What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 65

#065 The Northern Grand Duke’s Territory (2)

On the distant sea, a ship floated. It was too far to make out the emblem on its flag.

However, the sound of cannons firing from it was unmistakable.

“Evacuate all the residents from the coastal territory! Take only valuables and take refuge in the Count’s residence!”

“Understood, Vice Count!”

The knights seemed accustomed to this situation.

Few were surprised by the word ‘pirates’; rather, their ranks and gazes became even more resolute.

Cristel watched the Border Count’s swords moving in perfect order, then calmly called out to Elizabeth.

“Lady Elizabeth, I will help as well.”

“I would be grateful if you would, Princess.”

The Vice Count smiled, her gray eyes gleaming. Her tone was the same as usual.

Perhaps because she had dealt with pirates many times, her demeanor showed no urgency or anxiety.

She only seemed a little calmer.

“Summon Teacher Johann and the priests as well. We may need their help.”

Cristel said. Elizabeth nodded quickly.

“Relay the Princess’s words. Gabriel, you go!”

“Yes, Vice Count!”

The knight designated as the messenger quickly spurred his horse towards the Count’s residence.

Cristel watched his retreating figure, lost in thought.

‘Johann Haynes’ was the Holy Knight instructor dispatched by the Papal State for her and Prince Cedrick.

He was a man who lacked motivation in everything and even found eating bothersome, but surely he wouldn’t stand idly by while his disciple faced pirates.

The priest-level cleric he brought was also essential for receiving Ether [a magical energy source in this world].

Compared to Prince Yesser’s clear Ether, his was of junk food quality….

But it was better than nothing.

Prince Yesser.

Cristel smiled slightly as she felt the sea breeze.

The Prince was one of the two figures here who possessed the greatest vitality.

She couldn’t explain the exact reason, as it was too subjective a feeling, even to herself….

When the Prince and the Emperor were nearby, everything around her felt clearer and more vivid.

The awareness that she was alive also became more intense than ever.

She had received similar impressions from Lady Elizabeth and Cardinal Boutier, but neither was as ‘distinct’ as those two.

Of course, the feelings the two men gave were completely different.

The Emperor and she were in a relationship where they clashed, resolving each other’s anger and stress.

After exerting her strength to the maximum to compete with him, the unique sense of liberation of a Holy Knight washed over her, making her feel quite good.

He was a man who instinctively repulsed her, but he was the perfect sparring partner.

After a big fight and collapsing, the vitality within her body also became clearer.

Prince Yesser was a bit peculiar. For example….

‘Please be careful of pirates.’

She had been so dumbfounded at the time that she had laughed. He was a strange person.

He seemed to keep his distance while being kind, and he pretended to be cold even though he was clearly warm.

Even though he had never held her hand like the Emperor, he exuded an unbelievable vitality just by his existence.

It was as if he lived in a 4K world while everyone else was in HD.

Was it because of his enormous Ether that she felt that way?

-콰앙! [Sound of a cannon firing]

-촤아아아! [Sound of water splashing]

Another cannon shot rang out. This time, a large waterspout erupted quite close to the shore.

While no one laughed, only Cristel smiled dazzlingly.

Dwelling on incomprehensible phenomena was not the style of a ‘Ham Gae-in’ [Cristel’s nickname, implying someone who gets things done].

She shook off thoughts of the two handsome men and readjusted her azure whip.

As long as it didn’t cause too much trouble for the owner of this body, she intended to do everything she wanted to do.

And today’s goal was….

‘Just a small souvenir will do.’

‘A souvenir sounds good. I’ll do that.’

“Can a pirate ship even be called a souvenir?”

She hummed, drawing out the end of her words.

The dazzling sunlight of early summer illuminated the white cliffs and the blue seawater.

She had never used her abilities this far away, but the background was the sea.

So it was worth a try.

I’m not curious.

Who the Evelyn Grand Duke is and who the Evelyn Duke is, honestly, who cares?

I felt no curiosity whatsoever. I didn’t care if no one taught me.

I’m busy enough taking care of myself; where would I find the time to worry about someone else’s distant relatives?

I pondered truly important things as I got out of the carriage and strode forward.

Demi, perched on my shoulder, and the two Lesser Pandas in my arms chattered busily, “Kkii, kkii.”

