What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 246

#246

Some Scars (3)

Well, so, we’re… doing fine.

-Step, step, step.

-Tap, tap, tap.

-Click, click, click.

I couldn’t say that the scars from that day were completely healed, not even as a platitude, but it was okay because we were all together.

Today marks exactly one month since Duke Simon de Sarnese’s trial.

Thanks to Emperor Frederick’s consideration, Christel and Isabel had been staying at Stroda Palace.

The Blancquer family left the palace as soon as the trial and its aftermath were over. Eva didn’t want to return to their territory, so they stayed at the Ducal residence in the capital.

Considering their past behavior, which showed a lack of understanding of their children, it was a surprising decision. And…

“You seem quite free for the leader of the Fleur-de-lis.”

“Your Highness.”

I immediately called out to the man walking on my left.

The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow and looked down at me.

He was always eager to find fault with someone five years younger than him.

If someone said to him, ‘You seem quite free for the Crown Prince of the Empire,’ he’d turn them into charcoal.

“It’s Saturday, so it’s okay to rest, isn’t it? Walking is good for your health, too.”

The weather in the Imperial Capital in February was nothing like Seoul’s (the setting’s promise of year-round mild weather was apparently just a tease from Demi [the creator of the world]), so instead of taking a walk outside, we gathered in groups of three or five and strolled through the corridors of Juliet Palace.

Apparently, it was a common sight in many aristocratic salons [social gatherings].

About 10 meters behind us, Chestnut was trotting along, carrying Tete in a sling.

Bakari pursed his lips on the right.

He couldn’t dare to talk back to his master, but he didn’t want to be easily dismissed either.

I quickly continued.

“How are you feeling? I was worried that you might be weakened by the cold weather.”

“…I’m fine. My mana resting period was unusually long, but there are no aftereffects at all.”

The teenager answered stiffly, like an AI speaker.

The news that he had foreseen this plot and fainted reached me not long after I returned to the palace.

However, the Prophet woke up three days after the trial ended.

According to the Bakari family, he had never had such a long resting period before.

He had been unconscious for three weeks, so the Imperial Family was very concerned.

Fearing that a young talent might be lost, the royal physician and healing priests checked on him regularly.

For the last two days, I also visited Stroda to check on his condition.

Fortunately, Bakari regained consciousness.

He had to eat only pureed soups like Touraine for a while because he had been lying down for so long on an empty stomach… and he lost his memories again this time.

“I’m sorry.”

I apologized. Blue-silver eyes, wide open under his glasses, turned to me.

“Like at the masquerade… I think it’s because of me. Bakari receiving unreasonable revelations. It must have been very scary and painful.”

‘The Prince is a being who distorts all revelations.’

In the Blancquer territory, the Prophet had clearly told me that.

He also warned me to stay away from Christel.

At the ball that followed, he ended up foreseeing content that wasn’t in the original story and lost all his memories.

He also had a lot of nosebleeds during that time. Because the future changed because of me.

“…”

It’s not like I wanted to be possessed, but I didn’t feel comfortable knowing that a child was falling ill because of my existence.

Besides, I had decided not to forcibly distance myself from the main characters.

It was clear that Bakari would have a hard time.

Similar things could happen again at any time.

I wish this kid wouldn’t see anything at all. I don’t need any hints from the gods or anyone else.

“There are many regrettable things.”

“A little.”

Why is he being like this today? I scolded him quietly because the Crown Prince was acting ugly again.

Whether he frowned his handsome face or not, I checked the teenager’s expression.

He looked confused.

“…It is not the Prince’s fault that I have such visions.”

“I know. But I can’t just dismiss it as someone else’s problem. It’s a pain you wouldn’t have experienced if I hadn’t been here.”

“Even so, no one feels guilty towards someone who makes ominous prophecies about themselves.”

“That’s because they haven’t seen Bakari struggling.”

When I answered with a bitter smile, the leader turned his head sharply and walked forward, looking straight ahead.

The navy blue hair, the color of his robe, fluttered.

Did he think I was just lightly sympathizing? That’s not it at all.

“I was just doing what I had to do as His Majesty’s servant.”

He spat out gruffly. The corners of his mouth slowly widened.

“You don’t call it a magic tool anymore.”

It seemed that there was some reward for telling him every time we met that he was not a tool, but a ‘person’ with special abilities.

When I smiled brightly, the Prophet bit his lip.

Around that time, Eva and Isabel were walking arm in arm from the opposite side.

