What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 341

#341

Gilt Return, A Breath (3)

We were silent for a while. A cool breeze swept past our hair.

Whoosh—

“······.”

“······.”

“······.”

It was the first time I had seen my teacher cry.

Seeing the most resilient person I knew, perhaps even more steadfast than His Majesty, shedding tears felt like a blow to the heart.

Benjamin had repeatedly told me that none of this was my fault.

I knew that very well.

But seeing the pain of someone so close was always difficult.

I just felt sorry and heartbroken, as if I had committed a sin.

I rushed to her and knelt down.

Harriet and my teacher, who had been staring blankly, hurriedly embraced me.

“God have mercy!”

The fingertips that gripped me with all their might were filled with anguish. Heavy breaths escaped.

“Teacher.”

“Oh, Yeseo… Our Yeseo…!”

The middle-aged woman cried out.

Her monocle fell off, and I struggled to suppress the surge of emotion within me.

‘Our Yeseo.’ I had been called that as a child.

I buried my forehead, trying desperately not to think about those times. It was okay now.

We supported each other and didn’t collapse.

So really, everything was alright.

“How scared you must have been… How much it must have hurt. How did you get here…?”

“I’m sorry. I’m fine now.”

“Ah, God…”

“I don’t hurt at all, Your Highness. Don’t worry.”

“Hngh, heeuh….”

“I’m sorry, Harriet. Uncle is so late, I’m sorry.”

I constantly kissed the child’s head, wiped the adult’s cheeks, and smiled brightly at both of them.

It wasn’t a forced expression. It was a genuine smile that came from gratitude and happiness.

My teacher stroked me for a long time, looking at each of my features.

She estimated the plumpness of my cheeks, examined my hair, stroked the back of my hand, and felt my palm.

She asked repeatedly if I was hurt anywhere or if anything was uncomfortable.

Her beige eyes, filled with joy, shone richly like a wheat field.

I did the same to the child. Affection is naturally contagious like a cold.

“Harriet, have you been well? Did you eat? Did you eat well without skipping meals?”

Nod, nod, nod. Seeing the boy moving with tears all over his face, my eyes naturally grew hot.

I was grateful and proud that he had held on so firmly, and moist breaths kept escaping.

I’m glad I came back. That thought suddenly occurred to me.

I will never regret what I decided on the veranda that day.

I am truly happy that my loved ones don’t have to experience loss forever.

I am glad that I can avoid giving the child, who has already lost his mother once, another great wound.

“Thank you so much for being so brave.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Harriet protected Your Highness. You are Uncle’s hero.”

“Heu-heung, sob….”

I was about to put a kiss on the child’s forehead when I saw people approaching in the distance and curved my eyes.

Harriet, sensing a familiar ether [magical energy], turned his head quickly.

Soon, red flowers bloomed on the little boy’s cheeks, and his mint-colored eyes sparkled like the sea.

The small mouth was wide open, drawing a bright smile.

It was an expression that filled my heart just by looking at it.

“Ah…!”

Harriet ran towards his father.

Lord Johann, who lifted his son into his arms, smiled dazzlingly and touched foreheads.

Natalie, who followed behind him, was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

Laura, the chamberlain who greeted me at the entrance of the Imperial Palace, and other friends were also visible.

They were waving their hands with bright faces….

“You idiot!”

Bbaek—! A voice I had missed so much pierced my eardrums. I turned around abruptly.

Breath rising to her chin. Messy red curly hair, ribbons flowing down.

A lost glove and tearful hazel eyes.

The girl stood tall at the entrance of the garden, glaring at me as if to burn me.

“Eva, your shoe came off—”

“Snail! Grub! Turtle! Slow Loris!”

Ugh.

“I won’t forgive you! I won’t let you get away with this!”

“Eva, be careful!”

“Ah!”

Boo-ook! With the sound of her dress tearing, the young lady fell forward with a thud.

The garden instantly turned into chaos.

‘Oh my!’ Ganael, who had been anxiously watching Eva, turned pale, and from the Blanchett family’s carriage in the distance, there was a commotion, and Sir Ervé, who had been escorting Eva from behind, came running with his cloak flying—

-Squeak, squeak, squeak!

-Pireureureu!

The precious ones, worried about the child, began to cross the garden at full speed.

Dduksoomi repeatedly plunged into the air as if diving, then soared up happily.

Guys, anyone can see that you just planted saplings there!

We agreed not to step there unless it’s a day of blessing!

-Aeueung!

