What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 835

D’Artagnan and the Moon Hunt (7)

Cedric Liester’s nightmares always unfolded in a similar fashion.

He would invariably wake up in a pitch-black chamber, devoid of light. The Crown Prince instinctively knew it was the basement of Romero Palace, and that he was helplessly trapped.

His past before his twelfth birthday replayed every night. There was nothing he could do but lie there.

The corner room, resembling a coffin buried underground, lacked all luxuries: light, color, warmth, and comfort.

He had to exist quietly, barely breathing, consumed by the fear of dying alone.

His body burned with fever, his stomach churned as if he had severe motion sickness. The thickly layered clothes felt like a suffocating shroud.

After enduring this for hours, he would sense someone’s presence.

‘Who are you?’

‘Hick.’

When he asked sharply, a bewildered voice would answer from the darkness.

Cedric barely managed the sentence, feeling crushed by a ghost. Every single day.

‘I asked who you are.’

‘Shh. Shh.’

When he repeated the question, he heard hurried whispers.

Next, the Divine Beasts would fall from the ceiling—always the same routine.

On the first night of the nightmare, Perry de Liester’s merciless solar plexus strike had jolted him awake.

But from the second day, he could cushion the impact with the Divine Beasts. After a few more days, he could extend the dream with his will and voice his doubts.

‘This is… What is this…? A demonic beast?’

Yet, the Cedric in the dream didn’t recognize the Divine Beasts.

It was as if his dreaming self was a separate personality.

‘Not a demonic beast. A fairy?’

Then, a voice, higher and kinder, would reply, as if trying to reassure him.

However, the nightmare never progressed beyond that point. Cedric always woke up the next moment.

As time passed, he became convinced he had to seize the being in the darkness.

The man’s voice was familiar, and he felt compelled to listen.

Christel Lambrew suggested he identify the other party.

‘-Saaaaaa…’

Relief from the gnawing thirst. Perhaps today was the day.

‘…It’s okay. Uncle is a priest, and he’s not here to hurt you. You can relax.’

For the first time, the dream moved forward.

A corner of the darkness brightened with a warm golden light, revealing the outline of a person. But their face was obscured, as if blotted out with ink. Cedric frowned, displeased, and looked up.

The figure carefully lowered themselves, and white, uncalloused fingertips began tending to the Divine Beasts.

The messengers of the Chief God [referring to the Divine Beasts] wagged their tails and rubbed against his legs.

Cedric, or rather, his lips, formed a sentence.

‘What are those? You’re not an Imperial Palace priest…’

No, unnecessary sophistry wasn’t needed.

The dreaming man’s eyes flashed like hyacinth stones in ashes.

He clenched his jaw, his muscles writhing as if to break his bones.

If he remained lying there, unable to move, if he remained넋을 잃고 [넋을 잃고 (neogeul ilhgo) means ‘to be in a daze’ or ‘to lose one’s soul’], he would lose the man like gold dust.

‘Yes, uncle’s friends. Fairies. We were separated for a while…’

Then, the opportunity was now.

-Rustle!

“Hick!”

The man, who had bitten his lip until it bled, suddenly rose. From beyond the dream came the sound of tearing paper.

Perhaps a window breaking.

The surprised opponent gasped, sending the Divine Beasts behind him.

Cedric seized the gap.

-Thump!

“Ugh!”

“You, come here.”

‘Ah, it hurts!’ The man, wrist grabbed, twisted his shoulder, trying to escape.

Impossible. Cedric was overcoming the nightmare’s resistance with willpower and strength.

‘Thud!’ He violently pulled the opponent down, pinning his lean back with his torso, immobilizing his arms and legs.

The man, horrified by the overwhelming force, breathed raggedly, struggling.

But Cedric, consumed by the desire to confirm his identity, couldn’t control his rising violence.

“No! Let go!”

“I need to know who you are.”

“No, ugh! It hurts! Don’t do this!”

-Flap, flap, flap!

‘Kugh!’ Ignoring the attack of pure white wings, Cedric pressed down hard.

‘Rip!’ He tore the thin collar, snatched the bag, and threw it away.

The belief that he would never hunt this person down otherwise colored his mind red.

The escaped white feathers fell like the first snow into the black space.

Cedric took a rough breath and grabbed the man’s shoulder to check his face. The moment a small downy hair lightly touched the bridge of his sharp nose….

‘Oh? It’s snowing! It’s snowing, Your Highness!’

Pause.

‘To think I have to get used to this chaos. Palace life won’t be easy in the future.’

‘Good job.’

“……”

A voice rang in his ears like an old magic.

Cedric’s eyes shook.

Was this a forgotten memory, a faintly desired future, or….

‘We sincerely love the Liester Empire. We also love the people here. We are happy here.’

