How to Survive as a Supporting Male Lead

If everything followed the novel so perfectly, then his death, the tragic end of “the second male lead, Iann,” was bound to happen too. Unconsciously, he came to accept it, feeling his limbs grow heavy under the weight of despair. It was a familiar numbness, last felt when his sister had died. Just as he blinked under the burden he couldn’t lift—

“Iann?”

A voice broke through his thoughts, entirely unexpected.

“Iann de Loit.”

It was a familiar voice. In a trance, Iann turned. Not too close, not too far—just the right distance to see clearly. There stood Kallian.

“…Kallian?”

Dazed, Iann muttered the name of his long-standing adversary. Kallian’s face twisted in response, as if hearing the name alone was enough to irritate him.

“Is it really you, Kallian?”

Startled, Iann stepped back. In contrast, Kallian approached him steadily, mounted on horseback and closing the distance quickly.

‘Didn’t expect him to show up this fast.’

The pace of the novel was terrifying! He had no time to wallow in despair. Quickly, Iann slapped his cheeks, bringing himself to full alertness. At this rate, all his effort to come this far would go to waste if Kallian snatched the Saintess right from under his nose.

“Derrick, take care of the Saintess.”

With a firm nod at Iann’s resolute command, Derrick went over to the girl. Iann planted his feet firmly in the snow. Until Derrick had secured the Saintess, he had to hold off Kallian.

“Phew…”

Iann steadied his breath, sizing up the approaching Kallian. The protagonist’s grand entrance was, as expected, a force of nature. Shiny black steed, gleaming Kallian seated atop—his dark form striking against the pure white snow around him. Yes, even Iann had to admit, Kallian looked stunning today.

‘Meanwhile, when I first met the Saintess, it was in the back alley of some town. This is just too unfair. Damn, isn’t there too much discrimination between the lead and the second lead?’

A surge of resentment twisted Iann’s expression, mirrored by an equally displeased look on Kallian’s face as he dismounted. And as Kallian’s expression soured further, Iann’s own face contorted in retaliation.

‘You think you’re the only one annoyed? I’m not thrilled about this either.’

Kallian’s face tightened further. Iann, unwilling to be outdone, made his expression even uglier. In the end, the one to end the silent showdown was Iann.

“What’s going on here?”

Straining his facial muscles like that turned out to be more exhausting than expected. Besides, even with a scowl, Kallian managed to retain a certain allure. An inherently attractive face remained beautiful, no matter the expression. But Iann, uncertain how his own face held up, quickly restored his usual handsome features.

Kallian’s expression, however, did not soften. Iann’s audacious question, “What’s going on here?” seemed to worsen it.

“I believe that’s my question to ask. Do you realize that you’re on my territory?”

“Actually, I think this this is my territory.”

Iann stomped a line in the snow before him, staring defiantly at Kallian. Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely sure if they were still on his land or if they’d wandered into Kallian’s. But as the saying went, confidence was half the battle. And since no actual boundary line was visible, Kallian wouldn’t be able to argue definitively. …Hopefully.

Kallian’s eyes shut briefly as he struggled to contain his irritation at such childish behavior.

“Fine. Let’s pretend that’s the case. I’ll change my question. What brings you all the way here?”

“Do I need a reason to visit my own land?”

“Yes. At the very least, I must have told you several times to give prior notice before entering northern territory. If you don’t, I might mistake you for an intruder and attack, leaving you with no grounds to complain.”

“…Notice.”

“Are you unfamiliar with the basic laws?”

Kallian brushed off Iann’s childish jabs, responding with the maturity of citing regulations. Iann clamped his mouth shut, only to stick out his lip in a pout shortly after. Watching him mull over his response, Kallian sighed as if dealing with a rambunctious four-year-old.

“I have no intention of fighting you here in my territory. So instead of setting up teleportation circles in strange places, could you send word before you show up? Or are you so set on dragging us into a war?”

“Ugh, nagging.”

“And once again, why are you here?”

Kallian’s crimson eyes, turning colder and grimmer, fixed on Iann with the gravity befitting the ruler of the North. His gaze shifted past Iann, settling on something behind him. There, he noticed someone on horseback beside Derrick.

“What… is that?”

Your girlfriend. Iann mentally replied as he turned to look as well, only to see his capable aide, Derrick, helping the Saintess onto his horse.

Alright, with this, Kallian had no chance to snatch her away. Iann felt a wave of relief wash over him, even as Kallian’s expression grew darker and sharper.

“…A woman?”

The tone was low, his voice heavy with an edge. Surprised, Iann quickly looked back. For Kallian to register a “woman”… Kallian, as the classic male lead in a romance fantasy, had always viewed women as no more than stones—or even less. And now he was acknowledging the Saintess as a “woman”? Iann’s heart pounded.

He’d hit the jackpot.