What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 739

Memphis of Moonlight (7)

I had tumbled off the bed, tangled in the blankets.

But my damn body was perfectly fine, without a single ache.

My fully awakened eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness.

“······.”

“······Y-you, why? Your blood······.”

No way. I was in shock, frantically checking the Crown Prince’s condition. Oh my god.

“Ugh.”

“Gasp, sorry. Sorry!”

His neat eyebrows furrowed, and his always-perfect lips were swelling rapidly.

I was horrified, thinking blood was flowing from his forehead, but thankfully it was just a trace of moonlight.

Freeing my wrist, I steadied myself on his shoulder and hurriedly looked for my bag.

Where is it? I definitely put it in its place before going to bed. I always keep it there.

My mind was a mess, and the situation was so sudden that I couldn’t remember at all. I was breathing rapidly, like someone who had started running.

I hit him in my sleep. How could I do this?

Get a grip, Ye-seo. You’re not the only one having a hard time in the world.

“Here, medicine. I’ll find some medicine and apply it for you. I have a really effective ointment. It’ll get better soon.”

“Serenete.”

“No, never mind. I’m a priest. I should open a healing circle······.”

The room, without a single magic light lit, was dim.

I knelt in front of Cedric like a madman and took a deep breath.

Meanwhile, the man slowly got up and lit a lamp.

As soon as the soft yellow light illuminated the back of his hand, I discovered the red, swollen scratch marks.

Finally, the situation from just before was vividly drawn in my mind.

My shoulders trembled as if I had been doused in ice water.

“······Seidi, how long were you getting hit?”

“I wasn’t hit.”

“You could have just woken me up. If I didn’t wake up, you could have slapped me to wake me up, why were you just taking it······.”

“You’re making unnecessary misunderstandings, Marchioness.”

He said in a voice that was surprisingly emotionless.

His eyes, deeply sunken in the dim light, were staring straight at me.

“It was just an accident.”

“······.”

“I wasn’t hurt by it.”

“······.”

Like a complete idiot, I was relieved by that whisper, and then, in the next moment, I realized that he had said that to reassure me.

In an instant, all the strength drained from my body.

I felt so sorry and upset with him, and so angry and pathetic with myself for showing weakness in such a violent way, that I felt like my eyeballs would burst.

I bit my lip hard and then released it. I didn’t know what else to say.

“······Thank you.”

‘Thank you so much.’ He doesn’t want to hear me say sorry, so I had no choice but to convey another sincere feeling.

Only then did the man hold out his injured hand to me.

Still without showing any emotion on his face.

When did he become so mature?

“I’ll make it better soon. Your lips, your hands. Tell me if anything else hurts.”

“I’m not the one who needs treatment.”

“No, you definitely need it too. And in the future, to prevent this from happening, we’ll have separate rooms······.”

-Bang!

“Your Highness!”

-Squeak!

Oh my god! I was so startled that I fell on my butt.

Crash, bang! The door to the bedroom, which had been kicked open, was literally half torn off!

“Your Highness! No, this is crazy! Did he hit you?!”

-Whoooo!

“No?! Anyone can see it’s the opposite! Waaack!”

Gain-ssi, who had strode in, lifted me up and took several steps away.

I couldn’t resist her Herculean strength and just gaped.

Leia, Perry, and Rophy, who had rushed in, surrounded us and created thick vines and angry flames.

Isabelle, holding Lynn, stood at the doorway with a worried expression—the baby’s startled eyes showed no signs of sleepiness—and beside her was Sir Johann, with Lord Hanan on his shoulders.

Not to mention Leopold Lasso, the owner of the house, of course······.

“Marchioness, what’s wrong? Did you have a bad dream?”

Even little Princess Corneliaser was there, holding Lee Seol’s hand tightly.

Come to think of it, you were a paladin too!

“Corneliaser, no. It’s not that, it’s just······. Uh, I guess it was a bad dream?”

“Ah! No wonder the aether [magical energy] was in such a state? Lord Hanan and I woke up at the same time while we were sleeping!?”

“Excuse me for a moment, Your Highness.”

Sir Johann, with a light step, approached and placed his finger on my forehead to check something.

Then, he checked my carotid artery and, with a calm touch, even checked the pulse in my wrist.

Finally, the gaze that stared intently into my eyes was somehow unusual.

While Cedric was receiving Demi’s fierce paw attacks, I desperately clung to Gain-ssi’s neck.

Soon, Father Herrit kindly asked me.

“Have you used aether while sleeping?”

“Yes? No, I haven’t. I just had a bad dream······. The overall flow seemed unstable.”

How long has it been since I attacked Sir Johann after having a nightmare, and I’m already doing this again.

I wanted to believe that there were extenuating circumstances for myself, but when I looked at Cedric, that thought disappeared like a lie.

No matter how scared I was, how could I hit someone and even draw blood?

“But there’s a trace of the Crown.”

“······Yes?”

The Crown?

The Crown Aether?

I forgot everything I had been thinking until just before and blinked.

Gain-ssi, who had been grinning for no reason, also wiped the expression off her face.

At the word ‘Crown,’ Leopold widened his eyes and examined me.