Benjamin and Ganael followed behind, carrying simple luggage.

“It’s been two years since I’ve been to the detached palace. It will be a pleasant summer retreat.”

Emperor Frederick, walking ahead, seemed to find it amusing to tease me, as the corners of his lips had been subtly raised since earlier.

Only Cardinal Boutier muttered beside him, “He must have wasted his years,” and “I’m ashamed of myself.”

He was practically the last conscience of the Empire.

“It is an honor for our family to meet you, Prince Yesser.”

“The pleasure is mine.”

The head butler of the Grand Duke’s residence, who had greeted the Emperor and the Cardinal, bowed politely to me as well.

After driving for a couple of hours to reach the Evelyn Grand Duke’s house, all the butlers and servants who had heard the news were standing outside in a row.

The Grand Duke’s residence boasted a scale befitting the name ‘Summer Detached Palace,’ but there were fewer people working there than expected.

As it was the Emperor’s villa with strictly limited access, it seemed the number of staff was also managed.

“We have heard much about your exploits in the ‘Monster Subjugation.’ You will receive the infinite blessings of the Main God.”

“I didn’t really do anything.”

I smiled lightly and looked around.

The Summer Detached Palace was a grand mansion with impressive orange walls and a navy blue roof.

Lavish gold decorations were added here and there, and exquisite sculptures and silver-crafted magic lamps were displayed in large niches.

The main gate of the detached palace could be reached via huge staircases on both sides, and the mansion seemed to be spreading its arms in a circular motion to welcome guests.

In front of the building, a steep lawn and a fountain adorned with all sorts of jewels stretched out.

The waterway seemed to be over 200 meters long, and wide enough to float a small boat.

“It’s a beautiful place.”

“Thank you.”

The head butler bowed in response to my admiration.

Unlike the Imperial Palace, which exuded the majesty and authority of the Imperial Family, the detached palace was clearly a space focused on recreation.

It was smaller than the Imperial Palace, but the colors were bolder.

It was said to be very cold in winter, but now a cool breeze was blowing, making it refreshing.

I felt a little embarrassed to be tagging along on the Emperor and Cardinal’s summer retreat, but coming here made it worth enduring the embarrassment in many ways.

“Duke, hmm. His Excellency Duke Evelyn mainly reads books on that lawn over there.”

“His Excellency the Duke?”

“Yes. Since you enjoy reading, Your Highness… I mentioned it to recommend a suitable place.”

The head butler bit his lip slightly.

Seeing him hold back a laugh while mentioning Duke Evelyn, it seemed the ‘Imperial Order’ had already been delivered.

A sigh escaped me.

To tease a prince, they issue an order that has as much solemnity as a chick’s tear….

“Thank you. Please guide me to my room first.”

“Yes, I will do so.”

The head butler gestured to the servants of the detached palace.

The Emperor and the Cardinal had already gone up to their rooms and were nowhere to be seen.

I began to walk up the smooth granite stairs with my party.

But why is the Duke ‘His Excellency’? Well, he’s the son of the Grand Duke and a member of the Imperial Family, so it makes sense that he’s ‘His Excellency’.

No, I’m not curious, I tell you.

“Wow, this is the best. I wish I could live here.”

“Me too, Your Highness. It’s my first time in Evelyn, and I love it so much.”

-Kkiiiiing! [Sound of Lesser Pandas chirping]

Ganael, the three Lesser Pandas, and I lay side by side on the mat, rolling around.

Benjamin smiled gently and poured cool honeybush tea.

Bright sunshine, a cool lawn, and refreshing shade from the trees. Close friends and adorable companion divine creatures.

Everything was perfect at the summer detached palace.

It would be perfect if I could just stay alive and go home like this.

The Emperor had gone hunting, saying he would catch dinner, and the Cardinal had accompanied him as a matter of course.

Duke Evelyn, who had left to suppress pirates, would not return for several days.

In this wonderful detached palace, I was truly alone.

“But why is Evelyn closed to outsiders? Is there a specific reason?”

I suddenly asked a question that came to mind.

Ganael’s golden eyes took on a slightly troubled light.

“Well, Your Highness. Um….”

“Evelyn was originally the Imperial Family’s private property. It hasn’t been long since it was named Evelyn and divided into districts. It is land specially bestowed upon the Grand Duke, so only close family and guests can enter and leave.”

