What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 429

For a Long Time (3)

We finally agreed to visit Yerihos.

‘It’s one of the cities where news from the border arrives the fastest. Even if it’s ruined, it’s worth looking into.’

‘Yes, Sir Johann.’

‘It might be a good opportunity to see the reality of the Divine Kingdom.’

Lady Elisabeth chimed in softly. The group nodded solemnly.

‘We can’t continue fighting in this rain. The plains will be busy with recovery and cleanup for a while.’

And the Crown Prince said. It meant the group was unlikely to fall behind the military camp.

The fact that we made Yerihos our first destination was already known to the military camp members.

Since we hadn’t sent the first letter to His Majesty the Emperor yet, it was better to proceed with everything as planned for now.

Perhaps we could decide on our next destination after seeing the situation there.

Since Crown Prince Cedrick had finally approved the operation, we decided to rest immediately.

After eating a hearty meal, washing in hot water, and finishing the necessary discussions, the tension finally eased.

My vision blurred instantly. I couldn’t even remember brushing my teeth.

Ganael and I yawned non-stop.

“Good night, esteemed guests.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Ms. Nailly. Mr. Tobi.”

“Sleep well, Johann.”

The apothecary couple smiled gently, turned off all the lights, and went downstairs.

The small fireplace in the attic crackled peacefully.

Outside, the rain relentlessly pounded the windows.

It felt like I had deliberately turned on ASMR [Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, a relaxing sensation triggered by certain sounds or visuals].

With the subtle scent of herbs lingering, it would have been strange not to fall asleep.

It was almost one in the morning.

-Creak

“Sleeping together? It’s cramped, are you okay with that?”

-Koo

“Yeah, Hyung [older brother or respected male figure] likes it.”

As I pulled up the blanket, Demi wriggled onto the bed and snuggled into my arms.

The Crown Prince and Ms. Gain took their places at either end of the attic.

Each decided to sleep with Rhea and Perry.

Ttuk-ssim and Tite were put to sleep separately in fluffy baskets on the side table.

I chuckled at the nodding wren.

Sir Johann and Lady Elisabeth seemed to have already fallen asleep.

After checking on them, I collapsed onto the pillow.

The large, round attic window looked down on us at an angle.

-Swish······

-Pat, pat

When will the rain stop······?

-Rustle, rustle

“Gungju-nim [Princess].”

Then, Ganael whispered to me from the bed next to mine.

The boy was lying on his side, with his body hanging off the edge of the bed, facing this way.

“Hmm?”

“Come to think of it, I forgot. I wanted to give it to you now before I forget again.”

The boy, with sleep still heavy in his eyes, handed me a book.

A familiar title came into view in the dim light.

An essay collection, .

“Oh, this······.”

Author Didier Hyrmique. It was Benjamin’s pen name.

“Yes, Benjamin sent it as a gift for Gungju-nim. It’s a limited edition that just came out. He said it was published in a limited run of 3,000 copies, and this is number 0000.”

“Wow. Thank you!”

I smiled brightly and stroked the cover of the book.

The special number 0, which exists nowhere else in the world, seemed to chase away my sleep for a moment.

The sturdy hardcover binding and the glittering decorations on the cover made my heart ache with old memories.

I felt like I knew why Benjamin had sent me this book. It was already last June.

‘Next time, please sign my essay collection.’

‘I will, Your Highness.’

That day remained a very vivid memory.

It was the day I first met Eva in the confessional of the Imperial Palace temple.

The curly-haired young lady who splashed water on me, was stopped by Demi, and was utterly flustered.

Early summer, when we knew nothing yet.

“······He must have remembered what you said back then.”

“Of course. I remember it too.”

The boy smiled bashfully and adjusted his pillow.

Demi sniffed the book and then hugged it, wagging its tail.

It seemed to smell Benjamin’s scent. I stroked the cover and smiled faintly.

I sincerely liked the friends I was traveling with, but I also missed my friends in the Imperial Capital.

Perhaps as much as my family.

“How is Eva doing? How is Joan?”

I asked the question I had asked a few days ago again. Maybe I was too sleepy.

“Both of them are doing well. Especially the young Duchess, she’s very, very busy. She’s enjoying great popularity in the Imperial Capital’s social circles these days. Young nobles flock to her wherever she goes, but she turns them all down and is only focused on raising military funds······.”

The beautiful voice whispered pleasantly.

I was grateful that he always answered kindly, even to repeated questions.

I blinked, trying not to fall asleep.

“How are Laurence and Agnes? And Chestnut······.”

“Chestnut is growing up so fast that maybe by next spring······. He might be carrying Agnes around. Laurence, by Gungju-nim’s order······. He’s baking bread for free for the children outside the Imperial Palace······.”

