Extra in a Romance Fantasy

34 – Vacation (2)

No matter how much you think about it, things rarely go as planned.

Today, once again realizing this fact, I stared out the window with a distant look.

“I-I’m already getting nervous…”

“Hmm, the carriage is quite shaky.”

Instead of saying a word, those who were familiar with keeping the inside of the carriage from becoming silent were there in my place.

Aya, who glanced around with a somewhat discouraged look, Estelle, who didn’t pay much attention to the surroundings but commented on the carriage, and Rachel, who was staring at Aya and Estelle with sharp eyes.

The situation that was unfolding inside the carriage was something that was never part of my plan.

Rachel was initially part of the equation.

However, I had no idea how the other two ended up here.

I just went to the agreed-upon place with Mary in the morning, and the two were standing there.

With visible baggage in hand.

Not foolish enough to not notice the intention in that situation, I tried to figure out what had happened, but I couldn’t.

Fortunately, Mary appeared at the right moment.

Before I could do anything, Aya and Estelle asked if they could come along, and Mary’s reaction…

“Sure!”

…It was.

It was like the expected response.

Mary was not the type of person to refuse such a request in the first place.

One could easily imagine that she had thought the vacation would be even more enjoyable with the addition of Estelle and Ayla to our group.

In that way, whether I liked it or not, Estelle and Ayla were added to our party, seemingly a victory for a plan that understood and targeted Mary’s personality.

Naturally, for me, it was… not a very pleasant outcome.

“It’s been strangely quiet since earlier.”

As I reflected on how we ended up here, Estelle approached me.

“…I have something to think about, so I wanted to talk.”

“Hmm, you have something to think about. Judging by your expression, it doesn’t seem like something very cheerful.”

“…Yes, well.”

If asked whether it was pleasant or not, it was certainly on the unpleasant side.

And now, the fact that the person causing me this dilemma was asking about it made it even more unpleasant.

“Haah. It really bothers you, huh? I wonder what it is that makes you so troubled.”

“…”

Just listening to her, it might sound like she was worried about me, but that wasn’t the reality.

The mischievous smile on her face proved that.

There was no evidence, but she roughly knew where my distress was coming from.

“Why are you following me, anyway?”

I debated whether to just feign ignorance, but it was impossible to endure the question, so I decided to ask boldly.

“I thought Your Highness was in dire straits and would return to the Empire soon.”

Estelle, the next heir to the Reinberg Empire.

A person in that position would undoubtedly be busy.

During the vacation period, she was likely occupied with addressing the internal issues of the empire that she hadn’t been able to attend to while attending the academy.

Considering the recent events, this would be even more apparent.

Honestly, it didn’t seem like she had the luxury to come to another country like this.

“I’m human too, you know. Don’t I deserve a break every now and then?”

To my question, Estelle replied with a smile.

… If it’s with that kind of logic, I have nothing to say.

I can’t tell you to work when you say you want to rest.

However, it’s still too early to give up.

“… But why here of all places? I think it will be a rather uncomfortable journey for someone like you, Your Highness… Is there a need for you to endure such discomfort and go so far?”

“I’m tired of ordinary vacations. I thought I needed something fresh.”

“….”

Wrong.

If I let go like this, I have no way out.

I was about to give up cleanly and turn my gaze back outside.

“… Well, originally I had no intention of following. As you said, I had quite a lot of business within the empire, so I inevitably planned to handle that.”

But Estelle’s subsequent words caught me and kept me standing.

I originally planned not to. Then why did my thoughts change?

“If I hadn’t heard one particular piece of news, it would have turned out that way.”

Estelle said so and turned her head.

In the direction her gaze was directed… It was Rachel.

“If I hadn’t heard the news that you invited someone to your hometown, that is.”

“….”

I couldn’t help but show a helpless expression.

The meaning behind those words was clear.

Could it be… It turned out like this…?

“Everything is my fault…?”

Without any ulterior motives, just by doing something out of goodwill, it brought about this anger…

Why is the world so cruel?

I held back tears of despair in my heart.

“Well, it’s okay. I can handle it remotely through the Magical Barrier, so it won’t be a big problem.”

… No matter what, these tears of mine, these words must not be lies.

Estelle is quite responsible, after all.

If there were any problems that would hinder her work, she wouldn’t have followed along in the first place.

“But why are you asking only me about this?”

Estelle, who had been smiling and conversing consistently, suddenly widened her eyes and looked at me intently.

“If we consider the daughter of the Guardian Knight, she suddenly didn’t participate, did she?”

“….”

Upon hearing those words, I subtly turned my gaze towards Ayla.

“….! Um, I’m sorry….”

Whether she had been looking in this direction or not, Ayla met my gaze directly and apologized, lowering her head.

“Let’s stop talking about this.”

Observing that reaction, I hurriedly ended the conversation.

Then, I turned my head towards the window without delay.

“This is blatant discrimination.”

Estelle looked at me with a rough expression, but I pretended not to notice.

As Estelle said, if we consider Ayla, there isn’t much difference from Estelle.

Because she suddenly joined the group.

However, I didn’t feel like pointing that out to her.

Why is that?

Is it because she seems timid, or is it because I know she would apologize and shrink away with just a few words from me?

The clear reason was unknown, but one thing was certain—I resisted making snide remarks towards Ayla.

