What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 412

Lost Piece (1)

Fortunately, Lady Elisabeth was recovering quickly!

“Are you alright? Were you even allowed to come out like this?”

“Of course, Princess. I am known as the pillar of the Imperial Guard,” she joked as I approached. Her cheeks were flushed with health, and the scratches had healed cleanly, leaving no trace.

A wave of warmth washed over me, and a sigh of relief escaped my lips.

Demi, overjoyed, reached out with her chubby paws, and Lady Elisabeth accepted the little one with a smile.

I heard that François had spread out all sorts of notebooks and documents on the bedside table next to her and resumed his research.

He had written nearly ten overdue letters to his younger siblings.

The Deputy Commander was said to be perfectly fine, except for being slightly tired from being bombarded with his questions (“Elisabeth, would it look suspicious if I wrote three times that I’m doing well?”).

The priests and doctors recommended a light walk, so they had come out to get some fresh air.

David, who accompanied her, smiled benevolently and draped a blanket around our shoulders.

“It’s a pity you saw Prince Dioph like that. I’ve told him so many times to dress properly…”

He sighed and handed me a glass bottle filled with warm tea.

I said, “Thank you,” and glanced back.

KWA-KOOOM! With a tremendous roar, a sword of fire plunged vertically from the sky.

It seemed impossible to escape, but the lightning bum [referring to the mage] instantly deployed a defensive magic circle. KWA-AH-AH-AHNG!

His mana was so intensely red that it stung my eyes.

However, it seemed he hadn’t completely blocked the attack.

CHIIIIIIZZ… ! The icicles that had been holding the man’s body in place instantly turned to water, and for a moment, the large body staggered.

Ms. Gain didn’t panic and immediately created a perfect ice rink. CRACKLE!

At the same time, she leaped into the air.

Prince Cedrick landed with a THUD! and immediately continued the fight on the ground. CLANG, KU-GU-GUNG!

I smiled, watching the surprisingly well-coordinated couple.

“Yes. It’s not mosquito season, but he got bitten a lot. I respect his preferences, but it would be better for him to dress neatly in this environment.”

-Mew!

Rofi shuddered and jumped out of my arms.

David and Lady Elisabeth were silent for a moment.

“…I sometimes feel respect for the Princess’s unwavering common sense and pure heart.”

“Pardon?”

“I agree. I used to have such times too… After seeing all sorts of things in the Imperial Palace, I’ve come too far. There’s no turning back.”

The two murmured side by side in sad voices. It was a strange thing to say.

My face hardened, wondering if there had been an accident I didn’t know about, and Sir Johann, standing beside me, chuckled softly.

Then, he kindly pointed out, “Didn’t you have something to ask, Princess?” Ah, right!

“His Majesty told us something about the Venetian royal family, but we didn’t hear it because we were at the Salt Marsh. That prince also says he won’t tell us without a reward. Could you tell us what it was about?”

This time, their expressions darkened with a different hue.

Soon, the Deputy Commander slowly opened her mouth.

Even during this time, our main couple and the delinquent [referring to Prince Dioph] continued to fight.

-WHOOSH, SWISH! WHOOSH!

“Hey! Isn’t it too much to fight one against two?”

-KWA-AH-AHNG! THWACK!

“Haven’t you ever thought that your behavior is too much?!”

-SPLASH, SPLASH, SPLASH…

After a while, I began with a serious expression.

“So… you suspect that the Venetian royal family or Duke Schneider has been desecrating the divine for a long time, and perhaps there are significant ancient clues left in the Temple of the Boundary. Is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s correct. Therefore, His Eminence Cardinal Aurelius Boutier plans to move personally. Only a cardinal can enter the sanctuary of the temple, I hear,” Lady Elisabeth explained calmly. I was surprised and made a blank face for a while.

Perry and Leah wagged their tails at the welcome name, but it was hard to tell if this was good news or not.

My teacher is moving?

“Are you saying His Eminence is personally traveling to the desert?”

“Yes. If the operation hasn’t changed while I was unconscious, His Eminence will personally visit the temple to find the necessary clues. I think he would have left by now. The desert is completely under the control of the Imperial Army, so you don’t have to worry about his safety.”

“But who will protect the Imperial Palace…? It’s not like you’re going to the detached palace, and it’s against the law for all the royals to leave the ‘House of the Monarch,’ isn’t it? The people will be uneasy too.”

