soon realized he was in no position to say anything about it.

Instead, he spoke dryly to his aide, who wore an expression of anticipation.

“I’ll need to stay by the Marquess’s Daughter’s side for a while and gather information about the child’s whereabouts. So I’m entrusting the North to you for the time being.”

Penandel’s hand hesitated as he handed the mask to Cesar.

Penandel looked at his lord with a strange expression, then soon answered vigorously.

“I will gladly accept that command.”

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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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