I'm A Sucker For Extras - Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Even with Aidan’s firm declaration, the princess and her entourage didn’t flinch.

The thirty soldiers seemed to have no intention of moving a millimeter without orders.

The princess and Jax remained unfazed by the statement that “Brody is already the Duke’s wife.”

Regardless of legitimacy or anything else, they probably intend to take her anyway. Aidan sensed that this fight was unavoidable.

The princess said, “It’s truly strange. Someone as significant as the Duke got married, and yet there’s no one here to witness it.”

Jax took the lead in responding, “Your Grace, out of respect for your honor, I don’t want to question it, but I cannot overlook my dear sister’s affairs. Will you show me the marriage vows that Priest has granted so that this brother can verify them?”

In a marriage, the blessing of the priest, witnesses, vows, and the exchange of tokens were necessary. Although the last issue was overlooked, the marriage would be considered official when the couple made vows in front of witnesses and the priest documented and notarized it.

However, Aidan and Brody had never gone through such formalities, so there was no marriage covenant.

Aidan said, “Must you always carry the marriage vow once you are wed? We will verify it later; for now, please leave with courtesy, as befitting knights.”

“Then show us the tokens. Don’t you carry them with you?” Jax’s words caused Aidan’s eyebrows to furrow.

After a brief silence, Jax tried to push the issue, but Brody’s response halted him.

“Duke Jax, the evidence is here.”

Evidence? With a puzzled expression on Jax’s face, Brody calmly pointed to her own chest.

“Where else could there be clearer evidence than within myself?”

Facing Jax and the princess directly, Brody carefully uttered each word.

“I am this person’s wife.”

Tightly. Aidan’s strength flowed into the hand holding Brody.

Perhaps feeling that warmth, Brody’s tone became slightly more assertive.

“I chose to be by the Duke’s side of my own will, not as a hastily arranged consort for Your Highness’s younger sibling.”

‘Her own will.’

The princess fixed her ornate gaze on Brody as she uttered unfamiliar words. However, Jax responded as if mocking the situation.

“Brody, hold your tongue. Are you going to reject the favor bestowed upon you?”

“I’ve been treated like a piece of dust confined at home for over twenty years. Now, I’ve become the Duke’s wife in a short period of time. Should I feel grateful toward the dust side or the husband side?”

“…,”

Brody sarcastically highlighted the fact that she had exposed to the princess ‘the pressure of her brother using his authority to intimidate her.’ Whether anyone here understood or took note, it seemed enough to infuriate Duke Jax.

However, Brody’s attention was more on the princess beside him than on Jax.

She was the instigator of this plot, yet she smiled gracefully at Brody’s response.

Why is she looking at her like that? Flustered, Brody cleared her throat and continued, avoiding the princess’s warm gaze.

“Um, well, anyway, I’m not being kidnapped. I will follow His Grace. Please do not worry, and all of you, please turn back.”

Despite Brody’s reasonable argument, Jax maintained a stern expression.

In a tone as if educating an ignorant child, he said, “Brody, my dear brother-in-law. A woman’s judgment is as shaky as a reed and can be swayed at any moment. No matter what you claim, it is of no effect, and until you produce proof, I cannot lift the weight of responsibility for you from this brother’s shoulders.”

His tone was gentle, but the content clearly crushed the other party. The attitude of treating Brody as property, not a person, was evident.

And behind them, the thirty soldiers seemed to be in agreement.

Their focus was solely on determining who had the authority over Brody—the person who could decide his fate—whether it was the ‘husband Duke’ after marriage or the ‘brother Duke’ before marriage.

Regardless, that was the norm in this era.

Brody, with a hint of annoyance, chewed on her lips and replied, “So, if I show you the evidence, will you leave without further ado?”

“Yes, if you’ve married the Duke.”

“Can you swear as a knight?”

After a brief hesitation, Jax, with exaggerated gestures, placed his right hand over his chest and swore, “Of course. A man keeps his word.”

Perhaps due to his mood, the princess seemed to look at Jax with some disdain. However, Brody needed to stay focused, so she turned away and collected herself.

She grabbed Aidan’s hand tightly.

“Brody, what are you trying to do?”

There could be no such thing as wedding vows.

But instead of answering, Brody lifted their clasped hands.

Swoosh.

Between the lifted sleeves, the bracelet glimmered. On Brody’s wrist was the ‘Ice Crystal,’ emitting a cold blue light.

And on Aidan’s wrist was the emerald-colored gem flower, ‘Gem Fior.’

Ice Crystal was a rare stone considered a treasure in the North. Gem Fior, a gem that solidifies decisions when a flower blooms, was equally rare.

Aidan’s eyes widened at the sight of his wrist.

“When did…?!”

The Gem Fior bracelet was something Brody had just hastily created.

She had thought about whether there was anything significant she could give Aidan, but since she hadn’t given him anything, this was the only way.

“We exchanged our vows with the most precious thing we had, so that proves it, doesn’t it?”