“Hick, whew….”

A voice as intimate as a breath.

The Crown Prince desperately tried to erase the image of Yeser Venetian that suddenly came to mind.

He shook his head, clenching his teeth so hard the blood vessels in his temples stood out, trying not to lose his soul in the storm of memories.

It was clear the hostage of the enemy country was illegally occupying his memories.

But at the same time—Cedric could be sure the prince hadn’t taken his heart prisoner.

‘Come here.’

‘Waaaaah…!’

Why?

“Hey, why are you suddenly doing this…. You’re scaring me….”

Flinch. The man lying on the floor was crying.

One side of his chest rattled.

Cedric felt an inexplicable shock and briefly released his grip.

Then, the man, who had been groaning, turned to him, cheeks trembling.

“….Saydi, what’s wrong?”

Brown hair, purple irises.

A forehead reddened from being dragged on the floor, eyes stained with fear.

Finally, the angel’s face was perfectly visible.

“…….”

Cedric couldn’t resist the urge to grab his collar and pull him up.

He didn’t care if the man raised his voice, telling him to stop.

It was now. He had to hear this person’s name.

He had to carve it with the sharpest awl in the deepest part of his heart, and make it eternally rustproof with the consecration of a priest.

“You crazy bastard, I told you to stop!”

“Your name—”

He saw the man clench his mouth. An angry expression he had often seen.

The angel immediately raised his freed right hand and slapped the prince’s left cheek…!

-Slap!

Flash!

“…….”

-Gurgle

The Crown Prince opened his eyes to see someone’s white, short belly fur.

As he gasped, his eyes met Lofi’s. Of course, there was no apology.

Lofi, who slapped the jade face of the second most precious person in the Empire with his front paw to wake him up, only tilted his head, looking down with a haughty expression.

-Gurgle

“Ha…….”

‘So what.’ That was clearly the meaning.

Today, Cedric clearly understood the Divine Beast’s words.

Lofi seemed pleased with his act of slapping a human’s cheek to wake him up, jumped down under the long sofa, and ran off somewhere, making chicken noises, ‘Cluck, cluck, cluck!’

It was such an amazing flow he couldn’t even laugh.

The man swallowed the sigh and silently covered his eyes.

“…….”

The lord’s castle of the Blanquer Duchy was vast, and his accommodation in the main castle included tea rooms and lounges of various sizes.

The banquet to be held in a few hours would be attended by Eva Blanquer, the Duchess of the Magic Tower, Paul Blanquer, her father and Duke Consort—as well as Marquis Francois Duhem, who would arrive late from the capital, and numerous figures from the magical science community, including researchers from the Magic Tower.

So he had to get up soon.

Soon David would come in with the servants and start preparing.

‘Saydi, what’s wrong?’

“…….”

However, he couldn’t move until he had fully drawn the angel’s face in his mind.

Cedric knew it was foolish to try to remember the person he saw in the dream, but he couldn’t bear to let go of the thread of thought.

Fine brown hair, amethyst-like sparkling eyes.

It vaguely resembled someone, but when you looked closely, it was completely different….

“Did you have a good dream?”

“…….”

Sparkle, his eyes opened again.

The Crown Prince finally sat up and turned to the man at the door.

“Did you receive some of my help?”

“…….”

Prince Yeser Venetian was smiling, waving.

Because his place was shaded, his bright golden hair looked dark brown.

However, his sparkling purple eyes were clear anywhere.

Cedric silently glared at him.

“…….”

“……Um?”

Then the prince tilted his head with an innocent expression.

There was no evidence, but the Crown Prince was sure.

That person’s voice was the same as the lost angel’s. And….

…And the prince has something to say about the angel, which he does not tell Cedric and his party.

*

The next day. Friday.

I took a half-day off in the afternoon and went home early.

I wonder if I’ll be quietly fired from the company like this.

“….Come here and sit down. All three of you.”

Jeong Eun-seo, who also didn’t attend the last lecture—strictly speaking, it wasn’t skipping, but the professor caught the flu, so an emergency cancellation notice was posted—called us to the living room table.

Her face was calm and white without any signs of anger, but based on our nineteen years of experience, my brother and I could easily tell she was ‘extremely angry.’

Like a death row inmate being dragged to the execution ground, I dragged my slippers and quietly took a seat on my younger sibling’s right cushion.

It was obvious I would get the most scolding if I sat in front, so I chose a position where I would be scolded less somehow.

“…….”

Then, Sir Johan followed me and sat on Eun-seo’s left cushion.

Jeong Hyun-seo, who was the last to arrive because he was getting snacks, naturally sat down facing the youngest.

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

“……gulp.”

Thus, finally, the conversation between our siblings and Sir Johan began.

Honestly, it wouldn’t be strange if the world ended like this.