Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 64

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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 64

To tell the truth, though Cesar had pushed him forward, he was secretly hoping his lord would fail.

Then at least he wouldn’t return to the North and head for the barrier.

Though he was somewhat worried about how to tell Belinda the truth later, Penandel decided to rejoice in his immediate good fortune.

“By the way, didn’t the Marquess’s Daughter suspect Cheri’s true identity?”

“No, she seemed to think he was a Northern knight staying in the Royal Capital.”

That couldn’t be right.

Unless she was incredibly dense, there’s no way she wouldn’t recognize her own escort knight just because he took off a mask.

‘Besides, the Marquess’s Daughter seemed quick-witted rather than dull.’

However, Penandel nodded knowingly for his lord’s peace of mind.

“…That’s fortunate then. Ahem.”

Unaware of his subordinate’s loyalty, Cesar skillfully put on his mask and handed Penandel the gifts from Belinda he’d been holding.

Though it was unlikely, if Belinda happened to catch him carrying these gifts, he’d have no excuse.

“Keep them safe.”

“Ho, indeed the craftsmanship of the Royal Capital is refined. Ah, I haven’t seen that one before – are you sure you don’t want to entrust it to me?”

At Penandel’s question, Cesar’s gaze turned to the brooch on his collar.

The amethyst sparkling brilliantly in the clear moonlight reminded him of someone’s eyes.

Cesar removed the brooch and looked down at it for a moment.

The gem was polished smooth enough to reflect moonlight, but naturally it couldn’t capture his image as clearly as Belinda’s eyes would.

Yet Cesar couldn’t take his eyes off the gem’s surface.

“Your red eyes tinged with sunset glow look as luscious as cherries, so that nickname stuck.”

Was that it? Was that why he got that nickname?

He couldn’t remember clearly.

“Your Grace? What are you looking at so intently?”

Just as Penandel leaned forward to see what Cesar was examining.

Cesar quickly folded his hand to hide the brooch.

It wasn’t even an expensive gem, nor was it specially crafted enough to be identified as one-of-a-kind in the world.

So keeping something like this shouldn’t cause any major problems.

“This one’s fine.”

Cesar said, hiding the brooch deep in his jacket’s inner pocket as if concealing a secret.

* * *

Living up to its reputation as the gold mine of the Jenos Kingdom, the Blanche Estate was quite splendid.

But even that splendor was no different from gilded counterfeits compared to the Royal Palace’s majesty.

The Royal Palace, built entirely of white marble and platinum, was like a work of art in itself.

I gripped my fan tightly, afraid that if I let my guard down even slightly, I’d find my head turning this way and that, entranced by the Palace’s grandeur.

I came here today not just because of the Crown Prince’s invitation, but actually for another purpose.

To raise my synchronization rate.

Having grown accustomed to manor life, I’d had few opportunities to increase synchronization.

Tormenting the employees could only go so far.

Besides, causing a ruckus at the manor wasn’t good for Leo’s emotional education.

But the social circle was a different story.

The very heart of the wilderness where slander and scheming ran rampant.

Where could there be a better stage for immersing myself in Belinda and running wild like a mad filly?

For this, I’d thoroughly reviewed Belinda’s misdeeds reported in the newspapers and memorized the information and weaknesses of nobles that the Sewer Rats had gathered.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Penandel, who had escorted me to the Royal Palace where the ball was being held, said.

Since he hadn’t received an invitation, he couldn’t enter the Palace, but he’d dressed up just to escort me to the entrance.

Perhaps because I’d seen his bare face yesterday, I could clearly picture his handsome features even above the iron mask.

‘Wait, come to think of it, why did Penandel introduce himself as Cheri yesterday?’

Since he remained by my side, it didn’t seem like he was trying to break the contract terms.

Was he trying to show off his looks unofficially?

A minor question arose, but it wasn’t more urgent than the problem immediately before me.

“It won’t take long.”

Hoping my expression contained no trace of anxiety or fear, I sent away my only ally.

Thus I stood alone before the ballroom’s massive doors.

Whatever awaited me, I wouldn’t go down easily.

I sent a look to the attendant who was watching for my cue.

Soon, through the doors the attendant opened, wafted the scents of heavy perfume, music, and luxury.

I stepped into the ballroom with a fiercer expression than ever before.

* * *

The Royal balls held twice a year in spring and fall were the dream stage that any young lady making her debutante debut desperately wanted to attend.

