How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family - Chapter 600

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magic Noble Family (600)

“What am I.”

“Tell me.”

“So what exactly.”

I answered with a smile. Perhaps thinking I was being too shameless, one corner of the Antagonist’s mouth lifted. He readily accepted my request for a staring contest. Lucien, who had been watching, flicked his finger between our gazes.

“Luca will have a hard time. Let’s stop.”

“Look at you dropping formalities now. You’ve been amusing since earlier… Aren’t you worried about my eyes?”

“Your fiancée will take care of that.”

They look down at me. At times like this, Laplace’s reactions seemed worth watching. What if I react fully to Friends who like to tease? If it’s not fun, they won’t bother. In life, a person needs to be somewhat boring to some degree.

When I deliberately just stared at them blankly, Lucien asked gently.

“Luca, will you call my name?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

I answered coldly while snickering.

I had been thinking about this anyway. I did well not to call him Lucien. Lucien Noailles and Luca Laplace were on surname-calling terms with each other. Then from the senior’s house where we first met, he had been acting, and thanks to his unique ability, did he immediately notice that there had been a change in Laplace’s condition? That must be it.

Probably Laplace didn’t call Rosalie “Rosa” either. He would have called her Miss Blanchart. He would have kept as much distance as possible from this kind of personality. Rosalie, who had been watching, narrowed her eyes briefly then moved her hand to my shoulder.

“Ah! No. No.”

I had been leaning against one side of the bed somehow, and as soon as the grabbed collar was released, I lay down at the foot of the bed. I smacked my lips and held back a sigh. Rosalie looked at Lucien and whispered.

“It’s a joke. It’s a joke but…”

“…A joke?”

“You’re really acting like a different person. What is this… It was a welcome ceremony! Congratulations on your return.”

Rosalie grabbed my cheek and lightly kissed me. Then she looked at me with a proud face. I seriously considered leaving at this moment.

In a situation where no information is coming in, I quit acting long ago. This uncomfortable sensation is honestly a bit unfamiliar and troublesome. Why? Because my given personal space was invaded. Rather than the fact that the opposite sex approaches me unnecessarily, the fact that a person approaches me unnecessarily is troublesome.

But did I react sensitively to such disrespectful invasion? The only conclusion is that in some cases I did, and in some cases I didn’t. Why was that? At that time I was acting, and also would not have been acting. Anyway, it’s not me who experiences it. Leaving my life to the role, I step back and remain detached from reality. When did acting and life overlap? My head feels foggy. I don’t know when I started treating life as acting and separated life from acting. When did the transition become difficult? Is even this a true proposition for me? If we assume it’s true, it didn’t happen with one stroke but was gradually put on and gradually taken off. I couldn’t find the boundary.

The life I’ve learned so far tells me I don’t need to spit. Once I thought I was in a role, nothing was dirty. That was work I took on and had to make successful. But when I’m not acting a role, and even if I’m in a role but become aware that ‘I’ exist within it, only then do I start to feel a bit nauseous. Nevertheless, what I learned is frightening, and I can take on a play anytime if only information is given. It didn’t seem like I couldn’t do it. That fact gives me a sense of alienation. I don’t feel like blaming anyone, but just somewhere, the reality in which I function is moving a bit differently from my common sense, so I’m confused. Such thoughts do occur.

This year, what I knew is disappearing. Little by little, little by little. It may have disappeared long ago, but I’m feeling the empty space today. I’m before the scene of rust falling off from the me I knew at every moment.

Setting aside my personal feelings, what was clear anyway was that escape wasn’t a solution. I want to go out and share information now, but I have to come back into the extra chapter. Even if I leave here, the fact that I have to meet them again when I return prevents escape. The violence of recklessly knocking people down – my future self will have to experience that again and I’ll have to get through it.

