The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Facing the Truth (1)

***

The double-edged flower.

A flower that bloomed only in Wiridia, blessed by the World Tree, known to the elves by another name:

The Flower of Prudence.

Its meaning:

Like the boy and girl who experienced the flower's daytime effect, forced to speak only lies, one should always choose their words carefully, with prudence.

And one should be prepared to reveal their true feelings under the moonlight, when the flower's magic compels them to speak only truth.

Think carefully, feel deeply, and avoid hasty judgments and assumptions.

That was the wisdom of the elves, their reason for calling it the Flower of Prudence.

And now,

"…What did you just say, Finn…?"

The girl, having just realized this, and the boy, still frozen in shock, their gazes met.

He waved his hand dismissively, trying to make her think she had misheard.

But,

"I need to make up an excuse and leave…!"

His words, escaping his lips the moment he lost control, betrayed his intentions.

The double-edged flower's pollen had already taken root deep within him.

His expression twisted in a grimace.

Creak.

He took a step back, his face a mask of panic.

And then, she threw herself at him, her arms wrapping around him tightly.

"…Don't… don't go…"

She held him close, pleading, begging him to stay, to tell her what he was thinking, to reveal his true feelings.

Because she, who could read his emotions,

Had seen his shock, his panic, confirming the truth of his words.

He flinched, his body trembling.

She looked up at him, puzzled by his sudden reaction, and her gaze fell on the open guidebook.

"…Ah."

A soft gasp, a realization dawning upon him.

His eyes, trembling like reeds in the wind, his emotions swirling, revealed a secret he couldn't share.

A secret that was the source of the wall between them, the source of her unease.

She knew, instinctively, that if she let this moment pass, she would never be able to truly connect with him.

So, she called his name,

"Finn."

Hoping he would finally open up to her, hoping he would lower his guard.

She embraced his truth, the memory he had kept hidden, the pain of a guilt he couldn't escape,

"Did I… die… before…?"

…and made it her own.

He, unable to push her away, could only answer,

"……Twice, as far as I know."

Once in the original story he had read.

And once in his own experience, after entering this world.

She had died twice, in his eyes.

"Twice…"

She repeated the word, her eyes widening, then narrowing in thought.

He couldn't bear to look at her, his gaze averted.

He knew what he was about to say, what memories he was about to reveal.

And he was afraid of her reaction.

"…Once in the original story… and once… in my arms…"

"…What?"

Her eyes widened, her gaze fixed on his averted face.

Then, her eyes drifted down to his chest, her arms tightening around him.

Because his heart, despite his unbelievable words, was beating with sincerity.

"Story…?"

Who would believe such a thing? That their world was a story?

Even she, who trusted him implicitly, who would have believed him even if he said crows were white,

Even with the double-edged flower as proof,

Even with his emotions, his expression, confirming his words,

Couldn't accept it so easily. So, she asked again,

"A story? What do you mean…?"

It wasn't just the word "story" that puzzled her.

He had also said she died twice, once in the "original story" and once in his arms.

But nothing could overshadow the sheer impossibility of their world being a story, a fictional creation.

So, as always, she focused on the most pressing question, the one that resonated most deeply within her.

And he, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly, hesitated.

It wasn't simply the fear of revealing his secrets. The double-edged flower wouldn't allow him to lie.

He was trapped, unable to speak the truth, yet unable to lie. He struggled to find the right words, the right place to begin.

After a long pause,

A pause that felt both short and long,

He finally spoke, his voice filled with trepidation,

"…Your Highness, have you ever heard of… reincarnation?"

He had to tell her, the girl he loved, this cruel truth.

He didn't know how she would react, how their relationship would change, now that she knew the truth, thanks to the double-edged flower.

He asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his heart filled with fear.

He confessed.

That he was a reincarnator, a soul from another world, trapped in a fictional story.

Her eyes flickered at the mention of "reincarnation," a momentary hesitation, then her gaze steadied, focusing on him with a newfound intensity.

"Can you… tell me more… Finn?"

She wasn't sure, but his words, the word "reincarnation," felt like a clue, a thread to pull in this fog of confusion.

