What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 18

#018 The Duke’s Family is Suspicious (4)

“Are we going all the way into Sarnez Manor today?”

The boy silently nodded at my question.

Seidi, who had snuck into my room like a phantom on the first day, was now glaring at the lesser panda scurrying on top of the oak dresser.

I slowly channeled aether [a magical energy source] to the boy through the circle, adding another question.

“Won’t it be a big problem if you get caught? What am I supposed to think if you don’t come tomorrow?”

Only then did Seidi turn his head towards me.

His orange eyes shone confidently.

“If the Divine Beasts sense the Divine Object in the manor, you won’t see me from tomorrow.”

“So, you’re saying it’s easy?”

I retorted.

This kid didn’t seem to fear being caught by Duke Sarnez’s soldiers near the manor or being attacked and killed.

More precisely, he acted as if he already knew such a thing would never happen.

“His Majesty is said to be inviting an external priest. Lady Elisabeth told me. Can’t you just ask them?”

“…Did the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard explain it that way?”

The boy’s eyes narrowed. I chose my words carefully, feeling like I was being interrogated.

“When I asked if I was planning to, he said yes.”

Seidi scoffed.

The boy didn’t give an answer, nor did he seem likely to change his mind, so instead of continuing the conversation, I looked at the lesser panda on the dresser.

When I offered a peeled grapefruit slice, it twitched its nose and slowly began to descend onto the carpet.

-Squeak!

“Good boy.”

The tail of the creature, which came straight to me, was plump like a hot dog.

The lesser panda lightly smelled the grapefruit and then swallowed it in one bite, diligently starting to chew.

It seemed to like the bitter taste, surprisingly.

A smile naturally came to my face as I watched it bloom a finger-sized amaranth [a type of flowering plant] at its feet.

“…What did you do to him?”

Seidi said this while I was doing that.

I didn’t understand the meaning, so I just met the boy’s gaze.

Beneath eyebrows as dark as charcoal, his eyes seemed a little embarrassed.

“Divine Beasts don’t eat food. Aether should be enough.”

Ah… Was that so?

“Well, he eats it when I give it to him.”

I answered honestly.

The little Divine Beast I looked down at again was focused only on the grapefruit, not showing any interest in our conversation.

“Not all Divine Beasts are the same, right? This one must like to eat.”

“…”

“Is that why he was awake alone since midday?”

I sealed them with the same aether, but if he woke up alone and wandered around the garden, wouldn’t the only reason be that he was hungry?

Moreover, I heard that this one was the smallest of the three Divine Beasts.

Whether it was aether or something else, it was highly likely that he was pushed back by the other two and didn’t eat enough.

The lesser panda, who had already finished a slice of grapefruit, buried its head in my palm and wiggled its whiskers.

It clearly meant he wanted more.

“Seidi, do you want some?”

The boy simply ignored me.

It wasn’t the first or second time I was surprised by his personality, so I gave the lesser panda a few more slices of grapefruit.

Seidi received and filled my aether, and the lesser panda filled his stomach with fruit for about ten minutes.

“If these guys can’t sense the Divine Object even near the manor, what are you going to do then?”

“We’ll have to hear the Duke’s explanation.”

This was a statement considering the possibility that the Divine Object, ‘Blessing of the Azure Sea,’ might not be in Sarnez.

The little one’s eyes were firm.

Seidi often exuded an authoritative atmosphere that was hard to see in children of the same age.

His way of speaking, which seemed like it came out of a novel, made me wonder if he really was a precious young master from a high-ranking family.

“It’s time to depart.”

Before I knew it, tiny golden grains smaller than a baby’s fingernail began to rise from the boy’s body.

The sight of the floating aether orbs was always fascinating.

When they appeared, Seidi would dust himself off and get up as if unplugging a fully charged phone charger.

“I hope things go well, so I don’t have to see you again.”

I said, following the little one towards the balcony.

