What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 249

#249

The Peace of the God (3)

“I have no intention of that.”

Emperor Frederik stated firmly. The expectations I had harbored crumbled away.

The lesser pandas also drooped their tails, which they had been holding upright.

Lord Johann tilted his head with a helpless expression.

Still, I couldn’t give up easily. I looked at him earnestly.

If there was any possibility, I had to try anything.

No one wants countless people to die.

“Your Majesty, this may not be the Princess’s intention.”

She immediately met my gaze.

I soothed the troublesome creatures and continued calmly.

“Werner Venetian may have blocked Her Highness’s eyes and ears. He may have intercepted letters or clouded her judgment with misleading information…”

“Do I have a reason to consider that?”

My mouth snapped shut. The Emperor held a glass of Calvados in one hand and spoke bluntly.

“A spy from the Divine Kingdom irreverently stirred up trouble in my country and fled. In March, the Imperial Palace was attacked, and recently there was a terror attack in the Imperial Capital. You know this as well. The Riester people are particularly sensitive to the heart of the Empire being pierced.”

“……”

I couldn’t deny it.

The Emperor’s grandfather was ambushed by the woman he loved.

Juliter Statia led the Divine Kingdom forces, including the Holy Knights, and invaded the Empire using the underground portal of the Imperial Palace.

This was a shocking event for everyone in Romero Riester’s domain.

The ruler’s residence and capital were attacked simultaneously, and the opponent was a Venetian noble priest whom he was planning to marry.

The underground portal was also a means to facilitate their meetings.

The Imperial Capital wasn’t completely captured only thanks to Romero’s foresight.

Since his days as Crown Prince, he had devoted great interest to military affairs and had already trained the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Capital Defense Forces into formations resembling today’s special forces.

According to history books, the two units before that were closer to high-end patrol units.

If the Guards and the Defense Forces hadn’t responded promptly…

And if Romero hadn’t been a legendary master swordsman…

The history of ‘Toegye Gong’ [a hypothetical historical figure] might have been drastically different.

“This body is the Emperor of the Empire. I have no reason to assume that the heir to the throne of an enemy country is in a difficult situation and give him a convenient interpretation. What benefit would that bring me?”

‘Rather, I should be several times more cautious,’ the Emperor added sharply.

We stared at him intently.

“Besides, the Princess’s letter reached the Imperial Palace bearing the symbol of the King’s proxy.”

“……”

“Then I must accept that it represents the head of state’s intention. That’s the established protocol. Even after 30 years of severed relations, some diplomatic languages remain unchanged.”

I quietly lowered my eyes. Every word was correct.

The Empire was now unilaterally suffering humiliation.

Enduring this much was already a significant concession, and it would be presumptuous to ask for more understanding than that.

Thinking that far, it was hard to maintain a neutral expression.

No matter how much the Emperor hated war, if his patience ran out and public opinion grew stronger, conflict would be inevitable.

Is a real clash just around the corner? Is this an unstoppable tide?

“…The Princess did request a meeting.”

I raised my head abruptly. My teacher was smiling awkwardly at me. Really?

“Oreli.”

“That child also has the right to know.”

The Emperor called his partner in a low voice, and the Cardinal gave a soft but firm answer.

The monarch clicked his tongue and poured Calvados into his mouth.

I certainly saw the scroll during the Sarnese trial.

However, I only glanced at it over his shoulder and didn’t read it thoroughly, so I didn’t know the overall content.

“Was there such a statement?”

“Yes, included with the explanation that the Prince seems to be unwell. She requested a meeting in a neutral zone to assess his condition directly.”

“I do not allow it.”

Before I could say anything, the Emperor cut me off.

‘Squeak….’ Demi in my arms made a sad whimper.

The middle-aged man raised one eyebrow as if it were an impossible request. He was exactly like Crown Prince Cedric.

“No country’s army can enter the neutral zone. That means you wouldn’t even receive the protection of the Guards. Moreover, it’s not peacetime now.”

“……Yes. I understand what you mean.”

“Currently, the entry of all clergy is prohibited.”

“The only ones who can come and go are some caravans and people who have ties to that place. Even then, they are undergoing very strict quarantine and identity verification,” my teacher added consolingly. I nodded silently.

