What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 150

#150 My Favorite Things (3)

“Are you going to make me… paint for the rest of my life? Just eat and wield a brush!?”

“Yes.”

Joan, inside the iron bars, asked as if shouting, and I answered firmly.

Her face was a mess.

It was a jumble of feelings that were good but strange, and strange but good.

Confusion and relief mixed, making her look like she was about to cry, but then a smiling expression appeared.

“We can’t let talent rot. For your information, you don’t have a choice. This is a punishment, after all.”

“I know!”

Joan huffed.

She scratched the back of her head wildly to hide her embarrassment and rubbed her nose roughly with her sleeve.

Her shoulders rose and fell as she gasped for breath.

I planned to seek advice from Emperor Frederik and Cardinal Boutier regarding the Joan case, but perhaps those two elders would also respect my wishes as the lord.

It seemed it would end with them pointing out a few things to supplement.

“Emil?”

“······.”

“Is he locked up here too? Does he eat?”

Joan asked in a trembling voice. Lady Elisabeth frowned.

None of us had an obligation to tell a criminal about her brother’s well-being.

Just as the viscount was about to retort, I raised my hand and gently stopped her.

I moved my lips, saying, ‘It’s okay.’

“I heard he eats one or two meals a day. He barely speaks and sleeps a lot.”

“······.”

“He will go to the Imperial City with us tomorrow.”

Joan’s gaze trembled slightly at my words.

Even though she had suffered a lot from Emil, she seemed worried as his sister.

As siblings who had spent their childhood together, it would have been difficult to completely cut ties.

In any case, family matters were not something outsiders could easily comment on.

She opened her mouth with difficulty.

“······That guy needs to reflect. I hope he comes to his senses there. He was caught well.”

“Indeed.”

“He was the ultimate frog in a well [a person with a limited perspective]. If he wanted to be revered like a prince, he should have behaved accordingly. He wanted to be loved while scheming, and he wanted honor too. He even wanted to marry well.”

‘His greed has filled his ass!’ Joan said relentlessly. Christel nodded emphatically.

“It’s a disgrace to the family. But I’m not much different······.”

Joan trailed off and looked at me.

Then, she frowned as if she had swallowed very bitter medicine.

“So, I’ll work hard. Until I pay for all my sins.”

“Good.”

It was an excellent answer.

When I smiled, she grumbled things she didn’t mean, like she seemed to have picked the wrong thing and it would be better to go to the coal mine.

Our business was done here. Just as I was about to move, Joan grabbed me.

“Hey! What about the Merchant Guild? What happens to the Asker Merchant Guild?”

“That will be decided by His Majesty, the owner of Asker City. I heard that the Asker area merchant association will operate it jointly for the time being.”

“······I see.”

Her spirit drooped.

I heard she had given up the succession a long time ago, but her affection for the family seemed unchanged.

I became curious and opened my mouth.

“May I ask why you gave up the succession? You could have continued painting even as the head of the Merchant Guild.”

“I can’t do math. My stomach churns just looking at numbers.”

“Ah.”

There was such a hidden story. It seemed all her abilities were concentrated on artistic sense.

Well, I couldn’t imagine Joan being friendly and welcoming to others like Emil.

I nodded and turned to leave. It was then.

“Wait! This is really the last one!”

Clang! Joan clung to the bars and shouted.

The Crown Prince’s sound of gathering patience to sigh was heard.

I whispered to him to go first, fearing he might draw his divine sword, and returned to Joan.

In the end, only Lady Elisabeth, Benjamin, and Ganael remained a few steps away, and the rest of the group left the hallway.

I looked down at the painter and asked.

“What’s wrong? Is the meal not enough?”

“It’s not that! It’s a much more important issue.”

Something more important than a meal? I tilted my head. She whispered, not caring.

“I told you, our family was falsely accused of being spies.”

“Yes.”

It was a story I had heard on the first day of Joan’s interrogation.

An assertion that her great-grandfather, Baron Asker, was unfairly deprived of his title, although it could not be proven.

“Yes, there’s no evidence. But my grandmother clearly told us that during her lifetime.”

“······.”