They said it was a joke, but it’s not a joke. After kissing, they watch my reaction. By estimation, the original Laplace was annoyed and disgusted, and they still want me to be disgusted now. Or confused. They’re changing their words to play longer with that intention. What can be roughly inferred from this is that they’re not certain whether I’m the real Laplace or not. There was a high possibility they were thinking the real Laplace had lost his memory or something like that.

“Why is your expression like that? You don’t really believe what I said earlier, do you? Stop being angry.”

How long are you going to do that? You’re caught, Rosalie. I wanted to say that and tease her, but I only smiled. That wasn’t Laplace’s reaction, so Rosalie’s reaction is lukewarm. Even so, whether Laplace despised Rosalie at times like this, Rosalie sees my gentle smile and thinks ‘I might still be fooled.’ Rosalie put her hand on my back and pulled me up into an embrace. Only my hand caught with rope on the bed leg floats in Midair.

“Sorry, Luca. I was too playful.”

“Sorry?”

“Yeah. So kiss me one more time. Let’s make up.”

She’s saying this intending to make me angry. Realistically, common-sensically, where would there be a person who recklessly casts spells to knock someone down and then says such things? Of course, who would there be to comply?

This Person likes it when I dislike it. She can’t escape from the mindset of certain elementary school Students that I couldn’t understand even when I was in elementary school. I didn’t even spit. I just smiled silently and looked down at him. They would be happy if I made a fuss, showing disgust in a common-sense way. Until I know the life stories of these three, and even after knowing the context, even if it’s beyond the scope of my life, I can’t carelessly add words. I’ll exercise self-restraint but…

I made a gentle face and nodded.

“Was it good?”

Then Rosalie stopped with the same smiling face, then silently moved her lips. Amazingly, she said nothing with her mouth open. Soon she slowly shook her head and muttered.

“This has serious adverse reactions.”

“I told you so, Rose.”

“I said let’s make up.”

“If you and I have something called thinking, making up is done through respectful conversation, Rose.”

I said affectionately while stroking his cheek.

“And ‘try one more time’? I never did that. While you alone kept putting your mouth to mine like a parent bird feeding its young, you’re pinning it on me? Birds at least eat worms, but I’m eating microorganisms or…”

“Look at this.”

Rosalie squinted and glanced at Lucien. He continued as if talking to himself.

“I spoke too early for nothing. I should have waited longer.”

“I told you to wait until tomorrow.”

“That’s impossible. Look, isn’t his reaction strange?”

“Ask what you’re going to ask, Count Blanchart.”

Lucien doesn’t call Rosalie by name either. Until now he would have been busy teasing. Using ‘Count’ isn’t strange. Since she’s an Esper, there’s no way he’d say ‘Miss,’ and when I’m not acting, I’ve always said Count to everyone. And they noticed my reaction was strange. That means they’re once again convinced I’m not the Laplace they knew, and where will that lead? Naturally, interrogation.

Rosalie, who had been quietly watching me, said.

“Did I decode too many passwords?”

So she’s inferring that she fought too much and now made me give up, so I’m just going along. Yeah, well said. That damn password. The tattoo remaining on the back of the neck isn’t all the same but seems to be a magic circle applied to individuals, and somehow Rosalie figured out the formula to activate Laplace’s magic circle, while Laplace conversely doesn’t know. Not knowing would be normal. This authority should rightfully be held only by the top administrator.

Then what about Henri? Instead of memorizing the formula, Henri embedded an artifact in my arm.

I wanted to clap. Naturally, Henri isn’t the top administrator. There’s someone else besides Henri. As soon as Henri became Emperor, he was ousted and handed the imperial throne to his Cousin Gagyeongja Marie, so looking at that, it means there’s another entity with influence. Could it be a Bourbon person?

If this is the case, that Terminus Yukairya might also be using this magic circle. However, since the neck is easily noticeable if someone just pulls a collar, wouldn’t it be necessary to move it down to the back, waist, or inside of the forearm that’s perfectly covered by clothes? They’ve had half a century, so they must have developed.

