What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 237

Frederique Liester had seen similar scenes in history books.

“Interesting.”

“Yes.”

Aurélie Boutier responded softly to his murmur.

Detailed explanations weren’t necessary between souls that were connected.

Before them stood a handsome cardinal wearing the ‘Yuliter Headdress’ [a ceremonial headpiece signifying high rank within the church].

With him were two, no, three Holy Knights.

There was another difference from the woman who had brought about the catastrophe long ago.

None of them were wielding weapons to attack the Empire and the Imperial Family.

Rather, the group consisted of unarmed individuals: the Commander of the Imperial Guard, his brother, a high-ranking noble from a collateral branch of the Imperial Family, and even his precious son.

“Those fellows will succeed us in the future.”

“Disappointed again?”

Aurélie joked. The Emperor chuckled and walked onto the stage.

Each time the two women took a step, purple tulips rose from the ground and shook their leaves.

It was winter, and their white breath flowed out in the cold air. Such a historical event blessed by the Main God was rare, perhaps occurring only once every few hundred years.

During the ‘Yuliter Statia Invasion,’ such miracles certainly did not occur.

There was no pirate ship hanging next to the round moon either.

It was just a terrible tragedy.

-Step.

“We greet the Sun who has descended upon the earth, and His Eminence the Cardinal.”

As they ascended the stage, Prince Yeseo bowed politely.

The phoenix in his arms rolled its eyes, looking at them.

It was a familiar gaze. The Emperor scoffed.

“You’re lucky. You barely avoided being late.”

“I am honored.”

“Frederique is also quick-tempered.”

The Cardinal gently stroked the Crown Prince’s cheek and added kindly.

She could feel her partner glaring at her, but she was only stating the facts.

It was Frederique who insisted on going out himself, even though it was a matter that could have been handled by the Imperial Guard or the Imperial Capital Defense Forces.

The reason Aurélie put on a fur coat and accompanied him at such a cold and late hour was also clear.

She did not hesitate.

-Paaaa!

The Cardinal’s sanctuary, dazzlingly brilliant and vast, unfolded.

“Oh, my God!”

“Aaaaah…”

Dozens of spectators fainted from the unexpected burst of divine power.

To ordinary people, the touch of the Main God and the power of the Cardinal were not much different.

‘Charrrrr…!’ Golden strands of aether [a mystical energy] sprang up like fountains from all directions, dancing.

The soul of her partner, Frederique, resonated intensely.

Aurélie smiled at him and then turned back to her disciple. Clear and pure purple eyes shimmered with gold.

A firm yet gentle voice echoed.

[I will ask you.]

“I will answer truthfully to anything, Your Eminence.”

The lovely child said. The Cardinal curved her beige eyes kindly.

[Is it true that you are plotting a rebellion, leading the Dwiem Marquisate and the Berang Barony?]

There was not a trace of doubt in her gaze as she said that.

Rather, it felt like a very amusing prank.

It felt like she was doing a play with her beloved disciple.

Even the silence that seemed to stop the world felt light.

Soon, the corners of the Prince’s eyes folded gently. It meant they felt the same way.

Aurélie had tested her disciple several times so far.

At first, she asked about the Prince’s power.

She wanted to know if the child had stolen a divine artifact from the ‘Temple of Boundary.’

Afterward, she came to believe in Yeseo’s goodness, but it took some time to trust a young man who was both a royal from an enemy country and a hostage.

Even after she regarded him as one of the Imperial Family, she had to ask again whether the child had lied.

It was around the time when sacred stones and sun halo grass were discovered in the Empire’s territory.

‘I’m sorry, Your Highness. I had to check one more time.’

‘It’s alright. I understand.’

At that time, she truly felt sorry. She worried that she might have hurt his beautiful heart.

But now, it was different.

“No. Neither I nor any of my friends have planned such a thing.”

Because this is not a confession to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

“We sincerely love the Liester Empire. We also like the people here. We are happy here.”

[I see.]

Because she wasn’t probing her disciple just in case.

[May the Main God forgive this person’s deception.]

“······.”

