What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 710

What’s wrong with my face? (3)

The day of the operation.

It was dawn, before the morning glow had even begun to rise.

However, the small tent village in the forest was more bustling than it had been since the group arrived.

I fiddled with the sleeves of my still-awkward costume, looking around.

The cool forest air seemed to calm my nerves a little.

“Mr. Francois! Mr. Francois, I found the hook! It’s the perfect size!”

“Ah! Thank you so much, little knight. You saved our wagon today.”

“Hehehe.”

The phrase ‘infiltration operation’ sounded secretive and cool, so I understood why the kids were so excited.

Watching them, I couldn’t help but smile.

The children, their faces flushed, ran around with things in their hands (mostly props for this operation), and Chief Frida, with her tired face as always, put her finger to her lips whenever her younger siblings tried to raise their voices (Francois had magically fixed the girl’s broken glasses).

Most of the elderly and those with disabilities were also sitting outside their tents.

They couldn’t cheer loudly or help with chores, but they watched over the group, sending their heartfelt support.

In fact, this operation would have been impossible without their faith and help.

Early-matured Coby was bringing blankets, threadbare and worn, from all over to take care of his father and other patients.

Ms. Gain, who was packing her bag over there, watched him for a long time.

“Hmm······.”

I reflexively searched for Isabel.

Holding a brush and paint can, she was examining the wagon that I and the Divine Beasts would ride in, checking if there was anything left to touch up.

Judging from her not-so-bright complexion, it seemed that they hadn’t made up yet.

······I’m worried. Cedric told me not to get involved, but is it really okay to do that?

My brother also taught me not to interfere in family matters.

Is it really okay?

“······Dduk-ssim! Dduk-ssim, can you come here for a second? Thank you.”

– Chirp

After worrying for a long time, I realized that I didn’t have time for this right now and called Dduk-ssim.

The wren, which had been circling high in the sky, gradually drew a small circle and flew to my eyes with a flutter.

I took out the letter I had written with my friends last night from my pocket.

“This is a letter with all the details of our operation and the exact location. I wrote about meeting Cornelise here and telling her about the wagon wheel tracks. I also included the story of the underground passage and the Rasso family. You were there too, so you know, right?”

– Peep

“Yeah. It’s best to send it directly to His Majesty, but if that’s difficult, give it to Chief of Staff Duke Cecil Blancair or Marchioness Caroline Mute. If that’s also difficult, please deliver it to Bakari from the main camp or Deputy Minister of National Defense Count Dupuy. You know their faces, right?”

– Peep-peep

“······You’re really smart, our Jung Dduk-ssim. Truly the king of kings who rules over all birds. A holy and great being that cannot be compared to a room-bound phoenix.”

– Pee-poo!

Dduk-ssim, with the imperial ribbon tied to its ankle, cried out powerfully.

It was in a tone that anyone could hear as ‘Of course!’, and the inside of its bright yellow beak was so cute that I laughed.

The little guy circled around me, singing happily, and then flew back to me.

Only when I touched my small forehead to it did I realize that it was a farewell greeting.

– Peep-peep-peep

“······Of course. I’ll be careful.”

– Peep-peep-peep-peep

“Then, I’ll never fail. Don’t worry.”

– Peereeereu

“You be careful on your long journey too. Take good care of Herit too.”

Sir Johann probably already said it.

As I whispered softly, the wren’s beady eyes sparkled moistly.

It was a gaze that seemed to have something to say to me.

The little one rubbed its cheek against mine for a long time, scattering feathers, then circled three times over my head and flew away.

The lingering warmth on my skin made my nose tingle for no reason.

‘See you again, Dduk-ssim!’ Sant and his friends waved their hands towards the sky.

Lea, Tite, and all the other troublemakers also sent their greetings.

I kept my head up until it disappeared as a black dot.

*

And about an hour later······.

– Clatter, clatter!

“Ugh!”

– Kyaa!

I was riding in a prison wagon transporting prisoners, with my three wings spread wide.

Even with my hands and feet tied tightly with ropes! Together with the Divine Beasts!