‘Those kids, they fought over the raisins······.’ Soon, Ganael’s voice also became hazy.

The sentences were fragmented, and the pronunciation began to slur. The corners of his lips slightly turned up.

Demi had already gone to dreamland long ago. I asked one last question.

“How is Pierre?”

“Pierre, that idiot······.”

The boy mumbled.

“······.”

“······.”

And the attic became quiet.

Only small breaths and the sounds of nature occasionally touched my ear.

I closed my eyes, embracing the precious warmth.

And then I fell fast asleep.

*

-Thump!

I flinched! I opened my eyes wide at the sound of thunder hitting my ears.

‘Kurut!’ Demi, who woke up at the same time, wiggled its startled front paws.

Everything in front of me was bluish and dark.

But judging from the feeling that I had slept deeply, it wasn’t early dawn.

It meant that it was still raining outside even though morning had broken.

I stretched and slowly raised my waist. Demi also stretched along with me.

The magic stone glasses that hid my eye color—those of Duhem Rose color—seemed unnecessary today, so I left them as they were.

First, I quenched my parched throat with lukewarm water.

After giving Demi water, I put on my slippers.

“I wonder if this will cause a flood.”

-Kieu······

Around that time, Rhea, who had woken up beside me, was rolling around. Now that I saw it, the Crown Prince’s bed was empty.

Since he was one to wake up early, he must have left Rhea in my blanket and gone out first.

The two sets of bedding on the floor were also neatly arranged.

Lady Elisabeth and Sir Johann had already woken up. Ms. Gain was—

“Kuh······.”

Hmm.

She had kicked off all the bedding and was sleeping sprawled out.

Half of her pink hair seemed to be in her mouth.

I carefully pulled her hair out, worried she would suffocate, and covered her with the blanket again.

Perry was also stretching out all four legs and sleeping soundly next to her.

Of course, teachers. Long live Korean independence.

-Beep, beep beep

“I guess so. I don’t think it’ll be easy to leave today. We should be worried about the surrounding flood damage instead.”

I also had a sigh-filled conversation with Ttuk-ssim and greeted Tite, who was playing alone, waving his flipper feet.

Should I get breakfast and eat it with Ms. Gain?

Are they all meditating right now? Or is it Sir Johann’s PT [Personal Training]?

“Sniff······.”

Then, I heard a strange sound from beside me. I quickly looked at my precious darlings.

-Bbi?

-Kkuu?

Then, the abyss also looked at me, no, that’s not it.

“Sniff······.”

“Where is that sound coming from?”

Who’s crying? I busily looked around. Fortunately, the situation didn’t last long.

Now that I saw it, the blanket on the bed next to me was bulging out like an igloo.

“Ganael?”

“Keuheung.”

It wasn’t just an empty pile of blankets!

“Sniff, sniff······.”

“Ganael, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”

‘Let me see your face.’ My heart suddenly raced. I forgot my hunger and patted the blanket.

Then, the boy squirmed and curled up even more. Anxiety crept in.

Ganael was a little kid who had entered the Imperial Palace as a servant as soon as he became an adult.

He had hardly done any rough work or seen any harsh sights, so it must have been too much for him to leave the Imperial Palace.

On top of that, he had been camping out for three days and was exposed to the cold rain late at night.

It was clear that he had a severe body ache as the tension eased. I hurriedly looked at my precious darlings.

“Ttuk-ssim, go downstairs and bring the owners up here. They’re apothecaries, so they’ll know more than I do.”

-Bbippo!

“Demi, can you give that towel of mine to Tite? Ask him to wet it with water.”

-Kkieung!

“Rhea, let’s pull back the blanket together. I need to check Ganael’s temperature.”

-Kkiung!

“Yeah. I might have to use my healing power.”

As we moved in perfect unison—

-Flap!

“I, I’m okay! Gungju-nim, I’m not sick······!”

Ganael, who had become a pizza steamed bun, shook off the blanket and stood up. We opened our eyes wide.

‘Bbirrit?’ Ttuk-ssim, who had flown to the stairs, turned around.

I was so surprised that my mouth hung open.

“Goodness, if you’re not sick, why are you crying? Your cheeks are red too.”

“No, really. I’m perfectly fine······.”

Let me check your temperature. I quickly put my hand on his forehead.

It was warm because he was in the blanket, but it definitely wasn’t the fever that comes with being sick.

I immediately moved on to the next step.

“How’s your throat? Is it swollen right now? Open your mouth for me.”

“My throat is fine too. It’s not that, it’s my heart······.”

“What?”

Heart? This is serious?!

“This is bad. Ttuk-ssim, go downstairs and bring an adult up here.”

-Bbit

Here, an adult meant Sir Johann Haines.

“Absolutely not Sir Haines······!”

Then, the boy shouted, his chest heaving greatly.