The incident that massively framed innocent people to harm me and turned the whole country upside down had ended just a month ago.

The aftermath wasn’t even over yet.

It was dangerous and reckless for me, the person involved, to head out of the Imperial Palace at this time.

I knew that myself, so I didn’t even go shopping with Eva.

“You can keep the letter you wrote.”

“……Yes.”

As soon as my answer fell, Laura brought up a splendid gold tray.

A luxurious envelope came into view.

Instead of the Riester Imperial Family crest, the Serenite crest was stamped with sealing wax.

As Lord Johann said, there was no trace of it being opened. Holding the paper that had returned unused made me feel empty.

I put a lot of thought into writing it. I did a lot of research with my friends.

The Emperor spoke again.

“What Oreli and I demanded in a personal letter was an official apology from Venetian and a pledge to prevent recurrence.”

“……”

We were each surprised and raised our eyes.

That was really an incredibly generous attitude.

“I wanted to pour out insults, calling the national letter a waste of paper, but I didn’t want to give them an excuse to cling to, saying it was interference in internal affairs. I didn’t want to become like them. Above all…”

‘I can’t ask them to bring out the spouse when the King has lost his mind.’ The Emperor said that and pushed the empty glass.

Laura poured a new drink with elegant movements.

My teacher stopped him, saying, ‘Don’t drink too much,’ but it seemed like it wasn’t a situation he could easily bear.

Marchioness Caroline Mute let out a long sigh and clashed her glass against the Emperor’s.

Clang! Gulp, gulp. The strong brandy poured down the throats of the two middle-aged men.

I exchanged uneasy glances with Lady Elizabeth.

-Clang!

The clean glass hit the table again.

“So there will be no concessions.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“I won’t wait long either.”

It was a decision I had somewhat expected, but when it actually happened, my vision went dark.

Northern Venetian Divine Kingdom. Riester border area.

-Whoosh……

-Flutter flutter!

The white cloth of the tent shook wildly.

The inside, enchanted with magic, was warm even in the middle of winter, but only a cold wind was blowing in Eliser Venetian’s mind.

This was the Princess’s field bedroom and study. But these days, it only served as the latter.

It was natural since she couldn’t get any sleep and didn’t even have the will to do so.

Eliser stood in front of a round table and repeatedly read the letter sent by her attendant knight.

Her bright blue eyes trembled with anxiety and worry.

‘It is Martier, Your Highness. I hope you are well today as well.

The rumors spreading in the Royal Capital are becoming more and more absurd, and now it is difficult to gauge what is true and what is false. One merchant says that Duke Simon de Sarnese was caught plotting treason and was executed, while another mercenary says that he was caught working as a spy for the Divine Kingdom. There are also rumors that Her Majesty the Queen is involved in this matter.

The rumors about the Prince are no different. Some say that he has safely cleared his name and become a hero. Others mutter that the Prince has lost the Imperial Family’s trust and is barely surviving……’

-Crackle!

The white paper was half crumpled in her beautiful grip.

Nothing was certain, really nothing. Her heart was heavy and her chest ached.

If she stayed like this, she felt like she would burst into flames all over her body.

Eliser took a very slow, thin breath.

“Hoo……”

And she thought of her family.

She thought of her sleeping mother, putting half-wilted tulips in a new glass box, and Corneliser, who laughed, ‘Abama [mother in their language] is feeling better these days!’

She also recalled Yeser, who couldn’t remember Martier’s injury.

She was the beloved daughter, sister, and older sister of three people, and she was going to be the ruler of a country and the head of a family. So she had to stand firm.

She had to be calm in everything.

‘……However, the Empire’s defenses are as solid as a barrier of anti-magic stones, so it is impossible to confirm any facts. In the meantime, no news has reached the Royal Castle. There is not even a secret messenger, let alone a personal letter from the Emperor.’

“Why.”

Why does the Empire remain silent? Why do they refuse to communicate?

She gritted her teeth tightly.

She emptied the glass of water next to her in one gulp, but the painful thirst did not disappear. It felt like she was burdened with a terrible curse.

