Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 3.1

Six Years Later

The crystal glass business thrived. Wynyeats’ crystal chandeliers adorned the ceilings of noble estates and even the imperial palace. Crystal glassware and decorative ornaments were also wildly popular.

I expanded the business beyond crystal glass to include regular glass products. Wynyeats glass completely dominated the Empire, making glass imports from the Eastern Continent obsolete.

Unlike Harrington, who had exhausted their resources investing in the new port, Wynyeats had an abundance of funds. The situation was the exact opposite of what was described in the original story.

Now, it was time to start investing the capital accumulated by Wynyeats.

“How is the development of Blast Port coming along?”

The Perrient family, loyal retainers of Wynyeats, assisted me with administrative tasks. Baron Perrient had been a capable steward in the original story but was dismissed by Etienne after choosing Baron Camois. He was one of the few who had tried to save the sinking Wynyeats family.

Baron Perrient responded, “The dock has been completed, and the construction of the shipyard is progressing smoothly.”

“We need to speed up the shipbuilding process. Don’t hesitate to invest more funds into the construction. If anything is lacking, report to me immediately.”

“Yes, young master.”

“How are the private troops’ training efforts coming along?”

“Very well. Recently, Lady Beringham completed an improved steel cannon, so we’ve been focusing heavily on artillery training.”

“That’s good to hear.”

At that moment, my father entered the reception room and spoke gently.

“Etienne, still in a meeting? You’ve been overworking yourself lately. I’ll wrap things up with the Baron, so take a break.”

“Ah… Very well, then. I’ll leave the rest to you, Baron.”

“Yes, young master.”

Moments like this reminded me of the effects of the alpha activation catalyst I had taken. The drug, which forcibly altered one’s constitution, had severe side effects. After receiving the injection at 13, my health had significantly weakened, and I became prone to frequent illness and fatigue from even slight overexertion. My father had strongly opposed the catalyst, but with Roen poised to demand a betrothal at any moment, we had no choice at the time.

Fortunately, my father always cared for me at the right moments. Right now, my limbs felt heavy, and I was weary. After bidding farewell to Baron Perrient, I left the reception room.

Since joining business meetings at the age of 12, I had undergone formal training as an heir. By 15, I had begun participating in estate management alongside the crystal glass business. After recently turning 18, I had taken full charge of Wynyeats’ businesses and military operations, with my father stepping back into an advisory role.

This autonomy made it much easier to initiate new ventures.

Investing in ports or raising private troops wasn’t something that could be achieved in just a year or two. Blast Port development, in particular, would require at least another 3-4 years to complete. Moreover, since trade through the port hadn’t yet been fully established, the chances of success were still slim. The only reason I could pursue this project was that my father had entrusted me with full control over Wynyeats’ assets.

However, a few years from now, when Blast Port was complete, the trade dynamics would shift entirely. Toppling Harrington wasn’t far off.

When I returned to my room to rest, Callisto was nowhere to be seen. Now 13 years old, Callisto still treated my bedroom like his own and followed me everywhere, just as he had at seven.

In both personality and appearance, Callisto remained childlike. Although he had grown slightly taller, he was still far shorter than an average 13-year-old, and his rosy, chubby cheeks made him look no older than 10. He was a stark contrast to Lawrence, who, at 15, already appeared to be a mature young man.

How am I supposed to arrange a marriage for him looking like this? Will Lawrence even consider him a romantic partner?

I sighed, staring at Callisto’s pillow placed next to mine on the bed. Since he still slept with me, it felt like it would be a long time before he truly grew up.

“Elsie, where’s Callisto?”

“He’s practicing swordsmanship at the training grounds.”

“Again? Did he have a lesson today?”

“No, there wasn’t a lesson. He’s just been very diligent lately.”

When I turned 15, I stopped attending the group lessons with the other children. The lessons were primarily for Callisto to make friends and grow closer to Lawrence, so there was no reason for me to continue.

Even now, the group lessons continued. Callisto and Lawrence still bickered often, but after six years of seeing each other, they had become frequent companions. Callisto had also formed close friendships with the Gillos twins and Brynne. This was vastly different from the original story, where Callisto had isolated himself and lived in loneliness until he joined the navy. At this rate, it seemed unlikely that his life would follow the same tragic trajectory.

“Brother!”

Callisto, who had been striking a training dummy with a sword, immediately tossed the weapon aside and ran toward me. His embrace around my waist was surprisingly firm, causing me to stumble despite being much taller than him. He reminded me of an excited puppy wagging its tail, and I couldn’t resist pinching his cheek. His soft, mochi-like cheek squished under my fingers.

“Is the meeting over? Are you feeling okay? Are you going to rest now? If so, will you play with me? Or maybe we could have dinner at the new restaurant in town?”

“Let’s do that, Etienne. I’ll make the reservation,” a voice responded from behind me.

