I'm A Sucker For Extras - Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Adonia’s sudden prophecy was bizarre, but he hadn’t been lying when he said his healing holy power was exceptional.

Brody felt a significant improvement in her physical condition.

“My body feels… lighter?”

“Thank goodness! I told you I bestowed powerful blessings!”

Encouraged by Adonia, Brody walked and even tried running to assess her physical condition.

Looking at Brody, who was now in a condition where anything seemed possible, Aidan felt both happy and a bit regretful.

‘She won’t rely on me anymore.’

How could he not know?

Since this morning, Brody has been strangely pushing him away and attempting to stand alone again.

And then he realized that last night’s rejection wasn’t just due to tiredness.

The hope he’d had when she’d invited him into bed had become a familiar disappointment, weighing on his heart.

He had a premonition that the moment was coming when she would bring up the subject of going north again.

❖ ❖ ❖

Night fell again.

Just like the day after the incident, Brody lay on the bed, and Aidan laid out his sleeping bag on the floor.

Aidan looked at Brody lying with her back turned, then shifted his gaze to the ceiling.

The sound of waves hitting the ship’s hull, undeterred, brought a constant stream of contemplation.

He recalled the priest’s words from the daytime.

“It’s a cruel aura… It will freeze the lady’s entire body.”

It was a prophecy from an inexperienced oracle. Hadn’t he told her not to pay attention to such nonsense?

‘But…’

Unconsciously exhaling a sigh, he smoothed his breath, worried that Brody might wake up at any moment.

Quietly squeezing his forehead, he closed his eyes tightly.

❖ ❖ ❖

The next day.

“Thank you for your help. You saved me from losing a week, and I’m feeling better.”

After disembarking, Ratua politely expressed his gratitude.

He was showing an attitude befitting a priest, except when dealing with Adonia.

“Thank you for everything!”

Adonia, still wearing his hood, said, waving his arms.

The silver emblem, once adorned with a seagull’s beak, glittered on his wrist in the pleasant noon sunlight.

“May your journey be filled with passionate grace.”

“Passionate grace will be with you!”

They exchanged greetings and then turned away.

‘Odd people. Are all priests like this? ‘

Despite being absent-minded or carefree, they both seemed genuinely kind.

After responding to their farewells, Brody and Aidan soon picked up their belongings.

“Good job, Kaius.”

Aidan complimented as he stroked the muzzle of his black steed, Kaius, who had made the journey with grace.

Kaius stomped his feet in a variety of ways to show his delight at the new ground he’d been on for so long.

Feeling sorry for Kaius, Aidan specially hired a stablehand to take care of it on the ship. Thankfully, Kaius seemed to have regained its energy.

“Brody.”

Aidan called Brody, who was gazing at the sea near the pier. Brody walked over.

“Don’t go too far away.”

“Yes.”

He smiled at the healthier Brody.

Aidan had felt a bit sad about Brody standing alone, but now, seeing her lively movements, he was more pleased than anything.

“Should we buy a horse?”

“Hmm? Do you know how to ride a horse?”

Brody was taken aback by Aidan’s question.

‘Oh, right. I never rode a horse.’

Now she could, but the period during which she could ride seemed suspiciously short.

“Well, it seems so.”

She wasn’t lying, but unable to explain the reason, Brody casually mumbled, pretending nothing was wrong.

Although her body initially seemed to know how to ride, something else took over, preventing her from riding. After experiencing riding with Aidan and getting used to the mental aspect of horseback riding, she was able to ride again. How could she explain this?

“You… pretended not to be able to ride?”

Aidan asked with a puzzled expression.

“What? No, that’s not it.”

Brody responded, raising her hands in bewilderment.

‘If I pretended not to be able to ride, what would that make me!? ‘ It felt as if she was scheming to get closer to Aidan by pretending not to know how to ride.

“I, I wasn’t pretending not to be able to ride. It’s just that…”

“…Ah, I see.”

Brody’s strong defense was met with a weakened response from Aidan, which made Brody feel even more embarrassed.

“Well, no, that doesn’t mean I didn’t like riding with you……!”

“…Is that so?”

Aidan finally smiled.

“Is it better if we ride together?”

At his crooked grin, Brody realized he’d been talked into it.

“I……, Your Grace?”

As a prisoner of war, Brody would have hidden many things.

Saying she knew how to ride a horse, for example, would have raised suspicions, so it wasn’t unreasonable for her to hide that fact.

But it was cute to see the usually laid-back Brody get embarrassed and make excuses, and Aidan couldn’t help but poke fun.

“Are you making fun of me now?”

Without answering Brody’s awkward question, Aidan, unusually flustered, lightly tapped Brody’s blushing cheek.

Then, smiling, he explained that they were planning a forced march today and that it would be tough for her to keep up.

Aidan showed her the map. This time it was a real parchment map, not a palm-sized one.

‘Why is he smiling like that? It’s making my heart flutter.’

Aidan’s smile seemed more meaningful than when she teased him. Brody’s face started to heat up even more.

Brody, trying to hide her flushed cheeks, listened to Aidan’s explanation. They were planning to ride non-stop for about half a day from Tilden Port to Middle Trade City, located southwest of the Perdan Fortress.

“Middle Trade City; that’s a straightforward name.”

