The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: A Double-Edged Flower (1)

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"Finn, you absolutely mustn't smile at other girls. Promise me you won't smile at them like that… and I'll forgive you for this. And I'll tell you about… myself, like I promised."

Lili whispered, her voice barely audible, her usually pale face flushed crimson.

She had turned her head slightly, so I couldn't see her expression, but her tone indicated that she was no longer angry.

I couldn't have been more relieved.

Perhaps it was because I had devoured every romance novel and webnovel I could find?

While unintentional, it seemed I possessed an extraordinary talent for romance in this world.

Lifre and Bianca, who had been watching us with open mouths, finally spoke, their voices filled with disbelief.

"…Do all human couples talk like that?"

"No, I'm telling you, he seduced her with his words. I thought it was his looks and his skills, but listen to him, he's spouting lines straight out of a cheesy ballad."

"Right? The other human men I've seen are normal. He's the weird one."

Don't point your finger at people. I might have to teach you a lesson, like I did with Irene.

I couldn't say that out loud, so I simply glared at them, a hint of killing intent in my eyes.

"Eek!"

Lifre, still traumatized by our previous encounter, flinched and quickly averted her gaze, like a frightened mouse.

"What's wrong, Lifre?"

"Shhh! Don't look at him, Bianca! Don't provoke him…!"

"Why? What did he do?"

Bianca, her gaze shifting from the cowering Lifre to me, asked.

I didn't mind their gossip, but I preferred they do it somewhere where I couldn't hear them. So, I used Mirage to create a message visible only to them.

[Be quiet. Don't ruin the mood.]

I thought that would be enough, but apparently not. Perhaps they were still holding a grudge from the tournament.

"How does he even understand us from this distance?"

Bianca muttered, then finally turned away, resting her chin on her hand.

'We didn't even kiss in public. Just a hug. What's the big deal?'

Perhaps my own annoyance was showing, my gaze lingering on them for too long.

"…Finn, what's wrong?"

Lili, noticing my gaze, followed it and frowned.

"Don't tell me…"

She looked back at me, her eyes narrowed, her gaze shifting between Lifre, with her elven beauty, and Bianca, whose clothes left little to the imagination.

"Of course not. I was just… annoyed by their stares…"

"Oh, is that all? Just a moment."

"Your Highness?"

Ignoring my question, she raised her hand, channeling her magic, and began chanting.

Chanting meant she wasn't very proficient with this particular spell yet.

She must have learned it just before summer break.

"Seclusio."

Seclusio.

The moment she uttered the word, I was secretly impressed.

In the original story, Selina only learned this spell in her second year.

A large, opaque barrier materialized between us and them, blocking their view.

"W-What is this…!"

"…Calm down, Bianca. It's the Princess's doing. She's telling us to mind our own business."

"Seriously? They're so full of themselves. Birds of a feather…"

I could still hear their faint whispers, but I decided to ignore them. Lili would be seriously annoyed if I continued to pay attention to them.

"I still don't like it… you looking at other girls while I'm right here. Even if it was for a good reason."

Lili pouted, nuzzling her face against my chest.

"So, I'm not allowed to smile at other girls, or even look at them?"

I asked, feigning exasperation, wondering if I had to walk around with my eyes closed now. Lili lightly punched my chest, her cheeks puffed out.

"That's not what I meant…!"

And of course, I knew exactly how to respond in this situation.

While our situation, a princess and her attendant, wasn't exactly a common trope, I knew the appropriate gestures, even if I had to improvise the dialogue.

I gently caught her wrist, her small, delicate hand still pounding against my chest.

"Your hand must be hurting. I was just joking, so don't be so angry."

I held her hand in mine, gently caressing her soft skin, and she blushed, then looked at me with a strange, almost confused, expression.

"Your Highness?"

"Finn."

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Whenever you do this… it makes me think… a lot of things. Did you know that?"

Her unexpected response and her strange expression puzzled me. Had I done something wrong?

