Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 24

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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 5. The Female Lead is Dangerous (4)

After Genevieve left, Edelaine headed to the dining room for breakfast.

Every employee she made eye contact with bowed their heads awkwardly as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have, and it was so uncomfortable she felt like she might go crazy.

They must have wondered what kind of person this new mistress was, throwing a drinking party before even properly introducing herself.

‘I must seem like a really strange person…’

Well, I’m going to become an even stranger person.

Someone who had decided to be shameless had nothing to fear. Edelaine boldly lifted her chin. Lloyd, who was walking from the opposite direction, spotted Edelaine and said.

“I told you not to hold it in when you need the bathroom. You’re making that weird face again.”

“…”

“The dining room is this way.”

Lloyd seemed to have already established the hierarchy with the manor’s employees. When he gestured to the maid who had been guiding Edelaine, she bowed her head and fled as if escaping.

“For its size, there aren’t that many people. It shouldn’t be difficult to take control.”

“We didn’t come here to fight…”

Edelaine, who had been strutting around with her chin up like a fighting cock just moments ago, forgot her own behavior and said.

“They only kept the docile and quiet ones. When the former duke left for the estate, he took all the long-serving employees with him. Even the head butler is new and hasn’t been working long. People change frequently.”

“Does Shane treat people harshly?”

“More precisely, he rarely comes home.”

“Wow, that’s great.”

When Edelaine brightened up transparently, Lloyd burst into light laughter. Edelaine laughed along.

The atmosphere at Blancarde Manor had definitely changed a lot. In the old days, it was a typical high noble’s residence.

When you entered through the manor’s main gate, employees would line up to greet you. They all had stiff, tense expressions. It felt like the home of someone who knew well how to intimidate visitors.

‘Before I was 9, I used to… come and go quite often.’

After the Duchess of Blancarde passed away, she worried about her young fiancé left alone and tried to spend time with him often.

She felt like she had stuck by his side for almost a year. While Edelaine cared for Shane, that child was also lonely, as he particularly sought out his young fiancée. Making all sorts of excuses. He must have really hated being at home.

When Edelaine looked up, the portrait of the former ducal couple on the wall caught her eye.

The duchess was a beauty with a solemn expression. Like a model noblewoman who valued dignity and refinement, befitting her imperial princess origins.

Edelaine stared at the eyes in the duchess’s portrait, which had exactly the same saturation as Shane’s, then shifted her gaze to the portrait of the former duke beside it. The former duke also wore a very stern and rigid expression like his wife.

The manor they had protected was sunk like a rock in suffocating silence.

Edelaine suddenly became curious about when Shane had been left alone in this manor. Until she left Delmez, Shane was still a young duke, living in this manor with the former duke. Even then, their relationship didn’t seem particularly good.

“My lady.”

“Oh, sorry. Let’s go.”

“You go alone now. I’m going to meet Lord Lucian.”

“Without even eating breakfast?!”

“I woke up at 5 AM and already ate.”

“Without me?!”

“At that time, my lady was…”

“…”

Edelaine shut her mouth tight.

I was sleeping soundly in Shane’s arms.

Instead of pointing that out, Lloyd asked pointedly.

“Should I have risked my life to wake you up? To eat together?”

“…No…”

“Then eat your meal properly. I’ll check later if you left any vegetables.”

If you’re picky, I’ll make you eat whatever you left behind. Edelaine obediently nodded. Lloyd was someone who followed through on his words.

“Be honest. Even if you hadn’t eaten, you wouldn’t have come with me anyway, right?”

“Yes. We couldn’t have eaten together anyway… I don’t want to meet him.”

It went without saying who he didn’t want to meet.

Lloyd had disliked Shane even when Shane was gentle. Shane had also passed by Lloyd before, but didn’t seem to acknowledge him particularly. They tried to ignore each other while being aware of each other’s existence.

Lloyd being able to come to this manor together was thanks to Shane’s agreement, but it seemed they never spoke to each other.

“That bastard hates me too.”

Lloyd added, twisting up the corner of his mouth.

“That’s understandable.”

Instead of answering, Edelaine patted Lloyd’s shoulder and told him to be careful. Lloyd just nodded with his usual arrogant expressionless face and turned around.

