Extra in a Romance Fantasy

37 – Resolution

After the storm-like introduction passed, the lord and lady treated the party to a grand feast they had prepared in advance.

Naturally, as the child of a servant, I had no place at the table. I tried to slip away naturally, but the lord and lady, along with Mary, stopped me.

Despite contemplating how to escape, given the unanimous approval of the party, I had no choice but to sit down.

After a not-so-comfortable meal, everyone was guided to their respective rooms.

And there I was.

“It was just a joke.”

I went to Estelle’s room to confront her.

I managed to stammer out something, but I couldn’t say how much cold sweat I shed.

Estelle may have uttered the joke lightly, but from my perspective, it doesn’t end so casually.

While she may rarely return here herself, I find myself in a position where I have to live here.

Regardless of how we move forward this time, I thought it necessary to set the stakes in advance, which is why I came to find her.

However, Estelle, upon hearing my words, wore her characteristic smile and said,

“If it’s not a joke, what will you do?”

I gazed at Estelle with a solemn look.

This person, on her end, seems to be speaking somewhat seriously.

“Anyway, I request your assistance.”

After saying that, I quietly left Estelle’s room.

***

“…sigh.”

Watching Wade close the door and leave, Estelle let out a small sigh.

“He truly has no sense of subtlety.”

The words he had spoken during their recent exchange were not false.

While she is undoubtedly someone who often jokes, there is a limit to it.

To casually throw marriage as a joke, she does not take herself lightly.

Therefore, even in the exchange of pleasantries with the pseudonym and the greeting to her father, she maintained a minimum of courtesy.

Does that oblivious guy understand the meaning behind it?

“He probably has no idea.”

For someone whose mind works quite well in other matters, he is remarkably oblivious when it comes to this.

She had known this from the beginning, but recently, she felt it even more keenly.

At this rate, unless he confesses face-to-face, he might never realize her feelings, or so she thought lately.

“Confession… is it?”

The day had come when Estelle found herself uttering those sweet and fresh words, words that had never been a part of her lifelong destiny.

A faint smile touched Estelle’s lips as the unimaginable situation became a reality.

She was becoming aware of her own heart.

That she had developed feelings for a man named Wade Heblon.

Feelings that she never thought would suit her, feelings that belonged to an ordinary girl or a heart capable of embracing normalcy, had found a place in her heart, and they were growing larger with each passing moment.

Expressing those feelings to him was not a difficult task for her.

If she wished, she had the courage to run to him right away and pour out her heart.

If she did so, even the oblivious man would come to know of her feelings.

However.

Whether he would accept those feelings was another question.

Estelle had never felt lacking in herself.

In terms of appearance, background, and abilities, she was confident that she could rival anyone.

And she believed that this perception would hold true in the eyes of the world.

But whether it would work with Wade Heblon, she couldn’t be sure.

…No, honestly, there was even a slight sense of unease in her heart.

He, Wade Heblon, was a bit… no, a considerably peculiar man.

Despite being at an age easily swayed by all sorts of desires, he never yielded.

Sometimes, he felt as if he stood a step away from the world, observing it from a detached position.

Would a man like him change his attitude and confess to her just because she expressed her feelings first?

Estelle harbored a somewhat skeptical view on that.

Consciousness might be raised, but whether it would flow positively, she couldn’t guarantee.

There was also the possibility that he might feel burdened and distance himself.

“He’s a complicated one.”

In terms of this matter, Wade Heblon was indeed a challenging individual.

Difficult to grasp, and even more challenging to predict.

How could she make him hers?

Should she resort to forcibly keeping him by her side?

She was a person who had reached the pinnacle of power.

If she used all means at her disposal, it was a possible feat.

It might be somewhat coercive, but even so, if she could have him by her side.

If she could make him hers by doing so.

Estelle was willing to try hard enough.

However, she soon lowered her head.

“He’s not one to be easily caught.”

Estelle assessed Wade’s skills as being on par with a top swordsman.

Even if he, with enough reason, decided to run away and hide, it wouldn’t be an easy task to catch and confine him, no matter how much imperial power she mobilized.

And even if she managed to catch him somehow, it would still be a problem.

Forcibly restraining him, binding him, keeping him by her side.

If she were to take away his freedom and impose her own emotions on him.

He would probably come to hate her.

“….”

Her eyes, oddly, trembled.

Just imagining that future, that scene.

What kind of hope did she catch, and what kind of emotion did she gain?

The life that was on the verge of collapsing… no, the life that had once collapsed, regained vitality because of him.

He was the driving force that moved her life.

If she were to be hated by him.

Could she endure it?

Estelle knew the answer to that question very well.

That’s why she had no intention of using coercive methods.

She only wanted to capture his heart fairly and squarely.

Her earlier statement was a kind of declaration.

A declaration that she would win his heart.

And at the same time, it was a declaration of war.

Directed at the two women who harbored the same feelings as her.

“Now, what will you do?”

Will you run away without facing it head-on?

Or will you stand and fight?

Anticipating the reactions of the pursuers, Estelle turned her gaze to the unfamiliar scenery outside the window.

***

Silence enveloped the room as Rachel entered and set down her belongings before promptly perching herself on the edge of the bed.

“….”

Her expression remained subdued throughout.

“Nice to meet you, Father,” she uttered, influenced by Estelle’s words from a little while ago.

Estelle’s interest in the Princess of Rheinberg had been apparent to her since shortly after Rachel had begun to delve into the Historical Research Society.

Thus, she had been cautious.

However, she never truly saw Estelle as a genuine competitor back then.

She had merely thought of her as a whimsical tyrant—a fleeting interest akin to a child’s fascination with a new toy.

Yet, that perception soon underwent a complete transformation.

