The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 114

Celonia and Tan emerged from the basement and stood far from Baron Bennett’s estate. They dispelled their disguises, returning to their original forms.

They had wanted to bring the woman claiming to be Grace with them, but it was impossible.

“It seems like a simple spell, but it’s been set up so that only the caster can undo it.”

Tan said that the shackles binding her limbs were enchanted with dark magic, which even he couldn’t break.

Reluctantly, Celonia, with eyes swollen from tears, infused the unconscious woman with healing magic to help her recover before they left.

Tan also used his power to make the woman forget that they had met, just in case the fake Grace found out.

“Haa…”

Celonia took a deep breath and slowly began to piece together the enormous events she had experienced that day.

‘If what that woman claiming to be the real Grace said is true, then all the incidents and questions so far can be explained by my father knowing everything.’

Assuming her claim is true, the person who stole Grace’s body is…

‘The real Celonia. The owner of this body.’

Moreover, Galloway Vesin was secretly sponsoring Celonia, who was living as Grace.

‘Yes. That makes sense.’

That explains why Grace used her wiles to steal only the male leads.

It wasn’t a coincidence. She did it on purpose.

Now I understand why I didn’t have any of Celonia’s memories, even after possessing this body.

The real Celonia must have had those memories.

As she realized everything, her mind cleared, and the things she had missed and forgotten flashed through her mind like a slideshow.

“Don’t feel too wronged. We look quite alike.”

When she first encountered Grace at LeBlanc, Grace had whispered this to her.

She had thought it was just a deceptive remark, but thinking about it now, knowing everything, sent a chill down her spine.

She must have said they looked alike because she was Celonia.

“Don’t you know who I am?”

This was what Grace had said when she barged into Verondi Boutique.

She had naturally assumed that Grace was looking down on her, backed by the male leads, but perhaps if she was the real Celonia, it was a statement that came from being a princess who had always been revered.

Everything fits together plausibly.

‘Wait, that man I saw at Marquis Denroha’s residence…’

Once, on the day she attended the Denroha Marchioness’s birthday party, she had seen Grace following a man with green hair.

And recently, she had seen her father with a green-haired man.

She had dismissed it as a mistake because he disappeared so quickly, but what if it wasn’t a mistake? What if the two men were the same person?

Another suspicious person connected…

“…”

Celonia felt goosebumps all over her body.

Gillian.

The former Vice Guild Master of Finest, the man she had personally captured and sent to prison.

“Since when? When did you become Grace’s henchman? Did Grace entice you?”

“I have never done that.”

Gillian had answered her question like that.

“Princess, now that you’ve been captured like this, let me give you some advice. It would be best if you didn’t interfere too much. Hahaha. I’m saying this for your own good. You don’t know anything.”

Yes, with this statement in mind, it became even clearer.

Grace hadn’t enticed Gillian. He was simply serving his original master.

Gillian knew everything. That’s why he hid information about Grace.

‘He didn’t betray me. He was never on my side from the beginning.’

Her father knew, but he pretended not to know that Gillian was a traitor in front of her.

‘Father…’

Celonia bit her trembling lip, thinking of Galloway.

Galloway Vesin. A father who loved his daughter dearly.

She liked Galloway like that. It was the first time she had felt familial affection.

The reason she was able to recover quickly when she was betrayed by the male leads was also thanks to her father.

She was okay because of the affection she felt from her father and because he was always there to support her, no matter what happened.

The fact that she had someone on her side with limitless love, not expecting anything in return, filled her empty heart.

She thought that fate was compensating her for the family love she had never enjoyed in her previous life, where she lived alone in desolation.

She liked her father. Ridiculously, she really thought he was her father.

“You mustn’t get hurt anymore. You must always take care of yourself. You’re all I have, my daughter.”

Even when her affectionate father opened his arms and hugged her, she thought, ‘This is what family is like, this is what a father is like.’

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

Her father always told her to be careful with her ‘body,’ but she thought it was just excessive affection for his daughter.

But was it not just simple concern?

The reason she was able to return to her daily life without any problems, even after being bedridden for months, was thanks to her father’s devoted care.

Because this body belonged to Galloway’s real daughter, Celonia.

There was a reason why he had always told her to be careful with her body and why he was strangely only worried about her body.

And I didn’t even know…

“Ha, hahaha…”

At the truth, which fit together perfectly from beginning to end, a crazed laugh escaped her lips.

She had been played in a game they had deliberately set up. Everything was fake.

