What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 410

Lion Council (4)

-Pop!

And the air around them solidified. Bright blue eyes darted around.

It took only a few seconds to realize that the Cardinal had blocked out the sound.

It was also instantaneous to realize that he had something to say to her.

The long barracks alley became muffled, as if submerged in water.

The man gave a courteous bow to the Princess, then began to pick up the fallen papers as if it were nothing.

The circlet around his forehead gleamed in the autumn sunlight.

The soldiers following Elissa peeked from afar.

She immediately waved her hand to indicate that they didn’t need to help.

She usually did this kind of trivial work herself.

“······.”

-Rustle, rustle

However, the fact that someone with a divine artifact of the air attribute and someone who controlled the air were organizing the fallen papers by hand was somewhat ‘dangerous.’

It was a scene that could be seen as suspicious enough to someone.

But, ridiculously, this was the only way for them.

The Princess pressed her lips tightly together, suspended her aura in the air, and moved her hands.

Soon, a low voice flowed out.

“Keep moving like that. I’ll do the talking.”

“······.”

“I heard you haven’t spoken with Duke Sneider since you returned. That’s a wise decision. The less information that gets to him, the better. Even a single glance from Your Highness has value, so please be more careful from now on.”

“······.”

“I don’t know how much Duke Kamingha has taught you, but there’s one thing Your Highness needs to know.”

“······.”

“Don’t try to beat the Duke with words.”

The man’s gray-purple hair fell down, covering his mouth.

Elissa didn’t even glance at him, silently picking up the papers.

The letters written on the documents were all trivial.

Or reports from months ago that were already expired.

The Count had deliberately gathered waste paper to bring. All for a few minutes of secret talk.

The Princess recalled that he had sacrificed his own lifespan to defeat Sneider.

“Don’t try to create logic, and abandon the desire to beat him fairly.”

“······.”

“The more you struggle, the more he will bind you.”

Her lips twitched at those words. She already had an agreement with the Grand Duke.

Her direction was firmly set, and now there was nowhere to return and nowhere to retreat.

What does this mean? What on earth does Count Roy want from me?

Why is he suddenly telling me what to do?

“What do you mean,”

-Thump!

Arno quickly snatched the Princess’s stack of papers.

It was an unbelievably disrespectful attitude. Then he gave a flawless, polite bow.

‘Spot!’ At the same time, her ears popped open.

Once again, all sorts of noises from the barracks flooded in, and footsteps echoed from the front.

This time, it wasn’t a soldier who could be easily fooled, but knights trained by the Duke.

Only then did Elissa receive the greetings with a calm face.

The handsome man walked stiffly to the opposite side without even making eye contact with her.

That was the end. It happened in the blink of an eye as the wind passed.

“Your Highness. The preparations for the negotiation are complete.”

Fortunately, the knights didn’t seem to notice the strange atmosphere. There were no paladins among them.

“Duke Sneider, Count Karolin Mute of the Liester Empire, and Duke Cecil Blanquer are waiting.”

“······I see.”

The Princess moved her feet calmly. The knights escorted her to the barracks.

-Thud, thud, thud

“······.”

However, the Count’s advice (or warning) was hard to understand.

Was he saying that she couldn’t defeat the Duke no matter what, so she should give up at this point?

No, the prelude to the counterattack hadn’t even begun yet, so that couldn’t be it.

There was no way someone trusted by the Grand Duke would make such a statement.

Then does that mean she should use a method other than logic? Force?

But Elissa couldn’t strike Wilhelmina without any pretext.

That was too dangerous of an idea.

It wouldn’t be easy to gather troops separately in the current situation, and there was a high possibility that it would turn into a family feud within the Holy Nation.

Moreover, she would be forever remembered as a leader who failed to save the country even with the justification of being royalty, murdered influential nobles, and started a civil war.

This wouldn’t end with personal disgrace.

The honor of the Venetian royal family would be dragged through the mud, and furthermore, the faith of the entire Holy Nation might be shaken.

‘The monarch must always be prudent. All words and actions must have due cause and reason, and those who cannot fulfill this will ultimately be remembered as tyrants.’

