What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 140

#140 The Real Deal Appears, Now (3)

No, the Crown Prince isn’t someone you can just summon. Let’s stay calm.

There’s no point in getting agitated.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Christel de Sarnese.”

“I know you well. I’m very pleased to have the Empire’s hero here.”

Emile de As, the As Merchant Guild leader, who was more handsome than necessary, bowed gracefully.

His gestures and speech were so elegant that it was hard to believe he was a commoner.

Since he’s in a profession that deals with nobles a lot, it’s natural for the attitude to become ingrained, but Joan’s words from yesterday kept echoing in my ears.

I watched him politely greet the Duke and Duchess and Lady Elisabeth as well.

‘That guy is so blinded by social climbing that he’s trying to sell off the entire Merchant Guild.’

‘He’s going to hand over everything that Grandma and Mom worked so hard to build and become the son-in-law of a noble family?’

“······.”

Could that be true? It was foolish to judge based on only one side’s story.

The details of Joan’s interrogation were only known to me, the Viscount, Benjamin, Ganael, Demi, and Dduk-ssim, who visited the prison directly.

The Sarnese family was only informed that she ‘committed a crime to tarnish her brother’s reputation.’

That was an undeniable fact.

“Then, I’ll escort you inside, Marquis.”

Emile, who had politely completed all formalities, smiled at me.

I forced a smile.

The genre of the novel was undoubtedly a romance fantasy, and Christel was destined to end up with Crown Prince Cedrick.

Therefore, there was no way Emile would succeed in seducing Christel here.

I felt sorry for Emile, but wasn’t there a clear difference in their social status?

“Thank you.”

I replied, straightening my Imperial attire. My steps weren’t as heavy as I thought.

I decided to trust the author of ‘Toegye-gong’ [a famous Korean Confucian scholar] once again.

*

“Wahahaha!”

-♪♬♩······

Laughter erupted from here and there, and the clinking of glasses and dishes echoed.

The string quartet, flute, and clarinet played appropriately light and fast music.

As I had heard in advance, the scale of the banquet was grand.

Of course, the size and splendor of the banquet hall, and the variety of dishes, were modest compared to the Imperial Palace.

However, there was a bustling and hearty atmosphere unique to the coastal region.

The Grand Merchants belonging to the Merchant Association, who attended together, raised their glasses with flushed faces.

“To Marquis Serenite!”

“Long live Prince Yeser!”

“Cheers! Long live!”

I sat in the center of the VIP seat, diligently smiling.

It wasn’t easy to sit in the position of the number one person, receiving all the attention.

Even though it was natural for Emperor Frederick and Cardinal Boutier, it felt amazing that the Crown Prince, who was only twenty-five, was so skilled at this.

I didn’t need to prepare a speech since I was invited as an apology, but I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles because strangers kept looking at me and praising me.

It wasn’t like this at the Juliette Palace.

“One more drink!”

“Euhahaha!”

Clang! A glass broke somewhere. Duke Sarnese and Emile were seated on either side of me.

It wasn’t the Merchant Guild leader’s intention, but it felt lonely because my friends Christel and Lady Elisabeth were separated.

I clearly decided to live like an outsider without getting involved with the main characters when I first possessed this body.

I chuckled, wondering if I was getting lonely after about half a year.

“Marquis, Marquis Serenite.”

“······.”

“Prince Yeser!”

I flinched and looked around. The cotton candy-like voice was definitely Christel’s.

I leaned forward to look to my right, but when I couldn’t see her, I leaned back.

Christel, who was also craning her neck, waved at me. A smile naturally appeared.

“Those are delicious. The mussels stuffed with filling.”

“Is that so?”

“They have garlic and something else inside, so they’re spicy. And red.”

She smiled, telling me to try them quickly.

I was about to tell her that she had sauce on her face, but Emile, who was sitting between us, suddenly blocked my view.

I was startled.

“Is the meal to your liking, Marquis?”

“Yes, everything is excellent.”

I quickly composed myself and replied.

The food was all delicious, but Benjamin and Ganael were anxiously watching from afar because I only ate one plate of each.

Emile, who had no way of knowing that, lowered his eyelashes like a painting.

