What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 78

#078 Knight’s Honor and Middle-Aged Romance (2)

‘I am now going to leave Duke Heathcliff’s side.’

Okay.

‘Catherine, you know I love you.’

‘Yes, that’s why we shouldn’t be together.’

Huh?

‘I can’t understand. Our hearts are connected as one.’

‘That’s good. I’ll be able to feel your warmth wherever I am.’

“What’s going on here?”

I muttered.

The latest installment of Riester’s biggest hit, ‘Reason, Emotion, and Divinity,’ ended there for the week.

I slowly closed the June 1st issue of .

Because the summer palace didn’t get many magazines, this was the latest issue I was only able to read after returning to the palace.

But Heathcliff still hadn’t properly caught Catherine. What a loser.

“Did you two finish reading? I cried at that last line…”

Sant, across the sofa in the drawing room, was sobbing.

Sant, whom I had been watching for the past week, was an emotional and tearful 18-year-old.

I was worried that he might have been hurt because of the hardships he had gone through, but after receiving apologies from two of the three holy knights and a statement of regret from one, he became much brighter.

He also started talking to me and Christel more often, like now.

“The best thing about coming to the Empire is that I can read ‘Reason, Emotion, and Divinity’ in real-time.”

“You were an otaku [a person with obsessive interests, particularly in anime and manga].”

Christel, who was sitting next to me, muttered. I pretended not to hear and smiled.

As someone who had encountered from the first day of possession, it wasn’t an incomprehensible sentiment.

The magazine contained not only the latest news from the Empire’s high society but also various contributions, interviews, splendid illustrations, and serialized novels like this one.

If you went back and read the back issues, a day would fly by; it was the Empire’s version of Netflix.

In particular, ‘Reason, Emotion, and Divinity’ was a hot topic even among commoners who had difficulty accessing publications.

“The main characters don’t talk enough.”

“I was thinking the same thing! It’s driving me crazy. I want to grab Heathcliff by the collar.”

When I voiced my impressions of the latest episode, Christel vehemently agreed.

Sant looked at us with a slightly aggrieved expression.

Benjamin, who was brewing my tea, smiled gently.

“Still, Duke Heathcliff’s true love is only Catherine. I believe they will work out in the end.”

“I think that’s how it will end up, but the Duke seems to be acting ambiguously between Jane and Catherine. If he’s serious about Catherine, shouldn’t he break off his engagement with Jane? I understand Jane’s reaction too.”

At my words, Sant slightly lowered his sturdy shoulders.

“That’s, that’s true… Still! The Duke saw Jane insulting Catherine himself. I think they’ll come to a conclusion somehow in the next episode!”

Can you even call that an insult? She was just stating facts.

Well, stating facts could also be defamation.

I nodded and accepted the moringa tea that Benjamin handed me.

The clear taste, somewhat similar to green tea, gently enveloped my mouth.

Christel grumbled, saying, ‘It would be better if Jane and Catherine just dated.’

‘Reason, Emotion, and Divinity’ was a love story about Duke Heathcliff torn between his political partner, Duchess Jane, and his religious partner, Priest Catherine.

He was still only engaged to Jane, and he had become spiritually one with Catherine through a sacred covenant, but recently, Jane, having learned that there were romantic feelings between the two, was demanding a separation.

Her attitude of saying to Catherine, ‘You are a commoner, so you cannot satisfy the Duke’s political needs. Leave unless you are only going to dedicate yourself to his religious training,’ was surprisingly calm.

Indeed, she was living up to her character of being in charge of ‘Reason.’

Even though it was a typical love triangle often seen in fiction, it was easy to read, perhaps because of the author’s skill.

Before possession, I couldn’t even read ‘Toegye-gong’ [a difficult philosophical text], which my younger sibling had promoted so much, but it was a little bittersweet that I was keeping up with romance novels here.

“I hope a holy knight appears in the sequel.”

Sir Johann Haynes, who had been listening quietly, said.

He had been engrossed in origami for the past hour.

“A story about a holy knight captivated by a priest’s ether and a priest who falls in love with such a holy knight sold well even in the Holy Kingdom. Of course, ‘ReEmDi’ has its own charm, though.”