On the final day of the festival, after Wade’s injury, the way the princess looked at him had drastically changed.

Rachel couldn’t discern the exact details of what had occurred, but she had a general idea.

Something had happened, and he had risked his life to protect the princess.

And in that process, Estelle’s interest had shifted from mere curiosity to something else entirely.

An interest akin to what she herself harbored.

Rachel interpreted Estelle’s earlier words as a sort of declaration.

A declaration of possession, stating that she would claim Wade Hebron as her own.

“….”

Rachel quietly shut her eyes.

Difficult.

That word surfaced first.

Lady Estelle von Rheinberg was a formidable adversary.

Arguably, finding a more challenging opponent in the realm of courtship would be nearly impossible.

Dominion over the masses, wealth capable of piling mountains of gold, and an appearance seemingly touched by the divine’s favor—all at the disposal of her opponent.

In contrast, what did Rachel possess?

The strength of her lineage was potent, but presently, she stood almost as an outsider to her family, and the might of that lineage paled in comparison to what Estelle held.

Magic, how is it?

Originally possessing exceptional skill, and while there have been recent advancements, some may acknowledge her talent, yet not to a degree she could present before the Emperor of the empire.

There’s nothing to win against.

To compete against such a counterpart.

The possibility is so slim, it’s almost not worth mentioning.

Then.

Is it right to just give up like this?

“…No.”

For the first time since entering the room, Rachel spoke.

There’s no chance of winning.

She was well aware of that herself.

Perhaps, more than anyone else.

However.

Even if there’s no chance of winning.

Even if…

“…I don’t want to.”

She didn’t want to give up.

Him, the one who saved her life.

She didn’t want to step back simply because there’s no chance of winning.

She didn’t want to regret it.

So, how then? How can she do it?

How can she, obtain him?

The answer was simple.

Slim chance of success?

Then, raise those odds.

Do everything possible, pour every effort possible.

Utilize everything she has.

Firstly, leverage the power of her family.

Of course, she knows well her father, the head of the family, wouldn’t agree.

He’s even considering selling her off now to boost the family’s standing, so there’s no way he’d lend his support.

So, he seizes control of the lineage.

Snatching the lineage from its roots, he makes it his own.

That way, Eldrid, this colossal lineage, would become his backdrop.

But even that wouldn’t be enough.

Eldrid is undoubtedly a remarkable lineage, but in front of the empire’s emperor, its radiance might fade.

So, what’s next is to grasp onto something else.

For instance… yes, the Tower Lordship of Matap would suffice, wouldn’t it?

To command Eldrid and even claim the seat of the Tower Lordship.

Then, wouldn’t that be enough to stand against Estelle?

“……”

Eventually, Rachel opened her eyes.

Her irises, like rose petals swaying in a fierce wind, were nowhere to be seen; instead, only blazing flames fiercely took their place.

***

Ayira’s face remained consistently rigid.

Because, finally, the feared event had come to pass.

In the end, the princess revealed her ambition.

Her ambition toward her benefactor.

He was aware.

That Princess Estelle was looking at him with insatiable eyes.

But to reveal such desires so quickly and boldly.

“…No.”

Unintentionally, those words burst from Ayira’s lips.

It can’t happen.

Like this, he’d be in danger.

The adversary is Princess Estelle.

Famous for being a tyrant, that Estelle von Reinberg.

If he fell into her grasp, his, Wade’s life, would undoubtedly be ruined.

Ayira couldn’t possibly stand by and watch that happen.

But how to prevent such a thing.

Putting aside her personality, Estelle is undoubtedly an enchanting woman.

Background and status are self-evident, and his appearance is captivating enough to enchant even an enemy.

If he succumbs to their allure and falls for Estelle?

“No, no.”

That can’t happen.

Because if it does, his life will undoubtedly lead to nothing but ruin.

If that’s the case, he’d rather.

“I will.”

It’s better for him to be his own counterpart.

No, that’s definitely the better choice.

He cherishes him more than anyone, and he has the capacity to treat him with utmost care.

He can make him happy.

Yes.

Let’s seize his heart. And with that, protect him from the princess.

Make him see only himself.

So that he can’t even harbor a hint of interest in other women.

Protect him.

That’s the resolution she made as a child.

However.

Even with such a conclusion, there was a problem.

Estelle von Rainberg, the woman who will become the next Empress of the empire.

What if such a person, with all her power, resorts to tyranny because she can’t win his heart?

With the power of a child, she can’t resist that.

Her background, her strength, everything she has is meager in front of Estelle.

So it’s necessary.

The power to protect him.

Even if someone appears, even if someone targets him, she must stubbornly protect him.

But how does she obtain that power?

The answer to that question was not difficult to find.

“…Ten Swords.”

The transcendent beings who can single-handedly change the course of war by stepping onto the stage of the martial arts drama.

The leaders of massive groups, as well as the kings of nations, face monsters that are not easily overcome.

If one were to ascend to such a position and gain such fame,

Could one not protect him?

Even if that is not enough, it doesn’t matter.

In that case, it is something to strive for, to go further.

The eyes of Ayla gleamed sharply.

***

“…Phew.”

Suddenly feeling a chill, Wade, who was unpacking in the room for the first time in half a year, shivered abruptly.

“Is it cold?”

He said reflexively, but Wade knew well that it couldn’t be the case.

After all, it was midsummer now.

It was so hot that even standing still made sweat drip, let alone cold.

But if that’s the case, what was the chill he felt just now?

Wade, looking around with a puzzled face.

“…Must be my imagination.”

He quickly dismissed the doubt and returned to organizing his belongings.

Unaware that today’s events had ignited his dormant talent, and that it would greatly change the future of the continent.