Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 62

* * *

“Good afternoon, Lady.”

“……You’re not late.”

Unfortunately.

Tap.

As I snapped my pocket watch shut and spoke primly, the Grand Duke awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

Pretending to be magnanimous, I nodded slightly.

“Please, have a seat.”

“Then I’ll be shameless and take you up on that.”

As the duke sat across from me, Terry, who was guarding me instead of Sir Penadel, discreetly stepped aside.

To me, the chair was fairly comfortable, but it looked quite small for the duke.

It was like a giant black bear performing tricks on a tiny ball, and I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“……I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Ah, that wasn’t the kind of laugh I meant.

He seemed to shrink down quickly, not fitting his large frame.

How did such a gentle, bear-like man end up with such terrible rumors attached to him?

The rumor that he had killed his family to claim his title was particularly vile.

I, too, was suffering from the rumors surrounding Belinda, so I felt a small sense of kinship and ordered a cup of tea for the duke.

Though our relationship was bound by money, it meant I could count on him without fearing betrayal. Reflecting on how fiercely I had acted, thinking the Grand Duke intended to take Sir Penadel away permanently, a belated embarrassment washed over me. Thus, I tried to soften my expression and engage in small talk.

So, I tried my best to soften my expression and initiated a light conversation.

“Tomorrow is the last day of the royal ball. Will you be attending?”

“No, I’m planning to leave tomorrow morning.”

“Didn’t you just arrive in the capital early this morning?”

I knew the distance from Baluasten to the capital was quite far, so it must have been an incredibly tough schedule.

The Grand Duke seemed to think so too, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he answered.

“I can’t leave my territory unattended for too long…”

It seemed the Grand Duke was quite the homebody.

I lightly nodded and gazed over his shoulder, which looked a bit lonely.

That should be enough small talk.

“I see. By the way, where is Sir Penadel?”

“I sent him on an errand for a moment.”

What? Who gave permission to send Sir Penadel on an errand? For at least six months, he was entirely my man, and this fellow kept using him as he pleased.

“However, I brought another guard to take over Sir Penadel’s duties. Someone I trust deeply.”

“…..”

“He’s a bit taciturn, overly principled, and terribly stubborn, but he’s a very handsome young man.”

“…..”

“My Lady? Did I offend you by any chance?”

“Grand Duke, you truly are oblivious. Must you always ask for a verbal response to understand the situation?” I retorted with a slight smile.

The Grand Duke stammered, “No, that’s not it. I meant it in a good way, I mean…”

So, this person he claims to value highly… It seemed clear that he intended to replace Sir Penadel with someone less competent but superficially impressive.

‘Sir Penadel is incredibly capable. He’s a great mentor to Leo, and I’ve finally gotten to know him well enough to read his emotions behind that mask.’

My annoyance spiraled, and I was about to slam the table and demand Sir Penadel be brought back immediately. Just then, the door to the room opened, and a man entered. The Grand Duke quickly stepped aside, almost using the man as a shield, and declared,

“This is Cherry!”

“…”

I blinked, staring up at the man the Grand Duke had introduced. To others, his face might seem expressionless, but I could tell he looked as if he’d just bitten into something extremely unpleasant.

“Cherry?”

“A childhood nickname…” the man said, a bit irritably, brushing off the Grand Duke’s hand from his shoulder.

I felt like I was about to burst into laughter, so I quickly opened my essential fan.

“That’s quite an adorable nickname.”

“…Thank you.”

Oh no, I was losing the battle to suppress my laughter.

I hid my trembling lips behind my fan, barely suppressing my laughter, before finally addressing the now-transformed Sir Penadel, who had become Cherry.
(T/n: Please note: Our narrator is Belinda most of the time, and if you’re like me and sometimes read this without paying 100% attention, you’re going to be confused in future chapters. I̶ s̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ s̶t̶o̶p̶ t̶r̶a̶n̶s̶l̶a̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ w̶h̶e̶n̶ I̶’m̶ h̶a̶l̶f̶ a̶s̶l̶e̶e̶p̶. So the person will be the same since Bel realizes that it is still Penadel aka Cedric. But since he was introduced as Cherry, that name will come up a few times for now).

