What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 221

Belief, Hope, Age of Exploration?! (4)

“Medicine.”

A marriage of plunder….

“Your Highness, shall I get you some medicine? Are you seasick?”

Sir Johann asked kindly.

Clatter, clatter. The cargo carriage, devoid of even the family crest, diligently sped along the forest path.

We were still within the Marquisate, so it was safe, but we avoided anything that symbolized family or status, just in case.

We sat on the soft straw, swaying like luggage, heading towards the Principality portal.

It was my first time in such a carriage, but it wasn’t bad.

Fortunately, Prince Yeseo wasn’t prone to motion sickness in ordinary transportation.

The problem, however.

“No. I’m just a bit unsettled. Thank you.”

I managed to answer and swallowed hard.

Maria, whose gaze met mine through the veil, grinned and took out a crushed meringue tart from her bag, sharing it with me.

She even kindly offered Demi a quail egg.

I sat the Divine Beasts on my lap, lifted the veil behind Yuliter’s headdress, and calmly cracked the eggshell.

Sir Johann urged me to eat first, but I felt like I needed to move my hands to calm down.

“Kidnap….”

Kidnapping, proposal, and now a marriage of plunder.

This is the 21st century… no. This place is very different from the world I lived in.

Besides, I heard that the Corleone Principality seceded from the Empire a long time ago.

Well, whatever. Such a culture might exist.

I heard that the people there don’t believe in the ‘Lord God,’ the core of the Toegye Gong worldview [a philosophical and ethical system] and the continent’s only god.

It’s not that they have other religions, but many are simply non-religious.

While the Lord God Church is the state religion of Venetian and followed by more than 80% of Riester’s population, it barely reaches 10% in the Principality.

-Chomp, chomp….

“You’re so pretty when you eat well.”

I muttered. Demi grabbed my wrist and munched on the boiled quail egg.

Tete showed curiosity but didn’t eat when offered food.

Seeing these two made me worry about the other troublemakers.

Lea and Perry would be taken care of by the Crown Prince, so they should be fine, but I was concerned about Dduk-sim, who had suddenly disappeared from the Berang Barony.

Even though I knew I had to resolve my charges first.

-Rustle, rustle….

Just then, Marquis Francois D’Huem began to take off his robe and fix his hair.

We blinked and watched what he was doing.

A handsome man was suddenly putting in the effort to groom himself.

The robe was shabby, but the clothes he wore underneath were incredibly luxurious.

Maria smirked and held up a mirror to him.

Only then did the Marquis pause and look back at us.

“……”

A solemn silence flowed.

“Are you preparing to meet Admiral Corleone?”

No one could speak first, but Sir Johann showed surprising initiative.

Then the Marquis bit his lip. His light pink eyes trembled slightly.

He seemed ashamed?

“She… likes beautiful things.”

Duke Erve D’Huem, who had been silent, spoke instead. Our eyes immediately turned to him.

The Captain of the Guard licked his lips and continued.

“The Admiral spent a childhood without lacking as the second child of Prince Lorenzo Corleone. She didn’t need to inherit the succession, so she grew up freely and received a lot of love from her parents. Some speculate that the influence of her childhood, where everything was given too easily… led her to pursue only the ultimate stimulation.”

The explanation that followed was roughly this.

Emma Corleone was the noblest princess of the island nation, but she lived at sea from the moment she took her first steps.

It was because she particularly loved the sea.

By her teens, she sailed to the open sea alone, and by her youth, she became skilled in commanding ships.

She was deeply immersed in the pleasure of blood, alcohol, speed, and fighting. In the process, she didn’t care about her body being harmed.

She often won great victories against pirate gangs, and it was around that time that she earned the title of ‘Hook-Armed Sea Bandit.’

