What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 462

Soul’s Rest (1)

This was a very rare occurrence.

Even though sitting on the same sofa didn’t make my skin crawl or put me on edge like it used to, still.

“…What is it?”

“How is the Palace Lord? I heard she was sleeping this morning.”

“Nothing’s changed.”

“…”

“They said she’ll wake up on her own.”

Gain nodded emphatically, leaned back against the sofa, and stretched her legs out.

Due to the sudden visit, there was only one plate each for teacups and refreshments.

She naturally reached out and bit into a cookie.

Cedric didn’t seem to care that she was munching away without asking for permission (or rather, he was indifferent).

David was nowhere to be seen; I heard he was very busy managing the inside and outside of the Lord’s castle.

I heard that he was directly managing the accommodations for the imperial family and commanders, and checking all the food provided.

-Crunch, crunch…

Somehow, I couldn’t quite taste it.

Occasionally, the noise from outside would peacefully cut through the silence between them.

‘Rumble…’ The footsteps of the spirits could be heard in the distance. It didn’t feel like wartime.

“Noe, I mean, Mr. Morhan will be fine.”

“…”

Kristel blurted out, swallowing a cookie.

It was an unkind sentence without context or detailed explanation, but Cedric immediately understood her meaning.

The priest, who was called the ‘Abbot’ of Yeriho, had been unconscious since collapsing while escaping the black market.

I heard that he suddenly had a seizure last night and showed symptoms of hyperventilation.

Thanks to His Majesty’s boundless grace, she received a diagnosis from the imperial medical staff.

Afterward, the highest-ranking healing priests and caregivers took care of Morhan from time to time.

The priest was a key figure in this incident and an ‘information broker’ who knew all the intelligence about the area.

It was advantageous for the Liester Empire to keep him alive by any means possible.

That’s only from a strategic point of view.

“It seems like he’s suffered a great mental shock. His soul state is unstable, and as a result, the quality of his sleep is poor. This morning at dawn, they barely managed to stop his breathing from becoming faint.”

“…”

“But fortunately, he has the will to live. So they say he’ll be fine,” Gain added, turning to look at the man, ‘The healing priest said so.’

Soon, their indifferent gazes met. The two still sat far apart.

But now, neither of them left the room or looked for another chair.

“That’s good, right? Mr. Morhan deserves to be happy. Although he didn’t seem to think so himself.”

“…What do you want to say?”

The Crown Prince asked, closing the book he was reading. Gain quietly observed the cover.

I thought it was just a boring document or play…

‘‘.

The very old book cover, which I didn’t know where he got it from, caught my eye.

Maybe he found it in this study.

The sentence she was about to say sank down, then rose again with greater force.

When had she ever hesitated to speak in front of the Crown Prince?

“Let’s think carefully too.”

“…”

‘We’. There was only one case where the two men and women were intertwined with that word.

When they had to talk as Jung Ye-seo’s ‘partner’.

“If the Palace Lord says she wants to return to her residence later, you can’t force her to stay. You shouldn’t.”

“…”

Cedric remained silent.

There was an unknown power in his sparkling blue-gray eyes.

The man often felt an irresistible radiance from her. Just like now.

“Otherwise, we’ll both end up like the black magician Noel. We’ll become incredibly pathetic and ugly. Instead of being considerate to our friend, we’ll just be acting like jerks who only insist on our own way.”

“…”

“Only giving scars. So painfully while going back and forth between life and death.”

“…”

The silence flowed long like the Winite River.

There was no answer from the Crown Prince, but Gain knew very well what he was thinking.

No, to be exact, she knew how much the man was ‘boiling’ right now.

Because she could clearly feel the ether emanating from him.

Also, the fact that it wasn’t anger towards her.

“Besides, it’ll look very pitiful to others. You hate that, don’t you?”

“…”

“I hate it too.”

A sigh-like word flowed out. The eyes of the two slowly turned towards the bedroom door.

In the two vessels, there were stormy seas and raging volcanoes.

On the other hand, the ether flowing out from there was very calm and peaceful.

It was a perfect energy to sink into one’s own thoughts.

Or it was a perfect warmth to forget everything for a while and comfortably entrust oneself to rest.

