I'm A Sucker For Extras - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

‘Why is he smiling like that?’

Brody felt a slight discomfort in Teddy’s smile, but perhaps because he had been doing well so far, she quickly brushed off any uneasy feelings and shifted her thoughts elsewhere.

Brody gazed at the majestic fortress.

“I never expected to come back like this.”

Just like when they left, when they returned, Brody had no idea what to expect.

What awaited them beyond.

Twang!

“Kyaa!”

The ambush happened suddenly.

In the plain just in front of the fortress, an arrow flew from somewhere.

Brody’s horse, Creambroni, lost balance due to the sudden wind caused by the arrow. The reins slipped through her fingers, and she was thrown off the horse.

In an instant, the world flipped upside down before her eyes.

‘What should I do? Should I bend my body? Should I roll to avoid being trampled by the hooves? No, before that, I should at least try not to break my neck…

In a split second, many thoughts crossed her mind, but Brody realized instinctively that she couldn’t do anything beyond instinctive actions.

With her eyes tightly closed, she prepared for the impending impact.

“Huh!”

“Boom”. However, the impact was lighter than expected.

Brody’s body was rolling while being enveloped by something firm yet soft.

“Brody!”

Soon, a familiar voice reached her, and a familiar breath covered her.

It was Aidan.

He must have been running ahead of her, because somehow he had snatched her out of the air as she was falling, wrapped his arms around her, and rolled her across the ground.

Was that even possible?

Teddy, looking at the situation in disbelief, had no time to leisurely contemplate what had just happened.

Several arrows were flying toward them again.

“For goodness’ sake!”

Aidan roared and rolled again with Brody in his arms.

In Brody’s dizzy field of vision, she saw Creambroni leaping around. Between the strands of her beautiful-colored fur, a long arrow shaft was visible.

“Creambroni!”

Brody reflexively shouted the horse’s name.

“Brody, are you hurt?”

“No, I’m unharmed. I’m okay. I…”

Seeing Brody respond clearly, Aidan nodded and held her even tighter, running again.

Teddy, with an astonished look, observed the recent events. However, before he could fully comprehend the situation, Aidan, holding Brody, flew over Kaius.

Carrying his owner, Kaius neighed bravely and let out a strong whinny, and in response to that sound, Aidan drew a massive sword from his side.

Vwoong!

The chilling aura emanated from Aidan’s sword, spreading out like a wave.

Dry grass, unable to cling to the ground any longer, was lifted by the eerie force.

Amidst the swirling dust, in the distance, a group of riders could be seen stopping their horses.

Aidan glared at them sharply while still holding Brody tightly.

A low growl reverberated through the air.

“Jax.”

Jax? Brody, suppressing her pounding heart, turned her head with effort.

Behind Creambroni’s head, the outlines of small figures with only fingernail-sized hands were visible.

It wasn’t easy to recognize them, but Jax wasn’t alone.

Without further confirmation, Aidan quickly turned the horse’s head.

“Teddy! Go inside with Creambroni and request reinforcements!”

Teddy rolled his eyes as if in disbelief.

“What? Are you telling me to leave you? What about the mistress?”

Ideally, Aidan would have wanted to send Brody ahead first, but he couldn’t do that.

Jax had come. That meant it would be more dangerous if Brody wasn’t close to Aidan.

“Come on, run!”

Aidan pushed Creambroni toward the direction of the fortress with a cold wind. Creambroni, hit by the arrow, ran wildly, pushed by the wind Aidan created, heading towards the castle.

Teddy and Kaius followed closely behind.

In the next moment, arrows flew again. Aidan turned around to block them with his sword, then shouted to Teddy, who hesitated and looked back.

“Don’t look back; just keep going! We need to get into the fortress quickly!”

A breathless chase began.

Aidan intermittently stopped to protect them, but thanks to the gust-like speed of Kaius, they didn’t fall far behind and continued to chase after Teddy.

The fortress gate started to take on a more concrete shape as they got closer.

“…!”

However, Aidan had to slow down the horse’s speed due to a sudden pain.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t endure the pain.

He had crossed the battlefield several times, and how much would it hurt to have nails digging into his forearms?

“I…I apologize, Your Grace.”

Brody was trembling as she spoke.

A tingling sensation, like insects crawling through her veins, began to dominate her body from her fingertips.

Biting his lips as if to sob, Aidan leaned down against Brody’s increasingly rapid breathing.

Then he drew in the cold energy he’d spread around him like a protective shield.

Soon, a chilling energy spread throughout Brody’s body.

With that, the strength in her hand, which was digging into Aidan’s arm, suddenly loosened.

Brody leaned against Aidan as if collapsing without realizing it. Unintentionally, a single tear fell.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace…”

“Don’t worry, Brody. Nothing will happen.”

As they slowed down, the pursuers caught up with them.

Aidan turned the horse around to face them.

The pursuers, about thirty in number, stopped in their tracks when one of them raised a hand. Then, in the midst of that procession, two people approached Aidan.

