What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 603

Sub-Male Lead on Strike-603

#603

Interpreter and Tracker (1)

Another big problem.

First, I needed to calm Hyung [older brother or a term of endearment for a close male friend] down!

“…I was wrong, Hyung. I’m really okay now. Sorry for worrying you.”

I immediately put my hands together and expressed my deepest regrets to Jung Hyun-seo, the most reliable eldest son in the world.

The Crown Prince cocked an eyebrow, seemingly puzzled by my sudden apology.

Gain waved her hand at him, gesturing for him to be quiet for a moment.

Even though he couldn’t read the words, his eyes were fixed on the status window, sparkling and gleaming.

The Divine Beasts were also hanging from me like dried persimmons, peering at the window. Ugh…

【Jung Ye-seo】

【How can you even think of going back after what you’ve been through】

【What on earth is going on???】

【I can understand not telling Jung Eun-seo, but how could you not say anything to Hyung!!!!】

【You just took thirty years off my life, seriously】

Pazzzzz! Crackle! The purple status window flashed with angry golden light intermittently.

I hurriedly shook my head. I felt cold sweat trickling down my back.

“No, don’t do that. I received spiritual healing from an expert here regarding that incident, and these days I’m managing myself diligently by meditating and circulating my ether [a concept referring to vital energy or life force]. The bishop said I’m recovering incredibly fast. I don’t have nightmares often these days. I don’t have any pain separately either.”

“Apologize one more time, Gungju-nim [term of respect, similar to ‘Lord’ or ‘Lady’].”

“I’m sorry, Hyung-nim [more formal way of addressing ‘Hyung’].”

Then the status window trembled.

Gain quickly made two chins and managed her expression.

I was the only one who felt mortified and sorry to death. Please forgive me!

【Ha】

【I’m going crazy, I’m going to jump, I’m going insane】

【I can’t get my head straight】

【If you were next to me right now, I wouldn’t have let you off easy. Either your back would be blown off, or my wrist would be blown off forever. One of the two】

【…Are you really okay? You’re not hiding anything again??】

“There’s nothing like that. I’m sincerely fine. Actually, I had no intention of hiding it. But after Hyung appeared, I didn’t have the wherewithal to talk about it—”

【Is this a matter of wherewithal?!?!!!】

Papapap! The window suddenly tripled in size and wriggled wildly.

Where did the elegant purple go? The intensely excited bright yellow shone terrifyingly, like 100 fluorescent lights turned on.

Unable to withstand the immense pressure of Hyun-seo’s window, I retreated on my butt.

Cedric watched me silently and finally muttered.

“…It seems you kept that a secret. You have a tendency to invite karma upon yourself.”

-Kkingeong

“This isn’t helping!”

Who are you teasing!

“Shall we go downstairs and talk?”

“Heok!”

Just then, a gentle voice flowed down from the top of the roof.

We simultaneously snapped our heads up.

As usual, Sir Johann, with his hair neatly tied back, was standing on the thin roof, looking down at us.

As always, he had GuGu perched on his shoulder, and his jade eyes held a faint smile.

Only then did I feel a strange sense of unease along with a chilly feeling.

I quickly raised my gaze to look up at the sky.

Beneath the ink-black universe, under the heavily clouded night sky….

-Swishhhhh…!

“…Oh my god.”

Late summer torrential rain was pouring down on every place except where we were sitting.

Only in the places where my friends and I could see, water did not fall.

As soon as I became aware of it, the sound of a waterfall pierced my ears like a lie.

Then a huge dome-shaped air barrier came into view. My lips parted involuntarily.

So, so far, Sir Johann has been continuously….

“Your voices seem to be getting louder. It would be good to be careful since there are neighbors in the house behind us.”

【That person is a complete stranger I’ve never heard of】

【I don’t know what’s going on, and neither do you】

【Ha…】

“Hyung?”

-Nyaooo

The Hyun-seo window suddenly shrank like a deflated balloon, then slowly returned to its violet color.

Surprised, Gain blinked her eyes. The Crown Prince and Sir Johann tilted their heads in unison.

I was terrified that Hyung might collapse from the shock.

“Hyung, are you okay? I’m really sorry. If you’re dizzy, take a break for a moment…”

【No, I can handle it】

【What did you do wrong? That son of a bitch is going to hell】

….

【You go inside with the kids first】

The Hyun-seo window answered intermittently.

I didn’t know how to react, so I just cuddled the Divine Beasts.

Before I knew it, the sleeping Tete rubbed her cheek against Gain’s shoulder.

The following words carried a strange weight.

【…It’s a long story. Let’s do it in the room.】

*

“Oh my, you’re spilling water everywhere! It’s a sea of water all the way beyond the entrance!”

“I’m sorry!”

“We apologize, Master Shu. We will wipe it up.”

“I was going to bring you earlier, but it turned out like this.”

As soon as we entered the single-story house, the group was scolded by Master Shu, who was wiping the floor with a large mop.

The old man in his pajamas was wearing a nightcap with a round fur ball attached.

Moreover, he was holding a push mop with both hands, so he really looked like a ‘wizard’ from a picture book, which made me laugh inappropriately for the situation.

We hurriedly took off our wet outerwear and roughly wiped our heads and bodies with worn towels.

The troublesome things stood in front of me in a row and put out their front and back paws.

Finally, the cleaned Lopi shook its tail once and jumped onto the sofa.

“Change into this quickly. It’s a headache if you catch a cold in this weather.”

“Thank you.”

Around the time I received the hole-filled pajamas and bowed, I met eyes with Prince Ye-seo, who was placing a bucket where the rain was leaking.

His cheeks had gained a little weight in the past few days.

The man gently straightened his back and smiled.

“Welcome. It seems you finished the conversation well.”