The Little Duchess’s eyes became as sharp as cactus thorns when she spotted Bakari.

“Leader. You weren’t glaring at the Prince again, were you?”

“…There’s no reason for that. I have a prior engagement with Mr. Condé, so I’ll be going now. Madam Rambouillet.”

Bakari greeted Isabel, paid his respects to the Crown Prince and me, and quickly left the corridor.

He barely glanced at Eva.

Mr. Condé was the title referring to the chef, Laurence. I was pleased that he seemed to be getting bread on his way home as usual.

Even though we couldn’t have a deep conversation today.

I wonder if he would be wary if I asked him to have a meal together sometime.

“What were you talking about so enthusiastically?”

Eva asked, pursing her lips at the teenager’s retreating figure. I quietly looked down at the child.

Since losing her brother, the Little Duchess would sometimes stare out the window without saying a word.

She didn’t like opening mail anymore, and she came to see me more often than before.

She wasn’t wearing mourning clothes anymore, but the grief and shock hadn’t ended just because the funeral was over.

Even if Robert was the worst brother, it was impossible to erase him from her life overnight.

I fully understood Eva’s complex emotions.

Looking at the little one walking bravely, a smile naturally appeared on my face.

“We were just exchanging simple greetings. What about Eva and Isabel?”

“We were discussing the operating policies of Salon de Victoire! Lady Isabel is an adult, so she gives a lot of good advice. She’s my advisor.”

Eva proudly said, shaking Isabel’s arm.

Since the middle of last month, the Little Duchess had started to focus again on the acquisition of the high-end bar ‘Blois – Truth in Wine’.

The name of the space was decided as ‘Salon de Victoire’.

The child brought a thick catalog and chose furniture with me, and went to see the lighting and decorations with Count Johan and his son from time to time.

I had been staying in the palace ever since I returned.

No one confined me, but I thought it would be better not to wander outside until the political situation stabilized.

I felt sorry for Eva about that.

I would have understood if she had shown her disappointment, but I was grateful that she understood my feelings.

“Thank you, Isabel. The Little Duchess is in your care.”

I turned to Isabel and greeted her.

‘What do you mean, in your care!’ Eva grumbled, shaking my hand.

The woman curved her eyes kindly.

“Not at all, Your Highness. I’m not used to social activities… I’m happy to be able to travel to various places thanks to the Little Duchess.”

‘We went to the salon of Count Mutet together a few days ago. To get inspiration.’ She said softly.

Isabel was overcoming it admirably.

Even after a series of events had roughly scarred her life.

Duke Sarnese… as a result, was not executed by the Emperor.

That’s because he took his own life two days after being imprisoned in the Imperial Capital’s prison.

I heard he had hit his head against the stone wall.

The Imperial Guards were watching him to prevent him from committing suicide, but they were mainly anticipating hanging, so everyone was taken aback by the sudden self-harm.

They hurriedly opened the bars and called a doctor, but the Duke was already unconscious. It was a cowardly and dishonorable escape.

About two hours later, the news of his death was delivered to the Imperial Palace.

As soon as I heard the news, I went to see Isabel and Christel.

I didn’t know what to say, so I just sat next to the mother and daughter all day.

I took care of their meals and gave them a blessing so they could sleep well at night.

[If it’s okay, I’ll come again tomorrow. Rest well.]

‘Thank you, Your Highness.’

I was deeply grateful for the ability I had been given.

That those staying in the Imperial Palace could sleep soundly and have only good dreams thanks to my ether… I couldn’t be more grateful. Really.

“There’s also a sleeping space for Herrit and the babies. But Lady Isabel suggested that it would be good to have a large window facing the hallway. There might be problems when the child is sleeping. Anyone should be able to see them coming and going.”

“That’s right. It would be good to put in a light blanket, too.”

I immediately added, and Isabel nodded and smiled beautifully.

Fortunately, she had other family members to rely on.

The Rambouillet family, her family home, was a caravan family that traveled between neutral zones without portals and ownerless deserts.

Their assets were solid and their position in the inland transportation industry was firm, so they were not greatly affected by this situation.

I heard that the reason for the arranged marriage with Sarnese was because they were also interested in maritime trade.

The Viscount and his wife hugged their returned daughter and welcomed her, and immediately bought the Sarnese Ducal residence where the mother and daughter had been staying from the Imperial Family and transferred it to Isabel’s name.

In particular, they loved their granddaughter Christel like a lucky charm.

The nickname the two old people gave her was ‘Our Pink Ostrich’.

