What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 124

#124 100 Meters from Becoming Crown Prince (4)

-Crackle, crackle…

A bonfire blazed in the forest, cutting through the settled darkness.

The boar and deer meat, expertly butchered by Sir Johann, dripped with fat as they roasted.

His long experience as a mercenary clearly showed in his professional touch.

“Looks delicious,” Eva murmured, sitting beside me, seemingly lost in thought. I chuckled.

She had initially been horrified by the game Cristel and Prince Cedrick had caught, but she seemed to be adapting quickly.

It struck me that even the tablecloth spread on the tree stump was fashioned from Eva’s dress.

We wouldn’t have bothered without it, but Eva had torn off a piece of her skirt, declaring that nobility was about maintaining dignity.

“It seems ready. It’ll burn if we leave it any longer,” Sir Johann announced, standing up. Cristel clapped her hands.

As he distributed the nicely grilled meat, I handed out plump baked potatoes.

Thanks to Demi’s kindness in growing all sorts of things, we had plenty to eat. Soon, the table – or rather, the makeshift arrangement – was set.

“Thank you for the meal,” I began, and greetings echoed from around the small gathering.

Then, Cristel, our protagonist, produced a few small glass bottles from her bosom. My jaw dropped.

“Princess, is that perhaps…”

“This is salt, this is pepper, and this is chili powder.”

Even Sir Johann, a seasoned camper, looked genuinely surprised.

She carries around chili powder at all times? Really?

“I like spicy flavors… I carry them around so I can sprinkle them on the spot if I feel something is missing. It’s a hassle to call people every time I go somewhere.”

“Oh my. You’re so cool, Princess,” Eva said with sincere admiration. I simply nodded, speechless.

Thanks to Cristel’s contribution, a dinner that perfectly suited our tastes began.

I had braced myself for a strong gamey smell, given that we had caught wild animals, but thanks to the Prince’s sacred fire, which imparted an incredible smoky flavor, even the aroma was clean and appealing.

I tore off a piece of the boar meat.

“Ah, hot…”

I blew on it, rolling the meat around in my mouth and gently biting down.

The full-bodied juice oozed out, delivering a savory explosion of flavor.

I had worried it would be tough, but the texture was surprisingly tender.

I wondered if this was also due to the Prince’s flames.

Seasoning it simply with salt and pepper seemed to unlock the meat’s best possible flavor.

I narrowed my eyes, savoring the barbecue.

“Delicious.”

-Squeak

-Peep

Demi and Dduk-sim, perched on my lap, rejoiced.

I noticed the silence and looked up to find everyone staring at me.

The tips of my ears instantly grew hot. Was I eating too greedily?

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“It’s nice to see you enjoying it,” Cristel said reassuringly. I nodded vaguely and turned my attention to the deer meat.

I heard Herrit’s clear laughter, which only added to my embarrassment.

We focused on eating for over an hour after that.

The large boar and deer vanished into our stomachs, and after each of us had finished two potatoes, two grilled tomatoes, and plenty of fruit for dessert, people finally began to talk.

“Wow, I’m really full.”

“I think I’ve eaten more than when I was in the Imperial City.”

Sir Johann agreed with Cristel’s comment.

I was relieved that Eva and Herrit, who I had been most concerned about, seemed to have filled their bellies deliciously.

I gave Demi plenty of water and wildflowers one last time before getting up.

It was time to digest, clean up after eating, and prepare for bed.

“Prince, I’m amazed at how well you seem to be adapting,” Cristel said as I gathered large leaves with Demi’s help to spread out as a makeshift mattress.

I flinched, feeling unnecessarily guilty.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I thought you wouldn’t be able to eat wild animals, but you do, and you still take good care of the kids.”

“…”

“I guess I thought that since you’re a prince, you must have grown up being cherished. You must have suffered a lot too.”

“Everyone, including the Princess, is working hard. I can’t just sit still.”

Cristel smiled at my answer.

What she said was true, but I had grown up normally my whole life, so I didn’t know how to act ‘like a prince’ in a place like this.

As I pondered that, I suddenly thought of someone and looked behind me.

The Prince was flamboyantly incinerating the boar and deer’s byproducts.