“I sincerely thank you for accepting today’s invitation. Both I and the Merchant Guild are deeply moved by your generosity, Marquis.”

“Not at all. I am well aware of how much the As Merchant Guild contributes to the local economy. I don’t think innocent people should suffer because of the misconduct of a few.”

His lemon-colored eyes sparkled at my words. I thought it wasn’t a bad answer.

As I was adding more stuffed mussels to my plate, a streak of tears fell onto Emile’s cheek.

I was so surprised that I put down my spoon and looked at him.

“Mr. As. Why are you crying? Are you sick somewhere?”

“Unlike the rumors, you are a kind and gentle person, Marquis.”

He whispered in an emotional voice. I was flustered and opened my mouth.

“There were many absurd rumors throughout the Empire. That you please the Cardinal during the day, serve His Majesty the Emperor at night, and are favored by His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Alright! Drink up, drink up!”

“······Pardon?”

A bullet shield?
The surrounding noise was so loud that I couldn’t hear properly.

“That’s right. It’s a truly vulgar and promiscuous rumor. I also thought such a reputation was unfair. ‘A vulgar bastard consumed by greed,’ isn’t that an extreme insult to a pure person?”

He whispered, beautifully curving his reddened eyes.

Honestly, I didn’t quite understand what he was saying.

It seemed like there were some ridiculous rumors about me, and Emile didn’t like them.

Well, I was openly called the ‘playboy of the Holy Kingdom’ around the time I entered the palace, so it wasn’t strange.

I nodded and scraped the mussel shells clean.

Meanwhile, Emile dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief. He looked very pitiful.

“To call your noble lineage greedy, or a pig obsessed with holy knights… I was very sad. And I was indignant.”
Pig. Pig is delicious.

I listened to Emile’s words with my ears while slowly eating petit salé [salt-cured pork] with my hands.

The salt-cured pork with plenty of soft lentils had a unique ‘familiar taste’ flavor.

Emile looked at me and continued, in a subtle tone as if reciting a secret.

“Did you receive my gift?”

“Ah.”

I blinked and stopped moving. There was a subtle crack in his expression when I looked back.

This was a big problem.

I had received so many gifts from nobles that I couldn’t remember them all, and I didn’t even think about memorizing the gifts and senders.

First, I chewed the food in my mouth thoroughly and gave a vague smile.

It was too late to lie, right?

“That is,”

“It was a pig sculpture crafted by an artisan. It was made of the largest pink diamond rough stone on the continent.”

He explained stiffly. My mouth dropped open.

“That’s right! Thank you so much. Her Highness Princess Elysee was also delighted.”

“······Yes?”

I smiled brightly.

The day I asked Elysee to help Johan and Herrit flashed through my mind.

The person who sponsored Cornelisse’s birthday present at that time was definitely ‘Emile de As.’

I started giving feedback enthusiastically.

“The color is also a very pretty pink, and the shape is very delicate. It was the first time I saw such a beautiful pig.”

“······.”

“Thanks to Mr. As, I had a great time that day. There was no better gift.”

I didn’t mention that I sent it to Cornelisse for adoption because it would be rude.

But the rest of the words were sincere. Then Emile’s complexion noticeably hardened.

The smile was gone, and the reddish eyes seemed to have calmed down in an instant.

I was a little nervous, wondering if I had made a mistake, but he simply bowed politely and turned away.

It just seemed like the conversation was over. I tilted my head and made eye contact with Ganael.

‘Eat more!’

The boy moved his lips with a bright smile.

I held up a washbasin-sized bowl of bouillabaisse [a traditional Provençal fish stew] as my next target.

Benjamin nodded in satisfaction.

*

The banquet ended safely. The Duke and Duchess left a message saying they would go to the carriage first and wait.

Christel gathered Elisabeth, Ganael, and Benjamin and took them to a corner of the As Merchant Guild’s lobby.

These four were the only ones who knew the details about the ‘auction item’ she was aiming for.

Especially, it was absolutely a secret from the Prince. Christel whispered.

“I think I might be able to get the right of first refusal.”

“Really?”

Elisabeth’s gray eyes widened like a surprised cat.

Ganael glanced around, subtly checking to see if the door across the way would open.

The Prince was currently having a private meeting with the As Merchant Guild leader in that reception room.

