Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 2.4

Today’s events were mostly my fault. I had provoked Yves deliberately, goading him into lashing out. My intention was to drive a wedge between Viscount Camois and the Count, possibly even ending their partnership. However, I hadn’t anticipated Yves being so ruthless and violent toward a mere child like Callisto.

In the end, I bore the responsibility. As I looked at Callisto’s bruised and battered body, a pang of guilt hit me.

“Callisto, are you—” I started to ask, but my voice cracked and came out in a rasp before dissolving into a fit of coughing. My throat was utterly wrecked, and even the back of my head throbbed faintly.

“Brother, are you hurt? Don’t speak if it’s hard! Just stay quiet!”

Callisto frantically patted my neck as though trying to soothe me. Even through the coughing, I couldn’t help but chuckle. His tiny hands were trembling, yet he tried to comfort me like they held some magical healing power.

He then carefully picked up a teacup from the side table and handed it to me with both hands. Warm herbal tea with honey steamed gently.

“Drink this. Dr. Woodson said you should drink plenty of it.”

“Dr. Woodson came by? What did he say about—”

“Don’t talk! Why won’t you listen to me?”

“…”

Callisto’s flushed face and firm scolding left me speechless. I couldn’t help but laugh as I obediently sipped the sweet tea. The warmth spread through me, soothing my body and clearing my mind.

Seeing me relax, Callisto cautiously asked, “Does it still hurt a lot?”

“I’m fine now. Thank you.”

The boy, who looked far worse than I did, focused solely on taking care of me. His selflessness was both endearing and heartbreaking. Callisto, having wandered the slums alone before coming to the Count’s family, didn’t know how to care for himself. In the original story, years of abuse from Etienne caused him to grow into someone unable to truly feel or acknowledge pain.

I refused to let him grow up like that. A child should be free to say they’re hurt when they’re in pain and to seek comfort when they’re struggling.

I gently cupped Callisto’s swollen cheek and examined his face carefully.

“Let me see your face, sweetheart. It must hurt a lot.”

“No, it doesn’t. I’m grown up now, so it doesn’t hurt at all…”

“Even grown-ups feel pain. It’s okay to hurt. Dr. Woodson gave you medicine, didn’t he? Take it and get better soon, all right?”

“Mm…”

Only then did Callisto reluctantly nod. I brushed his bangs aside and kissed his round forehead. His already red cheeks flushed even deeper, resembling a ripe apple.

“Are you really okay? If it hurts, I’ll blow on it for you.”

Callisto, who had been fiddling with his forehead, promptly admitted, “Actually… it hurts a little.”

“Where does it hurt the most?”

“My eye and cheek…”

“Look at these bruises. What kind of scoundrel hits a child so viciously?”

“I’m not a child…”

Every time I blew gently on the bruises around Callisto’s eyes and cheeks, his long lashes fluttered slightly. The sight of him trembling in pain made my anger surge again. As expected of a character destined to be a villain, Yves was already showing his true colors. Frowning, I muttered under my breath.

“Don’t confront him recklessly again. It could’ve been worse. I’ll make sure to get rid of that brat.”

I was applying the ointment left by Dr. Woodson to Callisto’s injuries when the Count of Winyeates entered the room. His expression was grim, clearly shaken by the recent events. Considering Callisto had been beaten and I had been shoved hard enough to faint, it was no surprise.

“Etienne, how are you feeling? Dr. Woodson said you should rest for a few days.”

“My head stings a bit, but I’m fine. Callisto’s injuries are far worse than mine.”

“…I see. Callisto must be in a lot of pain.”

The Count’s gaze softened as he looked at Callisto. It seemed he had heard about how Callisto had intervened to stop Yves and had taken the blows meant for me.

Now that the Count was here, it was the perfect opportunity to address a pressing issue. After all, I had orchestrated this chaos precisely to resolve it. Carefully, I began.

“Father, do we have to keep attending lessons with Yves?”

