What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 217

#217

열아홉의 가주님 (4)

Nineteen-Year-Old Head of the Family (4)

“Why are you here?”

“Father, what brings you here? Is your flu better?”

Cristel quickly added, glaring at the bedroom door.

It was locked from the inside, and the key was here, so her father couldn’t possibly enter.

Yet, she kept feeling a chill.

Could this be the sixth sense of a paladin that Teacher Johann mentioned?

“Yes, I’m much better. Thanks to you.”

His voice was the same as usual. Cristel calmly asked,

like a good daughter, as if nothing was wrong.

“How about the injuries you sustained at the terrorist site?”

“They’ve almost healed too.”

“That’s a relief.”

-Swish······

Frost formed on her fingertips. Isabel’s hand, gripping her shoulder, was trembling.

Cristel calmly looked behind her.

A wide-open window. Everyone dressed in everyday clothes and boots, not pajamas. Curtains wrapped tightly around her mother and Nanny Ellen’s waists.

She absolutely couldn’t let him find out about this. Anyone could see they were trying to escape.

“How are you? And your mother?”

“I’m fine. Everyone is taking good care of us, so it’s bearable even just staying in the room. Mother and Nanny too.”

“Good······. That puts my mind at ease. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I understand because you’re doing it for us.”

“Thank you.”

The gentle voice faded. Cristel sighed.

Some time passed in silence.

Thinking he might have left by now, she pulled up the ether within her body.

Doing this would sharpen her five senses, allowing her to clearly feel the presence around her,

“Gasp.”

Cristel gasped. He was still outside. Moreover, he wasn’t alone.

She didn’t know who it was, but she felt a second breath nearby. Was it the head butler?

She turned to Isabel and Ellen, shaking her head.

‘He’s still here.’ Fear spread across the two women’s faces as they read her lips.

Cristel looked forward again. There was still time before the operation began.

They were aiming for the guard change in about an hour, so it was enough. She could do it.

“Father, you must be tired, go and rest. We’re about to turn off the lights and go to sleep too.”

“What time is it? Ah. It’s already that late.”

He said as if muttering to himself. It seemed he had asked the servant who came with him.

“I should go to bed now.”

The kind voice continued. Cristel took a deep breath.

‘Good night.’ She would say that and······.

-Click!

The doorknob moved roughly. The three flinched and stood closer together.

The nanny leaned her forehead against the young lady’s back. Cristel quickly made an excuse.

“Oh, I locked the door from the inside! Because this is the ladies’ space.”

Hehehe. It was a natural tone mixed with laughter. The acting was perfect as always.

Not too excited, not too stiff. After a moment, her father’s reply came.

“······I see. I have something I want to ask your mother. Can you open it for a moment?”

“That might be difficult. We’re all dressed very comfortably.”

It wasn’t a lie.

“You can ask from there, Simon.”

Isabel held her daughter’s hand tightly.

It must be cold enough to sting, but she didn’t let go.

She was worried because her mother was far from lying, but fortunately, her voice was good.

Cristel smiled slyly and turned to her.

Black eyes met her daughter with affection. Soon, the Duke’s voice was heard.

“You left the chicken chasseur [a rich, flavorful chicken stew] that was served for dinner, Isabel. It’s your favorite dish.”

A chill ran down her spine for a moment.

“Ah······. You weren’t feeling well, so it didn’t go down well.”

“You ate all the andouillette [a French sausage made with chitterlings (pig intestines)] that was served at lunch, though.”

“I think I did.”

Isabel barely answered the following words.

“You also emptied the ventrèche [cured pork belly] in the morning.”

“Yes······.”

Cristel clenched her fist.

What is this? How is he checking everything her mother eats every time?

Does he even look into all the dishes?

“Isabel, you can’t eat meat before going to an unfamiliar place.”

“Pardon?”

What? Cristel stared at Isabel with her mouth open.

She also looked pale, as if she had never heard of it before.

“You instinctively avoid it because you get nervous and can’t digest it.”

“Did I? I always ate a lot······.”

“Because I knew that and ordered them to prepare vegetarian dishes.”

The hair on her entire body stood on end. An eerie voice echoed through the hallway.

