I Became A Wretched Extra In A Healing Story - Chapter 17

‘…It’s a mess.’

I thought it was chaotic from afar, but up close, it was even more hopeless. A child crying constantly, disliking the unfamiliar environment; a child angrily bullying others; a child screaming loudly. A child whining and clinging to the nanny, begging to be taken to their mother.

Even the nannies seemed overwhelmed by the atmosphere, as if it was their first time caring for children in the imperial palace, and couldn’t demonstrate their full abilities.

‘How should I handle this.’

If there was a god of childcare, I wish they would possess me right now.

While harboring this vain hope and pondering for a moment, Reibella seemed to recall something and picked up two dolls rolling on the floor.

They were pretty male and female dolls.

As she sat down near the children, one of the nannies glared at her. It was a look that seemed to say, ‘Why are you there?’

Ignoring that gaze, Reibella began speaking, moving the dolls in both hands as if for everyone to hear.

“Huh? What’s this?”

“Yeah, what is this?”

After exchanging a few words as if the two dolls were conversing, a nearby child started showing curiosity, saying, “What is it? What is it?” Reibella moved the dolls again and made up voices.

“I heard this is only visible to good children.”

“Really? You mean some people can’t see this?”

Reibella moved the male doll to ask the child sitting right next to her.

“Can you see this?”

As the doll pointed somewhere and asked, the child, sniffling, looked at the empty space where the doll’s eyes were pointing, hesitated, and then answered.

“…It’s there.”

“What do you see?”

“Something small…”

As the child spoke in a tiny voice, as if unsure, Reibella moved the doll to nod its head.

“That’s right! There’s something tiny there!”

Nod, nod. The doll moved and looked around. By now, all the children surrounding the area were staring at Reibella’s doll.

Reibella moved the doll to ask another child.

“Can you see what’s here?”

“Yeah.”

“What is it?”

“Something triangular…?”

“That’s right! There’s something like a triangle.”

In reality, there was nothing there.

But because she said ‘only good children can see it,’ the children were just adding their own imagination and speaking, thinking they had to pretend to see something.

Soon, the children started chattering about what they could see.

At the center of it all was the doll Reibella was moving.

‘It’s settled down reasonably well.’

Now it was time for the next step. Reibella spoke through the doll.

“Do you know that story? I heard it somewhere.”

Before the children’s curiosity could wane, Reibella began to unfold her story pouch. As she unraveled fairy tales she had read diligently before entering the novel, or interesting stories she had learned while living as the young lady of Felicity, the eyes of the little children began to sparkle.

‘The volunteer work paid off.’

In her previous life, she had done volunteer work at orphanages and kindergartens for college admissions. She had learned how to handle children by observing then, and who knew it would be helpful now.

While she was in full bloom of storytelling with the children…

“No, that’s not what I meant!”

A loud voice echoed through the garden, which had become calm as the little ones quieted down.

Turning her head, she saw a girl with soft brown hair standing up abruptly. Her face was flushed red.

“I, I just thought Lady Jacqueline might have misunderstood…”

And at the end of her gaze was the host of the party, the princess.

“Lady Brown.”

A name that matched well with her hair flowed from the princess’s lips. At the princess’s call, Lady Brown’s lips, which had been moving urgently, closed.

“I understand you’re trying to be considerate of me. I appreciate that.”

“Then…”

“However.”

“……”

“That’s for me to hear and judge. It’s not something for you to interfere with, Lady.”

At the princess’s words, Lady Brown bit her lip and showed signs of anxiety. Though she didn’t know the details, it seemed like she had made some mistake.

‘…She’s finished now.’

Seeing Lady Brown glaring at another girl at the same table, the situation became somewhat clear.

Probably, Lady Brown wanted to get closer to the princess during this tea party, and she didn’t like the girl, Donna Jacqueline, who was sticking close to the princess’s side.

Donna Jacqueline was a faithful friend of the princess and a major character in the novel who would dominate high society in Part 2.

According to the setting, she had lost her family and only recently found them again with the princess’s help, so she would be lacking in noble lady education, but from Lady Brown’s perspective, it must have been unpleasant that a child less capable than herself was close to the princess. It seemed she had committed some sort of insult.

‘Of all people, she had to mess with that one.’

Having messed with the princess’s friend, Lady Brown would likely never be seen in the capital again. She was probably just an extra created to help the princess and Donna Jacqueline become close.

‘If that child had been a bit more mature, she wouldn’t have approached it like that.’

She just wanted to get close to the princess, but in an instant, her entire future was shattered.

Even if she appears in high society later, once she’s fallen out of the princess’s favor, it’s safe to say her reputation recovery is hopeless.

‘A tea party with such young children.’

The nobles mocked Felicity for raising their child quietly, but in Reibella’s opinion, Felicity’s method was correct.

The tea party was too big a burden for children who are not yet adept at socializing.

“Aren’t you going to tell another story?”

“I will, I will.”

It seemed she had been lost in thought for quite some time, as the little ones at the same table had come over and were shaking Reibella’s arm. Reibella smiled at the children.

“Then, shall we tell the story of how a dragon swallowed the empire this time?”

As Reibella began with a clear voice, the children squealed with delight. Unlike the princess’s table where dark clouds had gathered, the children sitting on the grass were in high spirits.

It was an enjoyable time.

* * *

“The nobles who attended the tea party sent their thanks to you.”

It was a few days after the tea party ended.

Responding to the head maid’s call, Reibella heard unexpected news. The parents of the young children who attended the tea party had asked to convey their gratitude to Reibella.

‘At the end, the little ones clung to me and cried.’

They clung so tightly, begging to go home together. In the end, they couldn’t accept the farewell and sobbed.

We did have quite a fun time. After unfolding a bundle of stories, we played tag and “Red Light, Green Light” too. The atmosphere was so good that children from other tables were glancing over enviously.

Still, I never thought I’d receive thanks from the noble ladies who had mocked me, so I felt a bit strange.

Maybe it’s because I’ve only been criticized for everything I’ve done since getting involved with the princess.

“There are also a few gifts set aside for you, so go pick them up.”

Reibella was about to leave the head maid’s room with the gifts as she said. However, the head maid called Reibella again.

“By the way, did anything happen with you and the imperial knights?”

…The Imperial Knight Order?

“Other than briefly seeing them at the pharmacy before, nothing.”

“I see. Alright. You may go.”

As Reibella bowed again and left the head maid’s room, she belatedly remembered one person.

The knight who she had given the antidote herb to.

‘Why did she suddenly ask about that?’

Somehow, it felt a bit ominous.

While she was feeling uneasy inside, a few maids she met on the way to her room asked the same question.

So she put on a straight face and gave the same answer she had given to the head maid, and they explained the reason with a prim tone.

“The knights were looking for a young child who was at the pharmacy, so we asked. You were there too at that time, weren’t you?”

“But the atmosphere was really grim. Did something happen?”

…Could that knight from back then have died?