The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Student Council (4)

***

Lilisiana recalled that moment.

And once again, the question that had taken root deep within her heart resurfaced.

'To whom…?'

The boy's promise must have been something like this:

-I promise to protect Your Highness, in his stead.

But to whom had he made such a vow?

There were many questions, but it was best to address them one by one.

She first considered the people who might want her protected.

Her father, her mother, her guards who hadn't accompanied them on that journey, and the men who might be secretly harboring feelings for her, now that she had a fiancé.

She eliminated her mother.

The boy had clearly used the pronoun "he."

She also eliminated anyone she could still interact with.

Otherwise, there would be no need for the phrase "in his stead."

All her options disappeared, leaving only one.

A man who would willingly sacrifice his life to protect her.

And a name she would never see again in this life.

"Finn…"

Berry must have made that promise to Finn.

She believed so, and her belief was close to certainty.

She reviewed her reasoning, confirming its validity.

And that certainty led to the next question.

Why had Berry agreed to such a request?

While her answer was mere speculation, she couldn't find a more plausible explanation.

She focused on the fact that Berry, like Finn, was a commoner.

A commoner who had become a top scorer, who had suddenly transformed and single-handedly defeated that monster.

And Finn had been the same.

His report, based on information no one knew how he obtained, had pinpointed the location of the elixir, something even the Empire's most renowned healers were unaware of.

While Finn had simply connected the dots, having read the original story,

To others, it seemed like a feat of genius-level deduction.

Their commonality:

Exceptional talent, despite being commoners.

So, her hypothesis was this:

Just as Finn had told her about the elixir, he must have shared some secret technique or rare ingredient with Berry, helping him become stronger.

As a swordsman, constantly striving for strength, Berry would have been eternally grateful to Finn.

And before leaving the Empire, hadn't Finn asked Berry for a favor?

To protect the Princess in his stead, if he ever became a strong swordsman.

-So, I'm glad I was able to protect you this time, Your Highness.

Your Highness.

She finally understood why only Berry, like Finn, addressed her that way.

What else would her devoted attendant talk about with another person?

It was a presumptuous, almost embarrassing thought, considering how she had repaid his kindness, but it was the most likely explanation.

She nodded, suppressing a bitter smile.

Finn must have told Berry about her likes and dislikes.

Even her preference for being called "Your Highness" instead of "Your Imperial Highness."

But he couldn't reveal his own involvement.

Finn had chosen to disappear, taking all the blame with him.

And Berry, having received Finn's request, had to get close to her without mentioning Finn.

It was the easiest way to protect her, as Finn had asked.

And Berry, a swordsman, would have been driven by a sense of duty, a desire to fulfill his promise.

She had heard that swordsmen lived and died by their code of honor, their sense of romance.

So, Berry risking his life for a promise wasn't entirely incomprehensible.

And the final question.

'Why… did he say he was glad he could protect me this time?'

Had she ever been in mortal danger before?

She shook her head.

Was there another incident where Berry had failed to protect her?

She shook her head again.

She couldn't find an answer to this question.

But it didn't matter.

Regardless of the answer, her attitude towards Berry wouldn't change.

Berry was a remnant of Finn's kindness.

Like the hairpin that had become her engagement ring.

Like the magical power from the elixir, the power that allowed her to become a top scorer.

Berry had risked his life to fulfill his promise, proving his trustworthiness.

She couldn't treat him with the same coldness she reserved for other men.

The fact that he was connected to Finn bothered her.

And his selfless act had solidified that connection.

But the problem was,

His blatant affection for her.

While different from the crude advances of other men, it was still unwanted attention.

And it wasn't born of loyalty, like Finn's. She couldn't accept such affection from anyone other than Finn.

Whether it was love at first sight, or perhaps a result of Finn's exaggerated stories about her…

The reason didn't matter.

The fact remained that he harbored feelings for her.

She was trapped in a dilemma. She couldn't reject him, nor could she accept him.

There was only one solution.

To extinguish his romantic feelings for her.

Then, he would focus solely on his promise, his sense of duty.

And she could appoint him as her knight.

Who would question the qualifications of a top-scoring knight?

She pondered her options.

Genuine affection wasn't something to be trifled with.

So, she came to a decision.

She would talk about Finn even more openly, reminiscing about him.

In front of Berry. Without revealing that she was talking about Finn.

Partly because she didn't know if Berry knew about Finn's death.

And partly because she didn't know how he would react to her mourning a dead man.

And she would find a suitable partner for him.

While Berry was a commoner, he was no longer just a "commoner," having entered the academy. Finding a match for him wouldn't be difficult.

Especially since he was a top scorer, a knight.

He was the perfect candidate for the kind of love most noblewomen dreamed of.

A noble lady, protected and cherished by a valiant knight, a classic romance.

And with the rumors of his heroic feat, most noblewomen would gladly accept his advances.

He was quite handsome, after all.

So, when Berry chose Grace as his next party member…

She smiled, having found the perfect prey.

'She'll be perfect! A devout girl, not promiscuous, and the top scorer of the Divine Arts Department. A perfect match.'

She looked at Grace, licking her lips.

Grace, unaware of the predatory gaze of the Magic Department's top scorer, simply shrugged.

***

Having made up her mind, she acted swiftly and decisively.

During a lunch meeting with her party members in the cafeteria, she suddenly reached out and stroked Grace's hair, asking Berry,

"Oh my…! Y-Your Highness?!"

"…Look at her hair, it's like silk, isn't it? Don't you think so, Berry?"

"…Huh?"

What was she doing?

Berry… Finn… was worried about his Princess, her behavior shifting so erratically.

From her perspective, her actions were perfectly reasonable.

Boys of that age fell in and out of love easily.

But the reality was different, and her actions would have dire consequences.

And for Finn, who had watched her for so long, it was incredibly frustrating.

But his anger was directed at an unknown target.

He still didn't know who her fiancé was.

And Grace, caught in the crossfire, became an unwitting victim of their tangled emotions.

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