What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 171

#171. The Hollowed-Out Archpriest (1)

In a dream, I thought I heard a voice, so tender yet sorrowful.

‘I feel nothing… You’re right, Sadie.’

‘Do you really have to do this?’

“Hngh.”

I gasped and opened my eyes. The patterns on the ceiling and the ornate gold trim were familiar.

Only after my breathing calmed did I realize I was in my room in the Juliette Palace.

The sunlight filtering through the curtains indicated it was early morning.

No one was beside me, but instead, a savory and fragrant smell filled the air.

As I slowly tried to lift my body from the blanket, my stomach rumbled pitifully.

So, this is…

“Ah.”

Suddenly, the events at the Blanquer Duchy flashed before my eyes like a slideshow.

A chill ran down my spine, and fear resurfaced. The first dungeon of the mountain range, opened during the masquerade ball.

The group led by Duke Cecil Blanquer, who had set out to subdue the monsters.

Contrary to the plan, she failed to seal the dungeon by the next morning, and eventually, Christel, the Crown Prince, and Lady Elisabeth secretly joined her.

Worried about my friends, I asked Sir Johann to follow them.

-Thump! Thump!

[Halt!]

…And then the golem appeared.

“Damn it.”

Everything went wrong from there.

No, when you think about it, it was strange from the start that the first dungeon couldn’t be sealed with the Duke and the Knights’ power.

Although they weren’t exactly close, it must have been because too much miasma [a noxious or poisonous atmosphere] had gathered in the territory.

That was also consistent with why the difficulty of this year’s monster extermination had increased significantly.

When the golem rampaged, the Duke was clearly exhausted, and I threw myself to protect her.

But the impact of its attack caused the ground to collapse, and I fell…

-Flap!

“Crazy, Dduk-ssim.”

I was startled and stepped out of bed.

The chick who had come to save me was nowhere to be seen.

I hurriedly tried to find the wren, but a magazine on the bedside table caught my eye.

October 15th issue.

“…October 15th?”

I went into the mountains with Sir Johann on October 1st, so I’ve been lying down for more than two weeks…?

My jaw dropped in shock. I quickly picked up the magazine.

The large letters printed on the cover mercilessly stabbed my vision.

‘Golem’s Rampage, The Sky of Perforation’

‘Interview with Archbishop Keshie – Exclusive Analysis of the God’s Will’

‘Witness Interview’

‘What is Military Preparedness?’

There was also a terrifying illustration.

In the center of the celestial sphere, where the sun sets in the west and the moon rises in the east, was a picture of a large, black hole.

My strength drained from my hands.

As what I saw that day came to mind, something surged up from within, then subsided.

The orange eyes I last saw were vivid in my mind.

‘Sorry…’

-Thud!

The magazine fell weakly to the floor. Startled by the sound, I regained my senses.

I needed to figure out the situation accurately first.

It was clear that what I saw there was our house’s veranda, but I couldn’t tell if it was real or an illusion.

-Clack!

With a quick motion, I drew back the curtains.

I searched the sky thoroughly, but there wasn’t a single cloud, let alone a hole, just the clear autumn sun.

My heart sank instantly. I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts.

The reaction caused by the four sacred objects and me was by no means trivial, but I still didn’t know what principle caused the crack in the clear sky.

So, what’s important right now is whether people are safe.

Christel and Lady Elisabeth, who had fainted, and the Duke, who had lost a lot of blood.

And that guy too.

-Thwack, pat-pat! Pat!

I was startled and turned my gaze to the door.

Someone was scratching at the bedroom door from outside.

-Squeak, squeak, squeak…

“Demi!”

Bang! As I pulled the door open, almost tearing off the doorknob,

-Kkiuuwoong!

-Awoo!

-Pireureureu!

Demi, Rea, and Perry had even brought Tite and were jumping into my arms haphazardly.

Dduk-ssim flapped his small wings furiously, biting and pecking at my pajamas.

Kneeling, I hugged their warm bodies tightly, expressing my apology and gratitude.

‘Sorry for startling you,’ ‘Thank you for waiting.’

They seemed to have had many unfair and sad things happen in the meantime, opening their mouths and crying and getting angry incoherently.

Even so, they sprouted all sorts of bouquets and medicinal herbs from their paws and the tips of their ears.

