What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 20

#020 Why Are You Here? (2)

I hoped to avoid confiding in 뱅자맹 [Benjamin] and 가나엘 [Ganael] about this if possible.

Not because I didn’t trust them, but because I didn’t want them to be involved in a situation where they needed my advice.

I wanted to live as quietly as possible, just as a hostage and a clergyman.

But my own strength had clear limitations.

The moment 크리스텔 [Kristel] appeared, I was swept into her narrative without any chance to resist.

Like a small clockwork part, I had a premonition of being caught up in the protagonist’s grand story.

That’s why today’s meeting was arranged: to ask for help from my ‘inner circle’.

“The reason the 사르네즈 [Sarnez] Duchess cannot confess to His Eminence the Cardinal is probably due to the national marriage issue,” 뱅자맹 [Benjamin] said, moving his knife gracefully.

I looked up from picking at the veal in my blanquette de veau [a French veal stew].

뱅자맹 [Benjamin], 가나엘 [Ganael], and I were sitting around a table, enjoying a banquet.

It was the result of my insistence that important stories should be shared over a meal.

The ‘three meals with the prince’ penance I gave 뱅자맹 [Benjamin] last time had long been used up, so there was no other way.

“Are you referring to the marriage talks between 황자 [Prince] 세드리크 [Cedric] and 공녀 [Lady] 크리스텔 [Kristel]?”

“You know about that, Your Highness? It’s still a little-known rumor.”

가나엘 [Ganael] looked surprised when I asked back. I picked up my spoon and smiled weakly.

The thought, ‘If you have a younger sibling who reads romance fantasy novels, you’ll know a lot,’ went down my throat.

뱅자맹 [Benjamin] nodded and exchanged his plate of perfectly sliced Chateaubriand [a thick cut of beef tenderloin] with mine.

A middle-aged angel…

“At one time, there was talk that the ‘Blessing of the Azure Sea,’ protected by the 사르네즈 [Sarnez] Duchy, would be a wedding gift for the two of them. 부티에 [Boutier] Cardinal is 황자’s [Prince’s] godmother, so he would naturally be aware of that.”

A wedding gift, huh? That’s why the 신물 [sacred object] appeared on the cover of ‘퇴계공 [Toegye-gong]’.

Even as I diligently used my fork, I would stop in surprise when I heard the information 뱅자맹 [Benjamin] and 가나엘 [Ganael] were providing.

It seemed like a wise choice to reveal what happened in the confessional to the two of them.

One question had already been answered.

“If you use the wedding gift carelessly and confess to His Eminence the Cardinal, the marriage talks could go wrong.”

“Yes, His Eminence the Cardinal and His Majesty the Emperor act in perfect accord.”

가나엘 [Ganael] responded to my words.

The Emperor’s ‘political partner,’ 알렉상드르 국서 [Alexandre Gukseo], passed away when 황자 [Prince] was young.

The only person with whom the Emperor could discuss his son’s national marriage and share the seat of honor was her ‘religious partner,’ 부티에 [Boutier] Cardinal.

“And there will also be talk that they are trying to cover up the grave sin of using 신물 [sacred object] by using their position as future in-laws,” 뱅자맹 [Benjamin] said quietly.

크리스텔’s [Kristel’s] words that meeting the Cardinal would be a ‘political act’ finally made sense.

It was a desire to avoid someone who would become an in-law, as she wanted to confess with pure faith.

“There are archbishops and many other bishops in the Imperial Capital, but the fact that she specifically wants to meet me…”

I guess it means that a foreigner with no connection is the most comfortable.

“Your Highness is a royal priest. As the sin is a sin, it seems she wants to confess to the most virtuous person,” 가나엘 [Ganael] said, puffing out his chest. For some reason, his golden eyes looked proud.

Since this wasn’t the kind of response I was looking for, I became embarrassed and changed the subject.

“Then, should I inform His Eminence the Cardinal about this…? I don’t need to, right?”

뱅자맹 [Benjamin] stopped his fork and looked at me.

I sent him a look that pleaded for him to say yes.

I’m almost thirty, and since I have reliable adults by my side, I naturally seek their support.

I had no intention of getting even a toe into something that involved both protagonists.

“I don’t think Your Highness needs to get involved.”

A sigh of relief escaped from my nose.

“This is ultimately a matter for two families, the Imperial Family and the Ducal Family. The issue of the wedding gift cannot be hidden forever, so it’s only a matter of time before His Majesty and His Eminence the Cardinal find out the truth. The elders of both families will handle it well.”