Young ladies from reasonably prestigious families would attend the spring Royal ball to make themselves known, then remain in the Royal Capital until the Bonmaje Festival in October, devoting themselves to social life before seriously seeking marriage partners at the fall ball.

On the other hand, young ladies from poor families who couldn’t afford to attend both Royal balls could barely manage to attend only the fall ball.

But by then, social groups had already formed, so they would hover around their peers who had built friendships among themselves, then return home lonely, dwelling on the insurmountable class differences.

Only one thing was given fairly to all of them.

Just one unwritten rule that had been circulating among young debutante ladies for several years.

‘Beware the red-haired woman.’

Everyone knew this referred to the Marquess’s Daughter of the Blanche family.

Julia was a poor baronial daughter who had barely crossed the threshold of the fall ball with only that unwritten rule in hand.

For their daughter’s once-in-a-lifetime debut, the baronial couple had spent a year carefully preparing an expensive dress.

The dress, which was incomparably splendid in her small estate, was merely shabby compared to the silk wallpaper decorating the Royal ballroom walls.

The shabby dress made Julia shrink into herself.

She couldn’t quite mingle with people and stood awkwardly against the wall, nervously fidgeting with her champagne glass.

“I don’t recognize your face. Are you making your debut this year?”

A well-dressed Yeongshik approached her.

Julia, unaccustomed to conversing with men, could only nod with her face burning red.

The man had excellent manners and spoke in a refined manner befitting a central noble, without a trace of dialect.

That such a man would speak to me.

As if in a dream, she listened to the man’s words with her face flushed pink.

“The Royal ball is nice and all, but their taste in wine selection is terrible every year.”

So he’s someone who gets invited to the Royal ball every year.

That alone seemed impressive somehow.

Soon the man clicked his tongue as if he couldn’t stand it anymore.

Then a man dressed similarly to a Palace attendant brought him a bottle of wine.

As if it had been prepared, the man uncorked the wine and poured it into a glass.

“Want to try some? It’s wine I’m fond of.”

“I’m… not used to alcohol.”

“Still, try it once. Didn’t someone teach you that you shouldn’t refuse wine offered by a gentleman?”

Was that a manner they had in the Royal Capital?

She wanted to ask her aunt who had attended as her chaperone, but her aunt, who had said she’d step away briefly, still hadn’t returned.

She didn’t want to become a country bumpkin who couldn’t even understand the Royal Capital’s culture.

Just as the hesitating Julia finally reached for the wine glass.

A hand wearing black lace gloves snatched the glass away from in front of her.

Julia’s gaze first fell upon the delicately woven lace gloves, intricate as spider webs.

Then, as if it were only natural, she examined her counterpart’s dress and couldn’t help but let out a sigh of admiration.

My goodness, she had never seen such a magnificent dress before.

Currently, the bustle style that emphasized the hip area was trending in the Social Circle, and ball gowns typically had trains long enough to drag on the floor.

The dress before her eyes had clearly received tremendous attention to its train, with all manner of lace and jewels sparkling brilliantly like a peacock’s plumage.

‘If I wore something like that, I’d be overshadowed by the dress itself.’

With such thoughts, her eyes traveled up the slender waist that curved gracefully like a willow branch, and the moment she finally took in her counterpart’s face.

Julia felt as if she had discovered the very reason this world was created.

“Hamel Youngshik, your taste in wine selection remains as terrible as ever.”

A neck line as white and elegant as a swan’s.

Violet eyes that seemed to hold a noble fragrance, as if colored by crushing millions of violets.

Red hair as vivid as a single drop of blood fallen upon freshly fallen snow.

She was the protagonist of this world.

Someone whose very existence turned everyone else into supporting characters.

“Well, I suppose. Cheap eyes can only see cheap things, so no amount of explaining would be of any use.”

Even her vicious sarcasm, flowing from those perfectly shaped lips, felt like an undeniable truth that demanded absolute obedience.

Hamel Youngshik’s face quickly turned red, but Julia was certain it wasn’t because he felt insulted, but rather an instinctive reaction to facing Belinda.

“M-Marquess’s Daughter, it’s been a while since we last met.”

“Has it?”

Belinda answered indifferently while returning the wine glass she had been holding to Hamel Youngshik.

“Since you’re so confident that it’s such fine wine, it would be proper etiquette for the host to taste it first. Go ahead and drink it.”

“My stomach isn’t feeling well…”

“Hamel Youngshik, before you inform your dear fiancée about Youngshik’s wine preferences, drink it.”

In that moment, it ceased to be a suggestion and became a 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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