The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 78

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Current.

“Hahaha. Now that I see it, your eyes really resemble Duke Hushbrook’s.”

The Emperor laughed heartily as he spoke with Ious.

“The Grand Duke must have inherited his exceptional swordsmanship from his father.”

“You flatter me.”

Tan, standing beside Ious, dutifully bowed as he had learned over the past few days.

“If you plan to stay in the capital longer, why not participate in the Hunting Festival?”

The Emperor’s eyes gleamed with interest as he looked at Tan’s sturdy frame.

He wanted to see the skill that could cleave a monster in one strike.
The upcoming Hunting Festival would be a perfect opportunity to assess the Grand Duke’s abilities.

“The Duke of Cherville has always won the Hunting Festival, so it would be interesting to see the two of you compete this time.”

The Emperor looked back and forth between Ian and Tan, who were standing silently, encouraging a rivalry.

At that, the gathered nobles showed interest, their eyes sparkling.

The rumored Night Beast, who had executed criminals and cleaved monsters in one blow, was now the Grand Duke and would participate in the Hunting Festival, even competing against the Duke of Cherville, the perennial champion.

There could be no more entertaining spectacle.

“What do you say? Grand Duke Hushbrook, Duke of Cherville.”

The Emperor skillfully gauged their intentions, pressing them for a firm answer so they couldn’t back out later.

“…I will do my best.”

Ian bowed his head to hide the veins popping out on his forehead, accepting the Emperor’s command.

A rivalry between himself, the commander of the Imperial Moonlight Knights, and a Grand Duke of unknown origins.

*And* with this lowborn wretch. He couldn’t bear the humiliation.

“I will.”

Tan smirked as if he found Ian, who was trembling with clenched fists, amusing.

Meanwhile, Selonia was now in a state of enlightenment.

“Hahaha…”

Selonia just laughed emptily with vacant eyes. She didn’t hear anything about the Hunting Festival or anything else.

“Wow… Miss, I can’t believe it right now.”

Ella muttered, dumbfounded.

Selonia thought.

*It seems I’m not the female lead of this world after all. Things I don’t know keep happening everywhere.*

“Wow… Tan is the Grand Duke’s illegitimate son. That’s why no one knew Tan! He must have been living in hiding in the North.”

*Do you believe that?*

Selonia was dying to say those words, but she couldn’t. Everyone who didn’t know Tan’s identity was completely falling for that story.

The whole story, as told by Grand Duke Hushbrook, was this:

Tan was the illegitimate son of the unmarried Grand Duke, and he had lived in seclusion with his mother in the North until he lost his memory from the shock of losing her and began to wander.

The Grand Duke belatedly learned that he had a son and found Tan, passing on the title of Grand Duke.

Selonia stared blankly at them, exuding a friendly atmosphere.

Tan blended seamlessly among the Emperor, Ious, and the nobles.

She hadn’t noticed because she was so flustered, but now that she looked, the clothes Tan was wearing weren’t from Verondi Boutique, which she had gifted him.

He was wearing a perfectly tailored navy blue suit, and the ornate accessories enhanced his face even more.

She had never seen him like that before. It felt like he had dressed up for today’s events.

‘How on earth…’

Why did he become the Grand Duke?

Did he regain his memory? Is he plotting revenge?

“Seli, this father is so surprised.”

Galloway, who had arrived unnoticed, was also shocked by Tan’s identity.

“Did you know about this?”

“No. I didn’t know either.”

Selonia immediately denied it. If she had to pick the most surprised person here, it would be herself.

“Haha. It’s amazing what you see in this world. First of all, today is your day, so don’t just stand here, enjoy the banquet. Don’t worry about the Duke of Cherville. This father will take care of sending him back.”

Galloway patted Selonia’s shoulder affectionately and walked towards the nobles who were waiting for him.

“Princess, I’m sorry I’m late. Congratulations on the banquet.”

At that moment, a hurried presence and a slender voice were heard. Selonia turned her creaking head.

It was Roana, who hadn’t shown herself until now.

Her cheeks were flushed as if she had been running, and somehow her dress and hair were a little disheveled. Her lipstick also looked slightly smudged.

