What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 548

‘Ugh…!’

‘Oh my god!’

…I couldn’t just throw up like that and pass out, so I cleaned myself up, and because I was in such bad shape, I decided to get some sleep.

I decided to discuss the warning window and other situations gradually when the day dawned.

Actually, I wanted to hold on somehow, but I didn’t have the mental strength to do so.

I felt like my stamina was greatly depleted as my mental strength ran out.

When I said I wanted to rest first, my two partners looked quite surprised.

Perhaps they expected me to endure it as usual.

Of course, only one of them showed it.

That was on the night of January 11th.

“Ugh….”

When I woke up from my sleep, I felt like a patient.

The sensation of my whole body sticking to the bed felt unfamiliar.

I had no energy at all, and it was hard to move even a fingertip. How long had I been out?

Is it daytime now? Or is it still night?

“Ah….”

-Splash, splash, splash….

Someone’s beautiful, long hand took the towel from my forehead and dipped it in water.

Even when I was still, my mouth felt parched, and I was thirsty.

I tried my best to focus on one spot in my blurry vision.

In my mind, I resented Hyung [older brother or close male friend] for about 3 seconds before shaking it off (Jeong Hyun-seo, I won’t let you get away with this).

It’s absurd, but my body would have had to do this eventually.

I’m not a paladin, a battle mage, or a soldier who has undergone intense training.

I finally caught a cold.

“….Fortunately, your fever has gone down a lot. You’ve been overdoing it lately, so it’s not surprising that the Palace Lord has suddenly fallen ill like this.”

It was definitely Francois’ voice, gentle yet with a unique dignity.

I swallowed hard and slowly rolled my eyes.

He was sitting right next to me, talking to someone standing far away.

Then a reply came straight from over there.

“What are the healing priests doing? Is this all the Imperial Army’s medical level is?”

…First of all, that’s the Crown Prince. Why is he so angry?

“Your Highness. As you know, these colds and body aches are the most difficult diseases for them. Especially if they are accompanied by mental shock. I heard that if the vessel is shaken, the healing power inevitably decreases. The Palace Lord seemed very embarrassed last night….”

“I’m sorry, Marquis. His Highness is particularly prickly today. That’s what Mors knows.”

Gain replied quickly.

Judging from the sounds of bickering, it seemed like the two were fighting again.

A faint smile appeared on my lips. Fortunately, it seems I only slept for one night this time.

I slowly put strength into my elbows and raised my body. Ugh…!

-Thud!

“Ugh, I can’t get up.”

-Creak!

“Palace Lord!”

As if that was a signal, the troublesome things that had been quietly underneath came up to the bed.

I remembered that Leah, who was especially timid, trembled her ears when she saw me throwing up.

She was busy licking my cheek, and Demi and Perry were stubbornly digging into my warm chest.

I wondered where Tete and Ropi had gone, but they were being held by Gain and Cedric, respectively.

Seeing the couple standing side by side at the entrance of the tent made me chuckle.

You guys are really keeping your distance. Is my aether [magical energy] still going crazy?

“Heok, daebak [amazing/awesome].”

I saw Gain quickly bury her face in her palm when she made eye contact with me.

I was embarrassed by her appearance with only her two eyes peeking out and her ears red.

Ah… I don’t even have the energy to turn off the faucet right now, so aether leakage might be severe.

I’m sorry. Please bear with me for a day or two.

“Good heavens. It’s difficult if you suddenly get up. I know because I’m weak, but the more you are like that, the slower you should act.”

Um, should I take this into account….

-Squeak! Squeak!

“Yes, Hyung is okay now. I’m fine, Francois. Can you lift me up for a moment?”

“No. It’s best to lie down for the time being.”

-Beep beep

This answer echoed from above my head.

I was struggling to drink water, but I only moved my gaze to look back at the other person.

Sir Johan, who had his white hair tied back as usual, was observing me with Dduk-sim on his shoulder.

There was no sign of him at all, so I didn’t even know he was there. Since when….

No, this question is meaningless. Instead, I brought up something more important.

“But…. Ahem, aren’t there still unresolved issues? I’d like to help you even if I have to sit down. Ahem, Dduk-sim, hello?”

-Beep!

“Everything is proceeding step by step. The Palace Lord is not the main entity carrying out the war, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

“….”

I felt a little resentful at that remark, but strictly speaking, it was true, so I had nothing to say.

I was here by the order of Frederick, and I wasn’t the one leading the group.

I had the fancy title of ‘Guild Master,’ but that role-playing was already over, and the actual head was Crown Prince Cedric.

Moreover, with Stanislaus also present, there was little for me to do proactively.

The situation on the Barun territory side would somehow be resolved with Admiral Emma Corleone there.

In short, the turmoil in the north was now in the final stages of being resolved.

“….What about Gyu? How is that child doing?”

“The Divine Creature spends most of the day in the sky. He looks towards the sea for a long time, but he never goes there.”

Francois gave me water again and answered kindly.

I was amazed that the Four Dragon, who had gained freedom after two thousand years, still longed for the sea.

“He seems to have accepted it roughly. He knows that if he goes to the sea, the people there could be in danger, so he has to let go no matter how much he loves it. I think he’s trying to give up. It will take some time, though.”

-Uhh uhh

Gain, who had regained her composure in the meantime, added clearly.

Tete’s crying with an ice pop in his mouth followed.