I wondered what ReEmDi was, but it was ‘Reason, Emotion, and Divinity.’ They shorten everything.

“Wow, Teacher. You’re good at origami too.”

Christel admired his hand movements.

Sir Haynes smiled gently and handed her the finished product.

It was the ‘Tyrant Thunder Dragon,’ the Tyrannosaurus Rex we had caught during the ‘Great Demon Beast Subjugation.’

“Princess, you should also move your hands diligently. What’s as important as ether to a holy knight is imagination. You must be able to quickly draw various shapes and forms in your head to not lose your sense in actual combat.”

At his explanation, Christel nodded and moved her hands to her own origami paper.

She had only been able to fold cranes and east-west-south-north markers since earlier, but it seemed like she was going to try something else this time.

As I began to observe the two protagonists’ lessons, there was a big change in Sir Haynes’s educational path as well.

Sparring definitely decreased in frequency.

Instead, there was time for the holy knight’s special ether circulation and meditation, and activities to develop imagination were added, like today.

Christel also suggested going to the opera, but it was canceled because it was difficult for me to go outside.

They could just go the three of them.

“Prince, the next issue will feature an interview with the author of ReEmDi.”

As I handed Demi, who had climbed onto my lap, a piece of origami paper, Sant said in an excited voice.

“They say they’ll also answer questions sent in by readers. I’m so excited!”

“I’m curious about that. Won’t everyone be on Duchess Jane’s side?”

“Oh, Prince…”

Actually, I’m on Jane’s side too. I smiled and started origami.

Today, Prince Cedrick had a schedule, so we were spending time just among ourselves.

The imperial capital, after the heatwave, had weather similar to spring and autumn, as Ganael had said, so I could maintain a refreshing condition whether indoors or outdoors.

In the morning, I also had a short lesson with Cardinal Boutier.

I heard that it didn’t seem like it was time for the sanctuary to evolve yet.

‘You have to break out of the egg, Prince.’

This wasn’t an egg or [a coming-of-age novel]. It was a teaching that seemed graspable but wasn’t.

-Knock knock

“Come in.”

Just then, someone knocked on the drawing room door.

When I looked up, a pale Ganael was rushing into the room.

“What’s wrong, Ganael? What happened?”

“Your Highness, the Prince, Your Highness… Hah.”

Having run from afar, the boy’s forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Benjamin handed him a handkerchief. Could the Prince be hurt?

“Thank you. Um, he applied for a duel. They say the Prince is going to duel with Sub-Duke Blanquer, the entire imperial palace is in an uproar right now!”

He’s planning to hurt someone.

Then Christel threw down the origami paper she was holding.

I wondered what she was fiddling with, but the result was an airplane.

“Oh my, you skipped class and went to do something more fun. Lucky you!”

“But that’s…”

Looking at Christel’s genuinely envious eyes, Ganael made a troubled face.

Then his golden eyes carefully turned to me.

“They say the reason His Highness applied for the duel is because of Prince Yeser.”

“What?”

“Explain in detail.”

Benjamin gently urged. The boy swallowed hard and opened his mouth.

“Sub-Duke Blanquer publicly said nasty things about the Prince in the imperial palace. His Highness, who was passing by, heard it and immediately threw his glove. Count Mute, who was next to him, stepped up as a witness. Several imperial palace attendants saw the Sub-Duke pick up the glove, but they say his face was fine, but his hands were trembling.”

“What…”

I was dumbfounded. It had been quiet for a while, but I don’t know what this commotion was all about.

“The Romero Palace attendants say he was holding him accountable for ‘daring to insult the guest of the imperial family’…”

Guest? I quietly retraced the Prince’s logic.

Clearly, the person in charge of the Juliette Palace was the owner of the Romero Palace, not me.

It wasn’t unreasonable for me, staying here, to be recognized as the Prince’s guest.

I didn’t care what the Sub-Duke said, but I felt strange that the Prince had stepped up like that.

I was a little grateful. Was it okay to feel grateful?

“His Highness is a good student. He understands ten things from learning one.”

Christel smiled proudly. It seemed like there was something only the two of them knew, wait a minute.

