I Corrupted The Good Male Protagonist - Chapter 6

“How did you come to that conclusion?”

Adele, who still had that funny look on his face, opened his mouth, and answered.

“I don’t care. Anastasia can laugh at me for even a hundred times.”

Suddenly, a part of my heart shook. It felt as if butterflies were fluttering inside me. I blinked hard.

Adele was not resistant to my pranks, and I felt like his fresh, honest words were sometimes like a strong stimulus.

‘You think I’m going to be moved if you say that? Not at all!’

I coughed.

He didn’t notice my red face, right?

Adele responded with a smile.

“Yes. I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

We had finished eating the walnut pie while we were in the kitchen. Then the chef brought more tea, juice, chocolate, pudding, and cookies, and the table quickly overflowed with food.

Adele stared at me while I was eating pudding and started talking.

“I heard that they will raise sky lanterns on the Marlowe River tonight and tomorrow night. Are you interested in seeing it? “

Ah! I knew about it, but I gave it up because I thought Adele wouldn’t allow it!

“Absolutely! I want to go!”

I shouted without thinking. Adele added a condition with a smiling face that resembled the sun.

“But you have to come with me. Because I’m taking over as your guardian.”

“Yeah! Okay! “

Adele’s eyes grew wide for a moment as if it was a surprise that I agreed.

It seemed that the real Anastasia said quite a few harsh words towards Adele. That’s why he’s so conscious of his words while accompanying me.

He smiled widely in relief, and then soon spoke softly,

“Then get ready. I’ll pick you up in the evening.”

“Adele is really the best!”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Adele showing his joy looked cute. Maybe I should praise him more often.

After a brief tea time, Adele returned to the Duke’s residence to prepare for the outing. I chatted with Irina and chose a dress for the evening.

I chose a modest brown dress, and Irina gave me an 85 out of 100.

Irina suddenly insisted that I should wear a hat because people might be surprised if they saw my face. Irina thought that my face was as dangerous as a weapon.

She tied my almost transparent silver hair loosely. Irina said that she loved my hair color because it looks good on any dress. I agreed with that.

Anastasia gave off a mysterious, ecstatic, and sweet atmosphere even in plain clothes.

Her big moon-like eyes and glossy silver hair looked mystical. Her pale face looked a bit cold but boasted an unrivaled beauty.

It was kind of sad to think that this beautiful appearance would wither away once the condition worsened later on.

I had a light dinner because it was obvious that I was going to eat snacks outside. By the time the sun was setting, Adele came to see me with a new light suit.

He looks like a prince in disguise. I pressed down my hat and followed Adele.

We went to our destination by carriage.

Despite the somewhat cold night wind, the area near the Marlowe River, which runs through the capital, was crowded with people. I was amazed because I never imagined that so many people would come here.

Merchants went out to the streets to sell chicken skewers, baked corn, fruit candy, and cotton candy. The children’s laughter filled the square.

Hundreds and thousands of lanterns were hanging over my head. The whole world seemed to be filled with yellow and orange starlight.

I looked around frantically.

“Wow, it’s really pretty. Everything is sparkling.”

“You’ll see better if we get on the boat.”

We bought two sky lanterns and rented a small boat.

The lanterns reflected in the river were like fishes that glowed on their own. It was a beautiful night view that money could never buy.

Adele, who was skillfully rowing a boat, spoke to me.

“Anastasia, you’re shining.”

I could feel the people on board, like us, were glancing at Adele.

I slowly let Adele’s golden hair, and breathtaking appearance sink into me. He’s the masterpiece of the century.

He was a nobleman who looked like a white birch surrounded by bright light. Adele’s existence alone was enough to attract people’s attention.

I whispered gently.

“Thank you, for bringing me here.”

“I’m just glad that you let me come with you.”

Adele replied with a smile.

“If we light up the sky lantern around here, it will go a lot farther. We can use a little trick, but it’ll be no fun to use magic.”

I fiddled with the sky lantern,

“Hmm, do I have to release it? I just want to keep it.”

Adele listened seriously, even though I was just grumbling.

“Then, let’s just light up Anastasia’s lantern. You can take mine. When it reaches the sky, your wish may come true.”

“But what about your wish?”

“My wish is for your wish to come true.”

Adele answered in a tone as if I was asking for the most obvious thing.

Orange lights swimming in the sky cast a fascinating shade over Adele’s face. My cheeks flamed.

I immediately lit up my lantern and released it into the sky, then I rushed Adele.

“Sha-shall we get off now?”

“Are you bored?”

“A little.”

I made an excuse, and Adele who sensed the room immediately started rowing the boat.

“I’ll turn the boat around right away.”

