What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 3

#003 The Unforeseen Landing of a Person (3)

After organizing my notebook all morning, I decided to indulge in some additional nonsense since I had some free time.

“…Status window.”

Of course, no translucent window appeared before my eyes, nor did any letters materialize.

I briefly entertained the thought that I might have become the protagonist of a possession novel [a novel where the protagonist’s soul inhabits another body], but reality was cold, even harsh.

I felt a wave of embarrassment at my own self-consciousness, and my cheeks and the corners of my eyes flushed.

I should probably get something to eat.

“Your Highness, I have brought some books that you might find interesting. And His Majesty has granted you permission to take walks in the garden at any time.”

“Thank you, that’s good.”

After lunch, following the same routine as breakfast, the young page who had delivered my bag that morning brought some books and welcome news.

Benjamin and the other servants had already left, so I assumed this child would also depart soon. However, the boy hesitated and began to look at me cautiously.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Ah, well…”

The child blushed, clearly unsure of himself.

Was he about fourteen years old? He had striking, bright sky-blue hair and large, golden eyes.

“I am Ganael Kalamar, the first son of the Kalamar viscount family.”

“I’m Yesuh Fenetian.”

Another unfamiliar name.

It felt awkward to simply listen to his introduction, so I offered my name in return. The child smiled brightly, as if a weight had been lifted.

Ganael continued quickly, his face flushed with excitement.

“There is no one in the empire who doesn’t know Your Highness’s name. Everyone is curious about you, though they may not show it… because there are many devout people here. It is a historical event for a royal priest from the Holy Kingdom to arrive at the Imperial Palace.”

Wow, that’s a lot of information to process.

I clenched my mouth shut, fighting the urge to gape, and made a conscious effort to maintain a calm expression.

If I could, I would have pulled out my notebook and jotted down everything Ganael had just said.

Devout people, royal priest, historical event.

Ganael went on to say that he was very sorry to meet me under these circumstances, but he was delighted that the Kalamar family was honored to serve me in this way.

He seemed to be implying that he was saddened by my arrival as a hostage, but genuinely happy to meet me.

I was amazed at how well he had controlled his expression that morning, considering how excited he was now.

“How old are you, Ganael?”

“I turned sixteen last February. I am twelve years younger than Your Highness. I had a small coming-of-age ceremony because I was preparing to enter the palace…”

The child chattered shyly, smiling.

If he was sixteen by international reckoning, that meant he was seventeen by Korean age [Koreans count age differently, adding one year at birth and another on January 1st].

He looks much younger than that…

Wait a minute. If I’m twelve years older than him, that means I’m twenty-eight by international standards.

The original me was also twenty-eight, so Yesuh Fenetian and I are the same age.

This is also new information.

“You’re still young, but you’re experiencing a lot in the palace.”

“Hehe, no. Actually, I specifically requested to enter the palace after hearing that Your Highness was coming. My father didn’t object either. Rather, he praised it as a step that continues the family’s founding spirit.”

I gained a wealth of new knowledge in an instant by talking to Ganael.

Of course, they were only fragments, but each one was a precious piece of background and setting for me, who had never read the original .

Ganael asked me to drop the honorifics, apologizing for a subordinate bringing it up first.

It was obvious that he wanted to become closer to me, and when I agreed, the child was overjoyed.

“So, if it’s okay with you… Could you listen to my confession?”

“Huh?”

I was so taken aback that my voice cracked. I had no idea how the topic had jumped so far.

Ganael waved his hands frantically, even more embarrassed by my reaction.

“N-no, just a brief one! I know you haven’t recovered from your journey yet, so tomorrow or the day after, no, next week is fine with me. Whenever you’re comfortable…”

The child quickly looked crestfallen, thinking he had troubled me.

But the one who was really panicking was me.

He wants me to listen to his confession?

I remembered Ganael calling me a royal priest earlier.

‘The Second Male Lead of ‘ was a priest, did Eunseo ever mention that?

“Um, I’ll make time soon.”

I think I also recall her saying something like, ‘Our Yesuh is so holy-looking, even his job is holy.’

I answered with the typical Korean response of ‘Let’s grab a meal sometime’ [a polite but often non-committal way of agreeing to meet], and Ganael grinned at those words.

I had to be careful.

I couldn’t act rashly until I knew exactly what a priest does and what god these people worship.

*

After Ganael left, I sat at the table and examined the books I had received.

A thin magazine, a history book, and what appeared to be an essay.

Did they deliberately put rhymes in the titles?

First of all, I was certain that the name of the empire was ‘Liester.’

All three books seemed helpful in different ways, and they were all so distinct that it would be fun to choose what to read.

Ganael, who seemed to have a knack for his job, also had a pretty good sense of what I needed.

Well, if you work as a servant in the Imperial Palace, you’ll have to develop a sense that you didn’t have before.

I picked up the magazine first.

At the top of the cover, there was small print that read ‘Holy Era 1613, March 15th issue.’

Below that, in large letters, was the phrase ‘The Holy Kingdom’s Playboy Advances into the Empire.’

Is this about me?

「In two days, Prince Yesuh Fenetian, known as the greatest beauty of the Holy Kingdom, will enter the Empire. Although he is nominally a hostage, he will enter the palace as a ‘confession priest’ dispatched from the Fenetian Holy Kingdom, according to an official from the Imperial Family. What impact will he, who has caused countless scandals in the Holy Kingdom’s high society, have on Liester’s high society? Sarah Beliard, an expert on the Holy Kingdom, analyzes the atmosphere of the Holy Kingdom’s royal family, which has been shrouded in mystery due to 30 years of severed relations, and the tendencies of Prince Yesuh in detail.」

…There’s a lot. I have a mountain of things to study.

