I'm A Sucker For Extras - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

“Alright.”

As soon as he’d finished untying the laces, Brody scrambled away and pulled on her chemise.

The heat that had risen to her face seemed to spread down to her neck, making it feel like she was about to be caught.

A sudden chill rushed through her as she slipped on the chemise, which was thin compared to the formal clothes she’d just worn.

Aidan, seeing Brody huddled and wrapped around her own shoulders, quickly pulled out the blanket. Then he sat on the bed and called her.

“Come here.”

“Yes? Oh, yes.”

This is not their first time, so why is she so nervous?

Is it because of the cold or the tension that makes her shiver?

Brody hoped her demeanor appeared calm as she slowly approached the bed.

As she sat down, Aidan pulled the covers over her and smoothed them out.

Although the blanket covered her, it couldn’t easily warm up the now-cold bedding.

Despite the cover, the cold bedding didn’t warm Brody easily.

Aidan noticed Brody’s hand shivering as she clutched the comforter and reached out to touch it.

“You’re cold.”

Hmm. As he suddenly moved, Brody, who was lightly startled, was comforted by the warmth of his touch.

“That… seems like it.”

“Your hands are cold.”

He pulled Brody closer. Aidan, embracing her halfway in his arms, said.

“Just endure a bit more; it’ll be over soon.”

“…”

‘Endure a bit more? It’ll be over soon? Endure what, and what’s going to be over? ’

Brody, who had swallowed saliva, looked at Aidan with confusion.

Aidan nodded as if it were an okay signal.

“Well, let’s proceed now.”

What? What is it? But it was already too late to ask or stop him.

Aidan confidently rang the prepared bell.

The clear, almost icy sound echoed in the room.

Brody bit her trembling lips due to tension.

Regardless of her fidgeting, Brody could hear the sound of footsteps outside.

Soon, the door opened slowly, and the silhouettes of two attendants appeared outside.

They approached and stood at the foot of the bed where the two were sitting.

Perhaps because of the quiet atmosphere or the deep darkness of the night.

The two attendants looked more solemn than usual—no, even more serious than usual.

Brody’s pupils shook with dizziness.

‘No way, no way… It’s not some joint ceremony, is it? No way…! ‘

It felt like she had seen a scene from a fantasy world where people with such customs came out of her previous life.

‘This… is insane? ‘

If that’s the case…

‘I’m not confident. I can’t do it. What should I do? ‘

It became a serious consideration.

The contours of the attendants, standing with candles behind them, faintly glowed.

They raised their hands with expressionless, solemn faces.

In the hands of Adonia, the assistant priest, was a beautifully carved vessel.

Ratua put his hand into the vessel, sprinkled it over the bed, and said.

“May the blessings of the sacred union of the couple be bestowed.”

It must be holy water.

Brody, who got a few drops on her body, shivered.

Whether it was because of the tension or the cold water, she was shaking so much that it was embarrassing for Aidan, who was holding her, because it would be all over him.

“Now, please take your seats.”

“…!”

Wait a minute. Really? Is it true?

Thump, thump. Brody’s heart was pounding painfully. Seriously, more intensely than when riding a vertical ride at an amusement park, more nervous than when wondering when a ghost might come out of a haunted house, her heart was fiercely asserting its existence.

‘Oh, crazy people from the past! This isn’t right! This isn’t right! ’

While shouting that internally, Aidan pushed her behind.

“Well, wait a moment. Your Grace, this is…”

“Hush. It’s okay. You don’t have to be scared.”

Aidan comforted her, seeming concerned as Brody trembled too much.

Then, while tightly embracing Brody’s shoulders as she lay down, he pulled up the blanket with the other hand to cover them both and lay down.

At that moment, Adonia handed a neatly folded cloth to Ratua and unfolded it at the same time.

A fluttering sound echoed as the white cloth inflated greatly.

The two of them pulled the light, airy cloth from both sides and covered Brody and Aidan, who were under the blanket.

Looking down with rabbit-like eyes, Brody saw a symbol embroidered in golden thread on the fabric, representing ‘Adare Grache Church.’

‘You expect me to be okay with this?! ’

As Brody silently exclaimed internally, the two attendants slowly sat on the floor, leaving the bed where they were lying.

Then they stood up and quietly walked out of the room.

“Hah!”

When they sat on the floor, Brody, activating her plant mage ability, was one second away from using it. She thought the priests were settling in for the night.

However, fortunately! It was an act to pick up the laid-down utensils.

As the door closed with a thud, Brody let out a sigh without realizing it.

Her hands were sweaty, and her heart was pounding as if it would jump out of her mouth.

Shoo, like air escaping from a balloon, felt like she could finally pour out tears in relief.

‘Thank goodness. Really. I almost left the North because of this contract.’

As Brody gradually calmed her breathing, trying to find composure, a man who was partly embracing her came into view.

“Ah, um… it’s not over yet.”

After the attendants left, Aidan pulled Brody even closer.

“Ah.”

Brody was surprised—not extremely, but unexpectedly.

It felt like it had been a long time. Seeing him lie like this…

In front of her, Brody could see the line of his toned collarbone, exposed through the loose-fitting chemise. As she watched his body rise and fall to catch his breath, Brody thought to herself.

‘You’ve definitely been avoiding me since the contract. You don’t even try to touch me unless there’s a reason, and you’ve been acting awkward.’

She stared endlessly at the back of his horse as he rode, the seat beside him untouched. The cold expression in his blue eyes.

