Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 2.14

“Etienne, that’s not your fault. After everything that happened, we couldn’t side with Camois.”

My father gently reassured me. I quietly shook my head.

“Still… It was a good opportunity for the domain to prosper…”

I said that, but in reality, it wasn’t. If we had continued with the New Port venture with Camois, the Count’s wealth would have been drained, and my death flag would have drawn closer.

In any case, I didn’t feel guilty about persuading my father. As expected, my father, visibly restless, came closer and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t say that, Etienne. So, what kind of business are you thinking about?”

“Well… As you saw, Father, everyone seemed to really like the chandelier. I think it would be good to expand Susan’s workshop, hire talented people from the domain, and start mass-producing crystal glass.”

“Indeed, everyone was amazed yesterday. Many were asking where they could get them.”

My father nodded in agreement.

“How about opening a shop near the palace that displays chandeliers and decorations? We’d start with just one shop, but if orders pile up, we could open more branches and grow. The Count’s family could host regular banquets to showcase new products, which would also serve as free promotion. That way…”

I looked at my father, who was listening attentively, my eyes shining.

“We can sell higher-quality crystal at a much lower price than the glass products imported from the Eastern Continent. We can completely replace Eastern Continent glass with our family’s crystal glass. Our empire won’t need to import glass anymore. I think it would be a great business, not just for the Winnyates family but also for the empire.”

“Oh, Etienne…”

At present, the empire completely relied on the Eastern Continent for glass production, and glass was one of the core products of Eastern Continent trade.

If my plan succeeded, Eastern Continent trade would be hit much earlier than originally planned. And the day Kamois and Harrington fell would come much sooner.

In the original story, when Callisto turned 13, he joined the navy. That was the only way he could complete his revenge. But now, things were different. With both wealth and military power, I would make sure that Callisto wouldn’t have to suffer and could have everything he wanted.

The first step toward that was to destroy Eastern Continent trade.

My father was both surprised and very pleased with my idea. Thanks to his active support, I was able to take the lead and move forward with the crystal glass industry.

First, I decided to open a crystal glass showroom under the Winnyates name. I bought a small mansion in the capital’s center and installed a magnificent crystal chandelier on the ceiling, decorating the interior with various glass products to create a modern showroom.

Anyone could visit the showroom by reservation and leisurely browse the products. If they wanted something, they could fill out an order form, and it would be delivered directly from Susan’s workshop.

Since rumors about the crystal chandelier had already spread among the high-ranking nobles, reservations filled up in a matter of days. Despite hiring dozens of new employees and expanding the workshop, we couldn’t keep up with the overwhelming orders. Susan seemed to be working day and night, completely absorbed in her work. Yet, she always had a vibrant energy whenever I saw her.

“Thanks to you, I was able to buy my own house recently.”

“It’s not because of me. You bought it with the royalties from the crystal products Susan invented.”

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have even imagined working with glass. And you’ve been so generous with the royalties…”

I had only given her a hint for the products she was going to invent. The royalties were obviously hers, so there was nothing for me to thank for. I shook my head.

“No, it’s not that. Anyway, we’re going to open a second showroom soon.”

“Already?”

“Yes. The first showroom is booked out because of all the orders. When we open the second one, we’ll need to hire more employees and expand the workshop. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to contact the Count’s family. And…”

I hesitated for a moment before speaking, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“I heard Callisto has been coming over a lot and causing trouble. I’m sorry if he was a distraction when you were busy.”

“What? Oh, no. Callisto is so cute. Everyone loves him.”

Susan waved her hands, laughing. Of course, Callisto was cute… It was true that just watching him made me smile, but I knew that Susan must have been concerned since a child was running around a dangerous workshop.

I had heard that when making the jewelry box, Susan took care of the more dangerous steps, and when Callisto was working on the glass, she always stayed close to watch over him. Thankfully, this had all happened before the showroom opened, so Susan’s workshop wasn’t too busy yet. I awkwardly added,

“He’s still young and doesn’t know much. Thanks for understanding.”

“Oh, you’re still young too… I mean, thank you, Etienne.”

I shrugged my shoulders and took another look around the workshop. It seemed that it would need to be at least three times its current size to handle the volume for the second showroom. After greeting Susan, I climbed into the carriage.

If I didn’t return before Callisto’s riding lesson was over, the child would likely be upset again. I urged the coachman to hurry toward the mansion.

When I arrived at the Count’s mansion, I noticed a lavish carriage in front of the estate.

At first, I thought a guest had arrived, but without even checking the seal, I hurried toward the mansion. Callisto should have already finished his riding lesson, so I was feeling anxious.