As Tite flapped his flipper-feet, seaweed grew rapidly on the carpet.

I finally burst into laughter.

“You’re telling me to boil medicinal herbs and seaweed soup and get well soon? Is this for hyung [Korean term for older brother or older male friend]?”

-Kki

“I’m fine now. Still, thank you.”

I touched noses with the lesser pandas one by one and gently patted the white back of the harp seal.

It was then.

-Clang!

A loud sound of breaking dishes came.

Startled, I raised my head and saw golden eyes shedding tears in the middle of the next room.

A tea set and a silver tray lay shattered at the boy’s feet. I said urgently.

“Ganael, be careful. You’ll get hurt if you step on them.”

“Your Highness!”

Adroitly avoiding the shards of glass, the boy ran over and hugged me and the precious pets.

Then, he began to sob loudly.

Seeing the child hiccuping and saying, ‘I thought I’d never see you again,’ and ‘Your whole body was covered in blood,’ even my nose tingled.

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything and gently stroked Ganael’s back.

Guilt washed over me, making it hard to part my lips. Even the words ‘I’m okay, don’t worry’ didn’t feel light.

“Ugh, sniffle! Heo-eong…”

How could you leave these kids behind, Jeong Yi-seo? Without even saying goodbye. Without a single explanation.

When I woke up, the Juliette Palace was, in a word, ‘turned upside down.’

Chef Laurent came and had a tearful outburst before going down, and the servants and maids, as well as the soldiers guarding the hallway, took turns coming in to greet me.

The royal physician, who came to check on my condition, declared that ‘His Highness is healthy,’ receiving applause from everyone.

Still, he said he would be making daily visits for the time being.

The reason why the bedroom was filled with the scent of bread and tea was soon revealed.

Every mealtime, my family had been setting up a meal next to the bed so that I could get up and eat whenever I wanted.

By the time I heard this story, my sense of guilt was piercing the sky.

“Truly, it is the grace of the gods.”

I snapped out of my reverie. The beige eyes facing me curved gently.

“Yes. Thank you for coming.”

“Your angelic face is half of what it was. It breaks my heart.”

Cardinal Boutier whispered softly.

Honestly, it wasn’t quite half, but I obediently offered my face while she stroked my cheek.

I also received several kisses on my forehead and head.

I felt grateful to my teacher for coming all the way to this remote place instead of waiting at the Imperial Palace.

Benjamin, standing across the table, dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief.

Seeing even him, who was always calm and serious, showing emotion, made my heart ache.

It wasn’t that I wanted to become like that to worry them, but still.

“Eat more.”

“Yes, it’s incredibly delicious.”

I piled roasted goose confit [goose cooked in its own fat] and white beans like a tower on top of the warm bread, drizzled stew over it to make it moist, and popped it into my mouth in one bite.

The greasy flesh melted under the crispy goose skin.

The relatively rough and hard baguette crumbled with the soft white beans, creating a wonderful texture.

The broth was also moderately sweet and salty, which was absolutely fantastic.

As I smiled, munching, my teacher pushed another plate forward. Is it okay to eat three servings after being starved for two weeks?

It’s not okay. I have to eat four servings because I’m hungry.

“When will I be able to see Sir Sarnese? And Lady Elisabeth and Eva too.”

I asked, putting a spoonful into my third bowl of navarin [a brown ragout of lamb, mutton, or sometimes beef].

Still, there was a lot of good news as soon as I woke up.

Christel had fainted that day and regained consciousness after only one day.

There were no major physical abnormalities other than scratches and bruises, her memory and personality were the same as we knew them, and her ether was also fine.

I was worried because the Blessing of the Azure Sea was radiating from her body, but thankfully, it was okay.

The Young Count had also quickly recovered from his injuries with the help of a healing priest.

“…”

“I’m so glad everyone is safe. I was especially worried that Duke Blanquer might be in trouble.”

My teacher didn’t answer, but I felt good and continued to speak.

The red and hot navarin had a deep and rich broth flavor from being simmered for a long time.

The spicy flavor of tomatoes was one of the things I had come to love here, and even after being knocked out for half a month, the soup was amazing.

I picked out the lamb, shredded it finely, topped it with moist shallots, and ate it neatly.

Ragoût, wagu [likely a typo and should be ‘wow’].

