I'm A Sucker For Extras - Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Brody couldn’t sleep properly all night because she was too nervous.
 
The humming, swirling wind kept sounding like Kalihiel’s cries.
 
Quack.
 
And now, it was the reason she had dark circles under her eyes as she sat in the carriage.
 
Maybe Aidan was the same. She couldn’t remember seeing Aidan sleeping while she tossed and turned, opening her eyes occasionally.
 
“It seems like neither of us slept well.”
 
But he didn’t look tired at all; his face was fresh, and his posture was upright.
 
‘Why! We’re both human, aren’t we? Why is he so perfectly fine over there!’
 
For some reason, this felt unfair and made her more irritated.
 
Actually, technically, Aidan didn’t look fine.
 
He didn’t show any signs of fatigue, but a severe headache was pounding away at his skull, and the deep vertical furrows in his forehead were testament to that fact.
 
He’d been fine yesterday because they’d kissed at night, but they hadn’t last night, and it was time for another headache.
 
It would have been better if he had taken the carriage in the morning. But they couldn’t time it right due to the preparations for their departure to the north.
 
‘I’ll just have to make him medicine when we arrive.’
 
Brody sighed at the thought.
 
Aidan hoped she didn’t have to work. If she proved her worth to River, she’d be hard to escape in three years.
 
Of course, Brody had convinced him that now wasn’t the time to worry about three years from now and that they needed to build up their strength to stand a chance against the Empire.
 
He seemed to understand, but given his demeanor yesterday, she’s afraid they will clash more often in the future.
 
Brody didn’t know what he was thinking.
 
It felt like there was a solid wall between him and Brody.
 
Had he just reverted back to his old, ice-breaking ways?
 
He caught her when she was running away, and now she’s trying to come north and do her job, and he won’t let her.
 
She doesn’t think he hates her, but she also doesn’t think he’s trying to make things work with Brody.
 
He seemed to respect her opinions, but at times, he was very arbitrary.
 
‘Yeah, well, it’s a contractual relationship, anyway.’
 
Brody shook her head.
 
As far as she was concerned, as long as he kept his end of the bargain, that was all that mattered.
 
‘I just need to do my job well.’
 
While she was lost in her thoughts, the carriage rolled on.
 
Fortunately, the snow had stopped falling, and they were able to travel more easily.
 
As the carriage slowed, Brody could tell by the murmur of the crowd that they were nearing their destination.
 
Curiosity arose, and she opened the carriage window, sticking her head out.
 
In the distance, a familiar yet unfamiliar landscape came into view.
 
The familiar part was the surrounding natural scenery—the landscape she had often seen while staying and working in the fields. The only difference was that everything was covered in white snow.
 
The snow wasn’t the only thing that made the landscape unfamiliar. The military barracks had been torn down—no surprise. They had moved south after demolishing them. In their place, several buildings made of stone and wood stood.
 
A fence had been built around the house and potato patch, a gate had been built to guard it, and a tower had been erected to stand guard in the distance.
 
It was an early Mott-and-Bailey-style fortress, small but complete with a moat.
 
In other words, a plausible village had formed.
 
Brody’s light wheat-colored hair flowed freely as she leaned out the carriage window.
 
The gatekeeper, recognizing the duke’s entourage, hastened to open the door.
 
“My lady, my lady!”
 
The village wasn’t very large, so the people inside must have realized immediately that the duke and his party had arrived.
 
A familiar face rushed toward them, leaving urgent footprints in the snow.
 
It was Connie, a round, wild-looking middle-aged woman.
 
She welcomed Brody with a flourish.
 
She held out her hand before Aidan could escort her, so Brody took it.
 
It was nice to see her, but Connie’s reaction was more intense than Brodie had expected. She got off the carriage with a somewhat bewildered expression.
 
Connie firmly grabbed Brodie’s hand and even shook it vigorously.
 
“I can’t express how worried I was. To think that you would run away after doing such a big thing… I was afraid you might be in serious trouble, chased by the Empire or something.”
 
“……Thanks, Connie. I’m glad I made it back safely.”
 
“Wow, you even remembered my name; I’m honored!”
 
“Of course I remember.”
 
Connie’s face was even brighter than before.
 
Her face was tanned, and her old touch was rough.
 
She looked healthy and energized.
 
“Well, my lady, you look very tired.”
 
“Well, yes.”
 
She could tell she hadn’t slept well last night, and she had every right to look tired after the long march from the south.
 
With no access to a proper mirror, Brody hadn’t been paying much attention to her appearance. No, she had almost forgotten about it.
 
“Am I looking quite disheveled?”
 
Brodie swept under her eyes, where dark circles seemed to have settled.
 
It was hard not to notice the roughness of her skin.
 
Connie urged her on.
 
“I’ll show you to your quarter. What would you like to do first: wash, eat, or sleep?”
 
“I’d like to wash up and lie down, but do I have a quarter?”
 
“Yes, My Lady, we’ve set aside special quarters for the high-ranking guests.”
 
“That’s impressive in such a short time.”
 
