What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 149

#149 What I Like the Most (2)

…What was that?

“My mother has awakened.”

“You idiot!”

Before I could speak, Lady Elisabeth’s foot flew out.

I witnessed in real-time the commander of the Imperial Guard’s leg being blocked by the Crown Prince’s scabbard—thwack!

Her sharp eyes were filled with annoyance and frustration.

“My apologies for disrupting the mood, Marquis. As you know, Cedric is a bit… lacking.”

“It’s alright.”

I quickly replied.

Cristel pursed her lips in dissatisfaction but didn’t say anything.

I cautiously observed the Crown Prince.

He glared at Lady Elisabeth, then, avoiding my gaze, eyed the hair ornament in my hand.

I wondered where he had seen it before, but Sadie often did this.

He avoided eye contact when he didn’t like something.

“Your Highness, are you saying Her Majesty has regained her sanity?”

“…Yes.”

He replied unenthusiastically. Suddenly, a husky voice echoed in my ear.

‘According to the spies, she has been suffering from madness lately.’

Emperor Frederick had definitely said something like that.

It was the day I asked her for a deal to save Lord Johann and Herrit.

My mind raced.

If that was the case, the Crown Prince’s words meant that Queen Christiana Venetian had recovered from her madness.

“……”

I fell silent.

If she was the one who sent me as a hostage, the status quo would remain.

But if not, if Werner or Elysee had sent the prince while the queen was mad, the situation could change.

Of course, the possibility was low since a huge sum of money would have to be paid as ransom.

However, if Christiana, having regained her senses, tried to get her son back by force…

-Kkiuuu

Waking up from his nap, Demi stood on his hind legs, pressing against my thigh.

I forced a smile and hugged him and the harp seal.

Feeling their small, warm bodies nestled in my arms made me feel foolishly at ease.

At the same time, a desperate desire not to lose this flashed within me.

I glanced at Leah and Perry, who were sleeping close to Cristel, and Dduk-sim, who was tilting his body on the Crown Prince’s shoulder.

Turning my head, I saw Ganael and the viscount looking at me with worried eyes.

Benjamin, David, and Chantal, who had been chatting by the lake, bowed towards us.

The Duke and Duchess of Sarnese, enjoying a distant stroll, came into view.

A refreshing breeze blew. The grass leisurely lay down and rose again.

‘My’ territory.

“Marquis.”

Cristel called me softly. Her blue eyes shimmered in the wind. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but she seemed precarious.

Then, she looked back at the Crown Prince. This time, he didn’t ignore me. His flame-like eyes seemed about to go out at any moment.

I blurted out,

“I want to stay here.”

“……”

Only then did I realize what I had said.

I was so taken aback by my own words that my eyes widened.

I should have been thinking from Prince Yeser’s perspective.

No, it was better for him to stay in the Empire anyway.

It was a hundred, a thousand times safer to enjoy the Emperor’s protection here than to return to a land where his father-in-law was still powerful.

Someday, when Elysee ascends the throne and the father-in-law’s hands and feet are tied, the Divine Kingdom might be okay, but anyway…

I had put my emotions first just now. It was impulsive.

“There are many things I like in the Empire. The food is delicious. There’s Demi and the little ones. Everyone is good to me. Juliet’s Palace is comfortable, and Serenitas is beautiful, so I’m satisfied.”

“……”

I said quickly.

But somehow, the more I made excuses, the more I realized they weren’t excuses at all.

Cristel’s words from inside the narrow closet kept echoing in my ears.

‘It’s not just us who like you, Marquis, right? You like us too, so we’re close.’

Of course, I couldn’t help but feel affection for the people here from the start.

Jeong Eun-seo had dedicated a year to pouring out immense affection, and it was a world she would continue to love.

It was only natural that I, her brother, would want Taegyeokong to have a happy ending.

Because if the characters found happiness, Eun-seo would be genuinely happy.

That kid was a little girl who had regained her smile thanks to Taegyeokong.

So, I just had to watch from a step behind, or at least, that’s what I thought when I started.

“……I’m glad I’ve made so many close friends.”

