Winning the male lead

The entire continent was filled with the legend of the Son of God, Land. Born with divine power, the moment he descended upon the world, holy light filled the sky. His name spread across the land, yet his image remained a mystery—aside from the Pope and the upper echelons of various royal families, almost no one had the opportunity to meet this young pope.

Cyril, however, was the most peculiar member of the royal family. If he claimed he had no idea who Land was, Land wouldn’t find it surprising.

Land patiently explained, “I come from the Church, descending in the name of God.”

Le Tian was dumbfounded. “System, does this world have a god?”

System: “Yes.”

Le Tian: “As expected, only a god could surpass my looks.”

System: “…”

Cyril seemed completely stunned, wrapped in his bright red robe without moving, his eyes slightly widened, looking lost like a small animal that had wandered off. The innocence and helplessness on his face were apparent.

After hesitating for a moment, he slowly parted his lips, soft as flower petals, and asked in a small voice, “Then… are you God?”

Land: “No, I am merely God’s messenger.”

Cyril frowned slightly, still seeming puzzled. “Then why did you come to find me?”

Land’s original intention was to issue a warning and advise the arrogant king. But Cyril, rather than resembling a king, seemed more like an ignorant and naïve little prince.

Land couldn’t help but soften his tone. “I hope the Orland Empire will continue to follow the Church’s leadership.”

Cyril gradually regained some clarity. He glanced around before hugging his knees and murmuring, “Why can I only hear your voice? Where are you? Are you here?” Come out and let me see how handsome you are.

The system was already sick of Le Tian pretending to be weak.

After some thought, Land materialized his projection in front of Cyril. “Hello.”

His pure white sacred robes were immaculate, his tall and slender figure exuded an air of reliability, and his broad shoulders gave off a sense of security. A mysterious aura surrounded him, making people instinctively want to trust and submit to him.

Le Tian froze. “…Where’s his face?”

The “man” before him was undoubtedly a naturally gifted clothes hanger, but above his shoulders, there was only a circular halo, glowing with a gentle, milky white light.

System: “Hehe, he is the Son of God. Of course, he comes with divine light. Is there a problem?”

Le Tian: …Damn it, a walking lightbulb…

No wonder the system had been so vague about his appearance. This damn system had learned how to be cunning—too much!

When Land was young, his divine power was weak, and he only carried a faint glow. But as he grew, his divine power strengthened, and so did his holy light. The Church’s priests never dared to look directly at him, and no one had ever said, “Your Holiness, your light is too bright—we can’t see what you look like.” So, he had no idea about his own condition. He couldn’t even see his own holy light.

As Le Tian continued to stare blankly, Land’s impression of him dropped further and further, seeing him as nothing more than an innocent youth. He spoke gently, “The Church will not interfere with the empire in any way. Our nominal alliance is merely a means to maintain peace across the continent. Do you understand?”

Le Tian dryly replied, “Yes.”

The lightbulb is speaking human language—so terrifying.

Land was pleased with Cyril’s apparent understanding. “If you ever face difficulties, you may seek assistance from the Church.”

Le Tian: I just want a man more handsome than me… “Oh.”

“Is there anything else?” Le Tian, uninterested in the lightbulb, immediately lost patience. He abandoned his weak little flower act and just wanted to send Land away. Staring at a lightbulb was far less interesting than staring at a mirror.

Land hesitated. Should he tell Cyril about his current predicament? If he did, the Pope’s reputation would be tarnished. If he didn’t, it would feel like he was spying. Either way, he was stuck.

More importantly, he still couldn’t figure out why he was unable to leave this palace—or rather, why he couldn’t leave Cyril’s side.

Could it be God’s will?

He said, “I believe God wishes for me to help you.”

Le Tian: “…That’s really unnecessary.”

“I’m fine. I don’t need help,” he rejected him outright.

Land was stunned. In all his years, this was the first time someone had rejected him—so bluntly, too.

Cyril’s exquisitely handsome brows furrowed slightly, showing a hint of impatience. “You can… leave now.”

Land got the distinct feeling that Cyril had actually wanted to say, “Get lost.”

After a moment of silence, he ultimately chose to fade into invisibility.

“Hmph.” Le Tian snorted lightly, took out a small mirror from his sleeve, and checked his reflection. “What a waste of my feelings. What kind of god is that?”

Still lingering in the room, Land watched as Cyril changed expressions. His emotions suddenly became very complicated.

The system, on the other hand, was overjoyed. Finally, it had successfully protected the protagonist’s chastity!

Le Tian gazed into his beloved mirror, let out a deep sigh, and murmured to the system, “Indeed, with my beauty, even gods cannot compare.” A humanoid lightbulb could only illuminate his magnificence.

System: “…”

Land: “…”

Le Tian set down his mirror, lay down obediently, and smiled sweetly. “Keep going, keep going! This cartoon is so cute! I want to watch more.”

System: …Why does he have such a soft spot for his own kind?

Land observed as Cyril lay back down, as if nothing had happened. He simply stared into space, occasionally curling his lips into a sweet smile, lost in his own little world.

Growing up in the Church, Land’s life had always revolved around studying scripture, preaching God’s teachings, occasionally appearing to comfort or warn rulers, and healing the sick. As the Pope, he never indulged in power or pleasure—spreading love and blessings was his mission.

He was like the sun, shining equally upon the entire continent. But when it came to dealing with an individual, he found himself at a complete loss.

Silently, he began to pray, hoping to communicate with God and understand why he was trapped here.

Le Tian finished his cartoon, his eyes welling with tears. “That was so touching! System, will you protect me like Dumbo’s mom protected him?”

