There Are Too Many Second Male Leads!

She immediately followed, trying to stop him, but Kai, using his tall height, teased her and raised the book titled “<Lord, Why are you like this!>” to the height of the ceiling.

“Give it to me! It’s mine!”

“Who says so?”

She clung to him and jumped around, but he heartlessly paid no attention. Kai held the book high with his right hand, pressing her forehead with his left, and said annoyingly.

“What are you hiding so desperately? Let me see.”

Even though She struggled desperately with her arms, it was futile. With short arms, she couldn’t reach the book near the ceiling no matter how hard she wiggled.

Kai, surprised while reading the book, suddenly closed it and put it back in its place as if tossing it aside. His movements were fast and precise, like a series of connected motions.

‘…He saw it.’

In response to Kai’s reaction, she sagged her shoulders.

“I saw it.”

“…”

Really.

‘This makes me want to die.’

“Yeah, why would you come into someone else’s room so recklessly!”

Kai, who had been watching her reddened face, finally burst into laughter.

“I didn’t know Ella had an interest in this kind of thing. You’re not far from adulthood, right? Since you’re now sixteen, maybe another two years…?”

“M, mind your own business!”

“Yeah, right… why suddenly be interested in this kind of thing?”

She glanced at him, who was looking at her with a smirk.

“T-that’s right!”

She quickly explained to avoid becoming a minor who secretly read 19-rated romance novels.

“I asked Penny to teach me about dating! When I asked for a romance novel, she brought me this! I only read a little at the beginning! Really!”

“So, what you’re saying is… you found someone you like?”

Kai listened to her explanation, or so she thought, making absurd remarks and freezing his expression. When she failed to understand the situation and widened her eyes, he kindly asked again.

“Did you find someone… you like because you wanted to learn about romance?”

“That’s right!”

“Who is it?”

“Huh?”

 

“Who is the man you like?”

She felt tense at Kai’s unfamiliar and stern expression.

‘What should I do? I can’t say he’s the demon lord whom I met yesterday! I don’t even know other male leads!’

She couldn’t help but casually smile at him, pretending to be indifferent.

“Secret!”

At the top of the demon tower, Enoch, who had been lying on the bed, opened his eyes only when dawn arrived. Enoch raised his upper body stealthily like a ghost. As soon as the head magician Ralph, who had come to grind recovery herbs, met eyes with Enoch’s tiger-like golden eyes, he was startled and stumbled backward.

“M-Master!”

Ralph with his gray hair, reaching down to his belly button, and a shaggy beard that almost touched the floor, shouted. Ralph grabbed the fallen wooden staff with trembling hands and struggled to stand up.

“A-Are you recovering quickly this time?”

Ralph asked with a shaky voice.

Ralph Grilly was the third head magician of the Grilly family, serving the demon lord for generations.

Although he had reached the highest level as a magician, the Grilly family was practically the owner of the demon lord. This was due to the curse-like contract spell that mandated serving the demon lord for generations.

It was normal to underestimate Ralph, who appeared old and decrepit but had the body of a seventeen-year-old Enoch in the demon tower.

“Oh, I took a good rest while lying down.”

Enoch replied after realizing that his body temperature had returned to normal.

“Did your health improve by any chance? You seem to be sick every three months, so I was wondering if there might be a chronic illness…”

“That mouth. I warned you to be careful.”

“Oh, dear. This old man made a mistake.”

Enoch’s eyes flickered like a warning, and Ralph deeply bowed at the waist.

Ralph didn’t know about Enoch’s ‘situation’. 

Enoch was the third demon lord being served by the Grilly family, and Ralph had been serving him for 30 years already. However, Enoch had never revealed any information about his physical condition to Ralph. Even the fact that he got sick every three months was known only to Ralph within the demon tower.

 

Enoch got up from the bed. He glanced at himself in the full-length mirror next to the bed and lightly wet the silk gown that Ralph had put on him. His firm chest was reflected in the mirror.

‘As expected, it’s gone.’

By now, the mark that always appeared around this time was gone. It had never happened in a hundred years. The only thing suspicious in the current situation was the potion given to him by that woman. What could it possibly be?

“Bring some healing potions from the demon tower. All of them, without missing a single one.”

“Uh, all of them, Master?”

There were hundreds of types of healing potions produced in the demon tower. To bring all of them to the study was a daunting task. Ralph, who had thought the days of comfort were coming when his master’s ‘time’ arrived, was in despair.

“Bring all of them to the study. I’ll check them right away.”

“Oh, yes. I understand.”

Ralph glared at the back of his unpredictable master’s head, unsure where he might turn.

Still gazing into the mirror, Enoch recalled the woman he had met last night.

─ ‘You have to solve this to get answers, you fool!’

The voice echoed in his head.

“ I told you. I don’t know! Why don’t you believe what people say?”

“You said you had an undying body. You’re quite fragile.”

Although he claimed not to know who she was, he not only knew her name but also the fact that she claimed to have an undying body. There were more than a few suspicious aspects.

