What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 586

Sub-Male Lead Goes on Strike – Episode 586

#586

Behind the Stage (2)

“It’s alright, Ms. Yeseo. I let them in.”

“Yes…?”

“They are your friends, aren’t they? I thought you might need my help, or was I mistaken?”

While the lesser pandas and I were gaping, the Prince spoke in a gentle voice.

The snail-glasses man [referring to Dior, whose glasses resemble snail eyes] pushed the curtain aside and strode in as soon as the Prince finished speaking.

Compared to the three of us, he was so large that the waiting room felt cramped as soon as he entered.

He then took off his hood with a somewhat irritable gesture.

He clearly didn’t like crowded places, as always.

‘Thud!’ Ropi, who had been hiding inside the robe, jumped down and began to patrol the area.

The bursting shirt was gone, and today’s man was dressed as an ordinary nobleman.

That’s a relief.

“Everyone seems to be crazy about the party.”

No, they’re celebrating your birthday.

“…Thank you so much, Your Highness. How did Dior get here? I didn’t think you’d be able to get in.”

I greeted the Prince first, then hurriedly pulled the thick curtain and whispered.

I felt relieved that the noise was muffled by a layer.

Meanwhile, Ms. Gain smiled shyly (huh?) and pulled her hand away from Prince Yeseo.

The Prince naturally kissed Tete’s flipper feet.

The Crown Prince stared at him intently for a moment, then ignored him as if he hadn’t seen anything and answered me.

“…Barbara Shue is a renowned magician. Even though she’s a weirdo that everyone avoids.”

“Ah! She got an invitation to the cruise ball, and Dior came along as her escort knight. Just like Sir Johan!”

Ms. Gain said loudly, fussily adjusting her headdress.

I exchanged glances with Demi and blinked.

Come to think of it, there was such a story at the costume shop ‘La Debutante’.

Antoinette and Princess Maria Diem were going to attend the cruise ball, and Sir Johan was working as their temporary escort―

“Your Highness, the guest you told me to let in has arrived. It’s Sir Matt, the escort knight of the Diem Marquis family.”

Before I could finish thinking, a member of the Imperial Guard reported from beyond the curtain.

Wow, Sir Johan isn’t exactly a commoner either. Not to mention our Prince’s execution skills!

When did you give him the hint?

“Let him in.”

“Yes.”

-Thwack!

The curtain was immediately pulled back.

“Sir Johan!”

“Sir Johan!”

“It’s nice to see you again, disciples. Ms. Angko.”

Sir Johan, the last to join the group, looked back at us and smiled gently.

He looked very noble tonight as well.

Instead of the jade-colored coat he usually wore, he matched a sophisticated black coat with a jade vest, and with the addition of a white cravat [a type of necktie] and gloves, he looked as elegant as any royal.

The shoes and cufflinks were all expensive.

Gugu, peeking out from the man’s sleeve, quickly wrapped around my wrist and climbed up.

Soon, Prince Yeseo and Father Herrit’s gazes reached us.

I stood blankly for a moment, then quickly closed the curtain again and tied the knot tightly from the inside.

Now, time is of the essence.

-Kkia?

“From now on, security is paramount, security.”

This way, no one will be able to get in. And there probably won’t be anyone else coming in!

“Then, now that everyone’s here, shall we start with introductions?”

So I quickly turned around and asked.

“Yes?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

“Um?”

The reactions that came back at the same time all had question marks, so even I, with my experience as a guild leader, was a little taken aback.

But I couldn’t back down.

The cruise ball venue was starting to be crowded with noble guests, and the Bacari family’s heirloom would soon be revealed to the public.

And in a couple of hours, the main couple who would arrive here and grab our ankles [cause trouble or hinder our progress].

-Gulp!

The thrill is right up to my chin.

We need to be as coordinated as one body today.

“To carry out a secret operation together, trust in each other is essential, isn’t it? Prince Yeseo here has decided to help us find the rainbow for our return, so we should naturally give him our trust as well.”

