Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 67

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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 67

* * *

Belinda, whom he had properly faced for the first time in over ten years, had changed tremendously.

A withered expression.

A venomous way of speaking.

Even unconditional and impartial malice toward others.

As people had gossiped, she was like a rose harboring poison.

But all those evaluations instantly lost their meaning with a single word from her.

“Misha.”

For a very long time, no one in this Royal Palace had called Mikhail by that name.

Left alone, Mikhail gazed at the darkness outside the balcony with a calm expression, then suddenly hung his head low and let out a groan.

“How embarrassing.”

He had spoken so confidently, yet to be rejected to his face.

The Crown Prince, who had cooled his face with the cold wind, finally raised his head.

Unfortunately, regarding Belinda, the Duke’s words had been correct.

“What do you think of Belinda?”

He had thought at most she would comment on her appearance. But…

“…She seems to be quite dishonest.”

The Belinda that Mikhail remembered had been a spirited and bold child who couldn’t help but be honest.

But thinking about it again, perhaps the Duke’s words might have been right.

“From now on, Your Highness and I have no relationship whatsoever.”

If he had known that those words weren’t sincere, would something have been different?

At the Duke’s words, who had seen through Belinda more accurately than himself, Mikhail could only smile bitterly.

“You claimed you’d never met her, yet the Duke has quite a good grasp of Bel.”

Mikhail’s expression gradually grew heavy as he touched his cheeks cooled by the night wind.

When Belinda had asked about his beliefs, the Crown Prince himself had been surprised by his own answer to her question.

He had somehow become someone who would say he’d cut down his childhood friend for the sake of his beliefs.

However, contrary to his words, he would never actually harm Belinda.

“I’d like to mention one more thing I want as a wedding congratulation gift. Recently, I happened to discover an orphanage that embezzled royal support funds.”

“I want that Orphanage Director punished. From now on, please send an administrator once a month—no, once a week—to confirm that the nation’s support funds are being used properly.”

Whatever the story behind it, Belinda had reacted excessively sensitively to the orphanage’s embezzlement.

She said she had discovered evidence of the orphanage forcing harsh labor on children.

“Unless that Bel steps forward to kill a young child, there shouldn’t be any conflict.”

Moreover, what were the odds that young child would be the ‘Hero’s Star’ he was so desperately seeking?

Mikhail chuckled at the absurdity as he considered such an extremely remote possibility.

* * *

When I came out from the balcony, the dance music was still in full swing.

From the second floor, I could see the entire dance hall at a glance, and the sight of colorful, gorgeous dress hems blooming and wilting like flowers was quite spectacular.

I leaned my arms on the railing and looked down at the Grand Ballroom.

I would need to reach 50% synchronization progress to obtain the second memory fragment.

With the goal in sight, I felt completely drained.

‘I’m exhausted.’

The meeting with the Crown Prince had been that difficult.

So much so that I wanted to postpone filling the remaining 4% and just go home.

Most of all…

‘I miss Leo.’

At times like this, just one tight hug from Leo would restore all my energy.

As I pictured this impossible wish in my mind several times, I deeply missed Leo’s peacefully sleeping face.

The ball was still in full swing, but just as I had decided to return home and was heading down to the first floor.

“Bel, leaving already?”

Someone blocked my path with a gentle voice.

I didn’t hide my expression of being fed up as I called the person’s name.

“Schubel.”

“You’ve only danced one song. Won’t you give this big brother a chance to dance with his sister?”

Why is this bastard acting so disgustingly in front of me?

Moreover, he wasn’t alone. He was with five or six young nobles who seemed to be his followers.

They were scions of representative nobility faction families, and shameless faces who had sent me marriage proposals.

However, among them was someone who couldn’t be ignored.

“…I greet Your Highness the Prince.”

The youngest among the group, but standing alongside Schubel.

Unlike the Crown Prince who announced his status through his very existence, this one proclaimed his status through everything he wore.

The adornment was so excessive that it felt like the substance was being buried instead.

“The young lady may raise her head.”

When I straightened from my light bow, I saw a youthful face filled with arrogance.

He seemed to be around Vivian’s age.

The Prince, who was the Queen’s son, strongly inherited the royal blood and physically resembled the Crown Prince, but seemed to have nothing else in common with him.

“Indeed, you’re not worth just 100,000 gold. You’re worth much more.”

If he weren’t a Prince, I would have grabbed this damn brat’s head right away.

I smiled conspicuously and answered.

“Father must have thought so too when he set my dowry. Right, Schubel?”

I could feel everyone’s attention turning to us at my words.

Schubel stepped forward and asked again.

“So, Bel. The dance?”

Only then did I see Schubel’s scheme.

He was a leading figure of the nobility faction supporting the Prince.

But not only had I participated as the Crown Prince’s partner, I had also spent intimate time alone with him on the balcony, so he must have been worried about the surrounding nobles’ gazes.

The brother supports the nobility faction, while the sister supports the royalist faction.

And the sister has an enormous dowry—it was obvious what the nobles who were precariously testing the waters to pick sides would think.

Schubel had asked me to dance to reassure his supporters.

To show that I was still in his grasp anyway.

I looked at Schubel as if he were pathetic and was about to turn away when I felt a strange pressure on my dress.

Looking down, I saw one of Schubel’s gang stepping on the widely spread hem of my skirt as if by accident.

‘Bastard.’

So you’re determined to make me reach 50% synchronization here today.

Now I don’t care what Schubel’s scheme is. It won’t go his way anyway.

I smiled conspicuously and gracefully placed my hand on Schubel’s.

“Gladly.”

Thank goodness I wore gloves today. At least I don’t have to touch that bastard Schubel directly.

As if he hadn’t expected me to come out so obediently, I watched Schubel’s face contort with confusion with amusement as I entered the ballroom.

The third dance I performed as Belinda was, naturally, the worst.

Schubel’s lead was rough, and I was desperate to avoid colliding with him as much as possible.

When he spun me around once, Schubel whispered quietly.

“If there’s a man among them you fancy as a marriage partner, let me know. I’ll gladly arrange that marriage for you.”

“What’s on your shoulders must be decoration. Seeing how you can’t even remember that a marriage without my consent is invalid.”

“How unfortunate that you think that way. You still don’t know that even such basic rights require at least minimal power to demand. Or at the very least, you should have had no weaknesses, Bel.”

It was just a simple threat, but strangely at that moment, I felt a chilling unease crushing my heart.

Eventually, when the dance music reached its climax.

“You’ll end up marrying according to my will as the head of the family. That’s the only thing women can do for their noble families, isn’t it.”

Schubel’s black eyes gleamed as vilely as a snake’s.

I stared directly at them and gracefully bowed my waist in the final movement.

And when I straightened up again, a smile as if delicately drawn with a brush graced my lips.

“We’ll have to wait and see about that.”

I turned away from him and left the center.

Countless people flocked around me and Schubel as we left the stage hall.

Among them were not only Schubel’s followers, but also the noble families who had sent me marriage proposals as if testing the waters.

They seemed to have attributed some special meaning to our dance.

Perhaps from a distance, our dance might have looked quite affectionate.

Standing side by side next to Schubel, who was leisurely dealing with people, I smiled as gently as possible.

“How perfect.”

The gazes of those who had been addressing Schubel all turned to me. I continued speaking while etching each of them into my memory, one by one.

“Since most of the young masters from the families who proposed to me are gathered here, I think it’s time to reveal the truth. Actually, I’ve accepted a proposal and formed an engagement, albeit informal.”

Finally, my gaze reached Schubel right beside me.

I could clearly see the rage hidden beneath his calm smile.

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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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