“Demi, you need to sit with good balance. Put strength in your tail.”

– Kieu!

“The Palace Lord’s outfit is very fatal [alluring]. Are you going to be caught by the fake Duke and dragged to a strange place?”

······Is he doing that since earlier?

“Jibril Diop, don’t think that you can’t be punished just because I’m trapped here.”

“How scary. It reminds me of a certain Mademoiselle [young, unmarried woman] I met at the salon.”

“Shut up.”

“Oh my, now the temper is coming out. As the Palace Lord commands.”

The lightning scoundrel, dressed like a noble of the Divine Kingdom—mostly the result of remaking the Duke of Rasso’s clothes—was smirking at me from outside the shabby bars.

I thought it wasn’t that unconventional of an outfit, though it was a bit flashy, but every time he saw me glaring at him, he whistled or gave me a very unpleasant look.

I was annoyed at myself for even thinking for a fleeting moment that the outfit suited him nicely.

If my friends were by my side, the situation would be a little different······.

– Rumble, rumble!

“Diop, you son of a bitch! If you keep harassing the Palace Lord, I’ll really kill you! I’ll just tear everything off······!”

“Oh my god. Kids, cover Tite’s ears. Don’t let the youngest hear!”

– Kieung, kieung!

In the square cargo wagon following behind, four paladins were already on board.

Ms. Gain’s roar, as if she had swallowed a train’s firebox, echoed loudly beyond the planks.

I couldn’t help but admire the amazing vocabulary of the romance fantasy protagonist and squeezed my eyes shut.

The Divine Beasts hurriedly wrapped Tite in their belly fat.

So Diop was doing this knowing full well that his friends couldn’t touch him.

We’re traveling together because we’re on the same side right now, but if he were a classmate, I wouldn’t have even made eye contact with him until graduation.

He always does this when I’m about to get attached to him.

-It is not for this humble one to say, but how can that scoundrel be so vulgar, being of Lazar’s bloodline? The Duke must be pounding the ground in the afterlife.

“I’ll take that as a compliment, Your Majesty.”

-Look at that, that. Just look at that smiling face. So slick, like oiled gazelle leather.

The solemn cloth doll sitting between the bars clicked its tongue.

Charlemagne, unable to bear listening to the conversation, also glared at Diop.

Charl and Areum had decided to pull my prison wagon today, and Doria and Espri (Sir Johann’s horse names) were in charge of the cargo wagon in the back.

The departure was finally right around the corner.

I glared at the scoundrel for a few more seconds, then straightened my leaning body with a flap of my wings.

– Flap!

“Wow!”

“Ah, Coby. You were there. Cornelise and Iseol are here too.”

Turning my head at the young exclamation, I saw two children holding onto the bars and a child with his hands clasped behind his back calmly.

Behind them was Sant, who looked a little awkward, as their guardian.

Coby opened his mouth first, looking at me with a grin.

“Angel Uncle, you look cold.”

“It’s a bit chilly, but it’s okay. I can handle this much.”

This uncle has even done winter training in the army.

Instead of saying that, I decided to say something more nutritious.

“Coby, eat your vegetables evenly. I saw you being picky about carrots yesterday.”

“······.”

“Listen to Frida well too. I secretly asked Frida, and she said it’s not because of you that she’s having a hard time. She’s just been a little tired since she was born.”

“······Thank you.”

“Huh?”

I didn’t expect those words to come out, so I blinked for a moment.

The child, his nose red, rummaged through his pocket and shoved something between the bars.

It was the worn-out mask he used to wear whenever he left the village.

“I’ll never forget. You saving us in the forest, helping us. Giving us lots of meat and fruit.”

“······.”

“Doing this with the Lord······. Doing these things. Taking care of my other siblings, my dad’s leg too.”

“That was really nothing. I couldn’t even heal it.”

“Still. The grandma in the castle now doesn’t do it. You’re from the Empire, but you do it.”

“······.”

“I’ll never forget it until I die.”

“······I’m the one who’s grateful. See you again, Coby.”

