Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 36
“Words would change nothing when it comes to him, actually.”
Genevieve, youā¦ you’ve changed.
Adeline felt the urge to cling pathetically as though she was doing so with an ex-boyfriend, but doing this might lead to the pitiful drunkard getting beaten to death.
‘Male lead! The male lead of this world!’
A mad dog, indeed.
The female lead had become a deputy, and the male lead had become a mad dog. Tears clouded her vision. The reports she received over the years had only mentioned that he had become more aggressive, not a mad dog.
The fact that no one was stopping him was not just because the man had lived a problematic life.
It was because everyone with the highest authority at this event ā the Crown Prince, the Saintess, the Duke, and even members of the Marquisate who had mixed into the crowd to watch ā were all passively observing.
Adeline felt a sense of duty that she was the only one who could save this manās life.
“Shane, stop it!”
She shouted loudly and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Like magic, Shane stopped.
Adeline cautiously pulled his waist closer to her, like handling an explosive. A little closer to her, further away from the man. He didnāt move, but he didnāt push her away either.
“Stop it, thatās enoughā¦.”
“ā¦ā¦.”
“What if he diesā¦.”
Death was terrifying.
Both her own and othersā.
Adeline squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to look at the already battered man. She babbled whatever came to mind.
“I havenāt even had my first dance yet, right? So letās go dance. My partner is Jeff, but youāre my fiancĆ©, so itās okay. Letās go dance, Shane. Let him go, okay? Let him goā¦.”
She was genuinely scared he might die.
She tightened her grip around his waist to prevent him from hitting the man any further. After a moment, Shane covered her hand with his own.
“If you had just told me to stop, Adeline, I would have.”
“Donāt lie.”
“Itās true. If you had told me to stop.”
Shane smiled and lifted Adelineās hand from his waist to kiss it. He kissed each finger and said,
“Are you afraid I might actually kill him?”
“Yeah, Iām scared.”
“Of me? Orā¦.”
Seeing Adelineās pale face, Shane changed his words.
“If I intended to kill him, heād be dead already, Adeline.”
“ā¦ā¦.”
“This should be enough of a lesson.”
He added that he never intended to kill the man in the first place.
Adeline looked at him with distrust. She suspected he might be planning to kill the man later.
When the novel was a bright and cheerful romance, she might have believed him, but now that the genre had shifted to some sort of hybrid, she couldnāt take things at face value.
“You said you wanted to dance. Letās go.”
“Uh, in a little whileā¦. I feel dizzy and need to rest.”
“Then step on my feet.”
“Iām not a child stepping on her dadās feetā¦.”
Adeline grumbled and signaled the fallen man with her eyes. She was telling him to escape while he had the chance.
Shane ignored the man who staggered away, gasping, and slowly scanned the crowd. His intense gaze carried a clear warning.
It was a threat that anyone who underestimated āAdeline Bertrandā would not be tolerated.
Edwin whistled softly.
“Quite a performance.”
“How can you say that when my sister was nearly hurt?”
“Sheās not my sister.”
The man who wouldnāt care even if his own sister had been knocked down spoke eloquently. Jeff commented.
“I was just about to bring a drink, and my first dance was taken.”
“Thanks to that, look. Now no one can doubt āAdeline Bertrandā anymore.”
Edwin chuckled.
Shane had made a show of beating the man, pretending to be enraged over his fiancĆ©eās situation. It was partly true, too.
People would talk about how much Shane Blanchard loved his fiancĆ©eā¦.
“And they also know who holds Shaneās leash.”
“A leash that Adeline herself would want to get rid, by the way.”
“Haha, it seems so!”
People would talk about what the returned Adeline Bertrand possessed. It was clear that wasnāt what Adeline wanted, but it was good for Edwin.
A useful card had returned.