Rosalie rested her chin and muttered.

“No matter how I think about it, it’s inexplicable unless you learned how to make people feel bad somewhere. Who are you?”

“If you don’t know even while looking at me, what can we do?”

“Wow, I don’t know what to answer here to make you feel bad…”

Rosalie laughed and looked back and forth between Lucien and me. I said expressionlessly.

“You know you’re doing something you shouldn’t, right?”

“Well. No matter how much you didn’t like me, it’s true that you kissed me, Luca. We’re engaged. I told you.”

That’s true. That would be so. Laplace is Laplace, not ‘me.’ This Person is targeting the area around Laplace and me, but basically, as long as I’m in Laplace’s body, the fact that we’re in a relationship where skinship isn’t strange doesn’t change… She’s interrogating that body and the identity hasn’t been confirmed as one yet. But I’m not just saying that now. While thinking about the magic circle, I muttered, pondering how to handle him.

“Rose, how old are you?”

“I like that nickname since earlier.”

“Age.”

“Not even going to hide that you’re not in your right mind?”

“Hmm, I’ve been saying it all along. I went to learn techniques and it seems I got hit… Please cooperate.”

Then Rosalie exchanged glances with Lucien. Rosalie fiddled with the end of my collar and said.

“We’re the same age. Can’t you tell by looking at my face? Don’t you remember? I was born the day after you were born.”

“I don’t know.”

I muttered that while staring into Rosalie’s eyes.

“Still, I need to know. Older women aren’t my taste.”

Rosalie’s expression didn’t change at all. It wasn’t hardened, but those were ‘so what’ eyes. It wasn’t teasing eyes like ‘good for you,’ so we really are the same age. That’s roughly similar to my guess. That age difference isn’t easily distinguishable if you style the same way.

Rosalie knows she’s doing wrong to Laplace. Lucien also seems to be going along with this bullying. However, as I said before, I’ll listen first. It’s better to act after hearing, and my personal ethics think I should listen to what they’re babbling about first, and I needed to be a bit careful out of necessity too.

Isn’t there a way to maintain the relationship with them without making it catastrophic?

Can’t I find the person who left the magic circle on them that way?

“What I mean is, Luca.”

Rosalie said quietly while grabbing my collar.

“I was happy that you fulfilled your duty as a fiancé. As you know, it doesn’t make sense to be engaged but not allow even that level of greeting. Even though you pretended not to know every time, you dutifully performed the greetings you had to, so you knew too. That you have things to do as a fiancé. That you should at least be as affectionate as today. That’s our duty bound by promise.”

I was silent. That would be so between you and Laplace’s relationship. As soon as I thought that, a sharp question struck.

“But then. Did ‘you’ really fulfill it?”

Rosalie’s eyes that flashed brightly circle around my face.

“Did you get hit somewhere and forget everything? If so, you should be grinning happily seeing me by now. We should have returned to before we buttoned wrong. But you came home with cold eyes like you became a different person, scanning the house like you became a Police Officer or something, suddenly treating me politely like I’m a distant person, and suddenly kissing my cheek with a smile even though I didn’t say anything?”

I moved my eyes following his gaze. The bent head makes me look down at the Antagonist despite our eye levels being the same.

“I honestly like both this you and that you because they have different interesting aspects. But that’s… when it’s ‘you.'”

“…”

“All your reactions before and after I knocked you down are 180 degrees different from the Laplace I knew. You think you’re 180 degrees different from earlier when you went along with me and now, right? Wrong. Today’s you itself is different from the previous you. What if it’s not you but a different mind inside when President Bonaparte might stage a coup on Napoleon’s coronation day early next month? What if an airhead like you made a mistake at work and got your tail stepped on, so Bonaparte recruited you and messed with your mind?”

Rosalie said to me. He asked with cold eyes.

“Tell us what you’ve collected from that position so far. You can do at least this much.”

