What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 125

The Place to Become Crown Prince, 100m Away (5)

-Slurp, slurp.

“Demi, stop……”

I woke up to a tongue bath on my face.

Morningsunlight streamed through the leafy canopy.

The receding dawn mist smelled of water, and birds sang their morning chorus. My back ached from the hard ground, but the crisp air made breathing easier. Where were we again?

-Slurp

“Ah.”

I was supposed to be on watch! I bolted upright.

Demi and Dduk-ssim tumbled off my stomach with a soft thud.

I managed to catch them this time.

Good thing I didn’t miss them, but Demi’s tongue was too short.

He couldn’t reach my cheek while lying on my stomach.

“Who,”

A chill prickled my skin, and I turned around.

-Chirp

“Oh, my!”

I shuddered, startled. It was a roe deer.

A small fawn was twitching its ears and looking at me inquisitively.

I wondered if it was the one from yesterday, so I checked its leg and noticed a white cloth tied around its right hind leg.

“You… Are you the one I met yesterday?”

-Bbyak, chirp!

The roe deer made a vigorous chirping sound, as if to confirm.

Even if the wound had healed, the bloodstains would still be there, so someone must have been worried about it and bandaged its leg.

But Kristel said that this guy ran away as soon as he arrived here.

Then who the heck tied the cloth?

“Your Highness… What time is it?”

Kristel, who was lying next to me, frowned and scratched her forehead.

Only then did I realize that the two princesses hadn’t woken up yet.

Looking around, Sir Johann was nowhere to be seen, and Herrit was sleeping between me and the Prince.

It seemed like he was worried about the child and moved her here. The Prince was also missing.

“I don’t know what time it is, but the sun has risen. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. Good morning……”

She smiled bashfully and turned to face me. No, wait a minute.

“Something’s strange.”

The atmosphere felt off. I hugged Demi, Dduk-ssim, and even the roe deer, and scooted back on my butt.

Kristel’s eyes narrowed.

“What’s strange?”

“I don’t think this is right.”

“I haven’t done anything *yet*.”

“*Yet*?”

She stretched out her arm and slowly moved her body towards me.

I was so scared that I froze solid.

I don’t know what’s going on, but this isn’t right, you nonsensical novel.

There are kids here. Eva and Herrit are sleeping!

“What are you doing?”

At that moment, a chilling baritone voice cut through the air.

At the same time, Kristel burst into laughter like an overfilled cream puff.

“Ahahaha! Ack! Your Highness, you’re so funny, ah… Your expression, hehehe. What should I do? My stomach hurts……”

Only when she grabbed her stomach and rolled around did I realize that I had been teased by Kristel from the moment I woke up.

My cheeks flushed, and my ears burned in an instant. I quickly looked up at Cedric.

I couldn’t have been happier to see him.

“Good morning, Your Highness. Do you know where Sir Johann went?”

“Reconnaissance.”

He seemed to have figured out that I was the only one embarrassed, so he returned to his usual stoic voice and answered.

Then he held out what he was carrying.

I almost screamed like the day before, but miraculously held it in.

There were wild rabbits hanging from his hand, apparently caught for food.

Couldn’t he have given me a warning?

“…Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”

When I barely managed to speak, he raised his eyebrows and headed towards the bonfire.

Then, the white-haired knight landed silently behind the man.

He must have gone up into the sky again to survey the surroundings.

His mint-colored eyes found me and curved into a slight smile.

“Did you sleep well, Your Highness?”

“Sir Johann, why didn’t you wake me?”

“A Cardinal [a high-ranking cleric] can stay awake for three or four days and still be fine.”

Then Kristel and the Prince frowned at the same time.

I don’t know what it was, but they must have been telepathically connected. I calmly returned to the current situation.

“Thank you for your hard work last night. Did Sir Johann or His Highness tie a cloth around this guy’s leg? I think it’s the roe deer I treated yesterday, but it suddenly appeared.”

“Oh! Now that you mention it, it was here. You survived.”

