Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 4.3

I seemed to have become consumed by my worries about Callisto and thoughts of the North Sea admiral. The stress must have taken a toll on me, as I fell ill with a high fever and was bedridden for several days.

It had been years since I’d experienced such poor health. After receiving the alpha booster, my condition had improved significantly, and I hadn’t been sick at all for the past year or two. Yet now, here I was, lying in bed once again, my body reminding me of its limits.

In the meantime, time had steadily passed. Before I knew it, I realized that the moment I had been waiting for was finally upon us.

“It’s about time something happened…” I murmured to myself.

“What do you mean, Étienne?”

Startled, I looked up to see my father standing in the doorway. I turned toward him with a wry smile.

“It’s nothing,” I replied, shaking my head. “Wasn’t today the day you were supposed to attend the palace meeting?”

“I planned to, but since you’re not feeling well, I decided to stay,” he said gently. “Youngsik Armagnac is attending in my place. He’ll stop by the mansion afterward to relay the details.”

“I’m fine, really,” I reassured him. “You don’t have to worry.”

“Still, something about this time feels… different,” my father murmured, brushing my bangs back with a worried look.

Later that day, Lawrence arrived at the mansion, having finished the palace meeting. It was close to sunset when I heard hurried footsteps echoing down the hallway.

“Étienne!”

The bedroom door burst open as Lawrence rushed in, his brown hair in disarray and his breathing labored. It was an unusually flustered sight for someone normally so composed.

“Oh, Count,” Lawrence said, noticing my father. “You’re here as well.”

Lawrence quickly bowed his head, his manner respectful but clearly tense. My father, sensing the urgency, asked,

“Was there bad news at the meeting? What’s going on?”

“Not exactly bad news,” Lawrence began, taking a deep breath. His expression was conflicted, as though struggling to find the right words.

“The war in the Eastern Continent has ended,” he finally said. “A new dynasty has taken over.”

“Really?” My father’s eyes widened. “Then things might finally stabilize in the Eastern Continent. Which side emerged victorious?”

“The Lema Dynasty,” Lawrence replied, his face tense.

“Lema?” My father sounded incredulous. “I never expected them to win. Weren’t they considered the weakest?”

A few years ago, after the collapse of the Eastern Continent’s royal family, the region had fractured into several factions, leading to prolonged civil wars. Lema had always been considered the weakest among them. Their strict isolationist policies, including restrictions on trade with other continents, had stunted their development. No one thought they would rise to power.

No one except me.

“Yes,” Lawrence said, his tone serious. “But something changed drastically at the last moment. The problem is…”

I quietly reached for the teacup on my nightstand, lifting it to my lips to hide my reaction. Lawrence’s words trailed off as he prepared to explain further.

“The Lema Dynasty is known for its isolationist policies, isn’t it?” I asked. “Have they announced a policy of closing their borders this time as well?”

“Yes,” Lawrence replied grimly. “They’ve declared a policy of ‘locking the door.’”

“To lock the door… does that mean restricting trade?” I pressed further.

Lawrence shook his head, his expression pale. “It’s not just about limitations, my lord.”

“Then what?”

“…Trade between our empire and the Eastern Continent has been completely banned,” Lawrence said, his voice heavy.

His expression darkened further as he added, “It seems that all the merchants involved in Eastern Continent trade are going to go bankrupt. The trade with the Eastern Continent is over.”

Hidden behind my teacup, the corners of my mouth curled up ever so slightly.

The prominent trading company Lawrence referred to was none other than the Harrington Dukedom. Over the years, the Harringtons had poured a staggering amount of investment into the Eastern Continent trade, encouraged by my subtle prodding. They had continued to expand recklessly, accruing a mountain of loans in the process.

By now, the amount of land they had mortgaged to me far exceeded the areas of their estate that weren’t pledged as collateral.

The moment I had been waiting for had finally arrived.