“Are you planning to go somewhere today?”

-Crash!

The door rattled. The nanny made a gasping sound. Cristel widened her eyes.

The thick wood around the doorknob was slightly dented. No way.

“Father. Just now,”

-Crash!

“Oh my god!”

A sharp axe blade broke through the wooden door.

Isabel screamed and buried her face in Cristel’s arms.

“What are you doing!”

“Then will you open the door?”

“Do you think I’m crazy to open it!? You’re holding a weapon!”

-Crash! Crash!

Cristel resisted fiercely, and the door began to break in earnest.

Crack! Broken pieces of wood fell like noodles. She was horrified.

This shouldn’t be happening, but she was scared. Her limbs were stiff and wouldn’t move.

When Gain was very young, her parents, those humans······.

“‘Olive the Kid,’ you need to come to your senses.”

At that moment, a sweet whisper enveloped her. Gain flinched and checked who it was.

Isabel, with tears in her eyes, was holding her gaze steadily.

“Simon is out of his mind. Let’s save ourselves.”

“Yes, yes.”

She hurriedly came to her senses. Right, this wasn’t the time to be spacing out.

“Nanny! Come here. It’s okay!”

“Yes, Miss!”

Ellen ran over with a soaked face.

Cristel rechecked the operation map she had unfolded earlier and quickly looked out the window. Shit!

-Thud! Crash!

“It seems my father has called the knights.”

“Oh, dear God.”

Ellen despaired. The number of people looking up at them from the ground was overwhelming.

At this rate, the road to the Imperial City would be completely blocked.

Cristel pressed her eyes with both hands and gritted her teeth.

What should she do now? What strategy should she use to fight?

It would be easier than eating a piece of cake for her to escape alone.

But she had to take Isabel and Ellen with her.

She wanted to get at least those two out of that man’s grasp. If they stayed here, it would all be over!

-Crack!

-Chirp!

At that moment, a clear birdsong rang out, cutting through the terrible cracking sound. Cristel raised her head sharply.

A wren was sitting on the windowsill as if in a dream.

“Toughness······?”

-Chirp!

‘Bireom’s Ark’ answered bravely! Cristel’s expression brightened instantly.

“Ham-Toughness! Our lucky charm, did the Prince send you? Please help us. We need to escape.”

-Chirp chirp chirp!

The wren opened its beak wide and chirped, then pecked at her operation map.

Outside the door, the commotion was still going on. Crash!

“Mother, Nanny. Untie the curtains tied around your waists. We don’t need them because we have this friend.”

“Okay!”

The two moved quickly. Cristel checked the area that Toughness was pointing to.

“West? Towards the sea? Then we’re getting farther away from the Imperial City,”

-Chirp chirp!

Her eyes widened.

“······Are you telling me to go to Serenite?”

-Chirp!

Correct! Cristel’s mouth dropped open.

But it was too far to go by land, and they would be chased even if they took a portal.

It was right to do as this smart divine creature led, but how?

“Miss, I know how to handle sails.”

Cristel turned around. Ellen, having grasped the situation, had a determined look in her eyes.

“I’m from the coast, a sailor’s daughter. You can trust me.”

“You have a ship, don’t you, Outlaw of the West?”

-Crash!

The startled bird jumped. Cristel quickly hid Toughness in her arms.

Four pairs of eyes turned to the door at the same time. An arm, scratched wildly by sharp wood grain, was visible.

“Isabel!”

“Good heavens!”

The Duke of Sarnese was reaching out with an axe through the tattered door, like a rag.

The horrified Isabel covered her mouth. The man in the white mask shouted, veins bulging red.

“We’re husband and wife. Why are you trying to run away! Weren’t you supposed to understand everything I do?”

“Oh my, Madam. Don’t look······!”

“Isabel!”

The nanny quickly covered the lady’s eyes. Cristel shuddered as she looked at the man.

That wasn’t the Simon de Sarnese she knew.

He was already consumed by madness and fear, having lost his reason.

Submerged in his own sins, having lost himself······.

“Cristel!”

-Clatter!

“Ah!”

Cristel was startled and screamed.