‘Did she know that I am the demon lord?’

Enoch became curious about the mysterious and audacious woman.

“Ah, by any chance, are you also a noble?”

 “It’s okay. Actually, I am a noble too. It’s fine for nobles to get this close. Right?”

‘It didn’t sound like a lie.’

 

Seeing her use telepathy, she seemed like a magician, but it was unheard of for someone, especially a noble, to use such advanced magic on a first encounter without any magical tools. Moreover, none of the healing potions had worked until now, but the potion she gave him melted his frozen heart in an instant. Enoch wondered where she could have obtained it.

Most potions used in the Ruman Empire were produced in the demon tower. Although imperial mages also created similar potions, they were expensive and not as effective as those from the demon tower. People mostly preferred potions from the demon tower.

‘Where did this mysterious person come from?’

Ralph interrupted Enoch’s thoughts by handing him an envelope.

“I was planning to give this to you when you woke up. It arrived today.”

It looked like an invitation, but Enoch didn’t bother to accept it, glancing at it briefly.

“Did I ever accept an invitation?”

Enoch grumbled.

“Of course, sir. I just wanted to inform you formally. I will send a rejection response then.”

As Ralph finished speaking and turned away, Enoch suddenly grabbed him, an unexpected expression of displeasure on his face.

“Wait.”

Enoch held Ralph in a sudden fit of frustration, looking down at him. He asked,

“Where is this invitation from?”

“It’s from the Clement family. They say the young lady, who has been bedridden for a year, has recovered.”

Lady Clement. She was the adopted daughter of the Clement Duke, brought in from the temple orphanage.

Until now, Enoch had been indifferent to those who were adopted by the powerful Clement Duke or the unfortunate crown prince. But now, lost in thought about something, he looked at Ralph with narrowed eyes and asked,

“Has anything special happened to the Clement Duke recently?”

“Well, I’m not sure. Ah!”

Ralph, who seemed to recall something, continued,

“There’s a rumor that the temple infiltrated the Clement Duke’s mansion with the emperor’s seal. They believe she is the ‘Child of Luganet’ pointed to by the prophecy.”

“The Child of Luganet?”

“That’s what the temple believes. It seems accurate according to the information from the Dark Guild.”

Smirking, Enoch tilted his head and asked,

“Does that young lady know how to use magic by any chance?”

“I doubt it. Perhaps because she’s the adopted daughter, she can’t even handle mana.”

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes?”

Not understanding the meaning of the question, Ralph asked again, but Enoch, without answering, stared into the void.

‘The Child of Luganet…’

Lost in thought for a moment, Enoch suddenly took the invitation Ralph was holding.

“Do you plan to go?!”

Ralph asked with wide eyes, but instead of answering, Enoch unfolded the invitation. As he quickly scanned the white invitation, he lifted the corner of his mouth slightly.

“It seems like it will be an interesting event after a hundred years.”

“Kai, go in.”

Isabella opened the door for Kai, who had been locked up in his room for a week, except for his research time with Duke Twilly. He had been avoiding people, acting strangely, as if he had something on his mind.

“Kai.”

Isabella, worried about her brother, called out to him. He turned his head slowly as if emerging from deep contemplation.

“Uh.”

He responded without much emotion.

“What’s wrong?”

To Isabella’s concerned question, Kai turned his gaze back to the window without saying a word. As Isabella approached him carefully, he spoke.

“Nothing.”

Concerned about Kai, who had been holed up in his room for a week, Isabella had finally decided to visit him. She was aware that her brother might not answer her questions directly.

“I brought the invitation from the Clement family.”

As she handed him the invitation, she noticed that Kai hadn’t replied to it for a week.

“Are you planning to go?”

Kai remained silent, staring at the invitation.

“Will you go?”

“….”

If it were a usual situation, Kai would have answered immediately, but this time, he remained silent.

“You really need to send a response tomorrow.”

‘I’m sure something is going on with Ella.’

Isabella recalled the question she heard during today’s class with Roella.

“Is there something wrong with Kai?”

“Oh, no. Nothing’s wrong… Is there something going on between you and Kai?”

“Oh. No, not at all!”

Although Roella waved it off as nothing, judging by Kai’s reaction, it became more evident. Roella seemed completely clueless about what was happening. It seemed like Kai was deliberately avoiding her, making the situation even more mysterious.

‘What on earth is happening?’

With a concerned heart, Isabella gently added, as if to console him.

“We knew that Ella had awakened, but publicly, we are unaware. Since Father is in the territory and can’t attend, it’s crucial for you as the junior duke to participate.”

“….”

“There are many eyes watching. The Crown Prince and Lady responded to the invitation. If a junior duke is absent from such an event…”

“What did you just say?”

Interrupting Isabella’s words, Kai, with a serious expression, descended from the window. He stood upright, glaring at Isabella intently.

“The Crown Prince and who are coming? Lady Matap?”

Translator Note: