The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 70

A few days later.

The day of the celebration arrived.

“Miss! How should we style your hair? Down? Or up?”

“I think letting it down would suit the dress you’re wearing today better!”

From morning, several maids were by Celonia’s side, helping her dress.

Celonia decided to let her hair down, accepting Ella’s suggestion.

It was her first time dressing up so lavishly since her possession [when her soul entered this body].

Celonia turned her gaze away from her reflection and became lost in thought.

‘It’s strange.’

A few days ago, the letters that had come for her were all burned and disappeared.

According to the maids, a fire suddenly broke out and reduced all the letters to ashes.

Celonia naturally suspected Tan, but he denied it.

Unable to shake off her suspicion, she noted Tan had been acting strangely for the past few days. Ever since that day he asked her about the Demon King, he hadn’t been staying at home.

Even today, as soon as he finished breakfast, he rushed out, whether he was going to the slums or somewhere else.

If you ask what’s so strange about that… Tan originally stayed in the mansion all day after visiting the slums, sticking right by her side.

And if she went out, he would often follow her.

But these days, it was hard to see his face except during meal times or at midnight, as he was always out and about.

She had spent so much time with him that it was no exaggeration to say they were together all the time except when sleeping, so his sudden frequent absences left her feeling empty.

‘Feeling empty.’

Celonia wondered if she was losing her mind.

No matter how comfortable she had become, even if he had lost his memories, he was still the Demon King.

‘Come to think of it…….’

She calculated the dates in her head and realized that the deadline she had initially negotiated with him was less than a week away.

The promise to hold hands every midnight for a month, and then he would leave the mansion.

‘Is that why? Is he trying to find a place to live because he has to leave soon?’

If that was the case, she could help him, given the help she had received from him. If he only asked.

But he didn’t say anything.

Unable to bear her curiosity, she asked him yesterday where he had been wandering around these days, but he brushed it off, saying it was nothing.

Suddenly, Celonia paused. She was dumbfounded by how much she was concerned about his personal life.

‘Ha. Fine. Let him do as he pleases.’

Unless he regained his memories or was doing something dangerous, it was none of her business what he did.

There was still no news from the Storm Guild Master.

Even after searching through more magic books, she couldn’t find anything, so there was no progress on what Grace had fed Emilly and the male leads.

“Miss! You’re so beautiful!”

“Oh, what should I do? I think I’m going blind!”

Praise no less effusive than Ella’s was heard from all directions.

“The lady is always the star of the celebration, but today you’ll be even more dazzling!”

The maids who had helped with her preparations were all flushed and emotional.

Celonia, hearing their words, thought that the preparations were finished and was surprised when she looked in the mirror in front of her.

Even though it was a face she saw every day, it felt quite different when she was all dressed up like this.

It was definitely the same person, but the atmosphere she exuded felt different today.

‘So this is why young ladies put so much effort into dressing up.’

Her face in the mirror was already pale, but thanks to the makeup, her skin looked transparent overall, sparkling and smooth like a plaster statue.

She didn’t know what they had done to her eyes, but thanks to the subtle eyeshadow, she felt alluring and elegant every time she opened her eyes, and the coral lipstick on her lips went very well with her white skin and lavender hair.

Her hair was also well-groomed, along with the understated makeup that suited her.

They curled her naturally wavy hair into large, loose waves, and brought a few strands of hair from both sides to the back and braided them together.

The style was a perfect half-updo [a hairstyle where some hair is up and some is down].

From the back, the braided hair blended with the rest of her hair from the middle and cascaded down.

In addition, a diadem [a jeweled crown or headband] in the shape of a laurel wreath, with elaborately crafted jewels studded all over it, adorned the back of her hair like a crown.

Her current appearance seemed to harmonize very well with the dress that the costume designer Verondi had completed and sent.

“Then, let’s put on the dress now.”

The maids carefully picked up the dress hanging behind her and walked over.

The dress was designed to emphasize the silhouette of the upper body to accentuate the curves of the waist, and then flow down in a full skirt.

In particular, it was an off-the-shoulder dress that revealed her shoulders, making her long neck and voluminous hair stand out.

