I'm A Sucker For Extras - Chapter 70

Chapter 70

After that, every morning, Brody’s intense efforts continued.
 
A literal “bleeding” effort.
 
Brody would make small cuts on her fingers and hold them up to his less-than-awake eyes for treatment.
 
But after that first success, Aidan had backed off and gone to get the medicine chest.
 
After stopping the bleeding, he wrapped Brody’s hand with a bandage.
 
“You’re not treating it?”
 
“I just did.”
 
Then, the next day, Brody pressed her bleeding finger against Aidan’s mouth to wake him up.
 
Of course, he woke up the moment his finger touched his mouth, but it was too late.
 
Aidan lost that day.
 
The next day, Aidan didn’t sleep much at all, as if on guard duty.
 
Brody, now intoxicated, pounced on him with deeper wounds.
 
Aidan was in agony, but he stood his ground and refused to fall for the trick.
 
He carefully stopped the bleeding and treated her, but did not touch her wound.
 
What was even more surprising was when Brody woke up the next day and checked his finger.
 
Somehow, Brody’s wounds healed overnight.
 
Aidan must have walked up to her in her sleep and cleaned the wound. It was obvious that it wouldn’t work for his headache, since the scab had already settled.
 
For days, in their room, morning after morning, a fierce battle raged that no one knew about.
 
Adan couldn’t sleep properly, suffered from headaches, but persistently rejected her favor.
 
‘Really. I even gave her a reason. If I pretend to lose and treat her wounds, it should be enough. Her stubbornness is really extraordinary.’
 
In the end, Brody was the first to give up.
 
The morning she gave up, Brody slashed her palm hard.
 
She didn’t mean to go that far, but perhaps because she was in trouble, she ended up cutting deeper than she thought and surprising herself.
 
Blood dripped down onto the bed sheets.
 
“Please. Please stop. Please.”
 
“Your Grace!”
 
Aidan turned away from her, even with his blue face.
 
He pushed her away, unable to stop her from thrusting her palm viciously in front of his face.
 
It was a very light shove for Aidan, but the force sent Brody spinning around.
 
“Aahh.”
 
Brody’s palm hit the floor as she fell, red liquid coating her hand.
 
Her face grimaced in deep pain.
 
“Br…… Brody. Are you okay?”
 
Brody hated that phrase more than anything in the world.
 
Aidan asked her if she was okay.
 
Her grimace of pain quickly turned cold.
 
Then she rejected Aidan’s touch, refusing his offer of medicine.
 
“Okay, that’s it; I’m done.”
 
Brody grabbed the box and walked out the door.
 
Not once after that did Brody offer him any medicine or blood.
 
The headaches became Aidan’s burden alone.
 
It was what he wanted, but somehow, it didn’t make him feel any better.
 
The incident made their relationship even more estranged.
 
Aidan was already distancing himself from Brody, and she was thinking about doing the same for him, so it was only a matter of time before this happened.
 
❖ ❖ ❖ ❖
 
However, during that time, the two lying in the other room recovered diligently.
 
River was the first to open his eyes.
 
“…….”
 
His light gray eyes rolled back and forth.
 
He looked uneasy.
 
“What the hell is going on?”
 
“Huck, Chief of Staff, are you awake? Chief of Staff, Chief of Staff, you’re awake, My Lady~.”
 
Teddy, who had been dozing at his side, stormed out of the room in a huff.
 
River, who had demanded an explanation, was annoyed when he stormed out.
 
He pinned his arms on the bed in an attempt to pull himself up.
 
But then he felt a deep pain in his right side.
 
Just as he was doubly annoyed, the door burst open again, and a woman with flaxen curls walked in.
 
The corners of her mouth twitched as if she’d just been eating.
 
“Are you awake, River?”
 
River frowned.
 
He was awake, but the situation didn’t make any sense.
 
“Where am I?”
 
“To what extent do you want a specific answer?”
 
“What?”
 
River raised one eyebrow at Brody’s answer.
 
“For now, broadly speaking, we’re in the northern region.”
 
“Tell me some specific details.”
 
Brody shrugged her shoulders.
 
“It’s a town with potato fields; it’s the room next door to where His Grace and I are staying, and the Chief of Staff is lying in one of the beds in this room.”
 
“Hmm… Your detailed and kind explanation is quite moving.”
 
“Well, how are you feeling?”
 
“Not too bad, but more than that, why am I here?”
 
“Well, which ‘here’ are you referring to?”
 
“I’m referring to lying in one of the beds next to where you and the Duke are staying. Are you going to keep asking a sick person this?”
 
“I’m just asking to see how much of your mind has returned. It’s part of the treatment, so don’t get excited and calm down.”
 
“…….”
 
She’s a woman of few words, anyway.
 
Looking at her, River’s eyes twitched a little with irritation.
 
‘Did the Duke really bring in such a woman? Oh, it wasn’t the Duke who brought her. She just appeared.’
 
In fact, Brody asked these questions to test River. It wasn’t her intention to annoy him. Well, about 80% was not her intention.
 
With his answer, Brody could deduce where his memory was cut off due to the effects of the dream leaves.
 
‘He remembers entering this village. Then, the memory must waver from the moment of the attack. Of course, he won’t remember me using my ability.’
 
Brody was relieved that she had removed the plant stitched around his stomach earlier in the morning.
 
“Hey, don’t be shocked; listen. Because you seem to have trouble remembering… Chief of Staff, we were attacked.”
 
“Attacked? Are you talking about me?”
 