“······.”

Soon, the middle-aged woman smiled brightly. The Prince also smiled broadly at her.

The sanctuary showed no aetheric reaction.

Some silences were so welcome and grateful. It was what everyone had expected.

“Come here.”

She stretched out her arms.

Yeseo Venetian hugged his teacher deeply without hesitation.

Then, as if waiting for it,

“Waaaaah!”

“Uwaaaaa!”

The Claire Square erupted with cheers.

Even the people who had come out in their pajamas, stamping their feet, shouted with joy.

Everyone stood up, untied their scarves, waved them, and whistled. Hundreds of fur hats and sleep bonnets soared into the sky.

The crowd, which had numbered in the thousands when the bean-threshing began, now numbered in the tens of thousands.

It was a grand festival so deafening that no one could sleep.

“Long live Liester! Long live! Long live!”

“Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Long live His Eminence the Cardinal!”

“Long live Prince Yeseo!”

Christel hugged the Prince and the Cardinal tightly.

Isabelle and Ellen embraced Christel, and the Dwiem siblings also joined the hug amicably.

When Aurélie gestured to Johann, he reluctantly joined in as well.

The Emperor, who had been watching the scene with a click of his tongue, patted Cedric’s shoulders and back.

Seeing the peacefully settled look in his son’s eyes, he let out a hollow laugh. It was a completely different expression from before he left the Imperial Palace.

“Good job.”

“Yes.”

“To think you have to get used to such chaos. Palace life won’t be easy for you in the future.”

The Emperor grumbled, feigning annoyance. The Crown Prince’s lips formed a barely visible curve.

He stood silently beside his mother, watching the man who was shining brighter than the moon.

Just as his gaze intertwined with his…

“Oh? It’s snowing! It’s snowing, Your Highness!”

Christel scattered the mood with a clear voice.

The crowd also exclaimed romantically, ‘Ah!’

Cedric frowned and looked up.

From the black night sky, snowflakes, shining white like stardust, were falling gently.

Then, a small snowflake landed on the man’s nose.

He could hear the Prince laughing as he looked at him.

It was cold and damp, but somehow it didn’t feel unpleasant. It was the first snow.

-Squeak!

-Awoo!

Following that, the divine beasts jumped off the pirate ship, flapping their short limbs!

“Tsk.”

-Squeak!

-Kki!

-Growl!

-Woof.

The Crown Prince moved nimbly and neatly caught the four troublemakers.

The divine beasts quickly wrapped their tails around him and snuggled up to him, acting cute.

His mother applauded playfully, but the Crown Prince pretended not to hear.

Everyone he looked at, avoiding their gazes, had happy faces.

There were many people clapping their hands or clutching their chests at the sight of the divine beasts. No one could be seen frowning.

Because only one of them was wearing a mask.

“No, no…”

Simon de Sarnes, who had watched everything, shook his head frantically.

He didn’t feel the cold despite the strange cold wave.

His hands and feet trembled, and sweat poured down from the top of his head like rain. He felt so hot that he felt like he was melting.

What was swallowing him like an alligator was not fear, but despair.

It was the sense of loss that all his plans had gone wrong and the resulting anxiety.

The scheme had slipped out of his grasp. It was a case that should not have happened.

Where did it go wrong?

“No, no. This isn’t it.”

He tried to calm down. Since what was already twisted couldn’t be helped, the future was important.

The face beneath the sweat-soaked mask twitched incessantly.

The face, half of which was burned but the other half of which was elegant, was now all hideous.

The plans he had thought of in preparation for failure came to his mind one by one.

However, none of them were easily applicable to the current situation.

That the Prince and his party would fly to the Imperial Capital on a pirate ship, and thus have an audience with the Emperor and the Cardinal in Claire Square… Who could have predicted that?

The phenomenon of purple tulips blooming between the tiles and the snow falling on time?

The sudden joining of the Crown Prince?

Isabelle and Christel?

“Waaaaah!”

“Keuk.”

The crowd surged once again. The Duke held his mask tightly and turned around.