But that couldn't be right. She wouldn't be blushing and acting so shy if I had.

I couldn't figure it out, so I asked,

"As I said, I'm not very good at understanding these things. Could you… explain?"

"…Don't make that worried face. I don't dislike it."

She met my gaze and gently caressed my cheek.

"First, you know I owe you my life, right? Several times over."

"…That's…"

She shook her head, cutting me off.

"No, regardless of what anyone says, you saved my life. Multiple times. A life I don't even know how to repay, even once. And you saved Father's life too. You can't deny that, can you?"

"That's true, but…"

Saved her life. Saved her father's life. A debt of gratitude.

Words I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge, burdened by the memories of a world where those events never happened.

My words faltered, dissolving into meaningless syllables, my thoughts drifting towards memories that didn't exist in this world.

Because for me to discuss such things would be a contradiction, a betrayal of my own purpose.

Why was I even alive in this world? What gave me the strength to live?

It was all because of her. Lilisiana Yekaterina.

I was the one who had caused her death, a death far more cruel than in the original story, driven by my selfish desire to experience a romance fantasy world.

And yet, even knowing that her suffering, the quest for the elixir, was a result of my actions, she had shown me nothing but kindness and devotion.

A kindness, a devotion, I didn't deserve.

Of course, she didn't know. And she would probably never know.

That I was the one who had twisted her fate, making it far more tragic than it was supposed to be. That she, unknowingly, had shown kindness and love to her own tormentor.

Even if I told her, she wouldn't understand.

She would probably think I was delusional. And even if she believed me, it would be a distant, abstract concept, something she couldn't truly grasp.

'I haven't done anything for you.'

You were the one who showed me kindness. I was simply repaying my debt.

It was the least I could do, as a human being.

So, I couldn't listen to her words, even though I knew what she was trying to say.

Because what she wanted to say was,

"But if you keep treating me like this… being so kind… when will I ever be able to repay you…?"

Words I shouldn't hear, words that belonged to Finn, who had repaid his debt and left, not me, who still owed her everything.

I hadn't given her a happy ending yet.

I couldn't even guarantee that her future would be better than in the original story.

"I know you want this… this relationship… but if you keep being so kind… I don't know what to do…"

So, I resorted to a slightly cowardly tactic, saying something she couldn't refuse.

I couldn't reveal my true feelings, my true intentions.

"It's just… a man's foolish pride… wanting to impress the woman he loves. So…"

"That's the second reason."

She looked at me, her expression a mixture of affection and sadness, a bittersweet smile on her lips.

"I hope it's just my imagination, but… sometimes, I feel a wall between us. I know you love me, and your words are so sweet, sometimes I forget… but… why? Why don't your sweet words reach my heart?"

"…."

I was speechless, my mind reeling.

Since when?

She noticed my hesitation, and the result was predictable.

"So, I was right. Curious about how I figured it out?"

"…No, I…"

"I didn't notice anything when you were Berry. Because I didn't have feelings for you. But after I learned you were Finn, after I started paying attention to you… I couldn't ignore it anymore. Perhaps it's because I truly love you?"

"…."

"So, I thought about it, and… are you just… reciting lines from romance novels? Thinking it would make me happy?"

Was she saying that my words felt insincere because they were borrowed from romance novels?

She must have deduced it from my earlier confession about using a romance novel as inspiration for my plan.

Her deduction was half-right, half-wrong.

But it was a welcome misunderstanding, a partially accurate guess.

"I'm so embarrassed… I apologize. I just… wanted to see you happy…"

So, I spoke from the heart, without relying on any borrowed knowledge.

Concealing the parts I couldn't reveal.

"No, no, it's okay. If that's the reason, then I'm happy. I've heard that men are like that, so it's actually a relief. Sorry, I overreacted."

Hee hee.

She giggled, a carefree, childish giggle.

She seemed to think I was just a typical boy, trying to impress the girl he liked.

I couldn't have been more relieved.

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