“…”

“…”

An unpleasant silence embraced and passed the two.

‘What is it, cloth? Something like a robe hem?’

‘Ah…’

-Thud!

But when the Palace Lord collapsed yesterday, it was a complete mess.

‘Oh! Palace Lord!’

-Squeak!

‘Good heavens! Call the healing priest quickly!’

-Awooo!

The audience hall was turned upside down, and the magicians were shocked to the point of fainting.

‘Aeooong!’ The divine beasts began to cry restlessly as if a disaster had struck.

Soon the surroundings became very noisy.

Teacher Johann came faster than anyone else and grabbed the wrist of the fallen priest, then said in a deeply sunken voice, ‘It’s not poison!’ such scary words!

Seeing her pale cheeks made me feel like all the blood in my body was evaporating.

Everyone was similarly exhausted, so I could have predicted it, but the fainting was too sudden to see it as the cause.

The touch of the hand I held until the very end was still vivid.

Above all, the look on the Palace Lord’s face just before she collapsed…

“Yesterday, when the Palace Lord fainted.”

“…”

“She looked a little scared. It passed so quickly that I’m not sure, but the ether was released for a moment. Did Your Highness see it too?”

“Yes.”

Huh? Gain’s eyes widened at the immediate answer.

I just thought I had seen it wrong, but now it seems that the Crown Prince saw the same thing. If I had known this, I would have asked sooner. Her excited voice faltered!

“Then, then was it really because of that black piece of cloth? Marquis François took it away in the end, didn’t he? Have you heard anything today?”

-Nothing.

Hmm. The answer to the question came from outside the door.

The two immediately got up from their seats and bowed.

“Hanan Your Majesty!”

“You’ve arrived.”

Hanan Lumayan, borrowing Isabel’s body, said casually.

There was a solemn dignity in her bronze eyes and voice.

Gain obediently listened to the adult’s words, then widened her mouth when she discovered the object in her hand.

That! That black thing!

“Isn’t that the piece of cloth? Don’t tell me Your Majesty looked into it yourself?”

-That is so. This body examined it personally. The magicians and weathercocks do not know the reason, and even the priests only shake their heads, so what else can be done?

“Then how about the divine object?”

-The spirits are too pure to even take care of themselves. What more can you ask of an entity that knows the cloth as a fallen leaf? The young emperor has more to take care of.

‘Tsk.’ The ancient king clicked his tongue and approached them.

Hanan’s gait and attitude were very different from Isabel’s.

Even if it wasn’t for the color of her eyes or her voice, it was easy to distinguish the two from afar.

She found the book Cedric was reading and scoffed.

-A fellow who should be reading books on kingship all day long is studying priests from midday.

“…”

-In my day. If a holy knight held a priest and made him happy day and night, there would be no ether worries until his breath ran out. Such studies were not necessary.

Wow, that’s a really old-fashioned remark! Your Majesty is completely old school!

“Your Majesty, don’t say such things! So did you find out anything?”

-Didn’t I tell you a little while ago?

“…”

-Nothing, there was no reaction. This is just an ordinary piece of cloth.

‘Thud.’ Hanan placed the black cloth on the table.

It was just a piece with Lophy’s bite marks clear, but otherwise nothing special.

Gain quickly picked it up, making an ugly face.

After washing it so cleanly, it now just looked really ordinary.

But.

“…But, it’s a trophy that Lophy risked his life to jump into a burning mansion to get.”

-I heard so.

“I don’t know what the situation was, but there must have been a reason for him to judge that way, so he took it without spitting it out right away. And as soon as the Palace Lord saw this, she lost consciousness with a terrified face. Then this is definitely…”

She gritted her teeth and looked up at her partner’s partner.

Even though the sky outside was still bright, a dark sunset was falling in the Crown Prince’s eyes.

“…It must be Werner Fenetian’s.”

A chillingly low voice flowed out.

Hanan looked around the bedroom and swallowed a sigh.

*

I know it’s a dream, but I can’t move at all.

「Are you okay!?」

No, my body was moving. Even I in the dream spoke well.

However, it was not moving and speaking as I intended.

