I'm A Sucker For Extras - Chapter 62

Chapter 62

“Second, let’s hear it for our lady.”

At the sound of Connie’s serious voice, the women nodded solemnly and turned their attention to Brody.

Under the sudden scrutiny, Brody had to fight to keep from hiccuping at the rush of alcohol.

“The beginning of everything, seeking the most valuable, and giving an unimaginable future.”

People’s eyes began to flicker and glow in the candlelight.

Brody found herself out of breath and struggling to breathe.

‘Wait, what’s this feeling again? Is it the alcohol? No, it’s the same feeling I had earlier…’

Her heart began to race.

“Here’s a toast in gratitude for our Lady Brii!”

“Thank you!”

“Waaaaaaaah! Cheers! Cheers!”

“Thank you so much!”

The cascade of greetings was so overwhelming that Brody couldn’t resist the moment and one-shotted her second glass.

And then it happened.

And that was the reason Brody was now standing outside the banquet hall, sobbing.

“No way, I told you I could handle my liquor. How much did I drink…”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but please take our lady, Brii.”

Connie, obviously very drunk, scooped Brody up, almost lifting her, and handed her to Aidan.

Aidan was baffled by the whole thing.

Seeing someone make a scene in front of him while completely drunk was a first for him. Moreover, it seemed like she was being handed over to him like some sort of concubine.

However, the most bewildering thing was Brody, who was completely intoxicated.

“Ah, but, uh, what are you doing here? Your Grace?”

She must have been quite drunk, because her speech was slurred.

“I understand there’s been a drinking party going on over there for a while, eh?”

Connie jerked her head toward the building where the men were gathered, then back to the Duke.

Judging by the raucous atmosphere, it was clear that the men’s banquet had not ended.

Aidan didn’t answer but tried to turn away, scooping up a sobbing Brody.

But Connie’s giggling voice stopped him in his tracks.

“No, no, Your Grace, are you here to spy?”

There was a strange accent on the word ‘spy’. And with that twinkle in her eye……. She was mocking Aidan, obviously.

“…….”

Aidan couldn’t say anything.

Firstly, the act of being teased by someone was very unfamiliar.

He couldn’t recognize exactly why he felt embarrassed.

And the second reason he couldn’t say anything was that he couldn’t deny what Connie had said.

Although it was not to spy but rather ‘escort’.

When Brody was dragged into the darkness and there was a sudden burst of air, he barely resisted the temptation to break down the door and let himself in.

However, whether it is spying or escorting, it would not be a good look for the Duke to follow his wife’s tail.

But what worried Aidan wasn’t that he’d be labeled as a hopeless romantic or obsessive husband.

Rather, he was worried that…… Brody would hate it if she found out.

So after a series of thought processes, the words that eventually came out of Aidan’s mouth were:.

“Don’t tell her I was here.”

“Giggle.”

The cautious reply was immediately drowned out by Connie’s cheerful laughter.

She clapped her hands and said,.

“Ah, Your Grace, of course. You’re right, I was just playing along; I know you miss your wife, hahaha.”

“…….”

Aidan was at a loss for words.

How dare he casually throw a joke at the fearsome Duke of the North like that?

This woman, Connie, seemed to be an ordinary person with nothing special about her, so why was she so bold?

Aidan’s face hardened with embarrassment.

Regardless of his intentions, his face became quite scary.

It was even more so because he was suffering from a headache.

Connie, who had been laughing so heartily that it looked like she was about to punch the person next to her if he wasn’t the Duke, stopped laughing.

It was because she saw Aidan’s face.

She stopped laughing, swallowed hard, and started to hiccup.

Hiccup, hiccup, hiccup. Aidan was both puzzled and relieved that Connie was suddenly acting like a normal person.

‘Yes, this is a common reaction.’

Connie wiped her mouth once, slowly meeting Aidan’s gaze.

“Ah. I apologize, Your Grace, but I must have been laughing and chatting with my lady just a moment ago, and I must have gotten a little too familiar with you.”

Connie shook her head.

But it was more like she was trying to fix a mistake, not panic.

At Connie’s words, Aidan realized.

‘Oh, I see. It’s because Brody is next to me.’

With Brody by his side, Aidan thought he had experienced a different human relationship than before.

But now he realizes it wasn’t limited to his relationship with Brody alone.

People he met in the South, like Ratua and Adonia, and those from the North, including Teddy.

Was it just because the headache disappeared and he didn’t frown, or was it something else?

Whether Aidan changed first or they reacted differently, one thing was clear: A lot had changed since she’d been with Brody.

Whether she changed her behavior or others lowered their guard because of her.

Connie spoke again, ruffling her hair politely.

There was just a hint of politeness in her tone, but the content was firm and stern.

“Please take care, Your Grace. Our lady is truly a wonderful person.”

Aidan nodded immediately, without hesitation.

When Connie saw him do so, she smiled again, as if relieved.

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

After sending Connie off, Aidan walked slowly through the potato field.

For some reason, it brought back memories of the last time he and Brody had walked through these fields, right before they left for Perdan Fortress.

The weather was much colder than it had been then, with a dusting of white snow instead of green leaves.