뱅자맹 [Benjamin] kindly gave me the answer I wanted to hear.

Then 가나엘’s [Ganael’s] eyes lit up as if he had remembered something.

“Come to think of it, I heard that 황자 [Prince] has not been in good condition for the past three or four days. The Romero Palace servants say he may not attend the Spring Ball. Could it be that he has already heard about the ‘Blessing of the Azure Sea’?”

“That could be it.”

Seeing 뱅자맹 [Benjamin] agree, the situation seemed quite plausible.

If the parties involved had already grasped the situation, there was no reason for me to step forward and act like I knew.

One burden had been lifted for now.

“By the way, 공녀 [Lady] 크리스텔 [Kristel] is very bold. To sneak into the Imperial Palace temple to deliver a message in person, she seems like a different person from the 공녀 [Lady] before she collapsed.”

가나엘 [Ganael] brought up a major spoiler with an indifferent face.

I covered my lower face with a napkin to hide my trembling lips.

Well, that’s because someone else possessed that body.

Then 뱅자맹 [Benjamin], who had been listening silently, supported the boy’s opinion.

“공녀 [Lady] 크리스텔 [Kristel] three years ago was famous for her introverted personality. She never stepped outside the lord’s castle, and she was poor at expressing herself, which worried 사르네즈 공작 [Sarnez Duke]. That’s why she didn’t make her social debut at the same time as her coming-of-age ceremony.”

This was another setting I was hearing for the first time.

은서 [Eunseo] had only chattered about 크리스텔 [Kristel], who was ‘possessed by a 퇴사한 직장인 [resigned office worker],’ and had never mentioned what the ‘real’ 크리스텔 [Kristel] was like.

Looking closely, the personality difference between the two 크리스텔 [Kristel] seemed considerable.

I took a large bite of the Dame Blanche [a French dessert of ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce] that came up for dessert and pondered.

The showmanship she displayed by immediately showcasing her abilities when I stubbornly refused to talk, or the way she poured out everything she wanted to say until the end, despite exposing several flaws.

She looked like a protagonist at first glance…

‘There’s also a story about the 신물 [sacred object] that disappeared from the 경계의 신전 [Temple of the Boundary].’

‘What did you say?’

Ah, that’s right. There was that.

“She also talked about another 신물 [sacred object].”

Two pairs of eyes looked at me simultaneously.

“She said she had something to say to me about the 신물 [sacred object] that disappeared from the ‘경계의 신전 [Temple of the Boundary]’.”

“······.”

The atmosphere suddenly turned gloomy.

가나엘 [Ganael] frowned, and 뱅자맹 [Benjamin] had an expression that was clearly unpleasant.

Even I felt downhearted at the unfamiliar faces.

“I don’t know what the Duchess is thinking. His Eminence the Cardinal has directly declared Your Highness’s innocence, so what words is she trying to add?”

“How long has it been since Your Highness escaped that predicament, and she’s already mentioning it first…”

The two of them took turns expressing their dissatisfaction.

Roughly translated, it seemed to mean that it was very rude to try to meet me by using that incident as bait.

It was a reaction I hadn’t anticipated at all.

“I thought the Duchess might be planning to provide a clue about the culprit. Or maybe she was going to confess that she stole that 신물 [sacred object] too.”

At my words, 뱅자맹 [Benjamin] picked up his glass.

가나엘 [Ganael] made a groaning sound and poured sparkling water for him.

I really didn’t have any thoughts, but the two of them seemed to have eaten sweet potatoes [a Korean expression for feeling frustrated or stifled].

“If it’s the former, it’s a matter for the Imperial Guard or the Imperial Army.”

“If it’s the latter, there’s nothing for Your Highness to listen to. The Duchess will be punished by God.”

The two of them urged me.

I quietly closed my mouth and moved on to the second dessert.

I felt like I had experienced this situation a lot, and sometimes my brother and 은서 [Eunseo] would team up to scold me like this.

“So, what are your plans for the day after tomorrow? Are you going to meet the Duchess?”

As I was cutting the warm Charlotte [a type of dessert] with a dessert knife, 가나엘 [Ganael] asked directly.

I immediately shook my head.

“To meet the Duchess, I have to go to the Spring Ball, but I definitely don’t want to. I’m a little curious about the story of the 신물 [sacred object] stolen from the temple, but it’s not related to me anyway.”

I didn’t like the saying that if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.

I only met the protagonist once because I couldn’t avoid it, but I still intend to avoid it as much as possible.

