What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 83

#083 Not Exactly a Villain (1)

“Huh?”

“This is crazy, really crazy!”

While I was still processing everything, Christel dove in from the side.

Three people vying for one envelope – bonk!

“Ah!”

“Ouch!”

“······.”

We all bumped heads.

Crown Prince Cedric frowned slightly, while Christel and I rubbed our foreheads furiously.

It felt like bells were ringing in my ears.

You guys only bumped into me, but I collided with both of you, so it hurts so much.

“Are you saying that the author of is Benjamin?! Really?!”

Ganael, who had leaned forward to see what was happening, shouted loudly.

Lady Elisabeth’s mouth dropped open.

Christel started hitting my shoulder lightly, repeating “No way,” and “What do I do.”

After that, well, the carriage was a complete mess.

*

“Benjamin, does that mean the mail you’ve been sending somewhere every week was the manuscript?”

“I’m sorry for saying I wanted to grab Duke Heathcliff by the collar. Could you just splash water on the Duke’s face instead?”

“I wasn’t really interested in romance novels, but… I’ll read the back issues when I get home. The Royal Guards are going crazy these days because of ‘REaD’ [Reason, Emotion, and Divinity].”

Ganael, Christel, and Lady Elisabeth spoke in turn.

Each of them must have said over a hundred lines by now.

Benjamin was sitting with a slightly embarrassed smile, which was a new look for him.

Taking care of me and managing the Juliette Palace must have been a lot of work.

It was amazing that he had steadily written and sent manuscripts every other week in between all that.

Suddenly, my brother at home came to mind, and a smile spread across my face.

Jeong Hyeon-seo (32 years old, web novel writer) writes martial arts novels with seven updates a week, so the conditions are very different from Benjamin, but it was still amazing and fun that there was a writer around me even after I was possessed.

“I was surprised, Benjamin. If I had known in advance, I would have given you separate time to write.”

“That’s why I didn’t tell you. Prince Yeseo would have tried to be considerate of me.”

The middle-aged man smiled gently at my words.

“It’s just a hobby, so you don’t have to worry too much. Rather, I should be punished for having an outsider in the Imperial carriage. I have nothing to say. I’m sorry, Your Highness. Your Highness.”

Benjamin apologized to the Prince and me in a very polite manner.

Only then did I turn to look at the Prince. I was a little nervous.

It wasn’t just an ordinary noble, but I had exposed the Imperial family to a journalist like Sarah Belliare, and I didn’t know if an Imperial Palace servant was allowed to have a side job.

Christel, Ganael, and Lady Elisabeth’s gazes were also focused on the Prince.

He turned his expressionless face to the window and replied briefly.

“He is your servant, so you decide.”

“Me?”

I blinked at the unexpected answer. No, you’re the head of the Juliette Palace, not me.

“That’s great, Benjamin!”

Christel smiled brightly, clearly happy.

It seemed like things were going well, so my expression brightened as well.

“I’m fine, Benjamin. I know Belliare can be a bit reckless. But please be careful to prevent the same thing from happening again. I’ll be cheering for you.”

“······Thank you, Your Highness.”

Benjamin bowed his head once more.

The three men and women, excluding me and the Prince, began to bombard him with questions again.

“How did you start writing? Was there a trigger?”

“I’ve been interested in writing since I was young. was written for my eldest nephew. He’s a child who likes love stories.”

“Wow! So is REaD your debut work?”

“My debut work is… I’ve written an essay before.”

“I’m curious about the title.”

“It’s called , Viscount.”

Huh?

“That’s the book Ganael brought me on my first day in the palace.”

I interjected slyly.

To think that the famous collection of essays full of religious confessions, which I was curious about whether the title intentionally rhymed, was Benjamin’s work. [The title sounds similar to “Given to me by the Lord” in Korean.]

Ganael was also surprised by my reaction and covered his mouth. Benjamin had more than one pen name.

“That was my first book. It wasn’t easy to write even when I was writing what I wanted to write.”

Benjamin said calmly. I nodded.

It was the same for my brother, so I could understand.

