What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 581

#581

Finding the Rainbow (6)

What to do.

“…We’re engaged.”

I feel like I’m watching a national drama with 40% viewership on IMAX.

Lord Johann, noticing I seemed to have forgotten to breathe, occasionally glanced at me and whispered, ‘Breathe.’

Red pandas that had crossed over from the nearby bushes waddled over and snuggled against me, one by one.

Feeling sorry for leaving them sleeping and rushing over here, I continuously stroked their soft backs and tails.

Of course, our eyes remained fixed on the scene beyond the bushes.

The group of Jibril Diop was instantly forgotten.

【Too bad you don’t have popcorn.】

Be quiet, Hyung.

“What I realized while being engaged to you…”

“…”

“…is only that it’s nothing but a facade.”

Hearing the line I had only read in text actually spoken made my heart pound and my neck tingle.

In the story, Christel is secretly hurt by those words, but seeing it like this, the Prince was hurting himself just as much.

Watching it in real-time made my stomach churn and feel 답답해 (suffocated).

I could understand a little why Jeong Eun-seo foamed at the mouth and had seizures every night.

I know that misunderstanding each other and then resolving it is the essence of the romance genre, but still…

“Didn’t you know before doing it? That Prince is so 답답해 (frustrating).”

“Your Highness, please…”

As a bonus, this live viewing has a very big downside.

“I know, right? She’s a true Korean of determination. She’s still alive wearing that dress. If it were me, I would have fallen off the carriage a long time ago.”

“Excuse me, but aren’t you Ms. Gain yourself?”

That the people involved keep adding commentary from the side. And in a very negative tone.

“A facade? Are you kidding me? I’m stuck in the Imperial Palace for life because of you, that’s my reality, and now you’re saying it’s a facade—”

“Can a relationship that’s worse than friends develop into more than a facade?”

“…”

“If being with me feels like being trapped in prison, then I’m not your fiancé but a jailer.”

“I never said prison. No, I don’t know why the story keeps going off on tangents. If this continues, we’ll just end up fighting again, so I’ll get straight to the point. The reason I came to the palace to see Your Highness today is—”

I 선수 쳤다 (cut in) in a whisper.

“‘It must be because of Yeseo Venetian.'”

“It must be because of Yeseo Venetian.”

“…”

Ugh, another misunderstanding 쌓였어 (piled up). What should I do? I pressed my lips tightly with my fist.

I could feel my friends staring at me, but I desperately pretended not to notice.

Hyeon Seo-chang also gave me a lukewarm look (?).

【I wondered why you were up so late….】

“…Yes, that’s right. I came because of Prince Yeseo Venetian. We’re friends, so we want to protect each other’s honor. Although, in my eyes, nothing seems as futile as the honor of the people here.”

“…”

Christel spat out the sentence, and the Prince glared at her fiercely, as if he would swallow her whole.

The clear blue eyes and red irises 운명처럼 (fatefully) confronted each other.

But unlike the sharp gaze, the man was leaning forward with his hands behind his back, clearly considerate so that the lady, who held her neck stiffly, could look at him more easily.

I don’t know if it’s an unconscious action, but I read that 퇴계공 (Toegye Gong) readers analyze it that way in the comments.

Seeing it with my own eyes, it really seemed plausible. Everyone is so sharp.

“Is it true that he can’t attend the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony?”

“Yes.”

“Why is that?”

“Because he is a hostage under house arrest.”

“But before that, he was Your Highness’s friend.”

“Friend? The Prince and I?”

The Prince scoffed. Christel frowned.

At that moment, I recalled the latest chapter of 퇴계공 (Toegye Gong) and bit my lip.

‘Don’t close your eyes.’

‘Sleepy…’

‘That’s an order.’

…You punk, get along with the Prince. What if you regret it later?

Even as I scolded them inwardly, the two continued their conflict.

“Surely you know that the Liester Empire and the Venetian Theocracy are in a state of diplomatic severance?”

“I know very well. I do study. But I heard that religious exchanges are ongoing.”

“…”

“The Prince is the Imperial Palace’s confessor. I think he is qualified to attend the investiture ceremony.”

“Is that the will of the Sarnese Duchy?”

“I don’t know about the family, it’s my will.”

“…”

“I am making a private request to Your Highness.”

