The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Finn and Lili (4)

***

"Sigh…"

As the night deepened and the stars shone brightly, a sigh escaped Marianne's lips.

A sigh born of the complicated thoughts swirling in her mind, after hearing the proud Princess's confession.

"So, to summarize, Sir Finn was Your Highness's former attendant, and the fiancé Your Highness has been speaking of… is actually him…?"

"Yes…"

Her voice was barely a whisper, her head bowed in shame, remembering her past actions towards the boy whose true identity she hadn't known.

Marianne, on the other hand, simply stared at the Princess, still processing the unbelievable truth.

Was there a fate more tangled than this?

If it weren't the Imperial Princess telling this story, a tale of meeting, separation, and reunion worthy of a romance novel, Marianne would have dismissed it as the ramblings of a madwoman.

'Even for a novel, this is too far-fetched.'

A young, commoner attendant risking his life, trading his eye for an elixir to cure her incurable disease?

That same attendant, sacrificing his own life to help her recover,

And then, defeating the academy's top scorer in a single strike?

A man with such extraordinary abilities, a man so devoted he was willing to fake his own death to protect her?

He was a prince in disguise, lacking only the title.

Marianne mentally revised her opinion of Berry, no, Finn, whom she had previously considered a presumptuous commoner, unworthy of the Princess's attention.

While she couldn't fully trust the Princess's words, her judgment clouded by love, she couldn't imagine a more perfect man.

And she was amazed by his unwavering devotion, his refusal to give up on the Princess, even after learning about her fiancé and being rejected so cruelly.

In Marianne's experience, men of their age were driven by their baser instincts.

She looked at the Princess, her head bowed, her gaze fixed on the floor. The girl who was the reason for her cynical view of men.

A girl of unparalleled beauty.

Even Marianne, a woman, felt her heart flutter whenever she was this close to the Princess. How much more so for men?

But the Princess's beauty was even more potent, more alluring, in her slightly melancholic state.

Countless men, their eyes burning with lust, had openly expressed their desire to possess her, regardless of the cost, regardless of her status.

'One of the reasons you came to the academy… was to escape their unwanted attention, wasn't it?'

Marianne looked at the Princess, her eyes empty, a hint of amusement in her voice.

To think that the Princess, who came to the academy to fulfill her promise to her fiancé, would be reunited with him here, a fateful encounter worthy of a romance novel.

"So, Your Highness… not only did you kiss him after the tournament, but you also ran away…?"

"Yes…"

The Princess's voice was barely audible, her face burning with shame.

She had given away her precious first kiss, and then, overcome by embarrassment, had fled while he was still dazed.

She was now agonizing over how to face him.

Marianne, on the other hand, thought that Finn was the true winner in this situation.

The fact that the Princess, a proud royal, was so flustered by a single kiss meant she would be putty in his hands.

And there was only one piece of advice she could offer this love-struck princess.

Logical arguments wouldn't reach her in her current state.

"I'll tell you the conclusion first."

"Y-Yes? What is it…?"

The Princess's anxious gaze met Marianne's, her fingers fidgeting nervously.

Gulp.

The sound of her swallowing echoed in the silence.

"First, go find Sir Finn tomorrow. And then, no matter how embarrassed you are, be proactive. Express your affection openly."

Marianne decided to teach her how to use her assets, her feminine charms.

The Princess, once a vulnerable girl who inadvertently attracted unwanted attention, was now radiating a vibrant, alluring energy.

She was practically begging to be loved, her every gesture, every expression, radiating a captivating charm.

Even a woman like Marianne was mesmerized. How could a man resist?

Even if she wasn't a princess, even if their roles were reversed, any man would choose her.

Her beauty was that potent.

So, Marianne didn't want her to play coy, to diminish her own value with unnecessary games.

Men reveled in the knowledge that their women were beautiful, powerful, noble, and preferably, pure.

And that their pure and virtuous affections were directed solely at them.

Finn, despite his extraordinary abilities, was still a man. And men, Marianne believed, were driven by their instincts.

So, she advised the Princess to be proactive, to overcome her shyness, to be bold and unapologetic in expressing her feelings.

Women are more attractive when they're mysterious? The aesthetics of secrecy?

Such petty dating advice was for those who lacked true value, Marianne believed.

For the Princess, a symbol of unwavering devotion, the best approach was to shower her chosen one with affection, leaving no room for other women to interfere.

She had kissed him and run away, blushing? He was probably romanticizing the entire incident.

"…So, you're saying… instead of apologizing for running away, I should just… keep expressing my affection, even if I'm embarrassed…?"

The Princess's eyes shone with newfound understanding.

Marianne raised her index finger, as if giving a warning.

"Exactly. And there's another reason for this."

"What is it…?"

"Think about it. To you, he's just a man you're interested in, but to others, he's a knight with unparalleled talent, perhaps the most talented in the academy's history."

"That's true."

"Do you think the noblewomen from other countries will just sit idly by and watch him join the Empire? Especially someone as handsome as him?"

"So…?"

"They might try to seduce him before he graduates. He's a man, after all. A moment of weakness, a night of passion, and… what if a child is conceived…?"

"…!!!"

The Princess's eyes widened in horror, a chilling premonition of a disastrous future.

Of course, such a scenario was highly unlikely.

As Finn knew, the beautiful female students of the academy were all interested in Ian Cedric, not him.

Except for the Princess herself, Grace, and Anna Freesia, the only girls he had interacted with.

But the Princess and Marianne, unaware of this, used it as fuel for their worst-case scenario fantasies.

"It might be different once your relationship is more established, but… he's already been hurt by your unintentional misunderstanding, hasn't he?"

"B-But he said…!"

Finn said he was fine, that he only cared about me. She was about to say, but Marianne's next words made her tremble.

"There aren't many noblewomen in the Knight Department, so that's not a big problem, but… the Divine Arts Department, located right next to the Knight Department… that's the real problem. And as you know, Grace is in the Divine Arts Department."

Grace, of the Divine Arts Department.

The mere mention of her name filled the Princess with anxiety.

A girl with a gentle, motherly face, and an impossibly large chest.

The top scorer of the Divine Arts Department, a symbol of purity and virtue.

The Princess's eyes darted around nervously, remembering how she had encouraged Finn to pursue Grace.

And then, Marianne delivered the final blow.

"I've heard that men enjoy defiling pure and innocent women the most."

The Princess trembled, imagining a horrific, albeit improbable, future.

"Even if it's not Grace, most of the women in the Divine Arts Department are known for their purity and modesty."

The Princess clenched her fists, a surge of competitiveness rising within her.

"That's why you have to be more proactive, more shameless."

Her cheeks, once flushed with embarrassment, now burned with a newfound resolve.

While it wasn't a particularly effective strategy against a boy who was already deeply in love with her, for a lovesick girl like the Princess, even the slightest insecurity seemed like an insurmountable obstacle.

She had simply confided in someone she trusted, someone she felt comfortable sharing her vulnerabilities with.

And so, the Princess, like any other woman in love, fell prey to the common delusion that every other woman was a scheming vixen, vying for her man's attention.

Next Chapter

Index

Previous Chapter