Before I knew it, a man in an old robe was standing in front of me.

This was the heart of the Temple of the Boundary, the sacred chamber located at the end of the labyrinth.

A sacred space that was not damaged in the slightest. Exactly the same as it was then.

「Ugh, kuh…」

Everything was flowing according to the memories of ‘that day’.

I knew too well what would happen here in the future.

I felt nauseous at the onrushing sense of fear, and my hands and feet trembled involuntarily.

It was always like this, but it was new every time. Really every time.

All I could do, trapped in the prince’s body, was to punch wildly in all directions.

I had to warn them, even if it meant breaking whatever was trapping me, whether it was a wall or something else.

Even if my hands were crushed in the process.

Soon our eyes met.

I saw the light purple hair tattooed in my mind and the sharp chocolate-colored eyes.

「How did it come to this… I can’t use healing powers here. First, a hemostatic agent―」

‘Hey! Run away, that’s a crazy bastard! Just run into the labyrinth without looking back!’

-Bang! Bang! Kwang! Kwang!

I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I kicked at the surrounding darkness and rampaged like crazy.

No matter what, I had to make this body run away. I had to, no matter what.

But under my nose, the scene at the time was being replayed perfectly.

Without an inch of error.

-Thwack!

He, Werner Fenetian, pulled out the dagger stuck in his stomach.

At the same time, bright red blood splattered everywhere. I forgot to even breathe and rushed forward.

But I couldn’t change the predetermined flow.

‘Please run away!’

-Whoosh!

-Thud!

「Aaaaaagh!」

A scream. A scream that felt distant, as if it wasn’t mine.

I bit my blood-tasting lips and squeezed my eyes shut and opened them. Calm down, calm down.

This isn’t the end. Besides, I don’t feel any pain. This is just a dream.

Up to here, it was a nightmare I often had.

-Thwack!

「Heok!」

There’s still a chance.

-Whoosh!

-Clang!

The blade pulled out of the prince’s body flew back, and I succeeded in a miraculous defense.

Instinctively, I raised the scepter and knocked away the dagger. This was also a part that matched my memory.

Now all I have to do is disappear far away.

「Heok, haa, ugh…」

「Come here… Come here!」

To a place where he can’t find me.

「Don’t you want to be free? Don’t you want to throw away this kind of shackle?」

「Ugh, heut…」

If necessary, even by receiving the protection of the guardian spirit of the maze or the Deputy Chief Lypert.

「It’s all over.」

Maybe finding Cedric would be the fastest.

In the last dream, I was lucky enough to meet Gain first.

「You want to end it all too.」

「Heok. Cough! What, kuh…」

Then the nightmare will end.

Although the prince’s legs were running in a different direction than I wanted, it would end soon anyway.

The dream will somehow be finished. The blood and fear, panic and death will also be forgotten soon.

「Heok, cough!」

Because the unconsciousness always faded around this time.

-Rustle!

‘…Huh?’

But my eyes widened as if they would spill out. This was a development that wasn’t in my head.

The man in question was disappearing like magic right in front of my eyes.

At the same time, a feeling of falling as if the floor was sinking ran down my spine.

It was the reality of despair.

I couldn’t believe it.

「I will make it so.」

‘No, no, no…’

It was like being invisible. I shook my head like a madman, denying reality.

Then the prince’s vision began to shake wildly as if an earthquake had struck.

This isn’t it, it can’t be!

「Flash!」

-Thud!

“Aaaaaagh!”

I screamed and jumped up. I felt a startled presence right next to me.

“Palace Lord?”

-Whoosh!

There was no need to think any further.

I immediately grabbed the object on the bedside table, pulled down his collar, and threw him onto the bed. Thud!

Then, I quickly subdued him to prevent him from moving and aimed at his Adam’s apple from above.

At the maximum speed I could muster.

With only the instinct to live.

“Heok! Heok…. Heok…. Cough…”

“It’s okay, don’t hesitate. You can stab me.”

And at his words, I woke up with a start.

Only then did my blurry vision clear and I could see everything clearly.

“Heok…. Cough…. Sir Johann?”

What was that just now?

What memory did I see…?