If my determination was going to waver just because of that brief encounter, I wouldn’t have quit being the sub-male lead in the first place.

It was impossible for me to show my face at an event centered around the protagonist.

뱅자맹 [Benjamin] nodded with a satisfied face at my firm attitude.

가나엘 [Ganael] said that I had thought well, and that since I had eaten dessert, he would bring in more meat.

It was a fulfilling meal.

*

“I’m going to die, I want to go home…”

엘리자베트 [Elizabeth] collapsed on the sofa, making dying noises.

When she took the position of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard last summer, she didn’t understand the words of her seniors, ‘The Spring Ball is hell that the Lord has sent to the continent,’ and ‘Do you like spring so much, you stupid nobles?’

But as the day before the Spring Ball approached, all those lamentations were engraved in her bones and flesh and could not be erased.

The fact that she would have to go through this ordeal again next year was terrible. There was really too much to do.

“세이디 [Seidi], you should have stopped me when I said I was going to join the Imperial Guard…”

“You haven’t even been in the palace for two hours.”

The 황자 [Prince] retorted coldly. 엘리자베트 [Elizabeth] lifted her head sharply, which had been buried in the cushion.

Her gray eyes, soaked with overwork, were glaring.

“Do you know the feelings of a commuting civil servant? Do you know the feelings of a knight summoned to a national event…?”

“If you’ve rested enough, leave.”

“I just got here?”

She grumbled and sat up.

세드리크’s [Cedric’s] complexion, sitting across from her, was still a little pale.

The servants were naturally restless because the 황자 [Prince], who had to stand before the empire’s leading nobles tomorrow, had been struggling with 에테르 [ether] deficiency for days.

“Can you go to the ball?”

“Yes.”

The 황자 [Prince] answered.

Although she had known him since he was quite young, 세드리크 [Cedric] had never once said that he was sick or tired in front of her.

Perhaps it was the same in front of His Majesty the Emperor or His Eminence the Cardinal.

As her thoughts reached that point, 엘리자베트 [Elizabeth] wanted to talk about something else.

After all, this was the main point.

“Did you get a reply from the Ducal Family?”

세드리크 [Cedric] nodded lightly instead of answering.

Turning her eyes, she saw a letter envelope on the table.

“What does it say?”

엘리자베트 [Elizabeth] didn’t want to see letters anymore.

Having reviewed too many documents in the past week, she confidently demanded a three-line summary from the 황자 [Prince].

세드리크 [Cedric] frowned slightly.

“They say the 신물 [sacred object] is fine.”

It seemed a bit too abbreviated, but it was an adequate answer to understand the 사르네즈 [Sarnez] Duke’s position.

“That’s a lie.”

세드리크 [Cedric] nodded at 엘리자베트’s [Elizabeth’s] assertion.

He recalled the moment five days ago when he had led the 신수 [divine beast] close to the lord’s castle.

It was almost laughable to think of the small beasts that had not sensed anything, circling around his feet and rolling in the bushes.

The Duke was lying.

Because there was no treasure with 에테르 [ether] in that territory.

“I’ll know when I see their faces.”

His low voice was heavier than usual.

The 사르네즈 [Sarnez] Duke and Duchess, and their only daughter, who will attend the Spring Ball.

If he meets the three of them tomorrow and asks them directly, he will be able to confirm the truth.

They would not dare to lie in a place where the Cardinal and the Emperor were present.

세드리크 [Cedric] thought this was the last chance given to them.

-Knock knock

“Come in.”

In response to the 황자’s [Prince’s] reply, the door to the drawing room opened and a servant appeared.

It was 다비드 카퓌송 [David Capuson].

“Your Highness, 왕자 [Prince] 예서 [Yeser] has sent dandelion tea.”

“…What?”

It was an unexpected combination of names and unexpected nouns.

엘리자베트 [Elizabeth] leaned forward.

“왕자 [Prince] 예서 [Yeser]? Why did you suddenly send tea?”

“…It seems he knew that Your Highness was unwell.”

“…”

“I was negligent in keeping it a secret. Please forgive me.”

That 왕자 [Prince] seemed to have not forgotten that he had sent sage tea from Romero Palace.

Considering the 왕자’s [Prince’s] personality, which he had experienced directly, it was not surprising.

His thoughts were disturbed by the mere dandelion tea, but it was not entirely unpleasant.

“Shall I prepare the tea?”

At 카퓌송’s [Capuson’s] cautious question, 세드리크 [Cedric] gave a silent affirmation.

The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard chuckled softly.