What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 356

#356

The Prince, the Saintess, and the Wardrobe (6)

“The atmosphere in the Imperial City isn’t as serious as you might think.”

With a click, Lady Sarah Belliare, having declined the Croque Monsieur, took a sip of her dark coffee.

Chief of Staff Laura and her staff moved silently, serving us food and bringing us the necessary writing materials and books.

I looked up, startled, from the map I was studying. The chewing in my mouth stopped abruptly.

The reporter, catching my eye, lightly shrugged.

“It’s probably because of the propaganda leaflets someone created in the meantime, and the rumors spread through a certain salon, which have created a solid belief. Your triumphant return, more spectacular than a regular opera performance, was also a great help.”

“Oh…”

The warm cheese and ham went down smoothly.

François, seizing the moment, whispered, ‘Well done,’ and winked.

Belatedly, I smiled and nodded. So it really did have an effect.

I had desperately hoped it would, but living deep within the palace and only interacting with nobles these days made it difficult to accurately gauge public opinion.

Good. That’s a relief. I need to treat Eva to something nice.

…When Herrit isn’t around?

“Of course, the people are bewildered. If good news isn’t heard soon, it will be difficult to quell the confusion. However, the current situation is better than you might expect.”

“With us great nobles here, the domestic situation won’t spiral into the worst. But if we haven’t found a single strand of hair on the battlefield for three days, shouldn’t we start considering changing our approach?”

Duke Bonheur Diop smoothly changed the subject.

Her stern eyes looked even sharper.

“Shouldn’t we dig into the ground to see if there are any magical formations or portals hidden underground?”

“The work you mentioned is probably already underway, Madam. However, I doubt the Theocracy could have created such sophisticated magical formations. It’s difficult to predict when someone will go through a portal, and there’s the risk of sacrificing their own people. And…”

François, after a serious analysis, gestured to his brother. Sir Ervé immediately continued.

“There are no testimonies of witnessing the enemy’s mana [magical energy], Duchess. The only mages who participated in this Statia battle were from Liester and Corleone.”

“Then could it be a portal created before the war era? Perhaps an ancient portal carved in the days of the old Empire, the Theocracy, or even Unio. Could this have absorbed our forces’ mana and accidentally caused the accident?”

“That’s not an impossible hypothesis.”

“Yes. His Majesty wouldn’t have overlooked that either, but the old maps are in the Imperial Archives. Send a royal and a knight…”

Lady Belliare’s small glasses gleamed, and the Marquis looked more serious than ever.

A hand in a white glove moved busily over the map and blackboard.

Several attendants wrote and drew with chalk at his request.

Sant and I ate diligently, our eyes darting back and forth.

The adults seemed to be focusing on the ‘portal’ issue. Meanwhile, over there…

“Has Isabel been contacted?”

“Yes, Your Highness. She must have already heard the news. However, she’s a very responsible person… Even with her beloved child missing, she won’t leave the southern front. Her husband is going to see her in person during this supply run. It’s also a good opportunity to assess the war situation and public sentiment.”

“Your couple and the merchants are doing a great job. I’ll write a letter. Deliver it together.”

“Your grace is boundless… It will be a great comfort to my daughter.”

“Your Highness, shouldn’t I leave for the front lines in preparation for the Crown Prince’s return…?”

My teacher, Countess Marise Rambouillet, and the surgeon Sir Michel Moutet were continuing their discussion about medical support.

I drank my soy milk, wiped my hands and mouth with a napkin, and silently stared at the continental map.

The large picture, covering half the table, was filled with delicate letters and decorations.

In the upper left corner was a splendid sun embroidered with gold and red thread, and in the upper right corner was a graceful moon made of silver and blue thread.

And written small on the Theocracy’s territory…

‘Statia Plain.’

That had been bothering me since yesterday. It felt like a *tteokbap* [plot device or foreshadowing element].

“Sir Johann.”

“At your service, Your Highness.”

“I heard that the front line, currently under temporary truce, is Duke Sneider’s territory.”

“That’s correct.”

“Then why is the plain called ‘Statia’? Isn’t that the surname of Yuliter Statia?”

Could Yuliter have died here?

“It used to be the territory of the Count of Statia. It’s not known exactly where she died.”

Sir Johann answered as if he had seen through me. Too bad.

“After Yuliter’s death, the Count’s family rapidly declined, and no one knows what happened behind the scenes, but the plain was transferred to the Duke of Sneider.”

My eyes widened. Sant had the same expression.

“You don’t know what happened? Sir Johann?”

“You may not know, but there are things I don’t know.”

“Goodness, there’s something Sir Haines doesn’t know…”

The priest muttered in great shock. The Cardinal chuckled and continued.