The new Eastern Continent dynasty’s decision to completely ban trade with other continents plunged the empire into chaos overnight. Merchants who had relied entirely on this trade lost their livelihoods, and the captains and navigators they employed became jobless. Protesters began gathering outside the Harrington estate—the very family that had overseen trade with the Eastern Continent—angrily demanding answers.

But there was no way the Harringtons could come up with any clever solutions. In fact, their situation was far worse than anyone else’s.

“Young master, can’t you help us out? Just this once—please extend the deadline. Please, I beg you!”

“Fine, all right. If you’re grateful, then make sure you handle it properly,” I replied nonchalantly, masking my true feelings.

While the era of Eastern Continent trade was coming to an end, the North Sea trade was flourishing spectacularly—a new era had begun.

Many of the old families would collapse, and new powers would rise in their place. For now, this information remained classified, known only to Lawrence and me. But the timing couldn’t have been better—the ‘young admiral’ in the North Sea was currently rooting out the pirates, reducing the risks of trade dramatically.

This admiral wasn’t a figure from the original story, and because of his efforts, the profits from North Sea trade were likely to be exponentially higher than in the original timeline.

I had already spent the past two years laying the groundwork for North Sea trade, but now I was ready to expand aggressively. With Harrington’s skilled maritime personnel, state-of-the-art ships, and experienced staff, I would soar to even greater heights. Giving out a little to cover their overdue wages wouldn’t be an issue.

Unaware of my real intentions, the Duke of Harrington repeatedly expressed his gratitude, his face lighting up with relief. Then, as if emboldened, he cautiously asked, “Th-then, about the promissory notes…”

“That’s not possible,” I said firmly. “I trust you’ll figure out a way, as there’s still time for the other promissory notes. However, you must settle the bills that are due at the end of this month.”

I cut off Harrington’s request coldly. There was no longer any need to concern myself with his opinions.

Money is power. This truth remained constant, no matter how rigid the caste system of this world might be. Besides, the situation with Callisto—whom I had worked so hard to hide and protect from the Harringtons—was no longer a pressing issue. There was nothing left to regret.

As the thought of Callisto crossed my mind, I clenched my fist tightly, hiding it behind my back. My teeth ground together at the memory of the unnecessary hardships he had endured because of the Harringtons.

My gaze sharpened as I glared at the Duke of Harrington. His face turned an alarming shade of red. Rising abruptly, the duke shouted, flustered by the coldness in my expression.

“Are you saying you want to take over the Teria region entirely?” Duke Harrington’s voice rose. “That vast territory—are you seriously planning to take it all?”

“Your Grace, you’re being excessive,” I replied calmly, not bothering to stand. “Teria has been held as collateral for a long time. You’ve failed to repay the loan, and according to proper contractual procedures, it now becomes part of Winyates. Yet you speak as though I’m committing robbery.”

When the Teria region was mortgaged, the Duke of Harrington hadn’t thought much of it. At the time, the North Sea trade didn’t even exist.

Now, with the end of Eastern Continent trade, Harrington would be forced to rely on the North Sea trade for survival. The Teria region was the only part of the Harrington estate that bordered the North Sea.

In other words, losing Teria meant that Harrington would have no choice but to depend on Winyates for all trade in the North Sea.

Duke Harrington squeezed his eyes shut, visibly grappling with the implications.

Just then, a knock at the door broke the tense silence. Cliff entered and bowed politely.

“Young master, the First Prince requests an audience with you.”

“Oh, has Roen come?” I muttered, frowning.

Harrington’s expression lit up with hope. I, however, felt a sense of foreboding. I had no choice but to permit the prince’s entry, but unease coiled in my stomach.

Since Callisto joined the navy, I had avoided the Empress and Roen like the plague, even in my dreams. Yet, Roen often sought me out, sometimes accompanying the Duke of Harrington for business discussions. He attended every one of my birthday banquets and extended invitations to all his dinner parties.

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