What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 225

Commedia dell’arte (3)

Yellow, red, and blue wallpaper, swirling patterns all around.

Beads sparkling from every direction and exotic instruments. A scene impossible to find in Liester.

From the highest seat there, Emma Corleone reached out with her hook hand.

Marquis François Diem elegantly kissed her metal appendage. *Smack.*

A lingering gaze followed his face and lips. I was embarrassed, so I lowered my head.

The Marquis, who could accept such a look without a flinch, seemed impressive in a new light.

“I heard you used the portal I made in my territory.”

The Admiral’s voice was so gravelly that I couldn’t help but think, ‘She must smoke a lot.’

“Bringing two siblings is a bit much, even if we allow for the escort knight and attendant.”

The group had been standing silently after exchanging greetings.

Sir Johann seemed to have suppressed his aura as much as possible, likely to avoid being discovered by a fighter as sensitive as the Admiral.

We acted simply, as we had discussed beforehand.

‘Only the Marquis speaks. The rest remain silent throughout.’

“Surely not a dowry. Are you here as witnesses to a betrothal?”

“That is not why we have come.”

The Marquis replied calmly. ‘Hmph.’ A sigh escaped from between the Admiral’s teeth.

I subtly lifted my head to check her expression. Undisguised regret was written all over her face.

A middle-aged woman spat out bluntly,

“How heartless. I even abandoned my second and third husbands for you, you know.”

What…? I gaped and turned to Maria.

The Marchioness was also on the verge of dropping her jaw.

Given that the Corleone Margraviate was so open-minded about love, I never dreamed the Admiral would be so devoted.

After all, Maria had referred to her older brother as a ‘plaything.’

But I never imagined she’d have three husbands! And she kicked out two of them!

“Madam, I appreciate your kind words, but I have a request to make today.”

“How amusing.”

She frowned. Faint music and laughter drifted from somewhere in the mansion.

The Admiral scratched her chest with her hook, shifting her posture.

I belatedly realized that the woman wasn’t wearing anything under her shirt and quickly averted my gaze.

Just now, all her buttons were undone. Yikes!

This was so different from the ‘Toegye Gong’ [a renowned Korean Confucian scholar] I had heard about and experienced!

“Playing hard to get.”

“As I have said many times, I have no desire to be your second husband.”

The Marquis replied smoothly. The Admiral quirked a scarred eyebrow.

“So you covet the first husband’s position? Well, you’ve always been known for your fidelity.”

‘But he is very jealous. His family is also powerful, so it’s hard to get rid of him.’ It was a tone that conveyed very useful information.

It was like watching some *Couple Clinic: Love and War* [a popular Korean drama series about marital issues].

“If you grant our request, we will provide a fitting reward.”

The Marquis spoke with a respectful demeanor.

Only then did I realize that he was deliberately hiding his true self.

Since arriving in the Margraviate, he hadn’t shown his usual ‘attention-seeker’ attitude.

Anyone else would assume that was his true self and the attention-seeking was the mask, but François Diem was different.

Right now, he was putting on a calm facade to avoid revealing any weaknesses. It was his way of distancing himself from the other party.

The Admiral’s half-closed, gray-green eyes narrowed.

“If you allow us to use the Cheboim portal to reach the Imperial City, I will go before His Imperial Majesty and advocate for Duke Lorenzo’s new trade policies.”

“······.”

“This will further facilitate trade between Liester and Corleone. It will also help solidify the position of Prince Alessio.”

It was a honeyed voice. I diligently racked my brain to understand the situation.

So, the Marquis wasn’t trying to use himself to resolve the situation.

The new trade policy seemed to be an endorsement of the Duke’s son, Alessio.

In short, it meant he was offering political assistance.

I had heard that the Admiral was well-loved and had a good relationship with her family.

If it was something that would benefit her father and brother, she wouldn’t refuse.

“Using the international portal?”

I flinched. There was an edge to the woman’s words. It almost sounded sarcastic.

I anxiously looked up at her.

Why? With those conditions for a single portal use, wasn’t it a good deal?