Come to think of it, he seemed to be adapting well too.

*

-Crackle, crackle

Again, the six people and two animals gathered around the bonfire.

This time, it was after washing up and getting ready to sleep.

We had leaves as big as adult torsos for blankets, and pillows made by cutting Demi’s thick vines.

Fortunately, it was August, so the temperature was pleasant for camping out.

There was still no sign of anyone on the path we had arrived on.

“Herrit is already asleep.”

I quickly turned my head at Cristel’s words.

The child, who had taken his medicine and lay down next to Sir Johann, was breathing softly and had drifted off to dreamland.

I felt sorry and apologetic.

Even sleeping in a comfortable bed wouldn’t be enough to relieve his fatigue, yet here he was, camping out like this.

“I’m sorry, Sir Johann. And to everyone else… If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have had to come all the way here.”

I apologized. The cause of all this was my impulsive offer to treat the baby deer.

Sir Johann’s eyes crinkled at the corners.

“You helped a life. It was something only His Highness could have done in that situation. I think it was a good lesson for Herrit.”

“…”

“I respect Your Highness’s decision, so it’s okay. Even if I could turn back time, I would probably do the same thing.”

That’s right, I would. I smiled wryly and thanked him.

Cristel looked back at me and nodded in agreement.

Eva pouted her lips like Dduk-sim’s beak but remained silent.

She probably thought I was being a pushover again.

“…”

The Prince, sitting to my left, also wore a calm expression.

He had a lot to worry about with the investiture ceremony [a formal ceremony conferring royal power or authority] approaching, and a rehearsal scheduled in two days, so it was surprising that he wasn’t angry.

I was grateful.

“Your Highness, you will be able to return safely before the investiture ceremony,” I said encouragingly. Cristel playfully interjected.

“You seem to be enjoying it in a strange way. Ether doesn’t lie. Could it be that you don’t want to ascend to the Crown Prince position?”

The Prince’s eyes sharpened. Sir Johann chuckled, finding it amusing.

Eva’s gaze darted back and forth like a ping-pong ball.

I didn’t want to witness a pillow fight with water and fire in the forest, so I immediately stepped in to mediate.

“The Princess is joking. I thought you might be feeling burdened by the Crown Prince position…”

As I spoke, a vague realization dawned on me. I blinked.

“Are you burdened by becoming the Crown Prince?”

“It’s my duty,” the Prince replied in a low voice. Though his tone was firm as always, I felt a pang of sympathy.

Just because it was a responsibility determined from birth, just because he had prepared for it his whole life, didn’t mean it was a light and easy burden.

Only then did I understand why he had readily agreed to come out here.

And why he seemed so calm even in a place like this.

“I think it’s okay to feel burdened,” I said carefully. His orange eyes widened slightly.

The side of his face, flickering in the bonfire light, looked his age for the first time in a long time. Soon to be twenty-five.

“It would be strange if you did everything indifferently. You’ll be in a position to carry the entire empire on your shoulders later, so it’s natural to be scared and nervous.”

I smiled, reminded of when I skipped being a supervisor and was promoted to manager at the temple.

It was nothing compared to the Prince’s situation…

At the time, I was happy with the sense of accomplishment and the increased salary, but I also felt the weight on my shoulders because of the added responsibilities.

Not to mention the position of Crown Prince, who would be actively involved in state affairs and would control the lives of many people.

It was a pressure that someone like me couldn’t even imagine.

“But you won’t only face difficulties because there are people who will help you by your side. There’s David and the Romero Palace family, and His Majesty and Prince Aurel.”

“…”

“There’s also Sir Elisabeth, Princess Sarnese, Sir Johann, and Princess Eva. Marquis Dium is also there.”

Despite my rambling words, the Prince’s brow was unusually smooth.

I was hopeful that he didn’t show any aversion to Cristel’s name.

He had definitely crossed a threshold.

“Anyone else?” Cristel asked, her expression joyful and excited. Oh, you too?

“There’s also Priest Sant.”

“That’s right. I miss Priest Sant. He’s a really precious priest. Anyone else?” I readily answered, and she looked at the Prince and spoke in a sweet voice.

