Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 1.13

The voices gossiping about Callisto had noticeably diminished. The instigator, Viscount Camoys, had gone quiet, and it seemed that the nobles had concluded I must have already known and accepted Callisto’s background.

Their gazes toward Callisto had softened as a result. He seemed relieved, and the atmosphere in the banquet hall improved. Everything seemed to be going well, except for one unexpected problem. As I looked around at the noble children watching us, I furrowed my brow.

‘This is working out, but the story is diverging from the original.’ Because I hadn’t abandoned Callisto or gotten angry with him as Etienne had in the original story, the incident where the noble children bullied him didn’t occur. Normally, that would be a good thing. However, that event was one of the most crucial turning points in Callisto’s life.

‘What should I do? I can’t exactly encourage the kids to bully him.’ In the original, after being humiliated by Etienne, Callisto was left alone and mocked by the noble children. At that moment, a small boy drove them away and comforted Callisto, Lawrence, the young heir of the Duke of Armagnac, and the main love interest of The Prince’s Blade. Callisto felt an immediate connection to Lawrence, who was the first person to offer him kindness.

As children, it wasn’t love yet, but as they grew older, those feelings blossomed. Lawrence became a meaningful figure in Callisto’s life, his one light in a dark existence. Tragically, Callisto’s broken personality turned the story into a tragedy. ‘No wonder the kid ended up so twisted.’ I clicked my tongue internally.

Only those who’ve experienced love can truly love others. Callisto’s inability to give or receive love was the root cause of the novel’s downward spiral. After his nanny’s death, all he’d known was abuse, which made him incapable of properly loving even Lawrence.

But the story’s course had already changed. Callisto was starting to open up to me, which could alter his relationship with Lawrence. The Prince’s Blade could avoid becoming a tragedy and perhaps even turn into a romantic comedy. Though with Callisto’s prickly nature, that might be overly optimistic… ‘Whatever happens, as long as I avoid the tragedy tag, I’ll survive.’

That was my ultimate goal. By changing the story’s genre entirely, I’d increase my chances of survival. After all, people rarely die in romance or rom-coms. But for that, Callisto needed to meet Lawrence in a meaningful way. Where was that kid? As I scanned the room, my eyes landed on a neat-looking boy who was watching us with a gentle smile. His brown hair was neatly combed back, and his light brown eyes exuded warmth and maturity, even at his young age. ‘That’s definitely Lawrence Armagnac.’

Relieved, I smiled back at him. Lawrence’s kind, trusting expression was impossible to dislike. I suddenly remembered his character tags: kind and handsome. No wonder. But the peaceful moment didn’t last long. Callisto suddenly burst out in irritation. “What are you doing? Who are you smiling at? What’s wrong with you?”

“Huh? Can’t I smile? Why are you picking a fight?” I replied, bewildered. In the original, Lawrence helped Callisto because he saw him being bullied. But with Callisto picking a fight instead, I was at a loss. Lawrence, with his gentle nature, had helped Callisto out of compassion. How could he possibly take an interest in someone acting like a brat? ‘Why is he acting like this? What should I do?’ As I agonized over how to fix this, Callisto suddenly grabbed my wrist tightly. Following his intense gaze, I turned my head and froze.

Callisto was glaring furiously at none other than Lawrence. Then, he shouted, “Why are you looking at Etienne like that? Stop it!” In the original, Callisto’s first meeting with Lawrence was a pivotal moment.

I had read it so many times that I practically had it memorized. And I could say with certainty: this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I was completely thrown off. I never imagined the events would go so off-track simply because one incident didn’t occur. Looking at Callisto now, I saw no trace of the fateful connection he was supposed to feel. I was starting to panic. ‘Don’t tell me this is going to spiral into tragedy again?’ If Callisto didn’t fall for Lawrence at first sight, would the story devolve into a loveless tragedy?

As I nervously pondered how to salvage the situation, Lawrence introduced himself with a calm, polite voice. “I’m Lawrence Armagnac, son of the Duke of Armagnac. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Hearing his voice, I paused.

It sounded oddly similar to the laughter I had heard earlier when confronting Viscount Camoys. I stared at Lawrence. His kind brown eyes met mine, and his gentle smile didn’t falter. ‘There’s no way Lawrence was mocking the viscount.’

It must have been my imagination. Lawrence’s unwavering kindness reassured me, and I felt myself relax. As expected, Lawrence was truly kind. In the original, Lawrence was unshakably loyal to the person he gave his heart to.

Even when Callisto’s broken personality caused him to suffer, Lawrence never stopped loving him. So perhaps Lawrence’s kindness wouldn’t waver now, even with Callisto acting out.

I gently nudged Callisto forward. He glared at me, his chubby cheeks puffing up in displeasure. His sulky face was adorable, but this wasn’t the time to admire it.

To avoid a tragic ending, Callisto’s first meeting with Lawrence needed to start off on the right foot. “Callisto, what are you doing? The young duke is greeting you,” I said firmly.

Callisto’s frown deepened as he glared at me. His puffed-up cheeks reminded me of a squished bun, but I couldn’t afford to dwell on that now. I turned to Lawrence and offered him an awkward smile.

“He’s still young and shy around strangers. This is Callisto de… uh, Winyates.” I nearly slipped and said de Biche, the imperial surname, but managed to correct myself just in time. I silently berated myself for the close call. Lawrence, however, smiled brightly and spoke again.

“Not your brother, I meant you, young master. May I know your name?” “Huh?” I hadn’t expected Lawrence to ask for my name. Even if we hadn’t been formally introduced, everyone at the banquet surely knew who I was. Why would Lawrence go out of his way to ask? ‘Did I offend him?’ Cold sweat trickled down my back.

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