There Are Too Many Second Male Leads!

 

“Hey! Watch your language!”

Isabella scolded Kai, surprised to hear him address the crown prince without honorifics. Kai didn’t seem to mind and asked again.

“Why are they who rarely appear in public showing up here? Just for a celebration?”

Although this time he used the title ‘Lord,’ Kai’s tone still carried a hint of mockery. Isabella, relieved by the fact that they were in Kai’s room, responded.

“I find it strange too. Both of them are famous, yet no one has seen their faces. Thanks to that, all the families invited to this celebration are bringing their young heirs. Among those who received invitations, there isn’t a single family that declined. Of course, it’s only natural for Duke Clement’s family…”

“I’ll go, then.”

In response to Kai’s concise answer, Isabella’s worried expression turned to relaxed.

“Really? Fine. I’ll send the response tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Please do.”

As Isabella left the room with light footsteps, Kai, who remained standing as if rooted to the spot, slowly scratched his nape.

‘A man She likes? Where did that come from? Suddenly being interested in such things.’

“Y-Yeah! It’s exactly like that!”

“She asked Penny to teach her about dating! She requested a romantic novel, and she brought her this book!”

It felt as if something was stuck in his throat. His back seemed to be squirming.

Ever since he heard those words from Roella, it had been like this. It didn’t seem like there would be any more discomfort. Responding to Prince’s invitation and even attending the celebration in honor of Roella’s recovery had doubled the discomfort.

Kai suddenly remembered a conversation he had with Roella when he was around eight.

“Today, I met the Crown Prince.”

“What? Prince? Where?”

“In the Royal Garden. I sneaked out because the party was boring.”

“Nothing happened?”

“I chatted with him out of boredom. But the prince had nothing special. He seemed more miserable than us.”

“Really?”

“Yes. His eyes… seemed sadder than mine. Since I have Kai by my side, but Prince has no one. So, I told him that I’m unhappier than him!”

‘What is this feeling?’

He had planned not to meet Roella until this uncomfortable feeling disappeared. Even though Roella hadn’t done anything wrong, he couldn’t bring himself to respond to the invitation out of annoyance. If his mood didn’t improve, he had considered using health as an excuse to skip the Duke’s invitation.

However, his thoughts changed instantly upon hearing Isabella’s words. It wasn’t for any special reason. He was simply curious about their impure intentions, especially when those who usually didn’t participate in official events were willingly joining Roella’s celebration.

Yes, it was just plain curiosity.

“…If I go, I’ll find out,”

Kai mumbled, still feeling uneasy.

Finally, the day of the celebration arrived. She woke up early in the morning and, following the instructions of the maids, busily prepared herself. The entire process, from hair and makeup to the dress, took a full five hours. She was so busy that she kept dozing off during the long and tedious procedure.

“Miss! Wake up!”

Startled by Penny’s commotion, She abruptly opened her eyes. Then, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror on the opposite side and couldn’t help but gasp.

Today’s concept was that of a pure maiden who had just awakened from her sickbed. The rose-pink dress tightly hugged her slender figure, accentuating her curves. Rose-shaped vines adorned the dress from the chest to the waist. The sleeves billowed like a weeping cherry blossom tree, and the skirt beneath the waist flowed down modestly in an A-line.

 

Having twisted her usually tangled hair into a laurel-like half-bun, she achieved a clean yet elegant look. The makeup, which took more than an hour, completely erased any youthful image and transformed her into a mature lady. The reddish eyes and rose-colored lipstick complemented each other better than expected.

She couldn’t help but admire herself, living up to the epitome of innocence.

“Miss! You’re so beautiful!”

“I would believe it if you said you descended from heaven!”

“It’s been a while since you showcased your skills. How do you feel?”

Sophia, Fanny, and headmaid Alan spoke, their eyes sparkling with the apparent importance of her appearance.

“With this level of beauty, you should get married right away instead of having a celebration, don’t you think?”

“Oh my!”

Sophia was the first to react to her bold statement. And as she did, an excited Fanny, unable to contain herself, stomped her foot and said,

“Well, we’ve put in a lot of effort for the celebration because the Crown Prince is coming!”

‘Huh? Why did the topic suddenly shift to the prince?’

“Ever since the rumor spread that Prince is coming today, the Lumanje Dress Shop closed its doors! Noble ladies have been busy making dresses! I wonder how extravagant their outfits will be… It’s going to be even more impressive than an adult ceremony! Our young lady can’t be left behind!”

“Fanny. How could you say our young lady would be left behind!”

As Fanny made a slip of the tongue, scolding came from Alan, but she intervened.

“No, wait a minute. Why are all the noble ladies gathering when the Prince is coming? And not just that, why Is everyone dressing up so much? This is my celebration, isn’t it?”

“Prince rarely attends events like this, so they’re probably seizing the opportunity this time.”

“Opportunity?”

“It’s a chance to become Prince’s wife!”

 

As Fanny complained frustratingly, Alan widened her eyes. Fanny lowered her head and continued resolutely.

“If it’s not today, there won’t be another chance to meet Prince. They’re aiming for the celebration. No matter what anyone says, Prince is coming today to congratulate you. Don’t let anyone take that away from you!”

‘So, this potential male lead is not only bringing a rival even before the meeting but also creating a mountain out of a molehill.’

Ugh. It’s really one problem after another.