“My great-grandfather had a personality that couldn’t even tell small lies, and he wouldn’t bend even if he broke. He didn’t admit his guilt until right before he was executed by the late Emperor.”

Lemon-colored eyes shone brightly. I lowered my voice along with her.

“So, what’s your point? Do you want me to clear your family’s name?”

“How could a hostage flower like me have that kind of power? I’m not a blockhead.”

She whispered quickly. I think a strange word just passed by······.

“I’m warning you. The family that framed us is probably still living well. Who knows, they might still be acting as spies for the Divine Kingdom?”

“······.”

“······Be careful, Marquis. That’s all.”

Thud! Joan immediately let go of the iron bars and stepped back.

I was dumbfounded and stared at her before stepping back.

The viscount immediately escorted me.

What caught my eye at the end was the trace of Ganael’s portrait that Joan had cleaned.

To be exact, a faint white signature remained near the floor.

‘J. T. Asker’.

*

“I’m so nervous. What if it’s a fake?”

Christel muttered, lifting Yuliter’s headdress.

‘What do you mean, what if? We’ll cut off their heads.’ A terrifying soliloquy followed.

Instead of asking whose head she would cut off, I calmly said goodbye to those who had come to see me off at the portal.

Today was the day we were returning to the Imperial City. I felt both sad and good.

“Thank you so much, Chantal. I’ll come again.”

“You are too kind, Marquis. We are truly moved by your generous heart. We will be eagerly awaiting the day we meet again.”

Chantal curved her wrinkled eyes.

From the lord’s castle, she, the head of the servants, and some servants came out with luggage.

Beside them was the bishop of the Serenité Diocese, whom I had met during the inspection of the territory.

The archbishop of the archdiocese in the southwestern region of the Empire did not show up in the end, but Benjamin said it was to keep me in check.

Most of the high-ranking clergy in Riester were at the center of power struggles, so it was not strange.

However, it was strange that they were wary of me, of all people.

I have nowhere to go higher than Marquis.

“May you return safely with the blessing of the Main God.”

“Thank you. Please be careful going back, Bishop.”

After exchanging greetings with the kind-faced bishop, I stepped onto the portal.

Everyone seemed busy with the final preparations for departure.

But the troublesome things were causing trouble again!

“Demi, no! Don’t bully the youngest.”

-Kkuu

“You’re the leader. Be more considerate······.”

-Kkiuuu!

Demi, who was forcibly held in my arms, protested loudly. It seemed there were circumstances.

No, even if Tete moves slowly on land······.

What are you three doing carrying the child on your back?

“In my opinion, that’s the best way to move when you’re not flying, Marquis. The divine beasts are smart.”

Christel gently placed Yuliter’s treasure on my head. Well, yes.

-Kkiing!

-Kkii!

Leia and Ferry complained as the center of the formation was empty.

It seemed Tete was too heavy for the two of them to carry.

I looked at the harp seal lying on the red pandas, wiggling its eyebrows.

Even after releasing it on Asker Beach and waiting for 3 hours, the little one was swimming in the same spot, only looking at us.

I watched in case a family member would appear, but there was no news.

In the end, I wrapped the kid in a towel and brought it with me at sunset.

“Aren’t you uncomfortable riding on your brothers’ backs? Are you okay?”

-Awoo!

Tete replied cheerfully.

He liked to imitate red pandas, chased after Ttuksoomi at every opportunity, and was very interested in Christel, who had the same water attribute [elemental affinity].

I smiled bitterly and put Demi back in the middle compartment. You guys have a plan.

“Okay, it was my fault. I’ll respect the agreement of the four of you.”

-Kkurururu

Demi purred contentedly and worked hard with the little ones to take their place in the center of the portal.

Crown Prince Cedrick, who had watched our farce from beginning to end, left a one-line review.

“Worry about your own transfer.”

Okay. Just in time, Christel took her hand off my crown.

The headdress, which had been jingling for a while, was finally fixed.

The diamond coming down to the center of my forehead was cold and made me wide awake.

She smiled as she straightened my bangs.

“It was worth the effort. It’s pretty. It suits you much better than I thought.”

“Thank you.”

