What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 708

What’s wrong with my face? (1)

The Memphis Mountains were the last gateway protecting the kingdom’s vessel, the royal capital.

In that sense, the Raso manor was like a gatekeeper guarding the entrance.

Although the family wasn’t involved in political activities, they were wealthy royals famous for their strong animal troops, making them influential.

They weren’t as famous as the Venetian royal family, the Sneider Duke family, the Roseharder Count family, or the Kamingha Grand Duke family, but they had produced many clergymen and were highly prestigious.

“Yes. How many guests do you think will be attending?”

“That is, I don’t know, Chief Steward Dolph. The other stewards are just as lost. Lord Leopold isn’t here, so those who replied to the invitations…”

“Shh. Lower your voice.”

‘If it gets into Lord Maiker’s ears, you’ll be in trouble,’ the stout old man, who looked like a snowball stuck to the floor, brought his bent fingers to his lips.

The middle-aged man, hugging a plate of refreshments, nodded and glanced left and right.

Dozens of workers were bustling through the dim hallway.

All of them had gaunt and subdued faces.

Holding decorative plates the size of human torsos, ancient tapestries taken out of the warehouse, thick carpets to be laid on the limestone floor, and large chandeliers…

Few people would think of wartime seeing such a scene.

“…Well, it would be difficult for it to reach his ears.”

Chief Steward Dolph sighed deeply and put his hands behind his back.

His successor once again looked at his superior.

“We even put up the leaflets we got from the royal capital, but he didn’t believe them at all.”

“He’s not one to believe, is he? The other nobles are probably in chaos, too.”

“Yes, I suppose so… It’s a difficult story to accept easily. So, should we not prepare for evacuation?”

“We have to defend the castle… But just in case, have the young stewards and servants pack their belongings separately. In an emergency, they can go to Roseharder and be protected.”

“Yes.”

The woman covered her chapped hands with her sleeves and replied.

“Um… And didn’t you say you couldn’t find anything in the direction of Memphis? Not even traces of children or patients… Should we send the servants again?”

“That’s enough. Lord Maiker doesn’t seem to care anymore, with his birthday celebration coming up. Besides, the situation of those who lived there…”

‘We know better than anyone,’ the old man groaned and waved his hand.

The steward nodded again.

Ever since the previous Duke, Maiker Raso, led his private soldiers and illegally occupied the manor, the lower servants had been walking on thin ice every day.

The stewards from noble families with long careers were relatively better off.

The servants from commoner backgrounds were massively purged for supporting Duke Leopold, and they were kicked out without even receiving their last month’s wages.

In many ways, the atmosphere within the castle was bound to be ominous.

Dolph felt as if his life was being cut short day by day.

“The early spring weather is chilly. There’s already a commotion, so there must be a shortage of food in the mountains… Lord Maiker is watching with his eyes wide open, so we can’t even smuggle a single grain of wheat out.”

“Still, a procession celebrating Lord Maiker’s birthday is entering the castle from outside. It may not be as grand as it used to be, but there seem to be quite a few valuable gifts. Maybe we could somehow…”

“Please, don’t have such dangerous thoughts. I understand your feelings, but…”

The chief steward looked out the window and answered with a sigh.

In the distance, the sound of horses neighing and carriage wheels rolling continued.

His eyes, which had deteriorated with age, had a gloomy light.

Deep scars remained on his sagging cheeks and neck wrinkles.

“We… We who are left must maintain order in the castle and cater to Lord Maiker’s mood as much as possible… That way, he and the knights won’t do anything more cruel. As you know, the previous Duke has nothing more to lose.”

“…”

“I don’t know why he came back, but that doesn’t matter anymore. Until Duke Leopold returns, we must… save as many of the territory’s people as possible.”

“…”

“So, please keep trying as you are now, even if it’s difficult. I’m asking you.”

“I will keep that in mind, Chief Steward.”

The middle-aged man wiped his reddened eyes.

The old man patted her back and moved away.

He paused.

“Who knows?”

“Yes?”

“As you said… Maybe one of the gifts will please Lord Maiker so much that he’ll change his mind in an instant. Like when he came here, he’ll grab it and leave like the wind.”

“…”

“…That’s my dying wish.”

The chief steward nodded and slowly walked away.

The middle-aged man stood there blankly, taking in the scene beyond the window he had been looking at.

-Clatter, clatter, clatter…

“Whoa, whoa! Come this way, this way!”

Carriages loaded with gifts, with their passenger compartments bursting, were entering the fortress one by one.

The woman squeezed her eyes shut and prayed to the gods.

Then, she hurriedly left to find her next task.

*

D-1 until the start of ‘Raso’s Trojan Horse’ operation.

For the record, I didn’t come up with the operation name. Our protagonist did this time as well.

-Clap!

“Okay, let’s go over the personnel and roles one more time. Last reading! Everyone from the cast and crew, please gather!”

Huh, the famous director Christel Spielberg is calling! (Spielberg is a famous movie director).

“Let’s go, Demi, Perry.”

-Squeak!

“Let’s go, Lynn.”

“Woong!”

With two red pandas on my back and shoulders, and a baby in my arms, I hurried to the central bonfire.

The mountain children who passed by us clapped their hands innocently.

Francois, who spotted me from afar, rushed over and held a canteen to my mouth.

