What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 850

Now I’m Coming to Find You (7)

The royal capital of Phenetian was the city where the sun rose earliest on the continent.

The morning at the Liester main camp was particularly busy today.

“Hmm…”

-Rustle, rustle…

As the spotless white bedding made a subtle sound, the attendants pacing back and forth beyond the curtain stopped and held their breath.

Those who carried candlesticks or lamps instead of magic lights that hadn’t revealed their mana exchanged glances busily.

Then, a noble waiting outside the curtain of the bedchamber turned to them and asked quietly.

“He coughed. Is the Emperor’s and His Highness’s washing water ready?”

“Yes, Duke Blanquer.”

“Prepare a boiled towel as well and bring it here.”

“As you command.”

Since Laura Mendi, the Imperial Palace chamberlain, did not accompany this personal expedition—she was in charge of maintaining order in the palace along with Erbe Duhem, the commander of the Imperial Guard—a small number of nobles attended the Emperor daily from close by.

Duke Cecile Blanquer, Frederick’s sister-in-law, was one of them, and sometimes Mrs. Viviana Corleone, the consort from the Corleone princely family and Lorenzo Corleone’s wife, or Mrs. Colette Cisse, the wife of Marquis Leon Cisse, attended to the precious ones.

Cecile silently watched the attendants bring in a golden basin, a moderately warm wet towel, and a clean-smelling dry towel.

The finest soap and rose water, a soft-bristled toothbrush and jewel-like rock salt, a comb made of the bones and hair of high-ranking magical beasts, and a porcelain dish holding fragrant oil and sachets, as well as new underwear for the two dignitaries, were also quickly prepared.

Around that time, the curtain was slightly lifted from the inside.

“Good morning.”

Orelly Boutier, with her purple hair down, greeted softly.

Since her bare shoulders were fully exposed, the attendants silently turned their backs to the opposite side.

The Cardinal looked as refreshed as someone who had been awake since early on.

Cecile bowed politely.

“Did you have a peaceful night, Your Highness?”

“Yes, I’m fine, but Frederick seems very tired. I’ll take care of the washing.”

“I will prepare so that you can do so.”

“Thank you.”

The Duchess, without changing her expression, received the Cardinal’s permission and lifted the curtain halfway, and the attendants quickly retreated from the bedchamber as if they had made an appointment.

Orelly was sitting comfortably, leaning her upper body against the pillows at the head of the bed.

Before long, the morning sun rose, and the entire camp was lit with a soft golden light.

The Emperor, who had been hugging his partner’s waist, frowned and buried his face in the white nightgown. ‘Rustle, rustle…’

“…Sleepy. Headache.”

“You’ll be fine soon. You might get motion sickness from receiving too much Aether [a magical energy source] at once.”

‘Let’s wash up and have breakfast, Frederick,’ The Cardinal gently stroked the contractor’s silver hair with a voice mixed with laughter.

Cecile silently assisted the two.

Soon, the Emperor got up and received his partner’s washing service and dressing assistance.

She occasionally grumbled while looking at Orelly, but even that seemed full of affection and didn’t seem angry at all.

“You came later than the schedule you told me earlier, Orelly.”

“It was a golden opportunity to defeat the Papal States. I couldn’t dare miss it.”

The Cardinal blinked innocently and straightened the Emperor’s sleeves.

Frederick stared intently at the top of her head.

“…You didn’t break their necks, did you? It’s convenient for us to have one scarecrow.”

“Oh my. There’s nothing you can’t say to a priest who saves people.”

“Orelly.”

“He’s alive. The Secretary-General’s head and torso are both healthy.”

“…That means you broke their limbs. The Papal States must be in an uproar.”

“That’s his karma.”

‘Rustle!’ Orelly playfully pulled on her partner’s cravat and replied.

However, her playful beige eyes quickly darkened.

She whispered.

“…Purple smoke is still rising from the chimney of the Temple of the Boundary. Even though the moon has disappeared.”

“Indeed. It seems the Secretary-General hasn’t paid the chimney sweep’s wages.”

Frederick made a typical imperial joke.

Cecile was inwardly surprised that she had recovered enough to joke around, but she didn’t show it.

Orelly combed her partner’s hair and continued to talk.

“The most likely theory is that the World Tree is the one making the smoke from the chimney. It’s not the official theory, but many clerics believe it, and I haven’t found any grounds to refute it either.”

“The conclusion?”

“…It truly means that a Pope has been prepared, Frederick. I don’t know who it is, though.”

“The next Pope. He must have been born under an unlucky constellation.”

Whether he liked it or not, whether he was young or old, he was destined to be responsible for one axis of the post-war order.

The Emperor briefly pitied the one who would ascend to the throne and accepted the cufflink from the Duchess.

The Cardinal’s soft explanation continued.

“However, since the Holy Grail has been destroyed, the main god doesn’t have any divine object to give to the Pope. That’s the decisive reason why the Secretary-General has been delaying the election until now.”

“…”

“Cardinal Ari Schot and other neutral clerics and imperial clerics are continuing their concentrated offensive, and high-ranking officials who have turned their backs on the Holy Nation have begun to join them. The Secretary-General will soon raise the white flag.”

Orelly fastened Frederick’s buttons with delicate hands.

Then, as if asking about the breakfast menu, she asked her with an ordinary face.

“Tell me the date you want. Then I’ll have the voting start around that time.”

