What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 238

Sub-Male Lead’s Strike – #238

Starting the Clean-Up (1)

The next day was a full moon.

-Clatter, clatter, clop, clatter!

The carriage sped swiftly through the night.

The forest path was rough and bumpy, with little traffic. The snow made it even more dangerous.

‘Thud, crack!’ Thick branches struck the carriage, making threatening sounds. The vines scratching the window were like the fingers of a black skeleton.

The carriage was silent, as if unoccupied.

Though it was pitch black, no one lit a magic lamp.

Only the occasional sob of a woman mingled with the sound of the wheels.

“Hic, sob…”

Just like now.

“Don’t cry. You must be strong.”

Eugenie Keshia scolded her granddaughter.

The only ones in the carriage were the Archbishop, her son and his wife, their precious grandchild, and a single attendant.

The rest were left behind at the estate in the Imperial Capital and the Lord’s castle.

A midnight flight should be done with the minimum number of people and the fewest belongings.

Keshia had a decisive personality and a clear sense of when to strike and retreat. She knew when to give up everything and start anew.

If she hadn’t been like that, it would have been difficult for a local Archbishop like her to become a renowned cleric in the Imperial Capital.

“Mother… Will we never be able to return to Liester?”

The son asked, holding his granddaughter’s hand tightly.

The Archbishop, who had pulled her robe over her head, narrowed her eyes sharply.

“Isn’t it obvious? You engaged in espionage to make a fortune, so you must accept the consequences.”

-Thump!

The carriage lurched violently on a rock. The old woman’s voice trembled slightly.

She couldn’t help but be afraid.

Watching the rise and fall of numerous central nobles was one thing, but calmly accepting it as her own was another matter entirely.

Besides, she was not strictly a ‘central noble.’

She had merely been an old woman who lingered around them before being cast aside.

“Don’t worry. We have connections in the Papal States. Did you think I would have engaged in such business without anything to gain?”

“…Really?”

“Yes. It’s a shame to lose what you’ve built in the Imperial society for now, but you’re still young and exceptionally talented. And you’re beautiful. If you defect to the Holy Nation, change your name, and acquire a fief [a plot of land held under feudal tenure], entering the central stage will be only a matter of time. You can live comfortably for the rest of your life by selling information little by little.”

The granddaughter’s face brightened slightly at the old woman’s explanation.

The son and his wife also seemed to barely suppress their fear.

Keshia recalled the commotion of the previous night as she looked at the young ones.

The more she thought about it, the more it felt like a terrible nightmare.

-Bang!

‘Eunha, Eunha! Come out immediately!’

‘Something strange is happening in the night sky!’

For some reason, her soul was restless, and she couldn’t sleep. Then, servants came to find her in a rude manner.

Their faces were pale, which was quite a sight.

Keshia, who had been warming herself by the fireplace, frowned and rose from her seat.

The whole mansion was in turmoil. The faint cheers of the crowd could be heard in the distance.

At that time, she thought it was just some nonsense.

Since it was the beginning of the New Year’s week, she assumed the lower servants were surprised by some fireworks.

So, she put on her coat indifferently and went out to the balcony.

She probably wouldn’t be able to sleep until dawn anyway.

‘What’s all the commotion about?’

But.

‘That way! There’s a ship floating above Claire Square!’

‘….’

An excited servant pointed to the sky. Even with her dim eyes, she could see it clearly.

For a moment, she was speechless.

An object that should have been in the sea was sailing leisurely, befriending the moon.

‘The entire mansion district is in an uproar because of that!’

A sense of foreboding swept over her.

‘Eunha! It’s a pirate ship. It’s a North Sea pirate ship, and it’s a complete mess! Prince Yeseo and Marquis Diem have appeared in the square. And, and, the Crown Prince has disembarked from the pirate ship! There’s news that His Majesty has also arrived with Cardinal!’

Another servant came running and shouted. More than one person was out of breath.

The faces of those wearing cheap clothes and holding oil lamps were shining brightly with pure faith.

The explanation continued with gestures, glances, and even nose twitches.