The moonlight still shone softly on them.

Brody was asleep in Aidan’s arms, breathing softly in and out.

Her rye-colored hair was tousled by the soft moonlight.

“Please grant one wish.”

He remembered her smiling face that night. He felt foolish for saying he would grant her anything, even though he had no idea what she was asking for.

When she had asked for freedom after returning from a victorious battle, he replied that, of course, he would do so because she was no longer a prisoner but a duchess.

Yes, looking back, her expression at that time was subtle.

‘It must have been absurd from Brody’s point of view.’

What confidence did he have to think she would be delighted to become his duchess?

He sighed lightly and shook his head.

‘No, because I felt that she definitely liked me too.’

The breath they had shared in bed was not something he could force.

‘No, I don’t think so. At least he, himself, did, because he wasn’t the kind of man who could fake something like that.’

‘And she said she liked it too.’

‘My body, my face? ’

Aidan laughed bitterly.

But realizing that even if someone likes you, it doesn’t necessarily mean they want to be with you was a new revelation.

When he thought about it, it made sense.

Thinking about it, noble families often didn’t regard love marriages as natural.

Even Aidan himself would have to take a wife when the time came and reap the benefits of a family union.

He is the Duke of the North, and it would be impossible for him to shirk that duty.

So he knows that mind and body are not one.

“I was greedy for both. like a fool.”

Aidan’s quiet words dissipated into the cold air with his breath.

“What?”

Aidan shuddered at the sudden answer.

Brody, who had opened her eyes unnoticed, was looking up at him.

“Ehehehe.”

And she smiled broadly—a mischievous smile.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Aidan looked up to see Brody smiling dazzlingly at him.

The soft moonlight and softly flowing hair made him wonder if this was a dream.

After all, what reason could there be for her to smile at him?

Hadn’t she been so awkward yesterday—no, this morning—that she hadn’t even been able to speak properly?

Of course, it was him, not Brody, who was to blame. From the night of the wedding to the night he met Kalihiel…….

Like an idiot. Aidan didn’t seem to know how to protect her without hurting her.

“What, what did you want?”

Brody asked again.

“Were you drunk……?”

Aidan was not sure how to answer.

She didn’t seem to notice the diversion and replied coldly.

“No, I wasn’t drunk, hehe.”

Her breath mingled with the sweet, fruity flavor of her drink.

The way she said she wasn’t drunk, it was clear she was still drunk.

“You’re not cold?”

“No, not cold, not at all. I guess I’m turning into a northerner.”

“…….”

As expected. If she says she’s not cold, it means she’s had quite a bit to drink.

He looked over at Brody, who was grinning from ear to ear.

‘Is she… laughing? ‘

She didn’t usually smile much, so that appearance seemed unfamiliar.

At that moment, her smiling face came into view, filling Aidan’s vision.

A pair of cold hands wrapped around the nape of Aidan’s neck, and with that, Brody pulled his upper body up.

Aidan’s frozen lips were soft and warm against Brody’s.

Eventually, he couldn’t resist and returned Brody’s deep kiss.

As Brody clung to the nape of his neck, Aidan’s cloak, which he’d left draped over her body, fell away.

The rustle brought Aidan to his senses.

“Ugh.”

He pushed himself away from Brody with difficulty.

Was this revenge for that night—the night of the wedding?

Aidan’s heart began to pound painfully at the unceremonious kiss.

The pain of touching and pulling away was too much to bear.

Whether she knew what he was thinking or not, Brody smiled back, the heat of her flushed cheeks lingering.

Her hand slipped from the nape of his neck and moved to his face.

Slowly tracing the contours of Aidan’s face, Brody’s fingers gradually moved to his eyebrows.

Then she stroked his deeply furrowed brow.

“You’re frowning a little too much; I think you need to straighten it out.”

“…….”

Aidan was dumbfounded.

Did she think his expression would soften after receiving her kiss?

Is she saying this because she knows he is too weak for her?

Brody shook her head and laughed when Aidan looked at her with a confused expression.

As Aidan looked at her with a puzzled expression, Brody giggled, shaking her head. She seemed to be saying, “You’re fine now,” with her gesture.

And strangely, Aidan felt as if his headache had really subsided.

Being with her made him feel good and at ease. Maybe that’s why the headache disappeared.

‘To think that a single kiss could ease the tension. I must be really weak.’

Brody looked at Aidan, who was smiling satisfactorily, and lightly pecked his lips before twisting her body away.

“Now, put me down, Your Grace.”

“Ah.”

Before he could do anything else, Brody slipped out of his arms and slid down to the ground.

She picked up Aidan’s cloak from the ground, shook it off, draped it over her shoulders, and walked forward.

Well, she wasn’t “walking forward,” she was staggering back and forth.

Aidan’s large cloak, tailored to her height, swept the snow with a grunt.

Before he could even feel her cold embrace, he had to focus all his attention to keep Brody from falling.

She was even humming a tune.

Some unintelligible lyrics from “Into the Unknown?” or something. Was it a new song in the capital?

It was an unfamiliar song that he had never heard before, but he could sense that she was excited.