What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 388

#388

You, Me, Us, and (1)

“Christel!”

-Flap!

Christel hurriedly dashed into the tent.

She couldn’t remember how she got here or how the commanders’ meeting had ended.

She was usually confident in managing her expressions, but today, even that seemed to have completely failed.

Her eyes were swollen, and her vision was blurry.

Isabelle, who had followed her, quickly took off her robe hood and grabbed her daughter’s hand.

Her light green hair was a mess, falling down.

“Ollie. Ollie?”

“Yes…”

“Are you really not feeling well? You look very unwell.”

‘Mom is so worried.’ Her heart sank at the anxious whisper. Her eyes snapped open.

She didn’t want to cause Isabelle, especially her, any unnecessary pain or worry.

The warm palm carefully wrapped around her cold hand and fingers.

Gain bit her lip, trying her best to calm down.

She knew very well that she was overreacting.

The scouting trip would only take a few days at most, and it wasn’t a long journey.

Besides, her companions were the people she trusted most here.

No… ‘trusted’ people.

“Look at me, my dear daughter. Let me see your pretty face.”

Now, she wasn’t sure. And this version of herself was horrifying.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you… I’m just a bit troubled…”

A deeply submerged voice flowed out.

She was confused. She was unsure how to live in the future. She was also scared.

“It’s okay. There are days like that, it’s okay.”

“I thought it would be a day or two, but it doesn’t seem like it. I can’t calm down.”

“You can take your time. It doesn’t matter if it takes a very long time,” Isabelle whispered kindly, stroking her forehead.

She gently caressed her swollen eyelids and patted her shoulders and back.

‘Shhh…’ A breath like a gentle breeze soothed Gain’s ears.

Then, the storm raging in her heart gradually subsided as if by magic.

Isabelle smiled quietly as she looked at her daughter.

She carefully led the child to the table and sat her down in a seat with a soft cushion.

After placing the kettle directly on the brazier [a portable heater], she busily added firewood.

She also fumbled to check the warmth of her daughter’s bed.

She should help, but she felt drained of energy and had no will.

Gain stared blankly at her. Suddenly, she had a thought.

…Did I have the right to resent the Marquis?

“Ollie, when you wake up, please cover the bed with the blanket again. So your warmth doesn’t escape.”

“…”

“I know you’ll take care of yourself, but you must eat regularly and eat a balanced diet. I’ll pack some dried fruit and cheese for you.”

Isabelle quickly got up and began packing her daughter’s scouting backpack.

Belatedly, her rough hands came into view.

Now that she looked, the hem of her robe was also tattered.

It was clear that she hadn’t even had time to change into a new one. It couldn’t be helped.

She had been met with a tear-soaked child as soon as she arrived, and that awful child hadn’t even given her mother a proper explanation.

She barely ate a few bites of food, causing her worry, and now she was acting like this.

She filled her stomach with snacks and water, and spent the night going in and out of the tent, making her anxious and keeping her awake.

She was a truly awful daughter.

“It’s a relief that the tent is warm, though.”

“…”

“I know you’re not sensitive to heat or cold… I’m sorry, is this overprotective? Hana told me to do it moderately.”

The water was starting to boil.

After roughly packing what she needed, she rummaged through the drawer with a troubled smile.

Soon, an unused tea set and tea leaves appeared.

Isabelle diligently prepared for tea time with them.

Her movements were awkward, but she didn’t stop trying for a moment.

Born as a noble lady from a prestigious family, she had lived as the Marchioness of a powerful family for over ten years.

She would never have done such a thing before.

And perhaps she shouldn’t have to do it in the future either.

Without needing to go to battlefields or even hunting grounds, Isabelle deserved to live out her days seeing only good things.

She was such a kind and warm person.

A person who had no reason to be deceived by her.

“There are several kinds of tea. Would chamomile be good? To help our daughter calm down.”

Her heart ached at the sight of her chapped lips.

She felt a surge of anger, wondering what she was doing.

Gain closed her eyes tightly, tasting the strong taste of blood.

‘Clatter, clatter.’ For a while, only the sound of dishes moving echoed in her ears.

“…Did you argue with the Marquis? Or with His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“…”

“I won’t ask any further if you don’t want to talk about it.”

‘Mom will wait.’ Those words brought tears to her eyes like a fool.

Gain scratched at the table and raised her head.

