What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 584

#584

New Method (3)

Here was a massive magic stone cave hidden at the bottom of the lake.

Darkness surrounded everything like midnight.

The only light came from a few small torches and the glow of the relic.

-Drip, drip, drip, drip…!

-Drip!

From the corner of the high, black ceiling, cold droplets fell incessantly.

The sound of the water falling echoed through the space, louder than any voice.

The Bacari family euphemistically called this place the ‘Library.’

However, the young leader of the Fleur de Lis, since awakening his abilities and discerning the lies of adults around the age of five, knew how ridiculous that was.

This was the ‘Underground.’

Moreover, under the lake, where humidity and heat made the air sticky in summer, and cold winds seeped in during winter, chilling one to the bone.

A secret box in the mud where not a single ray of sunlight penetrated 365 days a year, and only the smell of mold spread like poison.

There was no way precious ancient books could be stored in such a place.

Unless it was some kind of dreaded cursed object.

-Swish…!

“Blindingly beautiful, but I can no longer allow it to remain here.”

“……”

So, the young commander thought early on.

Whoever the ancestor was who first called this place a library, they probably never rose to a high position.

How could one survive in the blood-soaked political circles of Riester with such paltry cunning?

Well, that’s probably why they’ve remained a baronet family all this time.

Despite producing so many great figures.

“You also do not know what this object has done to our family.”

“……”

At Baron Bacari’s whisper, the young Baron Desir barely nodded.

Although he tried to keep his voice down as much as possible, the middle-aged man’s voice echoed off several distant pillars.

Desir’s younger brother, the second son who was as good as nonexistent in the family, held a staff, his body hidden beneath a navy robe.

Soon, the relic bracelet held in his father’s hand slowly subdued its energy. ‘Swish….’

“‘The Secret Plaything of Lord Saint-Pompilly.’ Long ago, our ancestor who married Count Pompilly took poison on behalf of Valery the First. And to protect His Majesty from assassination attempts… She did not close the sanctuary until her dying breath. This trinket was something the Lord always carried with him.”

“I am well aware, Father.”

“Then do you also remember its other name?”

“……”

The Baron asked heavily, and Desir remained silent for a moment.

The prophet hidden in the shadows quietly recited his answer.

‘The Armlet of the Cursed Poet.’

“……The Armlet of the Cursed Poet.”

“……”

“To other nobles, it may seem like a sacred and elegant relic, but at least to our family, it is not. It is merely a bracelet possessed by an evil spirit.”

“……”

“Ever since the Pompilly family foisted this upon our family… Unfortunate events have continued to occur. Not to mention the terrible illness your great-grandfather had to endure, and didn’t your aunt go mad at a young age? All of that ultimately tarnished our family’s honor.”

That damn honor. The commander almost yawned out loud.

His father was second to none in the empire when it came to being old-fashioned.

The words ‘conservative’ or ‘strict’ couldn’t even begin to describe half of him.

Other nobles envied and were intrigued by the oddballs who occasionally emerged from the Bacari family, but his father and relatives were the exact opposite.

“And look at your brother, Modeste.”

“……Father.”

Ah, he wondered why his story hadn’t come up yet.

Desir, who had been stoic, opened his mouth after a long time.

The teenager looked up at the ceiling with an emotionless gaze.

“Isn’t there constantly a misfit being born into our lineage? I, too, as a magician, do not want to say this easily… But this must be the curse of Lord Pompilly. Now that even my child is cursed, what more is there to hesitate?”

“……”

“If this goes to the Andre baronet family, the Lord’s soul will be freed from our family and become free. Then the curse dwelling in the relic will naturally disappear.”

Perhaps his father had been waiting for this day his entire life.

The perfect opportunity to pass on a relic passed down as a family treasure to another noble family with a plausible excuse.

Moreover, the other party was a wealthy family that all the elders of the family would welcome with open arms.

It was even said that if they formed a marriage alliance with the Andre family, they would live comfortably for the next three generations, no, thirty generations.

There couldn’t be a better opportunity.

“Now, it would be good for you to hold this box. The young Lord Andre will be pleased if you hand it to him directly.”

“……”

The Baron moved the bracelet into a small jewelry box he had brought in advance, and then promptly handed it to his daughter.

Desir’s expression, even from afar, was not very bright as he received the relic.

The commander gripped his staff as if he would break it and raised his arm.

His jaw, which had been clenched for a long time, throbbed.

After all, he was the strongest in this family in terms of magical power.

Someone had to stop this nonsense. Right now—

“……Ha.”

At that moment, he met his sister’s eyes. The prophet froze, not knowing what to do.

Although he was wearing a robe pulled down low, his sister’s sharp gaze always aimed straight at him.

It didn’t matter which shadow or closet he was hiding in.

He couldn’t even make a hoarse sound because he was so breathless.

“……”

But his sister shook her head at him, subtly. It was a warning not to interfere.

The commander was dumbfounded by the unexpected reaction.

Are you leaving me like this? Without telling Father?

That’s when it happened.

“Desir, what are you doing there?”

Flinch.

“……I’m going, Father. I was just looking around to see if I had any belongings to leave behind.”

“That’s just like you. Your meticulousness will be a great help in your married life.”

“……”

“Let’s go up quickly. The guests are waiting.”

‘Tap, tap, tap….’ Soon, the sound of their footsteps echoed several times and faded away.

The father’s small torch quickly took away all the remaining light.

Only after several minutes had passed since then—after confirming that no one remained in the vast cave—could the teenager finally move creakily.

The silver-embroidered hem of his robe was soaked in groundwater and splashed.

He took off his hood and headed towards the center of the altar at a brisk pace.

-Splash, splash, splash…!

He had witnessed what had just happened with his own two eyes, but he still had to confirm it.