This was also her mother’s teaching.

Elissa struggled to suppress the rough thoughts running through her head.

-Clang, clang, clank!

“Presenting Her Highness Princess Elissa Venetian!”

‘Flap!’ A white tent opened before her eyes. Arrival was instantaneous.

As Elissa stepped inside, Wilhelmina Sneider and the Empire’s representatives rose from their seats to greet her.

The Princess received their bows and then sat in the Holy Nation’s seat. The interior was very simple.

A wide, square wooden table was placed in an area covered with banners, and only the Princess’s chair was ornate.

The other three people took their seats again on ordinary wooden chairs.

Soldiers brought simple snacks and water.

The food was also half Holy Nation style and half Empire style.

“I’ll take it with alcohol.”

At that time, unbelievable words were heard from across the table.

Elissa tried not to frown as she looked at the other person.

A middle-aged man with wavy dark green hair shrugged his shoulders, looking back and forth between her and Wilhelmina.

It was Count Karolin Mute, famous for commanding the northern part of the Empire.

A Swordmaster who wielded a greatsword as lightly as a cotton swab and shouted so loudly that the plains shook.

“I’m not one to get drunk easily. I’m also the type of person who speaks better after a drink. And I don’t want to be sober when my daughter is lying down.”

“······.”

The tone and attitude were extremely rude.

Queen Regent Elissa suppressed her rising emotions and turned her gaze to the Emperor’s other representative.

However, Cecil Blanquer didn’t even bat an eye.

No, there was nothing that could be called an expression on the middle-aged man’s face at all.

The Princess realized once again.

No one except her is optimistic about today’s negotiations. This is also the Emperor’s will.

She had only given her a chance and showed no further mercy.

Because that was the natural order.

“······Do as you wish.”

“I want mine with ice. I need something to chew on. What about you?”

“I’m fine.”

As Elissa made a nonchalant voice, Karolin and Cecil exchanged a few words.

The Empire soldier who received the order disappeared into another area to bring the alcohol.

Meanwhile, Wilhelmina next to her was strangely silent.

The Princess clenched her fist tightly under the table.

Before long, Karolin, who received a glass of vermouth [a fortified wine flavored with herbs], opened her mouth bluntly.

“So, what is it that the Princess has to say? In my opinion, unless it’s an apology, I don’t see what meaning there is in talking.”

“How can I apologize when there is no wrongdoing, Count?”

Then Sneider immediately reacted. It was a gentle tone as if coaxing a child.

Karolin frowned.

“Ha, is this starting again? I wonder why you called me if you’re going to do this. Is this a trick to buy time?”

“Count.”

Cecil simply restrained Karolin.

Then the magician’s dark brown eyes moved quickly.

“If you intend to maintain the position that the Holy Nation has no fault, then there will be no change in the Empire’s attitude. Today’s meeting will also be a futile waste of time.”

“······.”

“But how can we cover up the fact that there were three near-fatal attempts to assassinate the imperial family on our land, that a high-ranking noble who was operating as a spy for the Holy Nation plotted a rebellion, and that your country’s Werner Venetian murdered Marquis Serenite, a confidant of His Majesty? Isn’t this ultimately the sin of the Holy Nation?”

Then Wilhelmina tilted her head. A faint smile was on her lips.

“Duke Blanquer’s words are somewhat reasonable, but if you want to point out the fault of a country, shouldn’t the one trying to prove it first present clear evidence? His Majesty the King has consistently asserted his innocence. Does your country have witnesses or evidence that the Holy Nation and the royal family can accept?”

“As I said last time, Sir Johann Haynes, the imperial physician······.”

“We also said last time. Sir Haynes, who was the Archbishop of the Vatican, was a notorious wanted man in the Holy Nation. He massacred dozens of people, including a lord, and went on a rampage, even destroying the village where he lived. When he left Venetian, no one there truly regretted it.”

“······.”

“Surely you are not presenting someone who was a serious criminal in the Holy Nation as a ‘clean’ witness. We find it difficult to believe in his integrity. Rather, isn’t your intention to use him to frame His Majesty the King?”

“Why would the Empire do such a thing?”

