What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 702

The Sub-Male Lead Goes on Strike -702

#702

Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil (4)

“······Birthday feast? Does that mean Maiker Lasso’s birthday is coming up soon?”

Isabelle, who was pushing abalone into her daughter’s mouth, blinked.

Even though Ms. Gain had already expressed that she was full twice, she was coaxing her daughter, saying, ‘Just one more bite.’

The group gathered around the bonfire was enjoying a pork feast for the first time in a while.

The tomatoes, asparagus, pine mushrooms, potatoes, and grilled carrots grown by the lesser pandas were overflowing with natural sweetness and juice. The several amberjacks and tunas provided by Tete were more than enough to feed over a hundred people.

Thanks to that, even though the sun had set a long time ago, the atmosphere here was lively.

The mountain children brought their mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers to eat and drink to their hearts’ content.

Leopold Lasso watched me eat with great curiosity—he ate even less than Francois, who was among the smaller eaters in our group—and nodded his head.

“Probably······. He will celebrate it grandly. When he was a duke······. He did so every year.”

“Still, isn’t he in the middle of a war right now? Besides, he recently took his son’s place. Does he have the leeway [time or resources] to throw a party? The territory’s atmosphere probably isn’t good either.”

Ms. Gain swallowed the abalone and said.

In the meantime, Isabelle put finely chopped scallops into Lynn’s mouth and checked to see if the baby could chew properly.

Physically, she was about three or four years old, so there shouldn’t be any problems, but it seemed like she was doing it just in case.

Lynn sat on her lap and munched on everything deliciously. How adorable.

“That······. He’ll probably make it as big as possible.”

The Duke scratched his cheek and drooped his eyebrows. His earring somehow gave off a gloomy light.

“Of course, he has no intention of giving me back my position······. Since he’s not feeling well in many ways, he tends to pay a lot of attention to appearances······.”

“Sounds like he’s very vain.”

Djibril Diop said, tearing off a skewer with vegetables and meat alternating.

He had been patrolling the area all afternoon and was having dinner, but he was also eating less than expected.

He was big, so he ate as much as an average adult male, but he definitely ate less than Cedrick.

I was thinking about that when I suddenly put a few slices of wild boar neck on my partner’s leaf.

Then the Crown Prince looked back at me and raised his eyebrows.

It’s nothing special. I just wanted to say I’m sorry for mistaking you for Diop earlier.

“A grand birthday party at a time when the territory is facing difficulties both internally and externally. He’s quite shameless. If it were the Imperial City, the entire social circle would point fingers at him.”

“Sneaking in to steal herbs is a good idea, but there should be more fundamental measures than that.”

Sir Johan, who had finished his meal, said, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.

As usual, he didn’t seem shocked at all by the extravagance or absurdity of the New Nation nobles.

Dduk-sim was sitting on his lap, wiggling his belly fat.

Everyone’s eyes turned to him.

“If we strike the lord’s castle, all problems will be solved.”

“Good heavens, Sir Haines.”

Clatter. Francois, who was making strawberry juice for the children’s dessert, became serious.

‘Kkiang!’ The precious children, who were excitedly intertwined and playing, were also surprised and collapsed.

Fortunately, the mountain people were chatting without hearing our story.

I watched the little ones, whose hair was puffed up in a circle with static electricity, and carefully added a word.

“It’s not impossible with our power, but I’m worried that there will be a lot of civilian casualties. Of course, the entire territory will be in chaos.”

“Hey. The 33rd Cavalry Division is basically a partisan. Our job is to dig into the enemy lines and bring them down from the inside.”

‘Don’t even think about avoiding conflict now.’ Diop pointed out, stabbing the empty skewer into the air.

No······. Of course, that’s a hundred times right, but. I know very well that bringing down that fake lord is the right way to do it. But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

I bit my lip and put five pieces of pork belly on a lettuce leaf.