“Isn’t Blanquer the main family of the Father of the Nation?”

I asked urgently.

If my memory was correct, Alexandre, the Father of the Nation, was the eldest of the Blanquer ducal family, which was said to be a historically renowned wizard family.

Benjamin received my words with a troubled look.

“That’s right, Prince. The current Duke Blanquer is the younger brother of the late Father of the Nation. Sub-Duke Blanquer is the Duke’s son, and he is a cousin of His Highness the Prince.”

No… How can he fight with a relative?

*

“To apply for a duel with a cousin on the day the Aristocratic Council is convened, my godson is quite hot-blooded.”

“……”

“It seems like you’ve become very close with the Prince. I’m glad.”

Orelly Boutier said softly and drank her coffee.

Cedrick Riester was only listening to her story without even touching his coffee.

He didn’t regret throwing the glove.

It was the result of him acting as a knight before he was a prince.

Anyone other than himself would have acted that way.

Elizabeth, who was present, also couldn’t hide her anger, and the nobles who were stopping the Sub-Duke also showed an attitude that what was coming had come.

However, the meeting with his godmother was unavoidable.

“Your investiture story will proceed as planned in the Aristocratic Council. Don’t worry.”

The Prince nodded his chin slightly.

Just before the advisory meeting of the Riester great nobles was held, a small commotion occurred in the imperial palace due to the confrontation between him and Sub-Duke Blanquer.

Fortunately, the schedule was postponed to this evening, not another day.

The reason Elizabeth had been particularly talkative a little while ago was that she hoped her friend wouldn’t be nervous ahead of the meeting with the Aristocratic Council.

The Riester throne was solid, and no one doubted the Prince’s legitimacy.

Even his investiture as Crown Prince being approved by the Aristocratic Council was a mere formality.

Cedrick was a man who had become skilled at playing the role of the ‘perfect prince’ from a very young age.

However, those points didn’t reduce the burden he felt.

Orelly quietly looked at the young man, who was only twenty-four years old.

“Sub-Duke Blanquer won’t be compatible with you, will you be okay?”

It was a somewhat worried voice.

Robert Blanquer was an excellent wizard, even though he was often called a hooligan in high society.

He was an 8th-level wizard, one level higher than Cedrick, who was a 7th-level wizard, and the Prince was absolutely disadvantaged in terms of attributes.

He opened his mouth bluntly.

“I will keep him alive.”

“You’re your mother’s son after all.”

Orelly laughed out loud. Now that it had come to this, the duel was now just a matter between the two of them.

She didn’t add any other words and changed the subject.

“How’s your body?”

“……I can’t be completely healed with the Hyegeom [a divine artifact].”

The Cardinal slowly nodded.

As expected, it seemed that even divine objects couldn’t cleanly cover the cracks in the ‘vessel’ itself.

The Prince rarely suffered from ether depletion after obtaining the Hyegeom, but that didn’t mean he was enjoying the best condition.

What the Hyegeom replenished for him wasn’t pure ether but fire-attribute ether.

The holy knight’s primal hunger was never resolved by his own power.

It was natural that he prioritized the pure ether he obtained from the priest.

“You haven’t turned into ‘Saydi’ in the meantime, have you?”

At the meaningful question, the Prince slightly frowned.

There was only one person who distinguished and called his young self Saydi. But just now….

“I also knew about the Prince’s misunderstanding. He’s a really interesting child. Has it been resolved now?”

The Prince closed his mouth.

Since the person in question had been pretending not to know since the ‘victory celebration,’ he didn’t know where to start or how to tell the story that the misunderstanding hadn’t been resolved.

In the end, he changed direction to delivering the necessary information.

“I deliberately depleted the ether in my body and then conducted an experiment to separate the Hyegeom from me.”

“Yeah.”

“Then I turned into a child.”

“Oh my.”

The Cardinal’s beige eyes widened.

She thought about something for a moment, then tilted her head while looking at him.

“That means you’ve become able to take on the appearance of a child as you please. Because your body doesn’t shrink when you hold the Hyegeom. Right?”

The Prince silently pressed his lips to his black coffee.

He had never thought that far.

But he had considered the value of using that appearance, so it was difficult to refute.