Besides, the other party was a high-ranking noble with a confirmed identity.

No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t a losing proposition for Corleone.

“Cheboim has been quite chaotic these past few days anyway.”

“······.”

I had a bad feeling.

“Shady thugs, pirate ships without owners, and now even an Imperial Marquis asking to cross the border.”

The Admiral gestured towards us with her chin. I struggled to suppress the sound of my swallowing.

I didn’t know the full story, but it seemed like a mess here too.

“It’s a good offer, but the timing makes me uneasy.”

Tsk. She clicked her tongue and picked up a cigar box from the corner of the seat.

François reacted instantly.

He took out a luxurious matchbox from his pocket and lit the match with a smooth, natural motion.

*Click! Sizzle…*

“You even know how to flatter.”

The Admiral teased. The Marquis lightly curved his light pink eyes.

I realized today that lighting a cigar took so long.

The match was also incredibly long.

“Please consider it a matter of courtesy.”

“You even know how to resist.”

She put the cigar in her mouth and smirked at the Marquis. I didn’t know why, but it looked incredibly dangerous.

I fiddled with my veil for no reason. Please let it work out, please.

“…A high-ranking noble who can meet the Emperor at any time, using Cheboim in this way is suspicious.”

Her voice became chillingly low. Her eyes widened.

“Madam.”

“Don’t even think about using me.”

The Admiral sharply cut him off. ‘Hoo.’ A cloud of acrid cigar smoke poured out.

Maria and I held our breaths.

It would be good if Sir Johann could help, but he couldn’t use his power right now.

“I wanted to embrace you because your sorrowful face was so beautiful.”

“······.”

“You’re only thinking of exploiting my kindness.”

Thanks to her lips chewing on the cigar and her sinister voice, her words sounded as terrifying as molten lava.

The intense pressure made it hard to breathe.

It wasn’t as strong as the Sword Master’s pressure that the Emperor had exerted on me, but it felt much more unrefined.

I anxiously glanced at Sir Erbe, who was standing firm in front.

Should I just reveal my identity and honestly ask for help?

No… I decided to watch what the Marquis would do. Let’s stay quiet.

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

“Your foxy appearance isn’t bad either, but I still preferred the sight of you crying after losing your parents. Was that about twenty years ago?”

“······.”

The Marquis’s fingertips trembled slightly. Sir Erbe slowly clenched his fist.

I gaped in shock and bewilderment. That. That was too much to say.

“You were so obedient when scattering their ashes in the ‘Sea of Tranquility.’ But don’t misunderstand. I like your determined eyes now too. However, I am different from your master.”

A rough voice continued. A nasty playfulness settled in her dark, algae-like irises.

The Admiral lifted the Marquis’s chin with her hook. It was a clear provocation.

“If you foolishly try to protect something in front of me, I’ll want to break it.”

“······.”

“I’ll want to see you weakened and sobbing.”

She chuckled, exhaling a cloud of white smoke. I gritted my teeth.

I knew it was a low-quality provocation only meant to elicit a reaction, to see what was inside.

I knew it.

“If you don’t like it, send one of your siblings to my bedroom. Then I’ll open the portal for you.”

“Good heavens.”

Sir Erbe turned pale and shielded Maria. I finally burst out in anger.

“Hey!”

I thought I heard Sir Johann groan from behind.

The Admiral aimed her gaze at me as if she had been waiting for it.

François turned to me with a pale face. I’m sorry.

“Isn’t it okay to just ask? Why are you taking the portal, what’s going on? You could just ask a normal question. Why do you have to reopen old wounds and cause pain? Threatening would be better.”

“…The rumored widower.”

She muttered.

Maria grabbed her little brother’s waist and looked back and forth between me and the Admiral.

I strode past them and grabbed François’s arm, pulling him down the stairs.

‘Your Highness?’ He whispered urgently, but I pretended not to hear.

Since I had opened my mouth, I decided to keep venting my anger.

“I don’t know the old stories, but it seems like the Admiral isn’t the Marquis’s lover. If it’s a one-sided relationship, I can’t stand by even if they’re strangers.”

