What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 305

#305

The Transcending Heart (4)

-Aeooong

“……”

I stared blankly at Lami.

The little guy was now standing on his two front paws, sitting with a very satisfied look.

Of course, he would be. Anyone would feel good if the place that hurt was all better!

“What is this? Is this a dream? Like ?”

-Shaaaaaa……

The ether particles couldn’t find a patient to heal and subsided.

I stood there like a complete idiot, then suddenly realized something and looked at the floor.

Ugh, crazy!

-Ooooong……

“It’s a circle!”

I collected the ether at full speed, and the blue circle vanished with a *탁!* [onomatopoeia for a snapping or popping sound].

I acted on instinct, but the operating principle was the same.

Afraid that someone might have witnessed it, I hurriedly looked around.

There were people in the smoking room across the street, but fortunately, the bushes were hiding me.

Whether the heavens helped or not, the company entrance was also empty.

I must have come early to review my work and avoided the morning rush.

But in the next ten minutes or so, hundreds of people would be pouring in.

If I had arrived as usual, I would have been in real trouble!

“Lami, today’s events are a secret between you and me.”

At my request, the cat opened its mouth wide and yawned.

Then, he slowly curled up and started kneading [a cat behavior resembling bread-making].

How nice for you to be so carefree, yes!

“……You’ve worked hard, so eat this too.”

I took out two individually wrapped chicken breasts, made sure he took them, and then quickly ran to the lobby.

Holding the phone containing Toegye Gong [a renowned Korean Confucian scholar] tightly. A huge question mark poured down in my head like monsoon rain.

What the heck? Why do I have ether?

Could it be that the power I gained there is maintained here as well?

Then, does that mean it was all real?

That the year I experienced wasn’t just a one-night dream, but an actual event that happened somewhere?

Then, then maybe—

“……Hahaha.”

A childish laugh escaped.

It’s not like this will create any immediate solutions, but my heart was pounding with vain hope.

Anyway, I was sure I had found a clue.

Excitedly turning through the revolving door, the familiar security guard greeted me.

A person who likes small, yellow yogurts.

It was a face I hadn’t seen in a while, so a beaming smile spread across my face.

“Hello, sir.”

“Welcome, Manager Jung. You look especially radiant today.”

‘You look even more handsome!’ The grandfather joked.

I guess something good happened to you too.

I smiled awkwardly and took out my employee ID from my pocket.

It was to scan it at the terminal and go inside.

The ID photo I took when I was preparing for a job and my name were visible.

Jung Ye-seo (鄭睿瑞).

“……”

It’s a slim possibility, but still. I held my employee ID tightly.

‘Shaaaaa.’ Golden ether seeped out of my palm and then hid again.

My lips curled up like the tip of a fern.

You never know. Maybe I can at least say I’m sorry.

Whether we can meet again.

*

Time should go slowly when waiting to leave work, but today was very different.

I was so busy I didn’t have time to breathe. I don’t know how many emails I sent!

“Ye-seo, we’re going to review the first draft of the terms and conditions together before leaving work today!”

“Yes. I also sent rev2 of the design outsourcing project a little while ago, so please check it.”

“Oh, that’s right. Thank you! I think it got buried because I got so many emails.”

“Ye-seo, I think I was left out of the CC on the inquiry from Finance. Can you forward it to me when you have time?”

“I’ll send it to you now.”

“Thank you.”

“Deputy Ye-seo. Production came to request a risk review for this. The numbers are very specific, so how should I respond in this case……”

“Ah. If you look in the format folder I gave you last time, you’ll find the production team’s Excel file. Yes, that’s the one. You can check most of the numbers there on a quarterly basis. I’ll send you a past email. You can use those two as references, and I’ll take a look at it at the end.”

“Thank you……!”

“If you don’t know something while using it, please feel free to tell me anytime.”

“Yes, yes!”

“Ye-seo! The team leader is looking for you. He told me to stop by Attorney Myung’s room on the way.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

“Let’s do a snack ladder [a random selection game for snacks]! I suddenly want tteokbokki [spicy rice cakes] and sundae [Korean blood sausage]!”

“But isn’t Director Park coming today?”

“Aick!”

……It was a wonder that I had any sanity left.

I was going to read Toegye Gong during lunch, but in the end, I couldn’t turn on the app all day.

I was relieved that today was Friday.

I was planning to just stay home as usual on the weekend, eat delicious food with my family, and study Toegye Gong all day long.