“What is your name?” I asked leisurely.

“…Just call me Cherry,” he replied.

“And your family name?” I pressed.

“…”

As expected of Sir Penadel, who could never tell a lie, he remained silent.

“Then I shall call you Sir Cherry. Your Grace, when will Sir Penadel return?”

“Well… it might take some time,” the Grand Duke responded.

“In that case, I will borrow Sir Cherry for a while. I have somewhere to go,” I said as I stood up. Sir Penadel, now Sir Cherry, promptly took his place behind me.

Though I didn’t understand the Grand Duke’s intentions, he would return Sir Penadel to me unharmed, so I harbored no ill will. I smiled sweetly at him and said, “Please send Sir Penadel to my residence. I don’t know when we’ll meet again, but I hope it’s in the North next time.”

I meant that I preferred not to meet again in the capital.

* * *

The place I took Sir Penadel or rather Sir Cherry, was the most famous patisserie in the capital. Although Blanche’s chef was excellent, there was no place like this for desserts.

I gestured towards the showcase filled with an array of desserts and said,

“Sir Cherry, choose one.” “I’m fine.” “I know you’re fine. Just choose one.”

Reluctantly standing in front of the showcase, Sir Cherry studied the desserts with a serious expression before finally selecting one. It was a cake covered in fresh fruits and whipped cream, glazed with sugar syrup.

We picked tea to pair with our desserts and settled into a sunny spot to enjoy them. Unfortunately, what I chose was too sweet, and after a few bites, I became overwhelmed.

So instead of the meltingly sweet cake, I enjoyed my tea while watching the handsome man in front of me silently devour the cake.

Seeing Sir Penadel, with his mask off, soaking up the sun while munching on the cake was quite a sight.

I rested my chin on my hand and watched intently as he tackled the cake like a valiant knight.

“……Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Your hearty eating is quite entertaining.”

Ah, his left eyebrow just twitched ever so slightly. It seemed that this was the expression he wore behind his mask whenever he was taken aback.

Once I saw that Sir Cherry had finished his cake, I stood up. “If you’re done eating, let’s move on to the next place.”

The next stop was an upscale boutique specializing in men’s accessories. I examined cufflinks, leather gloves, and other items that would suit Sir Cherry, handing them to him one by one.

Just then, my gaze fell on the finest luxury item, a pocket watch.
“Lady Blanche, I can’t accept something like this without a reason.”

What is he talking about? Even with a reason, he wouldn’t accept it.
His words dampened my shopping excitement, and even the boutique owner, who had been eagerly showcasing every new item, fell silent.

“Sir Cherry.”
“Yes?”
“Do you happen to know Sir Penadel?”
“…I do know him.”

He awkwardly nodded, unable to say that he didn’t know him. How strange; he could have easily feigned ignorance in such a situation. His steadfastness is reassuring at times, but it can also be frustrating, especially when he’s so rigid about separating work from personal matters. Sir Penadel had already lost a precious holiday to indulge my whims, insisting that simply providing for my meals and lodging was enough, and he refused any payment.

So, what could I do? The only option was to shower him with gifts, especially when he wasn’t acting like Sir Penadel. I looked at Sir Cherry, who seemed to be struggling to refuse my offerings and raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
“Sir Cherry, I didn’t expect you to be so rigid. Could it be…?”
“I will accept it. Thank you. I… I quite enjoy receiving things like this.”
“Aha, I see. You’re very different from Sir Penadel. Alright then, choose one of these brooches.”
“…”
“Don’t want to? Could it be…?”

Without any further comment, Sir Cherry chose a brooch.

After a while, I was able to leave with a bunch of accessories for him.

Contrary to my cheerful expression, Sir Cherry’s face was sullen.

To others, he might have looked expressionless, but I could see the very slight downturn of his mouth.

I pretended not to notice his mood as we headed to our final destination.

Could it be another place to spend money? Sir Cherry’s tense expression, like a knight heading into battle, relaxed only after he saw the scene before him.

“Let’s walk a bit.”