“Since you took His Highness the First Prince as a hostage, weren’t you in a situation where you could achieve great things if you wanted to?”

The Duke’s eyes took on a sinister light. Karolin, who immediately understood the meaning of the words—

-Kwaang!

“Hey! Who do you think only thinks like you guys?”

She kicked the table leg and stood up halfway.

‘Count!’ The terrified soldiers of the county rushed over and grabbed her shoulders to stop her.

The wine glass spilled, and a strong scent rose, and Elissa tried to calm her breathing as she looked at Karolin.

Cecil only blinked a few times with a indifferent look.

Wilhelmina’s eloquence continued without hesitation.

“I regret to say uncomfortable things, but isn’t it easy to come to such a guess given the circumstances before and after? Weren’t the children who tried to assassinate the prince only thirteen years old? Eventually, they confessed that they were instigated by a knight belonging to the Royal Guard. Even if the children’s testimony is true, what does a mere knight have to do with His Majesty the King?”

-Thud!

Karolin twisted her body and growled like a beast.

Most of all, what was frustrating was that all those words were true.

The twin assassins who were still imprisoned in the Imperial Capital Prison had never directly mentioned the name of Werner Venetian.

All the Imperial Guard had obtained was circumstantial evidence.

The soldiers trembled all over, crushed by the Swordmaster’s pressure.

Many were biting their lips in frustration.

“I also regret the tragedy of Duke Simon de Sarnese, who was highly respected. But where is the King’s letter that the Duke received? Clear evidence that His Majesty the King ordered the assassination of the prince. If it does not exist, then where is the person who will risk his life to testify in front of Her Highness the Princess, the King’s representative? Duke Sarnese has already passed away. So what should we believe?”

“······His Majesty the Emperor presided over his trial and reigned as the judge. Many nobles, including myself, attended as audience members and witnesses. Therefore, the great Liester Empire can be said to be the proof.”

Cecil received the words with a cold attitude. Her hands under the table were white.

The magician was the one who lost her son Robert in the Sarnese Duke incident.

Even if she didn’t love him deeply, a child was a child.

Even if they didn’t spend much time together, the ten months she carried him in her womb were eternal.

Then Wilhelmina drooped her eyebrows as if she was truly sorry.

“You are mistaken, Duke. We are not a vassal state or a feudal state of the Empire. We cannot call the King’s consort a criminal simply because you believe it. How can you not know the rudeness?”

-Kaaang!

“Eugene Kessie, that damn old man, was spying through the Vatican! Is there anyone who doesn’t know that Sarnese and the priest were your spies?”

“Count, I’m sorry······. I don’t like repeating the same words.”

Veins popped out on Karolin’s forehead as she stood up abruptly, and Wilhelmina remained calm throughout.

She had never raised her voice or frowned even once since entering the barracks.

“But where is the evidence? Didn’t you say that Eugene Kessie eventually disappeared as dew on the gallows? The cardinal who you claim colluded with him is also no longer a person of the Holy Nation. He abandoned his nationality a long time ago and belonged to the Vatican, and he lost his life to a demon in the desert last winter. How can the living arrest the dead and ask about the circumstances? So whose words should we believe again? It cannot but be a truly frustrating and unfair thing. The Empire is constantly accusing His Majesty the King of being a murderer, forcing all evil deeds on the Holy Nation, and making the holy country the cradle of great sin······.”

A look of lamentation formed in her wrinkled eyes. Soon, the Duke’s voice was filled with sadness.

“Isn’t it a natural flow to think that it is ultimately the machinations of His Majesty the Emperor? If he truly intends to swallow the continent, then the only and reasonable path for the Holy Nation is to unite and resist.”

-Kudangtang!

“How dare you insult Frederick Liester!”

In the end, Karolin, unable to contain her anger, threw a chair.

The soldiers, overwhelmed by the pressure, shed tears and pleaded.

“Count, please think of your daughter and His Majesty······.”

“Let go of me! I’m going to just······!”

“······.”

Elissa closed her eyes without opening her mouth.

It wasn’t time yet. Not yet.

But it was almost here.

-······Ziiiiiiik.

“You write it like this.”