The Count’s face immediately hardened. Though he rarely expressed displeasure, his firm response was reassuring as he shook his head.

“Absolutely not. The heir of Viscount Camois is no longer permitted to enter Winyeates. A child so violent is unacceptable. What if something worse had happened?”

“That’s true… It’s fortunate things didn’t escalate further.”

While my fainting after hitting my head had been accidental, the fact remained that a viscount’s heir had attacked the Count’s son. On top of that, Yves had violently beaten Callisto, who was much younger. I didn’t want the matter to end with just a ban, so I was about to suggest harsher measures when the Count spoke again.

“I’ve already brought the matter to the Noble Assembly. Once they reach a verdict, appropriate action will be taken against Yves. While I won’t push for severe punishment out of consideration for the Viscount, some form of consequence is unavoidable.”

“The Noble Assembly?”

I blinked in surprise. Knowing my father’s temperament, I had expected him to merely rebuke Viscount Camois. I’d been worried about how to convince him to cut ties with the Viscount, but it seemed my concerns were unnecessary. Taking the matter to the Noble Assembly signaled that the relationship between the Count and the Viscount was likely irreparably damaged.

Still, thoroughness was key. Viscount Camois was as persistent as a tick and might try to cling on under the guise of professionalism. Pretending to be concerned, I spoke hesitantly.

“But Father… what about your partnership with Viscount Camois? Isn’t it better to end it now? It’s risky to pursue a major project with someone so unreliable.”

“You’ve been thinking about such matters?”

The Count looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected me to be aware of the family’s business affairs. Indeed, in the original story, this version of Etienne would have been too preoccupied conspiring with Yves to torment Callisto. Even as an adult, Etienne’s ignorance of business matters had contributed significantly to the family’s downfall.

But in this life, I wasn’t going to let that happen.

Since I had taken over Etienne’s life, my goals had always been clear. First, raise Callisto to be at least a doting and possessive love interest, if not a gentle one, to avoid my death flags. Second, prevent the downfall of the Count’s family and secure a comfortable retirement. Ideally, everything would go smoothly, and I could enjoy occasional visits from the adorable nieces or nephews born from Callisto and Lawrence’s union.

To achieve this, I needed the Count to take me seriously. With a serious expression, I continued.

“This project requires a significant amount of capital. If it doesn’t yield good results, it could destabilize our entire estate.”

“…I didn’t realize you were thinking about such things, Etienne. But understand, trade with the Eastern Continent is like a golden goose right now. If our territory has a major port capable of facilitating such trade, it will bring us immense profits for years, even after you inherit the title.”

At first glance, it seemed logical.

The Empire bordered a narrow sea to the south, called the “Inner Sea,” which led to the vast Eastern Continent. Trade with the Eastern Continent was booming, and regions with ports facilitating this trade were amassing tremendous wealth. The port project proposed by the Count and Viscount Camois was meant to create a large-scale hub, far surpassing the profits of smaller trade ports.

But the Count was unaware of what the future held.

A few years after the completion of the port, an unforeseen disaster would strike the Eastern Continent, shutting down the trade routes entirely.

Developing a large-scale port was no small expense. The project required massive upgrades to a declining port town, new roads to connect the port to the rest of the territory, and even the construction of shipyards to build large vessels. When the venture failed, the family was left drowning in debt.

This project was spearheaded by Viscount Camois, who embezzled vast sums of money during its development. With these funds, he invested in mines and industrial ventures, amassing significant wealth. By the time the Winyeates family was forced to sell their estate, the Viscount had the resources to purchase it, elevating himself to the status of a grand noble. In the original story, he was even granted the rank of marquis just before Callisto’s rebellion.

In short, Viscount Camois’ involvement in the port project was a disaster for the Winyeates family.

But this time, it could work to my advantage. If I focused on exposing the Viscount, I could ensure the Count withdrew from the project entirely.

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