A person riding a horse with white fur and a white mane—a luxurious-looking man with familiar features—is Duke Jax McCarthy.

Next to him, a larger and more majestic horse was visible. Its mane and tail were as bright and golden as the silk-like decorations adorning it. Only two people were walking towards Aidan.

Contrasting with the elegant and flowing golden hair, the person sitting on top of the horse seemed petite. No, although her size might not have been particularly small, it looked that way compared to the horse.

A white face with burning crimson, elegant lips that were gracefully closed on a slightly upturned nose, and most striking of all, the wavy, radiant golden hair.

A woman wearing a tiara that extended with a halo was emitting her own radiance proudly. Princess Myra Riley was looking down at Aidan with a graceful smile.

“Your Highness…”

“I remember seeing you from afar, Duke Mason.”

While Princess Myra seemed relaxed, Aidan had a vein throbbing on his forehead.

His sharp senses were detecting the imminent danger.

The magic that controlled Brody’s mind was different than the one Jax had unleashed on her before.

The source of that power was none other than Princess Myra Riley, who received the protection of the Solar Spirit, the guardian spirit of the Riley family.

‘That person is a princess…’

Brody was seeing a princess for the first time in reality.

She had only heard about her or read about her in novels before. Now, the character she had known through descriptions in books was vividly alive in front of her.

And Brody acknowledged that the descriptions in the novels were not exaggerations or falsehoods. No, she even felt that the descriptions were insufficient.

A graceful appearance that would captivate anyone at first sight, like a statue.

And above all, the most noticeable thing was the radiant golden hair that waved gently. The golden hair seemed to glow on its own, like a vibrant fire.

Princess Myra Riley, with a regal demeanor, exuded an air of both liking and intimidation.

The presence of a sun-like being.

Princess Myra, who caught Brody’s gaze, smiled gently.

Then, without removing her elegant smile, she spoke.

“Duke, I didn’t come here to fight.”

“Isn’t it too weak to be a warning to a kidnapper? ”

“Ha, a kidnapper.”

As Aidan chuckled, Jax stepped forward.

Although subtle, the scars on Jax’s handsome face that Aidan had inflicted seemed to have disappeared somehow. Perhaps it was some magic from the princess. However, Jax spoke, caressing the spot where the scars used to be.

“There is no brother in the world who would look kindly on you for taking his sister without his permission.”

As expected, Jax delivered his lines like an actor on stage.

Truly unchanged. Hearing his tone, Brody felt a headache coming on.

“Brody, my little sister, like a mischievous kitten, is running around and causing trouble. Why don’t you stop rebelling and come home with me?”

‘Ah… Should I respond to that?’

Brody, leaning on Aidan, murmured.

“Can’t we just ignore them, Your Grace?”

Aidan barely resisted the urge to vigorously nod his head.

If only he could turn around and run.

But there was only one person here, above all the thirty or so towering men.

Aidan wasn’t sure if he could stop the princess.

The power that established and maintained the empire originated from the “Spirit of the Sun.”

The descendants of the emperor received the protection of the “Spirit of the Sun” for generations.

Just as Aidan is favored by the “Spirit of Ice,”

And for some reason, now the power seemed to manifest in the princess, who was neither the emperor nor the crown prince.

While others might not know, Aidan, who possessed the aura of the “Spirit of Ice,” could sense it.

The energy was burning within her.

‘It seems she’s born with a strong spirit’s energy.’

For a long time, the “Spirit of Ice” had been subservient to the “Spirit of the Sun,” thanks to a ‘promise’ made around the time the empire was founded.

But that promise was broken recently when the empire allowed autonomy in the north.

So, the confrontation of these two energies was an unprecedented situation in history.

“The proposal for a truce came from your side, did it? Marching all the way to Perdan Fortress, I assume you consider that a violation of the treaty.”

“Oh, come on. Such unpleasant words. Your Grace, we didn’t come to attack the north. Please kindly return my beloved younger sister. Then we’ll turn around without further ado.”

“What kind of man returns his wife to her brother, who has drugged her with a curse and seeks to control her body?”

At those words, the princess’s eyebrows twitched.

The well-trained thirty soldiers didn’t murmur, but their gaze wavered slightly.

However, Jax remained unfazed and continued with his act.

“Is there such a vicious brother in such a world? But what are you talking about, a wife? Brody is your wife? Are you saying that the Duke is now my sister’s husband?”

Unconsciously, Aidan tightened his grip on Brody. It was as if he didn’t want to let go of her forever.

And with each word, he responded with strength.

“Yes. We have already tied the bonds of marriage. Brody is the one who chose to be by my side.”

Aidan’s solemn voice echoed through Brody’s body, which relied on him.

This is not the right time for this. Somehow, chills ran through Brody’s heart, and her pulse began to throb.

It wasn’t intentional, but Brody’s face turned appropriately red, creating the image of a fresh newlywed couple.

Aidan, as if driving a wedge into the situation, spat out his words.

“You are the kidnappers trying to take my wife. You better turn back now.”