When I turned, I saw Lawrence holding a sword and looking down at Callisto with a disdainful expression. It seemed they had been practicing together. While I initially thought they were always at odds, their frequent time together hinted at a subtle camaraderie.

That was until Callisto bristled and shouted angrily, “You fox! Can’t you tell when you’re unwanted?”

“It’s not that I can’t tell. I just don’t care, kid.”

“Ugh, no way! I’m going on a date with Brother. Why would you tag along?”

“Etienne, do you think it’s a date? Or is that just in his head?”

“Guys, please don’t fight…”

Callisto was still very much a child. I swallowed a sigh and smiled at him, which made him exclaim excitedly.

“It’s true, Brother! I’ve checked, and everyone says they’ve never seen an alpha as pretty as me!”

“Oh… Really? Callisto checked?”

“Yeah! Everyone said I must be an omega!”

“Hmm, I see.”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that he was not only an alpha but a dominant one and would eventually grow a whole head taller than me. Instead, I didn’t argue and simply kissed his round cheek.

Of course, no one had seen an alpha as pretty as Callisto. That’s why he’d later be renowned as the Empire’s most beautiful alpha. Still, wasn’t he a bit too self-assured for such a young age? I started worrying that I might have raised him wrong…

The next day, Harrington and Camois visited the Wynyeats estate for the first time since the loan six years ago.

Duke Harrington seemed surprised to see me welcoming them instead of my father. Although the Perron Empire considered 18-year-olds to be legal adults, it was rare for a newly adult heir to take the forefront like this. Harrington coughed awkwardly, his displeasure barely concealed.

“Hmm… Is the Earl unwell?”

I gave him a polite smile and shook my head.

“I manage all Wynyeats business affairs. My father only participates in major decision-making. There’s no need to trouble him with minor matters.”

“…I see.”

It was my way of saying that meeting Duke Harrington wasn’t worth bothering my father over. Judging by Harrington’s stiffening expression, he understood the implication. His face was taut with frustration, likely because he couldn’t afford to voice his dissatisfaction when he was here to ask for a favor.

“Anyway, it’s been a long time since we last met. Speaking of which, I noticed the loan’s due date is approaching. I’ve been so busy lately that I almost forgot, but I appreciate you honoring the deadline.”

I sat in my office chair and gestured for Harrington and Camois to sit. Harrington lowered himself into a seat without a word, but we both knew he hadn’t come to repay the loan.

Harrington finally broke the silence with a rigid expression.

“…I came to ask if you could make some accommodations regarding the due date.”

“Pardon? Accommodations?”

Feigning surprise, I widened my eyes. Harrington glared at me sharply, but I deflected with an innocent smile.

As expected, Harrington hadn’t been able to gather the funds to repay the loan.

With Wynyeats’ crystal glass gaining immense popularity, demand for glass imported from the Eastern Continent had plummeted over the past few years. Wynyeats glass was of superior quality, and Eastern glass, burdened by trade costs, was significantly more expensive.

The problem was that glass made up a significant portion of Eastern trade goods. Harrington, who had invested heavily in developing the new port and poured his family’s entire assets into Eastern trade, found himself in a precarious situation due to the sharp decline in trade profits.

Far from generating revenue through his trade ventures, Harrington hadn’t even recouped the costs of developing the port. There was no way he had the means to repay the loan.

I noticed Harrington clenching his fist tightly behind his back. Sipping my tea leisurely, I waited for his response.

“…It seems I won’t be able to repay the loan by the deadline.”

“Young Master! Did the Duke ever say he wouldn’t repay at all? That’s a harsh thing to say!”

Camois, who had been sitting like a statue, suddenly erupted, glancing nervously at Harrington. Unperturbed, I shrugged and set down my teacup.

“Well, I apologize if my words seemed forward, but I am concerned that the Eastern Continent’s glass trade appears to be in trouble. A substantial amount of money has been invested, and if it dissipates entirely, it will affect us as well.”

“So, does this mean you intend to claim the gold mine used as collateral?”

When Harrington borrowed funds, he offered two areas as collateral: Exeter, with its gold mine, and Bjorn, a region believed to have exhausted its mineral deposits.

The Duke didn’t care much about Bjorn, but he couldn’t afford to lose Exeter’s gold mine. With his finances stretched thin, Harrington desperately needed the ongoing gold excavation there.

As for me, I wouldn’t mind having the gold mine under my control, but it wasn’t essential. From the start, my true target was Bjorn.

In a few years, a copper mine would be discovered in Bjorn. In the original story, this copper mine became Harrington’s stepping stone to great success, threatening Callisto. However, in this timeline, it would become Callisto’s weapon against the Empress and Crown Prince Roen.

Noticing my silence, Duke Harrington, looking increasingly uneasy, added, “Just give me a little more time. Even if I withdraw from the glass trade, the Eastern Continent trade is still strong. I’m making progress on new items. This is just a temporary delay in recovering funds!”

I stared at Harrington quietly.

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