It was because he wanted the Merchant Guild leader to formally apologize for his sister’s mistake.

Even if his sister apologized, it wouldn’t make her innocent.

“Yes. The Merchant Guild leader seems to be quite fond of me. If I play along appropriately, I think I can easily get it from him.”

“You’re growing into a wonderful high-ranking noble, Lady Sarnese.”

Benjamin commented. Christel wiped the tip of her nose at the adult’s compliment and smiled.

She wasn’t very interested in social activities.

She found it much more fun to eat and play with the Prince or spar with the Crown Prince.

However, she naturally knew that her status, abilities, and appearance were advantageous in obtaining something.

So she understood why other nobles dressed up like peacocks and spouted erudite words.

That was definitely a kind of skill.

“Is the auction tomorrow evening?”

“Yes. So I made a lunch appointment with the Merchant Guild leader earlier. We’re going to eat and take a walk together. I’m thinking of subtly dropping some bait while talking.”

“That’s a good plan. But be sure to bring a servant.”

The Viscount carefully advised. It was because Joan de As’s absurd statement suddenly came to mind.

Even if the Merchant Guild leader sincerely approached Christel, the Duke wouldn’t allow it, but you never knew.

The wealth of the As Merchant Guild was at the level of a considerable high-ranking noble.

The twenty-three-year-old, young Merchant Guild leader’s financial skills would be a great help to the duchy’s shipping industry.

“Okay. Please don’t let the Marquis know. The surprise is the best part.”

“Of course.”

“I promise.”

Ganael and Elisabeth nodded their heads in the same rhythm.

The Prince would surely be pleased if Christel won the bid. It was then.

-Click!

The door to the reception room opened, and Emile de As hurriedly walked out.

Everyone widened their eyes, expecting him to be with the Prince, but he was alone.

“Mr. As. Where is the Marquis?”

“Ah, that is… He said he would calm himself down and come out, so I came out first…”

When Christel approached and asked, the Merchant Guild leader lowered his gaze with a fragile look.

He was covering one of his cheeks with a hand as big as a pot lid. Elisabeth frowned.

“Is your tooth uncomfortable? It looks like you’re crying.”

“Viscount…”

The Merchant Guild leader lowered his head, not knowing what to do.

An extravagant cloth flowed down over his buzz-cut hair, which was the same color as his eyes.

Part of his face, which he was covering, was swollen red. Christel immediately put on her mask.

“Oh my, what happened to your face?”

“This is,”

“Did a mosquito bite you? Sea mosquitoes are poisonous. It makes you cry. I know.”

“No. It’s not that.”

Emile said quickly.

“The Marquis, to me… He hit me.”

“Pfft!”

Ganael collapsed, folding at the waist.

Elisabeth bit her lip tightly and supported her fiancé.

Christel also bit her tongue to hold back the sound.

Whatever it was, it was clear that it was a flow where you shouldn’t laugh or swear.

Benjamin narrowed his eyes and remained silent for a few seconds, then brushed the dust off Christel’s shoulder.

It was a strategy of completely ignoring it.

“Oh my. Is that so? Poor you. Why did he hit you?”

Auction. Winning bid. Auction. Winning bid. Christel calmly asked, repeating the priorities in her head.

An ad-lib followed, saying, ‘Don’t worry about Ganael. He’s been hit before, so he knows the pain.’

Elisabeth couldn’t stand it and buried her face in her hands.

It was the appearance of a noble who was clearly in shock.

“The lowly me, I was presumptuous to interrupt the conversation between the Marquis and Lady Sarnese… Since it was true, I couldn’t even refute it.”

He said intermittently.

Christel almost made an NG this time, but miraculously succeeded in keeping a straight face.

It was a victory of will to give the Prince a gift comparable to the Crystal Bell.

Benjamin was now counting the patterns on the wallpaper.

“Oh my! I’ll apologize on his behalf. The Marquis usually raises his hand easily.”

“Lady Sarnese…”

Emile leaned his forehead on Christel’s hand and shed tears.

While everyone entered silent mode and vibration mode, Christel seriously pondered.

Why do these fox-like kids keep swarming around the Prince wherever he goes?

No. What does this brat, whose blood hasn’t even dried yet, get from doing this?