Treat the Second Male Lead Like a Stone

I wanted to say something, but from my position, I didn’t really have anything to say.

I had only just heard that Hestia had gone to the convent...!

It felt like my mouth was drying up.

I just rolled my eyes around, and unable to endure Erkishian’s gaze, I finally spoke.

“Why did she go?”

“Oh, you’re asking the reason?”

Erkishian replied in a crooked tone.

I guess that wasn’t the right question.

Judging by the situation, it seemed like she was being punished at the convent because of what happened at the lake...

‘I thought I was being overly self-conscious, so I ignored it.’

In the first place, the Emperor wouldn’t punish the princess just because of a mere marquis’s daughter.

After turning things over in my head, I reached one conclusion.

‘Idette must have been in danger, so Erkishian stepped in.’

Right, that must be it.

Staring at me intently, Erkishian suddenly burst into cheerful laughter—so much that one of his dimples deeply sank in.

“Sorry. I had no intention of scaring you, I just came to see your face, so you can relax.”

Even if he said that...

How could I possibly relax in front of the Second Male Lead who doesn’t treat anyone as human unless they’re the Female Lead?

“Why my face?”

Still, I had no intention of holding back my curiosity.

“I heard the Empire’s Sword turned the imperial palace upside down over one granddaughter, so I got curious. And your grandfather’s face was quite a sight to see.”

Erkishian looked like he was dying of laughter. But when he noticed how stiff I was, he let out a small snort.

“Seems like he made a whole fuss and didn’t tell you anything about it?”

...What in the world had happened?

That grandfather, known for his dignity.

“Is it something serious?”

A wave of anxiety came over me.

“It’s not that. That child deserved to be punished.”

That was a relief...

I let out a sigh of relief, but only briefly, as Erkishian smiled faintly.

“More importantly, don’t you have something to say to me?”

“……”

“You should.”

I didn’t. Really, I didn’t.

But his gaze was so terrifying, it felt like I had to say yes even if I didn’t.

“I heard you said you had to meet me at the square.”

Wow, crap.

He was talking about that situation where I had lied, trying to get Ricardo and Idette together.

My vision went blurry.

Erkishian stared at me with an almost burdensome intensity before speaking in a soft voice.

“Since it’s already well known that you like the Duke, that lie clearly wasn’t to separate me from Idette.”

“Of, of course!”

Erkishian was under the grand delusion that I liked Ricardo, but I had no choice now.

Better than being punished by the Crown Prince, right?

As I nodded fervently at his words, Erkishian gave me a warning with a somewhat eerie smile.

“Don’t do it again.”

“Yessir...”

I answered weakly, and only then did he smile again.

I swore firmly to the sky.

That I would never act out again...!

* * *

That afternoon.

“This one is...”

“Bianca Roygin. Her identity is clear.”

Cedric cut off the priest and answered. His gaze narrowed briefly, and then he spoke with a face full of suspicion.

“The only one with authority to manage the Drimokan Forest is the head of the Roygin family. Anyone else needs an entry permit.”

“Yes, this child came with me to hear about you and the gods.”

Cedric let out a small sigh.

“You should know well, shouldn’t you? What became of all of Lord Blua’s children.”

The priest paused.

“As his descendant, I won’t live long either. If that happens, this child will inherit the title.”

I stared blankly at Cedric, surprised.

I had no idea he was thinking that far ahead.

‘Well, I saw the original story, so I know we’ll live long lives...’

From Cedric’s perspective, it was only natural to believe in the punishment the collateral branch spoke of.

“Rather than reopening the Drimokan Forest again when that time comes, wouldn’t it be better to settle it all now?”

The priest pondered for a moment and eventually nodded.

“Follow me.”

After following behind the priest for a while, I couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened earlier. Glancing at Cedric, I cautiously opened my mouth.

“...You won’t die, Brother.”

“What?”

“I know. You’ll never die.”

Maybe he thought it was nonsense, but Cedric just let out a small laugh instead of answering.

“I mean it. You’ll come visit our house someday, with a beautiful sister-in-law and rabbit-like children.”

“...Is that so?”

“Yes! My brother will definitely nag me not to forget that I’m their aunt in front of my nieces and nephews.”

