The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 16

“How dare you.”

Ian’s jaw trembled, strained with fury. He had never felt such humiliation.

Ian was always tall, no matter which group he was in.

Others always looked up to him, not the other way around.

But who was this guy, looking down at him with a face positioned even higher?

“How dare you in front of me!”

“Can we talk?”

The man brushed past the furiously raging Ian, stepping in front of Celonia.

Ian’s face flushed red and then purple, utterly ignored.

“Get out of here……!”

“Enough. Don’t be rude to my guest anymore.”

Celonia, who had been frozen with anxiety, quickly regained her composure and spoke coldly to Ian.

This man was, after all, a benefactor who had saved her and was staying at the Duke’s residence as a VIP [Very Important Person]. Ian’s behavior towards such a VIP was extremely rude.

Moreover, Ian didn’t recognize the Demon King and was rampaging.

This confirmed that she was the only one who had seen his true form.

“……What? The Young Lady’s guest?”

Ian, who had been seething alone, suddenly showed an unreadable flicker across his face.

“Who is he?”

“That’s none of your business, so stop causing trouble and leave. Ella! See our guest out.”

At Celonia’s command, Ella dutifully closed the door that had been left open.

Bang!

The door slammed shut in front of Ian.

Enraged, he tried to grab the doorknob again, but the waiting knights blocked him.

“Your audience with the Duchess is over.”

“Get your hands off me.”

Ian growled a warning, but the knights didn’t budge.

“Duke Bessin has returned home.”

Just as Ian was about to raise his fist, the news of Galloway’s return echoed through the hallway.

“Ha. From the master to the servants, everything is a complete mess.”

He lowered his fist, petty and defeated, pushed past the knights, and moved away with heavy steps.

Even as he walked down the hallway, the sound of his grinding teeth could be heard, a clear indication of his resentment.

Moreover, that man, that hulking stranger, was extremely irritating.

Not Ian himself, not Reyef, not McRyan, but a strange man he had never seen before.

The image of Celonia standing with that impudent guy was burned into his memory.

Before he knew it, his fist was clenched tightly.

There was no way to stop the rising irritation from deep within his chest.

* * *

After Ian left, Celonia glanced at the man beside her and sat down.

She was annoyed that both Ian and this newcomer kept barging in.

“Don’t you know knocking is basic manners?”

“No.”

He answered with a nonchalant expression to her sharp rebuke, sitting across from her.

It was as if having no memory was a badge of honor.

She didn’t order tea this time either, as she didn’t particularly want to spend a long time with this man.

At this point, it felt like the whole universe was conspiring to disturb her peace.

Maybe it would have been better not to wake up…….

As Celonia pressed her head, feeling a headache coming on, his voice cut through the air.

“Is he someone you hate?”

When she looked up, she saw red eyes staring intently at her.

His eyes, trying to discern her inner thoughts, had a sharp glint.

“Shall I kill him for you?”

“…….”

“If you want, I can kill him.”

Unlike the soft curve of his lips, the words that came out were terribly brutal.

Moreover, they were even inhuman.

Celonia was speechless, dumbfounded.

Even without his memories, his nature hadn’t changed; he was talking about killing people as if it were a casual greeting.

“Instead, tell me about the me you know. Then I’ll take care of it as you wish.”

“No, thanks.”

Celonia ignored the absurd words and got up from her seat.

She knew there would be a condition attached. Not that she had any intention of agreeing in the first place.

“Alright. I’ll see how long you can hold out. Tell me anytime if you change your mind.”

He smirked nastily and left his seat.

Celonia frowned as she watched him wander around the mansion freely.

It was as if he owned the place.

* * *

“Lord Reyef!”

Grace hurried out of the mansion and ran towards the garden.

Reyef, who had been sitting in a tree enjoying the warm sunlight, landed gracefully on the ground the instant he heard her call.

“Lady Grace, why are you running? You might get hurt! If you had called, I would have come….”

Reyef stopped in front of Grace in a flash, his expression filled with worry.

He checked to see if she had sprained her ankle or if she was cold.

The purple gaze he turned on Grace was full of tender concern.

“Is it today?”

“Yes, it is.”

“When are you leaving?”

“I have to leave soon.”

Reyef answered Grace’s questions diligently and bent down.

He carefully brushed off the dirt on her shoes from running.

The caring touch meticulously brushed off the dirt as if he couldn’t tolerate even a speck of dust on her.

“You have to fast during the ritual period, right? This is pound cake. I made it with Darjeeling leaves that Lord Reyef likes. Take it with you; you’ll be hungry when you come out.”

Grace smiled proudly and held out her hand to Reyef, who had straightened up.

In her beautiful hands was a nicely wrapped box.

Today was the day Reyef was going to the temple to participate in the sacred ritual.

A ceremony for the holy knights was held once a year, and the ceremony lasted for fifteen days.

It was a purification ritual to erase the hardships and worries experienced in the secular world during the year, and a ritual to regain purity and nobility.

During the ritual period, everything had to be emptied, so nothing but drinking water could be consumed.

“……You remembered?”

Reyef looked at Grace and the box alternately, a surprised expression on his face.

During a brief conversation with her at the victory ceremony, he had mentioned that he had to fast during the ritual period.

He had just said it as a passing remark, but she remembered it and took care of it.

Reyef’s heart thumped, and his fingertips tingled with emotion.

“Of course. You might get dizzy if you move suddenly after fasting, so make sure to eat it. Okay?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

He couldn’t hide the corners of his lips from rising.

Reyef received the light pink box with a subtle smile.

The way he cherished the box was as if he were holding a very precious treasure.

“You have to! You have to eat at least one slice.”

Grace urged Reyef again, as if she didn’t trust him.

“Of course.”

Reyef nodded with a smile.

He was so grateful for her caring heart that he kept smiling foolishly.

“Promise.”

Still not trusting him, Grace held out her pinky finger.

Without hesitation, he hooked his pinky finger with hers.

“Yes. I promise.”

His purple eyes were firm, as if he would keep his word no matter what.

Seeing that, Grace lowered her hand with a satisfied face, as if she was relieved.

“Have a good trip.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Reyef, seeing Grace off, clutched the box tightly and headed to the temple.

The scent of fallen leaves in the cold autumn breeze was very refreshing, and he felt good.