“Oh ho.”

“Even if she’s used to loveless acts, demanding a sibling so readily is the worst. These people are siblings who care for each other. There’s no way they can decide so easily as if offering a sacrifice. They’re foreigners with different values, so you should at least show some respect.”

“Indeed.”

“I don’t even expect an apology. These three will never do such a thing. So give up…”

“That’s right.”

I paused. The Admiral was smirking and chewing on her cigar. I instantly got goosebumps.

I frantically pointed at the Diem siblings, and Sir Johann sighed and blocked my path.

The formation was completely reversed from before. The middle-aged woman let out a hollow laugh.

“How interesting.”

I stood on tiptoe and peeked over the knight’s shoulder.

“Let’s talk it over, Admiral. We need your cooperation. We are willing to pay a reasonable price. If you don’t trust the Marquis, we can fully explain the reasons why,”

“No. I have a better way.”

She cut me off in one stroke. The woman was truly selfish.

Even though she was a power figure who had grown up just as precious as Emperor Frederick, she had a completely different personality.

She always chased extreme stimulation, got bored easily with everything, and didn’t care about anyone’s feelings.

She only listened to what she wanted to hear and only said what she wanted to say.

A life without fear or obstacles. A person who had lived receiving only affection and awe.

A spoiled brat.

“I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

The Admiral said, looking me up and down with a lingering gaze.

At the same time, the stinging cigar smoke enveloped my entire body.

I didn’t back down and glared back at her.

*

That night.

“That way! Scaramouche went that way!”

“Catch him! Run!”

“It’s the Chief Constable’s order! Run!”

‘Whoa!’ The ridiculous shouts of the constables stirred the streets.

The citizens of the Margraviate were bewildered and watched the procession, then realized it was nothing special and paired off to hide in the darkness.

‘Scaramouche’ sighed under the moonlight.

If they were Imperial Guards or the Imperial Capital Defense Force, he would have drawn his sword himself to teach them.

Until they snapped to their senses.

But this was not his homeland.

-Squeak

“Quiet.”

-Gurgle

“I know.”

The divine creatures clinging to his broad shoulders each added a word.

It meant this wasn’t the place. But the man couldn’t give up.

Because he couldn’t feel the Prince’s aether from Duke Lorenzo’s castle on the south side of the island.

Then there was only one place left where the Prince’s party could ask to use a portal.

The Crown Prince raised his jewel-like eyes under his mask and looked up at the mansion at the top of the island. It was still too far to sense anything.

‘Casa di Corleone.’

-Peep

The divine creature sitting on Cedric’s forearm chirped faintly.

He silently looked down at Duke Liester with determination, then finally uttered a word.

“You can’t not know that the sound is the same.”

-······

The crow snobbishly ignored him.

He knew well the divine creature’s ability to transform, but he didn’t know it could transform into birds other than wrens.

However, it seemed to lack training, as it couldn’t make a crow’s cry.

It was just making unnecessary disguises and being heavy…

“Attendant! They say they’re bringing the attendant to the bedchamber later!”

“What?! Not that handsome Imperial Marquis?”

The Crown Prince quickly turned his head. Excited words from passersby poured out from outside the alley.

“I heard it directly from the lover of the wife of the nephew of the mansion’s coachman. An attendant wearing a black veil came with the Marquis, and he’s so bold that the Signora is completely smitten. They say he’s so dashing. His blonde hair is like the sun of Adma!”

“Wow, then is the first husband finally getting dumped?”

The divine creatures were surprised and stuck out their tongues.

A bold personality and blonde hair, a man disguised as the Imperial Marquis’s attendant.

Even just hearing it, it was the Prince’s story. Crack, black gloves tightly gripped the Hyegeom [a type of Korean sword].

If he had made some ridiculous deal just to borrow a portal,

He flinched.

The Crown Prince suddenly glared at the opposite side. He couldn’t believe the sensation he had just felt.

It was very faint, but its existence was clear.

A distinct power of water, qualitatively different from the ordinary winter sea.

“······.”

Cristel de Sarnese?