The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 129

“Are you sure this is okay?”

“What’s there to refuse when they’re offering to lighten our workload?”

Tom clicked his tongue at Jack, who was fidgeting with anxiety even after they had set everything in motion. *Such* a coward. It was almost embarrassing to be of the same demonkin [a race of demons or beings with demonic ancestry].

“You’re trusting that human’s words?”

“Does it matter? If they don’t keep their word, we can just kill them then.”

Tom leaned back arrogantly on the sofa, crossed his legs, and grinned, tapping his foot.

It was about Galloway Bestian, the Duke, who had paid them a sudden visit earlier.

Tom, as the previous Duke, had met him before. He was intrigued that the girl’s father had come in person.

He wondered what he was going to say, suspecting he might bring up the marriage between their lord and the woman. Tom was on guard, but the words that came from Galloway’s mouth were quite unexpected.

“I don’t know if my daughter is to the previous Duke’s liking.”

With those words, Galloway picked up the teacup placed before him with a very refined expression.

*Oh ho*. Look at this human?

Tom recognized it instantly: the faint black magic circle drawn on the Duke’s palm.

He didn’t know exactly what it was for, but one thing was certain: if things didn’t go his way, he would use it to his advantage.

Moreover, the dark intentions and twisted desires flowing from Galloway were very clear to see.

Tom was a demonkin. Naturally, he was exceptionally good at recognizing emotions, greed, and negative energy—the opposite of good.

“Seeing you like this, it seems the previous Duke isn’t too pleased either.”

“And what if that’s the case?”

“Then how about you help me? I want the Grand Duke to break up with my daughter.”

Galloway stated it bluntly.

It wasn’t a loss for them at all. Tom had wanted to get rid of that Celonia girl from their lord’s presence all along.

And since Galloway had offered to take action first, it wouldn’t matter even if their lord found out. All of this would be Galloway’s doing.

Tom accepted Galloway’s request and handed over the Memory Mirror.

What Galloway had requested was to prevent their lord from coming to the Duke’s residence to see the girl for one day.

“If you keep your promise, I will permanently remove my eyesore of a daughter.”

Those words were a bit unsettling, but he didn’t care much. Whatever happened to that woman was none of their concern.

“Our lord might find out right away……”

“Then are you saying you’d rather watch our lord be out of his mind and keep clinging to that *bitch*?”

“That’s not it, but……”

Jack couldn’t argue with Tom’s words. He, too, felt a great sense of betrayal towards their lord.

To abandon them, who only looked up to their lord, and choose a human woman.

“I hate that woman.”

“Right. We can’t hold our lord back, so let’s use this method.”

Even if their lord headed to the Duke’s residence to see that woman, he wouldn’t be able to meet her easily.

Galloway knew Tom as Tan’s father, so he had asked him to keep his son occupied, but in reality, they were Tan’s subordinates. They could never physically stop their lord.

That’s why they came up with the Memory Mirror.

The Memory Mirror was an object that showed the memories of the person standing in front of it, but it had another hidden function.

That function worked the same for both humans and Demon Lords.

“Previous Duke, the Grand Duke has returned.”

Just then, Maxwell’s voice echoed from beyond the room.

Tom and Jack exchanged glances, got up from their seats, quickly left the reception room, and headed to the mansion’s entrance.

Seeing that no one was around, they bowed deeply to Tan, who had returned from his outing.

“L, Lord. You’ve arrived……”

“You’ve arrived.”

Tan walked past Tom and Jack without even glancing at them, then stopped.

“You two, return to the forest now.”

Then he turned his head and ordered.

“Excuse me? Lord, what are you saying!”

Tom raised his head in surprise and asked back. To return to the forest, not the Demon Lord’s castle. That meant he was stripping them of their qualifications as vassals [a person or state that has entered into a vassalage agreement with a superior].

“There’s no need for you to be here. Don’t come to my castle either. Especially you—you’re a threat to her, so if I see you again, your life won’t be safe.”

“……Lord, you’ve really changed. Why are you going this far! What is that woman to you! She’s the woman who stabbed you! The woman who killed you!”

Tom couldn’t bear it and raised his voice, his face flushed red. He knew it was a suicidal act, but he felt so wronged.

Tan’s cold red eyes looked down at Tom, who was raising his voice.

As soon as things were settled, he was going to go to the northern castle with Celonia, so he was planning to get rid of anything that would be a threat or hindrance to her.