Ice Crystal and Gem Fior were rare, valuable, and meaningful items. They were more than sufficient to appear as a marriage token, especially Ice Crystal, which only the Duke of the North could possess. This added credibility to the marriage token since it was well known that it was given to the spouse during marriage.

Although Aidan knew that Brody had just conjured up the Gem Fior bracelet as a plant mage, there was no way to bring it up openly here.

So, the preciousness of the two gems was enough to make the marriage token convincing.

Brody spoke with a triumphant tone, “Now, as you vowed, please leave”

They had been rushed up from the south and had not yet entered the north, so in what spirit could a marriage ceremony be held, when, and where? Naturally, there would be no marriage token.

Jax, who had confidently let go of the reins, now found himself in a difficult situation.

He had already made a firm vow. He sent a pleading gaze to the princess.

The princess, without looking at Jax, smiled brightly.

“Alright, Lady Brody. I’ll acknowledge that you’re the Duke’s wife.”

“What are you doing, Your Highness?”

Jax whispered to the princess as if trying to dissuade her.

If she admitted it like this, what would happen?

Still fixed on Brody, the princess continued, “But I find Lady’s claim more appealing.”

Uneasily, her horse took a step forward.

Brody furrowed eyebrows, tightening grip on Aidan’s hand.

Aidan, looking at the Gem Fior glinting in Brody’s eyes, was jolted back to reality by the princess’s movement and Brody’s tension.

Brody asked, “What do you mean by ‘my claim’?”

Despite Brody’s sharp counter-question, the princess responded, smiling even brighter.

“Lady Brody, I mean that you will decide where to be based on your will.”

A gentle breeze passed between them.

‘A warm breeze? It’s winter; how can there be a warm breeze…?’

Brody was taken aback. However, there was no need to check twice.

That energy came from the princess.

A bead of cold sweat ran down Brody’s back.

She regained her composure and shouted, “That’s already something I’ve decided on my own will—to go to the North.”

Seeing Brody not being overly polite or nervous even in front of her, the princess smiled as if it were fun.

“Do not go to the North, Brody. The place you should rightfully be is not the frozen North but the warm capital. I can provide everything you need; we can…”

The princess’s golden eyes burned brightly, as if they were piercing through Brody.

For some reason, she couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Choose me. Say it with your own words.”

As if standing under the scorching sun of midsummer, a fervent energy began to ripple before them.

Aidan was mentally prepared.

He knew what the princess intended.

“Speak. The truth is… you want to go back to the Empire!”

Kwaaaah!

As the princess shouted her last words, a hot energy engulfed Aidan and Brody like a rushing wave.

At the same time, a cold chill emanated from Aidan and violently clashed with the hot energy.

With disheveled hair and without losing focus, Brody stared straight ahead, watching the collision of the two energies.

And thus, the gazes of the princess and Brody intertwined.

“Uh!”

“Gasps!”

At the same time, both Jax and the princess let out small screams of surprise.

And they couldn’t keep their shrieking mouths shut.

On the tongues of both of them, a poisonous flower had bloomed.

Sizzle…

The princess’s energy momentarily scattered.

“Run, Your Grace!”

At Brody’s signal, Aidan quickly tightened the reins and urged the horse forward.

For some unknown reason, Brody felt a hunch that she had done something.

The princess felt an itching sensation in her tongue and turned her body to watch the two retreating figures.

Surprisingly, there was a cold satisfaction on the princess’s face.

The princess gathered her energy, feeling the tingling in her tongue, and burned the plant that had sprouted within her tongue, simultaneously gesturing towards the back.

Immediately, thirty soldiers in neat formation began to draw their bows.

No, they tried to draw their bows.

“Hehehehe!”

“Euaaaah!”

Suddenly, the horses began to trot in place, throwing off the riders.

Because of that, the soldiers couldn’t draw their bows properly, let alone raise them.

Brody looked at the scene through Aidan’s embrace.

The intent of her plan to surprise the horses and make them go wild was being perfectly realized.

“Sorry, horses.”

Apologizing silently to the horses suffering because of the wrong owner, Brody received Aidan’s question.

“Can you tell me what you did?”

“Oh, that. I used a bit of poisonous flower and thorns.”

With those brief words, Aidan could guess what she had done.

Having faced off against her abilities as a ‘plant mage,’ which he thought he was well-acquainted with, Aidan realized that it was beyond his imagination in actual combat.

She was able to pull off the most effective attacks without being detected.

Ingenious planning, quick judgment, and bold execution, combined with calm precision,.

He felt a sense of security, and at the same time, a chill ran down his spine.

What if she stood on the Empire’s side?

Already, Brody seemed unlikely to be in this world. There were countless moments from their first meeting when she could have killed him.

“You really ‘saved’ me.”

“What? What did you say?”

Unable to hear Aidan’s muttering over the wind and the thundering hooves, Brody questioned him.

Aidan looked down at Brody. The lush, curly hair that peeked out from the tightly tied bundle swayed redly over her face, heated by the chase.

Aidan held her even more tightly and said, “Thank you for saving me.”