What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 227

Commedia dell’arte (5)

I was racking my brain, in my own way.

“What is all this commotion…”

Of course, I was facing terrifying accusations of plotting insurrection, terrorizing the imperial family, and instigating attempted murder.

Even if it seemed absurd, I needed to return to the Imperial Palace as soon as possible to clear my name.

But when people find themselves in unusual circumstances, they tend to have unusual thoughts.

For example, why is the Corleone fiefdom so different from the rest of ‘Toegye Gong’?

How should I, as the possessed one, accept the existence of this place, where everything, including the level of explicitness, deviates from the official story?

“What a pity! The magic stone attached to that magical tool seems to be broken. We can no longer hear or send messages, Your Highness.”

Marquis Francois, who had tested his prototype several times, delivered the sad news.

It was a red ribbon he had developed for short-range communication.

I was flustered and licked my lips. What on earth is going on? Is Lord Johann safe?

Well, he’s a Cardinal, so he should be fine, right?

“It seems Lord Haines is engaging the Admiral in combat.”

“What should we do, Little Brother? Should we just swim there?”

– Creak

A flustered Lord Erber spoke, and Princess Maria and Demi each added a word.

We anxiously stared out the window.

Bright light was pouring out of the Admiral’s bedroom, which should have been dark.

It was too far to grasp the situation, but we could see burning curtains fluttering.

‘Casa di Corleone’ lit up in various places, sensing the commotion.

This can’t be happening.

“Lord Johann isn’t one to do this, something’s wrong.”

“Indeed. In any case, this is not a good situation for us.”

The Marquis agreed with my muttering.

Jeong Eun-seo hadn’t mentioned even the ‘jieut’ [a consonant in Korean, implying the smallest detail] of the fiefdom for over a year.

She hadn’t said a word about such a strong character as Emma Corleone.

Looking back, that was strange.

As someone who hasn’t read Toegye Gong, I should refrain from speculation, but the fact that this place doesn’t believe in the Holy God keeps bothering me.

So, when I was on Adma Island, I asked the workers at Villa Corleone.

‘If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask a sensitive question?’

‘We’ll answer anything for you, kind Signore [Italian for Sir]!’

‘Thank you. Then, perhaps… what do you think about the Holy God?’

‘Oh.’

A peculiar reaction came back.

If they had shown discomfort, I would have apologized and moved on, but they all tilted their heads.

That was purely the meaning of ‘I don’t know.’

It wasn’t just indifference to religion, but the look in the eyes of someone who truly didn’t know something.

‘Well. It doesn’t seem to concern us.’

‘It doesn’t concern you?’

‘Yes, well. We know that the Holy God’s grace truly exists, and that there are great lords on the continent who wield such power… but it doesn’t exist in the land where we live. We’ve never seen it. It’s just someone else’s business.’

A vague realization seemed to dawn on me. The butler there replied like this.

‘The Holy God’s influence does not reach Adma and Cheboim. Hence, there are very few who consider the Holy God as an object of faith. How can we believe when we don’t experience miracles?’

A land without miracles. A place where the hand of God does not reach.

That might mean a country where the author’s hand doesn’t reach.

The fact that settings that are too close for comfort to appear in Toegye Gong, which is suitable for all ages… I guess it’s because the author abandoned the area.

In other words, it made sense to think of the fiefdom as a kind of filter, setting aside things that couldn’t fit into the mainstream of Toegye Gong.

I didn’t stop there and branched out.

Although the fiefdom pays tribute to the Empire, the current Emperor Frederick seems to treat this place as virtually an independent state.

Then, wouldn’t the fiefdom have been involved in the ‘war’ in the original story? Was it a neutral country?

Even so, the Admiral is officially an Imperial citizen and the Emperor’s person, so is it possible for her and her family to refuse to fight?

If this place only functioned as a place to discard the author’s nonsense, it’s not impossible to be excluded from such a large event.

In the end, it depends on how the content is developed.

Then, perhaps… if the fiefdom steps in to mediate, can the flow of the original story be changed?

– Knock knock!

“Signore Diem! Open the door!”

What time do I have to think about miscellaneous things when I’m just a supporting character!

I flinched and came out of the rapid current of thought.

The Admiral’s servants seemed to have run to the room where we were.

We exchanged glances quickly, patting Demi and Tete. What should we do now?