“…Ha.”

“I heard on the way here. Our children have gone on a ‘moon hunt’?”

The Cardinal continued blandly. The Emperor raised one eyebrow and chuckled.

“Father allowed it. On the condition that they return before the memorial service for the war dead.”

“Prince Yesser is with them too, I heard.”

“Yes.”

“…In many ways, it’s a good thing. Their achievements will enhance our legitimacy. Liester will be recorded as a great power that washed away the Papal States’ faults and brought peace to the continent.”

“Well. Is ‘moon hunting’ even a matter that can leave achievements behind?”

“Oh, Eve.”

Orelly whispered softly. Light seemed to be returning to her irises.

“I swear to God, it will be.”

“…”

“…You know. We lost something precious in the war, and we haven’t gotten it back yet. But…”

When her hand slowly left her partner’s body, Frederick was neatly dressed from head to toe.

“We’ll get it back.”

“…”

“We absolutely have to. I…”

“I know.”

Before the sentence could be finished, the Emperor answered, holding his partner’s hand.

Then, in the red eyes kissing the back of her hand, there was a will to desire the same future as her.

The two were always of one mind, so that was enough.

Cecile quietly rang the bell to call the attendants. Soon it was time to bring in breakfast.

*

For several days after that, it was quite peaceful.

It had already been four days since the moon hunting party left Chaum Caravanserai [a roadside inn for travelers].

-Thud, thud, thud…

“We’re almost there, Pontdu. Just a little further.”

-Clatter, clatter, clatter…

It wasn’t my first time in the desert, but I still couldn’t get used to this kind of climate in the middle of the day.

Even if we could keep giving the divine beasts water and ice packs to keep them cool, the horseshoes were getting too hot, so we had to let the horses rest from time to time.

Gain looked at the oasis that was clearly getting closer—this time it wasn’t a mirage—and let out a cool breath.

We still had to move for several more days to reach the Temple of the Boundary, but fortunately, all the indicators were gradually becoming clearer.

-Neigh

“It’s okay, Doria. Your friends will be fine soon. Let’s rest now.”

For example, the smoke rising more clearly from the end of the horizon.

Or the black moon shadow in the middle of the sky, seemingly inhaling that smoke.

Looking at the hole that seemed to be getting bigger and bigger, I suddenly remembered the last greeting I heard in Chaum.

‘I pray that you have a blessed time under the gaze of the main god.’

Monica. And the children.

Marion and India, wearing the neatest and most tidy clothes they had among their clothes, held the manager’s hands and saw them off. Gain smiled brightly as she received kisses on the cheeks from the two girls.

It was a word that I had heard once before when I stayed in Chaum in the past.

Monica, who was quick-witted and good at her job, didn’t ask about their business until the group left the entrance of the caravanserai.

She was just wishing them luck like that.

‘Under the gaze of the main god.’ If she was watching, everything would go smoothly.

“…”

Suddenly, I turned around.

Then, the two men riding side by side on the black and white horses also looked at Gain.

I quickly turned my gaze away, rubbing the goosebumps that were rising on my arms.

The Crown Prince was about to melt the back of her head with a hot gaze.

“…Is there anything else you would like to say to Sir Christel?”

The Prince, who discovered this, asked.

“Not at all.”

“I see.”

The man smiled and stroked Herrit’s cheek, who was sitting in the front seat.

The child, feeling the affection, stopped eating the grape sorbet—which Gain had made by boiling her wine—and looked up at him with a bright smile.

Cedric couldn’t take his eyes off the Prince for a while.

Because he couldn’t understand himself reacting reflexively to his voice every time.

No—because he understood it in his head but couldn’t accept it.

“…You.”

‘You have remembered a considerable part.’

That night, the Prince said that to Christel Rambouillet. ‘A considerable part.’

As if he remembered the whole thing, not just a part.

As if he knew the circumstances of the group and the angel inside and out.

“You still have something you haven’t told us?”

“Yes.”

Yesser Phenetian answered coolly without facing him.

The Crown Prince frowned at the reaction that made him doubt his ears.

“Why?”

“Because I believe there is a time for every truth.”

“You’re putting nonsense in the mouth of royalty.”

“Well.”

The man chuckled, making his throat vibrate.

Then, he slowly lowered the cloth that was covering his face and looked at the man.

“If I had told you everything on the first day I met Your Highness, would you have believed it?”

“…”

“Having just returned with news of victory, not yet knowing what’s going on…”

“Don’t treat me like a kid.”

“…If I had said that a lost angel had taken your soul as a prisoner, would Your Highness have immediately agreed?”

“…”

“Excellent answer.”

The Prince’s golden hair fluttered in the wind. Cedric stared at him silently.

“Relax, Your Highness. The oasis is right in front of us.”

“…”

‘Hmph.’ The Crown Prince snorted lowly and turned his head.

Lopi repeatedly laid down and raised his ears, looking back and forth between the two.

*

…What?

“Wait a minute, what are you talking about?”

On Wednesday night, we faced a new disaster.

I sat on the living room sofa and blankly looked up at Eunseo.

The youngest, who had brought out the whiteboard again, was making a grim expression.

“…No matter how many times I review the previous content and go down, it’s almost impossible. Even I can’t check all the content behind the Nemo Nemo file. And…”

Gulp. The sound of the child swallowing was too loud.

“…Oppa’s friends, they don’t remember Oppa. The situation is serious.”