“I won’t say it twice. Leave.”

“……You will regret this.”

In the end, their lord had chosen Celonia over them.

Tom glared at Tan, biting his lip in rising resentment, then stormed out.

Jack, fidgeting and looking around, had no choice but to follow Tom when Tan gestured for him to leave.

Even though his subordinates had disappeared, Tan moved his legs without the slightest hesitation.

“Regret.”

Tan repeated the words Tom had said.

The more he pondered, the clearer his heart became. There was no way he would regret it.

Despite their resentment, despite them saying he was not like a Demon Lord, Tan couldn’t help it.

The emotion he had come to know through Celonia had completely transformed him from a Demon Lord into a new person.

So he had no intention of letting go of what he held in his hands.

* * *

“Ha.”

Celonia, who had entered the reception room where Grace was supposed to be, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“You’ve arrived? You’re late.”

Grace, who was sitting very comfortably on the sofa as if she were in her own home, got up leisurely, almost as if she was getting up against her will.

Celonia approached, unwinding the Holy Sword from her waist. Ella followed behind her.

“Where have you been?”

“I have no reason to explain that to you. Why are you here?”

“Aren’t you going to offer me a cup of tea? How cruel.”

“……”

Celonia’s gaze slowly moved downwards as she looked at Grace, who was making a show of lowering her eyes as if she was upset.

The teacup placed on the table in front of the seat where Grace was sitting was already empty, having been completely drunk.

“You seem to have drunk a lot, so stop. We’re not in a relationship where we can have a friendly tea, are we?”

Celonia sat on the sofa and placed the sword she was holding next to her.

Then Grace sat down again as if she had been waiting for it.

“I didn’t tell you to sit, Lady Grace.”

“I’ll just sit. My legs hurt if I stand.”

Grace smiled and retorted at her remark.

“H, how dare you be so rude to our young lady!”

Ella, who was standing behind Celonia, shouted as if she was dumbfounded.

Of course, she knew that a mere maid shouldn’t say such things to a Baron’s daughter, but Ella couldn’t bear it.

The young lady had been having a hard time lately, and now even this woman was adding to it.

Ella didn’t want to bring Grace into this house from the beginning.

But for some reason, the Duke had ordered her to guide Lady Grace to the reception room, so she couldn’t help it.

“Princess, your servant is too noisy. A servant is the face of their master. You need to educate them properly if you don’t want to be embarrassed.”

“Well, I think the Lady should relearn respect for her superiors in that time she’s worrying about me.”

“Superiors. Pfft! Ah, I’m sorry. I laughed too loudly.”

Celonia’s eyebrows shot up at Grace’s mocking attitude.

*What is it?*

That attitude and tone that had been subtly grating on her nerves since earlier, the unusually confident demeanor as if she had something to rely on.

Celonia looked around the room without making it obvious. There was only Grace, herself, and Ella in the room.

“You know, Princess, I heard something that will surprise you? Don’t you want to hear it?”

Grace leaned her body closely towards Celonia, her green eyes sparkling as if she was going to unpack a fun story.

Celonia felt goosebumps on her spine at the sight.

The Grace in front of her now was different from the Grace she had seen so far.

It felt like she had taken off the mask she had always been wearing. It felt like she was facing her real, raw self.

“Hmm, I think it’s better if you listen alone. The servant might faint from shock if she hears it.”

Grace, who had been pretending to ponder, touched her cheek with her finger and got up from her seat before Celonia could even answer.

“Y, Young Lady……”

Ella looked at Celonia with anxious eyes, as if she was ready to stop Grace as soon as the order was given from her mouth.

“It’s okay, Ella.”

But Celonia stopped Ella.

Then she looked straight at Grace, who was smiling and approaching.

*Click, click.*

The clear sound echoed in the reception room each time her high heels touched the floor.

The regular sound, like the movement of clock hands, spread through her ears like tinnitus [ringing or buzzing in the ears].

With tingling ears, Celonia felt that Grace’s movements were being replayed very slowly.

However, without the slightest disarray, without showing it at all, Celonia steadfastly looked at Grace.

Grace, who had come right in front of her, bent down towards Celonia, who was sitting, without hesitation as if she had been waiting for it.

The thickly painted red lips moved as they were pressed closely to her ear.

“Do you like living in my body?”