It was naturally much better for a child not to wander around late at night.

Seidi, even with a large robe over him, lightly climbed onto the railing with agile movements.

The lesser panda, flapping its ears, also seemed to have noticed the departing atmosphere and waddled its body this way.

“…Are you not attending the Spring Ball?”

“Oh, I’ll be busy receiving confessions. But they still send me invitations.”

I smiled and gently rubbed between the lesser panda’s ears.

Seidi looked down at me for a moment, then stretched his left arm into the air.

But is that guy also going to the Spring Ball?

-Snap!

A spark ignited with the sound of a finger snapping.

I was so surprised that my thoughts instantly evaporated.

I raised my head and looked at the boy’s fingertips.

“You…”

Flames the size of a fist, the same color as the child’s orange eyes, were burning at the tips of his thumb and forefinger.

This was the first time I had seen Seidi’s ability.

And it might be the last.

In the enchantment that illuminated the darkness, I stood dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

-Ggrrr

The lesser panda was the first to react to the flower fire.

It supported its body with its hind legs and stood up, reaching out with its two front paws to grab the railing.

Even though Seidi didn’t give a separate command, fairly thick branches sprouted from the tips of its paws.

So, this is what it meant to be compatible.

“Is fire attribute stronger than earth attribute?”

“As you can see.”

Only a little, but the little one seemed to be enjoying it.

I didn’t know if he liked the fact that he was stronger than the lesser panda, or if he just liked using his ability.

“Then.”

-Kkureureu!

Before I could say anything more, Seidi threw himself off the balcony.

Crimson flames and yellowish aether particles cut through the night air, growing distant.

When I quickly lowered my gaze, the lesser panda was already down on the first floor.

The newly born leaves, created by the power of aether, swayed.

“What a flamboyant goodbye.”

I muttered.

The cute lesser panda, and the less cute but handsome like a child actor, left the Juliette Palace like that.

*

Four days later.

As I came out of the Imperial Palace with Ganael’s escort, Benjamin was waiting for me outside.

“Your Highness. While you were away from the Juliette Palace, we received a formal audience request from Duchess Isabelle de Sarnez.”

“Really?”

I stopped as I was getting into the carriage.

Today was the day for my morning tutoring with Cardinal Aurelie Boutier.

She usually tormented me harshly and personally practiced ‘practical experience over theory,’ and she must have felt sorry for my tattered state, as she treated me to a luxurious luncheon after class.

While I shuddered at the gap between the carrot and the stick, the Duchess had apparently requested a private audience.

“So, what did you say?”

“When she said she wanted to see you this afternoon, I replied that it was difficult because Your Highness’s schedule was full. Since many people know that Your Highness came to the Imperial Palace, I couldn’t make the excuse that you were ill. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, you did well.”

I waved my hand.

If a prince who went to receive the Cardinal’s teachings in the morning suddenly said he was sick, they would think it was a lie, so he must have come up with a more plausible excuse.

Then Ganael pouted.

“It wouldn’t have been strange to refuse without any reason. It’s rude to request an audience with Your Highness on the same morning.”

“Forget it, Ganael.”

I’m not going to meet her anyway, so what does it matter? I swallowed the rest of my words and smiled.

I thought the letter saying she wanted to have an audience was just a formality, but it was a little surprising that it was genuine.

“We will move to the temple, Your Highness.”

Before closing the carriage door, the Imperial Palace coachman announced the destination and bowed.

I nodded and turned my eyes to the window.

The afternoon spring sunshine was dazzling.

The vast Imperial Palace was showing off its beauty with various flowers and trees.

Everywhere I looked, there were people preparing for the Spring Ball, which was happening the day after tomorrow.

There didn’t seem to be a single place that wasn’t busy.

Some of the people carrying furniture wrapped in white cloth put the items on the floor and bowed when they saw our carriage.

It was when I responded with a silent greeting to them.

