I'm A Sucker For Extras - Chapter 51

Chapter 51

With the marriage vows finalized and their mission accomplished, the two priests bid a cheerful farewell and headed south.

Shortly after seeing off the priests, the group of Aidan also received farewells from the fortress people and headed north.

They were disappointed but understood that the Duke had a busy schedule. So they considered it fortunate that they were allowed to hold the banquet hastily the day after Brody woke up. They were just grateful to have been permitted to hold the banquet at all.

Aidan’s hasty departure was partly because they were behind on their work, but more than that, it was to maintain the physical distance between Brody and the princess.

And now, they were traveling north, trudging through the snow.

Clank, clank. Brody sat alone in the small carriage, watching the people outside forge ahead through the snowfall.

She’d said she felt well enough to ride a horse, but Aidan and Teddy had insisted on a carriage.

Knowing her own physical condition wasn’t great, Brody eventually agreed.

She figured it was better than being a burden.

‘I see you’re not going to carry me up front like you did before.’

Brody looked out the window at Aidan, who was herding his horse through the snow with no effort at all.

Aidan’s massive black stallion, Kaius, stood out against the white snow.

Sitting in the driver’s seat was Teddy, and pulling the carriage were Creambroni and Neil. Brody was worried about her horse, who was hot with a bow, but Creambroni stomped her foot eagerly. As if to say, “Don’t worry.” Fortunately, the priest’s care was excellent, and there was no sign of the arrow.

‘Anyway, it must have been hard work, whether you picked me up or pulled the carriage.’

Brody sighed heavily.

She didn’t like the idea of traveling alone in the comfort of the carriage.

No, to be exact, it wasn’t as comfortable as a ‘carriage’, on an unpaved road with uneven bumps, without rubber wheels to cushion the impact, and with poor seat cushions… … .

Still, it would be much better than herding horses in the snow.

There were twenty knights in their ranks to escort the Duke and Brody. So, there are a total of 22 people suffering outside.

“Teddy, isn’t it hard?”

Brody said this to Teddy as he drove the carriage through the small window that led to the coachhouse.

Teddy understood why Brody would ask such a question. A little more cheerfully, he replied.

“Not at all; it would be a shame to waste my reputation as a warrior of the North. I wish it was a bit more; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen snow.”

Talking like that with a reddened face from the cold made his statement less convincing.

Brody thought so but nodded in agreement nonetheless.

“First snow in a long time.” At least it meant there was moisture in the air. Hopefully, the drought would end in the coming year, and everyone seemed to welcome the snow with the same sentiment.

Brody went back to her seat, unable to resist Teddy’s polarizing “It’s cold; get inside, My Lady, or I’ll be the one who gets in trouble.

Fortunately, being the northern warriors that they are, they continued onward, unperturbed by the snow, keeping a steady line of sight.

Brody gave up worrying about them. There was nothing she could do about it. So Brody just stared out the left window at the passing scenery.

Why at the left window? At first, she was looking to the right. But when she made eye contact with Aidan over there, she turned her head the other way.

She wasn’t trying to be childish on purpose. For some reason, she couldn’t face him.

Her mind replayed last night’s events. Aidan’s heated gaze as he lusted after her, then his quick, cold turn away.

As she tossed and turned on the couch all night after lulling Aidan to sleep with meshu leaves, Brody tried to make sense of his behavior.

Ever since they’d come north, he’d treated Brody businesslike. It was as if his heart had gone cold. But his drunken behavior last night could be evidence that he still cared for her, emotionally or physically.

But he eventually pushed Brody away.

“I guess that means he’s made up his mind to drop his feelings for me.”

Brody frowned and rubbed her forehead.

‘If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have given in to his seduction yesterday.’ Regret washed over her like a storm.

‘No, I just thought marriage ceremony required it. If I had known better, I would have refused from the start.’

‘Would I have said no……?’

Brody grumbled to herself. It was uncomfortable facing the truth within her.

‘It’s not like you could say no. You’ve fallen for him every time he’s tried to seduce you.’

“Shut up! ” Brody lashed out at her honest inner thoughts with a punch. It was embarrassing, but it was the truth.

‘No, not with that personality, not with that face, not with that body! ’

She bit her lip hard. ‘I was tempted, that’s all, but after that…….’

After agonizing, accepting him, and clinging to him… and then he suddenly recoiled, leaving her alone in the cold, empty air. That moment kept replaying in her mind.

She couldn’t forget the embarrassment she felt then.

‘I felt ashamed and embarrassed, and I admit it, I felt bad.’

If all he wants is to keep the ‘contract’ intact, she’s determined to do the same.

As a contractual couple, she won’t emotionally rely on him.

She agreed to work for the North, so she will give her best.

Then she would be able to leave in three years without regret.

Brody raised an eyebrow at her resolve, then sighed heavily again.

She realized she couldn’t keep her distance from him.

And this lack of confidence was a red flag.

So even more so. She was right to distance herself from him.