Because he suppressed his voice as much as possible, it was only half there, but I couldn’t ignore his desperate words.

Eventually, Ttuk-ssim, who had circled the attic, flopped down beside me.

Could something have happened in the morning? When I opened my eyes in the morning, I was curious about last night.

I lowered my voice as much as possible.

“Ganael, can you calm down and explain it to me? Please. I’m scared that something will happen to you. You’re still young, and you say your heart hurts······.”

“The bathroom······. On the way back······. I saw it. Sniff.”

“Huh? Saw what?”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking it was strange all along······. George, Sir Mute······.”

The boy’s face clouded over as he mentioned his fiancé. The fingertips gripping his chest turned white.

For a moment, it felt like my heart dropped too.

No! Eunseo Jung!

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I should have told you in advance, but I couldn’t find the right time······.”

“No. It’s not a story that Gungju-nim can tell······. How could you say such a thing? It’s not Gungju-nim’s fault, there’s nothing Gungju-nim could have done, sniff······.”

Large golden eyes shed tears like raindrops.

Demi paced back and forth, unable to settle down.

Even while looking at my dear younger brother’s crying face, I tried my best to remain calm.

It was quite a spectacle to experience as soon as I woke up in the morning, but I had to respond properly to minimize Ganael’s pain.

Hold on tight, Jung Yesseo. Ganael already knows about his fiancé’s amnesia.

So from now on, be careful. So that I can reduce the child’s shock······.

“That’s, Lady Elisabeth was injured last time······.”

“No wonder, sniff. The way she treated me was strangely cold······.”

“That’s right. You might have felt that way. I understand a hundred times over.”

I wiped the boy’s cheeks with the towel that Demi brought.

“She said things she wouldn’t normally say, sniff. She didn’t ask me how the food tasted, even during meals. But I never imagined such a thing······. Such a thing······.”

“Yeah. You must have been very surprised. It was actually a great sadness for us too. So we were wondering how to break this news to you······.”

“No, I’d rather not know, hic. It’s better not to know!”

Ganael’s voice faltered. I gently patted the boy’s shoulder.

It’s okay. If you’re too surprised, this kind of reaction can come out—

“How could she fall in love with Sir Haines, leaving me behind?”

Flash!

-Rumble, crash!

“Cough! Cough, cough! Cough, cough! Keok!”

I feel like I’m going to die.

I grabbed my throat and rolled around on the bed, caught in a fit of extreme choking.

The precious darlings also lay down beside me, showing a fierce rejection.

Outside the window, a terrifying thunderstorm was pounding the sky.

But Ganael, who was caught in the pain of a sharp first heartbreak (?), had no mind to look after us.

The boy poured out terrifying words as if whispering!

“I saw it with my own two eyes. Sir Haines was completely shirtless, and George touched his chest!”

“Wow, crazy.”

Ack! Ms. Gain, with her disheveled hair, suddenly appeared right behind me.

I jumped up from my seat, but fell back onto the bed.

The blue-gray eyes were burning more fiercely than ever—truly more fiercely than ever.

The flushed cheeks trembled slightly. Perry, who had come over with her, was also twitching his whiskers.

I was confused whether they were angry or excited.

“Is this true? My friend is now seeing a married man who is nine years older than her, leaving behind an eight-year-old pure-hearted man? In the midst of a war? That man has a child who is as good as Yerang?”

Please stop watching so many melodramatic novels!

Besides, Herrit and Ganael aren’t the same age, there’s no way that could be······.

Oh?

“Ganael, cough! Is it true? Did Lady Elisabeth really······ with Sir Johann······.”

“Yes. I saw it. Not only his chest, but she also touched his back······. It was dark, and there was only one light on······. We’ve been dating for a long time······. I’ve liked her since I was six, sniff······.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ugh!”

You really need to learn how to make your presence known separately!

I flipped over and stood up again like a tumbler.

The Crown Prince was entering the attic with a towel over his half-wet hair.

The well-defined eyes clearly showed confusion and annoyance.

He had an expression that said he couldn’t understand why such a commotion had occurred while he was away.

-Kkia!

Yes, you came at the right time!

“Your Highness, it is said that Lady Elisabeth and Sir Johann met separately in the early morning.”

“Your voice is too small.”

“It’s an issue that needs to be spoken quietly, so please speak quietly as well. Did you witness anything? Your Highness usually wakes up before sunrise.”

Then, the man slightly furrowed his eyebrows.

He took off the towel and wiped his cheeks, replying softly.

“······They did come in together around the time I woke up.”

“Wow.”

“The teacher was showing his upper body.”

“Gasp.”

“Is that important?”

It’s important, you idiot! Ganael and I were truly pale.

Rhea and Perry hurriedly clung to him.

It meant hurry up and get into bed too!