Then he winked slightly at the Crown Prince. It meant, ‘Did you reconcile properly?’

I smiled awkwardly.

“Yes…. I’m back. It just happened that way.”

“I’m glad. I believed that Ye-seo would do that.”

“…Thank you.”

A gentle face, kind words.

The prince, who wore the loose shirt and old pants as if they were his own clothes.

It was a picture that warmed my heart just by looking at it.

He delicately adjusted the position of the bucket, then meticulously wiped the moisture from the floor with a dry rag—I didn’t even know it was a rag until now.

He wasn’t used to these chores, but he’s been getting better at it lately.

He also learned how to peel garlic, learned how to fold laundry, and did his first dishwashing today….

Even though he was kidnapped with his permission.

“Your Highness, please go in and rest. I will continue to clean up here.”

“No. It’s okay. I’m doing housework for fun, so don’t worry.”

He smiled slightly and stroked the back of Leia’s head as she approached.

He didn’t care at all about his disheveled hair.

Then he added in a voice so small that only I could hear.

“If I ever go on a trip with Cornelli, I think the accommodation can be a small cabin.”

“….”

It felt like the first time I heard his true feelings.

“I do the housework, and that child fishes in the lake…. I hope Nuna [older sister or a term of endearment for a close female friend] will catch monster fish for us. Just like you did on the way here.”

“….Yes. That would be really fun.”

I responded with the brightest expression I could muster.

I didn’t forget to quickly make another suggestion.

“Of course, it would be fun to go with the Prince’s friends.”

“…My friends?”

“Yes. By now, Princess Sarnese and His Highness the Crown Prince must be desperately looking for the Prince. Surely Mute must be with them too. I guarantee that the enthusiasm of the Imperial Guard won’t even reach the tips of their toes.”

“….”

At my words, the Prince’s purple eyes widened slightly.

It was a reaction that he hadn’t even thought about until then. Well, that was understandable.

If it was August of the first year in the story, it was a time when the three protagonists were still bickering and wavering because they hadn’t yet gauged their distance from each other.

But I could be sure just from what I had seen and heard in the Imperial Palace.

No matter what anyone said, the three of them were steadily growing fond of each other. Whether it was a fondness born of animosity or affection, it was slowly seeping in like a drizzle.

I swear, really. Truly.

“…I would be happy if you did.”

After a long time, such a whisper reached me. I smiled and nodded.

In the meantime, Master Shu was quietly exchanging a few words with Cedric.

The sound of the crackling fireplace muffled the words, so I couldn’t hear them well.

But it didn’t seem like they were simply discussing bathwater or clothes to change into.

Noon occasionally looked up at the ceiling and suppressed tears, and the Crown Prince seemed to be calming his mind by looking at the flames of the fireplace while his Adam’s apple bobbed.

“….”

A large breath rushed up to the tip of my tongue and then scattered.

“…Gungju-nim.”

And from the kitchen, Gain and Sir Johann came out with warm drinks.

Soon, the savory scent of milk and flower tea filled the small living room.

Everyone’s eyes were on the two of them.

“Let’s go upstairs and finish talking.”

The Cardinal suggested in a soft voice.

I looked back at the status window, which had been quiet all along, and nodded my head.

*

Even the moon went into the bedroom, and it was already past midnight.

Prince Ye-seo and Master Shu excused themselves again.

I was concerned about the man’s attitude, which seemed to be drawing a line, but I didn’t want to force anything on him.

Now that I knew that was his nature, I also wanted to let him act comfortably.

Ye-seo Fenetian was born lonely, but he was a person who needed time to have others by his side.

Thus, only the four of us and the troublesome things gathered in the narrow attic.

【…First, I’m going to tell you the most important thing.】

To be exact, five people including Hyung.

I quietly read aloud the ‘system message’ he sent.

Gain and the Crown Prince sat in comfortable positions and listened.

Sir Johann, who was sipping coffee even at this hour, often shone his cold eyes toward the window.

In the blind spot where he couldn’t see, GuGu’s eyeballs rolled around.

It was a gaze wary of the curfew patrol.

I tapped the status window, which had been silent for almost a minute.

“…Hyung, why are you stopping in the middle of your words? Are you not feeling well?”

【…I feel like my eyeballs are about to fall out and I have gastritis, but other than that, I’m fine, so don’t worry.】

Ah…. I’m really sorry.

【I don’t know where to start or how to explain this. I can’t even tell you everything cleanly. So I’ll just do it without any order.】

And then Jung Hyun-seo was silent for a long time.

Only when the main couple frowned at the same time did a new sentence appear in the status window.

【…I am not the original author of .】

…What?

“Wait, Hyung isn’t the original author? What does that mean?!”

“Yes?”

“What?”

When my voice suddenly soared, Gain and Cedric also reacted sharply.

Sir Johann, who was looking outside, also quickly turned his gaze.

The surprised Lesser Pandas simultaneously raised their tails.

At the unexpected remark, my heart suddenly pounded and rolled around like a stone.

No, really. What does that mean?

【It’s as it says.】

【…The person who conceived the original work is separate, and I wrote the story at that person’s request. Most of the Retreating Duke’s settings came from that person’s notebook. They sometimes wrote it briefly on tissues or receipts.】

Uh…?

【I don’t know much about romance fantasy, so the PD [Production Director] in charge introduced me to a romance fantasy PD from the same publishing house separately. That person helped me a lot from beginning to end.】

…Good heavens.

【Jung Ye, I can’t reveal to you who the original author is. That’s a secret.】

【But I think I should tell you this one thing.】

【…This novel has already strayed too far from what I know. It’s flowing in a direction that Hyung never dreamed of….】

The following sentence was too big and clear to be missed.

【It’s full of settings I don’t know.】

My breath caught in my throat.