***

As the night deepened, the chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves drifted in through the open window, forming a soothing backdrop for their conversation.

The boy's memories, submerged deep within his heart, like treasures in the ocean depths, surfaced, drawn by the faint fragrance of the flowers.

The girl's expression shifted with every word he spoke, every memory he revealed.

"It all started… when I read about you, Your Highness, in a story… when I saw your ending…"

He spoke of the first time he encountered her, a fictional character with a tragic fate. She shook her head slightly, her lips parted in a silent gasp.

"I was so frustrated… so I wrote a comment… a letter… complaining about your ending… asking how they could do that to someone like you…"

He recalled that moment.

The words he had typed on his old computer, in his small, lonely room.

The words that had brought him to this world.

"And the author replied, 'Then why don't you save her?' That's all they said."

"And then… I woke up as your attendant… and you… you had been diagnosed with Cellular Petrification, a terminal illness…"

"…It's… a ridiculous story, isn't it?"

He clenched his fists, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion, remembering his past life, his first reincarnation.

Was it anger? Regret? Or perhaps, the sorrow of having to reveal this cruel truth to the girl he loved?

"At first, I was confident. I knew how to cure your illness."

"I thought… it's just a story, a fictional world, so everything will work out somehow."

…Foolishly.

He confessed,

His arrogance, his carelessness, the source of his guilt.

"…And then… I was the only survivor of the landslide. Paralyzed, unable to move…"

He spoke of his past mistakes, his burden of guilt, a burden he had placed on the frail, innocent girl.

"And yet, you… you took care of me, always smiling. You fed me, you clothed me, you even changed my diapers…"

A tear, shimmering in the moonlight, rolled down his cheek and landed on the wooden floor.

And with that single tear, the well of his guilt began to empty, slowly, drop by drop.

"You… you suffered a far worse fate, a more painful death… because of me… and you didn't even know…"

"You… you wasted your life caring for a crippled attendant… and then… you died… because of a demon…"

He turned to face her.

She was looking at him, her eyes filled with a gentle sadness, a sadness he couldn't understand.

"That's why I'm telling you. I haven't done anything for you. I haven't given you any kindness, any grace…"

He pounded his chest, hoping to dispel the suffocating tightness, hoping to convey his true feelings, every last drop.

"So please… don't look at me like that. Don't look at me like I'm some kind of hero… Don't…!!!"

"Don't treat this… this idiot… like your savior…"

Because I… I haven't even begun to repay the kindness you've shown me…

He muttered, then looked up at the sky.

"No, I can't even do that anymore. What's the point of having a relationship with someone who claims your world is a story? I…"

His words, filled with despair and resignation, trailed off.

She pulled his head against her chest, a gentle, comforting embrace.

"Then why do you love me, Finn?"

She stroked his hair, her voice soft, her love unwavering.

"According to you, I'm just a character in a book. My pain, my past… it's all just a story."

One sentence.

"Why… why do you still love me, even though you know everything? Why are you crying for me? Why do you think I would stop loving you, just because this world is a story?"

Another sentence.

"So what if this world is a creation? So what if it's a story? So what if God is just a… a writer?"

Another sentence.

"What matters is, Finn, you saved me from that fate. You never gave up on me, even though you knew everything, even though you could have chosen an easier path."

Another sentence.

"Even if this world is fictional, my feelings for you are real. You planted the seed, and I nurtured it, and it blossomed into love."

"My precious love… you think it would crumble just because this world is a cruel story? Just because we shared a painful past?"

She cupped his face in her hands, her gaze meeting his.

Her eyes, no longer filled with fear, but with a newfound understanding, a newfound strength.

His eyes, filled with guilt and shame, afraid of being seen, afraid of being judged.

And one final sentence.

"I won't let you belittle my feelings, Finn. Not even you."

She absorbed his guilt, his shame, making it her own.

She stepped over the crumbling walls of his self-loathing, and offered him her hand.

"You gave the Imperial Princess a reason to live, a reason to love. Now take responsibility."

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