54 – Nameless Extra (3)
“What? Good! Everyone, have a drink. Here!”
At my suggestion, the professor called the servants in a cheerful, if not more pompous, voice. Even the bored librarian next to me nodded solemnly, probably feeling quite drunk.
“Well… On a day like this, you might as well try some alcohol. They say you should drink alcohol with adults.”
“As expected. The librarian has excellent insight. Would you all like to have a drink? Yuna? Claes?”
“Drink yourself, Ellen.”
“Ah. What’s wrong? You have to warm yourself up with alcohol before going dancing so you don’t get embarrassed by taking a wrong step. And if His Highness the Crown Prince drinks it, even commoners like me can drink comfortably. There’s a trickle-down effect, right? ?”
“Trickle-down effect? What is it?”
“Anyway. Let’s have a drink, that’s okay, right? Oh, they’re just over there.”
As I raised my head through the sound of busy footsteps, I noticed a group of people coming towards me. Perhaps because it was the location of the crown prince and no one else, quite a number of servants, including humans and beastmen, were flocking to the place.
“hahahahaha…It’s coming…”
The professor waved at them with a redder face than before. And he opened his mouth in a very drunken tone.
“Hey. Please give me a drink here. Give it to the students too…”
“Professor. From now on, all you have to do is raise your hand. Can I give it to the students as well?”
“Yes, please. Thank you.”
“I understand.”
The servant bowed his head politely and stepped back, nodding towards his back. Then, a human maid brought a large bottle rather than a glass and handed it to the professor and the librarian.
And then a familiar-looking prisoner girl came towards us carrying a huge tray.
When I met Guero again, he looked quite different from before. The hair, which was always tangled, was neatly arranged so that it was unrecognizable, and the horns and tail. Even his fingernails and toenails had become extremely neat. Even her eyes felt a little blurry, perhaps because she was burdened with a lot of work in a short period of time. It’s a shame that I know Guero, but if someone I didn’t know saw him, it wouldn’t have been easy to distinguish him from other prisoners.
And, I hoped so.
“…”
Ilya and I made earnest eye contact, hoping that Guero would do his job well. Guerro may or may not have known how we felt, but he approached us with unwavering steps and politely handed us a tray.
“Here it is.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
When I said thank you, Guero gently twisted his wrist and held out a wine glass in front of me. It seemed as if they were making it easy for me to take it, or as if they were encouraging me to take a specific wine glass. When I took the glass, she held it out to others as well.
“Ah…Thank you.”
“…”
“Thank you…”
Yuna. Hey here. And even Elise. After everyone took a drink, there was only one drink left on the tray. Guero approached Claes holding it and she asked politely.
“Then, would His Highness the Crown Prince want to have a drink too?”
“…”
When Guerro held out her wine glass, Claes looked at her wine glass in silence. His sharp eyes clashed harshly into the red liquid.
“What’s wrong, Claes? Have you ever tried it? I thought it would happen.”
“…”
“Or maybe you’ve tried it before and it’s a little weak? Well, it’s okay. There’s no need to force yourself to drink it.”
When I subtly provoked him, the tendon on the side of Claes’ face twitched slightly. I was so angry that I thought about overturning the tray, but I didn’t dare to do so because the people around me were watching. I looked at his very hesitant face, then turned my back and looked at the others.
“I have no choice. Then, shall we have a drink together? Except Claes.”
“…!”
Is it an illusion? I heard the sound of something cracking and breaking from the side. But I didn’t even look in that direction and held out the glass towards the front.
“Okay then. Cheers…”
“Wait a minute.”
At that time, I heard Claes’ voice from next to me. I smiled at him who had finally made a decision. Finally, his hand slowly lifted up and picked up a glass.
But he lifted the glass in Elise’s hand, not the glass on the tray.
“Huh…?”
“Elise. Don’t drink this.”
Claes resolutely took the cup away and placed it roughly on the tray. The contents inside overflowed a little and flowed down.
“There’s no need to drink alcohol. You can still enjoy it.”
“Ah…”
“You guys drink together, Eren. From now on, you won’t be asking other people’s partners what they’re doing, right?”
“hahahaha…”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Then, Your Highness the Crown Prince. You don’t need it?”