It must’ve sounded absurd as he listened. Cedric spoke in a resigned voice.

“Fine. Just don’t die yourself.”

Well, I’d survive even if I weren’t in this world.

While chatting about trivial things with Cedric, we somehow arrived at a massive wall.

...No, could this really be called a wall?

‘Wow, how did Peril’s disciple even get in here?’

The entrance looked far too small compared to the wall. The priest placed his hand on the intricate pattern carved into the door and began reciting a prayer. Then, a clean breeze seemed to blow through, and the door opened.

Creak.

‘Is this magic?’

Just as that thought crossed my mind, the priest warned us in a solemn tone.

“Please note that the use of magic is forbidden within the Drimokan Forest.”

I found it a bit strange.

Magic was said to be a gift from the gods of the Divine Era, and yet in the very place where they had lived, magic was forbidden?

Inside the door stretched a vast forest.

“To reach the World Tree, we must go in a bit farther.”

The priest gave a slight nod to signal our departure.

Cedric held out his hand to me. Only after climbing onto the horse safely with his help did we head deeper into the forest.

“There was a reason for building the wall so high.”

Just as Cedric said. Of course, it was to prevent people from entering, but seeing the forest up close, it also clearly played on human fear.

The densely packed trees towered far beyond the wall, so high that you couldn’t even see their branches. If the wall had been lower, people would’ve definitely been able to see the trees from outside.

Maybe we were getting close to the World Tree. The horse suddenly refused to go any further.

“They say the ones who best recognize places where the god’s light doesn’t reach are beasts.”

The priest began murmuring an explanation, saying this was proof of heresy. I furrowed my brows as I listened.

‘...What is this feeling?’

It felt like I had been here before. Even though this place didn’t exist in my memories, it sparked a strangely familiar feeling. That disconnect made me uneasy.

It felt like facing a nostalgic past that I could never return to again, and it made my stomach churn.

‘Pull yourself together.’

Even biting the inside of my cheek hard didn’t rid me of the odd emotion.

While lost in thought and walking for a while, a foul stench began to fill the air.

Ugh, this is way too much.

“The Marquis won’t be directly involved in managing the World Tree.”

Shocked by the smell, I looked up. The priest continued casually, as if he understood my reaction.

“The World Tree has stopped growing now.”

Hiding my urge to pinch my nose, I slowly examined the World Tree.

Its trunk was the size of the Roygin estate. If it had grown properly, it might’ve blocked out the sky entirely.

But the center of the trunk was rotting and decayed, blackened beyond recognition. That must’ve been the source of the stench.

“...What do you mean by ‘no direct involvement’ exactly?”

“They’re not asking you to manage the World Tree properly, but just enough so that it doesn’t die.”

The priest had a way of making even common knowledge sound grand.

So he brought us all the way here just to say that?

‘Anyway, how am I supposed to take the root?’

Judging by the size, the roots must be enormous...

The dagger I had brought to cut the roots suddenly seemed pitifully tiny.

“What’s this?”

Cedric, who had been walking around the World Tree, suddenly stopped. The priest answered with a smooth smile.

“That is a statue of the Archmage Eileens.”

Peeking from behind Cedric, I studied the statue. It was of a middle-aged woman who looked quite old. The sculptor had done such a fine job that even the wrinkles were delicately carved.

It was so well-made, it felt like the stone figure could’ve once been alive.

‘Come to think of it, I saw Eileens in the original story.’

The priest continued explaining.

“There was a rumor that whoever obtained a branch of the World Tree would gain immense power. Eileens, who was just a mere human, was too greedy. In the end, she entered the Drimokan Forest to steal a branch of the World Tree.”

Eileens’s appearance was somewhat unusual. An arrow was stuck in her chest, and she was embedded into the trunk of the World Tree.

“But after that, Eileens disappeared.”

“Archmage, huh... I’ve never heard of the name Eileens before.”

Cedric and the priest continued talking as they walked.

‘Is that a laurel wreath on her head…?’

While I was admiring the sculptor’s skill—

At some point, the statue’s eyes were looking straight at me.

...Wait, weren’t they closed before?