‘Thank you.’ After wetting my throat, I tried to sit down anywhere, but this time he was horrified and laid a handkerchief down for me. Huh?

“Francois?”

“You are the lead actor in this play, so you must behave differently.”

“…Not because I’m the princess of the empire?”

“Oh!”

The handsome man, surprised at himself, covered his mouth with his fist.

I can’t help it. I chuckled and sat down on the ground.

In this operation, Francois was in charge of production design, my manager (I don’t know why I need one), and escorting Corneliseo and Iseol.

In other words, he wasn’t participating in the infiltration operation.

Sant was also excluded.

As Iseol’s little uncle and the youngest son of the Roseharder Count, he also decided to stay with the two children.

This was in consideration of the possibility that Roseharder might send troops here to find the children.

If we were to encounter them, someone would have to diligently defend our position!

“Oh, our title role came early? I like how diligent you are.”

Gain, who made eye contact with me, suddenly spoke. I gave an awkward smile.

She was one of the most dissatisfied people when I was chosen as Maiker Raso’s ‘tribute,’ but as a result, she was in charge of leading this operation.

Perhaps it was a good thing.

In any case, Gain needed something to focus on right now, and she needed time to put aside her complicated thoughts for a while.

I knew how heavy and important her relationship with Isabel was to her.

It wouldn’t be resolved in just a day or two.

“Th-Thank you… Please take care of me today as well.”

“You’re so polite. Is it because you’ve been an idol for so long? You’re so friendly and pretty.”

“Yes?”

Is there such a setting, too?

“Aren’t your fans sending a food truck today?”

-Kiyaaa!

Then Demi cried out loudly as if to say, ‘The food truck is here!’

I barely managed to hold back from bursting out laughing at Gain’s attitude, which was different from her usual tone.

Anyway, I really like this kind of thing.

“Oh, the food truck is here. This is the last rehearsal, so let’s all do our best together.”

“Yes.”

“You called, Director.”

“Welcome, Director.”

Not long after Francois and I took our seats, Sir Johann, who was in charge of stunts, appeared.

Gain pretended to flip through a script-like piece of paper and shook hands with him.

Lynn giggled at her ridiculous behavior.

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing and adjusted the baby’s scarf.

I have to be serious, I have to.

“How is it? Is a carriage rehearsal possible today? I heard from the art director that the passenger compartment is complete.”

“It’s enough. If the divine objects and divine beasts cooperate properly, there won’t be any problems on the day of.”

“No, speaking of cooperation. I really don’t like that supporting actor. Isn’t he too big? He doesn’t need to take up that much space for that role. What do you think, Director?”

Director Gain openly criticized the supporting actor.

I quickly turned my head and breathed only through my nose. But the situation didn’t help me.

Even though he was a royal, he couldn’t be a gentleman. Cedric Riester appeared, wearing the prepared costume.

Francois and I looked up at the sky at the same time.

“Ahem.”

“Sedu. Ugly.”

Lynn blurted out again. She still had difficulty pronouncing Cedric, so she called him ‘Sedu.’

I quickly replied in a hushed voice.

“Lynn, Cedric is probably the most handsome man on the continent.”

“Lie.”

“It’s true. His face sparkles every time he gets sunlight.”

“Dad too.”

“No. He’s just oily.”

The man, wearing an old and drab Shin-gook tunic, glanced at me once and sat down on a wide stump.

His shoulders were incredibly broad and his legs were incredibly long, so he had an overwhelming presence just by being there.

He played the role of a ‘hunter’ without a name in this operation.

And based on Sir Johann’s testimony that the hunters of Shin-gook were generally poor wanderers, the residents here worked hard for two days to make his costume.

I heard that they didn’t have enough leftover fabric, so they made it by sewing together various scraps. It was amazing that he could look like a supermodel even in those clothes.

“Oh, Hunter. Did you memorize the route properly?”

Gain asked in a strangely prickly tone. Cedric immediately frowned.

“Is there even a route? It’s just getting on with the divine object, isn’t it?”

“Look at that. Look at him talking back to the director.”

Gain grumbled at Sir Johann.

Francois hurriedly left to get the carriages he had participated in making.

He seemed to be having a hard time holding back his laughter.

That’s when it happened.

“Ah, it’s stuffy because my neck is tight.”

“But you have to button it up… You’re a nobleman, Young Master. You can’t show any gaps.”

“Oh, my. You’re nagging like a chief steward of a duke’s residence.”

Jibril Diop.

And Frida’s voice, who was only fourteen years old but always looked like a tired office worker.

Gain, who was holding a piece of paper rolled into a megaphone, raised her voice as if she had been waiting for this.

“Hey, Actor. Come on time. Even though you’ve made a name for yourself in the theaters of the imperial capital, it’s going to be difficult if you show such a loss of focus. You know how small this industry is, right?”

“Can you say that after seeing my appearance? I hate these clothes.”

Diop retorted irritably.

I was about to give Lynn an ether bead and casually turned my gaze…

“Heok.”

What is that!

“…Why. Is there something wrong with my face?”

“…”

A strange man with neatly tied strawberry-blonde hair, buttoned up to the neck, and sleeves not rolled up—dressed neatly like a proper Shin-gook nobleman—stood before my eyes.

Lynn, Demi, and I gaped at the same time.