It was a change that even the most blind person couldn’t fail to notice.

It was the same yesterday. It was a similar situation, but his attitude was worlds apart from what he showed in the South.

Because Brody was the one who pushed away his affection first, she had to console herself not to be upset and act like nothing happened.

But in reality… She felt a bit hurt. Unbelievably, she felt this way, even though it was shameless.

“Maybe it’s because of the contract. We have to go through the wedding ceremony.”

As she thought so, her mind got tangled up.

She felt a headache coming on and slightly lowered her head.

Then, as Aidan got closer, her forehead touched his collarbone.

His body temperature was always higher than Brody’s, so the warmth on her forehead felt pleasant. It contradicted her anxious feelings.

Brody, savoring his temperature through the skin touching hers, spoke in her mind.

‘You don’t hate me, right? ’

She didn’t ask for an answer. It was just a murmured question that Aidan probably couldn’t hear.

At that moment, Aidan’s body suddenly vibrated with a low hum as it reached Brody’s forehead. Simultaneously, a pleasant, low voice spread from Aidan’s forehead.

“It looks like my body and face are still good.”

“Yes, yes?”

Flustered, Brody was shocked to the point of shaking.

Fortunately, what he said was not an answer to Brody’s question. However, the content was suspicious.

Brody, still shocked, tried to move back to look at Aidan’s face.

But since he was holding her shoulders, she couldn’t move away completely. So, the distance she secured was only enough for the corner of his mouth to be visible.

Seeing his lips, Brody widened her eyes.

‘This guy… is smiling…! ’

Brody frowned in a somewhat irritated manner at his mischievous expression.

‘Huh? I’m serious here! Why are you smiling like that? ’

He lightly kissed Brody’s forehead as if responding to her dissatisfaction, and then pulled her even closer.

The gap that had just opened up was filled again, and Brody’s face rested on his chest, his face on top of Brody’s head.

While holding Brody, he murmured.

“But it’s the same for me.”

In a somewhat awkward posture, hugging Aidan, Brody blinked her eyes.

‘Same? What is? ’

Brody recalled what he had said earlier.

“It looks like my body and face are still good.”

‘So, what you just said means you like my body and face too.’

“…!”

Brody’s face heated up.

‘What’s this sudden comment again? Are you trying to flirt with me? Huh? ’

But that wasn’t the end of her embarrassment.

After embracing Brody, he took a deep breath in and out, as if savoring it. Deep and slow.

Aidan’s nose lightly touched her skin, catching a whiff of her scent between the strands of her hair. It was a fragrance that was plain yet refreshing, sturdy yet lively. It felt like the thick air of a warm forest and, at the same time, like the cool dew of a Taiga. A scent that drove him crazy…

He slowly moved his face, instinctively heading towards her delicate skin.

Eventually, he buried his face between her neck and hair. And he didn’t stop there, rubbing his nose against the shoulder exposed through her loose chemise.

She had always been there, but…… It was a scent he missed dreadfully nonetheless.

Brody was taken aback by the unexpected intimacy.

“Aidan…?”

Brody asked, holding onto his shoulders as if trying to push him away.

But Aidan didn’t blink and just chuckled.

‘He’s smiling again…!’

This guy, why is he doing this?

Given his recent cold demeanor, the sudden change in his behavior left her so dumbfounded that she couldn’t react.

“Because you’re…… so beautiful…… I don’t know what to do…….”

“…!”

Brody shuddered, matching the pace of her blushing face, wondering if she had ticklish cells in her heart. Goosebumps sprouted on her arms.

At that moment, Brody noticed a sweet, fruity scent mixed in with the strange sentences.

‘Ah, could it be…’

Sniff. Brody took another deep breath, and she confirmed her suspicions.

Hmm, that’s right. It seemed like Aidan was a bit drunk.

He had probably drunk a bit too much at the banquet earlier, but he showed no sign of being drunk with his unchanged expression.

Brody, holding onto his shoulders and shaking him, asked,

“Your Grace, you smell like fruity wine; how much have you been drinking, huh?”

“Hmm… Maybe. You smell like the forest.”

“…?”

What nonsense is this? Do I smell like that to him?

“Because I like it…”

“…”

The smell of the forest? Maybe it’s because I’m a plant mage?

Brody turned her head and brought her shoulder closer to his nose, letting him smell her scent. She couldn’t tell if she had a scent, given that it was her own smell. Brody couldn’t figure it out.

‘How much should I trust the words of a drunk person? ‘

Sighing, she reluctantly let him enjoy her fragrance as much as he wanted.

‘Maybe he’s really drunk. Come to think of it, the way he acted today is similar to when he got drunk after returning from a battle…’

Suddenly, a memory from the past surfaced.

Aidan was a person who usually didn’t reveal his true feelings.

Even today, he handled himself so thoroughly that she didn’t seem to notice that he had drunk a lot.

‘When we were in the South, he was at least honest.’

But when he was in the North…….

Like when he ate meshu, or the day he went to war and came back….

‘Then maybe he’s holding on to…… something; maybe he did something when he came north to…….’

Brody unconsciously reached out and hugged the back of his head, which clung to the nape of his neck. And slowly, she began to stroke it.

‘Oh, I don’t know. I really don’t know anything.’

A pang of unbearable sadness rose in her as she realized that he had no intention of dropping the burden on his shoulders, no intention of sharing it, and only knew how to bear it in silence.

As she wrapped her arms around him, Aidan let out a sigh that sounded like a moan.