What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 576

Finding the Rainbow (1)

I was so happy that Sir Johann came!

I was so glad and grateful that we came here as ourselves, and that we were reunited in a place like this—it felt like a dream.

Perhaps the absence of the Royal Guards outside the door was also thanks to Prince Yeseo’s consideration.

Gain and I silently screamed and waved our arms wildly.

The Cardinal, who spotted us from afar, seemed to be whispering something kindly as he looked down at the young ladies he served.

Then, the Antoinette princess smiled faintly. It was a surreal scene.

When Maria and Therese, with their excited expressions, looked our way, we all pretended not to notice, as if we had planned it together.

Soon, the three young ladies entered a room, and Sir Johann approached us.

Dressed in a handsome summer coat and expensive shoes, he looked like the wealthiest person present.

He looked every bit the knight sponsored by a wealthy family.

Gain playfully booed, giving a thumbs down. “You’re the only one living the good life! The only one!”

At those words, he smiled charmingly and rummaged through his inside pocket. And then…

Peek-a-boo!

“Gyu-ya!”

“Ggyu-ya! You came too!”

Gain and I simultaneously exclaimed in hushed voices, and Rofi popped out of the basket like a bouquet of flowers.

We spent some time petting the fire lizard, enjoying our reunion.

But the first thing the Cardinal, who had greeted the group warmly, brought up was…

“I heard that His Highness the Prince is looking for a certain noble.”

Oops.

“They say it’s a priest who dropped a broken necklace.”

“……”

That was it.

I avoided everyone’s gaze and pretended to examine the refreshment trolley nearby.

Chief Butler Giulia taught me to try everything, even the smallest and least appealing items, just half a bite each.

Before serving it to the Prince, we had to check for any poisoned or spoiled food.

I quickly grabbed a tasting fork.

“…Is that true, Sam? Doesn’t that sound like our Princess Consort?”

“Oh, this cheesecake is delicious.”

“They’ve put up posters all over the Imperial Palace. He’s out of his mind.”

“Well, it’s very… intense, coming from His Highness. But so it’s true? The Prince in this town is looking for the Princess Consort? No wonder the atmosphere among the guests has been strange since this morning.”

“The blueberry polonaise is amazing too. Rofi, smell it.”

“According to Mute, if there are no significant tips [bribes or information], the Imperial Guard may be deployed. It wouldn’t be easy to mobilize manpower separately with the birthday coming up.”

“You’ve already become close enough to discuss such things?”

“This meringue cookie looks like Tete?”

-Awoo.

“Let’s just say I overheard it while passing by. I’ve been staying at Count Mute’s residence for the past few days.”

“…You’re really resourceful. So, what exactly happened in the Imperial Palace, Your Highness?”

“I like that it’s not too sweet.”

“The Princess Consort found him collapsed in the flower garden. One night.”

“Oh my.”

“Then the Princess Consort must have helped him. Were there any witnesses?”

Gasp.

“……”

“……”

“……”

At the same time, the gazes of the three holy knights were fixed on me.

Gyu, Tete, and Rofi were also looking at me.

I quickly put down the cutlery, swallowed the cookie crumbs, and shook my head.

That’s not true!

“There were no witnesses. The Crown Prince was the one who took me away from that place, so I’m sure. The Prince is probably looking for me desperately, but there are no clues other than the broken Holy Stone. So if I keep my mouth shut, no one will know.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

The three disciples stared at me intently. But I was confident.

This was truly the unvarnished truth!

“…If that’s the case, we should find a way to return first.”

“Sir Johann, you’re such a constructive adult.”

I believed it! I knew you wouldn’t even bring up the breakup story! My lips parted slightly.

I took all the desserts I had inspected onto a spare plate, slipped it into the bottom compartment of the trolley, and whispered in a small voice.

“I think we already roughly know how to return.”

“Jackpot, Princess Consort. You had the same idea as me.”

“Yes…. Divine objects.”

I said, slowly pulling the trolley.

Sir Johann’s mint-colored eyes narrowed like needles.

I rattled off a rapid-fire whisper.

“We’ve already opened a gate to another dimension once in our world line. When we gathered the four divine objects with different attributes in one place, somehow a huge hole was torn in the sky of the Blanquer Duchy. I borrowed that power when I returned here as well. I amplified the energy of the four divine objects left on my veranda, combined with Dduk-sim’s power and my ether, to achieve growth. That’s how I was able to cross dimensions.”

“Right. When we crossed over here too. Of course, we didn’t intend to cross over, but when you think about it, we received a lot of help from the divine objects. The Blessing of the Azure Sea, the Hyegeom of Hwaseong [a legendary sword], the Heart of the Four Dragons…”

“The Holy Grail of Wishes.”

“……”

A blunt, low-pitched voice cut in between Gain and me.

I awkwardly lowered my eyes.

That’s right, I have one too.

“Well, then it’ll be simpler than I thought? We just need to go somewhere deserted and unleash the power, right?”

Gain scratched between her headscarf with her fingers.

I looked around and whispered.

“No. Theoretically, we need all four divine objects with different attributes to make it possible.”

“Huh? But when we came here,”

“There was a warning window back then. Maybe that window itself had a special power. And even in the middle of crossing over…”

‘「Ah…. Comradeship. I once had something like that too.」’

‘「Since you wish it, I shall grant it.」’

‘-Swaaaaaa!’

‘Aaaaaaah!’

…Like a crazy great-grandfather. The more I think about it, the more upset I get.

“There was also help from Emperor Romero. At least, that’s what happened to me.”

Everyone’s eyes widened at my statement.

…Or rather, Gain and Sir Johann nodded with faces that said, ‘Come to think of it, that’s right.’

What?