Right here, in the middle of a desolate cave where even the lake shed tears….

-Drip, drip, drip…

“……Good heavens, they really took it.”

A completely empty treasure chest lay there.

The light green velvet cloth, without a single trace of water stains or mold, was deeply indented.

The magician now had to consider his next move.

Or give up completely and leave it to the will of the gods.

-Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter…!

At that moment, a ‘signal’ was heard from the direction of the hole leading to the north of the lake.

The commander quickly pulled up his hood and turned to look that way.

Soon, a familiar voice was heard. Murmur, murmur!

“……Young master, young master! Lady Mendy has arrived!”

“You must go up quickly and greet the lady! You also need to change your clothes. Young master…!”

“You must also choose a bouquet to give to the lady…!”

……It was the nanny couple. His shoulders, which had been tense, finally relaxed.

The man grumbled in a slightly childish tone. It was a reaction befitting his age.

“Okay, I’m going soon.”

And in the evening.

That is, 1 hour before the start of the shipboard ball.

-Clatter, clatter, clatter…!

A carriage with the imperial crest stamped on it was carrying us and speeding diligently through the outskirts of the imperial capital.

I was dressed very neatly, unlike the ash-covered state I was in during the day.

It was thanks to Julia, the head of the servants, and dozens of senior staff members who rolled up their sleeves and helped as if it were their own business.

“……I’m nervous.”

-Squeak

Someone lent me a clean, white shirt—it was a bit big, but it was okay because I was wearing a jacket—and another person lent me a neatly ironed sky-blue vest and handkerchief.

It took a whopping twenty minutes to find leather shoes that had no holes and fit perfectly.

Instead of a tie, I wore an olive-colored ribbon around my neck, which was a precious string that Ganael had lent me himself.

In addition, I enjoyed the privilege of being the first of the servants to take a bath, and at the last minute, I even sprayed myself with the perfume that Pierre had given me.

Actually, I didn’t need that kind of thing….

‘No, Serenite. You have to spray it. This is the most popular fragrance in the imperial capital these days. This way, the young ladies from noble families will look at you even once more.’

‘……Do they have to look at me? Not the prince?’

‘Oh, it would be nice if you married into a noble family too!’

Good heavens was an understatement.

But the backstory that Pierre told me was even more amazing.

‘When you go to such a big ball, there are sometimes young ladies who fall in love with handsome servants and say they want to marry them. It’s not many, but there’s always one or two. They say it’s a true love that overcomes social status… Cool, right? Romantic.’

‘…….’

‘Hey, you can become a duke’s husband too.’

I just sprayed the perfume once without saying anything and came out.

As expected, our Pierre was Pierre even here.

I put my nose to my wrist and sniffed, and a strange scent rose.

It smelled like flowers and candy, but it also smelled like bedding….

“Then are you keeping ‘The Sacred Plaything of Lord Saint-Pompilly’ in mind?”

“Ah.”

When I suddenly raised my head, I saw Prince Yeser observing me with an interested gaze.

I blanked out for a moment.

The man was much more lively than when I spoke to him during the day.

His artisan-like porcelain cheeks were rosy even without rouge, and his hair, styled with a marten hair comb, shimmered like a moonlit stream.

On the other hand, his ball attire was chosen to be very simple.

When I asked why all the fancy clothes had been rejected….

‘Since you recommended an interesting operation, I want to try it sincerely.’

‘So I don’t think I should stand out too much today.’

That was the answer I got.

I still don’t know the prince’s true feelings, but anyway, I decided to be grateful that he seemed to have taken a step closer to me.

I was also in a position where I desperately needed help right now.

-Squeak

“Oh, shoot.”

You just asked a question, right! I almost forgot!

“Yes, we are putting that relic up as a candidate for now. This operation is supposed to be a little easier… That’s the intelligence we have. We have an informant.”

“The Bacari baronet family is a prestigious family that I have heard of a few times even in the Holy Kingdom. Targeting the wedding gift of such a family will not be easy in any sense.”

“Um……”

I couldn’t bring myself to elaborate and smiled bitterly.

That’s a hundred times right, but the standards for what we’ve experienced so far are mostly ‘divine objects’….

“It seems like it’s information you can’t tell me yet.”

“Actually, there’s nothing I can’t tell you, but it seems like the story would be very long.”

“Hmm.”

Then the prince rested his chin on his hand and narrowed his eyes softly.

I felt like I would blurt everything out if I faced him any longer, so I quickly turned my gaze out the window.

-Clatter, clatter, clatter…

“Um……”

I also wondered if the color green among the seven colors of the rainbow was the ‘Shrine of the God of Trees’ and purple was the ‘Ark of Bireom’… But no matter how much I thought about it, I didn’t think it was that.

If Jeong Hyun-seo had made some arrangements for us, and if it was a ‘comfortable path’ as Hyung said, it would never be a method of acquiring divine objects.

That was an operation that consumed too much of our resources and costs.

At that rate, we would never be able to return to our world line within this year.

It was also incredibly dangerous.

The Shrine was the treasure of the Blancarte duke family, and the Ark was currently in Evelyn, and wasn’t the current Duke of Evelyn none other than that problematic guy?

-Squeak?

“……That relic has some unknown ability. It’s clear.”

“You sound determined. It sounds fun.”

It was just a soliloquy, but the prince looked at me and smiled again. I was a little embarrassed.

“Whoa, whoa.”

Around that time, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

‘Whoa.’ The imperial guards who were escorting us on either side of the carriage also pulled on the reins.

I slowly widened my eyes and looked out the window.

Come to think of it, the outside had been noisy and bustling for some time.

What is it? Are we there yet? Is the road blocked and that’s why it’s so busy….

“Wow! Prince, look at that!”

I scanned the sky and suddenly raised my voice.