I Became A Wretched Extra In A Healing Story - Chapter 9

“Kyaah!”

Hearing a loud scream, Reibella’s vision blurred.

Through her dimming sight, she could see the faces of people gathering around. Rather than being concerned for Reibella, they all had angry expressions, as if saying, ‘Who dared to tamper with Her Highness the Princess’s food…!’

If only she had found the antidote herb sooner, this disaster wouldn’t have happened. Damn herb. Why are you being so expensive only to me? You.

I want to live.

I really want to live.

But it hurt, it hurt so much. Contrary to her heart, her consciousness began to fade.

Bit by bit, everything in front of her was turning pitch black, and her consciousness was slowly sinking into a deep swamp.

But then.

“Reibella.”

Amidst the chaotic noise, she heard a gentle voice calling her name.

Through her barely open eyes, she saw purple irises.

While everyone was distracted by the princess, Reibella unconsciously smiled at that gaze directed at her.

And then darkness came.

* * *

Sounds of breaking and shattering were heard. Screams mixed with cries poured from all directions, and the sharp sound of blades clashing surrounded the area.

Even when covering her ears with trembling hands, the noise of life extinguishing was so cruelly thick that it seeped through her fingers and bored into her ears. Tears flowed from the horror.

‘Rel.’

‘Yes, Dad.’

‘The worse the emotion, the more you shouldn’t keep it bottled up. The worse the incident, the quicker you should shake it off, along with resentment and lingering attachments. You shouldn’t leave anything in your heart. Understand?’

‘What if it’s something so terribly bad that I can’t do that?’

‘You still have to try. If, even then, there are feelings you can’t discard, don’t frown but try to smile. Then, things will get a bit better.’

Duke Felicity had said not to leave any resentment or lingering attachments, but on that very day, Reibella felt a terrible murderous intent. She wanted to kill. She truly wanted to tear someone apart to the bone and kill them.

But she knew she shouldn’t, and that she couldn’t.

‘Miss. You must escape.’

‘……’

‘Miss!’

‘…But.’

Everyone was still holding their positions. They were fighting with all their might for her father and mother.

How could she, the sole heir of Felicity, run away in the midst of this?

As Reibella shook her head, the commander of the Felicity Knights knelt before her. He was like an uncle who would often give her piggyback rides without her parents knowing.

‘Miss.’

‘…Yes.’

‘You are still young, Miss. No one wants a child to suffer because of the adults.’

‘But I am a Felicity.’

‘That’s why you must survive first. We are all fighting hoping for your survival.’

‘……’

‘The Duke wishes for it too. It was his last wish. To forget everything and be happy.’

At the commander’s words, Reibella pressed her lips tightly.

It was truly a wish she didn’t want to grant.

But Reibella, who had tightly closed her eyes and shaken off the last tear clinging to the corner of her eye, reluctantly nodded. She couldn’t ignore her father’s last words.

‘When I leave the castle, everyone escape. Run away and try to survive, even if it’s just one more person. Understood?’

‘…Yes.’

‘Make sure to meet again. If by any chance you survive, go to the Kingdom of Baribe in the northwestern part of the continent. It should be… okay there.’

I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier.

If I had been a little more thoughtful, if I had regained my memories a little sooner, I wouldn’t have driven you all to death like this. I was careless.

It’s all my fault.

I’m so, so sorry.

Conveying the unspoken apology, she hugged him tightly. He hesitated for a moment, then tried to embrace Reibella. But before his hands could wrap around her, he disappeared.

Not just him, but also the nanny who had been by her side, the numerous servants who would smile and nod at her whenever she ran down the corridors, and the many knights fighting beyond the castle walls, along with their terrible voices. They all vanished.

Only Reibella remained.

The girl stood alone atop the Felicity castle that had turned to ashes.

A terrible loneliness and sorrow washed over her like a tidal wave.

Reibella burst into loud sobs. For a very long time, until she was exhausted from crying and too weak to stand, she sat down.

Then, too tired, she was about to close her eyes right there.

But then…

‘…A butterfly?’

A butterfly that suddenly appeared started circling around her. It was a transparent, light green butterfly that sparkled brightly.

