Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 1.11

“You’ll be the star of tonight’s banquet. No one can outshine you!” “Stop saying things like that.” Callisto’s face flushed red, and he protested, embarrassed. I chuckled and lightly tapped his cheeks.

“What? Are you denying it? You know you’re beautiful. Don’t you?”

“…Who said I wasn’t? Just stop talking about it.” As expected.

There’s no way that clever little boy doesn’t know how charming he is. Excitement bubbled within me.

My earlier nerves about tonight’s banquet faded as I began imagining how proud I’d feel introducing Callisto to the nobles. “Young Master, it’s time to head downstairs. It seems everyone has arrived,” Elsie called with a smile.

Taking Callisto’s hand, I replied, “Alright, we’re coming.” Although he flinched and tried to pull his hand away, I held on firmly. Soon enough, he stopped resisting and followed me.

When we arrived at the banquet hall, I noticed his small hand trembling slightly. Squeezing it reassuringly, I looked down to meet his gaze. When our eyes met, I was momentarily taken aback. His golden eyes wavered with uncertainty. Callisto seemed deeply unsettled, as though he’d been suppressing his fears all along.

“Callisto? What’s wrong?” I asked urgently.

He stared at me silently before lowering his head. In a faint voice, he whispered, “Do I have to go to the banquet?” “Why all of a sudden?” Although I pretended not to understand, I knew the answer.

Callisto was dreading tonight’s events. Despite the rapport we’d built, he was scared that my attitude might change if the nobles exposed him as the Earl’s illegitimate child.

Initially, I had considered skipping the banquet. I knew the nobles would gossip about Callisto’s background, possibly wounding his young heart. However, tonight’s banquet held another significant purpose, an event crucial to Callisto’s future.

Without it, his life and the story’s trajectory would change drastically. What should I say?

After some thought, I knelt to meet his eye level, cupping his trembling cheeks in my hands.

“Callisto, I’ll stay by your side the whole time. You have nothing to worry about,” I reassured him.

My words were meant to comfort him, but they were also true. I wasn’t going to treat him any differently after tonight.

Furthermore, this would be an opportunity to show Callisto that I wasn’t the same as the Etienne he saw in his visions of the future. “Trust me, little one. Everything will be fine.” His eyes flickered, disbelief evident in his gaze.

“Trust you?” he muttered to himself.

“Yes.”

I understood how difficult it must be for him to trust “Etienne.” In the dreams that showed him glimpses of the future, most events played out as reality, except for anything related to me. Even if I claimed they were mere delusions, it would’ve been hard for him to believe otherwise. But we’d shared enough moments to build a foundation of trust. Perhaps, this once, he might take my word for it?

I looked at him with a glimmer of hope. However, his expression remained conflicted. It seemed I was asking too much too soon. Hiding my disappointment, I decided to lighten the mood with a joke.

“Besides, you’ve got nothing to worry about.

Everyone will be so shocked by how beautiful you are. If anyone dislikes you, it’s only because they’re jealous.” His anxious expression softened into one of disbelief, and he clicked his tongue in irritation. Now, that was the Callisto I knew. I grinned. “I’m serious. You’re the most stunning person here.”

Callisto’s expression turned briefly contemplative before he shook his head.

“No, I’m not…”

“Hmm?” “Yes, you are!” I retorted. Before I could continue, Callisto turned his gaze to the banquet hall doors and murmured under his breath, “You’re the most…” “What?” I tilted my head, straining to hear. “Nothing. I didn’t say anything.” “You did! Don’t ignore me!”

“Shut up! Andrew, open the doors!” “Yes, Sir Callisto.” Callisto cut me off decisively, and I had no choice but to turn my attention forward. Tightening his grip on my hand, he stepped forward. The footman opened the doors, revealing the grandeur of the banquet hall. “Callisto? What’s wrong?” Callisto quietly stared at me before lowering his head. A faint voice escaped his lips.

“The banquet? Can’t we not go?” “Why the sudden change?” I pretended to be confused, but I already knew the answer. Callisto was dreading what might happen tonight. Though we had been getting along well enough so far, he seemed terrified that I would turn against him the moment he was revealed as the Earl’s illegitimate child. Initially, I had considered not attending the banquet myself.

It was clear the nobles would gossip about Callisto’s background, which could hurt him unnecessarily. However, there was another critical reason why we couldn’t skip tonight’s event.

Something significant was set to happen to Callisto at the banquet. If it didn’t, the trajectory of the story and Callisto’s life would drastically change. How should I respond? After a brief moment of thought, I knelt on one knee in front of Callisto to meet him at eye level. When he flinched and tried to step back, I cupped his cheeks gently.

“Callisto. I’ll be right by your side the whole time, so don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen.” My words were meant to comfort him, but they were also true. No matter what happened tonight, I wouldn’t treat Callisto any differently.

Besides, tonight was an opportunity to show him that I wasn’t the same Etienne he had seen in his visions of the future.

“So don’t be scared, little one. Trust me.”

Callisto’s golden eyes wavered violently, filled with disbelief. He muttered as if to himself, “Trust you?” “Yes.” I knew how difficult it must be to trust “Etienne.” Callisto had long dreamed of a future where everything but events involving me came true.

No matter how much I dismissed those dreams as meaningless, it would have been hard for him to believe me. Still, we had built some level of trust during our time together. Maybe, just this once, he would give me the benefit of the doubt. With that hope in mind, I gazed at him.

But Callisto’s face remained conflicted. I sighed inwardly.

t seemed I was asking too much of him. Disappointed but determined to ease his mood, I decided to lighten the atmosphere with a joke. “There’s really nothing to be nervous about. Everyone will be amazed when they see you.

If anyone doesn’t like you, it’s only because they’re jealous. You’re just too beautiful.” Callisto shot me a look of incredulity. His anxious expression melted into irritation as he clicked his tongue, finally looking more like himself. I grinned and added playfully.

“I mean it. You’re the most stunning person here.”

For a moment, Callisto looked as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Then he shook his head and murmured, “No, I’m not…” “Huh?”

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