“It’s all thanks to you.”
 
“What? Why is it all thanks to me?”
 
Was she deflecting the credit to Brody to make herself look good now that she was the Duchess? No, that didn’t seem to be the case; Connie seemed genuinely pleased, even proud.
 
In her excitement, Connie almost tugged Brody’s arm and led her back to her quarters.
 
“Just wait a moment. Let’s go in together.”
 
Aidan stopped them as they were about to enter the quarters.
 
Aidan seemed to be greeting and debriefing the resident soldiers, or rather, the residents, as they were now called.
 
Connie and Brody stepped off to the side to wait for him and continued their conversation.
 
Connie replied.
 
“You graciously gifted us the potato fields. It’s all thanks to you.”
 
She placed one hand on her chest and smiled broadly.
 
“I just gave you the potato fields as a gift, but you all worked hard to earn them.”
 
Brody gave an awkward laugh, embarrassed to take credit.
 
Connie shook her head slowly, but firmly.
 
“You don’t know how hopeless I was when I was a prisoner. I thought I’d rather die, but I couldn’t muster up the courage to do it, so all I could do was shiver in those dark barracks and look forward to the dark future ahead.”
 
Brody nodded. She, too, remembered living in that barracks, albeit briefly.
 
The despair and gloom in the air felt suffocating, as if it could strangle a person and extinguish their future.
 
Connie’s eyes deepened as she spoke, as if remembering those days.
 
“We were maids or maidservants to lords of considerable status, not worthy of being held hostage as you are, but certainly not ignorant maids.”
 
She lowered her voice and covered her mouth with her hand, whispering.
 
“As soon as I heard the rumors of the Ice Duke, I knew I was going to die anyway, and it wouldn’t be a pretty death.”
 
“…….”
 
Brody smirked at the slightly playful tone, and it was true.
 
The cruel Ice Duke would brutalize and kill one woman a day. That was the rumor among the prisoners.
 
Certainly, Aidan’s reputation in the south-central part of the country was notorious.
 
Now that she thinks about it, it seems like the empire created that image to isolate the North.
 
The Duke of the Ice Wall is a bit scary-looking, but that’s just because he’s always grimacing from a headache. His demeanor is that of a knight, or rather, a monk.
 
‘He doesn’t drink, play games, or enjoy any kind of entertainment, let alone women.’
 
He was straight, upright, and unambitious, and she couldn’t fathom why the Empire hated the North so much that it had brought him to this point.
 
Brody was unconsciously staring at Aidan when suddenly Connie spoke up.
 
“I was wondering, Your Grace, if I could take Her Grace to look around the potato fields? They’re visible from here.”
 
Brody and Aidan looked surprised.
 
Connie had never directly spoken to Aidan or made any requests before. Something seemed different in her attitude.
 
Though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it,.
 
Aidan looked around and nodded to Connie to give her permission.
 
The inside of the fortress was not very large, and Aidan could see about as far as a potato field from where he stood.
 
“Thank you, Your Grace. My lady, if you don’t mind, shall we go together?”
 
Brody nodded and took Connie’s outstretched hand.
 
Despite the heavy snowfall, the streets were not slippery. There was a thick layer on the roofs and near the walls, but the paths had been kept clear. It hadn’t been long since the snow had stopped, and she could feel how diligently things were being done inside.
 
After a short walk, they arrived at the familiar potato fields.
 
During the winter hiatus, the fields were more orderly than when Brodie left.
 
“We’ve divided it up and organized it, just like you said, and we’ve got a plan to get it back into shape. Oh, and the building right next to it is the storage shed. I can’t believe we have a crop that stores so well. I marvel at it every time.”
 
Connie said, opening the storage unit to show her.
 
Her eyes shone as she studied Brody’s face, seemingly expecting a reaction.
 
“The storage conditions are excellent. With this amount, we should have enough for the entire winter.”
 
“Not just for us, I hope. It would be nice to share with others. Currently, only a small amount is provided directly through Duke’s channels.”
 
“Oh, you’re just giving it away?”
 
Connie’s eyes narrowed, then narrowed again, and she covered the corners of her mouth, speaking in a whisper to Brody.
 
The corners of her mouth turned up toward the sky.
 
“You are perceptive, my lady. You said that next year we can keep a certain amount of the harvest and sell the rest, ho-ho.”
 
“Oh.”
 
Brodie replied with a smile, matching the mischievous twinkle in Connie.
 
Brody was starting to get it. Why was Connie in such a good mood? Why was she so full of life?
 
“You’re doing a great job. Everyone must be unfamiliar with these tasks. Isn’t it tough?”
 
“Oh, it’s not tough at all, madam. Well, the way we use our bodies is different from when we served the noble ladies, so sometimes we grumble while working. But that’s just natural, no matter what kind of work we do. I actually love it. The body may be tired, but in many ways, it’s rewarding.”
 
“I guess so.”
 
Brody nodded, confirming her guess. Connie seemed to sense that Brody understood.
 
It was the kind of pride that radiated from someone who stood on her own two legs.