Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 214
“The empress wasn’t telling him not to have affairs—she was telling him not to sire illegitimate children. How hard could that be?”
“Well, he must be quite… robust.”
“They say it’s just a man’s instinct.”
“Living by instinct alone hardly qualifies one as human.”
“True. But aside from your father, I’ve yet to meet a man who doesn’t cheat.”
Emma let out a mock sigh and chuckled mischievously.
“If your husband cheats on you, let me know right away. I’ll see to it that you divorce him immediately.”
“Do you think he’ll cheat on me?”
“Well, you never know with people, so we’ll just have to wait and see, right? But… it would be quite fascinating, honestly. The idea of him seeing someone else as a person, other than you…”
Emma added nonchalantly that worrying about a flood in the desert might make more sense.
It wasn’t the act of cheating that was unbelievable—it was the idea of him even viewing someone as human in the first place.
In a way, it was a testament to profound trust.
At that moment, Madame Rachel Harper knocked lightly on the door before entering.
“May I interrupt?”
“We’ve been waiting for you, Rachel. Please, come in.”
Emma stood up to greet Rachel warmly.
Rachel set down the large case she had brought with her and winked.
“Ready for this, Adeline?”
To Adeline, it sounded like, ‘Are you prepared for battle, soldier?!’
It was time to show the results of her physical training with her tiger-drill-sergeant husband. Adeline nodded solemnly, bracing herself.
She lost spectacularly.
A mere month of training was nowhere near enough to keep up with Emma and Rachel, who seemed utterly tireless.
In her past life, Adeline was the type to walk into a store, grab what she needed, and leave.
While she enjoyed shopping, she had no interest in comparing products or deliberating over choices.
How could two nearly identical products prompt a 30-minute debate? Why not just buy both? But no, they insisted—it was about choosing the one that fit best. Adeline couldn’t wrap her head around it.
Two hours in, she gave up and resolved to play the role of a doll, keeping her mouth shut.
Not that there was anything else she could do.
The ordeal didn’t even end in a day. Rachel and Emma visited the Blanchard estate daily for a week. Emma seemed so thrilled to be shopping with her daughter that Adeline couldn’t bring herself to complain.
Well, what’s a little exhaustion compared to making my mother this happy?
But physical stamina and mental endurance were entirely different matters. It was like preparing meticulously for battle only to be wiped out by an unexpected bombing.
She found herself longing for the comfort of her cozy prison.
“So that’s why you look so worn out?”
Genevieve’s voice carried a hint of amusement.
“I don’t even have the energy to speak anymore…”
“And here I thought you were indulging me with a rare date.”
“No way! I have to rally! You’re busier than I am, yet you came to see me!”
Adeline, who had been slumped over the table, quickly straightened up.
I can’t let my female lead down!
Even though she now knew this world was no longer a novel, Genevieve remained Adeline’s ‘female lead’.
To Adeline, the ‘female lead’ was someone she always wanted to support and see happy.
That would never change.
Genevieve caught her eye and smiled—a radiant smile.
It wasn’t the teary, wavering smile from when they first met, nor the exhausted, resigned smile from their reunion.
The shadowed face of the girl from their first meeting was entirely gone.
Genevieve now shone as brightly as the sun. But Adeline, more than anyone, knew how much pain Genevieve had endured and transformed into strength.
That made her even more admirable.
* * *
It was a perfect day.
The resplendent ceremonial robes and neatly pinned platinum blonde hair further enhanced Genevieve’s beauty.
Even the sunlight seemed like a blessing.
As applause thundered around her, Genevieve stood tall, smiling boldly like the goddess.
What does it mean to be a protagonist?
Who could have imagined that the stunning new pope had once looked so weary and defeated, like a lowly assistant beside her manager?
Clapping along with the crowd, Adeline mused that Genevieve was truly living the life of a protagonist chosen by this world.
A tragic birth, a painful upbringing, dramatic social ascension, and personal growth.
But this world wasn’t a novel, and Genevieve wasn’t the only protagonist.
If everyone were their own protagonist, then what were they born for?
If life wasn’t about dying for someone else, how was she meant to live her own?
If she, too, was a protagonist, then what should she do now?
To Adeline, a protagonist was bound by certain obligations, along with the trials they faced.
They must find happiness in the end.
They must love.
They must laugh.
As a lifelong reader who wished for every story to have a happy ending, Adeline believed this was the duty of any protagonist.
Being a protagonist isn’t easy.
It was no less challenging than being a villain who quits halfway through the story. There was still a long road ahead.
Adeline reached out and took Shane’s hand. Shane smiled out of habit, unaware of what she was thinking, and just as naturally, he kissed her.
“Shane.”
Instead of chiding him for their public display, Adeline simply called his name softly.
“I’ll make you happy, no matter what.”
“Impossible, Adeline.”
“…….”
“I couldn’t possibly be happier than I already am.”
Adeline chuckled.
They would laugh.
They would love.
And in the end, they would be happy.
*
From a distance, Keith watched them for a long time.
He smiled smoothly, his face free of any scars, and prepared to return to the emperor’s side.
Azucena
So sweet!
Moople
Wait, wut. That last paragraph…
I have questions.