‘Tulips, such large purple tulips have bloomed in this weather! Purple! It’s a miracle of the Main God!’

‘My goodness. They are truly blessed!’

Keshia sensed that something was seriously wrong.

The prince, who should have died long ago, had returned alive and well once again.

The marquis, who should have been disgraced and confronting the garrison, was having an audience with the Emperor.

Moreover, divine blessings were bestowed upon such a gathering. Her limbs grew rapidly cold.

The woman made a quick decision.

‘Summon the head butler to my bedroom. Don’t make a fuss over trivial matters and go to sleep!’

‘…Yes, Eunha.’

‘Understood.’

‘Ah, I apologize.’

At the owner’s cold scolding, the lower servants retreated with gloomy expressions.

Even though it was clearly a miracle of the Main God, the Archbishop remained aloof and cold.

As soon as the foolish ones disappeared from sight, she immediately planned her escape with the head butler.

She secretly woke up her son’s family, had them gather only jewelry and clothing, and smuggled a carriage out of the mansion’s back gate.

The knights and guards were directed to the main gate, while they slipped out through a loophole.

Since then, their robes had been covered in dirt.

They could be pointed at as a disgrace to the nobility, as ignorant of honor.

But wasn’t power and status only valuable if one survived?

“…That fox-like prince is finally trying to take the Crown Prince’s place.”

“Should we have sided with him?”

The daughter-in-law asked cautiously. Keshia immediately shook her head.

“You can’t trust those from the Holy Nation. Have you forgotten the end of Yuliter Statia? Do you think I don’t know that her seductive face is full of ambition?”

The old woman stopped there and clamped her mouth shut.

Yeseo Fenetian had finally defeated her.

It was even more frustrating because the result was not fairly determined by divine power.

She was resentful that her granddaughter, who was several years younger, had not even been given a chance.

She gave a cold assessment.

“How long will he pretend to be as gentle as a lamb, and how long will his young and beautiful body last? It’s just a brief period of wealth and glory. He’ll soon lose favor and be relegated to the Ether Warehouse [a place for discarded or forgotten things/people].”

“…”

“Get some sleep. We’ll have to abandon the carriage by dawn.”

At the old woman’s words, the four exhausted people closed their eyes in unison.

Keshia was lost in thought as she watched the black and white scenery outside.

-Clatter, clatter, clop…!

The road they were traveling on was a side path she had accidentally discovered while traveling to and from the Papal States.

Even the freight and postal carriage workers, who were familiar with the Empire’s road conditions, were unaware of its existence.

Upon investigation, it turned out to be one of the supply routes from the war era that had been erased from the map.

Keshia had the coachman memorize this road in case of emergency.

The woman was a born spy.

“We’ll switch to a freight carriage at dawn and go straight to the border…”

From that moment on, no one would be able to track them.

The Empire’s territory was vast, and the forest paths branched out into hundreds and thousands of routes.

Searching the waterways would be endless.

By now, the Emperor’s army would be searching her mansion and the vicinity of her territory, but all they would find were the bewilderment of the ignorant lower servants.

Keshia was the most crucial piece of evidence in this plot. Without her, no investigation could be complete.

“All I have to do is meet the cardinal from the Holy Nation at the Papal States.”

The face reflected in the window was seizing its last chance. A glint of intelligence flashed in her wrinkled eyes.

It was then.

-Neighhhhh!

“Whoa, whoa!”

“Oh my god!”

The carriage stopped abruptly. The son’s family and the attendant, who had been dozing off, woke up in horror.

Keshia frowned and knocked on the carriage roof. Tap, tap, tap!

“What’s going on?”

“U, Eunha… You need to come out.”

A faint voice was heard from beyond the wall.

It was a phrase she had heard even in her home in the Imperial Capital.

A reality that had to be witnessed directly, otherwise it would be hard to believe.

She pressed her lips together tightly. A very old intuition flashed through her mind.

But she decided to ignore it. Click, Keshia opened the carriage door herself.

-Whoosh…

The cold winter wind whipped her cheeks.

