The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 79

<79>

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, well. It feels like it’s been a while, though I didn’t expect it to be for my celebration.”

Selonia replied to Reyev’s question with a blank face.

She was in the Imperial Palace garden at Reyev’s request for a private conversation. They were alone.

Even as winter approached, the Imperial Palace garden remained filled with colorful flowers.

The scent of the flowers hung heavy in the air, carried on the breeze.

“I am sorry.”

Reyev bowed to Selonia with as much sincerity as he could muster.

It was a better apology than Grace, Ian, and MacRyan had offered, but it still wasn’t enough to appease her.

A normal person wouldn’t have even attended the celebration in the first place. Even if he had been tricked, she had thought Reyev was more rational than the others, but it seemed she was wrong.

Reyev’s hair, the color of the sky, was ruffled by the cold wind as he bowed his head.

It was an unusual hair color, just like the young girl Emily in the shantytown had said.

“Oh, Reyev, did you have a good trip to the ritual?”

Selonia asked him casually, as if she had suddenly remembered something she had said before.

“Yes. I returned safely.”

“It’s a ritual to empty your body and mind, so you can’t eat, right?”

“That’s right.”

“You must have been very hungry. Did you bring any food in advance, in preparation for the end?”

She probed, watching Reyev’s expression carefully.

“Yes. Grace kindly packed some for me to eat after the ritual when I left.”

Reyev said with a shy smile. He seemed to have completely forgotten who he was talking to.

“Ah, I see. Was the pound cake delicious?”

“Ah, I couldn’t eat that. I gave it to a starving child I saw. Grace understood, of course.”

As Selonia asked casually, Reyev answered without thinking. He didn’t even notice how she knew the food was pound cake.

“I see. Miss Bennett is very understanding.”

She quickly changed the subject, pretending to praise Grace.

She was already convinced, but Reyev’s confirmation solidified her suspicions. The pound cake Emily ate was the one Grace had given to Reyev.

“Selonia.”

Reyev, who had momentarily forgotten the main point while thinking about the kind Grace, stared at Selonia with eyes that had turned cold.

“Speak.”

“I didn’t know you would go this far.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Wasn’t Grace embarrassed in front of everyone?”

His purple eyes were rebuking her. How could she do this to Grace?

“Grace was very hurt. She was secretly crying to herself.”

Reyev clenched his fists, thinking of Grace crying pitifully in his arms. It broke his heart.

If Selonia had been there, he might not have been able to control himself.

“Reyev, today is my celebration.”

Selonia was dumbfounded.

She knew in her head that it was because he had been tricked, but his words were hurtful.

It was probably more so because it was Reyev, not Ian or MacRyan. He was the person she relied on the most as a friend.

“I know. I was against Grace coming here too. But still, didn’t you need to corner her in front of so many people?”

“Reyev.”

“I know you were acting on purpose. Did you want to bring Grace down that much?”

“Reyev Hechell.”

“Are you jealous because we chose Grace?”

Reyev continued to speak, not heeding her warning tone.

His emotions were running high because he remembered Grace’s tearful face.

“……What?”

Reyev finally crossed the line.

Selonia’s blue eyes turned icy. She wouldn’t let it go any longer.

“You hurt Grace because of your inferiority complex… Keuk!”

Reyev couldn’t breathe from the sudden pain that constricted his throat.

A black figure suddenly loomed over him, grabbing his neck with one hand in an instant.

“You’re talking too much for someone with a mouth full of hot air.”

Tann, who had watched everything, glared at Reyev with murderous eyes.

His hand, gripping Reyev’s neck, had veins bulging with rising anger. He wanted to tear apart the mouth that was spewing words like daggers at Selonia right now.

“Keuk! Grand Duke, what is this? Let go, Heuk, please!”

Reyev struggled, his neck caught in Tann’s grip. He couldn’t use his divine power on someone he thought was an ordinary person.

Tann glared at Reyev as if he would kill him at any moment, then turned his gaze to Selonia, who was standing behind him.

“Selonia, are you going to let this one go too?”

He hadn’t done anything she disliked. He didn’t want to see her disappointed.

That’s why he had spared the saviors he wanted to kill.

But these bastards keep going too far. They don’t even know she’s being lenient. How dare they.

“No.”

A voice colder than a blizzard flowed from her mouth.

Her cold blue eyes were fixed on Reyev.

On the man who had just said things he shouldn’t have, his face flushed red as he gasped for breath.

Her reason was calmer than ever.

Tricks? Screw that.

He crossed the line. He crossed it by a long shot, trick or no trick.

There was no reason for her to understand Reyev, who was blinded and acting and speaking wrongly.

Of course, she didn’t intend to kill him. Maybe just knock him out.

“I need to make sure he can’t spout nonsense in front of me anymore.”

Tann grinned with satisfaction at her ruthless and refreshing words.

“If you want.”

* * *

“Ugh, this is a crime……”

Reyev clutched his aching ribs and leaned against a tree, muttering with bloodied lips.

Reyev had been knocked down in less than a few minutes because of Tann’s power.

A hand-to-hand fight without a sword. Of course, Reyev lost.

Reyev forgot that he was in the Imperial Palace and tried to use his divine power, but it was useless. His power was swallowed by Tann in an instant.

It was a fight that couldn’t be won in the first place.

If it weren’t for her telling him to take it easy, Reyev would already be dead.

“Selonia, how about we rough him up a bit more?”

Tann complained, looking at Reyev, who was sprawled out after only a few swings.

What a chance this was. He thought the saviors would be tough, but they weren’t.

He didn’t even use his full strength, but he was already knocked out.

It was so ridiculous that he could only laugh. He even doubted if these guys were really the saviors who had defeated him.

“That’s enough.”

Answering Tann, Selonia looked down at Reyev, who was sprawled out like wet laundry, with indifferent eyes that showed no pity.

She didn’t want to cause a big commotion, so it was better to finish here before people gathered.

Anyway, his injuries would be healed by her healing magic.

“Ugh, how can you do this, Selonia……”

Reyev looked at Selonia with resentful eyes.

How could she do such a heinous thing? Ordering the Grand Duke to inflict harm on him, even in the Imperial Palace.

“Exactly. How could you say those things to me?”

“That’s because you, Selonia, did that to Grace……!”

“Stop.”

Selonia cut off Reyev’s nonsense, which was about to start again.

“Some people repay debts with a single word, but you owe me several times over.”

Selonia didn’t delay any longer and approached Reyev.

It was time to remove the darkness that had been cast over his eyes.

If he realizes everything and returns to the way he was before… well.

The words Reyev had said were so offensive that it would probably be impossible to go back to the way things were.

She immediately lowered herself in front of him, who was leaning against the tree, and placed her palm on his body.

“I’m curious. What will your expression be when you know everything?”

With those words, the bright light of healing she emitted began to be absorbed into Reyev’s body.