While I was laughing helplessly, Guero held out the tray once again. However, her crown prince completely turned away from her and did not even give her a glance.
“Okay. Take it back. You don’t need me and Elise.”
“…I understand.”
Due to his stubborn attitude, Guero had no choice but to bow his head and retreat. She glanced at us and walked slowly behind her. The wine in her hand scattered the red sunset and disappeared out of sight.
“…”
At that moment, Illya and I carefully made eye contact. The unspoken signals that were continuously shared were now conveyed through eyes rather than hands. The crown prince’s unexpected behavior in the final stage of the plan caused us to exchange quite a few glances. Even though she didn’t make any gestures, I felt like I could somehow understand what she was trying to say.
‘You didn’t drink it.’
‘Yes.’
I didn’t know that once we met each other, our eyes would remain apart for a long time. On a midsummer night when the heat of youth began to soar, the eyes of the two people plotting a sinful plan gradually turned downward.
And then loud music began to sound throughout the ballroom.
“What are you doing, Kate? Come quickly! The music is starting!”
“Ah… Just wait!”
A couple ran out energetically, announcing the start of the night in earnest. Beyond the quickly passing afterimage, Illya’s face suddenly appeared with a smile on her face. The drink she had prepared disappeared before it could reach the crown prince, but there was no trace of embarrassment on her face.
Because that wasn’t the purpose in the first place.
“Then let’s go up, Yuna. Eren. You guys drink quickly and either come up or not.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
I took a sip of wine at his words, but then frowned and put it down. Then he raised his hand and called a servant.
“Ugh…This isn’t good. Hey, please take this away.”
“Ah…Yes!”
From the other side, a maid raised her head. She ran eagerly carrying a tray full of drinks, not knowing what fate would await her in the future. After struggling through the flowing crowd, she finally passed the Crown Prince’s side and tried to come towards me. And at that moment, Guero and I moved forward at the same time.
Even without making eye contact, we knew what each other was going to do, so there was no hesitation. Guero, who was moving naturally with the other servants, gave me a look and I held Yuna’s hand in that brief moment.
And the moment Guero tripped the maid who was running, he pulled Yuna towards him.
Wow!
“aaah!”
“…!!!”
With the maid’s sharp words, the wine glasses on the tray flew into the air and poured down on the defenseless prince. Fortunately, the cup was not simply made of glass, so the broken glass did not scatter and hurt anyone. But even that strong glass couldn’t stop the contents inside from spilling out.
“Ugh…”
The fallen maid moaned in faint pain, and in the meantime, Guero fled the scene at a surprisingly fast speed considering her size. But unfortunately the maid was left where she was, and she slowly raised her head. Soon, the red wine on the crown prince’s clothes began dripping right before her eyes.
“Ah…”
“…Oh my.”
The maid opened her mouth in despair in front of the crown prince’s ceremonial clothes stained bright red. She then looked up at him as her eyelids fluttered in horror.
“I’m…I’m sorry, Crown Prince. I never did it on purpose…”
“Why…?”
“Please…Please forgive me. It was really a mistake. I…”
“This is how things happen in the world…”
“I guess I fell because the floor was slippery. Bad luck. Isn’t that right, Claes?”
At that moment, I smiled calmly and stood between the maid and Claes. And spoke to the maid in the most gentle voice possible.
“It’s okay. It was a mistake. Claes-kun will also generously forgive you. Right?”
“…Yeah…That’s right. It was just a mistake…”
Claes was so embarrassed that he stuttered a lot. He even mumbled to himself and kept looking at his stained clothes.
“Why do you have to do this to me…?”
“Claes. Do you have any extra clothes? I need to change.”
“This…Should exist. But…”
“No matter what, you can’t dance like this, right? I guess I’ll have to find some other clothes quickly. Don’t you think so?”
“That’s…”
“Or something…”
I held Elise’s hand and slowly passed by her. Then he said the last words with the most sly smile on his face.
“You should just watch me and Elise dance there.”
“You…!”
A voice filled with embarrassment and anger burst out. But I had already come up on stage with Elise. Claes couldn’t help but grit his teeth and looked at Elise and I in confusion. A vague sense of intoxication dripped from my soaked clothes.