“Once, a pirate group appeared in the southern sea of the Empire. It was unprecedented in scale, so the impact was significant, and our Marquisate also suffered damage. At that time, Princess Corleone suddenly appeared leading a warship and wiped out the pirates in one fell swoop. She crossed the territorial waters while chasing the bandits. The Riester Navy owed her a great debt. That was about twenty years ago. His Majesty coveted the Princess’s achievements and abilities and granted her imperial citizenship and the position of Admiral.”

According to Duke D’Huem, the Empire’s naval power was somewhat lacking at the time.

Although it had become stronger through the war era, Riester’s identity was still on the continent, not the sea.

Frederique Riester, who was more ambitious in her twenties than now, made the Prince’s daughter a subject with the ambition to build up the navy.

The Princess readily abandoned her Principality citizenship in exchange for the Emperor’s promise to ‘let her roam the ocean as much as she wanted,’ yet her family’s support and affection remained strong.

That family was also quite remarkable.

“But the problem is, the new Admiral’s… conduct was not upright.”

Duke D’Huem repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist.

The Marquis trembled like a flower, pretending to cry. Or was he really crying in pain?

“I’ve heard about the story of Grand Duke Alexandre. It’s quite famous.”

Sir Johann chimed in. I turned to look at him, devouring my fourth tart.

The Holy Knight’s eyes curved pleasantly.

“Rumor has it that the Admiral went to the Imperial Palace to receive the Emperor’s medal and, captivated by the beauty of the Grand Duke, kissed not the back of his hand but the palm. Quite lengthily.”

“……That’s true.”

The Marquis wiped away cold sweat and admitted. I hurriedly covered my mouth with my sleeve.

Wasn’t that a blatant flirtation? She did such an outrageous thing to the Emperor’s consort?

And she survived?

“Since then, His Majesty has never summoned the Admiral to the Imperial Palace. He doesn’t want to see her often if possible. He just wants to give her a generous salary if she does her job well… That’s the basic policy.”

The Captain of the Guard said in a somber voice. Oh… I didn’t know there was such a hidden story.

“What Maria told the Prince before getting into the carriage is not unfounded. The Principality is a chaotic land where polygamy and polyandry [marriage to multiple husbands] coexist. The current Prince also has four legal concubines. It’s a crime city where morally wrong things are done under the guise of free love.”

Duke D’Huem, who said that, looked like he was about to grab a whip and rush out.

Even the Marquis, who often winked, suddenly had a virtuous expression.

Come to think of it, I had read about it in the Ariane and Philippe myth, the unified monarchs of Riester.

Ariane offered Philippe to become her second consort, and Cardinal Philippe refused because he didn’t want to be ‘like a concubine of the Principality.’ Hmm.

“I see.”

Since monogamy is deeply rooted among the continentals, it must be shocking to go to the Principality, which has no faith and a different culture.

Still, I wondered if people’s lives would be that different.

Things like kidnapping and marriage of plunder seemed exaggerated.

“Yes. We will do our best to protect you, but please, Your Highness, be careful. It’s difficult to easily show trivial kindness to strangers. Because you never know how the situation will unfold.”

Duke D’Huem said firmly.

I thought the biggest task was to clear this false charge, but there was an equally difficult appendix attached.

I was already groaning with the Divine Beasts. It’s very difficult. Can I do it well?

“I understand. Then… can I also know why the only Principality portal, except for the Legho General Trading Company, is in the Marquisate?”

I asked cautiously. The Marquis turned pale and collapsed onto Maria’s shoulder.

The fourth child of the Marquisate simply laughed.

Clatter, clatter. Only the carefree sound of hooves was peaceful.

After driving for a couple of hours, we reached the outdoor portal in the south of the Marquisate.

“We have arrived, Lord.”

“Thank you for your hard work on the long journey. Be careful on your way back.”

“Yes, please be safe.”

The Marquis praised the coachman, and the old man teared up and bowed.

Even in a relatively warm area, the winter sun was short.

The sunset was already turning red in the west.

Duke D’Huem got out first and added.

“So… there will be forces in the aristocratic council or social circles who are wary of Your Highness. It is inevitable for someone who is favored by the Imperial Family to have enemies.”

