What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 188

#188 Not Baker Street, Just Bakery (4)

-Faaaaat······!

“Kuh-heuk!”

The light faded. The situation ended in an instant.

Every guest at the upscale bar ‘Bluea’ was now sprawled out on their hands and knees before us.

As if aware of their wrongdoing, they alternated glances between the Crown Prince and me with pale faces.

Christel rushed to Modest Bakari, pulling out a handkerchief.

The young prophet, bleeding profusely, steadied himself against the wall.

He seemed about to reject the kindness, but,

“Tsk.”

Our protagonist silenced him with a single syllable.

I quickly retrieved the holy relic and approached him, activating a healing circle.

The blood-soaked eyes widened with astonishment.

Meanwhile, quick-witted attendants brought a sofa for Cedric.

Lady Elisabeth was checking the identities of the nobles, writing something in her notebook.

Yes, everyone, prepare for questioning by the Imperial Guard.

[With the Tears of the Main God, I staunch your blood.]

-Shaaaa······

I quickly chanted the activation phrase.

The ether particles that sprang from the circle gathered on Bakari’s forehead, the tip of his nose, and his cheeks.

Christel created water droplets to wash away the blood.

Thud. Seeing the liquid pooling on the floor made me angry again.

Damn it.

[You’re all adults, adults. Director Bakari is only twenty. He’s been an adult for only four years, and he just left his teens the other day. Even if he holds a high position, he’s still essentially a kid. What do you think you’re doing to someone so young?]

“Ugh, mmm······.”

[I’m not asking for an answer. I’m scolding you because I’m angry. Even if the Director incurred your wrath, is it right to beat someone like this? Is this the behavior of nobles who should be setting an example for the Empire? Answer me if you have mouths.]

“Eueub······.”

Of course, they couldn’t answer. I had issued a divine decree for them to shut their traps.

I continued to berate them.

[Don’t glare at me. I am a prince of this nation, a marquis of His Imperial Majesty, a disciple of His Eminence the Cardinal, and the Crown Prince’s partner.]

-Bee-boop!

Dduk-ssim also poked his head out from my chest and scolded them.

Then Christel whispered seriously,

“Your Highness… Isn’t it inevitable that they would look up like that when they’re lying face down?”

Ah.

“Is it over?”

A calm, low voice was heard. Our gazes simultaneously turned to one place.

A man who made even an ordinary sofa look like a treasure was sitting regally, looking at me.

“Yes, well… I’ve said everything I wanted to say.”

I nodded, feeling a strange awkwardness.

The sparkling orange eyes immediately turned to the nobles.

For some reason, he looked similar to Emperor Frederick.

He’s not smiling, but is he enjoying this?

“Now it’s your turn to speak to me.”

The Crown Prince said, as if spitting out the words.

The man, who had instantly taken control of the atmosphere, looked like a burning ruby.

Sir Johan quietly took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves.

The nobles, who had been rolling their eyes around, turned pale.

“If there are any concealed facts, you will see my sword.”

The royal warned menacingly. Gulp. Someone swallowed hard.

The nobles involved in the incident were lined up in a long row.

The Crown Prince sat at the highest point, with Lady Elisabeth seated to his right at a table.

Sir Johan stood to the Crown Prince’s left, observing the nobles.

The first to confess was the middle-aged woman we had seen as soon as we entered Bluea.

The drunkard who had been shouting on the table.

Coincidentally, she was the theft victim Christel had mentioned seeing here.

“Let me summarize. The Baroness is the owner of this Bluea. And the Baroness and her friend were both victimized by Madame Victoire. The two of you arranged an eleventh gathering to complain about it, and then you encountered Director Bakari. Having nowhere else to vent your anger, you picked a fight with him, and a brawl ensued. Is that correct?”

The Viscount asked sternly. The Baroness, ‘Jan Tillier,’ retorted vehemently.

“No! Don’t put it that way. I was only telling the truth. But that Director gave a rude answer. As the third-generation only daughter of the best fist-fighters in the Central, I couldn’t let it go. Of course.”