“Celonia, what’s wrong? Why are you doing this…”

Tan’s concern grew as she, who had been serious as if deep in thought, suddenly burst into laughter like a madwoman.

Celonia’s blue eyes were empty, losing focus. Moreover, her eyes were red as if she would shed tears at any moment.

Why has she been like this since the basement?

Celonia’s feelings, the reason for which he couldn’t understand, had continued since then.

Tan reached out and cupped Celonia’s cheeks.

“Tell me. The reason you’re like this now. Whatever it is, I’ll get rid of it.”

At his voice, Celonia slowly raised her head.

Under the shining sunlight, his red eyes, as if he would do anything for her with just one word, were shining as he looked at her.

She could feel his heart.

‘But is he real…’

Seeing him so blindly devoted to her, Celonia had a question that she had never thought of before.

Everything was fake. Even she wasn’t the real Celonia.

Then, is his heart real? No, who is his heart for?

She knew. He obviously loved her existence itself.

But her current appearance, this mask, wasn’t originally hers.

Then, can she say for sure that this appearance didn’t affect his love for her?

A faint anxiety began to creep in.

She couldn’t be sure.

Even she didn’t know what she would have felt if Tan was an inhuman being in his original form as the Demon King, not his current human form.

Why is she having these thoughts now? Why is she becoming anxious now, when her feelings have deepened to the point where she can’t let go…

Perhaps it was because she saw her continuing to stay in this world even after the original story ended, and she had no doubt that she would live as Celonia for the rest of her life.

She thought she had become the real Celonia.

But all of this was manipulated. The real Celonia existed…

Then what am I?

What were they trying to gain by going to such lengths? Simply to avoid subjugation [being brought under control]?

She didn’t know that far yet. Her head was so complicated that she felt dizzy.

“Tan…”

“Yes.”

“Tan…”

With a tearful voice, she repeated his name several times and desperately clung to Tan.

She couldn’t calm down no matter what she did, and her fingertips continued to tremble.

She couldn’t make a sound anymore. The sobs that had risen to her throat would burst out the moment she opened her mouth.

Her only ally now… The only person she trusts.

What should she do now? How should she explain this to Tan? No, can she even tell him this truth?

But she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. She had no intention of being taken advantage of foolishly.

Celonia leaned against Tan’s chest, pushing back the blurry vision to calm her mind.

“Can you stay like this for a moment? Don’t ask why…”

“I will stay with you forever, even if you hate it. So don’t make that face. Please.”

Tan had many things he wanted to ask, but he held back and hugged her, who seemed unstable and precarious, tightly in his arms.

His arms, which were tightly wrapped around her, didn’t allow even the smallest gap, as if he would never let her go.

“…”

Was he saying that knowing everything?

But at this moment, that warm embrace and those words were more comforting to Celonia than anything else.

* * *

“What did Father say?”

“He said that preparations will be completed soon.”

“Haa… It’s taking so long.”

Grace frowned with a dissatisfied expression, stirring her teacup with a teaspoon.

“Why did it fail back then? It’s so troublesome.”

A grumbling voice leaked out from between her lips, which were twisted sharply.

If it hadn’t been for the failure of the dark magic, she wouldn’t have had to see that woman acting so disgracefully.

“Not knowing her place.”

Grace, sneering at Celonia, picked up the dragon’s red heart that had been placed on the table and held it up to the window.

She had asked MacRyan, whom she had re-brainwashed earlier, how the brainwashing had been undone, but he only replied that he didn’t know.

‘Is it just the dragon’s ability? So he doesn’t even know why it was undone?’

Anyway. It was ridiculous how he acted so noble and dignified, but he was immediately brainwashed again. A dragon without a heart was worthless. She did well to ask for it.

“By the way, what was that attitude earlier? He should be thanking me instead.”

Because she put him back where he belonged. Ungrateful dragon.

She had no intention of letting MacRyan go yet.

She had abandoned Ian because of the side effects, but MacRyan and Reyev still had value.

“Gale, first find out why MacRyan’s brainwashing was undone.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Ah, and check on Reyev too. He’s been unusually quiet lately. You can go now.”

At the dismissal, Gale tore a scroll.

As if it were a familiar occurrence, Grace didn’t even glance at Gale, who had disappeared without a trace.

“Hehehe~.”

Grace, left alone in the room, hummed a tune. The day when everything would return to its rightful place was not far off.

The day when she would become the princess of Vesin again, the protagonist of this world, was eagerly awaited.