“Oh······. Indeed. The angel’s eyes have a purple tint!”

Huh?

“Right now? I really didn’t use aether though?”

I was going to open a healing circle, but Gain-ssi broke down the door just in time, so I didn’t actually deploy it.

I swear I never released aether even in the dream space I borrowed from Hyung.

I could not understand the situation at all, so I just opened my mouth.

Corneliaser, unable to watch any longer, walked up and brought a mirror from the display case.

“Here, look at this.”

“Ah, thank······.”

‘······Woah.’ The last syllable trailed off very slowly.

I stared blankly at myself in the mirror.

Really, there was a clear purple color in my brown irises.

I couldn’t believe that even aether wouldn’t move according to my will anymore.

-······Finally, the vessel resonates with the aether.

Lord Hanan said after confirming my reaction. We hurriedly turned to look at him.

-Soul cultivation and healing will be needed for the time being.

Time passed quickly, and it was the next day in the afternoon.

“I wanna run to you, ooh. I wanna run to you, ooh······♬”

-Auk, auk

Standing by the window, I was holding Tete and singing her favorite lullaby.

The baby usually preferred pop songs—she seemed to find it fascinating that I sang in a foreign language—and among them, she especially liked Whitney Houston’s songs.

There’s nothing like singing to soothe a troubled mind, so today our needs were perfectly matched.

From outside the window, the voices of the estate servants diligently flowed in.

“Line up this way! Alright, from today, we will distribute sun halo grass in triple rows.”

“We ask for your understanding as this is to maintain order within the castle.”

“General patients to the first floor of the annex! There are doctors there!”

“First, say your name, then tell us the patient’s name. You must do so even if you came to receive your own. Finally, explain the symptoms in detail to these people······.”

Servants who had somehow obtained intact tables were setting up outdoor counters to distribute sun halo grass to the people.

The few healing priests in the castle were treating sick children or prescribing medicine right next door.

After the ‘Lasso Estate Retake Operation,’ the massive castle gates were always open.

I spotted a familiar face in the long line and smiled faintly.

Kobi, who no longer wore a mask, was holding the hand of a child younger than himself and acting as a guardian.

“······Children grow up so fast. Don’t they?”

It’s really good. All of it.

-Whooong

“Oh my, do you want me to keep singing? Don’t get distracted, sing for me?”

The baby cried for a long time while looking at me. I continued singing in a small voice.

“I want to run to you, oooh. But if I come to you, oooh······. Tell me, will you stay or will you run away······♩”

-Awoo, awoo

Looking at the baby, who was shining her black bead-like eyes and clumsily following the song, made me laugh.

I just couldn’t take my eyes off her because she was so amazing and lovely.

For a moment, I seemed to forget Lord Hanan’s heavy words.

Really.

‘-Soul cultivation and healing will be needed for the time being.’

‘Yes, soul healing······. I need soul healing, right? I’m well aware of it. Causing such a commotion in the middle of the night······.’

‘-That statement is not wrong either.’

‘-The young vessel is preparing to become a cardinal.’

······.

-Ooooo♪

“Wow, our Tete could be a singer. Should we go on an audition program later?”

-Auk!

“Oh? You really want to go? You’re full of confidence? Are you already sure you’ll win?”

-Auk!

-Knock knock knock

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. I looked at the door and then looked around the spacious room.

The chairs placed in a circle in the middle of the room came into view. I swallowed hard.

“······.”

-Knock knock knock

“Your Highness?”

I flinched.

“Yes, come in.”

-Click, squeak······

-Keeoo

Soon the door opened, and the 33rd Cavalry, led by Gain-ssi, entered in a rush.

Jibril Diop, who hadn’t known about the commotion last night until lunchtime, had a subtly dissatisfied expression.

But he also followed his friends and sat down in the doorway.

Before long, all the seats were filled except for one space between Gain-ssi and Cedric.

The little troublemakers naturally climbed onto the laps or shoulders of the group. Only I was standing upright in my place.

“······.”

But no one looked at me strangely or urged me to sit down.

No one rushed or pressured me.

I was grateful to know that they were waiting for me.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, then slowly sat down in the empty seat.

Then Gain-ssi turned to me and raised the corners of her lips.

“Then, let’s begin the first group counseling session of the 33rd Cavalry of the Great Liester Empire Army.”

It was the invincible smile that always reassured me, shining like a star.

“Today’s counseling will last about an hour. We don’t have any expertise, but let’s do our best together. Aja aja fighting [Korean phrase for ‘Let’s go!’] .”

“······Aja aja fighting.”

I followed in a small voice. Then Francois on the opposite side lightly clenched his fist.

The corners of my lips lifted with a smirk.

At that moment, at the foot of the Memphis Mountains.

“Heok, cough! Cough cough······.”

A man covered in blood was leading his tattered body aimlessly through the forest.

It would have been nice if it was just the bodily fluids of a mere monster, and it would have been even better if it was only the blood of the enemy.

But hot blood was constantly seeping from his mouth and deep wounds.

The knight barely caught sight of the faintly visible fortress in the distance.

“Haa······. Hesina······.”

It was impossible to know if it was a hallucination or reality because the estate was half collapsed.

“Ugh.”