Good. Even though she’s a fiancée, the country comes first. At this rate, Bonaparte will indeed stage a coup, and I could understand Rosalie’s worry. Nevertheless, I…

“Sorry. I only remember taking care of seniors because I was bullied at School.”

I couldn’t tell. What could I do? That I met Prince?

Rosalie’s eyes become bloodshot. If she’s thinking of hitting with magic, I can wait a moment. I wasn’t staying here because I couldn’t escape This Location in the first place.

And judging by the status window, Lucien Noailles’ skills seem serious. As you can see from his unique ability being quite honed at this age, his skills are also not bad, so I needed to know what cards he has. Also, he could use divine power, so I need to directly assess that level too.

The Noailles family has a similar position to Germany’s Oettingen family, right? Just as Oettingen serves as a general in the Bavaria army, this side would obviously be raised as a combat Mage too. As expected, Rosalie scolded Lucien.

“Lucien, you step up. Why are you just sitting still today?”

“You do it.”

“When I do it, he just dislikes it. He endures what I do.”

Endure? Are we talking about combat magic? Feeling puzzled at that point, I asked.

“What are you doing?”

Then Lucien grabbed my chin and tried to lower his head. Reflexively, I put strength into the rope connecting my wrist to the bed leg and pulled, causing the bed to break and one side to collapse. I’ve been in front of cameras for years, and I’ve lived in human society for years—if I don’t know what this is, there’s no hope. At the same time, I got up from my seat with a disgusted face. Lucien looked from the collapsed bed to me. This is what’s good about being a mage. Being able to use strength when needed…

Still, being human, my arm is numb from using all my strength to pull free. Standing alone between the two people, I pressed one hand to my head.

“Hey bastard… Rosalie. I’m engaged to you, so who am I supposed to do what with?”

“You did it before.”

“What? No, forget it. I don’t need to hear it—it’s probably some fancy French-style Bruderschaft. Why on earth?”

Lucien said softly.

“You learned a lot in Germany. Or have you been German all along?”

“Answer me.”

“I was curious what fun you two have.”

Not even worth responding to. I turned cold and looked at Rosalie.

“Rosalie, what are you encouraging here?”

“I’m curious.”

“What about my opinion?”

What did Laplace do wrong? This guy didn’t just face injustice after coming to study abroad—he was bullied by his hometown friends and then came abroad to get beaten up too.

Rosalie is looking at me with an expressionless, indifferent face. It seems Laplace has really only been bullied all this time. Of course, with Rosalie holding the neutralization key, it couldn’t be helped, and looking at Laplace’s personality, he’s not particularly someone who could rebel…

“If your friend’s crazy demands are more important than your fiancé’s well-being, I don’t think there’s any reason for us to remain like this.”

That’s how much he got twisted from meeting the wrong people, and the other party also developed bad habits living without anyone to scold them.

I was truly disgusted and looked down at Rosalie coldly as I spoke. Whether I get attacked by magic circles or not, I need to say what needs to be said. I knelt on one knee in front of Rosalie and met her eye level.

“Rose. Do you want to break off our engagement?”

Rosalie’s previously relaxed mouth falls open. As if it’s absurd that I’m saying such things, she curls the corner of her mouth and furrows her eyebrows. I don’t care and speak coldly.

“You want to break it off, that’s why you’re doing this. You want me to get sick of you, so you only do things I hate. Am I wrong?”

“…”

“Won’t you regret it?”

As if it’s an unfamiliar sight, Lucien tilts his head and observes. I don’t respond to that annoying gaze and ask Rosalie.

“Every day following your emotions’ commands, not questioning what’s reasonable, believing only you and your friend are right and hurting another friend—won’t you regret it later? Before being your fiancé, aren’t I a friend living in the same era, looking at the same place as you? Yes, you believe you won’t regret it, so you’ve been tormenting your fiancé by involving that friend, but still I can’t help but ask you.”

Rosalie didn’t answer. She just glares at me with a cold face like I did.