Kristel stroked the roe deer and smiled happily.

The roe deer seemed to recognize everyone in the group, and it didn’t run away but hopped in place.

Sir Johann said, as if musing over an interesting fact.

“His Highness and I are also seeing the roe deer for the first time today… There’s a village nearby. Maybe a resident there took care of it?”

“A village?”

I asked back.

“I couldn’t see it yesterday because of the fog, but it’s a very small town. It’s in the opposite direction from the mountain in front. I don’t think there are even twenty houses.”

My head spun as I listened to Sir Johann’s explanation.

I shifted my gaze and looked at the path the group had arrived on. It was still silent.

But our procession included Lady Elisabeth, and two priests, including the priest who brought Herrit from the Vatican.

There were also the divine beasts, Leah and Perry.

It was hard to believe that they were attacked by monsters and couldn’t find us.

Again, there must be a problem with the portal itself.

“Should we go to the village?”

“Let’s go to the village.”

The Prince and I said at the same time. Kristel and Sir Johann nodded and added their opinions.

“If there’s been no news all night, it means they can’t come, not that they’re not coming. Maybe we can get a map in the village?”

“Yes. If there’s a carriage, we can borrow it, and even if there isn’t, we can ask the Lord’s castle for help.”

It was a great explanation.

We exchanged determined glances, woke the children, and prepared a meal.

It was to wash up, eat well, and start the second adventure to return to the Imperial Palace.

*

…I don’t know if you can call this an adventure. It’s just like trekking.

-Squeak! Chirp!

The roe deer, who was walking ahead, cried as if urging us on. The Prince was cutting branches with his sword at the head of the group.

Demi was assisting him, and Dduk-ssim occasionally flew up to the trees to check the direction.

Eva looked at Sir Johann with a pitiful expression, asking, ‘Can’t we all fly together?’ but simply floating and flying had a huge difference in ether consumption [magical energy].

Besides, controlling six people required tremendous air resistance and concentration.

Eva and I were there, but draining the knight’s ether during non-combat situations was not recommended in any book.

The village wasn’t far, so it seemed okay to walk through the forest for exercise.

Kristel was delighted behind the Prince.

“I saved a chestnut, and it became a guide.”

“I guess so.”

I followed her and answered. ‘Chestnut’ was the name we gave the roe deer.

Kristel was muttering something about ‘Bambi,’ and I thought a good name was finally coming out, but in the end, she twisted it once and came up with ‘Raw Chestnut.’

I trimmed it a little.

“If a hot spring comes out… Should I steal clothes and take people hostage?”

Our protagonist was making terrifying remarks to herself.

I pretended not to hear and checked to see if Herrit in my arms had heard.

Sir Johann was guarding the rear and erasing our traces.

I wondered if I should leave traces to help the Imperial Family’s search, but it was better to erase them in case monsters or beasts followed and attacked the village.

Herrit stared at me for a while and carefully put a flower in my hair.

“Is this for Uncle?”

Nod, nod.

“Thank you.”

Smiling brightly.

I was almost thirty, and it was quite burdensome to put flowers in my hair, but I was okay because the child liked it.

Eva, who was watching me and Herrit from the side, suddenly said.

“Before, I asked the Prince if he was a pushover.”

“Yes, Eva.”

I answered.

The young princess climbed over the rocks bravely, even with her torn dress and muddy shoes.

“I still think the Prince is a pushover. If you help them all like that, won’t you end up penniless later?”

I smiled wryly and listened to the child’s words.

“But I know one thing.”

Eva looked at me with her big, dark brown eyes.

“You said that we should have a chance to start over from the same starting line.”

My eyes met the young princess’s.

The day Kristel, the Prince, and Eva came over the balcony of the Juliette Palace.

I clearly said that I would never trust Sir Johann again.

Eva stumbled but grabbed my collar to regain her balance.

“I know why you said that now. That kid too… Sir Haines is always smiling. Like an idiot.”

Eva pouted and turned around.