At that moment, Sophia, who had been watching from the side, added,

“In addition, Marquis Matap is said to be coming… and the noble families have been informed to attend without fail.”

‘Yeah, Marquis Matap! Why is he coming again? He said he would never show his face in such an event! Claimed to be a veiled figure!’

“Be careful, Miss. He is a dangerous figure.”

” Yes. I have to be careful.”

She muttered, recalling the incident with the black smoke of Enoch.

With the prince and Marquis Matap, just their presence alone gave her a headache.

Moreover, she was concerned about Kai, who had not shown up in the backyard for ten days. Even with just three people, her mind was already in turmoil. The celebration she had longed for now felt more like a source of fear.

“Dad surely said… it was just a small party.”

‘From mediation to the lust for power. Is this really my celebration?’

When she pouted, Alan advised her with a gentle voice.

“The other ladies must have gone to great lengths to stand out. They will come here with the most splendid attire in the world. That’s why we chose to emphasize your pure charm without the extravagance. Even without being flashy, you will be the most eye-catching at today’s banquet.”

“Alan…”

 

“Regardless of what anyone says, you are the protagonist today, Miss. That fact won’t change, so please enjoy the event at ease.”

As Alan spoke calmly with a reassuring smile, her uneasy feelings were somewhat eased. She gave a subtle smile to the maids.

“Thank you, everyone.”

From Fanny urging her not to be overshadowed by others, to Sophia warning about Marquis Matap, and Alan reassuring her that she was the protagonist – their sincere words resonated deeply with her.

‘In my previous life, I never even had a birthday party.’

Yeah, who cares, let’s enjoy it!

She intended to fully enjoy the celebration as they advised. That was the plan, but…

Ding!

[A special event!]

‘This darn system, as expected, didn’t leave me alone.’

She walked with a scowl on her face. Occasionally, She caught the eye of the servants, and they seemed startled by her expression. But She couldn’t afford to pay attention to that right now.

[Also known as Find the Golden Key!]

[During the celebration, search for the golden keys hidden throughout Duke Clement’s estate!]

[Similar to a treasure hunt, so be sure to look carefully until the end of the celebration!]

Certainly, getting free golden keys as a reward was good news. However, in her current situation, where she was clueless about how to raise favorability, the added challenge of finding golden keys made things even more daunting.

One fortunate thing amid the unfortunate circumstances was that this wasn’t a mission; it was a special event. So, even if she failed to find the golden keys, there wouldn’t be any penalties.

“Roella?”

At that moment, Louise appeared before her in a neat evening gown. Unlike usual, he had a floating favorability indicator above his head. Seeing that, her expression turned serious.

[Louise Clement: Favorability 36%]

 

Until now, Louise’s favorability didn’t hold much weight, especially with the anticipation of a new romantic candidate. Considering the nature of romance fantasy genres, where families live happily ever after, Evan and Louise were excluded from the potential romantic candidates. If She had thought about this from the beginning, it would have saved her from unnecessary confusion. She blamed her lack of foresight and pursed her lips.

“Hehe, you look a bit different. Don’t you like the way I dressed up?” Louise remarked, reading her expression as she glanced at his elaborately dressed appearance.

‘Louis Onii-sama is subtly delicate in a way.’

Regardless of favorability, She genuinely liked Louise. He was the first person to show her kindness, and lately, he had become a mentor, teaching her swordsmanship every day. As we spent more time together, she realized that beneath his somewhat prickly exterior, he was truly caring. Perhaps, this was what having a real older brother feels like.

“Are you complimenting me for being pretty now?”

She asked with a grin, and Louise awkwardly avoided eye contact.

“Well, it sort of… seems like that.”

Louise mumbled in a sheepish tone. His cute demeanor involuntarily made her laugh. Suddenly, a good idea crossed her mind while observing Louise’s favorability towards her.

‘Right! If I can’t learn about romance from romance novels, there’s another way!’

‘Just ask the person closest to me!’

“Onii-sama, what kind of girls do guys usually like?”

“What?”

Her question left Louise’s face crumpled in surprise.

‘Hmm… Did I choose the wrong person to ask?’

***

 

The banquet took place in the front garden of the mansion. As people crowded around, the prepared seats fell short, and the noble ladies who followed the representatives of each house were all standing along the edges. She stood on the dais, beyond Chase, and took a swift look around at the beautiful women standing in a cluster beyond Alan, as he had described.

Just as Alan had mentioned, it was a colorful feast of various extravagant dresses. Noble ladies adorned with flashy and large accessories stood gracefully, looking around like they were sizing up prey. However, there was no sign of the Crown Prince.

‘If he were here, the area would be filled with noble ladies, right?’

Chase, standing on the dais, slightly raised his voice after the brief congratulatory speech.

“I am grateful for the many esteemed guests who have gathered for this small celebration. While it is a moment to celebrate the recovery of my daughter, I hope you all enjoy yourselves in this gathering of distinguished individuals.”

After the short congratulatory remarks, Angel called her name. She took the practiced posture she had learned from Isabella and stood behind the dais.

Standing upright with a straight back, She lightly held the edge of her skirt and ascended the dais. There was a moment when she almost stumbled on the stairs, stepping on the edge with her toes, but thankfully, no one openly laughed.

Except for one red-haired lady sitting in the back. With her long red hair flowing down, she sat with crossed legs, giving her a scrutinizing look with her raised eyes.

‘Who is she?’

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