Moreover, a strong perfume scent wafted from her. A heavy men’s cologne that Roana wouldn’t usually wear.

“Thank you, Lady Roana.”

But Selonia had already heard from the other ladies that Roana seemed to be in a relationship, so she simply expressed her gratitude without questioning.

“Lady Roana! Why are you here so late!”

Pellein, who spotted Roana, made a fuss and approached.

“Yes? What’s wrong?”

“Well, that person called the Night Beast is the Grand Duke Hushbrook’s illegitimate son! And he even inherited the title of Grand Duke!”

“Yes?”

“Come here for a moment.”

When Roana was startled, Pellein, noticing Selonia’s pale face, led Roana away.

*This won’t do.*

Selonia, who was standing alone with Ella in a corner of the hall, away from the crowd, slowly moved her legs.

Her head hurt too much; she thought she’d get some air.

“Selonia.”

At that moment, a man with a familiar voice blocked her path.

Selonia looked at the shoes that filled her vision and slowly raised her eyes.

When she fully raised her head, a man with blue hair and purple eyes was looking at her.

It was Reyev.

* * *

“Grand Duke… Haha.”

MacRyan muttered, holding a glass of champagne, then laughed as if he found it amusing.

A tremendous event had swept through the celebration earlier. That guy called the Night Beast was actually the Grand Duke’s son.

“That can’t be.”

MacRyan didn’t believe it.

Because the ominous energy that dark guy exuded was that of a monster.

The day he saw Selonia and that child far away in the library.

MacRyan immediately transformed and flew to the monster forest in the North in one go.

Unable to enter in his true form, he turned back into a human and entered the monster forest, MacRyan knew.

The dark and intense energy he felt from that guy. That energy was all over the monster forest.

He couldn’t feel it from the lower-level monsters, but the closer he got to the higher-level monsters, the energy was similar to what he felt from that guy.

Even the monsters, who were said to be in a dormant period after the Demon King died, were quite active. It was as dangerous as a few months ago when they came to subjugate the Demon King, and they experienced several attacks by monsters.

Dormant period, my ass. This was similar to when the Demon King was alive.

‘What the hell.’

MacRyan narrowed his eyes as if contemplating.

Then suddenly, one thought came to mind.

Could it be…

No. The Demon King is dead.

Didn’t they kill him after half a year of struggling to death?

It was certain. They had confirmed that he wasn’t breathing, and they had seen the Demon King’s corpse.

Then what is this energy?

‘And who are those guys?’

MacRyan looked at Ious Hushbrook, the previous Grand Duke, and Kelvin Finegger, the Grand Duke’s knight commander, with sharp eyes.

They were with the noble elders, and they also exuded a faint energy that he felt from the monsters.

People of the Grand Duke’s family with the same energy?

This smelled fishy.

Anyone couldn’t easily notice it, but he was a dragon.

He needed to find out for sure. MacRyan thought he should keep an eye on the people of the Grand Duke’s family.

“How dare that bastard think of opposing me.”

At that moment, an angry voice was heard next to him.

When MacRyan turned his head, he saw Ian, his face red and trembling.

‘What’s wrong with this guy again?’

Ian was gnashing his teeth, his forehead full of veins, as if he was dissatisfied with something.

“Arrogant bastard.”

Ian muttered in a sinister voice.

That Tan was not only the Grand Duke’s hidden illegitimate son but also inherited the title. In an instant, his position and that guy’s position were reversed.

So that’s why he was so arrogant to him from the beginning.

Because he had something to rely on. He knew everything and was mocking him.

Of course, Selonia must have known too.

Those two dared to use him…!

Ian couldn’t wash away this humiliation.

His pride, which he prided himself on being better than anyone else, was shattered.

Even that guy said he would attend the Hunting Festival and provoked him once again.

Absolutely, he absolutely couldn’t lose this time.

“I won’t let either of them get away with it.”

Ian muttered as if determined, his eyes blazing.

He would use this Hunting Festival to show that guy what he was made of.

So he couldn’t dare to crawl in front of him again. He was going to show that to Selonia clearly.

Ian was finding it increasingly difficult to control his anger. His reason was fading, and only his instincts remained.

That was because more than half of his red heart had turned black. Like a beast, not a human.