I was all of a sudden embarrassed by Adele’s crazy driving force.

“You don’t have to row so hard…”

We arrived at the opposite dock, squeezing and crossing among the other boats. Adele helped me get off the boat and we looked around.

“There’s a lot of people over here,”

I found a sweet-smelling shop and pointed my finger at it.

“Let’s go eat cotton candy!”

I pulled Adele before he could even say no.

Adele got dragged without a hitch.

And it was sheer folly that I found her.

At a close distance, I saw a girl with long shiny brown hair, with an air that gives an impression of a peach blossom.

That girl with bright blue eyes was holding roasted corn.

She was a beautiful girl, enough to make some people turn their heads and look back, but she gave me some kind of ominous feeling when I saw her wearing a dress embroidered with a rabbit shape.

I couldn’t ignore it. She wasn’t just pretty, it wasn’t common for a beautiful woman to stand out like that in a dress with a funny rabbit-shaped embroidery as well.

It was really suspicious, so I stepped a little closer, then the girl said to the Lady who sells strawberry-flavored candies,

“Auntie, I’m Olga. I’m here to buy some candy.”

This is crazy! It’s the heroine!

“Ah.”

I immediately stopped and awkwardly turned around as if I had remembered something I forgot.

“I changed my mind. Let’s go that way.”

“There’ll be nothing there.”

Adele gave me a puzzled look, but I already turned my back.

“Quickly.”

I didn’t want to lose Adele this early.

Olga was destined to meet Adele at my funeral anyway. Can’t he just be my friend until then?

Just let him stay with me for at least two years.

I thought I’d have no regrets in this life, but everything suddenly felt very unfair.

I took Adele into a deserted alleyway.

Bottles of liquor were scattered all over the place.

But I didn’t want to go back to where Olga was, so I walked a little more, grating my eyebrows.

It was a heavily secluded area, so the visibility was not clear.

Ugh.

As soon as I stepped on something and stumbled, Adele grabbed my arm.

“Anastasia, watch your step.”

I looked down and I unconsciously jumped in surprise when I saw someone.

“What is this?”

A good five people were laying on the ground, wasted. I could also see some faint bruises on their faces.

“There must have been a fight. It also seems to me that they were beaten unilaterally.”

“Ugh, the smell of alcohol… “

The intense smell made me dizzy. I felt a lump rising in my stomach. Adele grabbed me by the arm and pulled me towards him.

“Please forgive me for my rudeness. Excuse me for a moment.”

Adele helped me out of the alley. I asked with a stuffy nose.

“What about those people? Don’t you have to help them?”

“You’re my priority right now.”

It was a determined answer. I recovered little by little from Adele’s tender consideration and his fresh citrus scent.

If I drank alcohol, I would go home and sleep, but why the heck are they using the street floor as a bed?

I grumbled and closed my eyes.

Fortunately, Olga was gone when we came back.

But there were quite a few eyes on us.

“People are staring.”

It seems that I got too close to Adele as he was helping me. Adele let go of me in embarrassment.

“You’ll be safe here. I’ll be back with the security forces. Of course, I’ll keep an eye on you, so please refrain from doing anything dangerous.”

That probably meant that he would be watching me through magic.

Adele considered it a taboo to use magic in public, but it seems that it’s an exception when he’s trying to watch over me.

“Yes, take care.”

I sat at an empty outdoor table.

I put on my hat once again so that my face wasn’t exposed, and touched my loosely tied hair. I didn’t know that Adele, whose head was filled with justice, would take care of me before the injured. I was slightly impressed.

As I stared blankly in the direction where Adele disappeared, someone suddenly approached the table I was sitting in and asked.

“Excuse me. May I sit across from you for a moment? All the other tables are full,”

I gave him a dry reply without even checking who that person was properly.

“Sure. “

But I soon regretted my words.

When I yawned and lifted my head, the person sitting opposite me came into view.

It was a very handsome guy. The first thing that caught my eyes was his bright red hair which is rare in the empire. He also has freckles and his green eyes were impressive.

…Is it not? No way–

He smiled and asked.

“Did your companion leave?”

“He’ll be back soon. “

I replied with a hint of reluctance. He cut the conversation with deft skill.

“Then, do you think it’s okay to talk until then? I didn’t expect to meet a noble like me here. You’re a noble, aren’t you? I can tell even if you’re hiding it. I think Olga will like it if she found out that there’s a girl like her here.”

Ugh! You even came with Olga!

I had no choice but to admit it at this point. That red-haired boy must be Ash Claude.

Ash Claude was a character who always got in Adele’s face, an obvious villain. However, the female protagonist, Olga, had been close friends with him for a while as well.

I’m screwed. I think I just screwed it up.