That was my first thought as soon as I opened the magazine.

When you look at other novel protagonists, they get tremendous opportunities in the beginning, and their abilities are overpowered from the start, or something like that.

I have to dedicate myself to rote memorization and repetitive learning, which I haven’t done since the college entrance exam.

“No.”

I raised my hand and lightly slapped my cheek once.

That’s the case for the ‘protagonist,’ and I’m just one of the male characters who doesn’t need to be central to the protagonist’s life.

According to Eunseo, the second male lead is ultimately a ‘second’ and can’t become the ‘male lead.’

Let’s remember what happened this morning when I recited ‘Status Window’ alone.

Nothing happened.

I calmly took out the notebook from my pocket with one hand and picked up the quill on the table with the other.

My goal is survival and going home, not saving or conquering this world.

*

And really, I just stayed in my room and studied.

I periodically had a reality check, wondering what I was doing even after entering the novel, but I overcame it with the will to go home and make kimchi fried rice on an iron plate with my family [a popular Korean comfort food].

The gazes of the servant children who occasionally came in to take care of my snacks and herbal tea were very sparkling.

It seemed Ganael had told them something.

The children’s faces turned red when they made eye contact with me, or when I smiled awkwardly, and they quickly ran out of the room.

“Oh, my back.”

I thought it would be a little different since I was a prince, but my muscles were aching from sitting in the same position for so long, just like the original me.

I slowly got up from my seat and approached the window.

I was planning to stretch and get some vitamin D in one go.

“Huh?”

But there was someone outside the window.

Several figures moved outside the glass, where the back of the building was clearly visible.

My room was at the end of the hallway, the eastern end of the Juliette Palace, and they were at the western end of the palace, so it was difficult to properly identify the people.

There seemed to be about six or seven people, and two of them were sparring with weapons in their hands.

Now that I think about it, the back of the Juliette Palace seems to be used as a training ground.

Clang, the sound of swords colliding rang out.

-Kagang!

I flinched involuntarily at the piercingly sharp sound. It seemed a sword had broken during the sparring.

The one who had cut the opponent’s sword in two grabbed the sword with his left hand and clenched and unclenched his right hand, looking down at it.

Then he slowly raised his head.

His eyes met mine.

“Gasp.”

I quickly closed the curtains and stepped away from the window.

I just felt like I had to do that instinctively.

I felt like if I looked out again, he would still be looking at me.

Was it my imagination that I felt like our eyes met? But… The gaze I met was so intense.

Even though the distance was far, it was such a clear gaze that I could clearly feel that he was looking at me and nothing else.

“Your Highness?”

“Ah, you startled me!”

I almost jumped out of my seat.

My heart, which had been surprised twice in a row, was pounding like crazy.

“I apologize. I knocked several times, but there was no response, so I came in because I was worried.”

“…No, it’s okay.”

Rather, Benjamin seemed quite surprised by my reaction.

I was a little embarrassed and cleared my throat.

“I was just looking outside. I didn’t know there was a training ground.”

“I see. The rear of the Juliette Palace is the Imperial Family’s private outdoor training ground. His Highness the Imperial Prince sometimes spars at this time.”

Imperial Prince? Is there someone other than the Crown Prince that Eunseo always cursed at?

Then is the Imperial Prince among the people outside?

Benjamin continued calmly, as if he had sensed my curiosity.

“Yes, the person outside is His Highness Imperial Prince Cedrick Liester. He is the Empire’s First Imperial Prince and only Imperial Grandson, and he is the one who will shine like the sun. Romero Palace, which is in front of the Juliette Palace, is His Highness’s residence…”

Cedrick Liester. The Empire’s First Imperial Prince, the only Imperial Grandson, ‘the one who will shine like the sun.’

Then the Imperial Prince will soon become the Crown Prince.

The main male lead of had the nickname ‘Seregi.’

The reason he had that title was because the first letter of his name was ‘Se.’ Seregi, Cedrick. A very simple puzzle quickly formed in my head.

Then maybe, the person who made eye contact with me a little while ago…

“His Highness the Imperial Prince is also the person in charge of the Juliette Palace. This is because the Imperial Family who resides in Romero Palace has traditionally overseen the Juliette Palace as well. If Your Highness wishes, I can arrange an audience with His Highness.”

“No, it’s okay.”

I answered quickly. Benjamin seemed to talk more when the story of the Imperial Prince came up.

It was this morning that I vowed not to get involved with that bastard, the Crown Prince, or rather, the Imperial Prince right now.

Of course, it would be difficult to be complete strangers since we live next door, but I wanted to avoid making acquaintances and talking to him from the first day if possible.

“I want to live quietly like today in the future.”

“…”

Benjamin looked surprised at my words.

It was a natural reaction considering that I had the title of ‘Playboy of the Holy Kingdom.’

“I know my situation well. I’m just going to read books and chat with the servant children. I hope I don’t have to meet important people often.”

“Your Highness, if you feel any lack in our service or the facilities of the Juliette Palace…”

“No, it’s not like that.”

I cut off Benjamin’s words before he made unnecessary misunderstandings.

“I want to go home alive. Preferably with all my limbs intact.”

Then I smiled brightly. I was serious.