– Bang bang!

“Marquis! Young Master!”

The sound of knocking on the door grew louder and louder.

“Should we open it?”

“They don’t seem very friendly.”

Francois drooped his eyebrows.

He was better than when he was in the lord’s castle of the Marquisate, but he still lacked strength compared to his active days.

Judging by the fact that he wasn’t letting go of the mace in his hand, it seemed he still had difficulty using mana freely.

I closed my eyes tightly.

I wanted to broaden my understanding of the world through a conversation with the Admiral, grasp the political situation of the fiefdom even a little, and take care of the Prince as a bonus….

“Hmm.”

Somehow, it’s a mess again. I should have just gone myself instead of accepting Lord Johann’s stubbornness.

But I was used to things not going according to plan at this point.

Wasn’t it a difficult world for the protagonist, Christel, too?

“There’s no agreed-upon meeting place with Lord Johann, and even if we wanted to cross the sea directly as the Princess said, we have no means to do so. No, the premise of trying to shake off Emma Corleone at sea is wrong from the start. We also have to consider the diplomatic relations between the two countries. So.”

I opened my eyelids wide and spoke. Three pairs of pink eyes turned to me at once.

Think calmly, Jeong Ye-seo. What’s the most reasonable plan right now?

“Let’s break through head-on.”

I blurted out right away. Lord Erber nodded, hugging his younger sister.

“That’s all there is to it.”

“Yes. If it’s Lord Johann’s fault, we apologize politely, and if it’s not, we prove our innocence. The international portal is our only card, so we can’t back down. However, we can’t go in bowing down. The Marquis knows better than I do… but the Admiral seems to value the other party more the bigger the reaction. If we’re going to have a brinkmanship negotiation, we need to pretend to struggle.”

– Bang bang bang!

“It’s better to hold out here.”

-… Kwang! Kwang! Kwaaang!

I finished speaking. Outside, they were about to break down the door.

The Marquis swung his mace and readjusted his grip. The pink magic stone sparkled elegantly.

“It seems Madam has enough reason to be angry with us, seeing how the servants are chasing us… It’s a fight for innocence within a fight for innocence.”

“Yes, it’s a frame story fight.”

I replied. He laughed cheerfully.

“I like that expression.”

– Woooong!

Then, he deployed a large defensive magic circle in the center.

‘Crack, snap!’ Maria made a club out of a table leg and stood next to her older brother.

Bare-handed Lord Erber took his place at the front, with his sturdy build.

I held Demi and Tete and moved to the rear.

– Awoo, awoo.

“It’s okay, Tete. Hyung [Korean for older brother] will protect you.”

You’re just a little kid. You have to grow up healthy in the future.

I whispered as softly as possible. Kind Demi hugged the youngest’s belly.

Then the harp seal seemed to smile brightly.

Thang! The sound of the doorknob breaking rang out. The commotion of the crowd grew louder.

“Signore Diem! What did you do to Signora [Italian for Madam]!”

– Kwadang!

As soon as the door shattered, I deployed the Holy Ground. Paaaat!

“Goodness!”

“Th, there’s someone here emitting golden light!”

“A priest! Tell the Chief of Staff, quickly!”

Those who were rushing in with ropes and poles were horrified and retreated.

They were seeing the circle for the first time, so they were shocked by the golden light under their feet. At that moment,

– Clang!

“Uwaaaak!”

All the windows inside shattered, and a very large object crashed in, breaking through the wall from the outside!

“Intrusion! Damn it!”

– Wajigeun, Kwagwang!

What is going on!

[Everyone, lie down and protect yourselves!]

I shouted desperately, hugging the divine beasts.

With the power of the oracle, everyone curled up and covered their heads.

Soon, a cold winter wind swept through the room, and a majestic shadow covered the carpet.

Shooaa! Salty droplets splashed everywhere.

Huh? Salty?

“Oh, I’m sorry! I’m not used to freezing seawater yet. I got excited, so the front parking didn’t go in properly!”

A very clear and familiar voice echoed.

I opened my eyes wide at the impossible development.

A thrill ran down to my toes, and my head turned involuntarily.

The last time I heard her voice lit up in my head like a light bulb.

‘See you again, Your Highness.’

Is this real…?

“Young Master Yeseo! Did you wait!”