-Thump, thump, thud……

The square subway diligently plowed through the darkness. I worked so hard that my body was about to become dried radish greens, and it was already 7 o’clock.

As soon as it was time, I packed my bag, said goodbye to everyone, and hurriedly left the company.

I got on the subway, opened a notepad, and threw in my memories, knowledge, and reasoning indiscriminately.

I could organize it nicely later on my laptop.

Right now, it was important not to forget or miss anything.

What else is there, what else…….

· My Goals

– Try not to let my friends get hurt (X)

– Help the three siblings of Shinguk reunite and stay healthy (X)

– Return home (O)

First of all, the goal side was a complete failure.

I succeeded in returning home, but because the prince died, I couldn’t meet Elissa and Cornelise in his body.

The process of dying was terrible, and the heirs of both countries were present at the scene.

Assuming the worst-case scenario, this was the spark of war.

There was no way my friends wouldn’t get hurt. Their hearts must already be full of scars—

“Haa……”

Okay, next.

· Guessing the Principle of My Return

– Because Prince Ye-seo died

– Because I made a wish on the Holy Grail

– Both

This was what I came up with during lunch while eating braised mackerel kimchi and two bowls of rice.

When the possession was first lifted, I was too flustered to think deeply.

I thought I had returned home because I died, and only for that reason.

But when I thought about it carefully, there was something fishy.

There was also an existence that had already tried to grant my wish once.

It was during the ‘Masquerade’ in the fall.

-Jiiiiiing……!

‘Heok.’

When the divine object of the four attributes drew a line at the celestial point (天點) [the highest point], my body reacted first.

First, my heart beat loudly once.

Then, I couldn’t breathe, and my whole body repeatedly became hot and cold.

Then came an indescribable pain.

The feeling that the whole world was rejecting me was vivid. I also coughed up blood for a long time.

In the end, ether exploded from me.

-Kwaaaaa!

‘Cough, cough! Ugh, haa.’

‘My house……. It’s my house’s veranda.’

And the gate opened. But this time, there was no such process. I guess…….

‘I remembered the legend that if you make a ‘Blood Wish’ to the divine object in the Temple of Boundaries, the Lord will grant it.’

One year ago. It was what Isabel said at the spring ball. So my hypothesis was as follows.

Water, fire, earth, air.

The four sacred powers were activated and temporarily played a role similar to the Holy Grail itself, and I put my wish to go home there.

It was a wish I had always had, so it wasn’t strange that it was immediately reflected.

Considering that I had the power of the Holy Grail from the beginning of my possession, the efficiency would have been even higher.

In short, that world didn’t reject me, but pushed me to return home.

Although it was done in a terrible way.

But it was different in Shinshil.

-Puk!

‘Aaaaaaack!’

“Heup.”

……At that time, I clearly spat out blood from my mouth.

I could see the bottom of the Holy Grail turning red.

And not long after—

-Paaaaaaa……!

The divine object emitted an enormous radiance and devoured me.

It’s a bit of an expression, but it was true. Anyway, the principle of returning home can be inferred like this.

· The Reason Why the Original Content Remains Unchanged

– My experience is unrelated to the original (?) > Another world (?)

“……”

Umm, this part is still vague. I wonder if I’ll get a hint if I read Toegye Gong.

-This stop is Jamsil, Jamsil Station. The doors will open on the left.

“Heok.”

I flinched and looked up at the electronic display. Damn it, I passed my stop.

I was supposed to eat pig’s feet for dinner!

*

The Juliette Palace was black. In fact, everyone in the Imperial Palace was like that.

-Swaaaaa……!

The sky, covered in gray to the horizon, was pouring rain.

Since the prince’s obituary arrived, the weather has been like this.

As if there was an unblocked hole in that high place.

“Our prince……”

It was a call that resembled a sob. A middle-aged man’s hand carefully stroked his cheek.

The closed eyelashes were as still as death, but that was all.

The corpse did not appear to be a dead person in anyone’s eyes.

It was true that his breath had stopped, but everything else was like a living person.

The healing ether was working, and there was no decay.

The skin was not warm, but it was not as cold as ice.

Decisively, all the wounds on his chest and back had healed.

A mysterious blood color was circulating on his white face. The young man was just like a noble person in a long sleep.

Half of the Imperial Palace servants said in unison that it was a miracle. But the other half wept and shook their heads.

If it was truly the Lord’s miracle, shouldn’t the prince wake up?