It wasn’t anything special, but I was grateful for the heart that told me each and every thank you.

The little one nodded his head several times and mingled into the crowd of people seeing us off.

Connections with young children are always precious, and they remain in my heart like fruits, never forgotten.

This time it was Cornelise’s turn.

The princess looked up at me with a troubled face.

“······I don’t have anything to give you. I left everything at the royal palace. I’m sorry, Marquis.”

“Hahaha. It’s okay.”

I’m someone who shouldn’t receive anything from you.

“I just wanted to ask you one thing. Maybe······.”

She said she had nothing to give, but the child rummaged through her luggage in the same posture as Coby.

Meanwhile, Francois turned the handle of the cargo wagon, checking once again whether it would open properly when needed.

Rustle, rustle, this time an familiar object was held out.

“Ah······.”

Emile de As’s pink diamond. I was momentarily speechless.

“It’s a pig statue······. It’s very precious. I received it as a birthday present. Did the Marquis send this instead of my brother too?”

“······.”

“······I see.”

The stupid me missed the moment to answer, and the child nodded, trying to hold something back.

I felt like a hole was punched in my chest.

I didn’t want to hurt her anymore, so the words rushed out too quickly.

“I left the wooden pig statue you sent near the prince.”

“······Really?”

“Of course.”

With just one sentence, the green eyes are filled with hope again.

Like a lie, as quickly as a sprout in spring.

“On the mantelpiece in the drawing room. So that he can see it as soon as he wakes up, just by opening the door and going out.”

“······Will it be easy to see?”

“Of course. There’s nothing so red and cool around it. It’ll stand out.”

‘Promise.’ As I spoke softly like a secret, the princess’s eyes rippled like waves.

The child held back her tears again and said this.

“······I really want to meet my sister and brother again.”

“Yes. It will happen.”

“I’ll become stronger.”

“You don’t need to do that yet, Cornelise.”

“Sir Christel says it’s okay to become stronger to protect your family.”

“······.”

“So when the three of us meet······. I’ll definitely tell my sister to give Marquis Serenite an award. I’ll nag her.”

“Hahahahaha.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

That was a truly unimaginable statement, and the second most royal thing that child had ever said.

Cornelise and Iseol frowned at the same time, as if they didn’t like my reaction.

“Why? Don’t you believe me?”

“No, it’s not that······. Ahem, I believe you, of course. I’m already looking forward to it.”

I quickly managed my expression, but the two girls both had faces that said they didn’t trust me.

Around that time, Isabel came riding Alison and announced the departure.

“Palace Lord, all preparations are complete. If you’re okay, I’d like to leave right away.”

“Ah, yes. I have no problem.”

“See you again, Marquis.”

Cornelise said urgently.

I wanted to see the child’s smiling face, so I made the brightest expression I could.

“Yes, see you again. You’ll give this uncle a lot of awards, right?”

“Of course. I’m royalty, so I’ll keep my promise!”

“Goodbye, Cornelise. Iseol too.”

‘Take good care of the googoos.’ Whether she liked the several sentences I spat out at the end, I was finally able to see Cornelise beaming.

Thanks to that, my heart became much lighter.

And so, we left the warm tent village and headed to Rasso Manor.

*

Liester Main Camp Rear.

The land where full-scale crop cultivation takes place.

– Kugu gugu gugu······

“Ah, really. I told you several times not to step on this side because I planted seeds here······. Who did this agaaaaain!”

Carme barely suppressed the rising anger with amazing patience.

If this were the first time, she would have gone straight to the ministers’ barracks to find the culprit.

But it wasn’t just a day or two since Carme had been using her paladin abilities and farming for the Imperial Army.

The cunning and shrewd people of Liester were using her, a prisoner, in this way······.

– Keueueueung······.

“It’s better to step on the seeded area. If you step on the growing seedlings, there’s no answer······. Wait, what’s that sound?”

Carme, the farmer who had been complaining for a while, belatedly discovered a huge shadow cast over her head.

It was a soul with a very troubled expression. Huh?

– Hey, child who blooms flowers.

– Can you help me······?