Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 72

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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 72

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“Hello, Belinda. I’m called Schubel. Schubel, Blanche.”

It was the day when Schubel Blanche first set foot in Blanche Manor during the Academy’s vacation period.

The newly acquired brother appeared with brilliant sunlight at his back.

A five-year age difference.

Despite it being just that much, he who dreamed of becoming a knight was remarkably mature and calm like a knight from fairy tales.

So Belinda did not lower her guard.

‘There’s no such thing as harmonious siblings. Especially among nobles.’

That was the world Belinda lived in.

A world where one would willingly stain their hands with a sibling’s blood for wealth and the position of heir.

Belinda had absolutely no intention of yielding Uncle’s affection or the family’s heir position to Schubel.

‘It’s all mine!’

Belinda snorted and steeled her resolve.

And she did not hesitate to put that resolve into action.

“Belinda, this evening… Belinda?”

“Hmph!”

Even when Schubel called her, she snorted and ignored him.

“Today’s main dish is particularly excellent. Young master, here…”

“I want to eat that! That one’s bigger, it’s mine!”

She tried to take anything bigger and better than what Schubel had.

“Belinda, I almost stepped on your foot. You need to be careful.”

“Tch.”

Whenever Schubel passed in front of her, she would slyly stick out her foot to try to trip him.

But even when Belinda acted spitefully like this, thinking ‘I’ll be the stone that stubs your toe!’, Schubel never got angry and only smiled.

The more he did so, the more twisted Belinda’s insides became. Would her heart have been more at ease if he had been as nasty as she was?

Belinda glared disapprovingly at Schubel standing beside her.

They had come out to watch the Bongmaje Festival.

Originally it was supposed to be an outing with Uncle, but due to a sudden accident at a trading company owned by the Blanche family, she had no choice but to go out with Schubel instead of Uncle.

“Belinda, do you have something to say to me?”

“What are you talking about. Don’t think about standing in front of me, why don’t you just follow behind me like a tail?”

“Belinda seems familiar with the streets of the Royal Capital. Thanks to that, I feel reassured.”

Belinda clicked her tongue at Schubel who only smiled at her spite.

‘All he can do is grin foolishly. What an idiot.’

Her unpleasant mood wasn’t lifted even after watching the monster circus she had so eagerly anticipated.

‘How boring.’

Having lost interest in the stage, Belinda slipped away like a squirrel without the guard soldiers noticing.

While wandering around after leaving the tent where the circus show was in full swing, she noticed an encampment with strict security.

Curious, Belinda took advantage of the moment when the guards were changing shifts and squeezed her small body under the tent.

“Wow.”

An exclamation burst from Belinda’s lips as she examined the interior by the dim lamplight.

Monsters much larger and more hideous than those shown in the performance were caged and growling lowly.

Belinda swallowed her saliva as she observed the monsters beyond the iron bars.

Soon her steps stopped in front of the cage at the very back.

“Huh…?”

The cage, with one side completely crushed and the iron bars bent, was completely empty.

Belinda’s head moved following the drops of blood that led from the cage to that corner, then stopped when she discovered bright blue eyes glinting in the darkness.

The moment she felt she had made eye contact with it, something in the darkness let out a shriek and rushed toward Belinda.

“Kyaah!”

Belinda instinctively covered her head and crouched down. She felt the terrible sensation of the monster’s fur brushing against the back of her hand.

If she had lowered her body even a moment later, her head would surely have been torn off by the monster’s claws.

But there was no time to feel relieved. She needed to get up and run away immediately, but strangely, whether due to fear, no strength would enter her body at all.

“No, no. Move, I said move!”

It was when she was trying to force her body up, resentfully hitting her unmoving legs with trembling hands.

Grrrrowl.

Something cast a huge shadow in front of Belinda.

Its hot breath stirred her hair, and bizarre front paws that seemed to mix those of a monkey and bird extended their claws as if ready to claw Belinda at any moment.

“Hng.”

Belinda didn’t even dare to lift her head to confirm what was in front of her eyes.

‘I’m going to die.’

That monster is definitely licking its lips looking at me.

As if proving her ominous premonition, the monster howled with a terrible sound, but no matter how long she waited, it didn’t attack her.

Just as something golden seemed to ripple faintly in Belinda’s vision as she slowly raised her head to assess the situation.

“Don’t lift your head.”

Along with Schubel’s cold voice that she had never heard before, a strong force pressed Belinda’s head down to the dirt ground.

After that, it was instantaneous.

