I Became A Wretched Extra In A Healing Story - Chapter 13

Usually, food tasters often have stiff expressions as they taste, suspecting that all food might be poisoned. Because they eat thinking this moment could be their last.

But for a child who had recently been poisoned to eat food that might contain poison while smiling.

It was a sight that they couldn’t help but find surprising.

But Reibella, unaware of this, only tilted her head in confusion.

As Reibella was about to taste the food in bewilderment, bang! The door opened, drawing everyone’s attention.

The person who appeared was none other than.

“Reibella!”

The protagonist of this world, the princess, smiling brightly.

“You’re back?”

The princess greeted her cheerfully as she approached, and suddenly hugged Reibella. It was an intimate gesture, as if greeting a family member she hadn’t seen for a long time.

“Are you okay now? You’re alright, right?”

At this unexpected welcome, Reibella slowly nodded. The princess, who had been hugging her tightly, released her arms and smiled again as she faced Reibella.

“I’m glad to see you, Reibella. I’m so happy you’ve returned.”

“…I, I’m glad too, Your Highness.”

“Mm.”

The princess nodded and looked at Reibella with contentment.

Then her gaze fell on the food set out for tasting. Instantly, the corners of the princess’s mouth turned down. Her expression, which had been as bright as a flower, suddenly became gloomy.

“You’re still doing the food tasting?”

“Yes.”

Because I’m a food taster.

As Reibella nodded as if it were obvious, the princess’s shoulders drooped, drawing disappointment. Her voice also lost its vitality.

“Then, you’re rejecting my offer? You don’t want to work as a maid?”

How could I do that.

Even with ten lives, it wouldn’t be enough.

Reibella inwardly shuddered, remembering the princess’s terrifying father, the Emperor. The hellish moments of being hunted like a rabbit by that man came to mind.

The moment she stood by the princess’s side, the Emperor’s persistent scrutiny would begin, and she didn’t want to experience that again.

‘…Indeed, there’s only that way.’

It can’t be helped.

Reibella called out to the princess in a demure voice.

“Your Highness.”

The princess responded weakly to the careful call of the child whose eye level was similar to her own.

“…Yes?”

“Being a food taster is an important job that keeps Your Highness the Princess safe. That’s why I really like this job of protecting Your Highness the Princess. If I can make up for my family’s wrongdoings even a little through this work, I’d gladly do so.”

“Reibella……”

The princess, seemingly moved by Reibella’s sincere words, stared at Reibella with eyes mixed with joy and surprise. Reibella smiled at her.

“You’ll grant my request, won’t you?”

She clasped her hands together and made an innocent expression that said ‘please’.

At this, the princess’s eyes wavered for a moment. Though she looked like a child on the outside, she was 17 on the inside, and even in the novel, the princess tended to have difficulty refusing requests from young children.

This time too, it would be hard to refuse.

Seeing Reibella’s earnest appearance, the princess seemed to ponder for a moment, then nodded with a sigh. Then, as if suddenly struck by an idea, she opened her eyes wide, smiled happily, and clapped her hands.

And she came up with an alternative that would make Reibella terrified.

“Then we can be friends!”

…What?

As Reibella looked at the head maid with a bewildered expression, Raniel Soi, the head maid, hurriedly said.

“Your Highness. Although this child is currently a food taster, because her family was exterminated for treason and she has become a criminal, she cannot be placed in such an honorable position.”

“But Reibella is Reibella.”

“That may be so, but……”

“Reibella ate poison in my place, and she’s a child who works hard for me, so she’s more than qualified to be my friend.”

Right? The princess looked at Reibella.

Truly, she wanted to turn her head away and ignore it. How. How could she pursue this so relentlessly when it was so unwanted.

Reibella looked at the head maid with eyes pleading for help.

‘Everyone, didn’t you hate me getting close to Your Highness the Princess? Hurry up and do something. I’m about to die here.’

…With that feeling in her heart.

Raniel also had a truly troubled expression. She was uneasy about keeping Felicity close, but seeing the princess so certain, she seemed to be assessing the situation, wondering if there might be some circumstances.

After all, whenever the princess had been this insistent before, there must have been good reasons. Especially Raniel Soi. That maid was also a person the princess had saved.

Raniel Soi finally spoke as if she had no choice.

“Do as Your Highness the Princess wishes. His Majesty will understand if it’s Your Highness’s wish.”

“Yay!”

As soon as her permission was given, the princess stretched her arms high into the sky expressing her joy, and then wrapped those arms around Reibella.

Hugging her tightly, she poured out her happy feelings.

“Now we’re friends!”