“Somehow, I thought I saw a green light when I fell underground. Even though it wasn’t her master… The sacred object must have healed the Duke.”

The Shrine of the God of Trees is famous for choosing a human to protect it and bestowing the grace of longevity.

But it didn’t end there. The sacred object of the earth attribute also possessed the power of ‘healing.’

By the time support arrived from the lord’s castle and found the group, the Duke’s head wound had already healed.

She woke up three days later, including her mana resting period.

I was worried about Eva, not just the Duke, wondering if she was very surprised.

“Let’s talk about that day later.”

The Cardinal smiled faintly and brushed my bangs aside.

It was an unexpected reaction, but I readily nodded, thinking she was doing it for my sake.

Even though I threw up a bucket of blood, I’m fine now.

“How is Crown Prince Cedric doing? I haven’t been able to give him ether for half a month… Has he received help from another priest in the meantime?”

I naturally changed the subject and began to attack the Niçoise salad [a salad that typically includes tomatoes, olives, anchovies, tuna, green beans, potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs].

But even while picking at the colorful fresh vegetables, boiled eggs, and olives, there was no answer.

Feeling a strange unease, I looked at the Cardinal, and she opened her mouth with difficulty.

“That child says he doesn’t want to see Your Highness.”

“…”

“Something upsetting must have happened. I think he needs some time.”

It was a soothing tone. Unable to find the words, I slowly put down my fork.

My teacher covered the back of my hand and continued.

“And for the time being… entry to Juliette will be restricted to those who are not of the Imperial Family. It will be difficult to receive guests.”

“That’s…”

“Christel, Elisabeth, Eva, Johann, all of them. Access will be impossible even from the garden.”

“Why? What happened?”

I asked hastily. This was no different from confinement.

Has the domestic and international situation become uncontrollably serious because of the hole in the ceiling?

I haven’t had a chance to read properly yet.

“…There was something called the unique authority of the Romero Palace Lord.”

The Cardinal answered with a bitter smile. I had a bad feeling about this.

“The person in charge of the Juliette Palace is the owner of the Romero Palace, and even the Emperor cannot arbitrarily overturn matters decided by him regarding Juliette. This is a custom that has been established since the time of the Romero Seonhwang.”

Wait a minute.

“In short, are you saying that the Crown Prince has decided to confine me?”

“Yes.”

I gaped.

I looked up at Benjamin in a flurry, but he only nodded with a mournful expression.

No… Really?

Am I trapped again?

“What should I do?”

-Kki-euh?

As I wandered by the window, muttering, Demi tilted his head, stopping halfway up my chest.

It was as if he was saying, ‘What do you mean what should you do? Just live as a palace shut-in.’

I let out a hollow breath and supported his butt. I liked that too.

Seeing the soldiers densely surrounding the outside of Juliette, I didn’t even feel the will to take a step outside.

The Romero Palace across the way stood stiffly like General Winter, blocking the view from this side.

But it might be that I have a way to go home.

Even if that wasn’t the case, I wanted to at least say hello to Christel and the Young Count.

I was genuinely curious about how Eva was doing after the masquerade ball and the golem’s rampage.

Sir Johann and the Imperial Guard, who protected the lord’s castle from the small fry monster horde….

That’s right.

“Demi, I heard from Benjamin that you also took Perry and went outside the castle gates to fight.”

-Kki-eung!

Indeed, he was worthy of being a divine beast who bit people (me) to follow along on the monster extermination.

“You’re really brave. Actually, aren’t you the main character of Toegye-gong [likely a reference to a famous Korean scholar or historical figure known for bravery or virtue]?”

-Kkureut!

Then, the divine beast stuck out his small tongue and showed off his charm by hanging upside down on my torso.

My silly joke seemed to be a huge compliment to him.

I smiled brightly and reached out to give the little one ether.

Come to think of it, I only gave him fruits and flowers during the meal, and didn’t feed him the main staple.

Sant must have had a hard time taking care of the kids’ meals. I need to repay him.

“Here, Demi, something you like.”

I spread out my five fingers. Then, golden ether particles poured out…

“Huh?”

-Kku?

Demi tilted his tail in the same direction as my neck. I was momentarily flustered and squeezed my eyes shut.

But even when I lifted my eyelids, there was no reaction at my fingertips.