In the end, that’s how it turned out. Even the legendary dragon changes….

I quietly took a breath and turned my gaze to the Crown Prince.

Wow, just lying down made my head spin.

Jeong Hyun-seo, I’m really not going to let you get away with this. When I go home, I’m going to throw away my 6-year-old phone and buy a new one with Hyung’s card.

For a month, only Jung Eun-seo and I will eat chicken legs, and when we go to a gopchang [Korean grilled intestines] restaurant together, I won’t give Hyung any tripe.

We’ll only fry our kimchi fried rice, and we’ll only scoop our own dessert ice cream….

Ha, okay.

“What happened to Werner Fenetian?”

“….It is presumed that he is still in Barun. There have been no reports of suspicious activity around the council hall.”

“Then the Admiral is likely to capture him. From the north, with a fleet… he will push down.”

“Either way, you don’t have to worry about it.”

-Nyaa

The man spoke roughly, and Ropi added a cry as if agreeing.

The sight of the little tail tapping the wide shoulder was very displeased.

I pouted at the two little ones and slowly raised my eyes.

Finally, Sir Johan came into view.

“How is Francisca doing?”

“….She formally signed a memorandum assigning all rights, including the dominion of the territory, to His Highness. The Princess was the legitimate successor as the only direct descendant of Baron Atzma.”

“How is that child doing?”

I asked again. Herrit put his hands behind his back and tilted his head to the side.

“She is accepting her mother’s death. We cremated the body.”

“….”

“She is also accepting her mother’s sins.”

“….”

Those words somehow felt like they applied to me too.

I slowly closed my eyes and opened them languidly.

It was a feeling that the blurry clock became clear for a moment.

“Where is the book I dropped yesterday…?”

“Oh, I put the essay collection here.”

Francois held up from my bedside.

Seeing it made me feel suffocated.

“….”

But I have to tell my friends too.

Right now.

“….I once…. I once went into Dduk-sim’s Ark alone.”

So, I looked up at the white ceiling of the tent and said it with determination.

It sounded a little hoarse, but that didn’t matter.

There was no time to postpone it, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to speak later if the situation got twisted.

I could feel my friends focusing all their attention on the suddenly changed atmosphere.

It would be a sudden flow for them, but I was barely gathering courage thanks to the warmth of the lesser pandas that was conveyed to my skin.

If I think of Hyung’s face, I’ll get angry for no reason, so I decided to think about Jung Eun-seo today.

“At that time…. I met the guide ‘Nicky’ for the first time.”

“Ah! I remember. When we secretly took a carriage to the desert, you were in the form of Grand Duke Alexandre instead of Dduk-sim. That person with long hair. The one who turns the continent upside down with her beauty!”

-Bbi-bbo!

“Yes.”

I swallowed dry saliva with a parched throat.

In Dduk-sim’s bean-like eyes that were looking down at me, a touching emotion flashed.

A bitter smile naturally bloomed.

It’s okay. We need to talk.

This is not something that can be hidden, and that would rather give my friends an indelible wound.

I made a big mistake last time, so I can do well this time. I’m going to talk step by step.

Really one by one….

“That day, that day Nicky….”

…Jeong Ye-seo. If you really cherish and like them, you have to tell them.

My fist went into the blanket.

“From the beginning, it wasn’t that appearance. First, she transformed into Christel, then it was His Highness… The third time, she took the form of Benjamin.”

“Me, His Highness, and Benjamin?”

Gain asked cheerfully. It was an innocent voice that didn’t know anything yet.

And Francois, who had not fully grasped the situation, was struggling, rolling his eyes here and there.

Of course, I felt too sorry for him too. I sighed as if groaning and nodded.

“I thought it was just copying the appearance of a human being I had become close to, but it wasn’t. Nicky said…. That’s because they are all ‘clues to the Divine’.”

“Clues to the Divine? Aha. I know what you mean. I know what it is when I think of that novel.”

“If so,”

“Nicky is excluded, Your Highness. I heard that the Grand Duke…. has become a particularly exceptional being.”

“….”

I gathered all the strength in my body and looked back at the two men and women.

The crimson eyes with embers were calmly sinking.

It was a gaze waiting for the next words. Clearly.

“The two of you are the main characters of this world, so it was easy up to that point. But Benjamin was not well understood. Nicky then showed me another clue to the Divine….”

When I recalled the memory at the time, my tongue felt stiff and the surrounding temperature dropped.

My chest felt heavy and it was difficult to pull out the sentences inside.

Demi held my wrist tightly.

“It was my younger sister’s dining table chair.”

“….Yes?”

Pause. Gain’s blue eyes flickered.

Instead of cowardly lowering my eyelids, I looked straight into her eyes.

“My younger sister Eun-seo….”

I’ve avoided it enough so far. I shouldn’t do that anymore.

“Eun-seo had a designated seat where she ate every day. There was a pink pig-shaped cushion and a checkered blanket…. Nicky said that was also one of the clues to the Divine. But, even she doesn’t know more details…. she said.”

“….I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve heard of this. Why did Eun-seo’s chair suddenly come out, and why Benjamin…?”

The white, round forehead crumpled in an instant. I tried to put strength into my locked voice.

“I didn’t know the reason either, but I found out last night.”

“….”

“Benjamin’s signature written in this book…. exactly matches my brother’s signature.”

….So, maybe my brother is the ‘author’.