Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 64

He urged Cedric to speak the truth, but on the other hand, he hoped his lord would fail.

That way, there would be no chance of him returning to the North and heading towards the barrier.
He was somewhat worried about how to convey the truth to Belinda later, but for now, Penadel decided to rejoice in the fortune of the moment.

“Then, rest well in the capital as planned. I will carry out your duties even if it costs me my soul.”

Cedric, accustomed to wearing the mask, handed over the gifts from Belinda to Penadel.

Though it was unlikely, if he were to be caught with these gifts by Belinda, he would have no excuse.

” Take good care of it. “

“Oh? The craftsmanship of the capital is indeed exquisite. You’re sure it’s alright to leave it with me?”
At Penadel’s question, Cedric’s gaze drifted back to the brooch he had pinned to his cloak.
The amethyst sparkled brilliantly in the pale moonlight, reminding him of someone’s eyes.
Cedric detached the brooch and looked down at it for a moment.

The amethyst sparkled brilliantly in the pale moonlight, evoking the image of someone’s eyes.

The gem was polished smooth enough to reflect the moonlight, but naturally, it couldn’t capture his appearance as clearly as Belinda’s eyes.

Yet, he couldn’t take his eyes off the surface of the gem.

“The red eyes tinted by the sunset look as tempting as a cherry, which is why you probably have that nickname.”

Was that so? Was that the reason behind his nickname?

He couldn’t quite remember.

“Your Grace? What are you looking at so intently?”

And just as Penadel leaned in to see what Cedric was looking at, Cedric quickly folded his hand to hide the brooch.
It wasn’t an overly expensive gem, nor was it so uniquely crafted that it could be considered one of a kind.

So, he thought it wouldn’t be a big problem to possess it.

“This is fine.”

Cedric spoke as if hiding a secret, tucking the brooch deep into his jacket pocket.

* * *

As the mining district of the Genos Kingdom suggested, the Blanche Mansion was quite extravagant.
Yet even that extravagance was nothing compared to the grandeur of the royal palace, resembling nothing more than a gilded imitation.
The palace, built solely of white marble and platinum, was a work of art in itself.
If one let their guard down for even a moment, they might find themselves mesmerized by the palace’s splendor, turning their head in awe without even realizing it, so he clenched the fan tightly in his hand.

 The reason for being here today wasn’t just because of the prince’s invitation; there was another purpose.

It was to raise my synchronization.

As I got used to life in the mansion, opportunities to raise my synchronization became rare.

Causing trouble for the staff was only a matter of time.

Moreover, creating a ruckus in the mansion wasn’t good for Leo’s emotional education.

But in the social scene, the story was different.

Amid a wild environment where slander and political maneuvering run rampant, where else would be a better stage for me to unleash my inner wild horse, completely absorbed in my role as Belinda?
To prepare for this, I meticulously reviewed the reports of Belinda’s misdeeds published in the newspapers, memorizing every detail, and thoroughly studied the information and weaknesses of the nobles gathered by the rats.
“I’ll be waiting.”

Sir Penadel, who escorted me to the front of the palace where the ball was taking place, said.

Since he hadn’t received an invitation, he couldn’t enter the palace, but he was dressed impeccably just to escort me to the entrance.

“It won’t take long.”

I hoped that my expression showed no signs of anxiety or fear as I sent away my only ally.

Thus, I stood alone in front of the grand doors of the ballroom.

Whatever awaited me, I wouldn’t easily fall for it.

I gave a signal to the attendant watching me.

Soon, through the door that the attendant opened, a rich scent of perfume and music, along with the aroma of luxury, wafted out.

With a fiercer expression than ever, I stepped into the ballroom.

* * *

The royal ball, held once in spring and once in autumn, was a dream stage that every young lady debutante aspired to attend.
Young ladies from reputable families would participate in the spring royal ball to make their names known, then stay in the capital until the October festival, dedicating themselves to socializing before searching for a marriage partner at the autumn ball.