“I’ve never been inside the royal palace. The Royal Guard is famous for not leaking a single rumor from within the castle. What they truly want to hide never comes to light.”

“That… Are you saying that the Fenetian royal family is involved in the decline of the Statia family?”

I whispered, and the Paladin smiled.

We were serious, but he seemed to be enjoying himself.

“It would be strange if they weren’t involved. Yuliter was the Count’s daughter and the source of the war between the two countries. There must have been many responsibilities to take in the aftermath.”

“That’s true.”

“Almost no one knows the story of the fallen Statia family properly, Prince. Even though my father is the Count of the Court, I’ve only heard as much as others. Most of it is passed down like scary legends…”

Sant added in a whisper. I frowned and fell into thought again.

Hmm… It’s definitely this way. I have a feeling, and it feels like something will come out if I dig!

But I didn’t have a clear sense of which direction to dig in.

The elusive feeling made me feel anxious and itchy.

What exactly is it?

I need to know exactly so I can go find them!

-Tap, tap, tap, tap tap, tap tap…

I kept tapping the map with my fingertips.

It had been quite a while since my phone died, so last night I searched through my densely filled notebook for information about Yuliter.

But I already knew I didn’t have a clue.

* focuses on the current Christel and the Crown Prince, and the past stories only came out when MSG [plot twist] was needed or when events were progressing.

Ah, she also appeared briefly in scenes depicting the tragic unrequited love of Prince Yeser Fenetian, the prince of the enemy country.

But that was really all.

“Yuliter. Statia. The Count’s family fell after her death…”

At least regarding Yuliter, the information I had obtained here so far was much richer.

For example—

‘Her grandmother personally collected and cremated her body, and kept her headdress as a memento.’

Flash!

“Gasp! That!”

I jumped up from my seat and pointed into the air.

As I was just gaping like a goldfish, Sant also moved his lips and wiggled his butt!

“Your Highness, please tell me quickly. I’m getting dizzy!”

“Duke Fabrice Berang, I mean. His grandmother, Baroness Ingrid Berang, cremated Yuliter’s body. I heard the story directly!”

“Yeser?”

My teacher, sensing the commotion, turned to me.

I spat out words like a machine gun to avoid forgetting what I had remembered. Rat-a-tat-tat!

“I also found my grandmother’s diary in the attic at that time. Maybe there’s information about the crematorium there.”

‘Knight Ingrid Berang, Records of the War Era.’ It was definitely a title like that.

“Your Highness Aurel. Even if it’s not a clue about Yuliter, Baroness Ingrid was the person who served Emperor Romero Sunhwang most closely. She was a hero who went to the front lines and fought together. Why don’t you ask the current Berang Duke for permission to look at her records? Maybe there will be some helpful lines.”

Even if I was completely wrong and just putting on a show, the records of such a great person would be worth reading.

Whether I go with the portal or the subway route, it’s the same.

Soon, my teacher smiled kindly.

“I will, my disciple. Thank you for the advice.”

“Yes…”

I sat down awkwardly. The gazes that had gathered in an instant scattered one by one.

My neck flushed belatedly at Sir Ervé’s smile.

I made too much of a fuss over something trivial again.

“You’re more active than I heard. I heard you were quite demure.”

“Oh.”

Lady Diop’s assessment drew a short, thick reaction from Lady Belliare. That damn ‘Oh’!

“Ha…”

-Squeak

As I was swallowing my embarrassment alone, I heard a familiar sound from under my feet.

I looked down, half expecting it.

-Squeak

Goodness.

“Demi, who brought you here? Huh?”

-Squeak

“Was it Joan? Did she go to bed with Tite?”

-Kkia

“Oh, were you happy that Aunt Natalie opened the door for you?”

With no other choice, I lifted the three lesser pandas, who were clamoring to be held, onto my lap one by one.

Among them, Leah went over to Sant, and Perry was taken by Sir Johann.

The warm gazes of the guests repeatedly reached this side and then moved away.

I naturally became anxious, worried that I might be interfering with their conversation.

I carefully controlled Demi’s front paws, which were showing interest in the map.

The plump tail was swaying with curiosity.

“Ssh. No. This is something adults are looking at together, so you’ll be scolded if you bite it and play with it.”

-Kkiheung

“Good girl. If you stay still, I’ll play with you for 100 minutes when we go to the palace.”

-Kkieo!

The divine beast loudly protested and jumped onto the table. The moment Sant and I were horrified,

-Taang!

It marked one spot on the map as if catching a butterfly (it really does catch them often)! Oh no!