“……”

“The first step is, of course, getting to know each other.”

As I declared, clasping my hands tightly, the lesser panda trio shook their tails as if agreeing and seconding.

Ropi, who was smelling the Prince’s legs, also cried out ‘Nyaaang’ for a long time.

Then there was a moment of silence.

“……”

“……”

The Crown Prince, whose eyes met mine, raised his eyebrows.

……You should take off those glasses first. Even if it’s just for 3 seconds.

*

Somehow, Ms. Gain and Sir Johan were taken care of [introduced and their roles clarified].

We came here today to find the ‘green treasure’ among the seven colors of the rainbow, and we clearly confirmed with each other that we were targeting the Bacari family’s heirloom as our top priority.

As a result, we also had some light small talk.

Before we knew it, the peaceful performance of the orchestra was flowing in from outside the waiting room.

Violin, viola, cello……

-♪♬♩······

“I didn’t expect to meet a Venetian person in a place like this. It’s nice to meet you.”

“I never thought I’d see you like this either. Your Highness.”

Prince Yeseo was especially interested in the fact that the Cardinal was from the Divine Nation.

However, thinking that there was a line to be kept, he did not ask how he came to the Empire or what kind of relationship he had with us.

He simply asked about his place of origin and the well-being of his family.

Sir Johan seemed just as amazed by the Prince.

His attitude was completely different from when he was dealing with me in the same body, which made me feel strange.

After that, the troublemakers safely greeted the Prince.

Among the lesser panda trio, he was especially fond of Leia, but the little one was a bit timid, but basically liked humans as a divine beast.

Still, she didn’t recognize anyone at all, as she was someone she had seen often recently.

After Leia lay down on his lap―she also likes to lie down a lot―it was finally the last turn.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but the Prince seemed to be smiling more often as time went by.

“……”

“Ahem, Dior.”

Hey, we don’t have time.

As I sent him a look, the Crown Prince glared at me unhappily.

I was wondering why he was being like this since a while ago, but when I thought about it, this guy had lived his whole life without feeling the need to introduce himself.

He had used different names while traveling several times, but that was a completely different matter.

He was a noble member of the imperial family from birth, and everyone bowed to him even if he just went for a walk in front of his house.

There was hardly any need for him to call out his real name to others.

“……Excuse me. I’ll take off your glasses first. You probably can’t see well because this is a magic tool……”

In the end, I stepped forward and took off the Crown Prince’s snail glasses first.

I was inwardly prepared in case he would slap my hand away, but he only frowned and didn’t touch me.

Soon, the gazes of the two men became thickly intertwined in the air.

The Prince looked at his appearance and raised the corners of his lips with a smile.

“……”

“……”

“He is Crown Prince Cedric Riester from our world line.”

Ms. Gain and Sir Johan were silently looking only at me, so I had no choice but to step forward and introduce him.

Then the blonde beauty looked up at the man while sipping her tea.

“The color of your eyes is light. Sunset color……”

“……”

“It’s the same as the day I first saw Your Highness.”

“What?”

The Crown Prince reacted sharply even though it wasn’t a provocative tone.

I quickly pressed down on his chest to stop him.

It was then.

-Clink, clink, clink, clink……

From not far away, the sound of clear wine glasses rang out.

Following that, the commotion outside subsided like embers. Ms. Gain and I opened our eyes wide and quickly stuck to the gap in the curtain.

Ropi and the lesser pandas also gathered around and stuck out only their eyeballs.

The Crown Prince’s sigh flowed down from behind, but I didn’t care about it right now.

In the meantime, the Imperial Guards were densely blocking the front of the curtain, so I whispered and asked them to step aside to secure a view.

In the middle of the high and wide ceiling of the mother ship, a sparkling chandelier was hanging.

That looks just like the one hanging in the Imperial Opera House.

-Rustle, rustle, rustle

“Princess, that’s Baron Bacari, the child abuser! I saw his face earlier.”

