Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 7.5

“Kevin and Annette aren’t going, and your officers are staying behind. So, are you seriously planning to go alone?”

Under normal circumstances, his lieutenants, the Gilloss siblings, would have accompanied him. However, with the suspicious movements of the First Prince’s faction, Callisto had ordered them to stay in the Empire with the fleet to guard the harbor. He planned to travel with only the minimal number of sailors needed to operate the ship. To make the journey faster, they had to keep the ship light.

But Lawrence’s sudden interference threw a wrench into the plan. To Callisto, Lawrence’s offer to “help” seemed as ludicrous as Lilibet’s claim that she would protect him.

Callisto raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“And what exactly can you do on a ship?”

Lawrence was the pampered heir of the Armagnac Duchy, someone who had never ventured outside the Empire, let alone embarked on long-distance voyages. It would be a miracle if he didn’t succumb to seasickness immediately.

Lawrence blinked at him, unbothered.

“Do I have to know how to do something?”

“What kind of answer is that? If you’re useless, why come?”

“Hmm, as your emotional anchor?”

“Whose what now?”

The sheer absurdity of Lawrence’s response made Callisto chuckle darkly. Exasperated, he glanced around, hoping for support. However, instead of siding with him, even Kevin, Annette, and the usually pragmatic Brine wore uneasy expressions.

Kevin scratched his head awkwardly before speaking hesitantly.

“Well… wouldn’t it be better if Lawrence went with you, Admiral?”

“What are you talking about? What good is he?”

It wasn’t just that Lawrence would be a burden—this voyage was a race against time. They needed to move quickly, which meant enduring a rougher journey. There was no way someone like Lawrence could handle months of such conditions.

Frustrated, Callisto ran a rough hand through his hair.

“You all know this trip isn’t something he can endure. Why are you acting like this?”

Even after his protests, the others exchanged uneasy glances before Kevin mumbled under his breath.

“Still… you don’t look too good. We can’t let you go alone.”

“What?”

“Even Etienne managed that route before, so why not Lawrence? He’ll manage. He’s shameless enough to pull through.”

“Right, Callisto. I’d go with you if I could, but I need to work on the new ship designs you requested. We don’t have another choice—let Lawrence accompany you.”

The gazes surrounding him were uncomfortably sincere. It seemed everyone thought Callisto would lose his sanity and go off the deep end if left alone at sea. Was Lawrence’s “emotional anchor” nonsense actually their honest belief? Dumbfounded, Callisto stood frozen, his mouth agape.

In the days leading up to their departure, Callisto tried various ways to shake Lawrence off, but he couldn’t overcome the collective determination of those around him. Unable to waste any more time worrying about Lawrence, Callisto reluctantly allowed him to board the ship.

“Ugh… Callisto, I’m dying… Ughhh…”

On the first day of the voyage, the situation unfolded exactly as Callisto had predicted. Before they even left the Empire’s coastal waters, Lawrence was already incapacitated by severe seasickness.

Seething, Callisto glared at the pitiful figure slumped over the railing and shouted at him.

“Get off. Get off the ship right now!”

“How am I supposed to get off… We’re in the middle of the sea…”

“We’ve barely left! You can take a dinghy and row back to the port. Get off now!”

“What are you saying…? I’m this ship’s emotional… Ughhh…”

Leaving Lawrence to retch helplessly over the side, Callisto stormed off toward the captain’s quarters. He had anticipated feeling fear and anxiety during the voyage, but Lawrence’s constant chaos left him no room for such emotions. The thought of enduring months of this made his head throb.

Aside from Lawrence’s antics, the journey to the Northern Continent proceeded smoothly. Unlike the last time he sailed with Etienne, they didn’t encounter dead calm zones or other near-disasters.

Yet, Callisto occasionally found himself zoning out, staring at the endless sea. Waves of anguish, like molten fire, churned within him, threatening to consume him entirely. At those moments, Lawrence—still nauseous but determined—would waddle over, clutch his stomach, and smack Callisto on the back of the head.

Oddly enough, it worked. For a brief time, Callisto would snap back to reality. But a part of him resented it. Sometimes, more often than he cared to admit, he wished he could lose himself completely. What was the point of all this effort? That insidious doubt gnawed at him constantly.

Despite his reputation as a formidable warrior of the Northern Seas, Callisto was only human. Months of grueling sea voyages could wear anyone down, even him.

Back then, it wasn’t about clutching a ship with gaping bullet holes or steering a helm for days on an empty stomach when supplies had run out. Even during starless nights when thunderbolts lit up skies filled with storm clouds, Callisto didn’t feel the same fear he once had. Instead, he grew weary of the loneliness that pressed upon him endlessly on those dark nights. It was the absence of warmth—the kind that once cradled him and soothed him—that left him exhausted.

Still, no matter how drained he was, Callisto always managed to get back up. Because someone was waiting for him. Even if their feelings weren’t identical, the foundation of their bond was unwavering, solid affection. That alone made the struggles bearable—or so he convinced himself.

Through hardship, despair, and suffering, Callisto grew a little older, a little wiser.

“Here, take this, Callisto. So, marry me, will you?”

One day, the hope he had long waited for finally took form and rested in his hand.

Callisto reached up to touch the amber diamond necklace that hung around his neck. But after all the waiting, the sensation beneath his fingertips wasn’t soft or warm. The amber diamond was cold and unyielding—just like Etienne’s pale, unresponsive form.

“You must return within three months to ensure his safety. While the young master might hold on for four months… it’s far from certain.”

Dr. Woodson’s worried voice echoed in Callisto’s mind. Both Woodson and Callisto knew that a round trip to the Northern Continent in three months was impossible. Those who accompanied him on this journey, as well as those who saw them off, understood this grim reality but collectively chose to ignore it.

Yet, as he drifted on the desolate sea, feeling the cold wind brush the nape of his neck, Callisto began to realize something.

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