She shrugged. A noble waiting in line behind her chimed in, “That’s right!”

It seemed to be the Baroness’s friend.

The Crown Prince looked at the two men as if they were the most pathetic things in the world.

Baroness Tillier must have been in many brawls, because her nose was severely crooked and her knuckles were gnarled.

A large burn scar remained on her neck.

Even though she had taken off her luxurious jacket, the smell of alcohol permeated the area.

She was the epitome of a wealthy, uneducated upper class person who proudly embraced her drunken and violent nature.

People are the same everywhere, and there are always troublemakers no matter where you go… It was astonishing how realistic this was, even in a novel.

I clicked my tongue and scrubbed Bakari’s robe with a damp cloth.

Christel, sitting next to me, was taking care of his vest.

“You don’t have to do this. You can just throw the clothes away.”

Bakari, wrapped in a blanket, tried to dissuade me.

His attitude was subdued, unlike when he had warned me to ‘distance myself from Sir Sarnese’ at Lord Blanquer’s castle.

I hated him and resented him, but I preferred him the way he was before.

“Still, I need to get the blood out roughly and dry it before you wear it. It’s cold outside. You said you came without any attendants to help you.”

“······.”

I replied. There was no response.

The area in front of the fireplace was warm and bright, making it a good place for the injured to rest.

Just in time, a kind attendant brought the cocoa I had requested.

When I handed it to him, his blue eyes widened. What a fuss.

“Drink it. Your hair isn’t completely dry either. Please sit comfortably, thinking of it as cooperating with the investigation.”

Christel said with a smiling voice.

The navy hair that she had washed with clean water was drooping.

The little boy looked back and forth between her and me, then spoke with difficulty.

“I’m······.”

“Deputy Commander. What did I do wrong? It’s not often you find a lord as clean as I am, eh? I haven’t raised taxes a single penny in the last twenty years, and I haven’t laid a hand on the commoners for fear they’d run away in the night. I only hit nobles when I’m drunk. And even that is a first for me in a business establishment.”

“Your tongue is long, Baron. Haven’t you ever felt like cutting it off because it’s so uncomfortable?”

Sir Johan asked gently as the Baron spewed nonsense.

I was shocked and turned to look at him.

“The length of his hair must be three times mine.”

He added casually. Of course, I was surprised.

“I don’t want to waste the royal family’s time discussing your vulgarity. What I want is information about the thief named Victoire Dandrezzi.”

The Crown Prince urged, unable to watch any longer. He was incredibly picky about people and had a fiery temper.

I was nervous that the Baroness might say something else outrageous, but she quickly backed down.

She even patted out the wrinkles in her clothes.

“Yes, Your Highness. I will tell you everything I know. I’m quite the informant. In the Central, ‘Tillier’ is famous as a source of vivid information that scours even the lowest of the low.”

More like a vivid fist-fighter. I pursed my lips. The Baroness was 강약약강 [strong against the weak, weak against the strong] even while drunk.

“Well, listen. You all know the story of the Andrezzi family. Those snobs who claim to have nothing to do with the family, even though that damned 괴도 [phantom thief] Victoire or Bertrand uses their name.”

She opened the floodgates. The nobles in line buzzed loudly.

Christel and I exchanged glances.

“Isn’t it common knowledge that the Andrezzi family has more 서계 [children born out of wedlock] than 적통 [legitimate heirs] throughout its history? At least in our Tillier barony, even the dogs in the street know that. For every 적녀 [legitimate daughter] born, there are two 사생아 [illegitimate children], and for every 적자 [legitimate son] born, there are four abandoned children. That’s Andrezzi, isn’t it?”

“Good heavens, Baron! Watch your mouth!”

“But I’ve heard that rumor too.”

“Was it true? Is there such a family in the Empire?”

“There must be many!”

-Clack!

The Crown Prince took off his glove and snapped his fingers.

The room fell silent as if cold water had been poured on it.