The burned right half of his body screamed as it brushed against the crowd and their clothes, but he gritted his teeth and endured the pain.

He had failed to take in his beloved wife and daughter in the end. He had failed to laugh with them as he watched them smile.

There was nothing more painful and distressing than that.

“Let me pass. Ugh!”

“Don’t push, mister!”

“Oh, come on, watch a little more! It’s a rare sight!”

The onlookers complained as he struggled to move in the opposite direction.

Simon didn’t care. The thought of cutting off his tail [escaping consequences] as soon as possible filled his brain.

It was not difficult to manipulate the Duke’s own memories.

He could immediately send a messenger to make an appointment with Archbishop Eugénie Kessie and make himself appear foolish with her oracle.

If he did so, he would not easily confess his sins even if he were interrogated by the Cardinal. Maybe…

His old body would run out of energy first. He would be able to die honorably.

“And, and.”

He also needed someone to pin the blame on.

Christel and Isabelle had left after hearing too much information, but there were also many holes in it.

Even if it was difficult to become completely innocent, if there was someone to put forward…

“…Chief of Staff.”

Suddenly, a light seemed to turn on in his dark heart.

Simon recalled his butler, who had served four dukes in his life.

The old man had received immense favors from the Sarnes family.

In particular, he had deep loyalty to his great-grandmother and had since diligently served three heads of the family.

He had participated in this scheme more actively than anyone else. He might be able to do it.

Even without taking separate measures, he would willingly sacrifice his life for the family…

“Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live! Long live!”

“Long live His Excellency the Royal Consort! Long live! Long live!”

“Ugh.”

The Duke staggered at the fiercely pouring cheers.

He had no choice but to bend over and push his way through the crowd.

Thanks to his diligent movements, clean air was getting closer.

He held his breath and hurriedly raised his head as if he were diving. And he flinched.

“······.”

Cecile Blanquer.

If he wasn’t mistaken, the Duchess, dressed in all black, was staring straight at him.

Beside the woman were her husband and the young Duke, also covered in black.

An eerily similar expressionless face. They were the family of the dead Robert Blanquer.

Simon immediately stepped back. Then, he bent over even more, pressed down on his mask, and dug through the crowd.

It must be a mistake. There was no way she was looking at him.

As if she had come to catch her son’s murderer.

“Let’s go! Get out of the way!”

His voice cracked.

“Where are you going? You’ll regret it!”

“Leave him alone! I guess he needs to pee!”

“Hahaha! Just pee and dry while watching!”

Humiliating words poured down on the Duke’s head. He clenched his mouth and gauged the direction.

He had promised to meet the old servant at the clock tower.

If he hinted at it in the carriage returning to the Lord’s Castle, the quick-witted old man would surely understand his intentions.

He would obediently follow orders…

-Tick.

At that moment, a sleek boot invaded the Duke’s vision. He felt a chill.

He raised his head very slowly. All the noise of the square faded beyond his ears.

The sensation of cold sweat running down his spine was very unpleasant.

“······.”

The gray eyes he met shone sharply like swords.

The Imperial Guard, including Elisabeth Mutel, had surrounded the Duke, who had emerged from the crowd.

A solemn voice followed.

“Duke Simon de Sarnes. On behalf of His Majesty the Emperor’s high authority and eternal honor, the Imperial Guard will urgently arrest you. Please remove your mask.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Vice Commander. I have not committed any crime.”

Simon answered in an innocent voice and groped for his gaze.

A few steps away, he saw an old man tied up tightly. The Duke’s mouth slowly opened.

It was his right-hand man, whom Simon had been thinking of until just now, his Chief of Staff.

In his wrinkled hands were the documents and business cards that he had handed over yesterday.

‘Victoire Dandrezzi.’

The damned old man was smiling kindly at him.

The dagger of shock stabbed the man in the back a beat late.

“Your Chief of Staff, Gerard Soriau, has confessed and surrendered on the condition of a reduced sentence for revealing the Duke’s high treason.”

Ah…

The Duke slowly closed his eyes. The hallucination of his great-grandmother, which had been like a revelation, was no longer heard.