I Became A Wretched Extra In A Healing Story - Chapter 4

The place she arrived at was the library.

It was the cradle of knowledge, boasting the most extensive collection of books in the empire.

‘Will I be kicked out again?’

Whenever she had free time, Reibella had always come here. Of course, it was to search for the antidote.

It would be better to gather information and narrow down the search range rather than wandering aimlessly.

But at first, even finding the library wasn’t easy. Since she couldn’t ask the maids she lived with, she had to wander around the vast imperial palace without a map.

Moreover, time was so tight. The rest time given to the princess’s food taster was only about 30 minutes right after the princess’s meal and during the princess’s bedtime. On top of that, the head maid had quite a few requirements.

‘Don’t catch Her Highness the princess’s eye. Think of yourself as Her Highness’s shadow in the palace.’

‘Only move around when Her Highness is not around.’

‘A criminal shouldn’t be wandering around openly. Wear a hood to hide that hair of yours.’

It meant she shouldn’t move when the princess was awake, and should stay in her room, holding her breath. Because of this, Reibella had no choice but to sneak around for short periods, splitting her rest time, when the princess was asleep or when there was no one coming and going in the palace.

The joy she felt when she finally found the library after days of difficult searching.

At that time, she really felt like all problems would be solved smoothly.

‘You must be the Felicity who entered the palace.’

Until she faced the librarian’s cold treatment.

‘How dare a traitor try to touch the palace’s belongings?’

Even though the first floor of the imperial archive was open to anyone working in the palace, the librarian blocked Reibella.

The next day, and the day after that. She tried to explain why she needed the books, but the librarian just pushed her away as though she was dealing with someone with the plague, and Reibella had to turn back without even properly setting foot in the library for the past week.

‘This is really an extreme job. This damn life as an extra.’

But what could she do? Born as an extra and having to live as an extra, she just had to keep going.

‘Let’s succeed today!’

Raising her drooping upper body and steeling her resolve, Reibella entered the library.

As soon as she entered, a cool breeze along with the smell of books hit her. It was a nostalgic smell that made her lips curl up involuntarily.

Reibella, in a much better mood, turned her head. Near the entrance was a tall desk made of stacked bricks, and beyond it, a frowning librarian was glaring at her. His lips curled up crookedly.

“You again. Damn Felicity.”

He responded in a voice no different from the previous days and continued.

“I told you there are no books to lend to a traitor. Are you too stupid to remember?”

“I…”

“Anyway, you’re just like your father. Your father was also greedy and didn’t know his place.”

The words he spat out while interrupting were again about Duke Felicity.

The librarian seemed to particularly hare Duke Felicity. However, even if the target was a criminal, insulting a parent in front of their child was a vulgar act. The librarian, who must have been educated enough to know this fact, still continuously hurled insults in front of Reibella.

‘He was a kind person in the novel.’

The librarian of the imperial palace who appeared in the novel was described as a truly kind and gentle person. Even when the princess was being ignored by the emperor, he didn’t disregard her like others, and was a good person who kindly spoke to and smiled at the book-loving princess.

That’s why the princess also liked the librarian very much, and when she had nothing to do, she would often come to him and have conversations over tea.

That’s the kind of person he was.

‘Why is he being so mean only to me!’

In fact, was this person’s personality actually trash, and he was only nice because the female lead was the princess?

‘…Well. Felicity did bear a dirty stigma.’

Felicity, who abused the beloved princess and plotted treason. It would be difficult to be kind to someone of that bloodline.

‘To think I’d become the nation’s punching bag.’

She thought that was a modifier only attached to characters in soap operas, but she never dreamed she would become one herself. And in a healing story where everyone was supposed to live happily, no less.

“…so get lost.”

The librarian, who had finished his tirade, ordered Reibella to leave.

As if that wasn’t enough, he came out from behind the desk to chase her away personally. Reibella quickly spoke as the approaching librarian came closer.

“I really need a book about plants. As a food taster, I need knowledge to…”

“Why? Are you planning to take revenge for your father?”

He was asking if she was planning to learn bad knowledge from books to harm the princess.

It was absurd.

“Absolutely not. Why would I do such a thing…”

“Shut up. I don’t need to hear any more, so get lost.”

The librarian, with an expression incomparably more unpleasant than before, suddenly approached and pushed Reibella.

Reibella stumbled backward and ended up falling on her bottom.

Her buttocks throbbed with pain. Tears welled up in her eyes without her realizing.

While she was in pain, the librarian was laughing at Reibella’s appearance.

“How unsightly. Whining over just falling down. Her Highness the princess must have suffered ten, twenty times more because of you people.”

The cold voice filled with mockery made a surge of sorrow well up.

I didn’t do anything.

Felicity is innocent.

It was so frustrating that she just wanted to give up on everything. She wanted to argue and express her grievances.

But… even though her heart wanted to do that, nothing would change even if she did. She barely managed to bite the inside of her lip and compose herself, suppressing the feeling of misery that was trying to overwhelm her.

Swallowing the tangy blood, Reibella comforted herself and looked up with a forced smile.

But then.

“Ugh!”

The librarian who should have been in front of her collapsed from a merciless kick. His groaning appearance looked quite painful.

As she blinked with a confused expression, a heavy voice resonated beside her.

“How unsightly.”

She hurriedly looked up. Soon, Reibella discovered a man standing next to her.

The man was so tall that she had to crane her neck up to see him, and he was so muscular that anyone could tell he was a swordsman.

Even the aura he exuded was so threatening that just looking at him made it hard to breathe and sent chills down her spine. She wanted to get away from him immediately.

But despite that, he strangely captivated her gaze. His beautiful silver hair and clear violet eyes were very mysterious.
It was unfamiliar. As Reibella, this was her first time meeting this person.

But she knew who this person was.

The final villain of the novel.

And the person who meets his end at the hands of his only son.

‘…Cassius Vicheravali.’

It was Duke Vicheravali.

The moment she realized his identity, Duke Vicheravali’s violet eyes, which had been looking down at the librarian, turned towards Reibella.

‘I, I need to run away.’

He was a man called the demon of the battlefield. He was said to be as ruthless and violent as the tyrant emperor, killing anyone who displeased him without batting an eye.

…Even his own child.

Startled, Reibella quietly tried to move her bottom backward. But his hand was faster.

Before she could avoid it, he approached and picked Reibella up.

Overwhelmed by the murderous aura, Reibella tightly closed her eyes, thinking she was going to die without being able to move.

But then.

Unexpected words were heard.

“You look fine.”

What?

Did she hear that correctly? That couldn’t be right.

As she cautiously opened her eyes, violet eyes were scrutinizing her thoroughly. That gaze was similar to a hunter examining his caught prey.

It seemed she had indeed misheard.

‘Of course, it’s Vicheravali after all, right?’

Separate from Reibella being the nation’s punching bag, the relationship between Vicheravali and Felicity was like that of a dog and cat.

They had been ignoring and hating each other for centuries already, so how could he say ‘you look fine’. Was he so starved for kindness these days? She couldn’t possibly have heard nonsensical gibberish…

“Are you hurt?”

…Pardon?