She thought the door was opening, but instead, it was the sound of his mask falling.

The gruesome sight almost brought tears to her eyes.

The right side, red and festering like an evil spirit, and the left side, with a kind and pleasant face, mixed together to create a terrible nightmare.

She couldn’t believe it.

“Sarnese has been this kind of family for generations. Face the legacy you must inherit!”

“Get lost!”

“Sacrificing him is the only way to live. A father has a responsibility to save his family. Please!”

“Are you talking about the Prince? How dare you slander someone and call it a word!?”

Cristel raised her voice and sat Isabel and Ellen on the windowsill.

A gentle breeze began to blow in the night sky.

The two women bit their lips tightly, holding her arms firmly.

“This is the last chance. To return our family to the clean days······. The only way to wash away our sins and receive holy baptism!”

“What sins!”

White breath burst out between her bitten lips. The Duke murmured as if sobbing.

“My great-grandmother’s original sin. And the sin of so easily losing the ‘Blessing of the Sea.’”

“Why is that a sin? It’s not like anyone wanted to absorb it! Mother didn’t know it would happen either,”

“Would we have lived if we weren’t Sarnese?”

“······.”

“If we weren’t a great noble family, if we weren’t a family favored by His Majesty, if we hadn’t proven our loyalty all along. If that were the case, could we have gotten away with that so easily?”

Cristel gritted her teeth. And turned around.

“That’s why I said I would serve the Imperial Family. I said I would take responsibility for that part,”

“This crisis cannot be resolved in that way!”

“Then you should have consulted us! Or told His Majesty!”

She screamed, grabbed the windowsill, and lowered her head.

Looking at Toughness’s bright eyes, she was reminded of her favorite priest, and her throat tightened.

Suddenly, it was too hard. She wondered how things had gotten so big.

All the situations felt overwhelming and heavy.

But still, even so.

‘Cristel is a really strong person.’

······She would endure.

‘I’ll get stronger. The strongest in the continent if possible.’

Because she promised to become stronger than she was now.

‘Ham Gain. My trace. It’s the most important thing, so I’ll only tell the Prince.’

Now, she had a friend who would remember her traces.

“Cristel de Sarnese!”

“Shut up! I’m not your daughter!”

Gain shouted and glared at him. She could feel Isabel’s body trembling.

The Duke had a bewildered look for the first time.

“What do you mean,”

“Why am I your daughter? You’ve been deceiving your wife and daughter all along, pretending to love and protect them, so why would I be! I don’t know what kind of family you are, but this is a fraudulent marriage!”

“Miss······.”

The head butler, who was guarding the Duke’s side, scolded her. Ham Gain didn’t back down.

“Why are you yelling! I deceived you too, so I’ll just call it even up to that point. Anyway, I’m going to save your daughter and wife from here. And the nanny who only suffers because of cleaning up after me!”

“Miss······.”

“Daughter, think carefully. You need my protection!”

Blood was already flowing on the Duke’s arm.

Cristel raised her middle finger coolly at the right eyeball, where the skin had melted away.

Chirp! The wren chirped mockingly and shot into the sky.

“If I get protected twice, I’ll be imprisoned, really!”

She hugged Isabel and Ellen’s waists and shouted.

Then, without hesitation, she jumped out the window.

Flash. Cedric immediately got up.

“······Ha.”

The dark Romero Palace bedroom was the same as before he fell asleep.

It wasn’t a nightmare, but he had a strange premonition.

He rummaged through his chest and took out the holy stone necklace.

The string, which was getting old day by day with crude stitching, had been transformed into the strongest ornament in the world through his preservation magic last night.

But he didn’t want to use it yet. This was just a substitute in preparation for the worst.

The Crown Prince slowly brought his forehead to the holy stone, which shone brightly with pure power.

When will it be······.

-Knock knock

He suddenly raised his head. It was David.

-Click

The door opened, and the middle-aged man, finding his master awake, hurried to the bed.

He didn’t seem surprised that Cedric was sitting alone in the dark.

No, to be exact, it was because of something more shocking······.

“Your Highness.”

“What’s going on at this hour?”

The Crown Prince asked in a subdued tone.