What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 33

#033 Let’s Think of It as a Picnic (2)

“Excuse me, I have a question.”

I opened my mouth.

I was nervous being alone with Cardinal Boutier, but I had something to say to her as well.

Since the Cardinal brought up the Prince’s story first, my burden was lighter.

“Ask me anything.”

“The Prince is the Emperor’s only child, but does he need something else to ascend to the Crown Prince position?”

It wasn’t a problem that required deep thought.

Including collateral lines, the Imperial Family of the Empire might have a considerable number, but the direct line to inherit the throne was only Prince Cedric.

Unless he refused the position or caused a huge scandal that tarnished the Imperial Family, it meant he was guaranteed the Crown Prince position and the throne.

The marriage proposal with the Sarnez Ducal Family, if it went well, could provide steady political help, so it wasn’t strange that he was actively pursuing it, but….

“What is the connection between the divine artifact ‘Comet Sword of Mars’ and the Crown Prince position…?”

“……”

At that moment, a feeling flashed through my mind.

A fire-attribute divine artifact, and a child who uses fire-attribute Ether [magical energy].

“Could it be for Seydi’s sake?”

The Cardinal’s eyes widened.

Her face, which was usually hard to read, showed clear surprise and a hint of embarrassment.

“……Did that child tell you his name?”

“Yes, that’s how he introduced himself.”

At my words, she made a strange face.

She seemed amused and dumbfounded at the same time.

Where else had I seen that expression? Who was it? Of course, that wasn’t important now.

The Crown Prince position was just an excuse, and the real reason the Prince wanted the divine artifact seemed to be for his son, who was suffering from an Ether deficiency.

“Is that the child you asked me to help a few days ago?”

I brought up the question I had wanted to ask for days.

The Cardinal pinched one of her temples and sighed softly.

“That’s right.”

“……”

“And I knew that child depleted your Ether. I’m sorry.”

I heard her sincere apology for the first time.

Ether depletion meant the incident when I first met Seydi, when he took a chunk of my Ether and I fainted.

When I woke up, the Cardinal and Lady Elisabeth were by my side.

At the time, I thought the Cardinal was there to use her healing power on me, and Lady Elisabeth was there to express her regret as my security supervisor….

Looking back, they both knew Seydi.

“I scolded him a bit back then. Hasn’t the same thing happened since?”

“Yes, well…. He takes Ether through the circle when he needs it.”

“That’s a relief.”

The Cardinal seemed genuinely relieved. But I was still full of question marks.

“Doesn’t he have a priest partner?”

“……Did he tell you why he is in that ‘condition’?”

My mouth closed on its own.

Seydi had never given me a proper answer to my questions, nor had he ever told me his story first.

If this was a personal matter, I shouldn’t dig any further.

As if reading my hesitation, the Cardinal smiled and continued.

“I’d love to tell you everything, but…. It’s better to wait until he opens up.”

She added, ‘He seems to have opened up a lot already.’

I wasn’t sure about that part, but if someone who was like family to Seydi said that much, it was difficult to ask more.

I nodded slightly.

“Then it’s my turn. I’ve been curious about something for a while now.”

“Ask away.”

The Cardinal narrowed her eyes and raised the corners of her mouth.

She looked as happy as a girl who had received a new toy.

“Has Seydi ever revealed his identity to you?”

“No, I’m just making assumptions.”

The question of what kind of assumptions I was making didn’t follow.

The Cardinal laughed out loud and moistened her throat with the remaining coffee.

I held the teacup and quietly整理 [organized] my thoughts.

Now that it had been proven twice that the existence of divine artifacts had a huge impact on the ‘Toegyeong’ world, getting the chance to see the Comet Sword of Mars in person was clearly a green light.

Of course, the novel was still in its early stages, and I didn’t know if Prince Yeseo would die or live in the upcoming war, so the chances of the divine artifact sending me home were slim.

But rather than giving up on anything, it was a more regretless path to try and fail.

Besides, if I helped the Prince win the ‘Great Monster Subjugation’ and obtain the Comet Sword, it would eventually help Seydi.

I don’t know what his plan is since he can’t even draw the Comet Sword, and I don’t think my strength will be of great help to the Prince’s victory, but….

I absolutely don’t want to create a relationship with that guy, but…. The kid is sick.

“Then, I’ll participate in the Great Monster Subjugation too.”

I put down the teacup. The warmth I had been holding disappeared, and my palm felt cool.

I knew very well that I had no choice in the first place, but going forcibly and going proactively were definitely different in terms of mindset.

“I will also cooperate with the Prince.”

As I declared that, the Cardinal smiled brightly.

I seemed to be seeing her beaming face a lot today.

“I didn’t know there was a place like this in the Imperial Palace!”

Ganael said in an excited voice. I smiled and nodded.

A cool spring breeze blew from beyond the hill that Benjamin pointed to, gently lulling the low grasses to sleep and then drifting away.

It was a wonderful sight. I wished Eunseo and Hyung were here with me.

“I thought the back mountain was just a mountain, but there’s a place like this.”

“You can come anytime, Your Highness.”

Agnes, the mountain keeper who was walking ahead, answered my words coolly.

I moved Demi, who was dangling around my waist, onto my shoulder.

“Isn’t it nice to be in an open space?”

-Kkii

He cried happily.

I took Demi out for walks in the garden every time, and we always enjoyed the outside air on the balcony together unless it was bedtime, but that alone was clearly not enough.

Even if he was a divine beast, he was still an animal, so he must have felt stuffy.

With a sorry heart, I stroked his fluffy tail for a long time.

Wednesday, 11 AM.

The reason why we were climbing the back mountain of Juliet Palace at the time of the Cardinal’s ‘group tutoring’ was clear.