Brody closely examined his gray eyes. It seemed like he really couldn’t remember due to shock.
 
“Yes, by a certain woman.”
 
“A woman? What the hell does that mean……. Are you saying I was attacked by a woman?”
 
“…….”
 
Yes… He was quite easily taken down by a woman.
 
But to protect his pride, Brody didn’t truthfully answer. Well, verbally. River fixedly looked at her with a somewhat skeptical expression.
 
He asked again.
 
“Was it an assassin?”
 
“…….”
 
This time, Brody didn’t mouth the answer for him. Instead, she shook her head lightly.
 
River’s expression hardened even more.
 
Brody decided to make some excuses for him.
 
“But she attacked you from behind, and you were busy talking to me.”
 
“Am I with you, My Lady?”
 
“Yeah, you came over to talk to me about something, and that’s…… you don’t remember?”
 
Brody didn’t think he would remember, but she asked cautiously, worried.
 
River ducked his head, one hand cupping his temple.
 
It pricked her conscience to see him so confused.
 
“…….”
 
hmm… … . No, actually, she wasn’t that stung. Just a little.
 
‘The reason I used the dream leaf was to save River.’
 
If she hadn’t used her powers, it might have been worse.
 
“But.”
 
River, who was lost in thought, looked back at Brody and asked.
 
“Yes, go ahead and ask.”
 
Brody graciously accepted his conjunction.
 
“Are you okay, My Lady? You said I was attacked with you.”
 
“Thanks for the concern, but I’m fine.”
 
‘How is she okay? ’ River looked at Brody with a questioning gaze, and she met his eyes curiously.
 
Brody sighed and answered.
 
“I was further back, so I was able to dodge the first blow. The chief of staff who was stabbed was knocked out, and…… after that, I was…….”
 
“I passed out right after I was stabbed?”
 
“….Yes.”
 
“…….”
 
River couldn’t believe it, so he groaned and held his forehead.
 
The man who was supposed to protect his mistress passed out after being stabbed once. It was a disgraceful act.
 
“That could happen; there might be a shock at the moment. Don’t worry too much. I haven’t told anyone.”
 
“Then, did Your Grace save you?”
 
“No, I did. I somehow managed to…….”
 
“…….”
 
Now River even bit his lip. Not only was he unable to protect the Duchess, but he was also one who was protected by her?
 
Moreover, the fact that she said she hadn’t told anyone about his embarrassment was even more humiliating, especially considering it was Brody herself who said it.
 
She even tried to comfort his feelings by saying that she had no credit for it.
 
“Well, River, it wasn’t a trained man; it was a woman, and she looked like she was having a mental breakdown, and she ran at you, and somehow it happened.”
 
At that point, River’s pride was already shattered.
 
‘This woman. She must be doing this on purpose. On purpose! To deliberately make my heart heavy! ‘
 
There was no way to prove whether River’s speculation was true or not, but Brody was smiling sweetly, a smile that made him feel even more uneasy.
 
Brody stood up and put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his back.
 
“Come on, let’s talk about it after you’re all better. Patients need to rest to recover.”
 
“Uh-huh.”
 
At Brody’s touch, River relaxed and fell back onto the bed.
 
But his embarrassment didn’t end there.
 
Brody suddenly lifted his shirt.
 
“Hey, it’s not appropriate for a woman to touch a man’s body!”
 
River struggled to pull down the edge of his shirt, which Brody had suddenly lifted reflexively.

But this time, Brody’s reaction wasn’t as sweet as it had been earlier. She looked at River with an incredulous expression on her face.
 
“I never expected the Chief of Staff to say such things, of all people.”
 
“……?”
 
River looked at Brody with a perplexed expression, still holding onto the hem of his shirt.
 
“You’re the most rational person in the North. Is there a gender distinction in medical procedures?”
 
“…….”
 
River couldn’t answer.
 
He certainly thought the same way. In a crisis, he would accept help from anyone who could provide medical treatment, regardless of gender, whether it be a woman, an animal, or a monster.
 
In a crisis, that is.
 
“Not now……!
 
However, accepting help during a crisis like that might be considered less rational. It wasn’t a rejection due to feeling uncomfortable emotionally.
 
River was surprised that Brody was so radical and surprised at his own shallowness. He thought he was pretty radical, and to have such a conventional response was humiliating.
 
In truth, Brody was a modern woman, used to a completely different way of thinking, but River didn’t seem to realize that.
 
She had a point.
 
‘…….’
 
But for some reason, River found it hard to let go of the hem of his shirt.
 
While his uncomfortable feelings and thoughts were in conflict, Brody spoke. She had the same sympathetic expression, mixed with understanding, as before. It was an expression that seemed to consider River, but it was an expression of frustration.
 
If it’s your first time being touched by a woman, I’m sorry. It can be awkward. I understand.”
 
“~~~~~!”
 
Understanding or not, it was an obvious provocation.
 
River spoke with his hand still trembling, holding onto the edge of his shirt.
 
“It’s not like that! It’s just… I didn’t know if the lady also performs medical treatments. I need to know if she’s a trustworthy person to entrust my precious body to.”
 
“Yes, I am capable enough to save the Chief of Staff; I’m the one who has healed you so far, and His Grace knows it; I’m the most skilled healer in town right now.”
 
Brody replied with a grin, showing an adult-like smile, as if to say, “Oh, you’re a child, you were deceived.”
 
‘You said something about gender discrimination earlier, but your excuse is~.’
 
But Brody decided to stop teasing him.
 
There was still the matter of ‘Caleb’s incident’ where she needed his forgiveness.