“It’s not that we fought… It feels like it’s no different from fighting.”

“…”

“How… I don’t know where to start or how to say it. I know I need to have a conversation, but I don’t know where to begin… I’m just scared.”

“…”

“I asked a question, and it’s hard to even imagine him answering. That’s…”

‘I just can’t bear it.’ Gain mumbled and dropped her head.

She wondered if she had been too complacent until now, and if that was such a sin.

She had fallen into a world she had never seen before. Everything was unfamiliar.

Still, she struggled with all her might to try to survive.

She had lived like that her whole life, so this time too, her only strategy was tenacity.

She tried to see the situation as positively as possible, and even went a step further and acted like a crazy person.

She thought she might really lose her mind if she didn’t do that.

“Ollie.”

“…”

Fortunately, she met many good people. Most of them were kind and had good hearts.

“Don’t worry.”

Among them, she liked ‘Prince Yeser Fenetian’ the most.

He was very gentle and always accepted her as she was.

He was like that not only to her but to everyone.

He was sometimes troubled, but he never tried to change others in any way.

So Gain sincerely liked him. She thought she could trust him implicitly.

If she had such a friend, she felt like she could live here for the rest of her life.

But was it all a lie? Could it really be?

“He’s not someone who would hurt you.”

…From the beginning, all of it? Because I’m ‘fake’?

“Really. Mom knows. I felt it the first day I met him.”

But Isabelle didn’t know anything.

“The Marquis must be having a hard time too. He seemed like it. Because he sincerely cherishes you.”

Coming closer, she knelt in front of her daughter and held her hands tightly.

A beautiful face came into her lowered view.

Soon, their eyes met, and the image of ‘daughter’ was reflected in her clear eyes.

She felt a sudden surge of emotion at the face that made her feel like a criminal.

Tears dripped like a broken faucet.

Her face flushed hotly, as if it would burst at any moment.

She wanted to stop acting like this, for real.

“If he cherishes me, why would he say such things?”

“…What did he say?”

“Even if he said the same words… I don’t know. It just feels like I was hit by a sudden bomb. How can you suddenly do this when you like me? We just met!”

“He wouldn’t do it on purpose, would he?”

“He should have just not said anything! Couldn’t he have just kept deceiving me? Couldn’t he have just let me live like a fool, grinning like an idiot?”

“Ollie. You can’t deceive someone precious forever. You shouldn’t.”

“But we were happy together! How would Mother feel if I told her that I’m not the real Christel!”

Ah…

“…”

Isabelle’s eyes trembled as if they would shatter. Only then did Gain come to her senses.

She felt as if all the blood in her body was draining away at once. She hurriedly covered her mouth.

Ham Gain, are you crazy?

“I’m sorry.”

This is the worst. Are you out of your mind?

“…I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry.”

Were you such a bad person? Are you taking out your anger on the innocent Isabelle because you’re having a hard time?

In this way? She felt disgusted and appalled by her own words and actions.

She felt disgusted by her own mind. How could she say such things?

In front of her, who had been deceived by her husband throughout her marriage.

In front of the person who had resented the Duke’s silence until the very end.

‘But we were happy together,’ so it was okay?

Even if she had kept deceiving her, it would have been okay if I hadn’t known?

“I didn’t mean to hurt you… It wasn’t my true feelings.”

How could a person be so selfish?

Why was she still like this even though she was over thirty?

What kind of daughter could say such things to a mother who had spent years worrying about her daughter who wouldn’t open her eyes?

“I’m just pathetic, I just lashed out for a moment…”

Gain apologized in a cracking voice. Soon, a warm touch caressed her cheek.

She barely lifted her trembling gaze. And her eyes met.

Her heart ached.

Isabelle was smiling painfully.

“It’s okay.”

And an answer came back. Gain suddenly realized.

She realized it naturally, like flowing water.

“…Mom is okay.”

That she already knew.

“How… How…”

Since when?

“Because I know everything. Because I know my daughter well.”

She couldn’t even make a rough guess. Gain gaped like a complete fool.

Since when had she been suffering alone, and yet without saying a word to her—

“…Thank you for living as my daughter anyway.”

A voice as soft as a feather landed.

Gain slowly looked down at the familiar warmth.

Before she knew it, Isabelle was hugging her tightly.

She continued in a trembling voice.

“Thank you for not giving up on that child.”