Pink hair fluttering in the sea breeze, and her unique radiance that even old clothes couldn’t hide.

As always, a refreshing bright smile. Both hands on her hips.

The protagonist’s blue-gray eyes, standing tall on the deck, were shining like the North Star in the night sky.

*

Whiririk! The fire in the bedroom curtains spread uncontrollably.

Due to the sea breeze blowing in through the broken window, the bed, as well as the ceiling and floor, were engulfed in flames.

– Bang bang bang!

“Signora! Open the door! The room is on fire!”

“We’ve fetched water! Wake up, please!”

The frightened underlings frantically knocked on the door, but Emma Corleone didn’t budge.

Instead, she smirked and scanned the uninvited guests.

She had experienced countless fire demons and lacerations, and now it wasn’t fun at all.

However, the intruder’s demon beast fur coat and black mask were as rumored.

The man was very tall, and his shoulders and back were broad, as if he had practiced martial arts quite a bit.

“You’re Scaramouche.”

“…”

A rough voice mixed with the flames.

Scaramouche silently stared at the Admiral, then glared at Johann Haines with a more ferocious gaze.

The teacher was wearing a shirt that showed his skin like dragonfly wings.

The scars embroidered on his upper body were clearly visible.

“Why is Kyung here?”

“It would be troublesome if you didn’t feel my energy. It means all the learning so far has been in vain.”

Johann pointed out gently, completely omitting the fact that he was suppressing his divine power as much as possible.

The Crown Prince’s voice became even lower.

“I heard a voice.”

“It’s also a problem that you’re so impulsive that you break in just by hearing your partner’s voice. Your vessel training is far off.”

‘Still, thank you for coming to save me.’ His mint-colored eyes curved playfully.

Cedric frowned violently. At the same time, his energy soared like a wildfire.

The Admiral tilted her head and stroked her hook arm.

Interest was in her half-opened eyes.

“You seem to know each other.”

“I’m late to introduce, Signora. This is my student.”

A gentle explanation followed.

It meant that the bodyguard of the Imperial Marquis and the gangster of Cheboim were master and disciple.

‘Ah.’ The middle-aged man let out a short exclamation and smiled.

For a while, only the shouts of the servants and the dangerous noise of the flames devouring the room lingered in the room.

None of the three opened their mouths or took a step first.

– Pajijik…!

Finally, just as one of the ceiling beams was about to collapse,

– Kwang!

The Admiral kicked the beam with lightning speed.

As soon as Cedric jumped through the gap, she quickly swung her hook.

– Chareureureuk!

Clang! The chain, stretched out like a snake, seemed to break the prey’s ankle.

The woman used her left arm to assist her right arm and pulled him in like lightning. Hwaeek, Kwang! The tall man fell and was dragged away in an instant. It was terrifying force.

Fierce fire caught on his black cloak, but Cedric didn’t even groan.

Johann looked at the outside cliff with a calm face.

– Seuseuseuk…

– Seureung!

The prince, who had slipped to the woman’s feet, drew his sword.

– Ssaeaek!

The scarlet-hot divine object flew towards her hook.

Kagaang! The Hyegeom [likely a divine sword] tried to cut the lump of metal, and the lump of metal dug into the blade against its owner’s will.

A terrible noise and smoke rose. Kkigigigik, chiik….

The Admiral’s eyes narrowed sharply. Her forearm was moving on its own.

“A magic swordsman. No…”

The downcast fire-colored iris was clear. A blood-red jewel was embedded in the hilt of the Hyegeom.

The middle-aged man felt a suitable pleasure for the first time in a while.

Kwajik! She slammed her right arm down with force.

The hook was already more than half cut off. Cedric’s gaze wavered faintly.

“Aren’t you the frigid young master?”

– Kaaaang!

The hook arm was split in two.

The moment the prince changed the direction of the sword, the middle-aged man spun like a top and kicked his stomach.

– Peoeok!

The man fell out of the window in an instant. The Admiral cracked her neck and stood up from her seat.

The white-haired teacher had disappeared while dealing with the little one.

A chuckle escaped her at the thought of starting the hunt. What brought the Prince and Taesa [likely a high-ranking official] all the way here….

“Hey, get on!”

At that moment, a clear call struck her ears like a wave. The Admiral’s eyes moved to the outside of the window.

“…”

And for the first time in decades, her eyes widened greatly.