What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 223

Commedia dell’arte [a form of Italian improvisational theatre] (1)

“It’s taking longer than I thought.”

I said,

“Indeed, Your Highness.”

Sir Johan replied, and then,

-Squeak

-Awoo

The two Divine Beasts added their cries.

Beyond the luxurious balcony, the busy citizens of the Feudal State and the azure sea were visible.

It was only natural that the four of us were thinking the same thing.

Somehow, we ended up staying at Emma Corleone’s mansion for…

Three whole days! Not just three hours, but three days!

“Hmm.”

-Tinkle, tinkle…

I shook a toy in front of Tete’s nose, lost in thought.

‘Signora Luciana,’ who had guided us, hadn’t shown her face since the first day.

She said she would let us know if there was news from the Admiral, but we hadn’t heard anything yet.

Well, she must have her own affairs to attend to and couldn’t just look after us.

In the end, we were isolated in ‘Villa Corleone’ in the middle of the bustling city.

The accommodations were comfortable and the food was delicious (really amazing), but we were anxious and restless because we didn’t know what was going on.

In the meantime, Marquis Francois D’Huem was rummaging through the whole house to get information…

‘Francois, let’s just wait and see.’

‘Your Highness?’

I stopped him, unable to watch any longer. The Marquis widened his rose-pink eyes.

‘You’ve already helped me a great deal by bringing me here. Don’t push yourself when you’re not feeling well. There’s also a saying that no news is good news.’

‘…If a noble person says so, then it must be the will of the gods.’

He was silent for a moment, then answered with an elegant bow.

I belatedly realized that I had called him by his first name. That was yesterday.

-Awoo

“Having fun? The servant gave it to you earlier. It’s for Tete.”

…Nothing has changed so far.

We were enjoying a tense peace while drinking tea.

I wondered how my friends in the Empire were doing. I hoped they were safe.

Adma, the ‘Sister Island’ of the Feudal State, located far south of Riester by ship, was simply summer.

According to Erve D’Huem, the weather was like this all year round.

The sun shone brightly during the day, and warm winds blew in the morning and evening.

Still, thanks to the dry air, it wasn’t as hot as the Imperial Capital during a heat wave.

The scent of the sea blew in from all directions, which seemed to be a nice change of pace. Although, it wasn’t the right time to enjoy such things, anyway.

“The Admiral has a high position, so she must be busy. Even though she gave up her Feudal State citizenship, she is still a beloved princess, so she must have many unofficial duties. She also has a home and family here.”

“You even consider the position of someone you’ve never met.”

“Hahaha.”

The Holy Knight gently pointed out, and I brushed it off with a laugh.

It might not be the case, but it was better to think this way.

I didn’t want to become bitter just because I was in a precarious situation.

-Caw, caw

“Hello. Demi, say ‘Hello, friend?’ too.”

-Squeak

A seagull sitting on the railing looked at us with curiosity.

I smiled behind my veil, admiring the exotic scenery.

Unlike the Imperial Capital, where noble residences were located in a separate district, the Feudal State had a complex mix of upper-class and commoner residences.

Smooth, white buildings were rare, and most were rough, ashen-pink stone buildings.

The roofs were bright red and ornate.

I didn’t know how such a city center was created, but it was very refreshing to see from a ‘foreigner’s’ perspective.

Luxury carriages and seafood carts traveled on the same road.

Thanks to this, we could sit in a mansion and enjoy the feeling of sightseeing while watching the crowds.

The downside was…

“Gasp, Demi. You can’t look at that.”

-Squeak?

I was horrified and covered the Divine Beast’s eyes. Demi wagged its tail.

“Tete, don’t look.”

-Awoo?

I hurriedly turned my body towards the interior.

There were many rumors about debauchery, and the citizens of the Feudal State were all madly in love.

To exaggerate a bit, it was a country where pink hearts floated like fine dust.

The Holy Knight across from me smiled leisurely. He’s saying he’s an experienced married man.

“Sir Johan.”

“Was I too harsh?”

“No, that’s…”

I patted the Divine Beasts and chose my words.

Seeing the lovers on the street as if a skinship contest was being held, something suddenly came to mind.

In fact, I wanted to talk about it right after leaving the D’Huem territory, but I missed the opportunity.

It seemed like it would be okay now. I slowly lifted my veil and met the Holy Knight’s gaze.

“I thought you might be uncomfortable because of my role.”

“…”

“It wasn’t me who lost my wife, it was Sir Johan. I’m sorry for trying to imitate that next to you.”

It might seem strange to say this suddenly, but I wanted to apologize in case it had hurt him.

The mint-colored eyes silently stared at me.

Antoinette had her own reasons for dressing me up as a ‘husband who lost his wife.’

She believed the rumor that even the Feudal State people, who didn’t discriminate against anyone, wouldn’t bother someone who had recently lost a loved one.

And that was even true.

‘Signore [Sir], I heard you’ve experienced a tragedy. Eat a lot and cheer up.’

‘Thank you.’

That’s what the servant who brought the meal said,

‘The sea breeze of the South will wash away your tears. Sitting on the balcony will help you find peace.’

‘We’ll do it, kind Signore! Would you like us to bring you a comedy to read?’

The villa’s chamberlain and other staff were all kind.

There were no attempts to flirt or make faces.

Seeing that Johan and the D’Huem siblings were constantly being hit on, it seemed that my ‘widower’ persona was working properly.

I was relieved that my identity hadn’t been revealed, but on the other hand, I didn’t feel good.

I thought Johan would be reminded of his pain when he looked at me.

“I’m fine. It’s been six years already.”

“Still.”

It’s only been six years.

“My wife was also a mercenary, so we understood each other. We knew that one of us could die at any time.”

“…”

“However, the expectation and reality were very different. We had Herit.”