However, her embrace was as strong as steel.

“Thank you for letting her run around healthy, taking her to wonderful places, and making good friends… Thank you for enduring well. Thank you for living so diligently…”

“…”

“Thank you for not giving up on ‘us’.”

With a bright smile, tears poured down.

Gain hugged her tightly and burst into tears.

It was a night when many things were washed away.

*

We set out on our scouting trip at dawn.

Christel, the Crown Prince, and I. There were only three of us in the group.

Our friends came out in droves to see us off at the entrance of the military camp.

“The Salt Marsh is said to be called the ‘Swamp of Nightmares and Butterflies.’ Please be careful, Marquis.”

“…Yes, Marquis.”

Francois kissed the back of my hand, and I received his greeting with a slumped posture.

Then, the startled handsome man fussed over whether I was unwell.

I was so dumbfounded that I let out a hollow laugh.

‘Kkiuuu!’ Demi, who was hugged by Lady Elizabeth, waved her front paws in greeting.

I also mustered my strength and waved my other hand.

Even the great Lesser Panda Trio could not be with us today.

Because there was a strict imperial order that ‘no one’ could accompany us.

-Kkiiii!

“Don’t worry, Perry. I’ll be back soon.”

-Kkieung!

“Yeah. Lea is listening to David well too. Don’t pester the priests for too much Ether [magical energy].”

…The justification was also quite clear.

In Gain’s case, she was said to be guilty of stealing the Emperor’s sacred object (the Ice Silkworm’s storage) and deserting the military camp without permission.

In short, the scouting trip without rest was a kind of punishment, he said.

I never imagined he would remember that and use it as an excuse.

In the case of Crown Prince Cedrick, it was necessary to announce to the world that he had quickly and healthily recovered.

After packaging the two holy knights like that, he included me, a priest, in case we might lack Ether.

I thought I knew roughly what the adults’ true intentions were.

“Then, we’ll be back.”

…He must have noticed that our atmosphere was strange.

Perhaps it meant that we should sort it out before the battle resumed.

I mainly helped from behind, but Gain and the Crown Prince were the main players in the war, active on the front lines.

It would be good for the Imperial Army to quickly come to their senses and show a focused appearance.

I resolutely readjusted my Gaga bag [a type of satchel]. I would do anything I could to help.

I had also been lying awake last night thinking a lot.

“All three of you, do not take off your robes no matter what happens. They are enchanted with high-level magic that makes your presence faint. Be careful as the magic weakens if the fabric is damaged.”

“Yes, Bakari-gun.”

“Also, since we are in a temporary truce, engagement with the Theocracy is, in principle, prohibited. If you encounter enemy troops, it is best to create distance without conversation or friction.”

“I will keep that in mind, Lady Elizabeth.”

“However, there are exceptions if you are attacked first.”

Finally, Sir Johann added. He looked at his two disciples and said kindly.

“This will be an opportunity to showcase the power you have honed.”

“…”

“…”

Nod, nod. The two men and women silently moved their heads.

Lastly, Duke Fabrice Berang took my hand and offered a long prayer.

David kept stuffing snacks into my bag until the moment Christel and the Crown Prince mounted their horses.

I felt a lump in my throat thinking of Benjamin and Ganael. I was grateful for everything.

“Thank you. I’ll be back soon, so please rest.”

With those words, I pulled up my hood and looked back at the still dark blue plains of dawn.

A warhorse I had never met before was waiting for me.

-Heeheeing

“…”

Belatedly, I realized something. I looked back at my friends in embarrassment.

Oh my gosh. I broke out in a cold sweat at the unexpected situation.

“Marquis? Is there something you left behind?”

“No, that…”

‘Come to think of it, I’ve never ridden a horse before…’ My voice became so small it seemed to burrow through the floor.

I heard the Crown Prince sigh.

“Oh.”

What was this, not even an Englishman [a reference to a comedic trope], my friends stood side by side and uttered a dramatic exclamation.

I was so nervous about the two people behind me that my mouth felt parched.

I already looked like a pain in the ass, but this was really too much. I should just say I’ll walk separately—

“Ride with me.”

“Come this way.”

“…”

But I heard those words. I turned around with wide eyes.

The two men and women on the saddle were glaring at each other as if they would kill each other. What was this?

A new kind of… A new kind of passing the buck? Was that it?