The last words were heard as clearly and distinctly as she spoke them.

The Prince simply stared into his fiancée’s eyes for a moment, unable to find an answer.

Soon, Christel took a step back and gracefully lowered her body, holding the hem of her dress.

The man also nodded in response, showing respect to the lady.

It was like watching a scene from a historical drama movie that swept all sorts of awards ceremonies.

“…”

“…”

That was the end.

Our protagonist, worried about falling on the way home, hugged her dress like a bundle and began to walk briskly.

The sight of her white 속바지 (underpants) showing made me instinctively close my eyes.

Gain 씨 (Ms. Gain) clicked her tongue, watching the back of her other self.

“Tsk tsk. Just say you’ll wear pants, you 답답해 (frustrating) thing. At least tie your hair up to keep cool. I don’t know if she’s enduring out of spite, or if she’s too pretty to give up…”

“It’s hard to believe it’s a state marriage. What is His Majesty thinking?”

“The two of you here also have your circumstances. Please calm down, both of you.”

“It seems like the Palace Lord needs to calm down first. You’re radiating heat from your whole body.”

Oh, is that so?

Only after hearing Lord Johann’s comment did I realize that my hands were 뜨끈뜨끈해져 (burning).

I was about to ask Gain 씨 (Ms. Gain) to wash my face with cold water, but I remembered the risk of using Ether here and roughly rubbed my palms on my thighs.

The tension that had risen to the top of my head didn’t seem to subside easily.

It’s the first time I’ve actually seen it. So…

It’s the first time I’ve witnessed a scene exactly like in a ‘novel’.

“Is everyone gone now? Oh my, I’ve seen it all. Let’s sit down comfortably.”

“Yes, yes.”

As Gain 씨 (Ms. Gain) plopped down first, we all pushed aside the bushes a little and sat down.

Red pandas ran around, acting cute.

Come to think of it, it’s been a while since they’ve played in the Juliette Garden.

It must have been hard to relax here.

“I’m sorry, Hyung. Let’s quickly go back to our world, and after the war is over, let’s go to Liester. Let’s eat lots of delicious Ether and take lots of naps.”

-Kkiia

“Yeah, Rea too.”

As I 찍어주는데 (placed) lip stamps on the noses of the three in turn, I was 신경 쓰였다 (bothered) by the gaze of the Crown Prince, who had been staring at me since earlier.

I looked back at the other friends once and mustered up courage. Um.

“Shall we gather them together?”

“…”

“My Hyung says that if we gather the seven pieces of blessing, it will send us back to our original world line.”

“…”

“And five of them are already with us. It seems doable, right? There are a few more conditions, but since Hyung made them himself, they won’t be too difficult.”

“…”

I was a little 불안했다 (uneasy) because even the other two, not just the Crown Prince, were silent.

Ropi, with sleep heavily in his eyes, was nodding off.

I 잠자코 (silently) waited, 물려주며 (giving) a small Ether bean to Tete’s mouth.

Even if it’s nothing else, I wanted to give them enough time to think.

Finally, Cedric opened his mouth.

“…Do you like things like that?”

“Pardon?”

Things like that? What does that suddenly mean?

【It sounds like he’s asking if you like things like Sekri….】

Ah. I quickly 갈무리하고서 (composed) my expression and shook my head.

“I do like it, but, um. I don’t know the genre very well yet, and I like 퇴계공 (Toegye Gong) a lot. But I certainly don’t want the two of you… I don’t mean that I want you two to be like that…”

It would be nice if that happened, but I can’t force it.

“Right. They look very unhappy.”

“Yes? No, they’ll definitely be happy later, right? That’s not it… I mean.”

I 꼭 (tightly) held Demi’s forepaw as if it were my own, and 비장하게 (solemnly) wet my lips.

Being gathered here in the bushes like this made me feel like I was cut off from the world.

The cool breeze 다녀갔다 (passed) through the shadows, fluttering my long clothes.

The clear birdsong and the 귀족들이 미주알고주알 늘어놓는 수다 (chattering of nobles) all seemed to fade away…

“You are the most precious to me.”

“…”

Um, it’s a little awkward after all.

“Of course, I read very 재미있게 (interestingly). But that was after I met you, got to know you, and became close to you. So to speak, the cause and effect are reversed…”