“His Majesty’s father, the late Grand Duke Stanislas, will be here. The Grand Rouge [elite knight order] is an excellent knight order, so they will quickly escort him,” David said in a soothing tone, with an expression as if he were looking at a very admirable child.

I gaped stupidly, and the middle-aged man chuckled as if he were watching an amusing spectacle.

His Majesty’s father…?

I’m sorry, but is he still alive?

“There are countless members of the Imperial Family, and quite a few are alive and writing new history.”

“Ah, yes. I think that’s obvious…”

That’s right. It doesn’t make sense for a family as wealthy, honorable, and historically significant as the Liester Imperial Family to be a nuclear family.

So, the part that surprised me wasn’t that there were many surviving royals.

It was that there were many royals I didn’t know.

His Majesty’s father didn’t even appear in the original work.

I naturally thought he had passed away around the same time as the late Emperor. I’m sorry for thinking this!

“Then…”

I don’t know how to accept the fact that the amount of information in is decreasing day by day.

Of course, I was happy and delighted just to see my friends finding lives different from the novel.

I became more convinced that this was ‘real,’ and every moment felt so precious that it was regrettable that I could only remember it with my eyes.

However, on the other hand, I was also anxious and uneasy because the part I could help with was rapidly disappearing.

It’s really new, but sometimes I get nervous like this.

Hmm. Will it be okay?

“It’s okay.”

I flinched and turned my gaze. Sir Johann was already smiling with his eyes, holding Perry.

“You said that the three of you would never be separated again. Everything will be as the Princess wishes, so don’t worry.”

“…That’s right. Thank you.”

Only then did the corners of my lips lift slightly.

I had heard similar encouragement from the man before.

Father Herrit sometimes acted as if he knew everything, even the parts I didn’t say.

I’m just an ‘adult’ who’s only grown in age, not yet a ‘grown-up,’ but he was truly a picture-perfect model of an adult.

Thank you for reassuring me.

“So, the investigation will be conducted regardless of the outcome of the ongoing negotiations. It’s just a simple library visit, so the Vatican has no reason to refuse.”

As I calmly summarized, David nodded, straightening my attire.

“Yes. Prince Dioph also attended the meeting that day, so he is familiar with the information.”

“Princess, don’t get too close to the prince. He is infamous for being insidious and promiscuous, and although he is capable, he is a problematic figure. Even his twin sister, Princess Marguerite Dioph, is ashamed of her brother’s private life,” Lady Elisabeth lowered her voice and advised around that time.

Knowing that she wasn’t one to say such things easily, her sincerity was even more touching.

I smiled brightly and nodded.

“Don’t worry about that. I don’t think he and I are compatible at all.”

“Indeed, that seems likely.”

David, who answered quickly, also straightened my hair.

The makeup director of the Imperial Palace came to mind, and I laughed for a moment.

Meanwhile, the training grounds were still noisy.

When I glanced back, the 8th-circle mage was helplessly being beaten by the two men and women.

After all, he was an easier opponent than the cardinal.

‘Damn it! Are you supposed to fight like this when you’re so noble? Don’t you have any honor!’ Finally, such complaints burst out.

His teacher, Sir Johann, looked very satisfied. KUUUUUNG!

“Oh, speaking of which, I forgot to tell you two some good news. Ganael and Arumhardt will be arriving at the Imperial Palace soon.”

-Kkii?

“Pardon? Ganael and Arumi are coming?”

Leah perked up her ears. My eyes widened at the news I was hearing for the first time.

The thought of my beloved child coming to a dangerous battlefield made me dizzy, but on the other hand, my lips twitched at the thought of seeing them so desperately.

David looked at me and continued kindly.

“Hearing that the precious one has difficulty riding a horse, His Majesty issued an imperial order to bring Arumhardt to the military camp. Now, she is clearly the Princess’s beloved horse. Since a servant is needed to take care of her all the way to the front lines, that child will accompany her. It will be safe as she is passing through the desert.”

-Kkihu! Kkihung!

“That’s truly a grateful thing. I’m worried because it’s a combat zone, but I’m also happy to think about seeing them after a long time… Lady Elisabeth feels the same way, right?”

No, her emotional range will be much greater than mine. The two are engaged!

I soothed Leah, who was excited about the news of Ganael, and turned my gaze.

However, a faint embarrassment was flashing in the gray eyes of the Deputy Commander.

