The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: I Love You

***

Her expression crumpled, and silence descended.

…Truthfully, I had suspected it since she reached out to me.

That the fiancé she spoke of was me.

But imagine this:

A beautiful girl, whose mere presence makes you smile.

The object of your unrequited affection.

And then, a single gesture, a pointed finger, reveals that you are the fiancé, the most important person in her life.

A warm, fuzzy feeling spreads through your body, a giddy joy threatening to split your face into a wide grin, even as you wonder, What was all that angst and drama for, then?

'Nothing but cringe and a lifetime supply of embarrassing memories, damn it.'

I could bury myself under a mountain of blankets just thinking about the things I had said and done.

-I don't know which scumbag homewrecker stole her heart, but… I'll kill him.-

-Preying on a vulnerable girl? That piece of trash.-

-I'll never forgive that NTR-loving bastard.-

And those were just my thoughts. The things I had actually said were even worse.

To Grace:

-I'm curious about the man who captured Her Highness's heart.-

To Lili:

-Your Highness, what qualities in a man do you find attractive? It's only natural to be curious, right?-

I had essentially been waging a one-man war against a non-existent NTR rival.

The ultimate cringe.

To buy myself some time, to process this unexpected development, I used a term I had heard on a TV show about bizarre events:

Ghost marriage.

It was meant to be a joke, but…

Lili looked at me with an icy stare, then broke the silence.

"Finn, that was a joke, right?"

"…Yes, Your Highness."

"Don't do that again. You're not very good at jokes."

"…Right."

Silence fell again. A welcome silence, giving me time to organize my thoughts.

Why had Grace told me that Lili's fiancé was gone, that she was mourning him?

Because it was me, damn it.

And Lili, having somehow learned about my sacrifices, had decided to consider me her fiancé…

It wasn't entirely illogical, considering her personality.

I swallowed my bitterness, realizing I had been shadowboxing this entire time.

In the forest of Section B-04, Lili had described her fiancé as her sun, the only person who had looked at her with unconditional love, like family.

And that fiancé, showered with praise and adoration…

'…was me?'

It all made sense now, if she had developed feelings for me after learning the truth.

The punches I had thrown at an imaginary rival, revealed by Grace to be directed at empty air…

…had actually been aimed at self.

But some questions remained.

How had she learned the truth?

And if she had, she should have collapsed, just like before. How had she recovered?

So, I asked,

"Your Highness."

"Yes?"

"May I ask… how and when you learned about… me?"

"Ah… well, I found out the day you left the palace…"

"You mean… the day I fell into the ravine?"

Her eyes met mine.

Amethyst eyes, shimmering with unshed tears.

Was she remembering that day? The day she learned of my supposed death, despite knowing the truth?

"Yes… I can tell you… but… will you hold my hand?"

"My hand…?"

She reached out, her expression vulnerable.

I had no reason to refuse. I took her hand, intertwining our fingers, and looked at her.

Her hand trembled in mine, betraying her anxiety. I tilted my head, and she forced a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Whenever I think about that day… I get so anxious, the thought of you disappearing again… So… will you hold my hand? Just until I finish my story?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Finn."

Hee hee.

She giggled, a pure, childlike giggle I remembered from our time in the shack. She traced circles on the back of my hand with her thumb, her expression filled with regret.

"It was the night I went to confront Father about letting you go. It was raining heavily… and there was lightning."

She squeezed my hand, her expression crumbling.

"I overheard Father talking to Mother's grave. I think… the rain masked my footsteps."

"He said… that you took all the blame and left the Empire… for me."

Her eyes shone even brighter.

"And when I finally realized what I had done, when I tried to find you… you were already…"

"Gone. Only my torn clothes remained."

She swallowed, her breath hitching with suppressed grief, reliving that painful memory.

"So, I built a grave for you… and stayed there all day. Eating… sleeping… even in the rain, even under the scorching sun… until I collapsed."

"I didn't know how to atone for my sins… so I just… stayed there, remembering you."

I smiled at her, my gaze filled with emotions I couldn't express.

"But it wasn't difficult. Because I felt like you were there with me."

"But… I guess it didn't look that way to others. This is what Father gave me that day."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a familiar piece of paper.

Tears streamed down her face, her lips, a delicate shade of cherry red, curved upwards, but her eyes, unable to hide her sorrow, were downcast.

"…A letter."

'So the Emperor used my letter.'

I hadn't anticipated this. I had assumed she would be completely devastated if she learned the truth.

But it made sense.

Even in a fictional world, humans weren't machines. They didn't always react the same way to the same stimuli.

But with limited information, I had chosen the safest course of action.

A calculated risk, based on limited rationality.

She placed the letter on the table and asked,

"I think that's about it for my story… Can I ask you something now…?"

"Of course."

"I have so many questions… but I'll just ask two, since we don't have much time."

She took my other hand in hers, her question laced with a gentle warmth that made my heart flutter.

"How did you come up with such a plan…?"

"…."

The pleasant fluttering in my chest was replaced by a nervous pounding.

…How should I explain this?

That her situation was identical to that of a heroine in a Japanese romance novel I had read, and I had simply acted on the assumption that it would work in this world, a world of romance fantasy?

'I can't tell her that.'

I couldn't reveal everything.

So, I told her a lie, laced with a grain of truth.

"I… read about it in a romance novel. A story about a prince who sacrificed himself for a princess…"

I couldn't meet her gaze. I saw her cheeks flush crimson.

"O-Oh… a romance novel about a prince and a princess…?"

I nodded, still avoiding her gaze.

A moment of silence.

I waited for her second question.

She hesitated, her lips opening and closing, as if unsure of what to ask.

Then, she finally spoke,

"Finn… how could you sacrifice so much for me…? You've always cared for me, ever since we were young. Even when I… wasn't healthy, like I am now."

Why did you help me?

Why did you sacrifice yourself for me?

Why did you care for me, even when I wasn't beautiful?

I couldn't lie to her.

A lie would taint not only her affection, but also my sincerity.

So, I told her the truth.

For the first time, I looked her in the eye and said the words she had longed to hear, the words I couldn't bring myself to say until the very end.

This time, not with tears and a choked voice, but with a confident smile.

"My wish for your happiness… unknowingly blossomed into love. This unworthy attendant… loves you with all his heart, Princess Lilisiana."

After reincarnation, after death, after regression, after years of suffering… I could finally say it.

Along with her name.

That I loved her.

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