As I was looking at that scene, I turned her head and calmly grabbed Elise’s waist. She also frowned but leaned her body against me. The swaying light poured down on Elise’s face uneasily.
“…Ellen.”
“Huh?”
“What are you doing now?”
“What are you doing? You’re helping.”
I glanced at the crown prince. The jealousy that had begun to grow through a series of accidents was burning brightly in his eyes. The essence of jealousy and anger comes from the crappy situation of having to helplessly observe your lover’s infidelity.
… Said Illya, an expert on decadent novels.
“I’m not asking that. What is your purpose? Why are you going to such lengths to help me?”
“Well…”
I smiled and asked back. And then I just blurted it out without thinking.
“Because it’s fun?”
“…”
Elise frowned at my insincere answer. She then bowed her head and left a brief comment.
“You are crazy.”
“I know. So just focus.”
“What?”
“I don’t know how to dance or anything.”
I left a comment that could sound quite scary. And without any warning, he started pulling her hand. Elise also put her hand on my shoulder as if she had no choice.
Just like that, the main event of the ball without the crown prince began.
Maybe he should have been the main character tonight. No. In fact, it had to be that way. A shining night where children of prestigious families gathered. A blueprint for the future embroidered together in the name of youth. In the center of the place, of course, there had to be a crown prince who would become the head of the empire.
Some of the sharp-witted people on stage seemed to have noticed this and hesitated to move. But the music had already begun to flow, and even a clock with missing parts had to be moved once the mainspring was wound. Even if there is no main character, the story must continue. In the end, the extras on the stage without the main character started creaking and showing off their own dance moves.
Of course, there was no way a story that started in a mess would work properly. Praying for a broken clock to be right even twice a day is just a useless wish. Therefore, the extras on stage looked for someone who would be the center of the stage with earnest eyes.
The wandering eyes soon gathered in one place. There was an insignificant girl who once held the role of heroine. Even though there were extras by her side instead of the main character, they didn’t care. Soon, they retreated to the edge and began showing off their original dance moves for their arbitrarily chosen protagonist.
A dance that is like a background device on the stage, just to make the main character stand out. Whether it was coincidence or necessity, even the moonlight that came on just in time began to shine on the extras and the heroine.
The extras, exposed to such sudden light, slowly raised their heads. He was not embarrassed by the fact that he had suddenly become the protagonist. Just, the extra who was lucky enough to get an empty seat did what he was supposed to do.
Taking everything away. That was his role.
In the midst of all those moments, he started taking away the main character’s moments. The robber’s dance moves were violent, forced, and extremely sensational. Every time his hand brushes down the heroine’s thigh, as if it was a mistake. The audience sighed every time his lips barely grazed the tip of her chin. But some cheered. In any case, the protagonist of the story must receive applause. Some people might have been happy that someone else took the crown prince’s place.
Of course, the heroine resisted desperately. Since she was the dandelion of hope that bloomed in the field of hypocrisy, the symbol of her chastity had to be her as well. She disgusted the thug in front of her and desperately pushed him away.
But in her rising heat, her emotions were also complexly intertwined. Her cheeks, flushed arbitrarily, and her hair soaked with sweat, confused the viewer. Moreover, there was only one person she could rely on on this huge stage. In the end, her head rested against the extra’s chest without resistance.
The crown prince just looked at the whole scene in bewilderment.
The red wine was still stained on her collar, which I grabbed without realizing it. The blood that a god from another world shed as proof of sacrifice spread to him as a cold pain. In his eyes, the two people were still dancing violently. An unknown extra whom I once didn’t care about, and my own lover whom I abandoned due to a momentary change of heart. The two people were mixed together, confusing the gaze.
“Ah…Claes-kun?”
The crown prince, who was wandering around, unconsciously picked up a bottle on the table. He gulped down the contents without even knowing what he was doing. The intoxication rose quickly. The only thing that could now take the empty seat was a hot drink.
You may have forgotten about this pure world now. Once everything starts to be taken away, fate flies in like a fly and snatches even the rotten flesh. A spirit that does not resist is no different from a corpse. He is no different from a death row inmate facing the crows with a rope hanging around his neck.
I had to move to avoid being taken away.
