Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 78

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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 78

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“Mary, you look like you’re chewing on filth. Is it because of what happened yesterday?”

Mary, who had been treated to dessert by me today following yesterday, quickly fixed her expression and shook her head.

“No. Tanya committed a crime, so she’s simply receiving her due punishment.”

Well now, look at how shameless she is. Really, Schubel certainly knows how to pick people.

I had worried about what to do if Mary didn’t move according to my thoughts, but fortunately she was more selfish and cunning than I had expected.

‘I thought she would at most press her with a few words in my place, but to think she would suddenly slap her.’

Without the Belinda translator, my surprised feelings would have shown on the surface.

“Were you close?”

“…No, we weren’t.”

I know. I deliberately chose a maid who didn’t get along well with Mary to frame as the culprit.

Tanya has leadership qualities and likes to take charge, the type who can only be satisfied if she becomes the leader in any group.

Therefore, in the past, when Belinda stayed in the main building, she would often spread rumors about her to unite the young maids.

From the beginning, there was no one on my side among the employees who frequented this annex.

I had no intention of driving away those who were now trying to curry favor with me, following the swinging pendulum of power.

However, I needed to at least select the useful gems from the stones, didn’t I?

For that task, I had been empowering Mary and encouraging her conflict with Tanya.

And yesterday’s incident added fuel to their conflict.

I pushed a delicious-looking apple pie toward Mary and spoke as if bestowing mercy.

“You can speak honestly. I’m in a good mood today, so for your sake I might show mercy to that little rat.”

“R-really?”

Perhaps she still had a trace of conscience, as Mary brightened and defended Tanya, saying she probably didn’t act with bad intentions, as if defending herself.

“Go tell that little rat for me. She can return to the main building for today. Mary, for your sake I won’t fire that nasty little rat.”

At my words, Mary excitedly left to deliver the news to Tanya.

I savored the moderately cooled tea and then asked the visitor who came to see me as if waiting for Mary to leave.

“How is Tanya?”

“She’s been seething with poison all day, grinding her teeth furiously. Tanya is recognized for her abilities among the maids her age, and her mother is also an influential maid who has worked in the main building for a long time. She’ll move well on the board Master has drawn.”

Terry answered while rudely snatching a madeleine and bringing it to her mouth.

Finding Schubel’s spy wasn’t particularly difficult to begin with.

Among the things happening in the annex, there was nothing that escaped Terry’s eyes.

Like an assassin, Terry hid in the shadows monitoring everything in the manor, and when necessary, didn’t hesitate to use secret passages in the manor that even I didn’t know about.

So there was no way she could have missed Mary cutting some of my hair under the pretense of grooming it and hiding it in her sleeve.

With good timing, we were also attacked by Shadow Crows that day, which required part of the target’s body to be used.

Therefore, what I pondered wasn’t finding Schubel’s spy, but how to use his words.

‘Driving out Schubel’s spy would be amateur.’

Even if I drove out Mary, another maid would take her place. In that case, it would be better to use Mary instead.

I planned to make her a double agent.

So I kept Mary by my side and carefully observed how the hierarchy among the maids changed.

Fortunately, things seemed to go according to plan.

“Terry, make sure to keep Tanya’s leash tight.”

“She’s already treating me like a benefactor.”

As Terry said, poison must be treated with poison.

Although the gem I selected won’t be loyal to me, that’s fine.

Because Terry, whom she trusts and follows, is on my side.

* * *

Travel preparations proceeded smoothly.

Naturally, Leo was extremely excited and spent three whole days carefully packing his travel bag, unpacking it, and packing it again repeatedly.

The child’s travel bag, which finally received Leo’s approval, contained a half-full piggy bank, a bundle of high-quality parchment used for magic practice, a fairy tale book I had once read to him at bedtime, a high-quality quill pen now shabby with fallen feathers and ink stains, and finally several cleaning tools that Leo favored.

“Lady Belinda! I’m all ready!”

“…I see.”

Although there were a few things I wanted to remove from his travel bag, I decided to just be grateful that Leo, who had come here empty-handed, now had so many things to pack even for a short trip.

With loading Leo’s luggage, all travel preparations were complete.

“Lady Belinda, please take care of yourself.”

“Don’t forget to bring back souvenirs.”

“I don’t… need any souvenirs. As long as Lady Belinda returns safely…”

“Master, the Maid Supervisor really wants a souvenir, doesn’t she?”

“N-no!”

I swallowed a sigh at the quarrel of the household members who started arguing with each other, saying “yes” and “no,” while greeting me.