But when I reached the entrance, I didn’t see Callisto, who would normally be there, whining and clinging to my waist. Moreover, the entire mansion seemed unusually quiet. Something didn’t feel right.

“Welcome, my lord.”

Cliff greeted me with a pale face. I narrowed my brows and asked.

“What’s going on, Cliff? Where’s Callisto?”

“The young master is in his room. But, my lord…”

“Is Father in his study? I’ll greet him first, then head to my room.”

“It would be better to leave the greetings for later. Please head to your room first…”

As Cliff hesitated and tried to stop me with an unusually uneasy expression, a lazy and relaxed voice called out from behind.

“Winnyates, Etienne? I thought I wouldn’t see you, but here we are.”

“……”

I turned slowly, my expression stiffening. Standing next to my father, whose face had darkened, was a blonde young man I had never seen before.

The young man, taller and slender, appeared to be around three or four years older than me. His sharp features and radiant face were accompanied by a smile that seemed a bit unsettling. His piercing blue eyes glinted sharply as they looked at me.

I quickly recognized his status by his splendid imperial prince attire. The young man was Callisto’s half-brother, the First Prince, Roengrin.

I slowly bent one knee and bowed my waist in respect.

“…Etienne Winnyates greets His Highness the First Prince.”

“Haha. Rise, Etienne. We’re on familiar terms, no need for such formality.”

Familiar terms? What would I have to do with the First Prince?

Confused, I looked at Loengrin, who grinned widely and continued.

“As I heard, you are beautiful. My aunt would always praise you, especially your eye color. It would look lovely with a platinum crown decorated with purple diamonds.”

“…A crown?”

It felt like I had just heard something I shouldn’t have. A shiver ran down my spine. My father, whose face had become frighteningly stiff, quickly cut off Loengrin.

“It’s not been decided yet, Your Highness. As I’ve told Duke Harrington, Etienne has been diagnosed with a high chance of alpha manifestation. The First Princess must be omega, don’t you think?”

‘Was that comment serious?’

When Duke Harrington had mentioned the First Princess not long ago, I didn’t take it seriously. But now, Loengrin himself was bringing it up. The very idea of becoming the First Princess was enough to send a chill down my spine.

In the original story, Roengrin, the First Prince, is executed by guillotine by Callisto. The position of the First Princess was essentially a one-way ticket to death. But the fatal flaw wasn’t just the gruesome ending; Roengrin himself had serious character flaws that made him unsuitable for marriage.

Roengrin didn’t play a major role in the original story as he only appeared later on after Etienne’s death. However, even from his few appearances, his personality was clear.

He had a dazzling appearance but a cruel and frightening personality, much like the Empress. In the original, there were hints that Loengrin had abused the maids in the imperial palace in many ways, both mentally and sexually. The writer, being a fan of dark stories, had portrayed this in detail. I should have stopped him earlier…

But Roengrin, unfazed by my father’s words, shrugged his shoulders.

“Couldn’t the diagnosis be wrong? I can’t see any reason why he wouldn’t manifest as omega. There’s no alpha as beautiful as this.”

“But, Your Highness.”

“Anyway, since there’s no manifestation yet, there’s still time for other options. We could use an omega manifestation stimulant. Since he just turned 13, if we don’t act fast, he could manifest soon. I’ll speak to my father and get permission to send the stimulant, so don’t worry.”

“…Your Highness, using a stimulant before manifestation to forcefully alter the traits is highly harmful to the body.”

“Huh? Count. Surely you’re not planning to reject the Empress’s personally orchestrated marriage? Are you trying to create a situation where the Empress will have to force the engagement order on him and make things troublesome?”

“……”

The atmosphere instantly turned heavy. Only Roengrin seemed to be enjoying himself.

I knew about the omega manifestation stimulant. It was used in the original story as well.

The current stimulant only works on children who haven’t yet manifested, but in a few years, a modified version would be made with added ingredients that could also affect those who had already manifested as beta. However, its effectiveness would be greatly reduced compared to the existing stimulant used before manifestation, and many failed or reverted to their original traits after a few years.

In the original, Lawrence, who was a beta, used this stimulant to become an omega. He did this in order to marry Callisto. But Callisto misunderstood his intentions, and their tragic end followed…

‘He didn’t know the stimulant would be so harmful to the body… but Lawrence still took it just to marry Callisto. I didn’t realize he was like that.’

It turned out that Lawrence, who had been portrayed as a delicate and kind-hearted character in the original, was actually quite different from my initial perception. The story, told from Callisto’s point of view, made it seem as though Lawrence was just a tragic figure, but the reality was far different. People’s perspectives can change when you hear both sides.

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