Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre

The sudden touch that cooled down the burning sensation around my eyes felt pleasant.

“Your hands are as cold as a corpse. Is there something wrong with your body?”

“My aura attribute is Frost.”

Ah, so he’s blowing aura into his hands to cool me down. I never imagined that aura could be used so extravagantly and casually.

I appreciated his kindness and obediently let him attend to my body for a while before I suddenly said, “You don’t ask me anything.”

I must have seemed suspicious enough. Even after everything was settled, Sie Penadel never inquired about my circumstances.

Well, it doesn’t mean he won’t inform the Grand Duke, but for now, his silence was appreciated.

“If you wish me to ask, I will.”

“…… Your lordship is very clueless.”

He’s strangely robotic, as he was at our first meeting. Even if I said that his hands were cold because they were made of iron, he would probably just nod in agreement.

“I think it’s better for you to rest now.”

Sir Penadel’s deep, resonant voice gave a strange sense of reassurance. Just hearing his voice without facing the terrifying mask made it feel like he was worrying about me.

“Are you daring to sympathize with me?”

Oh, Belle. Look at what you’re saying.

I removed Sir Penadel’s hand from me and glanced up at him.

His expression remained hidden beneath the mask, and the only thing visible was his firm lips.

As I suspected…

“It’s not sympathy; it’s concern,” he rumbled, contradicting my expectations.

Wait, did he genuinely worry about me?

“With that stoic face?”

“Was I stoic?”

Sir Penadel reached for his face but was quickly blocked by the mask.

I burst out laughing at his clumsiness.

“My lordship, you are not very honest either.”

* * *

When thinking about what Belinda possessed, it was natural for Cedric to worry about her. If something went wrong with her, the engagement contract would be jeopardized.

That was the only emotion he had.

“My lordship, you are not very honest either.”

But then, like a mask being lifted, he saw a faint smile appear on her otherwise expressionless face.

Cedric averted his gaze.

It felt like stumbling upon something that shouldn’t be seen, and an eerie sense of guilt washed over him.

“I’m tired. I’ll go to my room and rest.”

Even after she left, he remained in the empty room for a while.

Only after he heard the sound of her door closing in the distance did Cedric remove his mask and roughly rub at his face.

He hadn’t asked Belinda what was going on, because he didn’t want to get too involved with her.

Parting ways after exchanging what they desired in a straightforward manner. That was what Cedric wanted.

Yet, her smile left a mark on the emotions Cedric had buried deep beneath the surface.

Although Cedric himself did not realize it.

***

“What? Say it again.”

Bruno’s usually pale face, devoid of vitality, turned a sickly shade of red.

Bruno’s assistant knew that opening his mouth was akin to pouring water into a hot frying pan, but he had no choice.

He could only hope that the boiling oil would steer clear of him.

“That… last night, there was a fire in the commercial district, and the warehouse owned by Bruno was completely destroyed.”

“Completely destroyed? All those goods?”

“Yes, yes.”

“That’s absurd! How is that even possible? How were those imbeciles stationed around the warehouse not doing anything when the fire broke out?”

“Well, it was such a massive fire that everyone was engulfed in flames and perished.”

Bang. Bruno slammed his desk.

Of all the warehouses located in the commercial district, it had to be his that went up in flames.

In one fell swoop, Bruno had lost about a year’s worth of Cecil’s Lullaby and hundreds of kilos of fanthistle, the herb he needed to make it. 

He was just about to embark on the stage where he would release a significant quantity and finally make some money.

Everything he had meticulously prepared, evading the eyes of the royal family and the Magic Tower, turned to ashes in an instant.

“Could it be that the royal bastards caught wind of something…?”

Bruno raised his head.

No, that couldn’t be true.

If it were the doing of the royal guards, they wouldn’t have set the warehouse on fire so secretly.

Bruno’s mind raced.

Yes, for now, let’s forget about who did this and how much damage was done.

It can be remade, after all.

Bruno clenched his patience and set out to replenish the stock of “Cecil’s Lullaby.”

And three hours later.

“What? Say it again.”

“Huh? Where have I seen this scene before?”

Bruno’s assistant felt a strange uneasiness and examined the blackened complexion of Bruno, who was as lifeless as a charred pan.

And hesitantly, he opened his mouth.