My brother, who had been immersed in martial arts since his rental store days, couldn’t let go of his attachment to martial arts even while working at the company.

At first, it was a side job, but eventually, he became a full-time writer, and he struggled, saying that writing was difficult even if he only wrote what he wanted to see.

Still, his condition was quite stable after he started writing a long series.

“How about writing for someone else?”

I asked. Benjamin paused for a moment before speaking.

“It’s just as difficult. However,”

-Knock knock

Just then, someone knocked on the carriage door.

Lady Elisabeth, who was sitting by the handle, opened the door after looking at each of our faces.

A very familiar handsome man appeared.

“Goodness, everyone’s here!”

“Marquis, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, Your Highness. It’s nothing much. But if you don’t mind, could you move your carriage?”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Benjamin stopped the Viscount from trying to kick the Dium Marquis.

In the timing when the Prince sighed lowly, Christel burst into laughter.

“Elisabeth, I’m serious! My carriage is wide, so it’s hard to get out!”

Who in the world is looking for the owner of the Imperial carriage?

*

“Benjamin, everyone is really going crazy! How could you have such a development…”

“Shh.”

On the way to the Imperial Palace temple, Ganael chattered, unable to calm down his excitement.

Benjamin gently stopped the boy’s mouth. I smiled and walked ahead.

It had already been a week since Benjamin revealed to us that he was working a side job.

Of course, it was a secret to Sir Haynes and Sant, who weren’t in the carriage that day.

But Sant couldn’t contain his excitement after seeing this week’s [a fictional magazine].

The Q&A with Benjamin’s pen name, ‘Didier Hurmic,’ was also interesting, but…

‘Duke Heathcliff has applied for a duel with Jane! Oh my gosh, is this the end?!’

It was because of the latest episode in which the Duke applied for a duel with Jane, who had insulted his beloved Catherine.

Jane couldn’t maintain her composure at her fiancé’s duel application and ended up splashing the water she was drinking on his face.

The next episode promised a fight between the two men and women, who were both 6th-grade swordsmen.

After reading the episode, Christel commented like this.

‘It’s really a historic mess. But it’s so much fun. The author even reflected my opinion. I have to send a donation.’

I seemed to be the only one surprised that Benjamin could immediately reflect his acquaintance’s feedback in his writing, that is, that he was doing a live series.

I bowed to the knights who opened the temple door and moved my feet.

Well, my brother didn’t have much of a backlog either.

“Next time, please sign my copy of your essay collection.”

I whispered to Benjamin. He smiled and said he would.

“Demi, I’m going to work. Wait quietly.”

-Squeak

Before entering the confessional, I handed Demi in my arms to Ganael.

Then, for some reason, Demi struggled and expressed ‘no’ with his whole body.

He must have been upset that I left him at the palace on the day the Prince had a duel because I didn’t want to show blood.

Leia and Perry are still hugging their tails and sleeping in my room, but Demi especially liked outdoor activities.

I didn’t see Dduk-ssim anywhere since morning.

I hope he’s not cleaning feathers on the Prince’s bed again.

“Why? Do you want to go in with me?”

-Squeak

“Can you be good? You can’t say anything when a guest comes in.”

-Squeak

Demi answered clearly.

The way he stretched out his two front paws was so desperate that I eventually gave in and took him back.

I took the snack basket that Ganael gave me and entered the confessional, where I saw a neat wooden window and neatly cut decorative strings.

I wonder when this will be replaced.

“This must be Demi’s first time here.”

-Squeak!

Even though the inside was a little dark, Demi bravely opened his mouth.

I chuckled and patted his back.

I had taken a class with the Cardinal in the morning, had lunch, attended classes with the Prince and Christel, and had come to hear the confessions of the Imperial Palace people.

Perhaps because I had been consistently performing the sacraments whenever I had time, the number of confessors had decreased a lot recently.

I heard that a significant number of people were already busy because of the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony in August.

“Should I read a book until a guest comes? There’s also a novel written by Uncle Benjamin.”

-Squeak

Demi answered quietly and curled up on my lap.

I opened the , which I hadn’t finished reading yet.