They cried out that he should come back to us right away.

No one dared to add anything to such words.

Above all, they said that the prince’s body no longer contained a soul.

It was confirmed by His Eminence the Cardinal. So this was just a tragic tragedy.

“He’s so angelic, how could he have suffered such a terrible thing? How scared he must have been……”

The wet voice gradually subsided. The small shoulders finally began to shake.

It was a tearful storm that I don’t know how many times it had already been.

The maid Natalie bit her bloody lips and held back her sadness.

And quietly guarded her master’s side.

It had been a week since the Cardinal resided in Juliette and took care of the prince’s body.

She stayed in the prince’s bedroom all the time, except for the time she spent on state affairs.

She would talk to the dead or read books to him.

Some people worried that she shouldn’t be stopped.

But it was something that His Majesty the Supreme Emperor condoned.

Since His Highness the Crown Prince was on the border, even the nearby Romero Palace was empty.

No one dared to step forward and say anything.

“My child, my disciple……”

-Knock knock

Beyond the sorrowful whisper, the chief maid knocked on the door.

It was Benjamin, whose cheeks were sunken and his eyes were dark.

He had been taking care of the palace alone for the past few days.

After Ganael cried and fainted, all the available manpower was sent down to the main house.

The Emperor pointed out Benjamin’s overwork. But the middle-aged man refused both vacation and sabbatical.

He just kept repeating that he wanted to protect Juliette.

“His Majesty the Emperor is here, Your Highness.”

“……”

Orelie bit her trembling lips.

The day had finally come when she would leave her partner. It was a hardship that no one wanted.

It was a time that no prophet of the Empire had foreseen. But now she had to do it.

She had to send the leader even though she knew that pain would come.

For the great Liester Empire.

And for Ye-seo.

-Step, step, step

A heavy step crossed the carpet. Orelie slowly raised her body and turned around.

In the dim room, cherry-colored eyes were quietly burning.

The magnificent uniform was something she had only seen on the day the Emperor ascended the throne.

It was her Frederick.

Behind her stood the chief of staff, Laura, and Elizabeth, who was accompanying her on this expedition.

There was no emotion on her red, swollen eyes.

The lips that had twitched when she saw the prince also quickly became still. She was a strong child.

-Chuck, chuck!

The commander of the Imperial Guard, who had taken a polite bow while attaching his boot heels, stepped forward two steps.

Then, he offered something to Orelie with both hands.

The Emperor’s battle cloak and sword belt were placed on a long, large dark red cushion.

The treasured sword Durandal was also with him.

“……”

“Orelie.”

The Emperor urged quietly. Her voice was much huskier than before.

The Cardinal forced a smile.

“I know. I was wondering what to give you first.”

Her hand wandered through the blood-red velvet.

Soon, Orelie, who was holding the cloak, draped the cloth over the Emperor’s shoulders.

Fluttering, rustling, rustling. Clang. For a while, the bedroom was filled only with the noise of preparing for battle.

By the time the sword belt went up and Durandal took its place, the servants were sobbing quietly.

Some were lying flat on the floor. The Cardinal stood firm.

The two had overcome great sorrow in the past.

However, everything was different this time.

“It’s all done.”

“……Don’t skip meals.”

“I’ll try. Protect Cedrick.”

‘Keep the children from getting hurt.’ The Cardinal asked in a voice that could barely be heard.

The son that the two loved was said to have not calmed down normally after going berserk in the middle of the desert.

It was after Princess Elissa retreated to save her father and younger sister.

It was said that even nine priests could not subdue the flames, and in the end, Christel suppressed them with force.

In the process, the temple was half destroyed and the young water droplets were seriously injured.

Meanwhile, Johann recovered Ye-seo’s body and escaped from the collapsing labyrinth.

It was a terrible thing. All the holy knights of the Empire suffered deep and permanent wounds.

“We will endure it. The young ones too.”

“……”

“As time goes by, they will become stronger.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

The Cardinal smiled faintly. When Frederick reached out her hand, she calmly knelt down.

And she kissed the Emperor’s hand as if she were dealing with the most sacred thing in the world.

[……I bless you, my leader. The Lord’s will shall be with you wherever the sword goes.]

The oracle rang. Frederick silently stroked her partner’s wet cheeks and moved her feet.

A suppressed cry was heard, but she did not look back.

April 1, 1614 of the Holy Power. It was the departure of the Great Liester Emperor.