“Yeah, it is. It’s a commercial hub being close to the central-northern route. It’s probably the largest city near the fortress.”

Brody nodded in understanding. Aidan continued the explanation.

“But there’s no suitable town to stay in midway. So, we’re going straight there, without resting, covering about half a day.”

“But you said it’s a two-day journey. Won’t it be tough to ride non-stop for half a day?”

“It’s deep into winter, and we’re close to the north. Kaius is much more lively and can absorb the power of the spirits better here.”

Brody hesitated. Riding for half a day without a break was unimaginable for her.

“So, it might be better if you ride with me.”

Since she couldn’t force herself to ride, Brody agreed. They set off again, riding Kaius.

❖ ❖ ❖

A quiet hill rises next to the port.

Adonia, riding up the ridge, suddenly turned back.

In his gray eyes, he saw the figures of two people on a black horse far below the hill.

“….”

He stopped for a moment and looked at them.

The wind blowing from the sea tousled his white hair.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”

“Oh, no. I’ll be there.”

He turned his head, wearing a strange expression.

❖ ❖ ❖

Although it was still south of the Perdan Fortress, the end of November in the central-northern region was already quite cold.

Riding helped maintain some warmth due to the increased body temperature, but during the brief breaks, sweat cooled rapidly in the chilly wind, making the already biting cold even more intense.

Every time this happened, Aidan took care of Brody.

He tried to make a warm water pouch during their short breaks, but Brody objected, saying it wasn’t necessary.

Brody sat with Aidan during the breaks, sometimes sharing a horse, but Aidan didn’t close his eyes once, focusing on riding.

Even during the short rest, he didn’t want to disturb her.

Moreover, for some reason, his condition didn’t seem too good…

“Uh, I think we should just stay like this.”

Brody sat down next to Aidan, snuggling into his cloak.

Flustered, Aidan blushed slightly, gathering the cloak around them.

Naturally, Brody leaned on Aidan’s arm.

‘I don’t think he’s feeling well.’

Although he was a forced marcher, his body didn’t really look weak. In fact, he seemed more robust than Brody, who was just sitting.

‘His physique is superhuman from the start. Then why is he doing this? ’

He simply remained silent throughout the run. He wasn’t particularly talkative, even more so now.

As Brody had a lot on her mind, the closer they got to the north, they ran almost without any conversation.

Uncomfortable as it was, feeling the need to speak up, Brody gathered her courage and spoke.

Now seemed like the right time.

“Your Grace.”

“Hmm?”

“I wanted to say something that I didn’t get to back then.”

“…Hmm.”

Upon hearing Brody’s words, which seemed to detach luck, Aidan thought it had come.

“Duke Jax told me that he has accepted me into the family and that he can then decide where I live; is that correct?”

“Hmm, that’s right. Unmarried women or minors are basically the responsibility of the family.”

“Sigh… Responsibility. He didn’t care about how I was treated in the duke’s house all this time, and now they’re suddenly asking me to join the family. The intention is so clear that it makes me shiver.”

Aidan pulled her shoulders towards him with a bitter expression.

“If I may ask, are your parents……?”

To answer his question, Brody hesitated for a moment before answering.

“…I don’t have any. I don’t even know who they are.”

Aidan nodded. He had heard her being referred to as an orphan when Jax was causing trouble in the south.

‘To make her birth, which could be a weakness, so public… I might have an idea of how Brody was treated and raised.’

It seemed like he understood why she didn’t return to the imperial capital after escaping from the northern army. It was probably not just because of the failure of the mission and the loss of face to Jax.

Even when he asked her if there was a place she wanted to protect before heading to the capital and facing the battle, she answered without hesitation that there was none.

‘Perhaps she doesn’t want to be involved with nobility or be entangled in power anymore.’

Aidan vaguely understood Brody’s feelings.

So, in the end, there was only one choice left for her.

Realizing this, Aidan, with determination, caressed the parchment he had put in his arms like a baby.

Brody hesitated and opened her mouth.

“Your Grace, about that… I think I have to go to the north alone.”

“…Hmm?”

What’s this again? Aidan furrowed his eyebrows. He had considered all the possible choices she might think of, but this was an unexpected one.

“You see, if it looks like you’re traveling north with me, I’m going to have you brought before a council of nobles to be judged. It’s going to get you in trouble.”

“That’s fine.”

“I don’t know if you only blame the imperial family, but it’s not good to do something that goes against your cause, and with how important the North is right now, you can’t afford to lose face.”

“Even if you go to the north alone, nothing will change. You’ll have to stay with me in the north anyway. To avoid detection by the control magic, there’s no other way.”

“…”

Since it was a valid point, Brody fell silent. In fact, she was going north because Aidan had to go north.

A way to be near him without causing him trouble. In the end, there was only one option.

Aidan, realizing this, touched the parchment he had put in his arms with determination.

Marry him and become his wife. Then Jax can’t assert his influence as head of the family over Brody.

‘How do I tell him…… to let me go after three years? I’m not sure I can convince him……….’

Brody scratched at her fuzzy cloak.

She needed to say something blunt again, but the words wouldn’t come out of her mouth.

Aidan’s expression hardened as Brody hesitated for a long moment.

Finally, he mustered up the courage to speak.

“Brody, please marry me.”