The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 38

In the brightly lit drawing-room, Galloway greeted Tan with a beaming smile, ushering him to the sofa.

“Haha, welcome, esteemed guest.”

Tan glanced at Galloway, who seemed more dressed up than usual, and sat down on the sofa.

He felt strange.

Perhaps still affected by the early morning, his mind was unsettled, and he couldn’t quite meet Celonia’s eyes during breakfast.

Every time he did, he remembered that ticklish breath that burrowed into his arms.

Having barely returned to his room by morning, he had to remain still for a while to calm his heart, which was racing as if about to burst out.

What was that ominous impulse that had swept over him like a storm?

Wasn’t that the desire felt by those madmen in the book? Why am I feeling that….

“I heard about the Rubeus matter. I’m late, but I wanted to apologize on his behalf, so I called you here.”

Galloway conveyed his apology with a dignified expression.

For a moment, Tan didn’t recognize who Rubeus was. He was of no interest to him.

But soon, he recalled the face of the guy who had gone back on his word.

He had heard that even though he said he would leave if he lost the duel, he was still here.

Celonia had given him a name, so he had forgotten all about it.

“It’s… it’s okay.”

He was about to answer casually when he suddenly remembered Celonia’s words that he should use polite language with older people, so he stammered and raised his tone.

It felt unfamiliar and awkward, and goosebumps rose on his arms.

Perhaps he had never used polite language in his forgotten past, as honorifics didn’t come naturally to him.

“Hahaha. Thank you for understanding. Still, for the sake of the Duke’s reputation, I trust you won’t go around talking about this matter.”

Galloway’s eyes curved kindly. However, the blue light within them was quite firm.

His tone and expression were all smiles, but there was a force that suppressed others.

Of course, that threat didn’t work on Tan.

Tan stared at Galloway listlessly, only thinking about when this boring conversation would end.

Talking to anyone other than Celonia was tedious and uninteresting to him.

“If there’s anything you want, tell me. If it’s something I can grant, I will. You can consider it compensation for this matter.”

“Hmm.”

At those words, Tan fell into thought for a moment.

He had never wanted anything before, but he remembered that title.

Something he didn’t have, but those savior bastards did.

Should he ask for a title then? He looks rich.

Knock, knock.

“Your Grace, the young lady says she has finished preparing.”

At that moment, a servant’s voice was heard from outside the door.

The moment he heard those words, Tan’s red eyes flashed.

Celonia had been busy preparing since morning, barely eating her breakfast, wondering where she was going.

When he said he would follow her at night, she flatly refused.

The words ‘uninvited guests are not allowed’ bothered him greatly. It was as if she was drawing a line between her and himself.

“There is one thing.”

Tan said with a grin. Whether there was a line or not, it didn’t matter.

He would just follow her confidently.

* * *

“L-Lady Besienne, it’s an honor to meet you….”

A young lady, smaller than others her age, blushed shyly and greeted her, slightly lifting her dress.

“Lady Nenia, happy tenth birthday.”

Celonia smiled warmly at the sight of the young lady and wished her a happy birthday.

This was the banquet hall of Marquis Denroha’s residence.

The party was grand. Marquis Denroha had put a lot of effort into celebrating his daughter’s tenth birthday.

The banquet hall was as large as the Duke Besienne’s residence, and all the guests who came were greatly impressed by its scale.

Normally, the party would have started in the late afternoon, but perhaps because it was the young lady’s birthday, the party started in broad daylight and was crowded with people.

“I received the news too late, so I didn’t have enough time to prepare a proper gift.”

“Oh, no! It’s wonderful that you came.”

As if she meant it, Nenia fidgeted with her short fingers and glanced at Celonia.

Tying her half-curly navy hair into pigtails made her chubby cheeks stand out, making her look very cute.

They were cheeks that made you want to poke them, like a hamster hiding sunflower seeds.

Moreover, the black pupils in her large eyes were so big and clear that she looked very bright despite her young age.

“It’s a small gift, but I prepared it. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

She held out something she had hastily thought of this morning. Nenia had said she liked her very much.

“Thank you. But what is this, Lady Besienne?”

Nenia, holding the object Celonia had given her, tilted her head with her round eyes even wider.

That appearance was so cute that Celonia couldn’t help but smile and said.

“I put the light of healing in it. I don’t know if it will be effective.”

What Nenia was holding was a transparent crystal pendant about two finger joints in size.

The small crystal pendant, shaped like a perfume bottle, had a necklace attached so it could be worn around the neck.

The transparent pendant was shining white as if it contained stars.

The wavelength of the light wasn’t large, but it was shining softly, making it sparkle as if it had really captured a star and put it in.

It was Celonia’s first time trying it.

When Nenia said she liked her as a healer, she poured her healing power into the pendant.

She thought it would fail, but the power didn’t lose its light even after it went into the pendant. Perhaps it was possible because of its small size.

“I like it so, so much!”

Nenia’s face, after hearing Celonia’s explanation, bloomed like a fully opened flower, and she hugged the pendant tightly like a precious doll.

As the giver of the gift, she couldn’t help but be very pleased with the reaction.

“Thank you, Lady Besienne. I will always cherish it and wear it.”

Nenia, who had been delighted as if she was flying, quickly regained her manners and slightly lifted her dress with abundant lace and bent her knees.

“B-But, Lady Besienne. That person has been staring at you since earlier….”

Nenia trembled her small frame at the intense gaze she felt and whispered very quietly.

Celonia slowly turned her head and looked at ‘that person’ Nenia was talking about.

Then, with a stiff face with a smile gone, she said.

“He is my escort knight.”

* * *

A few minutes ago.

Tan was leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed arrogantly, watching people exchanging forced smiles while having a conversation that wasn’t particularly interesting.

This was a sight he had never seen before.

He had seen people gathered around a fire in a shantytown.

But seeing people dressed in fancy clothes gathered in such a large space, with a very high ceiling and very fancy lighting, and even the pillar he was leaning on was carved like a sculpture, was a first.

Moreover, he wondered what these humans had done to their bodies, as they emitted such a strong fragrance that it made him nauseous every time they passed by.

Even from a distance, the smell wafted all the way here.

What is this terrible smell?

Celonia only smelled so sweet that it made him dizzy. So much so that he wanted to keep smelling it.

“They are all guests of Marquis Denroha. Most of them are nobles.”

Ella, who was beside him, told him.

Ella was staying by his side, having been asked by the young lady to keep an eye on Tan so that he wouldn’t cause an accident.

Tan used Galloway’s offer to grant him anything to come here.

It would have been enough to sneak in, but he was bothered by the words ‘uninvited guests are not allowed,’ so he found a way to follow her legitimately.

If you ask why he wanted to follow her so much, he didn’t have a definite answer.

But one thing was certain: he wanted to be by Celonia’s side.

“Hey, how old do I look?”

“……Pardon? Why all of a sudden?”

Ella’s eyes widened at the sudden question.

“How old do I look?”

“Twenty-five? Six? You look about that old….”

When Tan urged her in a low voice, Ella glanced at his face and answered.

“Twenty-five.”

Tan muttered the age Ella had told him and thought about Celonia’s age that he had heard at night.

She said she was twenty-one, so if he was twenty-five, there was a four-year difference.

The corners of his lips lifted as if he was strangely pleased.