With that, Brody shook her head. She tried to push the thought of him away.

Instead, she began to think about where she was going.

“We’re going to where that camp was—where I was first possessed.”

She was taken as a prisoner and thrust in front of the Northern Duke, where it all began.

‘Are the potato fields still there? The women who tended to the potato fields? “’

She wondered…….. Yes, she was looking forward to it.

Various memories from the moment she first arrived in this world flooded Brody’s mind once again.

But the thoughts gradually faded into the richness of time and the tranquility of the landscape.

Snowflakes tumbling past like a looped video, the sound of carriage wheels rattling at a similar pace.

Except for the occasional rubbing of her fingers against the cold, the silence was boringly peaceful.

The one to break that serene repetition was none other than the princess.

‘…….’

The princess?

For a moment, Brody wondered if she’d fallen asleep.

It must be a dream, but if not, how could she be in my carriage now?

Brody opened her lazy eyes slowly to find her sitting there, bright and cheerful.

Since it was a dream, she could take her time to appreciate the princess’s charming appearance.

She could have been the goddess Aphrodite.

Fine, gorgeous blonde hair flowing down her back and gracefully arched eyebrows.

Long, shadowy lashes and clear eyes.

A statuesque nose that looked like it took a lot of effort to shape.

Lips with a healthy glossy shine and a full mouth with a slight upturn at the corners.

her round forehead and soft contours of her face. Her skin seemed to glow, as if raindrops would slide right off.

As she sits there, her face breaks into a smile, and she laughs. And her picturesque lips moved to spit out bright, elegant words.

The whole scene was so beautiful that it felt unreal.

“Hoo-hoo, you really don’t disappoint, Lady Brody. How do you not even panic?”

It’s a dream, so why should she panic?

While she was still scratching her head, the princess crossed to Brody’s side and sat down next to her.

The vividness of the scene made Brody’s heart race.

Mylara watched Brody’s eyes widen and calmly pulled the crossbow from her hip.

She drew the bow and pointed it forward.

“Be quiet. Otherwise, I’ll shoot the carriage driver.”

Her voice was so soft and gentle as she spoke that Brody still couldn’t quite grasp the reality of it all.

‘Let’s assume it’s not a dream and act accordingly. It might not be a dream after all.’

Brody gathered her thoughts and turned to look at the woman in front of her once more.

“Princess?”

Mylara laughed, squinting out of the corner of her eye as if looking at someone new.

“You don’t even call me Her Highness.”

“Ah, I see, Your Imperial Highness.”

“It doesn’t matter; I’d prefer it if you just called me ‘Mylara,’ because I’ll just call you by your first name.”

“Mylara…….”

Blurting out the words as they came out of her mouth in an effort to think, Brody observed the Princess all the while.

She was shimmering and glowing, almost holographic.

‘There are no holograms in this world, so it must be magic.’

‘Which means she’s not actually here.’

‘Of course, otherwise she would have taken over my body, and I would not be like this.’

Maybe it’s because she thought it was a dream at first. Or maybe it was just her personality, but somehow Brody managed to stay calm.

Brody opened her mouth again, nonchalantly.

“Your Highness.”

The princess lowered her eyebrows ruefully.

“‘Mylara.”

Brody shook her head. What’s the point of a title if you’re not going to call someone you don’t want to get tangled up with? So Brody asked the question she needed to ask now.

“I don’t think you’re really here right now, but can you shoot that bow?”

The princess’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.

She wondered how a beautiful woman could squint so artfully.

Unintentionally, Brody’s gaze was fixed on the princess as she admired her beauty.

Mylara was surprised, but not offended.

“You truly are remarkable, Brody. Yes, you’re right. I’m not really there.”

As she said it, Mylara smiled harmlessly. Her gorgeously curling hair, soft, glowing skin, and sweet golden eyes seemed to drip with honey.

Mylara continued in a harmless-sounding voice.

“But I can transfer objects, for example.”

A snap.

The princess’s hand, which wasn’t holding the crossbow, moved, tossing something shiny towards Brody.

Brody reflexively picked it up and held it, then felt a strange sensation and flicked her hand away.

The shiny object then fell onto her skirt.

“That, Brody, can be sent to you.”

Brody glanced down at her lap.

Surely the object that had landed on her skirt was not an illusion. She could feel its weight, even if it was light, and it was creating a crease in her skirt.

‘What is this? ’

Brody looked at Mylara in wonder, and she answered as if she’d been waiting for her.

“It’s a teleportation stone. It can’t go anywhere; there are predefined exit gates. This one goes straight to my residence in the palace.”

Brody raised an eyebrow at the outlandishness of the gem.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

The princess looked hurt by Brody’s cold demeanor.

Her beautiful expression seemed so pure that Brody felt a pang of guilt, wondering if she had somehow disappointed her.

“I am indeed full of goodwill toward you, and if I had known you first, I would never have sent you to the North to carry out an assassination.”

One of Brody’s furrowed brows lifted.