The Holy Knight spoke quietly and smiled. I barely nodded.

Whether it was foreseen or not, losing a precious family member was a great shock to anyone.

Enduring the aftermath was sometimes harder than grief.

We had each other, but Johan would have had to wander alone with four-year-old Herit.

“To talk about something a little different, Marquis D’Huem is also pushing himself here for a similar reason.”

“Yes?”

I asked back. The topic suddenly changed.

Demi was already having an eye fight with a seagull.

“It was when he was sick that Duke Sarnese tried to frame his family. He targeted the most vulnerable moment.”

“You could see it that way.”

“It’s like he directly threatened his precious siblings. He must have been quite angry inside.”

My mouth slowly opened. I hadn’t thought that far.

“Did I do something wrong by telling him to rest? I was worried that his health would get worse…”

“You did well, Your Highness.”

Sir Johan gave his signature gentle smile.

“Such people don’t listen to their family. They think that their blood relatives are someone they have to protect and focus on. Only when a third party points it out do they realize it.”

Ah. He has a similar personality to my brother.

“So, thanks to Your Highness, everyone…”

That’s when it happened.

-Caw!

-Squeak!

“Demi!”

Flap! I was startled and grabbed the Lesser Panda.

Whether the result of the eye fight was bad or not, the Divine Beast stood up and threatened the seagull.

The seabird didn’t give in and flapped its gray wings. Sir Johan immediately reached out his arm.

In an instant, I was worried that the bird would get hurt.

“No, I’m fine, uh?”

Suddenly, the world brightened up!

“Your Highness!”

-Caw!

The seagull cried mockingly and flew away into the sky.

I hugged the Divine Beasts and quickly clung to the railing.

“Hey, you!”

If you lost, you should admit defeat, but stealing someone else’s precious thing and stealing the veil…

“Gasp.”

I made a strange noise and stiffened.

The people on the street, regardless of gender or age, were looking up at me with blank expressions.

It’s my bare face!

“You can’t help but be that way.”

-Clang!

At the same time as Sir Johan’s sighing voice, a white cloth blocked my vision and my body flew backward.

“Heo!”

And in an instant, my vision was restored! It was the living room, not the balcony.

The back of my head touched the hard wall, and Sir Johan’s white hair gently fell in slow motion.

The Holy Knight was holding a terribly broken curtain rod in his hand.

So, as soon as my face was exposed, he covered me with the curtain and flew all the way here…

“I’m sorry. I did something stupid again.”

I immediately apologized and gave a cold self-assessment.

‘Squeak’, ‘Awoo’. Demi and Tete had no objections either. Sir Johan smiled bitterly and replied.

“…Well. I wonder if it’s not something more regrettable for Your Highness in the future than for me.”

*

Do you gain precognition when you become a Cardinal?

“Beautiful Signore, where have you been all this time to appear in my life? Please come to the window just once!”

‘Don’t hit on someone who has recently lost a loved one’?

“Ah, if I can’t kiss you, I will wither and die!”

That’s all a lie!

“If you’re not going to be Donna Corleone’s second husband, please give me a chance!”

“Isn’t that something you should be arrested for if you do that at 10 p.m….”

-Squeak

I muttered bitterly and soothed the Divine Beasts.

Demi had explored various parts of the villa today, and the clash with the seagull had made him tired, so he had to go to bed early.

Tete was originally a heavy sleeper like a newborn.

However, the little ones couldn’t fall asleep and were fussing because of the uninvited guests gathered outside the bedroom window.

When you think about it, it’s my fault, so I couldn’t complain to anyone.

This isn’t some [a singing competition show], how can things change as soon as you reveal your face?

“Golden tragedy, I have fallen in love with you. Even the pain of cutting out my heart is sweet!”

“You should go to the hospital for that…”

I groaned, wrapping the two Divine Beasts in swaddling clothes.

Fortunately, it seemed that no one had properly seen the color of my eyes.

According to Marquis Francois, the Feudal State was ignorant of the religious significance of purple and gold.

It wasn’t strange since the non-religious population was overwhelming.

However, he advised that I should be careful because famous people like the First Prince of the Divine Kingdom would know.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like my identity had been revealed yet.

“I knew he was handsome, but the impact is crazy.”

In my opinion, Sir Johan, the Marquis, or Sir D’Huem are more…

-Knock knock

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. As instructed, I quickly deployed the Sanctuary [a magical barrier]. Flash!

“Your Highness, it’s me! Maria!”

“Come in, Princess.”

I chuckled and released the circle. The golden circle slowly disappeared.

The place where I was staying was the innermost of the guest rooms, and you couldn’t enter without passing through Sir Johan’s room.

So, it was impossible for a suspicious person to approach.

The Sanctuary was just a means of preparing for the worst.

Soon, the flower-pink-eyed drummer ran in. I tilted my head.

Maria was wearing casual clothes, not pajamas.

“Aren’t you sleeping?”

“Yes! I had a message from my older brother to prepare to leave right away. Sir Haynes is also packing!”

“Leave, don’t tell me…”

“I received a message from Admiral Corleone. The handwriting is also wonderful!”

The Princess smiled and took out a neatly folded note from her vest pocket and unfolded it.

Then, she lowered her voice and began to act.

“‘I’m glad you’re finally ready. I can’t leave because there’s trouble in Cheboim, so come and hug me. -E. C.’ The trinket party also gives hugs. I was going to be satisfied with a handshake, but I’m so excited!”

Maria shook her short hair like a foal and rejoiced.

I turned pale and looked back and forth between her and the window.

If I stay here, I will continue to receive absurd proposals, and if I go to Cheboim, the Marquis…

“Signore, our child will be the most beautiful in the world!”

Yeah, Cheboim as planned.