The butterfly, fluttering its wings, circled around, seemingly unable to find a place to land, and eventually approached Reibella as if it had found a resting place. Reibella’s hair swayed slightly from the small but strong wingbeats. A sweet scent wafted in with that breeze. It was a fragrance so sweet that it seemed to sting the tongue just from the smell.

Reibella unconsciously reached out towards the butterfly.

And at that moment.

“Ugh…”

She felt the terrible weight of life.

‘It hurts…’

Truly, as if someone had beaten her entire body with a club, a throbbing pain arose. Even breathing was difficult, making her breath tremble. Unable to bear the overwhelming pain, Reibella tightly grasped something.

A shallow sigh poured over her head.

“Just this once.”

Along with a muttering voice, something entered between Reibella’s tightly clenched teeth. It was something bitter with a sweet scent. Ugh. As she involuntarily gagged, a strong force covered Reibella’s mouth.

“Swallow it. You said you needed this.”

The one who finally made her swallow something let out a sigh of relief and gently covered Reibella’s eyes with a warm hand.

As if that was a signal, Reibella once again fell into a deep sleep.

Comfortably, along with the gradually disappearing pain.

* * *

‘I really almost died.’

Reibella, who had left her bed after a long time, stretched vigorously to loosen her stiff body.

‘To think I received help from Duke Vicheravali again.’

She seemed to have seen Duke Vicheravali before losing consciousness after ingesting the poison. When she checked immediately after opening her eyes, it really was that person, Duke Vicheravali.

They said he suddenly appeared at the Emperor and Princess’s tea time, carried her who had collapsed, and brought her to the palace’s pharmacy.

Also, it was he who said that it would be uncomfortable for her to rest with many people around and demanded a private room.

‘I’m grateful, but not grateful…’

She was thankful that he saved her life, but it didn’t seem like his help was out of pure goodwill, like when he lent her the book.

He had his reasons for that.

A few days ago, Duke Vicheravali’s servant who had visited her when she regained consciousness said:

‘That day, the Duke personally went to find you, Miss.’

He said he went to the Princess’s palace but their paths crossed. So he returned to the Emperor’s palace to find her and witnessed the situation.

‘The Duke was curious about the source of the information you had. The information you provided was about conversations between the previous Emperor and the previous Duke Vicheravali when they were young. That information was in the belongings of the previous Emperor that His Majesty hadn’t yet sorted through. How did you find that out?’

It seems the ‘Dad told me’ she wrote in the letter worked too well.

‘Do you perhaps have any more information?’

He looked like he might lock her in an underground dungeon and interrogate her if she didn’t speak, so she was honestly a bit scared.

‘I should avoid getting involved from now on.’

She was grateful to Duke Vicheravali and wished him well for showing her kindness.

But separately, knowing his ending, she couldn’t get any closer. She didn’t think he could defeat the Emperor and Princess.

Especially since he had an internal enemy, his son Royan. As long as that guy was blinded by the Princess and brought down Vicheravali, there was nothing Reibella could do. She couldn’t tell him to kill his son, after all.

‘I’m busy trying to survive myself, how can I afford to take care of others?’

Just barely escaping death because she couldn’t find one herb was enough. Rather than worrying about others’ futures, she needed to take care of her own first.

Reibella, who had let out a long sigh, turned her gaze to the windowsill. There was a purple flower in a glass vase.

That sweet-scented flower was the antidote herb, raffle, that she had been desperately searching for. In other words, it was Reibella’s lifeline.

‘That child must have brought it.’

The only person Reibella had mentioned the antidote herb to was the red-eyed boy she had seen in front of the grave that time. If a flower she didn’t know about was here, the answer lay with him.

‘I need to meet him and ask.’

Where he found it. If there’s more.

But it was just a chance encounter in the palace, and she had no way of knowing who that child was or where he was now.

It would be nice if he came here again, but…

‘Ah. The grave.’

Maybe if she left a message at the grave, they could meet?

If he discovers the message later and lets her know his location, it would be better than aimlessly wandering around the palace.

Yes. Let’s go to the grave.

Having made her decision, Reibella, after much contemplation, wrote a short message. And as she was about to take a step towards the door,

Bam. The door swung open and a terrifyingly beautiful blonde child barged in.

It was the Princess, Erina Curtis Rastel.

She greeted Reibella with a bright smile, looking straight at her.

“You’re awake, Reibella. Nice to meet you!”