Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 8.3

“‘Take care of Etienne,’ you said! Was that a goodbye? And then you just charged into the doldrums? Did you expect me to wave you off and wish you luck? You spiked my drink with a sedative and ran off! Do you have any idea how much I panicked for two months? If you want to die so badly, just do it now, you idiot!”

I froze, staring at them in confusion. I hadn’t been fully briefed on what Callisto had done while I was unconscious. Whenever the topic came up, everyone—including the soldiers who had accompanied him—avoided eye contact. And whenever I asked why Lawrence hadn’t returned with Callisto, I was vaguely assured he’d show up eventually.

But what was that about leaving him a farewell message?

“Lawrence, what are you talking about?”

Callisto flinched. My voice grew cold.

“What exactly did Calli do?”

When Lawrence finally explained how Callisto had dragged a lifeboat through the doldrums, I didn’t even know where to begin with my outrage. Was it even possible to row out of such a region?

Lilibet, oblivious to the tension, flailed her short limbs as if trying to lighten the mood. Meanwhile, Lawrence sat heavily in a chair beside me, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“I heard stories from Kevin and Annetsa, but I didn’t think he’d be that reckless.”

Callisto shot Lawrence a brief glare but quickly looked down when he met my gaze. Ivry, meanwhile, had settled Lilibet on his lap and was quietly whispering to her, likely explaining the situation.

“Don’t be mad at the Second Prince, my lord!” Lilibet suddenly piped up, clutching my knee with a determined expression.

I sighed and ruffled her hair gently. “I’m not mad. I’m just… overwhelmed.”

“What’s overwhelming?”

“Just the thought of what could’ve gone wrong…”

The words trailed off, and I shut my eyes tightly. My body trembled with a sudden chill as the image of Callisto, hands bloodied from rowing endlessly, flashed in my mind.

Callisto might not have made it back. He’d known the risks—he’d left instructions for Lawrence to deliver the Echinacea to me if he didn’t return. But what meaning would survival hold if I were left alone?

“I was never not going to come back,” Callisto’s voice broke through my thoughts. He placed his hand over mine, his warmth steadying my trembling fingers. “I always knew I’d return. That’s why I went into the doldrums. I never once thought I wouldn’t make it.”

His voice was soft yet resolute, soothing the storm in my heart. Slowly, my clenched shoulders eased.

“How can you be so sure? Who survives the doldrums?” I muttered, though my tone lacked bite.

“I told you—I have nine lives,” Callisto replied, flashing a mischievous grin.

What are you, a fox? I swallowed the retort, biting back a laugh despite myself. He knew far too well how to defuse my anger. Watching his radiant smile, I had to admit that Callisto, with his charm and quick wit, might as well have nine tails to go with those nine lives.

“Excuse me, there are people here,” Lawrence interrupted dryly, raising a brow.

Lawrence’s voice broke through the conversation abruptly. I turned toward him, catching his sharp expression as he pointed at Lilibet.

“And don’t forget, Her Highness is right here.”

“We weren’t doing anything,” I replied, incredulous. All we’d done was exchange a few smiles, but somehow, Lawrence had managed to take issue with that too. His response was immediate and unrelenting.

“But you were about to, weren’t you?”

When had Lawrence, once so agreeable, become like this? I opened my mouth to retort, but Callisto, who had been gently tracing his thumb over my fingers, withdrew his hand silently.

“Anyway, Etienne is safe now, and we’ve brought Beth here. Let’s focus on what’s ahead,” Callisto interjected awkwardly, clearly attempting to steer the conversation elsewhere. “The naval battle will begin soon, and Beth should be sent to the Carmois estate.”

He wasn’t wrong. The escalating tension at Gunther Harbor was undeniable. Roen’s forces were nearly fully assembled, and their warships were prepared to sail. The civil war was on the brink of erupting.

Keeping a child at Blast Harbor, Callisto’s stronghold, was far from ideal. Moreover, news that the supposedly gravely ill First Prince’s wife was hiding in enemy territory would cause complications. Even with the harbor’s strong defenses, sending Lilibet to Baron Carmois was a safer and more practical choice. The question remained: who would escort her?

Ivry was set to join Callisto in the battle, and my health hadn’t yet fully recovered for such a journey. That left only one option.

“Lawrence, could you escort Beth?” Callisto asked, turning to him.

Lawrence raised an eyebrow. “Why me?”

Entrusting Lilibet solely to Carmois household servants felt risky—not because they weren’t trustworthy but because the journey itself was fraught with potential dangers. With Lawrence, the heir to the Duke of Armagnac, accompanying her, any would-be attackers would think twice.

At least, that’s what Callisto should have explained. Instead, his reply was:

“When the battle begins, you’ll be the most useless person here.”

“What did you say, you fraud?!”

I couldn’t shake the feeling that Callisto’s primary motivation was to simply get Lawrence out of the way.

Lawrence leapt to his feet, yelling in indignation, but before he could escalate, Lilibet hopped off Ivry’s lap and toddled over to him, tugging at his sleeve. Caught mid-rant, Lawrence froze, glancing down at her.

“Armagnac Young Master!” Lilibet said firmly, her voice clear.

“Yes… Your Highness?” Lawrence stammered, startled by her serious tone.

Lilibet tilted her head and studied him. Then, with surprising directness, she asked, “Are you going to take Beth to her father?”

“Well… uh…” Lawrence hesitated. He didn’t seem entirely opposed to the idea but clearly disliked the notion of following Callisto’s orders. Sensing his reluctance, Lilibet narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Lawrence glanced at us for support, but we were as baffled as he was.

“You’ve changed a little,” she declared suddenly.

“What? How?” Lawrence asked, bemused.

Following Lilibet’s gaze, I took a moment to examine him. He had indeed changed. Four months at sea had left him leaner, his once soft, pale complexion now tanned from the sun. Initially plagued by seasickness, Lawrence had toughened up, commanding the ship alone after Callisto left. The transformation left him looking more rugged and capable.

“Definitely not Calli’s type anymore,” I said absently.

“What?! I was never into him!” Lawrence snapped. “And he’s definitely not my type either! Etienne, what’s that supposed to mean?!”

Ignoring Lawrence’s outburst, Callisto hesitated beside me, nervously toying with my fingers. “Brother, are you still thinking about that?”

“Thinking about what? How you dreamed of marrying Lawrence?” I asked, my tone sharper than intended. I still hadn’t fully forgiven Callisto for his reckless actions, and my irritation slipped into my words.

Callisto flinched, shooting a panicked glance at Lawrence, but it was too late. Lawrence, now fully invested, stepped closer.

“What’s this about me and a dream?” he demanded, his tone both curious and exasperated.

“It was a dumb dream,” Callisto muttered.

“Dumb or not, what happened in it?” Lawrence pressed, his curiosity piqued.

Callisto clamped his mouth shut, refusing to answer. Lawrence smirked. “You’re not secretly in love with me, are you?”

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