“Ah……”

I see it. The bow of the ship is very visible from our waiting room!

“……Everyone, thank you for attending the cruise ball tonight. Please understand that my wife has not yet returned from the Imperial Palace. It is an honor to host such a special event and treat such precious guests in our family’s historic lake located in the suburbs of the Imperial Capital. This event was prepared to celebrate the birthday and appointment ceremony of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince……”

“Long live His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Long live!”

Baron Hugo Bacari, whom I was meeting for the first time, was continuing his greetings among the guests with a glass of wine in his hand.

Some of the guests had already become dried horse meat [very drunk] and were wishing for the Crown Prince’s longevity.

Anyone could tell that they had already gone to 1st and 2nd rounds somewhere else [referring to having already attended other parties or gatherings].

Riester people have liked drinking, dancing, and partying since birth, and because of this temperament, they gathered and held a feast whenever there was a national celebration.

The week before His Majesty’s birthday was virtually a national holiday, and on other holidays, there were unconditionally drinking and eating parties.

The only Crown Prince’s birthday and Crown Prince appointment ceremony were not much different.

Rumor has it that more than thirty balls are being held in the Imperial Capital alone today……

At this point, it is definitely a culture where the tail wags the dog [the celebration overshadows the actual event]. They like to play too much.

“Ahahaha……!”

“Also, Baron Judith Andre, who co-organized this event, is still meeting with His Majesty and His Highness at the palace. But please don’t forget that her heart is with us. Instead, the Baron’s husband is shining by my side like this……”

“Cheers!”

“For Baron Andre and the Baron’s husband!”

“For―!”

Pour, pour, pour, wine and champagne went down the guests’ throats once again.

Young ladies and gentlemen with flushed cheeks giggled, touching each other’s sleeves.

Some of the guests kept glancing this way.

They were curious as to when the precious royal family would come out and match their rhythm.

When Ms. Gain and I turned around at the same time, the Prince laughed out loud. His face showed that he knew the situation outside without even looking.

After waiting for a long time, the turn we had been waiting for finally came.

“……And so, my beloved daughter Desiree will be engaged to Baron Andre’s precious second son, Prince Debi. I am overjoyed to be able to share such news on such a good day.”

-Clap, clap, clap……!

This time, polite applause erupted. At the same time, countless fans fluttered.

And it was around that time that we were finally able to find our young friend.

Even that was barely.

“Oh! Do you see Camille Bacari over there, Princess?”

“……Yes. I just saw him too.”

Camille Bacari was wearing a calm expression, standing among his family’s relatives.

I belatedly recognized the situation he was in and frowned.

While Baron Andre’s husband and Prince Debi Andre, his twin brother, and Desiree Bacari were taking turns greeting the guests……

“That’s too much.”

-Kieung……

The prophet did not stand before the public. He was completely isolated from his family.

The only people who were by his side were Miss Berenice Mendi, whom he had known since childhood, and an unfamiliar old gentleman.

However, the elder’s appearance and atmosphere were quite similar to Berenice, so I thought he might be her grandfather, whom I had only heard about.

“And this is the treasure of our family and the gift to bless the two people’s engagement……”

-Thud, creak!

At that very moment, Baron Bacari’s words were cut off.

It was because the ship’s huge entrance door rang out with a heavy sound.

The guests’ gazes were focused on that side at once, and Ms. Gain and I also twisted our bodies as much as possible and raised our heads.

I can’t see that direction well, what’s going on all of a sudden?

-Step, step, step, step, step, step……!

However, the curiosity did not last long.

Suddenly, orderly footsteps rang out, and the number of knights in familiar uniforms had increased several times.

We looked back at each other with blank faces. Goosebumps ran down our spines.

……No way, no.

“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is here!”

“Oh, good heavens!”

“You crazy!”

Ah, this is too fast!

We haven’t even seen the ‘B’ of the treasure yet!