Sir Johann, feeling our gaze, waved his hand from afar.

The child quickly turned her head.

“So, were you angry with my brother?”

Huh? This was an unexpected question. I blinked and looked down at the young princess.

Eva’s voice became smaller.

“You were angry because my brother kept saying bad things to me and making me shrink back. You were angry because he made it impossible for me to start the same way as others?”

“……”

I was speechless for a moment.

I walked side by side with the child, who was constantly fidgeting, and felt my mouth fill with a bitter taste.

I was grateful and sorry that Eva had willingly learned.

“Yes, there’s that too……”

I started to speak. Eva looked up at me and took a big misstep.

“Ah!”

“Oops.”

I firmly held the child’s shoulder with one arm.

Eva, surprised, said, ‘Thank you.’

“The young Duke of Blancar wouldn’t have caught me like this. That’s why I was angry.”

“……”

“If a younger sibling falls, you pick them up, if they’re lacking, you cheer them on, and if they act badly, you scold them.”

Herrit hugged my neck.

“An older brother should do that. I was pissed off because he’s the opposite.”

I smiled. Eva stared blankly at me, then slightly twitched her lips.

Then she grabbed my arm, swung it, and walked.

“I’m making my social debut next month. My father said it will be the biggest event in the East.”

“Yes, I heard.”

“But I don’t have a dance partner yet.”

…Why is she telling me this? I turned to the young princess with a feeling of disbelief.

The child’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

“Eva,”

-Chirp! Bbyak, bbyak!

Guide Chestnut cried loudly. We flinched and focused on the front.

Before we knew it, the forest ended, and the bright blue summer sky greeted us.

The backyard of a quaintly decorated house was revealed. Wait, isn’t this trespassing?

“Chestnut, you’re a dangerous roe deer.”

-Chirp!

Chestnut retorted rebelliously to Kristel’s scolding.

The Prince looked at the small house and seriously muttered something like, ‘Is it a stable?’

I put Herrit down and looked around, hugging Demi and Dduk-ssim, who were clinging to me again.

First, I have to meet the homeowner, apologize politely, and ask,

“Oh my goodness!”

A dramatic exclamation erupted from the corner of the yard.

An old woman with a bent back stood up with a surprised look on her face when she saw us.

She was holding a hoe and carrot roots in both hands.

I reflexively lowered my posture and spoke to her.

“Hello, ma’am. Excuse me. We got lost in the forest, so,”

“This… What’s going on? Did a bunch of angels come down? Is it the harmony of the gods?”

“No, we’re……”

I trailed off. Should I reveal my identity right away, even if it raises suspicion?

“Leave it to me, Your Highness. There’s a faster way.”

It was then.

Sir Johann, who was the last to walk out of the forest, stepped forward and blocked our path, speaking in a low voice.

It was a reliable back view.

“Elder, please help us. It’s an urgent matter of life and death.”

Sir Johann trembled and pointed to Kristel and the Prince. The old woman immediately focused.

“These two are eloping to the Imperial City. The princess was being forced into a marriage with someone from another family, but the princess barely got her out. Both families have released soldiers to chase them.”

“Oh my, why did you do such a thing!”

The elder swung the carrot as if she was dying of pity. I gaped.

The Prince and Kristel stared intently at their teacher.

“And we’re… A family who boarded the same carriage. This young master and lady are siblings, and my son and I are servants who came along to save them. Unfortunately,”

“I can tell just by looking! The eldest is trying to kill his illegitimate children. He’s not going to give them a penny of his fortune!”

“Yes……”

Sir Johann lowered his head powerlessly.

The elder stirred the hoe and burst open the back door of the house.

“Stay right here! I’ll gather all the people in the village. If we put our heads together, we’ll come up with a plan! Oh my, no wonder. Their clothes are silk, but they’re all torn……”

The old woman disappeared with surprisingly quick steps. I was lost in shock at the shocking development.

Sir Johann turned to me, winking.

Is he an actor instead of a mercenary?