That’s why I decided to quickly wrap up the topic.

… But even if Estelle has considerable information, how did Ayla find out about this incident?

Suddenly, that question came to my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.

Anyway, it has already happened, and it’s an irreversible fact now that I pay attention to it.

After that, I just stared out of the window in a daze.

Feeling a bitter corner of my heart as if it would be an uneasy vacation.

***

Despite my troubled thoughts, the carriage continued steadily, and finally, we arrived at the first city of our journey.

Since the horses needed time to rest and the conditions weren’t favorable for camping with women in the group, it was essential to stop by the city.

As it was getting late, we decided to stay overnight in this city.

Our group, with its members and aspects, decided to rent an entire inn, and we parked the carriage next to it.

As I was sitting on the edge, I naturally opened the carriage door and descended first.

Then, the first thing that caught my eye was another group getting off from a different carriage.

Mary, the maid Del, the knight Carlson who came to greet us, and… Alexis and Cedric.

Alexis and Cedric joined the group as expected.

They appeared at the meeting place shortly after Mary’s arrival, and their expressions clearly showed surprise when they saw the members of the group.

Rachel and I were slightly intrigued, but their reaction to Estelle’s face was enough to make one’s eyes widen, even with Cedric.

It was a natural response, in a way.

While the others may not have known, Estelle’s face was completely unexpected.

In any case, due to the increase in the number of people compared to the original plan, Dell hastily arranged for an additional carriage, which happened to be the one I had come on.

“….”

I looked around at the group with fresh eyes.

Until now, I hadn’t paid much attention due to my troubled thoughts, but seeing them again, I couldn’t help but think that the members of the group were impressive.

Alexis was a prince of a kingdom, Cedric was the disciple of a renowned swordsman.

And Rachel was the daughter of a prominent family in Elvent, and Ai was the only daughter of a knight of the Order of Guardians.

And finally, Estelle was the future emperor of Reinberg.

Just by looking at their faces, it was unusual enough for them to gather in one place.

If the lord of this city had known that they had entered the city, he would have hurriedly fled, sweating profusely.

No, he would have immediately contacted the capital.

They had that kind of influence and weight.

Thinking so, I felt that it was a good thing that Dell and Carlson had kept the identity of the group hidden.

If they had known the truth, the two of them would not have been able to maintain their current peaceful demeanor.

They would have walked around with stiff faces, always bowing their heads.

“….”

As I observed the group with fresh eyes, my gaze ultimately fixed on Estelle.

Even in a place where such impressive members gathered, she had a presence that stood out.

She could be described as standing in a position where she could move the continent with a single gesture.

It was now even more fascinating to think that I had become somewhat close to her.

…As such, I also had the thought that appearing openly in a foreign country like this was too careless.

‘…No, it’s not that careless.’

As I checked on the way here, there were people following us at a certain distance.

Luckily, they didn’t feel hostile towards us, but rather, were protective.

Considering the nature and level of their energy, it wasn’t difficult to guess who they were.

“It must be Estelle’s escort.”

She is in such a heavy position that it’s impossible for her to move as she pleases.

It is absolutely necessary to be prepared for that level of situation.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

At that moment, Estelle noticed my gaze and asked.

“Oh, it seems that my hair color bothers you.”

While I was thinking about what answer I should give, Estelle came to a conclusion herself and swept her long hair aside.

The color of the hair, scattered along her fingertips, was not the usual silver, but rather a somewhat plain brown.

And her eyes, instead of the mysterious purple, were a common shade of brown that you see often.

This change was due to the disguise.

Considering her position and fame, there was a possibility that someone might recognize her, so she changed her appearance for the purpose of disguise.

“Well, how is it? Does it suit me?”

As she asked, Estelle gave a mischievous smile and spun around in place.

“…Yes, well. It suits you.”

“Hmm. It sounds like a very formal comment. Do you naturally prefer the original color?”

With a displeased expression, Estelle played with her hair.

…Well, if I have to be picky, I do think the original color suits her better.

Those unique colors made Estelle’s aura even more unreal and mysterious.

However, that doesn’t mean the current color doesn’t suit her.

Although I said it in an uncertain tone, it wasn’t a lie to say that it suits her.

“Maybe I chose the wrong color after all.”

Rarely, Estelle showed a worried expression.

Seeing her like that, I offered words of comfort.

“Regardless of the color of your hair or eyes, you are beautiful just as you are.”

In the first place, if it’s Estelle’s appearance, the color of her hair or eyes is not a big problem.

Even if they were to change into some common color, it wouldn’t mar her beauty.

So I think there’s no need to worry about them.

“Is that, is that what you think? Hmm… Well. I’m glad.”

“Huh? Are you alright?”

I sincerely offered words of comfort, but Estelle’s reaction was a little strange.

Stumbling over words, he avoided eye contact.

Perhaps due to his mood, his ears seemed to turn red.

“I-it’s fine…! Don’t worry about it…!”

“Well, if you say so, that’s a relief.”

It was definitely strange, but since he insisted he was okay, it must be okay.

If his condition continues to seem off, I can always check again later.

With that thought in mind, he turned his gaze away from Estelle.

“……”

“……”

For some reason, Rachel and Ayla were staring at me with deep, sinking pupils.

“……?”

Why are they suddenly like this again?