“If you hate me that much, then break it off. You can go. I don’t know if treating me like this is a problem with your character or if something happened between us and you’re trying to get revenge, but if there was something, I’m sorry for all this time. Let’s cool off here and each go our own way. If not, have a separate conversation with me and settle it.”

Rosalie freezes at those words, then gets up from her seat like a machine with a livid face and leaves the room. She slams the door so hard it rattles as if it might fall off. The thunderous sound shakes the house. Unexpectedly, she didn’t knock me down.

Lucien, who had been sitting on the bed, sighs and grabs my fingertips.

“Is that what a fiancé should say?”

I mutter curses under my breath while glaring down at Lucien.

“If you were curious about Human life, get consent from another Esper and kiss them.”

Lucien looks at me with a gentle face, then says quietly.

“You’re not even trying to hide that you’re a foreigner.”

I swatted his hand away.

This one isn’t quite prepared. How he’s not prepared is that since he’s similar in build to me, fists come first.

Since Rosalie left, I thought I should wrap this up and leave. Go out and cool my head, deliver what I learned to my friends, investigate what these two will be doing in Year 1898…

* * *

When I came to my senses, I was looking at the Floor. Rosalie must have gone downstairs, chanted a spell, and knocked me down. Does it work from long range? Or is about 10 meters considered close range even without a clear line of sight?

I sighed. My patience doesn’t reach its limit at this point. However, it pains me that these young bastards keep doing things they’ll regret, whether it’s because the blood in their heads hasn’t dried yet, they weren’t properly educated, or it’s a character problem. Half sincere, half sarcastic…

If I have to go through this again later anyway, let’s end it today. I can’t abandon my precious 1851 without resolving these bastards.

“Listen carefully.”

Rosalie’s voice comes from the Darkness. I briefly vibrated my vocal cords to indicate I was listening.

“Mm.”

“If you don’t tell us what you investigated, we can’t keep you here.”

Right. You’ll hand me over to France. I quietly asked while looking at the darkness.

“Was the initial decision to bring me here also Count Lucien Noailles’s achievement?”

With that amazing GPS ability, it seems Laplace’s location was briefly cut off. It must be a longer-range ability than I thought.

Rosalie said.

“Now you know? We brought you here to interrogate you from the beginning.”

“I know. I knew for sure when I first collapsed. More importantly, turn on some lights now.”

“If you tell us.”

There was no more playfulness in Rosalie’s voice. I shrugged my shoulders and thought about my hands tied behind me. There are no restraints, just ropes, but if I use materialization magic now, I’ll be stopped because of the light. It’s better to handle two things at once. I muttered while looking at Midair.

“Well, fine. I’ll be honest. Have you decided what to do about the engagement?”

At that moment, I exhaled quickly.

“Ugh…!”

It feels like my back is on fire. There must have been Rosalie’s incantation. I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them to see Rosalie approaching and sitting in front of me.

“About the engagement.”

Only her two eyes shine brightly in the Darkness.

“No cancellation. Are you asking that now?”

“…Hmm, too bad. Then—”

Get up later and finish talking.

Unless Yahweh guards the Castle, the watchman’s vigilance is in vain. I muttered to myself and stomped the Floor hard with my shoe. Light instantly illuminates the Room. I cut the rope binding my hands with a materialized blade of magic power, dropped it, and immediately stood up. The panicked person’s face is clearly revealed in the light, then sinks down. The light of divine power illuminates him collapsing. Fight. And if I win, listen to me… There’s no need to say this. If I win, you lose your right to speak—isn’t that the method of kids like you? No time to savor it. Darkness spreads again. Lucien, who must have been watching from afar, slowly spoke from the Darkness.

“Divine power.”

Dark blue magic power the same color as his eyes flies toward my torso. Despite deflecting it, afterimages remain and push me against the Wall. The voice that was far away has suddenly reached right beside me. Wind scatters my hair.

“You?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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