“You two…. Did you meet Emperor Romero?”

When I asked with a dazed face, Herrit tilted his head.

His eyes were trying to quickly grasp something.

“I didn’t recognize him properly at first, but I remember seeing a similar portrait in the Imperial Palace. Did you two meet him too?”

“Huh? Me too. He felt like a mix of Dioph 60 and the Crown Prince 40? He had a bit of Emperor Frederick’s vibe too. You know what I mean.”

“You two met Romero Liester in the pure white interstellar space?!”

“Calm down, Princess Consort. I can’t completely block out the sound right now.”

“No, no…. Huh?”

What on earth is going on?

I was told that my friends were scattered. That he wasn’t there!

“…Wait. Just a moment.”

I pressed my index and middle fingers to my temples and began to squeeze out the memories of that day like a rag.

The man’s smooth, jade-like eyes were vividly floating before my eyes.

The unpleasant sensation was already creeping up my spine.

‘「…Since I have decided to help, I will explain it myself. You are the only one I could accidentally catch here.」’

“Did he perhaps say that the only one he could accidentally catch there was…”

“He said I was the only one.”

“…You heard the same story.”

“……”

Gain and Sir Johann blinked and looked at each other.

I silently gritted my teeth once.

‘「The rest were all swept away by the window of the Main God…. It is likely that they have been annihilated.」’

‘「Or they fell outside.」’

“Then the rest are all…?”

“He said it’s likely that they have been annihilated.”

“Or they fell outside? Huh?”

“…Oh my god.”

-Awoo.

Greatly shocked, I almost pushed the trolley to the first floor and collapsed on the spot.

Tete and Gyu also widened their round eyes in surprise.

Gain, who looked back and forth at the group, slowly frowned.

“Huh? Don’t tell me we all…. Heard the same thing in the same situation?”

“Perhaps it’s not just that. I told him I was going to where you all were…”

Sir Johann trailed off, drooping his head.

I was now so dumbfounded that I could only gape.

Isn’t this a very familiar pattern?

‘「…You seem to be troubled and your judgment is clouded. Didn’t you hear me say that I saved you?」’

‘I heard you.’

‘「This body will return you to the continent. Although this fragment will crumble, it will repay the debt….」’

‘I sincerely thank you for your consideration, but I will go to the place where my friends are.’

“At first, he even refused, right? Didn’t he say he would return you to the continent or something? Told you to think again.”

“…Yes. When I didn’t bend my will, he finally drew his treasured sword.”

“……”

I quietly closed my eyes and looked up at one man who had been silent all along.

The gazes of the other friends also gathered on him.

Then, Cedric Liester raised one eyebrow.

The corridor was silent for a long time after that.

“…When I opened my eyes, I was in Evelyn.”

“……”

“That was it.”

Hey, you—!

“Crazy? That old geezer scammed us?! It was all a lie from the beginning?!”

-Aeuk!

“Watch your mouth.”

-Whyoooook

“Watch my mouth? If you had just said that only Your Highness had fallen, we would have come! Why did you make up a lie and make people scared and feel a sense of crisis? What’s wrong with your personality?”

“To manipulate the other three in order to save one great-grandson…. As expected, the emperor of a nation is different. I was completely fooled.”

“Wow…. How can a person…. Wow….”

Rubbing the back of my head, which was numb from the intangible shock, I groped for the trolley handle.

The last conversation that consumed my mind was.

‘My friends also pressed the ‘No’ button by mistake…. To be exact, they were swept away by a certain phenomenon and left the world because they were in that space-time when the button was pressed. Is that correct?’

‘「Perhaps three.」’

…So that’s why he attached the condition ‘perhaps’ back then.

It wasn’t all of my friends who left the world because the button was pressed, but only the Crown Prince.

Come to think of it, that makes sense.

Only one person closed the warning window, but it’s not common for the other three, including the little ones, to be swept away.

Somehow, that person didn’t look worried about his great-grandson at all.

He suddenly brought up the story of Yuliter, so I had been understanding it that way all along. I just thought he was originally a cold person….

There was a reason why that person appeared.

-Drrrrr….

“Let’s disband for now. Let’s each do more research on how to return. I’m working as a maid at the Juliette Palace, so anyone who can come is welcome to visit anytime….”

As I moved like a ghost, completely drained of energy, Cedric reflexively took half a step back.

I smiled at him.

“…But it’s okay because the Crown Prince is safe. I’m glad to have met you.”

“……”

-Drrr, drrr….

That old geezer, I won’t let him off if I meet him again.

*

The next day.

I was repeating a similar routine at the Juliette Palace.

“Serenite, please take this to table 3.”

“Yes, Ganael.”

“This too! This one has to go out to table 7. The order is backed up, so faster than table 3!”

“Don’t worry, Giulia!”

-Kkia!

Holding trays full of various food and beverages in both arms, I helped with the afternoon serving for the celebrants who visited the Imperial Palace.

Originally, this was a task exclusively for servants, but because it was a time when manpower was severely lacking, any servant who had learned the language and etiquette of noble families was unconditionally deployed.

Perhaps feeling sorry for me working so busily alone, the lesser pandas didn’t even play properly and followed me around.

“Here are the drinks and meals you ordered. Thank you for visiting the Juliette Garden, Madam.”

-Kkit-eung

“Oh my, don’t mention it. There are very cute servants in the Cold Palace [another name for Juliette Palace].”

“How adorable. How old are you? Are you married?”

“Hahaha. I’m twenty-eight….”

The women from the great families laughed loudly when they saw me.

I vaguely glossed over the rest of the story and tried to quickly get away.

At that moment, I made eye contact with someone standing far away.

“Oh…. Huh?”

That person is Camille Bacari!