Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 8.2

I pointed to a particularly tall figure and asked, “Why is he here?”

“Uh…”

Next, I gestured to a child clinging to the man’s leg.

“And why is she here?”

“Well…”

Callisto squirmed under my gaze, unable to provide an answer. Judging by his guilty expression, I could only imagine the lengths he’d gone to bring Lilibet, the First Prince’s consort, into the Second Prince’s camp.

Sensing the tension, Lilibet shrank behind Ivry’s legs. Finally, Ivry spoke up.

“Beth has contracted a northern disease.”

“A northern disease?”

The same illness I had? My brows furrowed as I processed this surprising revelation. Ivry hesitated briefly but continued steadily.

“She requested permission to convalesce at the Camois estate. The First Prince approved, and I was tasked with escorting her there.”

“Is that so?”

On the surface, it seemed plausible. The palace likely assumed Lilibet’s illness was terminal, given the secrecy surrounding my recovery. Allowing her to return to the Camois estate wasn’t entirely unexpected. But if Lilibet had contracted the illness, there was only one explanation.

I turned sharply to Callisto, narrowing my eyes.

“Wait a second. Did they feed the child contaminated meat?”

Callisto flinched, taking a step back.

“I didn’t order it! Beth caused the trouble herself!”

“And you just went along with it?”

A headache started to creep in—no, it wasn’t just a feeling. It was real. I sighed deeply and pressed my fingertips against my temple. Noticing my discomfort, Callisto cautiously approached and placed his large hand on my forehead.

“Brother, you’ve got a fever. You should go inside and rest—”

“And whose fault do you think that is?”

Callisto promptly shut his mouth. With his gaze lowered and his cheeks flushed, he peeked at me through his long lashes, fluttering like he thought he could charm his way out of trouble. But this wasn’t a situation I could simply brush off with his pretty face. Determined not to be swayed, I avoided looking at him and fixed my stare on the empty air.

“The treatment made with Echinacea isn’t complete. I only used it because there was no other choice, and I was lucky to survive. But it’s still an untested, unstable remedy. And Beth is just a child—there’s no guarantee it would work the same way for her. How could you knowingly expose her to the poison, even if you believed it would help?”

Despite its use as a treatment, Echinacea is fundamentally toxic. The wrong dosage could be dangerous, and there was no assurance that Lilibet’s body would endure it. Things might have worked out in the end, but I couldn’t endorse such a reckless gamble.

Callisto hung his head in silence, avoiding my eyes. Just as I was about to press him further, a voice, trembling with emotion, cut through the tense atmosphere.

“It was better to take the risk than leave her in the palace as the Empress’s hostage.”

“What?”

“If we hadn’t gotten her out while Roen was away, there would’ve been no chance. The Empress is relentless. If Lilibet had been taken under her wing, who knows what would’ve happened to her? At least this way, she’s safe.”

“Ivry, even so, this method was too dangerous.”

“What other choice did we have?”

Ivry’s face twisted with anguish, and for a moment, I couldn’t find the words to respond.

He was right. Without such drastic measures, Lilibet would have been relocated to the Empress’s palace after Roen left for Gunther Harbor. Civil war loomed just around the corner, and no one could guarantee her safety if she stayed with the Empress in the palace.

It was easy to criticize Callisto and Ivry now. But if they’d consulted me beforehand and I’d stopped them, I could imagine all too vividly what might have become of Lilibet.

After a brief hesitation, I let out a sigh and nodded.

“I’m sorry, Ivry. I shouldn’t have spoken so harshly.”

“It’s fine.”

To my surprise, Ivry’s tone was composed, almost subdued. It felt strange to see him like this, so different from the reckless man I remembered. Though our relationship was never particularly close, I couldn’t help but feel the awkwardness of the moment. Fidgeting, I avoided his eyes.

“I pushed Callisto too hard. He didn’t have to agree to my demands, but he did. I’m grateful, even if it was a reckless thing to ask. And I’m sorry.”

He lowered his head in a stiff bow, his demeanor almost unrecognizable. Suspicious, I squinted at him. Before I could say anything, Callisto, who had crept up beside me again, dropped a mocking comment with a smirk.

“Your Highness, the Second Prince.”

Ivry ground his teeth audibly.

“…Thank you, and I apologize, Your Highness, the Second Prince.”

I could only watch in disbelief as Callisto gloated quietly. But before I could reprimand him, the door burst open behind us, and brisk footsteps approached. A familiar voice cut through the air.

“What’s going on here? Ivry, why are you here?”

Callisto and I both turned toward the newcomer. It was a familiar face I hadn’t seen in months, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Lawrence!”

“Etienne?”

Lawrence’s eyes widened in shock. His clothes still carried the briny scent of the sea, a clear sign he’d just arrived at Blast Harbor. Perhaps he’d stopped by the Wynyates estate on his way to meet the Gilloss siblings.

“Etienne, are you alright? How did you make it here? Are you even supposed to be walking around?”

Lawrence rushed toward me, his expression a mixture of surprise and relief. But before he could reach me, Callisto swiftly stepped between us, blocking his path. Lawrence’s eyes bulged as though they might pop out of his head, and his voice rose to a piercing shriek.

“Callisto, you…! You little—!”

“Let’s talk, just the two of us,” Callisto said quickly, clamping a hand over Lawrence’s mouth and dragging him away by the waist. His behavior was nothing short of suspicious.

But Lawrence wasn’t one to go quietly. He struggled free and turned on Callisto with a loud outburst.

“You’re alive, you bastard! Don’t ever pull something like that again!”

“I just need to—”

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