Over there, Tete, held in Benjamin’s arms, called me sadly.

It meant he wanted to play with his brothers too.

I looked around, not knowing what to do, and in the meantime, I spotted Agnes approaching at a trot and waved my arms wildly.

The mountain keeper, who had stopped abruptly, widened his eyes when he saw me.

His eyes, moving his head from side to side to assess the situation, were confused.

Eva was now badgering Sir Ervé, who was tying her ribbon, saying, ‘Try to do better!’

It was a relief that she didn’t seem to be hurt, but, hmm. I can’t think straight…!

“Hahaha.”

Ah, right. Only then did I turn my gaze to the nearby warmth.

My teacher was smiling, wiping away tears.

Warm peace was fully illuminating her shadowless face.

She slowly raised her eyes and looked at me. Her tightly clasped hands no longer trembled.

Then, a gentle voice flowed out.

“I missed this.”

…Me too.

Even if I hadn’t come here, I could have somehow lived on.

Eventually, I might have forgotten and overcome it little by little.

But I felt like I would regret that separation for the rest of my life.

I would ache and long for it, and I would think of them whenever I saw Hyung and Eunseo.

So I crossed the night sky and came back.

“Welcome.”

Because I wanted to see you again. I laughed out loud and nodded.

*

“Yeseo, are you really okay?”

Tuk-tuk, tuk-tuk, tuk-tuk. Clack, clack, clack.

Different footsteps filled the Juliette Palace corridor.

It wasn’t just talk, there were really many people walking together.

I quietly gave my teacher a reassuring smile.

The anxiety of those following behind could be felt right under my chin.

‘I don’t want to. I’m not going back home! I’m going to live here!’

‘Eva, you still have to tell the Duke….’

‘You can just send someone? Anyway, my father probably expected this situation!’

Eva, whose nose was stuffy and voice hoarse, didn’t think of leaving my side all afternoon.

Her cherished dress was torn and ruined, but she snapped, ‘I can just get another one.’

The captain of the guard accidentally stepped on the earring she dropped, but she generously forgave him.

Around the time the commotion in the garden was slowly coming to an end, Joan, who had come up from Serenite after hearing the news, joined us.

The situation soon turned into an uncontrollable crying scene.

The painter and the priest hugged each other and sobbed, and Laurence, who ran out of the kitchen with a frying pan, fainted on the spot.

I immediately deployed a healing circle and received enthusiastic responses from the audience….

‘Um, I knew you could do this from the start.’

‘Everything is just amazing! Everything feels like a dream right now, so just assume we’re going to do whatever we want to the Marquis. I’m holding back the urge to run naked through the square. I want to wave a headscarf and scream like crazy. Until 3 AM!’

Joan raved, sobbing. I nodded my head in a hurry, scared.

Her purple eyes were something I had seen countless times over the past year, but everyone focused when I used ether, making me feel embarrassed.

I greeted each of the servants again, occasionally hugged them, and was guided into Juliette, where I was shown to a huge bedroom.

It was different from the room at the end of the hallway I had been using before.

Benjamin said that this was the largest space in the Cold Palace and the de facto main room.

He also explained that it was the only place Yuliter Statia had used directly.

It had a magnificent reception room, bathroom, tea room, study, and music room, and the ceiling was open, making it luxurious.

It was a bit overwhelming, but I decided to accept it gratefully. Because I have a lot I want to give to my friends too.

‘…So that’s how I ended up here. By the way, I don’t hurt anywhere. It was just a slight bruise, and it’s all healed now. The Crown Prince had healing priests attached to me day and night.’

After that, I sat down with my friends for tea time.

I still couldn’t talk about , but I cautiously told them that I came from another world.

I also sincerely apologized for deceiving them all this time.

‘Wow, no wonder you sometimes think differently.’

The first to react was Joan. I swallowed hard.

‘Did I?’

‘Yeah. You were like a foreigner. Catching me off guard in unexpected ways. But since you’re really a foreigner, I just figured that’s why.’

She was clearly on the amused side, and Harriet wrote ‘The Marquis is an alien’ on my palm.

Thanks to that, I chuckled and relaxed a little.

Eva made a bag of walnut cookies on her chin and snapped, ‘You were more than five months late. I can only forgive you for three months with that excuse.’

Still, it was a relief that the hand that was fiddling with my arm had become much gentler.

Sir Ervé, Laurence, and Agnes honestly didn’t seem to understand, but they seemed to believe me unconditionally because I said so.