‘It’s a bit touching. It’s not our puppy, it’s our camel, so it’s fresh. It’s a special feeling? You know what I mean.’

‘Yes.’

…The protagonist had a family that shared her naming sense. It was a good thing.

“Then we’ll go around that way again. We also have something to discuss regarding the opening event.”

“Take your time, Eva. If you need anything, call me or His Highness at any time.”

“Yes.”

The child glanced at her cousin, who was standing like a telephone pole, gave a lovely bow, and gradually moved away with Isabel.

I raised the corners of my mouth and looked at them.

“Did you invite the Baron, too?”

At that time, the Crown Prince’s handsome baritone brushed against my ear.

His orange eyes were already facing the other side of the corridor.

Following his gaze, I saw Joan, wearing colorful furs on her head, consulting with Christel about something.

Lady Elizabeth, who was listening to her, was shaking her head in disagreement.

“She got her title back, so she suddenly became free. She was angry that she had nowhere to go, so I’m temporarily protecting her.”

I explained with a mixed tone of laughter.

That’s right. Joan had become ‘Baroness Joan de As’ since last month!

The man’s thick eyelashes moved discontentedly.

“Are the territory and property just decorations?”

“She suddenly became rich and a noble, so it’s hard for her to adapt. Besides, Joan’s paintings and even her hairstyles have become famous, so people recognize her when she goes outside… She’s come to take refuge for a while.”

“Pathetic.”

He evaluated harshly. But this was a real celebration.

At the Emperor’s birthday celebration held on January 7th, the painter finally regained her family’s honor.

It was justice restored after three generations, from her grandmother, mother, and Joan siblings.

‘The Imperial Family of the Empire officially expresses its regret to Baron As, who was murdered by Emperor Romero, and his bereaved family and descendants. It was a clear mistake that my grandfather executed arbitrary judgments and executions without confession. I and Emperor Celine, who did not reverse the events at the time, will not be free from guilt either.’

The Emperor formally acknowledged and apologized for the Lister Imperial Family’s mistake in front of hundreds of dignitaries.

Joan cried at the invited seat.

I felt a warmth in my eyes as I remembered the voice that had insisted on her great-grandfather’s innocence.

‘The more I think about it, the more embarrassed I am! If you were unfairly deprived, you should think about getting it back.’

‘It’s all a frame-up, mister! Another human framed my great-grandfather!’

Lady Elizabeth, who was always a bit cold to Joan, handed her a handkerchief that day.

I smiled and looked up at the Crown Prince. Burning irises quickly entangled my gaze.

The time it takes for a wound to heal will never be short. Maybe there will be scars forever… but even in the meantime, there were good and happy things. I didn’t want to bury even that in pain.

“You have to look good. Joan is the only one who can paint the Crown Prince’s portrait close to the real thing. You’ll be sorry when you ascend the throne.”

Then the Crown Prince snorted.

I was glad that he and Christel had many good friends around them.

I was also proud that I had taken a step in such an adventure.

Everyone except me has too much personality, but considering the shooting star-like personalities of the protagonists, it was not strange.

There’s also the saying that birds of a feather flock together.

“Duke Berang will also be a strong supporter of the Crown Prince.”

Yes, there was also the Berang Baron family, who had now become a Duke family.

When I raised my index finger, the Crown Prince stared intently at the tip of my finger. Was there sauce on it?

“I don’t need political support.”

You’re an only child, so you can easily say that.

If you had just one sibling, it would have been an HBO drama instead of ‘Toegye Gong’ [a Korean historical drama known for its peaceful themes].

“There’s only one thing I want.”

“…”

His voice echoed secretly. It was clearly a light walk, but suddenly the atmosphere became heavy.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him, as if he had some kind of skill exclusively for the male lead that he kept hidden and used alone.

The clear orange light flickered nearby. I swallowed hard, forgetting that my neck was stiff.

My heart fluttered with hopeless anticipation.

What if it’s Christel? Is there a forest kindergarten here, too?

“Prince Yeser!”

Flounder! Ganael called me from behind.

I took two steps away from the Crown Prince in a flash.

I hadn’t done anything wrong, but somehow it turned out that way.

I immediately turned around and met the boy’s golden eyes. The child had a very embarrassed expression.

“I apologize for interrupting. The letter… Huh, the letter that Your Highness sent to Her Royal Highness the Princess has been returned.”

The embarrassment was forgotten as if washed away. The boy’s bewilderment quickly shifted to me.