…No, everyone. Don’t I have a say in this?

She looked around with a bewildered expression, but everyone’s gaze was fixed on the princess’s joyful appearance.

‘The world has abandoned me again.’

Reibella had no choice but to nod.

“…I, too, look forward to… Your Highness.”

* * *

The princess’s ability to take action was truly amazing. From the very next food tasting, Reibella’s position had changed.

“…How is it? Is it okay?”

A concerned question came towards Reibella, who was quietly tasting a small piece of steak. As she slowly turned her head, two ruby-red eyes were looking at her with expectation.

…Gulp.

Reibella, who had swallowed the food, slowly nodded.

At this, the princess smiled happily and pushed forward another dish.

“Try this too. I specially requested it from the chef. I thought you would like it too, Reibella.”

The food that the princess had thoughtfully offered was.

‘…Marshmallows.’

A mountain of colorful marshmallows piled up.

“When I asked what food Reibella likes, they said you saved the marshmallows and ate them last.”

I left them until last because I disliked them.

Because she hadn’t shown her likes and dislikes, it seemed the maids nearby had given incorrect information.

“These are all for you, Reibella. So you can eat as much as you want!”

“…Thank you, Your Highness.”

Seeing the princess’s expectant gaze, Reibella reluctantly picked up a pink marshmallow and put it in her mouth. She ate it thinking it might be okay since the princess had specially requested it, but,

‘It’s the same….’

It was exactly the same taste she had eaten every time during food tasting.

To think she had to eat all of this. Though her future looked bleak, Reibella kept smiling and saying it was delicious. The princess giggled and belatedly started her own meal.

‘Still, it’s definitely nice to taste food by the princess’s side.’

While previously she had to examine everything not knowing what food the princess would eat, now she just had to taste in advance what the princess’s hand touched.

So the amount to eat decreased, and as soon as the princess finished her meal, the job was over, so her rest time increased.

Moreover, the attitude of the maids had changed a bit. Before, when they put down food or cleared dishes, they had openly shown their dissatisfaction, but now they were quiet. There was a sense of politeness in the way they carefully handed over dishes and placed food.

It felt a bit strange, as if they were giving proper treatment as a food taster, perhaps because the princess was nearby.

‘Although the princess’s excessive attention is burdensome.’

It was quite burdensome as she kept bringing food like a mother feeding her baby bird and watching her eat.

“Then, would you like to try this next? You like this too, right, Reibella?”

…Just like now.

Julia Hampton, the maid who always helped with the tasting, placed food on a small plate with a sour expression. But…

‘Isn’t this todoria grass?’

She remembered seeing it in the plant encyclopedia book given by Duke Vicheravali. It was written that it was an herb eaten for beauty as it purified blood and was good for the skin. There were no major side effects, but it was noted that caution was needed as it could rarely cause stomach upset in children under 10 years old.

‘Should I say something?’

Munch munch. Reibella, who was tasting it in her mouth, quietly pondered.

They must have known when they cooked it, so is there a need to say anything? But if by chance it causes a stomach upset, won’t that responsibility fall on the food taster?

“Um.”

Reibella, having made a decision, carefully opened her mouth.

The princess immediately responded.

“What is it, Reibella?”

Normally, the maids would have been indifferent to Reibella’s call, but when the princess reacted, they immediately looked at Reibella.

She was a bit surprised.

“By any chance, did you put todoria grass in this food? I know that this herb can cause stomach upset when children eat it.”

Mrs Raniel immediately gestured to a maid to check. Then the chef hurriedly came and said he had tried putting it in once because it enhanced the flavor. He said he had heard there were no major side effects, and made an apologetic expression to Reibella.

Reibella informed them of the book’s name and page number, saying that the evidence was in her room.

A pharmacist was immediately summoned. After the confirmation was complete, the chef apologized, saying he was sorry, and swore that such a thing would never happen again. Naturally, the dish disappeared from the table.

“How did you know? You even remembered the exact page number of the book.”

After the confirmation was over, the princess asked Reibella with an excited face. Reibella calmly replied.

“I’ve been reading books day and night, wondering if I could help Your Highness the Princess as a food taster, so I just happened to get it right. I’m glad I was able to help by reading the revised book.”

Grin. As she finished with a smile, the princess looked at everyone with a ‘See?’ expression, puffing up proudly.

She looked like a mother showing off her child.

At this, there was a change in the maids’ eyes too. As if to say, we really don’t like it, but we’ll acknowledge it just this once. We’ll keep watching.

It was the moment she was promoted from ‘an extra who was an enemy but became a loyal subject after being impressed by the princess’.