The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Irene Yustia (2)

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Following Irene's crimson gaze, Crimson Wrath, her sword, blazed, its fiery aura fixated on me.

Whoosh!

But once again, the flames missed their mark, dissipating harmlessly in the air.

Her eyes, burning with renewed intensity, locked onto mine.

Tsk. I clicked my tongue, annoyed. This wasn't how I wanted things to go. I glanced around, searching for,

Ian, the protagonist.

I couldn't afford to provoke Irene Yustia, that stubborn, idealistic knight.

Her unwavering belief in chivalry, her destined role as a sacrificial lamb in Ian's future, worried me.

While I didn't like her, her personality and her ideals the complete opposite of mine, I still remembered the broad strokes of her tragic fate, even if I couldn't recall all the details.

So, I had tried to avoid her, to minimize my interactions with her, to prevent her from becoming attached to me.

She was a character who had to die, according to the story.

Or rather, her death was a crucial element in the Demon King's defeat.

The first step towards her demise was her unrequited love for Ian Cedric, a love she wouldn't even realize until it was too late.

After graduating from the academy, still unaware of her feelings, she would return to her family and become the head of the prestigious Yustia family, a renowned knightly house, thanks to her achievements as a top scorer.

But this was a world where every heroine, except for the main one, suffered a tragic fate.

Irene Yustia wouldn't simply endure a loveless marriage, bear a child she didn't want, and then, upon reuniting with Ian, regret her past choices. That would be too peaceful, too mundane.

Her tragedy would begin in the latter half of the story, after she had solidified her position as the head of the Yustia family, with the arrival of a letter.

Upon learning that Ian Cedric had been captured by a demon alchemist during the war, Irene Yustia, ignoring her own instincts screaming at her to stay away, would lead the Yustia knights to the front lines, driven by her sense of duty and her unacknowledged feelings for Ian.

Following Selina's advice, she would lead a diversionary attack, drawing the enemy's attention away from Ian.

But then, the demons, abandoning their valuable captive, would focus all their forces on Irene.

The reason for this unexpected turn of events was debated among readers at the time, but it would soon become clear.

Foreseeing the annihilation of her knights, Irene would order a retreat.

Amidst the chaos and carnage, as her knights fled, Irene Yustia, wielding Crimson Wrath, would charge towards the pursuing demons.

Unwilling to sacrifice her knights, those weaker than her, to save her own life… was that her reasoning?

A few loyal knights, noticing her suicidal charge, would follow her, but their efforts would be in vain.

As the last of her knights fell, and she stood alone,

Whoosh-

A poisoned dart, fired by the demon Botis, would strike her, paralyzing her.

And then, a fate worse than death, a fate she, a knight, couldn't bear, would befall her.

The demons would drag her, bound and helpless, towards the human camp, and she would be presented to Ian,

Her body bound, awaiting execution.

And in that moment, facing her imminent death, she would finally realize her love for him.

A new purpose in life, a purpose beyond her unwavering devotion to the knight's sword, revealed in her final moments.

She would feel fear for the first time, and instead of facing death with stoic resignation, she would yearn to confess her feelings to Ian before her final breath.

-Ian Cedric… I…!-

Slash. Her confession, her dying wish, would be cut short.

Her severed head would roll across the ground, and her body, tossed to the monsters by Botis, would be devoured before Ian's horrified eyes.

-"You bastard!!!"-

That was the first time Ian cursed in the story.

And everyone who read that scene knew,

That Irene Yustia was a sacrificial lamb, a catalyst for the protagonist's awakening.

Indeed, from that moment on, Ian's power would surge, his abilities reaching new heights.

Perhaps it was because his perspective on life, on battle, had changed.

The truth behind that fateful battle, revealed later,

Was that the demons had targeted Irene's Crimson Wrath. Even the demon Im, who had joined the fray to protect Ian, wouldn't be a match for him after that.

Ian, having retrieved Crimson Wrath from Im, would visit Irene's grave, placing the sword before her, and vowing,

-I'll bring you the Demon King's head next time. I swear.-

That was the moment Ian Cedric first experienced true hatred.

Of course, I had been reincarnated before witnessing the conclusion of the story, so I didn't know if he actually fulfilled his vow.

Some might call my decision cruel.

Knowing her fate, yet doing nothing to prevent it.

But I didn't have a choice.

I didn't know how, or when, the Demon King would be defeated. I had been reincarnated before reaching that point in the story.

Saving Irene and preventing Ian's awakening was too risky.

And it wasn't my decision that sealed her fate. If anyone was to blame, it was the author. They were the ones who wrote her tragic story.

Between jeopardizing my own future, Lili's future, and the future of this world, and saving a woman I barely knew,

The choice was obvious.

Have you ever heard of the trolley problem?

A thought experiment in ethics and psychology.

A runaway trolley, barreling down the tracks towards five people. You can pull a lever, diverting the trolley onto a different track, where only one person stands.

The crux of the experiment was this:

When faced with a difficult moral dilemma, humans prioritize two factors: the directness of their involvement in the outcome, and the inevitability of the victims' deaths.

From that perspective, my decision was perfectly logical, even ethical, aligning with the majority's choice in the trolley problem.

If I saved Irene, Ian might not awaken.

And even if he did, it would require another sacrifice. A pointless cycle.

And if I prevented his awakening altogether? It would only prolong the war, leading to more deaths, more sacrifices, than just Irene.

So, I hadn't made a choice, per se. I had simply removed my hand from the lever.

Her death wasn't my fault, it wasn't my decision, and it was inevitable.

I wasn't a righteous hero like Ian, nor a valiant knight like Finn. I was just a selfish human, trying to survive.

That's why I had kept my distance from Irene.

Even if she was annoying, with her warped ideals, I knew I would eventually grow fond of her, like I had with Grace.

And then, could I bear to watch her die, knowing her fate?

Could I live with the guilt of knowing, yet doing nothing?

I didn't care about the deaths of strangers.

My life had been too difficult, too painful, to empathize with every single person.

I, too, had suffered.

So, I could kill without hesitation, prioritizing my own survival, making rational decisions about the deaths of those I didn't care about.

But this situation… was a dead end.

I couldn't have a heart-to-heart with her, I couldn't try to change her.

I had to avoid eye contact, end the fight quickly, and minimize our interactions.

But I couldn't win, nor could I lose. Both outcomes would create a connection between us.

I had to win, but not through a direct confrontation. I had to mock her, belittle her, humiliate her.

To the point where she would never want to speak to me again.

That's why I had insulted her again, hoping to provoke a reaction, a moment of weakness.

"Don't try to impose your twisted chivalry on me. It's incredibly annoying."

I muttered, my voice just loud enough for her to hear.

And then,

Grit-

She bit her lip, her anger flaring, and a flicker of vulnerability, a momentary lapse in concentration, appeared.

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