“I see.”

Benjamin managed to satisfy some of my curiosity without mentioning the identities of the Evelyn Grand Duke or Duke.

I was newly impressed by him. I nodded and sat up.

Then, holding a peach in one hand and a quill in the other, I opened my notebook.

“Well, it’s not that I’m curious about the Grand Duke or the Duke.”

“Suddenly?”

Ganael was bewildered by my sudden words.

I quietly held out the peach, and Demi quickly came over, grabbed my sleeve, and began to bite into the flesh.

The other two didn’t seem very interested.

I maintained that posture and wrote down ‘truly important things’ in my notebook.

∙ Sadie and the Suspicious Letter

In fact, this was the most concerning thing.

Last night, I found a mysterious note among Prince Yesser’s birthday cards.

It was a note from someone named ‘Wisil’ to ‘Rosna,’ and anyone could tell it was someone from the Holy Kingdom asking about my well-being.

Sadie snatched it away in an instant, but it was a short note, so I could memorize it all.

However, what I was curious about was,

∙ Sadie and the Suspicious Letter

– Who is Wisil?

– Is Rosna my middle name?

– What did Sadie do with the letter?

…that was it.

“Wisil, Wisil.”

I muttered to myself.

Judging from the contents of the note alone, unlike what I had expected, it seemed there was someone in the Holy Kingdom who was worried about Prince Yesser.

The tone didn’t seem like a lover, but rather like family or a friend.

I had no way of knowing who the friend was, but if it was family, there were a few candidates I could guess.

– Who is Wisil: A friend I don’t know, King Christana, Crown Princess Elissa

I lightly bit the end of the quill and released it.

Why would the King send a secret letter like that?

She was in a position to send an official letter to her son at any time if she wanted to, and there was no need to hide it.

But the Crown Princess….

‘The Crown Princess does not share the same views as the King.’

‘You are saying dangerous things.’

The interview I had with Sarah Beliard, the editor of , last month came to mind.

At that time, Beliard had clearly said that.

The armed conflict between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom at the border was Crown Princess Elissa’s doing, and the Crown Princess and King Werner had different opinions.

My expression slightly soured as my thoughts reached that point.

What if the Crown Princess was secretly contacting me, avoiding the King’s eyes?

What if the siblings in the Holy Kingdom were not on bad terms?

“Hmm….”

It was a plausible hypothesis, but it was dangerous to make a judgment.

In the first place, Beliard had also said that it was just a rumor, and the possibility that a third party I couldn’t think of had written the note could not be ignored.

It was too early to judge that the Crown Princess was on my side or that I had allies in the Holy Kingdom with just this much clue.

I was careful not to let Demi eat the peach pit and lowered my gaze to the next sentence.

Ganael, who had fallen asleep, came into view.

– Is Rosna my middle name?

At the same time, a familiar boy’s voice came to mind.

‘Rosna must be your middle name.’

I guess so. I grumbled inwardly.

There was no way to know this unless Prince Yesser’s family or close friends came and proved it.

Eunseo didn’t even recite the middle name of the ‘Toegye Gong’ character [a famous Korean Confucian scholar], and even if she had, I wouldn’t have remembered it.

The only conversations that came to mind after coming this far were,

‘Northern Grand Duke. If there are many male lead candidates in a romance fantasy, you must choose the Northern Grand Duke.’

‘Can’t it be the West?’

‘There’s no such thing in the West, little brother. Crown Prince, King, Northern Grand Duke, Magic Tower Lord? You grab the Northern Grand Duke without asking.’

‘Why? Isn’t the North dangerous because there are many invasions? What if you die during the wedding?’

‘Stop watching Game of Thrones.’

…that was it. This was the territory of the ‘Grand Duke’ in the ‘North’ of the ‘Romance Fantasy’ world!

I quickly straightened my slouching posture.

Benjamin, who was putting meringue cookies in my mouth, flinched.

It wasn’t that I was particularly curious. However, my right hand began to move with a flourish, as if possessed by Jeong Eunseo’s mouth.

∙ Characteristics of the Northern Grand Duke

– Taciturn

– Serious

– Handsome

– Wears fur (may not in summer)

– Cold