There was a loud boom like a tightly inflated leather ball bursting, then something fell with a thud and a disgusting smell of blood wafted up.

“It’s okay now.”

Belinda barely lifted her face, which was a mess of dirt and tears.

Schubel was smiling as always while wiping the monster’s blood that had splattered on his cheek with his sleeve.

“Belinda, are you okay?”

She had almost died. If Schubel hadn’t saved her, she surely would have died.

Schubel saved me…

“Y-you idiot! Why did you come so late! If I had disappeared, you should have come looking for me right away!”

With the relief that came belatedly, Belinda grabbed Schubel’s pant leg and burst into pitiful tears.

That day, after returning from the festival, Belinda opened the Crown Prince’s letter that she hadn’t looked at for a while.

The letter written neatly in round handwriting was consistently filled with concern for Belinda.

Finally, only now had she finally resolved to meet him.

Belinda headed to Mikhail’s Palace after a long time.

“Belinda!”

Unlike Mikhail who was extremely happy to see her, Belinda’s expression remained dark throughout.

“I was worried because you didn’t come for a while. Are you okay? Nothing’s wrong, is there? Did you receive the letters I sent?”

“Your Highness.”

“Why are you being so formal? It’s just the two of us here.”

Mikhail smiled as freshly as the sunlight pouring into the palace garden.

However, Belinda’s following words cast a shadow over that innocent face.

“I’m going to ask Uncle, no, Father, to let me stop being Your Highness’s companion.”

“…Why? What did I do wrong? Huh? Bel, tell me and I’ll fix it.”

“Don’t you know why I’m saying this?”

Belinda asked with a hint of resentment.

She got along well with Mikhail.

He had an untainted purity, so when she sometimes felt too cunning and wicked, she would find comfort by Mikhail’s side.

But right now, she resented his innocence.

To protect himself from the threat of the cadet branch backed by the support of royalist nobles, Uncle had turned to the nobility faction, but his support base was still unstable.

In such circumstances, how troubled would Uncle be if she continued to hold the position of the Crown Prince’s companion and fiancée, who could be called the representative of the royalist faction?

Despite her young age, Belinda understood such power structures as naturally as breathing.

“I don’t want to be hated by Uncle and Brother. Now all I have left is family. So… don’t send me letters anymore… don’t acknowledge me… and…”

Belinda’s voice grew smaller and smaller.

Mikhail gently clasped Belinda’s tightly clenched fist in his hands.

“I’m sorry for making you say such things.”

“….”

Belinda bit her lower lip hard, then shook her head.

“Don’t apologize. I chose the family over Misha, and there’s no reason for Misha to apologize for that choice.”

With those final words, the two children held hands and silently walked around the palace gardens several times.

Afterward, despite her uncle’s opposition, Belinda quit serving as the Crown Prince’s companion, and the two naturally broke off their engagement.

Belinda met Mikhail again during the Queen’s state funeral.

Though the entire nation was an ocean of tears, only one person—Mikhail, who used to cry so easily—didn’t shed a single tear throughout the funeral.

In place of the King, who had refused all food and drink and withdrawn from all state affairs, the young Crown Prince led all the funeral proceedings.

Amidst the pitch-black waves of mourning, Belinda watched only Mikhail.

She had hesitated countless times before coming here.

Should I send a letter to His Highness? Would it be alright to speak to him?

But what shamelessness would it be for me to comfort his grief?

‘He told me not to even send letters.’

Though she knew she shouldn’t, Belinda quietly made her way to the garden where she and Mikhail used to walk together often.

‘Maybe it would be okay if we met secretly, away from people.’

As if their hearts were connected, Belinda was able to find Mikhail there alone.

The friend she met after several months had a completely different atmosphere about him.

Seeing Mikhail’s profile as he hung his head like a flower blooming in the shade, she simply couldn’t remain silent.

“Misha.”

“Bel….”

It was the moment when their hands, calling each other by their pet names, barely touched.

“Bel, are you here?”

At Schubel’s sudden intrusion, Belinda hurriedly hid both hands behind her back as if caught doing something wrong.

Schubel, who soon appeared, belatedly noticed the Crown Prince and gracefully offered his respects.

However, what followed were not words of mourning for the Queen.

“Since you went through the trouble of breaking off the engagement, it would be concerning if someone saw this scene and unsavory rumors began to spread. But if I were to accompany you, I could prevent such idle gossip. Isn’t that right, Bel?”

Schubel’s hand pressed heavily down on Belinda’s shoulder.

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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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