“We… We couldn’t find any remaining Fanthistle in the market. Someone purchased every last bit without leaving a single leaf. It won’t be until next spring that we can procure a new supply…..” 

“If it can’t be found, then we’ll make it! That’s why I made you my assistant!”

In the end, Bruno’s anger erupted.

Unable to contain his frustration, Bruno hurled whatever he could grab, turning his laboratory into a mess.

“Find out who the buyer is right now and drag him in front of me!”

The assistant, nursing his kicked rear, hastily escaped from the Magic Tower.

However, since that day, the assistant never returned to the Magic Tower. Instead, a crumpled message found its way to Bruno.

As Bruno quickly scanned the message, expecting to find the name of the buyer, a look of bewilderment crept across his face.

“What does he mean? Is the buyer’s name related to the leak of the manufacturing process?”

Bruno couldn’t interpret the context of the message to the extent that he made such a nonsensical remark.

The hastily scribbled handwriting. Stains of blood in the corners. An unseen assistant.

This time, it was Bruno who felt a strange sense of unease. He urgently sent someone to investigate the situation in the slums.

And the news that came back…

“The true recipe for ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ has been revealed throughout the slums.”

The news sent a chill down Bruno’s spine.

A burnt-out warehouse. Monopolizing fanthistle. The recipe leaking.

All of these factors made it clear.

There was someone obstructing him.

“This has gone too far.”

If the recipe is leaked, it’s over.

‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ is not a magical potion that requires special skills.

If one knows the manufacturing process, even third-rate sorcerers running private workshops can easily produce it.

Anyone looking for Cecil’s Lullaby who doesn’t realize they’ve been poisoned will immediately go to a private workshop and ask for Cecil’s Lullaby to be made according to a recipe that has spread through the slums.

The addictive nature of the modified ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ stems directly from its immediate sleep-inducing effects.

On the other hand, the real ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ does not have a sleep-inducing effect, so taking it does not cause immediate unconsciousness.

In other words, if the slum dwellers start taking the real ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’ instead of the modified version, they will eventually lose their dependency on the drug.

‘I’d better force Vivian to develop a new magic potion.’

It just so happened that his golden goose was working on a potion to heal wounds. If used wisely, there could be a lucrative opportunity similar to ‘Cecil’s Lullaby’.

As he thought of Vivian, he couldn’t even suspect that she might be involved in this matter.

***

“Vivian? What in the world is that?”

Vivian’s shoulders slumped as she turned to face her mentor. Only then did she remember that she was wearing the new clothes Belinda had tailored for her. 

Bruno, accustomed to luxury goods, carefully examined the fabric that exuded a subtle shine. There was a hint of blatant disapproval in his eyes, and Vivian’s heart sank as usual.

“Ahem, well, it does suit you. But Vivian, didn’t I tell you about my principles?”

He solemnly brushed off imaginary dust from his clothes and spoke.

“Those who seek truth and conquer reason should stay away from extravagance. You’re still just an apprentice, and such clothes seem a bit excessive.”

“Ah…….” Vivian bowed her head, unable to form a proper response. 

Bruno, satisfied with his subdued disciple, spoke in a forgiving tone, getting to the point.

“Well, since you’ve gone to the trouble of making it, I won’t tell you not to wear it. By the way, how is the progress with the restorative potion you’ve been working on lately?”

“Well… it’s almost at the final stage…”

“Good, that’s great. As usual, bring a detailed summary of the research process, and I’ll assess its value as a product.”

Normally, the answer would have come back immediately.

But somehow, Vivian didn’t answer, just bit her lip and then spoke with a desperate look on her face.

“Master, am I… am I a very, very inadequate disciple?”

“What?”

“When can I become a proper disciple of yours and receive the cape of the Magic Tower?”

It had already been eight years since Vivian had been an apprentice under Bruno.

Typically, after about four years of apprenticeship, one would naturally be recognized as a formal disciple. However, there seemed to be no end in sight for her apprenticeship.

Yet she had never expressed any dissatisfaction until now…

“Vivian, you are a commoner, a mere wretch, unable to touch a proper research tool without my help.”

He was never the slightest bit concerned about the way he treated her, as long as she was able to develop tools with her own hands.

(E/N: It’s on sight for this Bruno a*shole. How dare he treat our precious 

Vivian like this!)