System: “…Shut up.”

Le Tian: “Wahh, mommy doesn’t love me anymore.”

Wiping away his tears, he declared, “I’m hungry.”

System: “You’re just like a pig. Eat, sleep, then eat again.”

Le Tian protested, “Can pigs do what I do?”

System: “…”

After ringing the dining bell, servants quickly entered to serve the meal. The maids, blindfolded and impeccably trained, placed the silverware without making a sound before silently retreating, coming and going like ghosts.

The table was filled with exquisite delicacies, but Le Tian’s favorite was a beef roll wrapped in thin pancakes, seasoned with crushed chili peppers—a dish reminiscent of Sichuan cuisine. He picked one up in one hand while holding his mirror in the other, taking a big bite with a satisfied “chomp.”

“How am I even more beautiful when I eat?” He marveled. “To my beauty—cheers!” He clinked his beef roll against the other rolls on the plate, then devoured it in one bite, his cheeks puffing out as he grinned at his reflection. “Chomp chomp, I’m too gorgeous.”

System: “…” I’m suffering.

Watching Le Tian eat so contentedly, Land couldn’t help but smile.

Indeed, he was just a childish little prince.

After finishing his meal, Le Tian washed his hands and smacked his lips. “Something feels missing.”

System remained silent.

Le Tian: “Exercise aids digestion after a meal.”

System stayed silent.

Le Tian: “Guess I’ll rub one out.”

System: Damn it, I knew he’d say that!

And so, the system was once again forcibly muted.

Land: …It shouldn’t be what he’s thinking, right?

A vague sense of foreboding crept into his heart, but he reassured himself that Cyril wouldn’t actually do such a thing. As Cyril’s hand slowly moved downward, Rand decisively turned around.

“Ah…”

Behind him came a breathless moan filled with emotion. Cyril seemed even more immersed than last time, his rich, melodious voice trembling with soft sighs. Land inevitably blushed, his fingers interlocking tightly behind his back beneath his holy robes, silently reminding himself of the Church’s teachings.

Perhaps because he had already released once before, Cyril lasted a bit longer this time. Land’s heart pounded furiously as he struggled to suppress all stray thoughts, but a certain image still crept into his mind—what kind of expression was Cyril making right now?

The moment the thought surfaced, he immediately smothered it, scolding himself inwardly. He prayed more devoutly, hoping to be freed from this palace.

Yet the more he tried not to think about it, the louder the sounds in his ears became.

He could also hear a loud “thump, thump, thump”—his own heartbeat.

Then, the breathy sighs turned into soft sobbing. Cyril was crying again. He was momentarily stunned and instinctively turned around.

Cyril was sitting on the luxurious carpet, his back facing him. His silky golden hair draped over his shoulders, the smooth curve of his back taut yet graceful. Yet despite his refined posture, his entire being exuded vulnerability. From the mirror, he caught a glimpse of Cyril’s face.

Just as he had imagined—stunningly beautiful, yet utterly shattered. His expression was as if the sky had collapsed, and Land felt his heart twist painfully, as if gripped by an invisible hand.

Le Tian: Wuwuwu… My only source of hope is just a humanoid lightbulb. What’s the point of living if I can’t even have a proper indulgence?

Land wanted to comfort him, but he had no idea how. Observing him closely, he realized Cyril clearly rejected physical contact with others. To him, he probably wasn’t some noble and untouchable Pope—just another stranger.

At that moment, the chime in the center of the room rang loudly. This was an emergency signal, meaning servants would be arriving soon to attend to Cyril.

Last time, when the Church had sent people over, the servants had also rung the bell in advance. But Le Tian, too absorbed in his own beauty, hadn’t even noticed.

When the system returned, he was washing his hands, his expression unusually solemn.

System: …This guy always enters an especially deep “sage mode” after finishing himself off.

Le tian meticulously scrubbed his hands clean, furrowing his brows as he spoke to the system. “This era is a little too backward.”

System: “What do you mean?”

Le Tian: “No hand cream. How am I supposed to protect my lifelong partner like this?”

System: “…”

Le Tian: “Sigh, I hope the female lead finds a partner soon. I’m so done with this hideous world that clashes with my beauty.”

System: “…I’m sorry.”

Le Tian: “It’s not your fault. It’s just that I’m too beautiful.”

System: “I was apologizing to myself. Sorry for choosing such a terrifying world.”

Before long, a servant arrived and called out from outside the palace, “Your Majesty, I have an urgent matter to report.”

Le Tian only cracked the door open slightly, pressing himself against it as he called out loudly, “Just say it from there.”

Land, standing behind him, couldn’t help but chuckle.

“The Princess Helena has gone missing.”

Le Tian turned to the system. “Who?”

System: “…Your fiancée…”

The female lead?! He instantly tensed up and asked the servant, “What happened?”

“The princess’s maid reported that she vanished midway through her journey.”

Le Tian strongly suspected that the princess had run off with someone to escape marrying Cyril, this insufferable narcissist. He asked the system, and the system confirmed that there was no sign of the female lead developing a romantic plotline.

That was troubling. He frowned, straightened up, and pushed open the door. His voice lowered as he ordered, “Send the royal guards to search for her immediately.”

The servant quickly replied, “Understood,” and hurried off to relay the command.

Le Tian paced back and forth at the doorway, growing restless. He debated whether to go search for her himself but was hesitant about being around too many people. Just as he was about to discuss it with the system, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear—

“Do you need my help?”

Translators note:

I’ve been a bit busier than usual today and was only able to post 1 chapter. To make up for it I’ll post 3 more tomorrow. Thanks for reading 🙂