The residents here were essentially a group that could not be armed.

The risk we would have to bear if things went wrong, even a little bit, was too great. There would be quite a few people employed to work at the lord’s castle······.

“In that case, the will of Duke Lasso will be important after all. Depending on who is the subject of the action, our process and purpose will be completely different. The aftermath is also a problem.”

“If we sneak in and steal, it will only be theft.”

Cedrick said, taking my words in a blunt manner.

The hand that pierced the meat with a well-carved wooden stick was elegant.

“But if we strike the lord’s castle, it will be a recapture.”

“Yes. Things will get much bigger than we expected. The Duke will move with the goal of 복권(復權) [bokgwon – restoration of rights].”

In response to my answer, this time, my friends’ eyes shifted to Duke Lasso.

The prisoner hunched his muscular body as much as possible and lowered his eyes.

“I, I······. Just······. Just, I think it’s better to steal quietly······.”

“You’re the real duke, aren’t you? Aren’t you upset that you lost the lord’s castle while you were gone?”

Ms. Gain, who was chewing on well-cooked pork rinds, asked.

She looked calmer than when we had a similar conversation in the underground passage last time.

The Duke flinched and blinked.

“That······. That’s actually······. I’m still, still afraid of my mother······.”

“······I’m not going to suddenly tell you to fight or go and take revenge.”

As she said that, the baby was staring at her intently.

Ms. Gain ignored Lynn’s gaze and continued to speak.

Judging from the fact that Cedrick put down his leaf plate, her ether seemed to be fluctuating.

“I know how you feel. I know why you’ve shrunk back so much, how hard it’s been. But there are territory residents who rely on you without you knowing. There are people who remember you and miss you even if they don’t know your face. You’ve seen it all here, haven’t you? Those sick kids leaving their homes and suffering. Then at least take responsibility······.”

“Mommy.”

“I’m not your mommy.”

Whack! Ms. Gain’s head turned towards Lynn.

I watched her with a nervous heart and flinched, dropping my lettuce wrap.

In an unusual atmosphere, other friends also held their breath.

“Woo, but you are my mommy······.”

“When did I give birth to you to be called mommy? Mommy is what you call the person who gave birth to you.”

“······.”

At that moment, Isabelle’s eyes widened.

Ms. Gain belatedly realized what mistake she had made and moved her lips.

It was the moment she was about to quickly add a word. ‘Mother.’

“Huuu, waaaaah······!”

“Disciple. Shall we take a walk for a moment?”

Lynn, whose face was flushed red, burst into tears, and Sir Johan got up without a sound and took Ms. Gain out of her seat.

I was just gaping like an idiot at the unexpected flow.

‘Excuse me.’ Francois gently touched my shoulder and passed by, then whispered a few kind words to Isabelle and took the baby.

Her eyes reddened, and she soon left the bonfire under the escort of the Marquis.

Everything happened so quickly. I looked at my friends walking in different directions and hurriedly got up. Sant also stirred.

“I should go too—”

“Sit down.”

“Yes······.”

“Yes, sir······.”

Cedrick’s voice had authority today.

His deep eyes looked straight up at me. We quietly shrank.

“Rambouillet’s energy has been fluctuating wildly for the past few days.”

“······.”

“······.”

“There must be a limit to blocking the sea water with your fists. Let it go until it subsides.”

······Did he feel that emotion through a part of Ms. Gain in the vessel?

I didn’t argue any further and just nodded my head.

Soon, the footsteps of my friends and Lynn’s cries were buried in the bushes and faded away.

From afar, the children, including Kobe, were watching us.

I waved my hand to mean it was okay.

To be exact, with that wish.

“So. What are you going to do?”

······Indeed, Diop. Should I say he’s reliable in this respect? A bitter smile came out on its own.

“You know it too, Palace Lord. Stealing the sun halo grass in the castle is just a stopgap measure.”