Unlike the dark interior, the outside of the carriage was dazzlingly bright.

It was because the pure white snow was reflecting the light of the full moon.

Keshia, who had stolen the servant’s robe, stepped onto the ground with an elegant movement.

There was no polite escort or warm greeting on the escape route to the border.

Two streams of icy breath flowed out.

“Archbishop Eugenie Keshia.”

“…”

“Long time no see.”

Staring at her was the elderly journalist.

A woman who didn’t need to bow her head to someone addressed as ‘Eunha.’

“Lady Belial. I didn’t expect to meet you in a place like this.”

“Yes. I’m not here as a journalist today. It would be difficult to find news material in a place like this.”

Sarah Belial joked.

Only then did Keshia recognize the forces guarding her from behind.

‘Grand Rouge [Elite Imperial Guard].’

They were the guard of the Imperial family who did not live in the Imperial Palace, a knight order in red uniforms whose expenses were all paid by the Imperial family.

“Did you think that no one would know this road? Well, young people these days wouldn’t know.”

Beneath her meticulously styled white hair, emerald eyes sparkled with amusement.

Sarah acted as if she had been waiting for the Archbishop here. It was a terrible assumption.

“But I remember. My late father valued each and every supply route very much.”

“…How can you cooperate with the Imperial family? Weren’t you banished from the palace forever?”

“I’m doing this because I have a debt to repay.”

A clear answer came back. Keshia clenched her bony fist.

Her hands, exposed to the cold, were chapped and rough in a day.

Her mind was constantly thinking of the next move. If a road was blocked, she just had to break through it.

If she deployed the Sacred Domain now, the entire guard would be within her range.

First, she would bind their feet with a divine decree, but,

“Has His Majesty completely forgotten the Papal States?”

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off. The son’s family behind her finally burst into tears.

Sarah smiled faintly.

“My nephew is a wise ruler. If you cooperate willingly, he won’t impose the death penalty.”

Where should I start explaining?

First of all, it’s been nine days since the night we returned to the palace….

Umm, it was quite an adventure. I really can’t express it any other way.

No matter which scene I recall, it doesn’t feel like it actually happened.

In the meantime, we somehow celebrated the New Year, but I don’t remember how we spent that day either.

The incident was so enormous in scale that the aftermath and trials were still ongoing.

Everyone in the Imperial Palace welcomed us, but I still have things to be scolded for.

-Pitter-patter!

-Squeak!

-Chirp, chirp!

“You troublemakers, Laurence is scolding you from downstairs!”

Demi and Ttukssim were running around the Juliette Palace hallway, chirping madly. The sighs of the servants could be heard all the way up here.

I held back my laughter, scolded the little ones, and turned to look at Leah and Perry.

The twins seemed to love the twin cradles gifted by the Diem family.

Even though Tete was already sleeping, they were trying to squeeze in together.

I grabbed the red panda’s soft belly to stop them.

“Perry, that’s your little brother, Kohane. Don’t wake him up, let’s play in the next room.”

-Squeak

“Leah won’t move? That’s not true. If you ask nicely, she’ll move.”

Yes. For now, all five Diem siblings were safe!

As feared, there was a clash between the Marquis’s knights and the Imperial Capital garrison, but I heard that there were no major casualties thanks to the thousand or so territory residents who came to act as shields.

Not harming unarmed civilians was the Empire’s first principle and the core of the continental chivalry.

After that, the Emperor’s private soldiers intervened and the confrontation ended peacefully….

“Prince Yeseo, Pithivier [a type of French pastry] is here!”

“Sounds delicious. Thank you.”

I smiled as I admired the large pie plate.

This was the work of Laurence, who had made a splendid return after his vacation.

So, the point is, our chef is a hero who saved the Marquis’s territory!

“Please try it while it’s warm. Laurence made an extra-large one for you, Your Highness.”

“Just looking at your face makes me full.”

“Oh, Your Highness!”

‘Even if you say that, I already have someone!’ Ganael said something strange, and I finally burst out laughing.

But I was sincerely happy.