If she couldn’t meet her brother, she wanted to get at least a confirmation that he had been cleared of the charges.

She would feel relieved even with just one signature from the Emperor. Just knowing that he was doing well….

Even if he had truly lost his past memories, if he was healthy and happy now.

If he was receiving warm gazes from them like when she last saw him.

With just that, she could take a step back.

Hiding her precarious heart, she could hold back her tears and look forward to the future.

But why is Riester locking the country’s doors….

“Your Highness. It’s Zanin.”

She raised her head with a start. A familiar silhouette rippled beyond the white cloth.

Seeing that even her breath was flickering like a shadow, she felt sorry.

Eliser quickly brought the middle-aged man into the tent.

The Princess’s loyal servant, who had never held a weapon in her life, appeared with a face pale from the cold.

Her hands, chapped from the cold wind, were empty.

“I am sorry. There is still no news.”

“……”

Even though it was a sentence with many omissions, the situation was clear.

Eliser barely suppressed the surging emotions.

Instead of expressing anger, she sat the maid next to the fireplace.

She felt sorry for bringing her to the battlefield and making her suffer, even though she wasn’t young.

Zanin looked up at her with a gaze mixed with affection and concern.

“Did you stay up all night again?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Did you skip breakfast too?”

“……”

“Didn’t you promise the Prince?”

It was a gentle voice, scolding her like her old mother. Silence flowed for a while.

Outside the tent, the shouts of knights and soldiers were mixed together.

‘That’s not how you draw a sword!’, ‘I will work hard!’ Continuing cheers.

Clang, clang, clang! The sound of hammering a bent sword in the distance.

Whoosh! The sound of a water flower sprouting from a Holy Knight [likely referring to a magical ability or training exercise].

The commotion of a small battlefield.

“We will wage skirmishes until there is a meaningful reaction. It would be nice if we could capture prisoners.”

“Isn’t there a mole?”

The two women’s words flowed out at the same time. Eliser’s eyes widened at the unexpected remark.

Zanin lowered her voice with a cautious face.

“I have never met the Riester Emperor, but I don’t think he has such a disposition. Perhaps someone in the middle……”

“Are you saying they stole the letter?”

At the direct question from her superior, the woman nodded almost imperceptibly.

The Princess took a deep breath without showing it.

Someone who could do such a thing flashed through her mind. But…….

But.

“How could my father do such a thing? It wouldn’t harm you or the Divine Kingdom to receive the Emperor’s personal letter.”

“Your Highness.”

“That’s enough.”

Eliser quickly moved away from Zanin.

Then, with her back to her, she stood with her arms on the table.

Even though it wasn’t a high mountain area, it was suddenly difficult to breathe.

At the same time, one corner of her head became deafeningly noisy. The Holy Knight shook her head roughly.

As if she could shake off the whispers of the unconscious, whether it was a demon or an angel.

‘Wisil, don’t you already know?’

‘There’s a possibility, but how dare you pretend you don’t know?’

“Doesn’t all the evidence point to one place?”

“He was very ill around that time. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Your Highness has already found the answer.”

“I don’t want to talk anymore.”

“Perhaps you knew from that day.”

“Stop.”

She raised one hand firmly and closed Zanin’s mouth. She was out of breath.

Now she really felt a little tired.

It felt overwhelming and difficult to bear the truth alone.

Thirty-one. She wasn’t young, but the desire to escape from reality suddenly surged.

Her vision flickered with sunlight. Why would he go so far?

Making his own body a living corpse to avoid suspicion, using a spy from an enemy country to cause an internal rebellion, and even driving the conflict between the two countries to the extreme, what is he trying to destroy in a child…….

“Ugh.”

“Your Highness?”

“Huk, Keueut……”

How can a person be so foolish?

Why can’t they think of anything but themselves?

How far can a human being, consumed by madness and resentment, and ultimately becoming an incarnation of it, go?

“Keuheok!”

“Your Highness!”

Crash! Zanin quickly ran and caught the collapsing Eliser.

Spark, crack! Bright yellow sparks were flying from the Cardinal’s cheeks.

The middle-aged man gaped in instinctive fear.

The Princess whispered in a voice ruined by pain.