Unfortunately, Terry and Vivian won’t be joining this trip.

“You’re going to see snow? Why?”

“Because it’s winter.”

“…Aha?”

“…Ah?”

Terry, who heard my travel purpose, had a face that couldn’t understand at all, and so did Vivian. They looked like they couldn’t understand why anyone would travel just to see snow in winter.

These unromantic creatures.

In the end, instead of suggesting they accompany me, I gave them a month’s vacation.

Even without my explicit instruction, Terry infiltrated several Sewer Rats as annex employees to monitor the manor’s situation and prepare for emergencies while I was away.

Additionally, I had a gift for Vivian.

“Vivian, this is payment for the magic tools you made.”

“Wow, this is high-quality paper. Thank you! When I make an amazing magic tool, I’ll definitely write the spell formula on this paper.”

“Oh dear, what am I going to do with this clueless girl.”

Terry expressed my frustrated feelings for me.

What I gave Vivian was a purchase contract for a two-story building in her name.

It was a cozy shop across from Bluebird Clothing Store, and being located in a busy district, I had to pay quite a high price befitting the notoriously expensive real estate of the Royal Capital.

But I didn’t spend a single penny of my inheritance buying this building.

[Quest] ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’ Complete

‘Cecile’s Lullaby (counterfeit)’ has been completely eradicated.

Receive ‘Quest Reward: 10000 Gold’ as compensation.

Because a few weeks ago, a status window suddenly appeared announcing quest completion.

I freely spent that quest reward to provide a building for Vivian’s dream magic tool workshop, interior decoration, and expensive magic tool research equipment in full options.

On the smooth wooden desk of the workshop, I had placed the patent registration certificate for ‘Cecile’s Lullaby’ that arrived a few days ago. It was Vivian’s first patent certificate in her name.

It was also payment for the magic gun and the ‘Spring Water of All Things’ to be completed later, but the workshop was something essential for her who would need to be self-sufficient after I left.

Of course, none of this was free.

The contract Vivian had unknowingly signed before included a clause allowing her to send part of the profits from magic tools she sold to a certain account.

The name on that account was Leo’s piggy bank.

But Vivian treated all of this as merely expensive scrap paper.

No wonder Terry, who handled all this in my place, would be frustrated.

‘I did well to set up Vivian’s workshop across from Bluebird. Terry will help if anything happens.’

I gave Terry a meaningful look, asking her to take care of the rest.

Terry nodded, and soon opened the manor’s massive doors together with Vivian.

“Then I’ll be eagerly awaiting your safe return.”

With the butler and maid supervisor seeing me off, I left the manor.

The manor’s employees, standing in two neat rows to see me off, bowed politely.

I couldn’t see their expressions since they all had their heads down, but they were probably dying of joy.

The tyrant who ruled the manor would be away from home for a whole month, after all.

However, there was one maid who looked like she was about to die.

“Ah, Miss!”

So urgent was her heart that she committed the outrageous act of blocking Belinda’s path.

“Mary, what’s the matter?”

Her appearance was a mess. Her unkempt hair was disheveled, and her eyes were dark underneath as if she hadn’t slept properly, suggesting she was suffering greatly.

‘Well, being tormented by your boss is different from being ostracized by coworkers.’

My tyranny was directed at unspecified masses and only had to be endured during work hours, but ostracism from colleagues you live and work with is different.

From the moment she opened her eyes until she closed them again, Mary must have been constantly tense.

After that incident, she had been noticeably shunned by her fellow maids.

All the ostracism was led by Tanya, but the maids had their own justifiable cause.

To the maids, Mary was like an internal enemy who had even framed Tanya to get in my good graces.

“Please take me with you. You’re not taking even one dedicated maid, are you? I, I will definitely be of help.”

Mary pleaded with me desperately.

I could fully understand her feelings.

Everyone at least didn’t torment Mary in front of me, but once I left, their persecution would become more blatant.

“Oh my, Mary.”

I called her name as if feeling sorry for her.

What could I do? That was exactly what I wanted.

I raised my voice loud enough for the bowing maids to hear.

“It’s because you’re here that I can leave the manor. You must control those beneath you well while I’m away.”

Those beneath you.

At those words, I could clearly see Tanya’s hands clench into fists as she bowed nearby.

“B-but…”

“Enough. Don’t bother me any further and return to your place.”

At my sharply changed words, Mary retreated with a face that looked ready to burst into tears.

A superior who receives neither respect nor recognition becomes everyone’s enemy.

Probably when I returned from my trip, I would be the only one left for her to rely on. Not Schubel.

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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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