The truth slipped from my tongue.

-Kkiuung

Demi cried in response and licked my cheek. A burst of laughter escaped me.

I patted his back and looked at Cristel.

She was smiling brightly like a star.

“I’m glad too.”

The protagonist declared so and flopped down next to me.

Her pink hair and the viscount’s olive-colored hair mingled together.

I laughed at the sight, and when I looked up, Benjamin, who had approached, was smiling kindly at me.

“Marquis, what about the name of the new divine beast?”

Ganael asked excitedly, slicing *campagne* [a type of French sourdough bread].

I looked down at the harp seal nestled quietly in my arms. His black, beady eyes sparkled.

I was at a loss.

“Since we have Dduk-sim, who is also a divine object, I think they can live together, but since he was forcibly brought here, I should release him into the sea in front of the territory and see…”

“Hamuli.”

“Pardon?”

I was talking seriously when Cristel suddenly spoke up.

I looked down at her in dismay. Don’t tell me she shortened ‘harp seal’ to ‘Hamuli’?

“Is that not good? Then, Parcel?”

Going from ‘Hamuli’ to ‘Parcel’ was too much. Lady Elisabeth and Ganael whispered to each other.

Seeing the look of utter disappointment on my face, Cristel’s expression hardened.

It seemed she was trying her best in her own way.

“……Seafood. Tsukidashi.”

“Lord Sarnese.”

What is ‘*tsukidashi*’ [a small, often Japanese-style appetizer] to a Korean protagonist?

“Seaweed. Seaweed is cute! Seaweed!”

“Tite.”

Unable to listen anymore, I quickly came up with a name.

David didn’t even ask what it meant and said, ‘That’s wonderful, let’s go with Tite.’

I was inspired by Thetis, the nymph of the sea, and the sound wasn’t bad. Demi, Leah, and Perry were also taken from Greek mythology, so it had a sense of unity and was two syllables long.

“Tite is pretty. It’s similar to Seaweed.”

Cristel said without changing her expression. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Fortunately, the harp seal wriggled its body as if satisfied.

Since he’s a divine beast, can he live in freshwater too?

“……”

My right cheek had been stinging for a while. When I turned my head, my eyes met the Crown Prince’s.

Unlike before, his orange eyes were shining peacefully. I raised the corners of my lips in a smile.

“Is there a place in the Imperial Palace where we can put seawater? A pond would be fine too. Tite might say he wants to follow me.”

“We can just make one.”

He replied curtly and lay down on the mat. This was an unexpected action and surprised me.

I was about to add something, but the Crown Prince even closed his eyes while we were watching.

The dark hair hidden under my shadow moved evenly.

Dduk-sim settled on his chest. Cristel looked back at him and muttered.

“It’s funny, really. That’s a disease too.”

I understood what she meant, or at least I thought I did.

I fiddled with the Yuliter hair ornament in my hand and embraced the divine beasts.

Everything seemed like it would be okay.

Kind-hearted friends, sweet snacks, and wonderful scenery.

Because there was a protagonist who said he would go anywhere with me and a guy who said he wouldn’t send me to the Divine Kingdom.

*

For the next four days, the Lord’s Castle was very peaceful.

There were minor incidents, but nothing bad happened, so I decided to consider it peaceful.

For example,

‘Marquis, did you know there’s a flag on top of the Lord’s Castle?’

Because Cristel asked, everyone took a carriage out to see the sunset at the Lord’s Castle.

The emblem of Serenitas, bestowed by the Imperial Family, depicted a lake and tulips.

It was said that it was hung high to let people know that the lord was staying in the castle, and it was combined with white walls and pointed purple roofs, making it magnificent.

It was embarrassing to think of it as my property, but it was cool to think of it as a Windows wallpaper.

‘Hello. I’m the new lord.’

‘Oh, my!’

I also inspected the territory according to the schedule Chantal had set up.

I felt uneasy about only looking at the wealthiest few households, so I spontaneously visited other houses as well.

Since the Crown Prince was also part of the group, the initial reaction was very extreme.

Everyone ran out barefoot and prostrated themselves, and some even cried.