When I unfolded the ether circle instead of the light, the lesser panda seemed very satisfied and shook the bellflowers from the end of his tail.

Let’s see.

「······That’s how the flamboyant outing of Robert Blanquer ended. According to sources in the East, the Viscount’s injury is permanent, but not serious. The Blanquer family, his main family, did not send any special comments in response to the magazine’s request for a statement. However, it is known that Duke Blanquer was very ashamed of his successor’s reckless behavior. It is rumored that the Duke’s husband also sent a letter to his son telling him to ‘be grateful for His Highness the Prince’s mercy.’」

I carefully read Belliare’s article about the duel between the Prince and the Viscount.

Fortunately, there was no expression that the Prince had listened to me and not killed him.

The article as a whole focused on the Prince’s beauty and tolerance, and the abilities of the Holy Knight he showed in front of the Imperial nobles.

Belliare had once again published an article that was favorable to me.

She must have had her own calculations.

“Hoo.”

「Meanwhile, the performance of the ‘Three Dignitaries’ stands out. Prince Cedric, Duchess Christel de Sarnese, and Prince Yeseo of the Venetian Theocracy all succeeded in attracting everyone’s attention in this duel. In the future, their······.」

There’s no such thing. There are no future plans with the two of them. Maybe.

I frowned slightly and rubbed my chest.

I could feel the presence of the small crystal bell.

The note sent by ‘Visil,’ that is, Crown Princess Elysee, was copied into a notebook and then burned immediately.

Now that it was clear who sent it and for what purpose, I thought it would only increase the risk of loss if I kept it any longer.

-Click

I snapped to my senses. It seemed that a confessor had entered while I was focusing on the article.

I heard the sound of clothes rustling and naturally released the sanctuary and closed the book.

Demi, who sensed a stranger, slightly raised his tail, but cleverly didn’t make a sound.

“Welcome, believer. When was your last confession?”

“I, I didn’t come to confess.”

At the confident voice, I reflexively clicked my tongue.

Starting with the first guest, today’s business is ruined, ruined.

“If you didn’t come to confess, I’m sorry, but please leave. I have to listen to the stories of other believers.”

“Instead, I have a question. Does Your Highness intend to hold His Highness the Prince and the Duchess of Sarnese in both hands and flirt with them?”

“Oh, what is this.”

I was so dumbfounded that I spoke informally.

I quickly washed my face and shook my head a few times.

Do you only see one or two troublemakers in the confessional, Jeong Yeseo? Don’t be shaken.

“Believer, this is a sacred temple. Please refrain from rumors.”

“Otherwise, how could the Duchess, who has no partner, refuse an interview with the Archbishop, and how could His Highness stop the attack at Your Highness’s words? I suspect Your Highness’s intentions.”

“I will not answer any further. If you do not leave on your own now, I will call the temple knights.”

“Ha!”

The young and thin voice trembled.

It was a tone I thought I had heard somewhere, but I wasn’t sure because there were many believers who had confessed to me.

Still, it seemed like she was planning to leave on her own, as I heard the woman getting up from her seat.

I was thirsty for no reason.

I took out the glass bottle that Ganael had given me and gulped down the cool corn tea.

I handed Demi a piece of rose petal sugar, but,

-Bang!

The confessional door burst open. A believer who had come out of the next cell in the meantime had invaded my seat.

I was so surprised that my eyes widened.

I saw red hair that was curly like ramen, cheeks that were flushed with the same color because she couldn’t contain her anger, and dark brown eyes that were lightly tearful.

“······Duchess Eva Blanquer?”

She’s the Viscount’s sister, isn’t she?

“I can’t be a Duchess and I can’t marry His Highness the Prince, but Your Highness has blocked the rest of my path to success. I hate you!”

The girl said, trembling. I couldn’t find the words to say, so I gaped.

“Um, first of all.”

“Eat this and stay away from His Highness and the Duchess!”

Eva violently poured the water bottle she was holding towards me. Did you read the latest episode of REaD too?!

-Splash!

-Squeak!

But Demi blocked it again with a huge leaf!