“I’m sorry. Our child is usually quiet, but I think she got excited seeing the adults. I’m sorry.”

I apologized in all directions, hugging the lesser panda.

Now that I looked, Demi had stamped her paw not on the continent.

Not on her base, the earth, but…

‘Moon.’

On the upper right, on the face of the satellite smiling with its eyes closed.

Next to it, a flower I had never seen before was blooming freshly.

The red petals had yellow edges, and each one rippled gorgeously like flames.

Sant, seeing it, exclaimed purely.

“Wow, it’s a Gloriosa [flame lily]. As expected, there’s no flower that Demi can’t bloom!”

-Kkitteung!

While the lesser panda puffed out its nose proudly, I patted it and blinked.

I felt strange.

Demi is a divine beast, a messenger of the main god. So this might not be a simple prank.

Considering the hints and delivery methods she has given me so far, it’s not just a happening to laugh off, but…

“…”

A flower of the night sky resembling fire, Mars. The Imperial Army deliberately waited for the Great Approach [planetary alignment].

The Crown Prince used the divine art of the Hyegeom by borrowing its power.

The night when the moon was particularly cloudy. The Cardinals who didn’t appear until the last moment.

A scene from Toegye Gong [a historical figure or text] that I had studied and reviewed several times at home.

“Ah!”

Finally, a thrilling sensation like electricity spread to every part of my peripheral nerves.

I hurriedly turned to Sir Johann.

*

-Clatter, clatter, clatter…

“Wait. You’re from this place?”

Christel turned to the woman sitting in the back and raised her voice.

Doria, sensing the serious atmosphere, stopped walking.

Charlemagne, who had been silently moving his hooves beside her, also stood in place, flapping his mane. ‘Pherng.’

“You could say so, honey. The neighborhood elders said I was abandoned here before I was even 100 days old.”

“…”

The three men and women were now heading deep into the village of ‘Mancrance,’ past the suspicious magical lighting.

Of course, they had no idea which direction they were going because of the fog, and were just moving with the hope that it would be the right way.

They didn’t know how much time had passed either.

There were some twists and turns in the process of the two people becoming three.

Of course, someone of the fire attribute refused to accompany Carme (she was very angry when she realized she had left the Hyegeom behind), and Christel was extremely shaken by the fact that she was a human trafficker (and even targeted the prince once!).

When she found out that the reason they came here was ‘escape,’ she almost went over to the Crown Prince’s side by 99%.

But no matter how much of a criminal she was, she couldn’t just leave her alone.

How long could a person with mana restraints on her wrists and ether restraints on her neck survive if she was starving in the middle of nowhere?

Gain believed that Carme should receive a fair trial and punishment in the Empire.

So she persuaded the Crown Prince. Above all, she had invincible logic.

‘Really. Prince Yeser would have said the same thing as me. Right?’

‘…’

He couldn’t deny it in the end. 1 to 0, Gain Ham is in the lead!

“Your parents are amazing too. Abandoning a newborn without even a letter.”

“Didn’t you say you survived in the desolate desert?”

“Oh my. I didn’t know that a noble person would remember the testimony of a wretch like me.”

Then the orange eyes glared at her as if to burn her to death.

Carme immediately rolled her eyes.

“…Um, there was some exaggeration. Isn’t that how heroic tales are made? I lived in Mancrance until I was seven years old, but I didn’t think I could make a living here, so I hid in a caravan. I changed my name and dyed my hair. What couldn’t I do to survive in the desert?”

The woman tossed her long hair and asked back. Christel and the Crown Prince frowned at the same time.

Carme still thought the two paladins looked alike.

“You thought your life wouldn’t work out when you were only seven years old?”

“Do you know why your homeland became like this?”

And the two men and women glared at each other as if they would devour each other.

It was a look that said, ‘Is that what you’re curious about now?’

The criminal laughed and answered all the questions at once.

“I don’t know why it became like this, but there was a famous rumor when I was young. That the village was haunted, that it was cursed by the Saintess… I remember always being poor because of that. No new people settled down at all, and young people started eloping one by one. So I decided too. I was going to leave this place and live a full life.”

“…”

“Maybe that’s why the village eventually went bankrupt?”

‘Clatter, clatter…’ The two fine horses began to walk the road again.

Carme continued in a low voice.

“When I found that dim lighting earlier, I thought I had died and gone to hell. I never wanted to see it again in my life.”

“Then what do you think of that?”

The Crown Prince gestured indifferently. The eyes of the two women were fixed on one place beyond the fog.

“…”

“…”

Nettles and thorny bushes as thick and huge as any temple pillar were densely growing, blocking their path.

Like snakes threatening and guarding.