Amidst the dizzying intoxication of consciousness, the crown prince vaguely realized this fact. It wasn’t just his lover who was being taken away from him now. Honor. Pride. Status. It was all intertwined. When he thought that, he put down the bottle roughly.
Click!
At that moment, as if by coincidence or necessity, the music stopped for a moment and the people on stage also stopped their actions. There are only two people moving. The heroine bends her back and the extra tilts her lips. There were only two of them. It felt like everything would fall apart if I didn’t move now.
“…!!!”
Breaking the stopped hour hand, the crown prince jumped straight onto the stage. The agitated sounds of the startled crowd rang out. But he didn’t care and walked towards the center of the light.
“Claes.”
The extras who finally faced the main character also called his name without being embarrassed. Instead of responding with his name, the crown prince cursed coolly.
“That’s my place, you son of a b*tch.”
“I know.”
So, give it a quick hit and be done with it.
Before he could say another word, the prince’s fist hit the cheek of the presumptuous extra.
“Wook!”
“…!!!”
As the audience reacted, the extras tumbled off the stage. The crown prince finally came up to the stage and hugged the heroine’s shoulders preciously. Exhausted from being violated for a long time, she weakly called his name.
“Klaes…”
“I’m sorry, Elise.”
In my drunken consciousness, there were only two words I could say. He looked into the eyes of his lover who seemed to be falling in love with him and said the last words.
“I love you.”
It was a word that came a very long way. Nevertheless, it was like a miracle because we somehow found our destination, and because it was miraculous, it was enough to become a story. And of course, this line had to be included in the last chapter of the story that was finally concluded.
“Me too. I love you.”
Soon, the long moments led to a deep kiss as they touched each other. No one knew where this story would take its roots. The only thing that was clear was that he and she would never forget this moment.
The moment their lips touched, everyone in the ballroom fell into silence. Claes’ sudden behavior came as a huge shock to everyone. However, soon the magic professor, who was as drunk as the crown prince, clearly summarized the situation.
“Wow! Claes-kun is cool!”
It was said without notice, but it was enough to excite the already excited audience. Soon, commoners who are just as tactless as she is. Romanticists who secretly cheered for the two. And those who just wanted to please the crown prince began sending out explosive shouts.
And one poor extra sighed in exhaustion amidst the huge roar.
“Ugh…”
Finally a kiss. Those damn humans.
I fell down on the floor like a third-rate villain. His clothes and hair were all messed up, so he didn’t look that good. But somehow, I felt like I had found myself again, so I felt at peace.
If I fall asleep like this, the ball will be over by the time I wake up. With that thought in mind, I slowly closed my eyes. But then someone’s hand roughly grabbed the nape of my neck.
“Ugh…!”
I was grabbed by the neck and dragged towards somewhere. I looked up to see who it was and then closed my eyes again, relieved.
“Thank you, Guero…”
“Ugh. You idiot.”
“But you can see the panties from this angle.”
“Pay and watch, you bastard.”
“Ugh.”
Guero slapped me in the eye with his tail and roughly threw me against the wall. Then, with an unusually delicate hand, he brushed my hair up.
“Look at the busted lip. Anyway, it’s weak and will fall out. If you leave it alone, it will definitely get worse, so let’s just leave it alone if possible.”
“I’ll at least put some spit on it. It’s a bit harsh.”
“You can ask Yuna to apply the saliva.”
I, who had been making meaningless jokes, raised my eyes when I heard the word Yuna. Then Guero smiled and said.
“When the crown prince started to make a fuss, Illya took him in. When he got hit, he was startled and tried to run away, but she somehow stopped him and dragged him away.”
“That’s a good thing. Otherwise, it could have been a big problem.”
“So. Be nice to Illya, dude.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“She did it because it was fun, but well. So where is Yuna now?”
When I asked, Guero playfully tapped my chin and said,
“I came here because you asked me to bring you here. Go ahead. It’s right behind that door.”
“Really?”
Only then did I smile and look towards the door. It seemed like I could already see her stamping her feet. I grabbed Guero’s hand and struggled to get up.
After the main actors’ spectacular curtain call, there had to be a small after-party for the supporting actors. I opened the door to the balcony, letting in the moonlight, covering her lips with the dishcloth Guero had so kindly handed her.