Anyone else? I fell into thought. I had to seize the opportunity while the atmosphere was good.

“There are many wonderful people. Benjamin and Ganael also respect Your Highness. The great nobles who are loyal to His Majesty will also help you… There’s also Demi, Leia, Peri, and Dduk-sim.”

As I looked at Demi, who was lying on my lap, he covered his face with his front paws.

Dduk-sim buried his head in Demi’s belly. They both seemed sleepy.

“If you marry a wonderful person in the future, that person will also be a great support. Like Princess Sarnese.”

The Prince grabbed his sacred sword and jumped up. Our gazes shot up.

-Whoosh!

In an instant, the bonfire blazed powerfully and then subsided. It was like a proper campfire!

No, that’s not it.

“Your Highness, where are you going?”

He started walking away without a word.

I wondered if I had made a mistake, if I had pushed Cristel too hard, and was reflecting when Sir Johann calmly explained.

“He must be going on patrol. There might be nocturnal magical beasts or predators nearby. I’ll stand guard.”

Indeed.

There were four people with divine objects or divine object holders, including me, Cristel, the Prince, and Dduk-sim, so it was suspicious that no magical beasts had been seen so far.

They instinctively showed aggression towards divine objects, so it was good to always be vigilant.

I was about to lie down when I noticed Cristel in the next seat, already covered in a leaf blanket and smiling.

Eva was looking at me with a blank face.

…Anyway, it’s okay because the protagonist of the romance fantasy likes it, right?

“I’ll take the next watch. Good night, everyone.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Sleep well.”

I greeted everyone and put my head on the pillow.

The night sky, studded with stars, was incredibly close and beautiful.

The imperial carriage would arrive in the morning. Please let it be so.

Even before I dozed off, Cristel intermittently muttered things like ‘ruined friendship’ and ‘really fun’.

*

In the east of the Imperial City, where the problematic ‘wartime portal’ had been, rain was pouring down again.

-Swish…

Francois Dium had never held bad feelings towards bad weather.

Whether the weather was cloudy or clear, his beauty and brain remained the same.

For example, even if the rain turned the streets into mud and the carriage became slower than a turtle, he didn’t care.

He always had spare clothes and shoes prepared, and he was a gentleman who arrived more than 30 minutes before the appointment time.

“Uncle, why are you making a face like the world is ending?”

“…”

That is, it was the first time he had experienced the delicately excavated half of the portal magic circle being buried in mud due to a sudden downpour.

Soldiers were running around busily, putting a tent over the portal.

Elisabeth and Francois made eye contact inside the carriage with the door open.

The Marquis dramatically touched his forehead, his light pink eyes trembling.

“Elisabeth, I’ve thought about it carefully.”

“You produce ominous results when you think deeply.”

“Listen. His Excellency, the forever blessed Grand Duke Alexandre, eloped and became His Majesty’s spouse one day before becoming a Grand Duke, didn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“Perhaps His Highness the Prince also left to find a spouse before ascending to the Crown Prince position…”

-Smack!

Elisabeth slapped the back of his hand. Francois groaned in pain.

“Please tell me that hitting me with a hand wearing a wedding ring wasn’t intentional?”

“Speak sense. You always pretend to be weak like this once in a while.”

The Countess’s gray eyes narrowed sharply.

She meticulously checked her rapier [a slender, sharply pointed sword] and main gauche [a dagger used in the left hand for parrying], her attitude determined.

It seemed that the rain would stop soon, so she had to go out again to escort the Marquis and report the interim results to the Imperial Palace.

“You don’t want to find His Highness the Prince later than Duke Sarnese or Duke Blanquer, do you? His Majesty entrusted you with trust, didn’t he?”

“Ah, Elisabeth!”

“Yes. This little rain is nothing. I’ll cheer up thinking about my fiancé, so you cheer up thinking about His Majesty and your siblings.”

This was what she mainly said to comfort soldiers during snow removal or high-intensity training.

Francois, who had no way of knowing that fact, seemed deeply moved.

While the man, who was either a weirdo or a genius, was raising his morale alone, Elisabeth indifferently looked up at the sky.

A strange premonition came over her.

…Saydee, you didn’t happen to go to some rural backwater, did you?