What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 1

“Here is a mirror.”

The middle-aged man had the servants bring a large full-length mirror so that I, in my new clothes, could check my overall appearance.

I inhaled slightly.

From the reflection, I could only be sure that this body wasn’t mine.

If I could confirm exactly what it looked like, would I be able to figure out where I had fallen into?

“…Hmm.”

“Do you like it?”

A tall figure, bright blonde hair, and violet eyes. A refreshing upturn of the lips when I smiled slightly.

A young man who anyone would call handsome was staring back at me in the mirror.

No, what is going on…

“Yes, thank you.”

I mumbled haphazardly.

Whether I liked the style or not, a human being who looked like this was very likely to be the protagonist.

But none of the protagonists in the works I’ve read had blonde hair, and the trend was black hair.

In that case, ‘I’ was likely a supporting character like the protagonist’s best friend, colleague, rival, or even a mid-boss.

I feel complicated because I’m not even sure about my return plan, but I wonder if a situation will come where I have to play an important role.

“Then let’s go have breakfast now. I’ll lead the way.”

I nodded quietly.

And before moving my feet, I glanced at myself in the mirror one last time.

Is the height similar to mine…? Huh?

“…I’ve seen you somewhere.”

“Your Highness?”

“Ah, sorry. It’s nothing.”

I vaguely brushed it off and followed the middle-aged man. The servants followed behind me.

I walked past an enormous window projecting a wide garden and organized my thoughts.

First of all, the body I’ve possessed is a ‘prince’ from the ‘Shin Kingdom.’

It’s strangely familiar, but I don’t know who it is.

I haven’t heard the prince’s name or the Shin Kingdom’s name yet.

I also don’t know what purpose I visited here for.

This place has an ‘Imperial Family,’ so it must be an empire with an emperor, but I don’t know the country’s name either.

“This way.”

The middle-aged man opened the door to the dining room and guided me to a huge dining table, then pulled out a chair with a precise motion.

“What would you like to drink with your meal? We have a variety of coffee beans from the southern part of the continent and tea leaves grown in the north.”

This middle-aged man, who has been leading all the conversations and schedules since I opened my eyes, introduced himself as ‘Benjamin Girardin.’

There was an addition of, ‘I am leading the servants of this Juliette Palace, though I am inadequate,’ but both the name of the person and the name of the palace were too unfamiliar. Damn it.

“I’d like some herbal tea, please.”

Only after speaking did I realize that I was in someone else’s body.

My original body suffered from severe gastritis [inflammation of the stomach lining], so I couldn’t easily digest caffeine, alcohol, or even carbonation.

So I blurted out what I always ordered when I went to a cafe… But wouldn’t it be okay with this body?

A reckless thought briefly crossed my mind: Should I have asked for a glass of wine?

“…I was careless. I understand.”

For a moment, a crack appeared on Benjamin’s face, which had been unreadable all along, in response to my answer.

I wondered if I had made a mistake, so I glanced at the other servants, but their expressions were ominous in a different way.

They seemed to be admiring something, or perhaps they were surprised.

Is it really that unusual over a cup of tea?

“We have prepared chamomile.”

“Thank you.”

After the servants moved busily, a teapot and teacup with warm steam rising from the spout appeared.

“Do you find the meal to your liking?”

“Yes, it’s delicious. The seasoning is just right.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Freshly baked warm bread, soup as smooth as cream, a dressing I’d never tasted before, good-smelling meat dishes, and even fresh fruit.

It was a breakfast that was pleasing to the eye and delightful to the mouth.

The people who woke me up, washed me, dressed me in new clothes, and brought me here now didn’t seem like they would poison the food, so I enjoyed the meal without worry.

I had to fill my stomach to make my head work better and gain the driving force to go home, right?

“You’ve eaten cleanly.”

Benjamin said in a surprised tone.

When I came to my senses, I was scraping the bottom of the salad plate with my fork.

Even though I was someone from another world, I didn’t think this was right, so I quickly put down the utensils.

“Haha, I must have been tired from the long journey. I ate more than usual. Thank you for the meal.”

I quoted the words I had heard from Benjamin.

I don’t know how far it is from the Shin Kingdom to here, but since a local said it was a long journey, it must be a long journey.

“Then shall we have dessert?”

“No, I always have a separate stomach for dessert.”

*

For dessert, I drank warm rooibos tea and devoured an egg tart filled with custard.

When I bit into the third piece, the servants exclaimed ‘Wow,’ as if they wanted to eat it too.

“I’m full…”

When I returned to the room, buried myself in the sofa, and covered myself with the blanket Benjamin gave me, I heard the servants giggling softly.

I didn’t ask for it, but it seemed I hadn’t made a charismatic first impression.

“Your Highness, would you like me to bring you some books to read?”

“Yes, thank you.”

I readily accepted when one of the servant children spoke to me in a friendly manner. Books are good.

Anything was fine as long as I could get a clue about this place.

I wondered if I had entered a completely different type of content than a web novel, but I had a feeling that was a misjudgment.

I had hardly read webtoons [Korean webcomics] or comic books since graduating from high school.

I often watched movies or dramas with my family, but I haven’t encountered a period drama with this kind of scenery recently.

I’ve also become estranged from literary books since I was twenty, and I thought musicals were too far-fetched.

I didn’t want to make the bleak assumption that I had fallen into a real ‘different world’ that wasn’t someone’s creation.

In the end, all that was left was web novels, but since the number of works I had browsed on my way to and from work was not small, I still couldn’t get a sense of it.

“What’s the next schedule?”

I asked Benjamin.

I had carefully examined the decorations and inlaid patterns in the hallway while going back and forth between the room and the dining room, but there was nothing helpful.

The sentences engraved on the ends of the spoons and knives were also something I had never seen before.

It was time to be more proactive.

“…There is no next schedule.”

What, didn’t he just look slightly embarrassed?

“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered that you rest well today, as you arrived late last night.”

“I understand. Then what about tomorrow’s schedule?”

Silence. There’s definitely something going on.

There was a momentary flicker in his impeccable attitude, like a typical butler character.

Conversely, my head gradually cleared.

“Do I rest all week?”

“Yes.”

“Still, I think it would be boring to stay in this palace. Would it be okay to look around other places?”

The last question popped out almost instinctively.

It was suspicious that a foreign prince staying in the palace had no diplomatic schedule.

Benjamin’s expression when he informed me of that was also unsettling.

“I’m sorry, but that’s impossible, Your Highness.”

“Why?”

When he met my eyes directly, he soon lowered his gaze slightly.

“If you’re really bored, a walk in the garden would be fine.”

“That’s a relief. Do you happen to know my return schedule?”

“…”

I see. This prince is trapped here.

Having come alone to a place far from his homeland, he was confined to a palace that was probably empty.

The treatment wasn’t bad, but even when going for a walk, he had to seek the opinion of a servant.

Then there’s only one answer.

“I want to walk right away to digest. I saw the garden from the window earlier, and it was very pretty.”

I have become a hostage.

“…I will report to the higher-ups first.”

When I nodded, Benjamin said quietly to one of the servants.

“Go to Mr. Capuchon of the Romero Palace and tell him that Prince Yesuh has requested a walk in the garden.”

I jumped up from the sofa.

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard, the answer that had finally caught my ear.

I was so taken aback that I was breathless.

‘Yesuh’ is my name.