“A field trip, it reminds me of the old days.”

Christel, who was walking next to me, uttered a precarious line.

At this point, I wondered if she was okay with others finding out that she was possessed.

Perhaps my expression was a bit strange, she laughed vaguely and added.

“I used to enjoy picnics with my mother in the hills of the lord’s castle when I was young.”

I nodded once.

Good excuse, it was natural. I recited such evaluations only in my mind.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here, I should bring Frederick here sometime too. Many trees I haven’t seen before have grown.”

At the Cardinal’s voice, I glanced back.

She was wearing the most comfortable outfit I had ever seen, walking at the rear of the group with Prince Cedric, arm in arm.

I recalled the background of how the situation had unfolded like this.

So, the day before yesterday, Monday. The day I declared I would participate in the Great Monster Subjugation.

The Cardinal and I, who had left the office, entered the indoor training ground a little later than Christel and the Prince.

It was only a 15-minute difference, but the two protagonists had caused an incident in the meantime.

When we arrived, the training ground floor was flooded as if there had been a flood, and all sorts of swords, spears, and things that looked like cannonballs were stuck in the walls and ceiling.

Christel was completely soaked, as if she couldn’t control her power, while the Prince was showing off his perfect hair setting, which was a bit strange.

Cardinal Boutier looked at the two of them and,

‘Who did it first?’

She asked gently.

Honestly, if it were me, I would have admitted my mistake and bowed down, seeing that look on our Hyung’s [older brother’s] face, like he was about to explode.

I would have explained that the other person was only caught up in my prank, and I would have started cleaning up right away.

But our protagonist and main male lead,

‘…….’

‘I see.’

They only glared at each other silently.

‘Even if Christel cleans up the water, there are many broken places, so it needs to be repaired. Frederick uses it often….’

As the Cardinal muttered to herself, Christel finally looked a bit embarrassed.

‘I’m sorry, Your Highness. I will bear the repair costs….’

‘You spend money like water.’

And the Prince cut her off.

It felt like a provocation that ridiculed Christel’s abilities, so I laughed,

‘…….’

‘I’m sorry, I meant to laugh quietly….’

The three of them looked at me at the same time. I closed my mouth, feeling unnecessarily intimidated.

The Cardinal scanned us slowly and then,

‘They’re energetic youths, so it can’t be helped. I was foolish to try to confine them in a place like this and teach them.’

She sighed. And the words that followed were,

‘Shall we go on a field trip next time?’

That was it.

She was smiling sweetly, but the Cardinal was clearly upset, and by then, Christel and the Prince seemed to have somehow realized that her mood was unusual.

So no one expressed opposition to her sudden proposal.

It was an atmosphere where they had to follow silently, even if it was a forced march instead of a field trip.

“You can take a seat over here.”

Agnes, who had guided us to a flat hill on the back mountain, pointed to one side.

Waking up from my thoughts, I helped Ganael and Benjamin spread out a large picnic mat.

The Cardinal’s attendant, Natalie, and the Prince’s attendant, David, were also busy unpacking the luggage they had brought and preparing drinks and snacks.

“It feels like we’re on a picnic.”

The Cardinal said her impressions in a friendly voice. Everyone seemed to agree quietly.

Until just before departure, terrible keywords such as ‘full gear’ dominated my mind, but seeing the neatly decorated forest trail and the green hills spreading out, my heart naturally became peaceful.

Soon, the group of nine people and one animal sat down comfortably.

“Thank you for the food.”

I wiped my hands with a wet towel and received a warm Kouign-amann [a type of Breton cake] and a cup of lightly brewed artichoke tea from Benjamin.

As I bit into the crispy surface of the bread, the sweet taste of caramel spread in my mouth first.

The almond pieces, sparsely 박힌 [embedded], added texture and savory flavor, while the chewy inside clung to my tongue very well.

“It’s really delicious….”

As I spat out the same tasting review as usual, Benjamin and Ganael began to savor their coffee and strawberry juice with very satisfied faces.

Christel, who watched the scene, laughed clearly and loudly.

“I thought about it last time too, but Your Highness really eats so deliciously.”

At her words, the Cardinal smiled, saying, ‘Isn’t that right?’

Natalie, who always brought me snacks on days when there were classes, also agreed without hesitation.

“……Thank you.”

It was a compliment I often heard when I was living in my original body, but it was the first time I had received such confirmation in front of so many people.

I reached for the fruit plate, feeling 괜히 면구스러워 [unnecessarily embarrassed].

-Kkururu

I gave Demi a peeled lychee, and my heart finally calmed down a little.

“…….”

“Do you have something to say?”

Then I met the eyes of Prince Cedric, who was sitting across from me.

He was looking at me with a face that was somehow displeased, but he hadn’t emptied the espresso cup in his hand at all.

If the coffee is bitter, you can add water and sugar….

“Can’t you feel it at all?”

He asked abruptly.

I suddenly wondered if the main male leads in romance fantasy novels generally omitted the preceding and following words like this, or if this guy was special.

“I can’t understand if you say it like that.”

The Prince suddenly asserted, “There’s something wrong with your mana sensitivity,” and got up from his seat.

His attendant, David, received his cup with a smooth movement.

I blinked, wondering what this sudden quarrel was about, and Christel jumped up to follow him.

She left the iced Americano she was drinking…. to me.

“Something’s coming.”

“Yes?”

Ganael was flustered at Christel’s words.

She stood side by side with the Prince, looking beyond the hill.

I turned my gaze in the same direction as them, but I didn’t see or feel anything in particular.

“Godmother.”

The Prince called the Cardinal in a very low voice.