Celonia got up from her seat and changed into the dress with their help.

Throughout the change, she was nervous that Tan, who had left in the morning, might return and enter the dressing room without permission, but he did not return.

* * *

The Negzite Hall was the second largest main hall among the many banquet halls in the Imperial Palace.

The imperial family’s birthday banquets, debutante balls [formal dances for young women entering society], victory ceremonies, and balls were mainly held in the Beberma Hall, the largest banquet hall.

The Beberma Hall and the Negzite Hall were the same in terms of splendor and grandeur. However, there was one difference: the Beberma Hall was larger than the Negzite Hall and could accommodate more people.

The largest events of the imperial family were attended by nobles from the provinces, so banquets were held in the largest hall, the Beberma Hall.

However, the Negzite Hall was not given out at any time.

Those who were favored by the Emperor or high-ranking officials with a firm political standing would hold birthday banquets in the Negzite Hall with the Emperor’s approval.

The fact that Celonia’s celebration was being held in the Negzite Hall was an indication of the Emperor’s support.

“Crown Prince.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Crown Prince Helius Flanagan bowed his head towards the throne where his father, Emperor Arheksio, was sitting.

The Emperor smiled contentedly as he looked at the Crown Prince, his son, who boasted such a handsome appearance.

Now twenty years old, the Crown Prince, who resembled his younger self, was more dignified and valiant than anyone else, without a trace of childishness.

Tall and well-built. With platinum blonde hair and golden eyes like the sun, just like the Emperor.

He was an appearance that was comparable to Ian Chervil, the commander of the Imperial Moonlight Knights, who was famous for having the smile of a god. Of course, the Emperor thought his son was superior in every way.

“I took great care in the Bessian Princess’s celebration, so you must escort her well. I heard that the Princess’s partner today is the Duke of Bessian.”

The Emperor stroked his chin with a satisfied smile.

Of course, even if the Princess had brought another young lord as her partner, he was planning to put the Crown Prince next to the Princess.

The reason why the Emperor was holding the Princess’s celebration even by giving out the Negzite Hall was clear.

Of course, it was also to celebrate the Princess’s recovery, as she was unable to attend the victory ceremony due to health reasons, but that was just a pretext.

The real intention was to connect the Bessian Princess, whose marriage had not been decided, with the Crown Prince.

He had originally marked the Bessian Princess as the Crown Princess, but he could not proceed because of the promised engagement with the Chervil family.

But then Duke Chervil had an affair and the two broke off their engagement, so there was no better opportunity than this.

Originally, noble young ladies with a history of broken engagements are easily picked on in the marriage market, unlike young lords.

But for the Bessian Princess, one broken engagement was not a flaw. It was also because the other party had an affair and broke off the engagement.

The Emperor could not miss this good opportunity.

If he could welcome Celonia, the princess of the Duchy of Bessian, called the Golden Family, as the Crown Princess, the imperial family’s position would be more solid than it is now, and the national treasury would become an inexhaustible cornucopia [an abundant supply of good things].

“Yes. I will do my best to fulfill my duty as a gentleman.”

Helius raised his right hand to his chest with a poised attitude and bowed.

He immediately understood his father’s words. He meant to produce results since he had taken such care.

“Yes. Go out. The Bessian family’s carriage will arrive soon.”

“Yes. I will step down.”

The Crown Prince strode out of the audience chamber with his long legs.

“Your Highness, the Bessian family’s carriage has passed through the main gate.”

His aide Denver, who had been waiting in front of the door, delivered the news.

“Is that so? I’m going back to my room first.”

“Yes? Aren’t you going to escort the Princess?”

Denver asked in surprise at Helius’s unexpected answer.

“Tsk. Denver, what do you think of me?”

Helius clicked his tongue, glaring at Denver, who was acting frustratingly.

“Your Highness, what do you mean…….”

“I am the only Crown Prince in this empire. There is no woman who can dare to refuse me.”

Denver closed his mouth as he looked at Helius, who was full of excessive confidence.

‘Here we go again. That well-founded confidence.’