There wasn’t a single trace of dawn left in the dining room.

Just hours ago, Genevieve had been sitting there complaining. The servants of Blancarde Manor were excellent.

“Sit down.”

“Why are you alone?”

“Genevieve went back.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

She meant why was he alone without anyone attending to him.

However, Edelaine couldn’t bring herself to voice those words.

Having been born into a prominent noble family, Edelaine had been accustomed to being attended to by others throughout her 23 years of life. But in recent years, especially the past 5 years excluding the last month, living alone with Lloyd had revived her past life sensibilities.

Lloyd was capable, but Edelaine didn’t leave even minor attendance to him.

They ate together, and she dressed herself.

But that was when they lived alone together, and when dining at the manor, she was attended to. Things like having water poured, tableware changed, or plates of food brought right in front of her.

Since long ago, Edelaine tried to think that she was paying to eat at a high-end restaurant for every meal.

‘I wanted to give tips to show my gratitude…’

She had imagined several times calling the chef to give tips, saying the service was excellent. That made her feel a bit more comfortable.

“I’ll have the meal brought, sit down.”

Shane personally pulled out the chair for her.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Then who should do it?”

Shane seated Edelaine in the chair and returned to his place.

The meal was simple. It was morning, and having drunk the night before, her stomach was uncomfortable so she couldn’t eat much anyway. Shane said.

“Are the people making you uncomfortable?”

“Not really? I don’t mind at all.”

“While you clam up whenever someone comes?”

“I’m trying to be careful with my words, it’s not that I’m uncomfortable.”

Shane chuckled. Edelaine bristled, feeling like he had seen through her.

“I’m really not bothered at all!”

“Alright. I’ll keep people away from the area as much as possible.”

“I said it’s fine!”

“Tell me if there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

“I said it’s fine! I was actually quite popular, you know.”

“I know you were popular. Very well.”

Even though I was a shut-in hermit for 5 years, damn it…

Edelaine recalled the moment she reunited with Genevieve. She believed her dead social skills had somewhat revived by now.

‘…I should meet someone.’

Since returning, the only people she had met were family, Shane, Genevieve, and Edwin. If she had to add more, it would include Lucian.

She missed ordinary people.

“And you said you’re rarely home anyway. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“I’ll be staying home.”

“What!”

“Is that so surprising?”

Shane picked up his water glass and took a sip. Even such a simple motion was remarkably elegant. While Edelaine was spacing out, Shane added.

“That someone who just got married yesterday would stay home.”

“…Oh, right…”

Please let me forget…

“B-but you’re busy.”

Duke Blancarde was a member of the Council of Elders and a noble with a voice in the nation’s major affairs. Apart from administration, he was one of the central figures who ran the country alongside the Crown Prince, so there was no way he could be idle.

There wouldn’t be, there shouldn’t be.

“It’s just something you can choose not to do if you don’t want to.”

“If you’re a noble, you should fulfill your duties…”

She almost criticized herself, thinking that someone who ran away sure had a lot to say. Edelaine repeatedly told herself to be generous with herself.

“Following proper procedure, I should return to the estate once to see Father, but he’ll come to Delmez for the Foundation Festival, so that’s settled.”

“Don’t worry about it, just do as you normally would.”

I’ll be more comfortable when you’re not here.

Edelaine had many things to do.

The culprit who attacked Genevieve still hadn’t been caught.

While she couldn’t definitively conclude it was a mage’s doing, the possibility was high. Even if it wasn’t, as long as the mage was alive, they would target Genevieve’s life.

To find the mage hiding among the nobles, she first needed to expand her sphere of activity. Since there was a possibility things might differ from the novel, she also needed to spend more time with Genevieve.

Shane let out a short laugh. The end of that sound seemed sharp, making Edelaine blink a few times.

“You seem to be forgetting, Edelaine.”

The relaxed atmosphere changed in an instant.

“It’s nice that you’re acting as if you married me of your own accord, but…”

“…”

“I have no intention of letting you run away again.”

Shane spoke with a sweet smile, his blue eyes crinkling.

“I won’t let you leave this house alone, my love.”

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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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