For a moment, I felt very strange.

A chilling premonition that I couldn’t describe ran down my spine.

What is it?

“I’m sorry… Who is Ganael?”

Eh?

“…Lady Elisabeth, what are you talking about?”

The end of the shocked sentence was trembling faintly. Sir Johann tilted his head slightly.

I quickly exchanged glances with David.

He didn’t seem to realize what was going on yet.

But I couldn’t not know.

This, this was a dramatic flow that Koreans would find hard not to know.

The Deputy Commander wasn’t joking.

She frowned, looking back and forth between the middle-aged man and me.

“I’m sorry. Ganael is,”

Already, goosebumps were running down my arm. A nervous Leah hugged me tightly and trembled.

I realized that David wasn’t even breathing.

“…a name I don’t know. Is it someone I should know?”

Thump, my heart seemed to drop.

‘Lord God.’ The middle-aged man looked up at the sky and covered his eyes.

I silently mouthed the words and looked at Lady Elisabeth.

She also had a very confused look.

WHOOSH! KWA-AH-AHNG, SWAAA! The sound of flames and water gushing out sounded like a very funny sound effect.

As if someone had been muttering about the original work, as if to show you the essence of romance you wanted—such a development was unfolding before my eyes. FLASH!

-RUMBLE, KWA-GANG!

“Oh my god…”

Lady Elisabeth is experiencing partial amnesia.

She can’t remember her fiancé.

*

-CLANG, CLATTER! CLINK!

Elise Venetian, of course, did not know Caroline Mutel personally.

So, she had no idea how to handle her.

“Oh my! Marquis! What are you trying to do!”

“Let go of me! I must cut down that man and return! That would at least cool my head!”

“Please hold on! You must think of His Majesty and your husband!”

The Crown Princess’s blue eyes reflected the broken glasses and bottles of alcohol in a chaotic manner.

The Sword Master’s wavy hair was flying wildly, and the soldiers clinging to her were all red in the face with anger and sorrow.

Caroline was now furious.

At this rate, it seemed that neither dialogue nor negotiation would succeed.

The middle-aged man couldn’t control his emotions, and Cecil Blancard didn’t seem to want to stop him much.

Lastly, Wilhelmina Schneider seemed to welcome this atmosphere.

In the long run, war didn’t seem to be a loss for her.

“Your envoy committed murder in the sacred temple! He murdered the Marquis of the great Liester Empire in front of His Highness the Crown Prince. You stained your dirty hands with the blood of your adopted son, yet you shamelessly bring up evidence!”

“Then, are you saying that the Holy Nation should create non-existent evidence according to the Empire’s taste? How can you not know that we have reached our limit just by condoning the false accusation of the innocent Envoy?”

“What?”

“Conversely, I will ask. His Grace Werner, the blessed Envoy, stated that his beloved son lost his life to the guardian spirit of the maze. Rather, he said that the Crown Prince did not recognize you and wielded his sword. Even though an indelible scar was left on your precious body as a result, he has defended his son until recently.”

“…”

There was a moment of silence in the hall. The Duke’s eyes flashed.

The wrinkled eyes resembled the tip of a snake’s tongue.

“Our Venetian has never blamed the Empire for the death of the Crown Prince. Rather, we have not even had the leisure to mourn and soothe our sorrow due to the Liester invasion. But why do you show such a unilateral and barbaric attitude? Do you want us to blame each other and become tainted together like you? Or do you wish us to claim that it was not the guardian spirit, but the Crown Prince of the Empire who slaughtered the Crown Prince?”

“Schneider!”

The Marquis spat out a roaring lion’s roar.

‘Lord God!’ Once again, the soldiers held her back with weeping voices.

At this rate, something really big was going to happen.

“…”

Once again, Elise did not know Caroline personally.

There was no way that she, a member of the royal family of the Holy Nation, would have a connection with the Sword Master of the enemy country.

Nevertheless, when she heard the news that the Marquis would be attending the negotiations as the Emperor’s representative, she was a little frustrated.

It was because she had heard a lot about Caroline’s fiery temper.

With that, the Crown Princess knew that the Emperor did not have high hopes for this position and was simply conducting an experiment similar to gambling.

But she couldn’t give up like this. There was really no more room to back down.

“…Then I’ll bring my father.”

So, she said that.

The inside of the tent froze at once.