Ironically, a fireball was burning fiercely at his fingertips.

I gaped at the information I had heard. My conversation with the Emperor flashed through my mind.

‘It is also accurate to say that the nobles of the Empire value face and authority, but there are just as many rough edges.’

‘Are you saying that Victoire could be a 사생아 [illegitimate child] or an abandoned child of a noble?’

‘Yes.’

…Could it be? Did the Emperor know from the beginning?

“Hmm! So, the Savagnie barony, which is right next to Andrezzi, became Victoire’s first victim. He must have tried robbing a nearby place as a test. He also wanted to leave his name and watch the family squirm. Ah, that’s what I would have done.”

She nodded as if to say that her words were correct.

The nobles murmured again.

“Your Highness, the Savagnie Baron is a close friend of mine. So I have a story I heard directly from him. He said, ‘How could I have become the first victim?’ The vault in the heart of the lord’s castle was robbed, so how could I show my face to the people of the territory out of shame? But the neighboring Count Andrezzi acted like he didn’t know anything even after seeing the ‘Victoire Dandrezzi’ business card, so he was frustrated and contacted the Imperial Guard first.'”

“Heo-eo!”

“Tsk, tsk.”

The nobles took out their fans and exchanged whispers. There was a separate audience.

“The situation is clear. Victoire is a 사생아 [illegitimate child] of that family. In a family where there are more children abandoned than raised, would he have been treated properly? He must have been kicked out and lived alone in a tiny house. This is revenge. He won’t stop until he has properly tarnished the Andrezzi name. Ahem!”

The Baroness ended her speech with a dry cough. Some of the audience applauded as if they were possessed.

Lady Elisabeth cut through the noise and asked sharply,

“Baroness. According to your testimony, you already have friendly relations with two victims. You are also a victim yourself. But Victoire is famous as an 의적 [righteous thief] among the commoners. He is known to distribute the stolen wealth to the poor.”

“That’s right. Deputy Commander. Are you saying that nobles should be robbed just because the commoners like it? I heard you were young and talented, but was that just a rumor?”

The middle-aged woman asked back with a sly grin. It felt like I could smell alcohol in her words.

‘Ugh, I hate looking at her.’ Christel muttered, shuddering.

There was not a trace of wavering in the Viscount’s gray eyes.

“That’s not a rumor. I have one question. What is the average tax rate in the Tillier barony?”

“Oh, of course, we are collecting 30% as ordered by His Majesty.”

“Baron.”

The Crown Prince called her in a low voice. All eyes turned to him.

There was no emotion on the man’s sculpted face.

His brow was straight, and his lips were the same shape as usual.

But anyone who could reason could easily tell.

The Crown Prince was on the verge of exploding. It was as if I could hear the phantom sound of a fuse burning.

His eyes were as dark as 사화 [a historical purge]. The Baroness’s voice became a little smaller.

“······We collect an additional 20%. It’s not mandatory. It’s a customary donation that our family receives.”

“Goodness.”

My jaw dropped in shock.

Even though the large fireplace was crackling, the room became as cold as if a ghost had passed through.

It didn’t make sense. The Emperor had limited the taxes collected by local lords to a maximum of 30% of the harvest, and he himself received 10% of the national tax from the people.

This was one of the first things I studied when I was about to get my own territory.

The case where a lord takes more than 40% would have existed only during the war era, but 50%, which is higher than that······.

“What about your friend’s territory?”

Lady Elisabeth asked in a monotone voice, looking behind her.

The man who was said to be the Baroness’s friend cleared his throat.

“I, I have a total of 40%.”

“······.”

It was as if he was saying that he was better off. In my eyes, they were the same kind of people.

Goosebumps rose on my arms. Christel’s eyes, which I met, were shimmering with anger.

She whispered.

“His Majesty couldn’t have been unaware of that fact. The same goes for the story of the Andrezzi family.”

“Yes. He’s not just acting that way under the pretext of not wanting to give Victoire attention. His Majesty is······.”