Hugging Demi, I nodded. Sir Johann took care of the sleeping Tete again today.

His back seemed wider and more comfortable.

The Captain of the Guard was talking about what I had said during the Andreji trial.

I received a higher title than expected, and since then, I had been the Crown Prince’s official divine partner.

I even spoke loudly in front of the Emperor and was not sanctioned.

Rather, the two royals provided chairs and drinks and defended me.

Duke D’Huem predicted that I might have bought hatred with my actions that day.

“Although it may be late to say this… the culprit who terrorized Crown Prince Aurel and the commoners was Duke Andreji. The child of the Andreji County family, who had been abandoning sick children for generations.”

I was so shocked that I couldn’t speak immediately. That family’s son was a minor.

The Emperor had clearly said so.

He wasn’t even sixteen in full years, so he was at most a high school freshman in Korean age.

“So what happened? If he was interrogated by His Highness Aurel,”

“I heard he died instantly in the explosion at the scene.”

“……”

-Squeak

A terrible chill ran down my spine. It was a suicide bombing. Demi cried softly and burrowed into my arms.

I patted him and tried my best not to stop walking.

Soon, the dusty portal came into view. Pillars of a style rarely seen in the Empire surrounded the circle.

Maria ran over, sweeping away the fallen leaves with her feet and looking at the magic circle.

Only then could I barely open my mouth.

“Someone… was he instigated by Duke Sarnese?”

“I received the Imperial order immediately after the terror, so I don’t know the details. But for now, it seems reasonable to assume so. The Duke must have harbored personal feelings towards Your Highness. It wouldn’t have been difficult to use a child blinded by malice.”

The Captain of the Guard replied calmly. My chest felt tight.

How could they do that? How could they think of that?

What will happen to Christel now?

“Your Highness, you must focus on the situation at hand.”

Sir Johann pulled me out of my worries. His mint-colored eyes were shining coldly.

Only then did I take a deep breath. The Marquis added, as if comforting his younger sibling.

“My master is a wise man. He will make the right choice, so please don’t worry too much.”

I couldn’t help but nod at his words. I also trusted Emperor Frederique.

And I relied on her consort, friend, and my teacher. So it will be alright.

If I just do well. If I just keep my wits about me.

“Before infusing mana, I will say one last thing.”

The Marquis said, his heated eyes sparkling with moisture.

We stood in a circle in the dark winter forest, above the deserted portal.

I quickly lowered my veil and checked my headdress.

I also fumbled to check the various items in the ‘Gagabang’ [a magical storage item, like a bag of holding].

Lastly, I checked the robe, clothes, and shoes I borrowed from the Marquisate’s servant. Everything was fine.

Everyone except the Marquis was dressed moderately plain and old.

“The Principality is a country different from the Empire in every way. Even if you are flustered upon arrival, do not waver and follow me. The fewer words, the better. We will meet the Admiral on ‘Sister’ Admah Island to request portal use and transit, wait for a while until approval is granted, and then move to ‘Brother’ Zeboim Island. From there, we will take a direct portal to the Imperial Capital.”

It was a clear plan. I smiled and nodded.

The Marquis smiled back and swung his mace.

The light pink magic stone splendidly scattered red mana.

“Then see you in a bit!”

The man shouted. Woo-oong! With the sound of the portal activating, the front of my eyes lit up brightly.

And….

“Hahaha! Hey! Are you going to play a round of cards later? Huh?”

A strong fishy smell, the smell of alcohol, and the smell of mold. The scent of the sea stung my nose.

“Cards, what cards! Do you want your wrist to fly off, huh? Isn’t that Signora’s Imperial portal?”

A unique accent and rough voice. The sound of oak barrels rolling and metal clashing.

“Damn it! That’s right, it is! Donna Corleone’s….”

Swaaa! The intense sound of the sea breeze drowned out the rest of the words. I frowned and slowly opened my eyes.