The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Triang Village (6)

***

The silence was heavy, oppressive.

The only sounds were our footsteps and ragged breathing.

No one dared to break the awkward silence.

I glanced at the only person who could explain the situation, the source of this uncomfortable atmosphere.

Grace.

She had said, before I went to sleep,

-I'll have a chat with her, so you should go get some rest.

'What did you do? Why does she look so depressed?'

While there was a strange tension between Grace and Lili, Grace herself seemed unchanged from last night.

Lili, however, avoided eye contact with everyone, walking in silence.

While I was glad she had stopped trying to set Grace and me up, this wasn't what I had hoped for. I looked at Grace, seeking an explanation.

She finally turned to me, and I braced myself for an answer, hoping to understand Lili's sudden change in mood.

But the moment I saw her expression, I almost cursed out loud.

She looked at me with pity, like I was a lost puppy, a parentless orphan.

I didn't know what they had talked about, but the result was a disaster.

Lili sighed heavily, Grace looked at me with pity, and Anna, the alchemist, was gasping for breath, completely exhausted.

"Let's take a break."

I finally broke the silence, drawing Lili and Grace's puzzled gazes.

We were almost at Triang Village. Why suggest a break now?

I nodded towards Anna. They finally noticed her condition and reluctantly agreed.

While Lili's thoughts were unreadable, I could tell Grace was blaming herself for not noticing Anna's exhaustion sooner.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I'll cast a revitalization spell. Here, sit down."

Grace quickly guided Anna to a nearby rock and began casting the spell.

"I-I'm sorry… I'm not very strong… and Berry is carrying my bag…"

"Don't worry, Anna. Everyone has their strengths and their roles to play."

Grace comforted Anna, who was on the verge of tears.

Grace was the perfect companion for the emotionally fragile Anna.

'Every cloud has a silver lining, I guess.'

What was done was done.

Grace, with her meddling nature, must have crossed a line.

But she had achieved her original goal: stopping Lili's matchmaking attempts. She had done her job.

I left Grace with Anna and walked towards Lili.

I felt it was my responsibility to cheer her up.

***

Thump, thump.

Lilisiana, who had been staring at the ground, slowly raised her head at the sound of approaching footsteps, her gaze meeting Berry's.

"…What do you want?"

"I believe you know what I'm going to say."

She did, but she still answered curtly.

"I'll handle it myself, so please leave me alone for now."

The bitter taste of a painful memory lingered.

The realization that her affection for her deceased attendant would never be reciprocated.

And now, the boy, a remnant of her attendant, was looking at her with that familiar, gentle smile, reminding her of her loss.

She had to distance herself from him.

She felt guilty.

Her attendant, who had loved her so selflessly, had died without ever receiving her affection in return.

…No, she had killed him. Not directly, but it was no different.

And now,

This boy, who was undoubtedly connected to her attendant, was showing her the same affection.

It wasn't a matter of liking or disliking him. She was simply afraid.

Afraid of reciprocating his feelings, even slightly.

Afraid of giving him the affection she had denied her attendant, who had saved her life, showered her with kindness, and ultimately, sacrificed himself for her.

She had to be careful, to maintain her distance.

She couldn't let him mistake her actions for something they weren't.

So, she had been overjoyed when she saw him with Grace.

Rejecting him outright would have been easy, but maintaining a proper distance, without being cruel, was a difficult task.

Especially for someone with little experience in navigating such complex relationships.

She had been pleased when her plan seemed to be working, and disappointed when it didn't.

Because Grace, even in Lilisiana's eyes, was beautiful and charming… and incredibly attractive to men.

She hadn't expected the boy's feelings to be so easily resolved.

And now, fear returned, accompanied by a strange mix of affection and anxiety.

She erected her defenses, her sharp words piercing his heart.

"I'm worried about you, that's all."

"Worried? Why are you worried about me? What gives you the right?"

"We're in the same party."

"Are you serious?"

"Huh?"

"You're saying you're talking to me because you're worried… because we're in the same party? Are you serious?"

The boy was speechless, caught off guard. He hadn't anticipated this reaction.

She realized she had been too harsh, but she couldn't back down.

She couldn't apologize, couldn't risk getting closer to him.

There was a way to resolve this amicably, of course.

But the boy, Kim Bin, due to his difficult past, had little experience with healthy relationships.

And neither did she.

Finding a middle ground, ending the conversation gracefully, was a near impossibility. And as expected, no miracle occurred.

She spoke again, her voice sharp,

"Please be more considerate. I know I owe you a debt of gratitude, and I'm not ungrateful. That's why I joined your party without complaint, and unlike the others, I'm willing to maintain a certain level of friendship with you."

"I… see."

He was happy, yet saddened by her words.

Her tone implied that there was more to come, something unpleasant.

She looked at him, her expression hardening.

It wasn't malicious, nor cruel. But it still stung.

"But that's it. Don't cross the line. 'Friend' is as far as you can go. If you try anything else… I'll repay my debt in some other way and cut ties with you."

Cut ties.

Her words pierced his heart like a dagger. He felt tears welling up in his eyes.

"…I haven't done anything. Why…?"

Why are you reacting like this? She had anticipated his question, so she cut him off.

"Because I know what you're thinking. And I don't want to receive that kind of attention from someone I don't feel the same way about. This is for your own good, too. Please, just stay within your limits."

Her words triggered a painful memory.

Her disgusted gaze, the magical attack, all because he had looked at her with affection.

Pain and sadness washed over him, his heart clenching.

But he still couldn't understand.

Who was this man, this rival who had not only captured Lili's heart, but also surpassed even Ian Cedric in her affections?

Her rejection was far more decisive and absolute than in the original story.

"May I… ask you something?"

He had to ask. He couldn't understand.

"What is it?"

"When… did you fall in love with your fiancé?"

She tilted her head, puzzled by his question.

Asking about his identity would have made sense. His age, his background, anything about him.

But he was asking about her feelings, about when she fell in love.

"A few months before I entered the academy."

He flinched.

So, it really was a "homewrecker" situation.

He was certain now that she was in love with a nameless extra, someone he hadn't even considered.

But he couldn't help but worry.

And with every step towards their destination, his worries grew.

The more he interfered, the more this world deviated from the original story.

And Lili, the object of his constant intervention, hadn't shown any interest in Ian Cedric.

Which meant, that by trying to steal her heart from someone she already loved, he was actually pushing her onto the very NTR route he was trying to avoid.

He loved her. He wanted to protect her.

He didn't want to lose her, his first love.

He didn't want to hurt her.

His affections might be poison to her.

But he couldn't give up on her, and he couldn't shake the feeling that she was in danger.

He wasn't even sure if his assumptions were valid. He had no concrete evidence.

His tangled thoughts and emotions prevented him from reaching a clear conclusion.

So, even as they arrived at Triang Village, he continued to search for answers.

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