I felt sorry for causing trouble…

‘L, Lord Marquis. I humbly ask that you bless my child…’

‘Of course. It would be my honor.’

It was quite rewarding to bless a baby who was less than a week old.

In particular, Lady Elisabeth didn’t know what to do when she saw the newborn.

The rumor that we were touring the territory spread in an instant, and on the second day, many territory residents actively came out.

‘Lord, this is a hazel grouse caught this morning! It’s fresh and the meat is good.’

It was difficult to accept food, so Benjamin and Ganael skillfully handled it in the middle.

I gratefully kept their hearts.

After that, I gave informal baptisms to the local children and checked the condition of the livestock.

As a healing priest, I was far from adequate, but As was the only large city in the territory, so there were few doctors, let alone veterinarians.

I wanted to be of some help, even if only a little.

‘……Have it sent here.’

‘I will, Your Highness.’

The Crown Prince ordered David from time to time.

As his position was what it was, he seemed to have a lot to do even after coming here.

“We’re going back tomorrow. I’m a little sad.”

Cristel said, stretching. Ganael nodded.

Today was already the last day to spend in Serenitas.

Our final course was the Lord’s Castle dungeon.

“It’s not that I don’t want to go to the Imperial Capital, but it feels like the vacation is over.”

“Indeed.”

Benjamin agreed with the viscount’s words. I felt like I knew what it felt like.

It was an unfamiliar place, and I had accumulated a lot of fatigue, but because we came on a group trip, I felt both refreshed and sad when it was time to leave.

“Wake up! Joan de As. His Highness the Crown Prince and the Marquis wish to see you.”

Lady Elisabeth, standing in front of the iron bars, said sharply.

Still, she didn’t kick the bars like before.

Joan, who had been lying down with her arms as a pillow, jumped up and looked at us.

“What’s with the crowd? Ah, wait. Let me greet you first.”

As soon as she found the Crown Prince, she quickly prostrated herself on the floor.

I cleared my throat and recited the words I had prepared.

“I’ve been thinking about your disposition. I asked the Crown Prince for his opinion, and he said that if a commoner is caught robbing a noble, the maximum penalty is death. That is, if the victimized noble is a great noble or if there are casualties.”

“……”

Joan swallowed hard. I continued.

“But no one was hurt by what you did. And I… I don’t have any real power, so it’s hard to call me a great noble. Legally, I receive the same treatment as the Imperial Family, but if you look at it that way, it’s still difficult for you to avoid the maximum penalty.”

“Ah… I know! Geez!”

She turned her head sharply. Her paint-stained fist trembled.

“I’m not a kid, and I knew what I was doing when I committed the crime. I didn’t intend to harm anyone… but I did something dirty. I admit it. So just tell me the conclusion!”

“I want you to paint a picture.”

The dungeon fell silent for a moment. Her lemon-colored eyes shook violently. I explained.

“Looking around the territory, I noticed that people from the coast rarely come inland. There are quite a few inns here, but most visitors only stay in As. It’s probably because it’s not being promoted. Conversely, there are no vacant rooms in As, so outsiders are having a hard time.”

“What, what does that…”

“We need someone to dress up the exterior walls, stone walls, and fences of the inland villages. If they’re colorful and flashy, they’ll attract attention. Naturally, people will come. And since it’s the work of the famous Hader O. Jansen, word will spread quite a bit.”

Cristel looked up at me from the side. Then, she made a clear lip shape.

‘I approve!’

I smiled and looked forward again. Joan made a face as if she had heard nonsense.

“Marquis… are you a pushover?”

“I’ve already heard that.”

“Are you out of your mind? Other lords don’t do this. They would have whipped me or thrown me into a coal mine long ago. I’m a robber!”

“I don’t like hitting people. And it seems like you’re more suited to artistic labor than mining.”

I looked up at the Crown Prince and said,

“Once the Serenitas beautification project is finished, how about sending her on a business trip to the village of Lyka that we visited? Then, I think Aitz Village would be good too.”

His garnet-like irises narrowed. He chuckled lowly.

“You intend to use her forever.”

Caught me.