They were truly upright and kind people.

‘Then you can open a portal there too? Theoretically, wouldn’t that be possible? Listen, Ervé. This is patent-worthy!’

François… He had been burning with academic enthusiasm since the carriage, so I’ll skip him.

‘…The God sent you to us. There must have been a message He wanted to convey through you.’

My teacher said that to me.

There was no disappointment or anger in the hands that brushed the dust off my clothes and tidied my stray hairs.

She had a comfortable face instead.

It was a refreshing and pleasant expression, as if all questions had been resolved.

Come to think of it, Lord Johann had a similar look.

‘But we will have to return you to your family.’

‘….’

‘I’m worried that the process of you returning will be difficult.’

That was my teacher’s only concern. I quickly made a bright smile.

Not to hide my emotions, but only because I wanted to express my gratitude.

I was grateful to the adult who had anticipated my worries and fears.

I felt that I could rely on this person and His Majesty at any time, and I liked that.

I straightened my back and puffed out my chest like a crown prince.

‘I think it will be easier the second time since I’ve been there once.’

A confident attitude is important, of course.

‘So right now, I’m going to focus on things other than myself. War is the most important of these, but first….’

And I continued bravely.

‘Prince Yeseo. I want to see him in person.’

-Tuk

I stopped walking abruptly. Everyone following behind stopped in their tracks.

Before I knew it, we had gathered in front of a familiar door.

It was the bedroom I had stayed in until just before I left the Imperial Palace.

The fancy wallpaper and gold trim felt familiar.

The last curtains I saw were thick winter ones, but now thin, cool fabrics decorated the windows.

Everything felt new when I observed it after a long time, giving me a strange feeling.

They say strike while the iron is hot, so I grabbed the doorknob without hesitation.

My friends all gasped at once. ‘Gasp!’

“I’ll go in alone.”

“Oh my goodness!”

“Marquis, I would like to accompany you.”

“Thank you, but it’s okay, Lord Johann. Nothing will happen. And….”

‘There’s something I want to talk to the Prince about separately.’

At those words, the knight readily bowed and stepped back.

Eva stared at me intently, then hugged my waist tightly enough to crush it before letting go. Ouch.

“Then, I’ll be out soon. Please have some refreshments in the tea room. I’ll go there.”

“See you later, my precious disciple.”

My teacher kissed my cheek and dismissed my friends.

She must be busy taking care of state affairs alone, and I wanted to help her as soon as possible.

But today, ‘he’ came first.

-Click

The doorknob turned. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them, pushing the door open.

Squeak…. With a familiar noise, a familiar and longed-for interior greeted me.

It felt like I could hear the sound of eyeballs rolling around.

The gaze that had been wandering here and there finally reached the wide bed.

I gasped.

“······.”

The man’s surroundings were bright with golden candlesticks.

The bed was lavishly decorated with purple tulips, baby’s breath, and other unknown plants, giving it the feeling of a catafalque [a decorated platform used to support a coffin during a funeral].

I could see the golden hair faintly shimmering like a crescent moon and the eyelids closed as beautifully as if he were asleep.

A painless face. Skin with vitality.

“Eup.”

Immediately, physiological revulsion and fear struck.

A primal chill ran down my spine, and my jaw trembled. I hurriedly covered my mouth.

And I shook my head quickly, taking one step forward at a time.

It wasn’t right to avoid the Prince just because I was scared, even though there was no particular reason to be.

He was the person who lent me his body, the person Eunseo cherished with all her heart….

「Thank you and sorry from the bottom of my heart.」

「Please take care of my sister and brother.」

He was a ‘friend’ who had asked me to take care of Elissa and Cornelli.

He may not consider me a friend, but I owed him a great debt.

I had done many things and enjoyed many things by borrowing the memories embedded in his body.

So if possible, I wanted to help with all my might.

What can I do in the midst of war?

-Thud

I don’t know yet either. But I didn’t want to give up beforehand.

I didn’t want to ignore his story, and I didn’t think I should.

I didn’t want him to be sad. I wanted him to have a happy ending, as Eunseo said.

Because I now clearly know that Yeseo Fenetian is a good person.

“······.”

Before I knew it, the man’s ‘corpse’ was right in front of me. I barely moved my trembling hand.

And I slowly touched his clasped hands.

The skin was so shriveled that not even the sound of skin brushing could be heard. Then—

“Ack!”

I was shocked and grabbed the bed, collapsing.

A tear was flowing down the Prince’s cheek.