I answered sincerely.

Although the motion sickness medicine I received from Marquis Dium was full in my bag, I decided to use the portal today without applying it.

Benjamin and Ganael followed me onto the portal.

Ttuksoomi circled the ceiling and landed on Christel’s shoulder.

Lady Elisabeth, who had given some instructions to the guards, joined late.

A considerable number of troops had been additionally dispatched from the Imperial City to Serenité, so she had been quite busy until morning.

“By the way, why did Yuliter betray His Majesty Romero?”

Christel whispered, looking at my headdress. I blinked.

“I was curious about the reason why she was called the worst villain, so I searched here and there, but all I found was that His Majesty and Yuliter were lovers, and the war broke out due to one side’s betrayal. The reason for the defection didn’t come out. Do you happen to know, Marquis?”

“······.”

I had nothing to say. This was a topic I had also looked up until recently.

However, no one described why Yuliter abandoned Romero, as if they had made a promise.

I couldn’t even tell if she had approached the late Emperor intentionally or if she had loved him and changed her mind.

Yuliter was a noble of the Divine Kingdom, so it was understandable that Christel asked me.

She probably thought that I, as a prince, would know information about her.

“I don’t,”

-Paaat!

At that moment, red mana erupted from the end of the Crown Prince’s glove.

I reflexively swallowed hard. The fear of motion sickness crept up my back.

Christel stroked the back of his hand, where the blood vessels were visible, as if to soothe him.

The portal magic circle, reacting to the man’s power, began to turn red with a metallic light.

“If I knew that, there would have been no severance of diplomatic relations.”

A sharp, low-pitched voice cut through the gap between Christel and me. I was surprised and looked at the Crown Prince.

Did he hear everything?

-Uuung!

Then, the noise of the portal being activated rang out. The viscount encouraged me, saying, ‘It will be okay.’

The last Serenité people I looked back at were paying their respects.

Just as I felt the headdress getting warmer,

-Kkii!

-Kkurut!

Demi, Leia, and Ferry broke down the formation and ran to me.

It seemed they were still scared to ride the portal without me.

I burst into laughter and embraced my four divine beasts. My fingertips slowly crumbled.

*

My eyes widened. The power of the holy relic was truly sacred.

“······Wow.”

There was no motion sickness, nor did I feel like my body was being sucked into somewhere.

It was a mysterious and new fantasy world. The headdress was as warm as a roasted sweet potato.

Seeing those who had departed with me arriving one after another, this was indeed the wide-area portal in the western part of the Imperial City.

My cheekbones rose on their own!

“Sir Sarnes, I really didn’t feel anyth,”

“Your Highness!”

A familiar voice pierced my ears. I turned my gaze in a flash. At that moment,

“Gasp!”

A large dark brown eye appeared right in front of my nose.

I was so startled that I almost fell on my butt.

The young lady, who decorated her curly hair with pretty ribbons, was standing there looking at me like an angry poodle.

“Eva?”

“I’m disappointed that you made a lady wait for 3 hours!”

The child turned her head away and stuck a piece of paper into my arms full of divine beasts before walking away.

To be exact, she hesitated and then grabbed the hem of her dress and bowed to me.

As a result, she was a polite child. She didn’t forget to glare at Tete in the meantime.

But she waited? Did she come all the way here to meet me?

“Welcome, Your Highness.”

Following that, a gentle voice echoed through the portal. It was the Haines father and son whom I hadn’t seen in a while.

I smiled brightly at the two of them.

“Hello, Sir Johann. How have you been, Herrit?”

The boy bowed and hesitated to come closer, so I barely hugged him with one arm.

Eva was now greeting her friends, including the Crown Prince and Christel.

I was pleased to see everyone welcoming her. Sir Johann looked at the young lady and explained instead.

“Lady Blanquer was eagerly waiting for Your Highness. The invitation came out a few days ago.”

“Invitation?”

I asked back.

At the same time, a card that was barely stuck between Leia and Tete fell to the floor.

I unconsciously read it.

‘We invite you to Blanquer Manor.

A masquerade ball hosted by Lady Eva Blanquer will be held on September 30th.’