“Yes. Maiker Lasso will constantly repeat the same thing. The people here will also suffer like a repeat sign. I didn’t know we’d get so involved······.”

“Stop pretending. You must know that accidents happen wherever you go.”

He said, chewing on a stick and sneering.

I smiled embarrassedly and hugged Perry. Cedrick immediately changed the subject.

“Haven’t you overthrown your mother once before?”

“······Ah, ah. At that time······. That······.”

Duke Lasso, realizing that he was being spoken to, bit his tongue in great embarrassment.

Cedrick was now talking about the moment when the man first defeated his mother and rose to the title himself.

The Crown Prince’s calm irises flickered like jewels in the firelight.

I swallowed, waiting for the words to follow.

“If you’ve succeeded once, it’s usually not difficult the second time. That’s what the world says.”

“······.”

“Half of it is nonsense.”

Eun-seo! I opened my mouth with a shocked face.

“The first opportunity is given to more people than you think. But the second opportunity is rare.”

······Oh······?

“If you don’t accept our plan, no one can guarantee when the next one will come. I don’t even know if it exists.”

“······.”

“Don’t miss the light while hiding in the dark.”

The man turned to me and concluded in his usual low voice.

Duke Lasso stared blankly at him like someone who was very shocked, then tightened his jaw and looked like he was thinking hard about something.

I smiled at my friend, who had managed to persuade him without being coercive for once.

He’s all grown up, all grown up. He entered middle school.

“······Ha. I’m going to sleep.”

‘Let’s talk more tomorrow.’ Soon the lightning wizard grumbled and got up.

There were many empty seats elsewhere, but since he was trying to pass by this way, I slowly moved my butt.

Cedrick glared at his sixth cousin as if he were going to kill him. Student, you should get along with your family?

“Oh, Captain!”

It was at that moment.

“Captain? Wow, it’s really the Captain!”

“Freeda, noona [term of endearment for an older sister or female friend]!”

“Noona, why are you here now!”

“Freeda······!”

The other side of the bonfire became noisy in an instant, and the children sitting around drinking strawberry juice ran out, competing with each other.

The adults, who were half-lying down and watching their children, also straightened their backs with happy faces.

I quickly exchanged glances with my friends and got up from my seat.

If it’s ‘Captain,’ it must be that child Kobe was talking about.

The fourteen-year-old who is virtually responsible for all the activities here······.

“Freeda, noona, who is that kid?”

“Noona, come and eat meat too! Tuna hundred years old!”

“Babo [fool], tuna ‘belly’!”

“Who are those kids?”

“I caught a prisoner. No. To be exact, our collaborator······. Should I say.”

A tired voice answered from among the little ones.

I narrowed my eyes to get a better look at the Captain.

Freeda was a girl wearing broken glasses, and she was taller than I had vaguely imagined.

At first glance, she looked like a studious model student······.

“This kid is from the Roserharder family. He says he will help us.”

······What?

“What!?”

“Roserharder! Really?!”

“Nobles from right next door? The ones who live in the palace?”

“No, the Count of the Imperial Court!”

“That’s, that’s ridiculous······.”

The mumbling of the bewildered Duke Lasso faded away into my ears.

I stood as if nailed to the spot and looked at the children Freeda had brought.

It wasn’t certain because of the distance, but one child was definitely Sant’s relative.

I could tell just by the fact that they looked alike at a glance, and that Sant, who was greatly surprised, was calling the child’s name and fidgeting.

And the girl standing next to him······.

“I heard there’s someone here named Serenete. Someone who came from a place with a beautiful lake. Is that true?”

She had clear, sparkling green eyes even in front of the hot flames, and ivory hair that rippled like waves.

A voice I had heard somewhere before pierced my eardrums like an awl.

I struggled to fill my mind, which was turning white for a moment, with something.

But the only question that blurred my vision was this.

“······Cornélia. Good heavens······.”

The Prince’s only sister. Why are you here?