Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 30
“We kept all your old clothes well, but theyāre too outdated. We need to buy everything new.”
Jeff interjected, “But weāve picked out the most important things, so we can take our time with the rest.”
“Really? But thereās still so much missing.”
“We have plenty of time now.”
“Ahā¦.”
Tears welled up in Emmaās eyes. Adeline groaned with a sense of foreboding.
“Yes, now we have plenty of timeā¦!”
Jeff pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to their mother.
“We need to show everyone whose daughter Adeline is, so they canāt just run their mouths.”
“Yes, yes. We need to make sure no one can speak ill of her.”
“…”
By now, most people in Delmuz were likely talking about Adeline Bertrand. Some newspapers had subtly encouraged cautious conspiracy theories.
“Fools doubt even when they see with their own eyes.”
“Anyone with any semblance of intelligence in their brains would naturally have doubtsā¦.”
“Donāt worry, Adeline. Iāll protect you no matter what.”
“No oneās going to hurt meā¦.”
“You have nothing to worry about.”
“Iām worried about you, Motherā¦.”
Adeline was concerned that Emma might get dehydrated from crying so much.
For the past ten days, Emma had been crying at the drop of a hat, making it impossible for anyone to say anything. Facing her overly dramatic mother made even Adelineās conscience ache.
While comforting the weeping Emma, Adeline met Jeff’s eyes. He smiled mysteriously.
āHeās suspicious, definitely suspiciousā¦.ā
Jeff spoke,
“The main character of the night will be our Adeline, Mother.”
“Iāll make sure she looks the part.”
If being the main character meant anything, wandering around looking like a mess would be the most effective. Maybe theyād send her to a convent for being a madwoman. That would be nice…
‘No, wait, last time I thought about escaping to a convent, I saw someone push me off a cliff…’
The nightmares hadnāt returned, but the fundamental issue remained unsolved.
*
The five years in Delmuz without āAdeline Bertrandā.
Adeline pondered while listening to Lloydās investigation report.
The biggest change was, of course, Saintess Genevieve.
āDid Genevieve learn some kind of cloning technique?ā
Even a brief look at Genevieveās schedule revealed it was far from ordinary.
Any normal person would have collapsed from overwork within a couple of months, but it seemed Genevieve had barely managed to endure thanks to the self-healing powers she gained as she partially awakened as a Saintess.
āNo wonder the girl seemed so worn outā¦!ā
That lovely girl! Our female lead!
Shane was an inhumane boss. Even if Genevieve had been a machine, the workload he gave her would have caused her to overheat and break down.
She was constantly dragged around for purifying miasma and eliminating monsters, and she had to make appearances at every royal and church event.
Shane, who had officially inherited his title, handled a busy schedule just as grueling as Genevieveās, but he hardly participated in social activities. As a result, the rumors about him were limited to his cold demeanor, indifferent personality, and praises of his sculptural beauty.
āThe Crown Prince must have sat back and enjoyed the show.ā
With the saintess and the male lead busy dealing with the sorcerer, the crown prince had the pleasure of having them overwork themselves for the benefit of the imperial family. How convenient.
The elderly emperor, citing health reasons, was staying at a retreat palace, leaving the crown prince to wield all the power. No wonder he looked so well.
Normally, by the time they reached the ending, the sorcerer should have been captured.
‘Where did the real villain go?’
After the attack Adeline orchestrated five years ago, the sorcerer completely vanished.
Unless the sorcerer got struck by lightning somewhere and died, Genevieve still carried unprecedented risks.
‘Hey, you damn sorcerer, your laziness ruined my life too.’
Adeline’s anger was misdirected. Not that she wished for Genevieve to have narrowly escaped death numerous times.
If Genevieve died, not only the empire but the whole world would end. She had to be protected.
Apart from knowing that the sorcerer was an imperial noble, Adeline had no other information. Moreover, the situation had diverged significantly from the novelās storyline, rendering her knowledge useless.
How was she supposed to find the sorcerer among the countless nobles of the Green Windsor Empire?
‘This is originally the male leadās job.’
Adeline slapped her cheek hard enough to make a sound, startling Lloyd.
“Are you crazy?”
“No, just reflecting.”
“Do you need to slap yourself to reflect?”
“No, Iām also thinking.”
Lloyd looked at her as if she were insane.
“If you need more, I can slap you.”
“No, Iām done.”
Overthinking and over-reflecting only lead to self-loathing. Actions were what changed reality.
So, should she plan a divorce now?
‘The title could be something like <The Resurrected Villainess Wants a Divorce>ā¦’
Fxxx my life.