The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 115

Squeak.

The well-maintained carriage gradually slowed, veered off the main road, and came to a stop on the outskirts.

Tan had pulled the signal cord inside the carriage.

“What’s wrong?” Celonia asked, glancing at the scenery outside.

She wondered if they had arrived at the Duke’s mansion, but they had stopped short. They still had a ways to go before reaching the residence.

“Celonia, just come with me,” Tan said firmly, holding her hand even tighter. He had been in a foul mood since earlier because she insisted on returning home.

He had kept his concerns to himself because she seemed troubled and asked him not to pry, but this felt wrong.

Her expression had been somber the entire journey back to the Duke’s residence. She looked as if she dreaded going home, like someone being dragged back against their will.

It was so obvious that he couldn’t ignore it.

“If you don’t like it there, let’s go to the North together.”

“……”

Celonia’s eyes widened in surprise at Tan’s sudden suggestion.

She hadn’t had time to mentally prepare, so she hadn’t properly explained the situation to him.

But how did he know? How did he know exactly what she longed to hear? Her desire to abandon everything and run away.

Then, she understood. The man in front of her never took his eyes off her. He watched her with more concern than he had for himself, noticing even the slightest changes in her demeanor.

“Should we? Should we go to the North and live together?”

Thanks to Tan, her tense expression softened.

She desperately wanted to conceal the truth and escape, but she couldn’t. This was tied to the very meaning of her existence, her life and death.

“I know you have a lot of questions. Just give me some time. I’ll tell you everything.”

She had never intended to keep it a secret forever. She knew that a relationship built on lies was as fragile as a sandcastle, ready to crumble at any moment.

However, she would reveal everything when she was more certain.

If Tan’s feelings didn’t change even after learning the truth, then they would go to the North together on the day everything was resolved. They would start over together in a place where Galloway and Grace weren’t.

“Don’t feel pressured. You don’t have to force yourself to talk if you don’t want to. Just know this: whatever it is, I will be here, by your side.”

Celonia nodded, grateful for Tan’s warm touch as he gently cupped her face.

The carriage started moving again.

Before long, the Duke’s grand mansion came into view in the distance.

The Besin Ducal Residence.

It was a place that had always been comfortable and familiar, but today, the mansion seemed so imposing and overwhelming that it felt unfamiliar and frightening.

‘I thought it was home…….’

In the end, this place was not a sanctuary. Nothing in the Duke’s residence truly belonged to her.

Not the objects, not the people, nothing. Everything existed only for Celonia Besin, not the real her. Not even her father, whom she thought of as family.

At that moment, she saw a familiar carriage approaching from the opposite direction and entering the Duke’s residence ahead of them.

It was Galloway’s carriage. Her father had returned.

She bit her trembling lip, a surge of anger rising within her, and suddenly noticed the pale, soft skin exposed between her sleeves.

Celonia’s slender, beautiful hand, as if she had grown up without hardship.

She raised her hand and moved it around in front of her eyes.

Clearly, this hand moved according to her will, but it wasn’t hers. It belonged to the real Celonia, the one Galloway cherished so much.

The body of the real daughter that Duke Besin was so worried about.

“You are my jewel. You must not get even the smallest scratch. It would bring tears of blood to my eyes to see it.”

Galloway’s words echoed in her ears.

Tears of blood.

Right. Thinking back, Galloway had always been openly concerned about this body, disguising it as a father’s worry.

Then…….

“Tan, will you help me? There’s something I need to check.”

Her lips twisted dangerously.

She couldn’t afford to collapse or be taken advantage of, not even for the sake of the man who unconditionally believed in her.

Celonia steeled her heart.

* * *

A sparsely populated forest, quite far from the slums.

The Imperial Knights were searching this forest, which had been repeatedly identified as the last known location of the missing people, hoping to find even a single clue.

The Emperor, after receiving reports of the disappearances, ordered a large-scale investigation, and a search party was formed.

“Search this way more thoroughly!”

“Yes, yes!”

Ian pointed to the opposite side with a gloved hand, and the knights, startled, moved quickly.

Everyone was watching him, careful not to offend the commander of the Knights, especially after what happened yesterday.

Not only had he committed the atrocity of speaking rudely to his father, the late Duke, but he had also killed the late Duke’s beloved dog in front of everyone.

The vice-commander, Count Ludd, had instructed the knights to keep quiet, but the rumors had already spread. The knights who were searching with Ian were constantly watching him with fear.

“Commander, I will check the interior a little more and return,” Count Ludd said.

Ian waved his hand dismissively.

Ian’s expression, as he oversaw the search party, was extremely fierce. Anyone who made a mistake would be in serious trouble.

It was understandable. Thanks to his father’s loose lips, yesterday’s events had reached the ears of the family elders’ council.

It wasn’t unexpected, but they were even questioning his qualifications as the head of the Cherbil Ducal Family.

“Ha. How ridiculous.”

Ian scoffed and roughly swept back his hair. After seeing all the knights enter the forest, he took off his leather gloves.

He frowned, as if dissatisfied, at his exposed hands.

What on earth was going on? His fingertips had turned black, like burnt ashes.

He suspected it was some kind of rot, but he could still feel everything in his fingertips.

This phenomenon had started after yesterday’s incident.

Moreover, only his fingertips had been dark red yesterday.

He had initially dismissed it as poor circulation, but when he woke up this morning, his fingers were jet black up to the first joint, as if the darkness was spreading like poison.

“Fucking hell.”

What was going on? Ian cursed under his breath, staring at his fingertips, which no longer looked like human hands.

* * *

“How dare, how dare……!”

Angry voices echoed through the hallway, and hurried footsteps moved quickly. Galloway’s face was etched with urgency as he rushed toward the commotion.

“Ah, Miss! How, how…….”

“Quickly, bring the physician!”

When he reached the central hall, he saw Ella looking anxious and the Grand Duke urgently calling for a physician.

Celonia was leaning against the Grand Duke.

“She seems to have lost a lot of blood,” Galloway’s aide, Raymond, said, looking at Celonia.

At those words, Galloway’s reason snapped. It was the moment he confirmed that Celonia was badly injured and the Grand Duke was furious.

The left sleeve of Celonia’s dress was soaked with red blood.

“I told you to be careful so many times! To my daughter’s body……!”

Galloway, excited and enraged, shouted and rushed to Celonia.

“What happened!”

“……Father.”

“What are you doing! Why haven’t you brought the healer yet!”

Galloway shouted fiercely at the servants, as if he couldn’t even hear her voice.

The gathered servants moved hastily at the harsh order.

The Duke’s residence was in chaos.

The young lady who returned with the Grand Duke had a pale face and blood all over her left sleeve, as if she was seriously injured.

“How dare you, to this body! Who did this!”

Galloway, unable to control his emotions, glared at Celonia’s left arm with bloodshot eyes, trying to assess the damage.

His touch, pulling her arm knowing it was injured, was rough.

“The healer isn’t here yet! There must be no scars left. There must be no scars left.”

“……”

Celonia was horrified by Galloway’s muttering, but she watched him closely.

Galloway’s actions, not caring whether she was in pain, but furious that this body was injured. The way he was furious at her for coming back injured.

“Father, it hurts.”

“What on earth did you do! Didn’t I tell you to always cherish your body!”

Galloway didn’t care that she said it hurt. Instead, a strange light flashed in his blue eyes as he rolled up her sleeve, undoing all the buttons.

His eyes were filled with terrible accusations and anger, directed at her for returning injured.