On the other hand, young ladies from poor families, who couldn’t afford to attend two royal balls, could only barely manage to participate in the autumn ball.

However, by that time, social groups had already formed, and they would end up lingering around their peers who had built connections among themselves, only to return home feeling lonely, reflecting on the insurmountable class differences.

The only thing given to them fairly was just one unwritten rule that had circulated among the young debutantes for years:
“Beware of the woman with red hair.”
Everyone knew it referred to the daughter of the Blanche family.
Julia was a young lady from a poor baron family who barely managed to cross the threshold of the autumn ball, clutching onto that one unwritten rule.
For the debut of their only daughter, the baron and baroness had spent an entire year preparing an expensive dress for her. The dress, which was far more extravagant than anything else in her small domain, seemed pitiful when compared to the silk wallpaper adorning the walls of the royal ball.

The shabby dress made Julia shrink back.

As she awkwardly fiddled with her champagne glass, unable to mingle with others and standing close to the wall, she was approached by a well-dressed young man.

“I haven’t seen your face before. Are you debuting this year?”

Not used to talking with men, Julia nodded her head with a bright red face.

The man had impeccable manners and spoke in a refined manner, without a hint of regional dialect, befitting a central noble.

It was surprising that such a man would speak to her.

It felt like she was dreaming as she blushed and listened intently to what the man was saying.
“The royal ball is great and all, but every year, the selection of drinks isn’t really to my taste.”
He must be someone who gets invited to the royal ball every year.
Just that alone made him seem remarkable to her.
Eventually, the man snapped his fingers in frustration.
Then, a man dressed similarly to the palace attendants brought him a bottle of wine.
As if he had been prepared for this moment, the man poured the wine into a glass.
“Would you like to try it? It’s my favorite wine.”
“I’m… not very accustomed to drinking.”

“Still, you should give it a try. Didn’t anyone teach you that you shouldn’t refuse a drink offered by a man?”

Was that a custom in the capital?
She thought about asking her aunt, who had come along with her, but her aunt had said she would be stepping away for a moment and hadn’t returned yet.
She didn’t want to seem like a country bumpkin who couldn’t even understand the culture of the capital.
As Julia hesitated, just then, a hand gloved in black lace reached in front of her to take the glass.
Her gaze first landed on the delicately woven lace gloves that looked like spiderwebs.
Then, she naturally began to examine the person’s dress and couldn’t help but let out a sigh of admiration.
Goodness, she had never seen a dress this extravagant before.
At that time, the bustle style, which puffs out the rear, was in vogue in social circles, and evening dresses typically trailed behind to a dramatic extent.

The dress in front of her sparkled brilliantly with all kinds of lace and jewels, as if a peacock’s feathers had been lavishly adorned.

‘If I wore something like that, I would just get lost in the dress.’

As her gaze traveled up the slender waist, which gracefully arched like a willow branch, she finally took in the other person’s face.

Ain this moment, Julia felt as if she had discovered the reason for the creation of this world.

“Lord Hamel, your taste in drinks is still as terrible as ever.”
A neck as white and elegant as a swan.
Purple eyes that held the refined fragrance of crushed violets.
A vivid splash of red, like a drop of blood on freshly fallen snow.
She was the protagonist of this world.
Her very existence turned everyone else into supporting characters.

“Well, I suppose cheap eyes will only see cheap things, no matter how many times you tell them.”

Even her sharp sarcasm flowed from those exquisitely shaped lips, making it feel like an undeniable truth that one must obediently accept.
In that instant, Julia was sure that Lord Hamel’s flushed face was not due to the insult but rather an instinctual reaction to facing her.
“L-Lady Blanche, it’s been a while since we last met.”
“Has it?”
Belinda responded dismissively, handing the wine glass she was holding back to Lord Hamel.
“Well, since you’re so confident it’s good wine, it’s only proper for the owner to taste it first. Go on, have a drink.”
“I’m not feeling well…”

“Lord Hamel, before you inform your dear fiancée of your wine preferences, just drink it.”
At that moment, it became a command rather than a suggestion.