“I wonder if they won’t come anymore?”

At Ganael’s somewhat gloomy voice, I turned to look at the child.

Her honey-colored eyes were drooping.

“The Divine Beasts, I mean.”

“Well, I guess so. Nothing has happened for days.”

I replied.

Seidi and the lesser panda, who left my room the day before yesterday, hadn’t shown themselves since.

I thought they must have safely reached the ‘Blessing of the Azure Sea.’

“It’s a good thing. They say it’s good for the Divine Beasts to be by the Divine Object.”

Benjamin and Ganael nodded at the same time.

I chuckled, remembering the two of them from a few days ago, who couldn’t hide their disappointment when I told them that the Divine Beast had left the palace last night.

“It is said that those who help and care for the Divine Beasts gain the power to obtain good fortune and ward off curses. Your Highness will also receive such blessings.”

“Haha, your words alone make me feel good.”

My lips widened even more at Benjamin’s blessing.

If I get good fortune, will I be able to go home safely? I briefly had such a thought.

“The gerberas [a type of daisy] are already in bloom. The gardeners must have worked hard.”

Benjamin gestured out the window.

I, who didn’t know many flowers, was puzzled, so he kindly pointed out a place.

Vivid orange clusters like flames caught my eye.

…That guy must be safe, right?

“We have arrived at the temple, Your Highness.”

Ganael’s voice woke me from my reverie.

Soon the shaking stopped, and the coachman opened the door with a quick movement.

*

“Then, we will wait in the priest’s office.”

“Good luck, Your Highness!”

Ganael smiled brightly as she handed me the picnic basket.

She was so quick to recover from when she was crying, saying, ‘The Divine Beasts aren’t coming!’

I waved goodbye to the two of them and opened the confessional door and went inside.

After hanging the ‘Confessions Available’ sign on the entrance and sitting on the comfortable chair, the surroundings finally became quiet.

I realized anew that this was my new daily life.

A wise hostage life where I was possessed but boldly abandoned the sub-male lead role.

“They still haven’t fixed it.”

I chuckled in vain, looking back and forth at the still-cut left string and the hole in the right wooden window.

I understood that there were no hands to put into the temple since the Spring Ball was just around the corner.

-Squeak…

At that time, an eerie noise pierced my ears.

It wasn’t the sound of the front door or the priest’s office door opening.

The sound was coming from the back of the temple in the distance. I instinctively held my breath.

-Tap, tap, tap…

It was the sound of light shoes, neither slow nor fast.

I frowned at the trajectory of the person walking without hesitation from the back of the temple.

Who would be coming in and out of here through the back door?

Benjamin, Ganael, Lady Elisabeth, the Cardinal, and the faces of the knights guarding the entrance flashed before my eyes in turn.

But it didn’t seem like any of them.

-Tap.

It was chilling. Before I knew it, the footsteps had stopped in front of the confessional where I was.

The moment I deployed the circle without hesitating any longer,

-Click

I was so surprised that I fluttered.

The door of the next compartment opened, and I saw a shadow entering the confessor’s seat.

Embarrassment washed over me like a tsunami.

“Welcome, believer. When was your last confession?”

So I opened my mouth aggressively.

I wanted to emphasize that I opened the sanctuary not because I was scared, but solely to receive confessions.

“I didn’t come to confess.”

Then a clear woman’s voice echoed through the confessional. My heart sank for no reason.

It was an attractive resonance that anyone would call a voice that sticks in your ear.

“I heard that my mother’s request for an audience was rejected. I came to ask again one-on-one.”

“…”

I saw the woman taking off the robe she was wearing over her head.

The world was moving in slow motion.

I finally resented the Imperial Palace carpenters who hadn’t fixed this place.

I could see her profile through the clearly open gap in the wooden window.

Lusciously wavy pink hair. Brightly sparkling blue-gray eyes.

It was Christel de Sarnez.