The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 56

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As soon as the four entered the shantytown, they immediately spotted Emily.

A girl was sobbing in the shantytown, tightly hugging a very small girl who appeared to have fainted, her body limp.

They needed to assess her condition, but using healing magic would attract unwanted attention.

That would defeat the purpose of their careful disguise, so Celonia made a swift decision.

“Maxwell, get those children to the room where Tan stayed. Now!”

“Yes!”

Maxwell, understanding instantly, hurried towards the children.

The other three went ahead into the room Maxwell had shown them earlier.

“Tell me what happened. I’ll help you.”

“Then, please spread that blanket on the floor.”

At Celonia’s instruction, Tan dragged the blanket from the corner and spread it out on the dirt floor, making a thick layer.

“I’ve brought them!”

“Hwaaa! Please save Emily!”

Just in time, Maxwell and the children entered the room.

“Lay her down here. Quickly.”

At Celonia’s words, the girl, who had been crying uncontrollably, carefully laid the small child she was holding onto the blanket.

“Keuk…!”

Emily, who had seemed limp just moments ago, was now trembling violently as if having a seizure.

The child was even foaming at the mouth. Her eyes were rolled back, showing only the whites.

Her condition was critical.

“Why is she like this? Did this just happen out of nowhere?”

“N-No. She said she got some bread and then suddenly collapsed after eating it. Hicc…”

The girl held out a pink box in her hand.

“Ugh…”

At that moment, Celonia and Tan simultaneously frowned and covered their noses. A nauseating smell filled the air, making their heads spin.

It wasn’t coming from the children. It was coming from inside the open box.

Celonia immediately took the box and examined its contents.

Inside were three small pound cakes, similar to madeleines [small, shell-shaped sponge cakes].

One of the golden-brown cakes had a bite mark on a slightly torn edge, where Emily had taken a bite.

Even though it smelled so awful, it didn’t appear spoiled, so she must have eaten it recently.

“Disgusting.”

Tan also narrowed his eyes, looking at the cake in the box Celonia was holding. A foul, garbage-like smell assaulted his nostrils.

“Pardon? What is…?”

Then, Ella, who had been anxiously observing the situation, asked, looking completely puzzled.

Celonia pointed to the cake in the box and said,

“This smell. The cake must be spoiled; it smells so awful.”

“Smell? From this pound cake? I only smell something sweet.”

“What?”

At Ella’s words, Celonia turned her head.

“It just smells like butter and sweetness.”

Ella met her eyes, as if to emphasize her sincerity, and repeated herself.

“What are you talking about? The smell is so strong.”

“I only smell something sweet too.”

Maxwell, who was standing near the wall, gave the same answer as Ella.

What was going on? The foul smell was so distinct, but they smelled something sweet?

“What about you?”

“Yes… That’s why Emily ate it. It looked fine and smelled good.”

The girl, who seemed to be her sister, nodded, wiping away her tears.

‘What is this?’

It smells so awful, but they can’t smell it?

They wouldn’t be deliberately trying to deceive her. But what is this…

Celonia quickly turned her head and looked up at Tan.

“Tan, do you smell it?”

“Yes. It smells foul.”

Tan replied, still frowning.

Celonia became even more confused at his answer.

In this room, everyone except Tan and her couldn’t smell the odor.

What is it? Why…

“Heok…!”

It was at that moment.

Emily, who had been trembling on the blanket, took a deep breath and suddenly opened her eyes.

“Emily!”

The girl quickly wiped away her tears and leaned towards Emily.

Celonia, realizing her mistake, quickly put the box down on the floor.

She reflected on how she had been focusing on the pound cake and neglecting the patient, and examined Emily’s complexion and condition.

“How can this be…?”

Soon, her eyes widened.

Emily’s condition had noticeably improved.

She hadn’t taken any action yet, but Emily, who had been rolling her eyes back and foaming at the mouth, was blinking her big eyes as if nothing had happened.

Her black pupils, now focused, were sparkling as if they were studded with stars, and her body was no longer convulsing.

It was hard to believe that she was the same child who had almost stopped breathing just a few minutes ago.

“Emily, can you hear my voice? How do you feel?”

Celonia asked Emily in a gentle tone.

Little Emily blinked her eyes and stared at Celonia, then suddenly sat up.

“I have to go.”

“Emily? Where are you going?”

The girl asked with a worried expression at Emily’s sudden words.

“To see Grace! I have to go see Grace!”

“Who is that? Is that the person who gave you this bread?”

“No! She’s the one I like the most!”

Emily shook her head firmly in response to the girl’s question.

A silence fell over the room.

Celonia and Ella froze in surprise. Whose name had just come out of that mouth?

In this bizarre situation, Celonia steeled her mind and spoke to those around her.

“Could everyone except Emily please step out for a moment?”

“Pardon?”

Ella’s eyes widened in surprise.

“It’ll only be a moment. I think I need to check her condition properly, so please step out for a moment. Ella, you too. Please.”

There was something she wanted to check on her own. She was reluctant to reveal someone else’s affairs to everyone before she had confirmed them.

The girl reluctantly nodded and left the room with Maxwell.

Ella was worried, but it was her lady’s command, so she nodded. Then, she forcibly dragged Tan, who was reluctant, out of the room.

“I have to go too! I have to go see Grace!”

As soon as everyone left, Emily tried to get up from her spot.

Celonia gently and carefully held both of Emily’s shoulders.

“Emily, where did you get this bread?”

“A handsome mister I met in front of the temple gave it to me!”

Celonia’s expression hardened at Emily’s answer.

If it was in front of the temple, the person Emily met was likely a priest or a holy knight. As soon as she made that deduction, Rayef came to mind.

Come to think of it, she had encountered Mac Ryan and Ian quite a bit, but she hadn’t seen Rayef since she saw him with Grace at the Lovelance Cafe.

‘Come to think of it, was it around this time?’

Celonia recalled the ritual that Rayef had told her about.

A holy knight had to participate in a ritual held at the temple for 15 days once a year.

Judging by the dates, it was about to end around this time.

If he hadn’t been seen because he was confined to the temple for the ritual, it made sense.

With a doubtful heart, she parted her lips.

“By any chance, was his hair blue? And was he wearing white clothes?”

“That’s right! He was super handsome!”

Emily nodded, looking amazed, as if wondering how she knew.

Celonia’s pupils trembled.

Judging from the answer she had just heard, it seemed that the person Emily met was indeed Rayef.

Rayef and a cake?

It was strange. Celonia knew that Rayef didn’t like sweets.

He didn’t usually enjoy desserts.

But he was holding a pink box containing cake?

She had definitely heard that they fasted during the ritual period…

“Can I go now? I want to go see Grace, who I like the most!”

While she was confused, Emily shouted.

She couldn’t send her away like this. This was strange no matter how you looked at it.

After eating the cake Rayef gave her, she showed strange symptoms as if she was about to die, and then suddenly, as soon as she was completely healed, she said she had to go see Grace?

‘Could it be.’