CHAPTER 8

TITLE: I was only an EXTRA but the Villain and Male Lead tries to pursue ME?!

WRITTEN BY: B_A_DG_R

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY: B_A_DG_R

...

CHAPTER 8

"Just a little more, young miss!"

Sara told me to hold my breathe a little more while she's trying to tighten my corset.

"Ihhh!"

I tried sucking in my stomach as much as I can. I feel my face turning blue for forcing myself not to breathe.

"Mother is right...I think I need to go on a diet"

I murmured, remembering how my mother noticed me everytime I get plumper and rounder.

"I think you're still pretty no matter how much weight you gain, young miss~"

Sara obviously tries to cheer me up but I just sighed. I'm not saying that gaining weight is bad but what I need is self-control and I don't have one.

I can't seem to control myself whenever it comes to chocolate foods.

I was talking to myself in my head when we heard a knock from my door.

"Come in"

She went inside and bows to me.

"Young miss! The master and the madam are already calling for you"

She's mother's personal maid. I remember her since she always assist mother whenever she goes.

Sara was already putting my headdress which is a set in my dress.

"Yes! Tell them I'm already done!"

I told her before she leaves my room.

"Alright! Let's go Delie!"

I formed a fist in both of my hands and raised it above my head.

"Please enjoy, young miss!"

"You too, Sara!"

Sara told me before I went downstairs to my family.

...

"I'm so excited!"

I delightfully said jumping on the couch of the carriage we are in. My parents are on a separate carriage, me and my siblings are together.

"Can't you sit still? The carriage is shaking!"

David was obviously annoyed since he bawled at me. He has been in a bad mood ever since we got inside the carriage.

"Fine..."

I told him. I think I know the reason why he's not in a good mood.

Our parents knew that he has been going to the bakery without permission and was skipping class because of it. It used to be every week but now it's almost everyday.

I can understand why they are upset with him. The only reason he was skipping class is because of finding a certain girl.

"I wish I can attend the main event...I also want to dance at the ball"

Dahlia sighed disappointedly.

"Well, you can always-"

"Ugh! Why is everyone excited to go in this ball?! It's not even that good! Stop daydreaming too much! It's so annoying! It's-"

David cut my words off when he heard Dahlia being disappointed since she will not be dancing at the main event. His sentence was unfinished when he realized that Dahlia was already forming small tears in her brown eyes.

"No, wait! Sorry for yelling at you, Dahlia! I didn't mean to-"

His eyes widened and tries to calm her down but Dahlia continues to cry.

"Brother! Look what you did"

I gave him a small glare and went to Dahlia to pat her light blonde hair to comfort her. Even though she's a bit mature for her age, she's still only six-years old.

"Dahlia, sorry I...I didn't mean to yell at you...I'm being a jerk and all. This big brother is wrong..."

David looks sincere as he apologize to Dahlia but Dahlia just giggled.

"I got you, brother!"

She smiled at him with tears in her eyes.

"Wha-?"

"It's because you've been gloomy that I wanted to act like I'm crying!"

"No..really, I really am sorry for yelling at you"

David sighed looking down.

"It's alright brother! It's worth it to see your guilty face!"

Dahlia replied. We all started laughing  remembering how David looks like when he made Dahlia cried.

...

"Woww! The imperial palace is really biggg!!!"

Dahlia's eyes widened at the sight of the imperial palace.

In the novels I read in my past life, imperial palaces in the novels or webcomics are always portrayed as huge or giant. I thought most of it are only exaggeration but when I saw it for real, it is really big.

"Why are you acting like it's your first time seeing it, Dahlia?"

David asked but Dahlia only squealed in delight.

"It's because I can't still get over how big it is!"

"Children, it's time to go inside"

Father called for us after they gave our invitation to the imperial guards.

"The La Eclaus family has arrived!"

We went inside and saw the banquet hall full of nobles. Large golden chandeliers, gold carpets and almost everything in here is gold.

"Let me escort you, young lady"

A butler bowed to Dahlia and offered his hand. Dahlia took his hand with her small ones.

"I'll be watching from the other room!"

Dahlia smiled and went to the other room. She really wants to enjoy this event but Dahlia still hadn't have her first tea party debut like me. She can only watch from the other room with a thick transparent glass as a wall to separate.

"Why don't you kids go talk to other children? Come now!"

Mother encouraged us to talk to other young nobles before she and father went to talk to other nobles their age.

"I'll be going there"

David pointed at the group of young boys gathered in an area. It looks like Arthur is there too.

"Wait, you're leaving me? Let me come with you!"

I grabbed his sleeve and he gave me a slight glare.

"Look, you'll only hear boys stuffs if you come with me"

"I don't care"

"No, just try talking to someone!"

He told me before he gently took my hand off and leaves me.

What should I do...?

"Don't leave me...!"

I imitated the famous scene of a drama soap opera while reaching my hand to my brother.

"Delie!!"

I looked behind me and saw Anne heading towards me. Hooray!

"Anne!"

"I like your dress!"

She complimented me.

"Thank you"

"Delie! Anne!"

Phia, Lianne and Valerie also went to us to greet me and Anne.

...

"Even Cordelia's chocolate is here!"

I took a chocolate bar at a large round table where various desserts are served. I took ate a piece and savor its taste.

Diet will start after Christmas! I'll even jump rope for exercise.

"Aren't you stuffing yourself too much, Delie?"

Anne grinned at me when she saw that I put some chocolates in my dress' pocket.

"Not really..."

I told her trying to hide the chocolates.

We all chatted for a while before there was another announcement.

"The De Abel imperial family is here! His Majesty, the emperor Luther De Abel! Her Majesty, Cybele De Abel! her highnesses! princesses, Lavinia De Abel and Gwendolyn De Abel"

The large door opens to reveal a handsome man with his beautiful wife and two daughters. The emperor and empress are wearing a crown on their head while the two princesses are wearing their tiara.

"Greetings to the emperor, the empress and the princesses! Glory to the Bogdan empire!"

Everyone bows to them as they entered to greet them.

"Delie, get down"

Phia whispered to me to curtsy too. I curtsied to them too and observes their appearance.

Each descendants of the imperial family has beautiful purple eyes. The emperor has silver hair and purple eyes, the empress has a peachy-colored hair and amber eyes. Princess Lavinia who looks like she's the older princess and looks about thirteen years old, has long straight peachy-colored hair and sharp purple eyes. Princess Gwendolyn is the same except that she has slight curly hair that ends in her shoulders and she looks about twelve.

"You may rise everyone! We are humbly grateful to all of you who came! Please allow yourselves to enjoy the Christmas banquet!"

The emperor told everyone before we raised our head. By the way, where's the crown prince?

"Why is the crown prince not with them?"

I asked my friends which made them look at each other. They pulled me into a corner trying to hide from the people.

"You see...I heard from my parents that the reason why the crown prince is not revealing himself to the public is to avoid being assassinated since he was almost killed when he was just an infant"

Valerie whispered to me.

"Why are you whispering?"

I whispered back to her.

"Well, the emperor doesn't like people talking about his only son! It was quite traumatic for the imperial family!"

Lianne whispered rather loudly.

"I heard that the person who tries to peek at what the crown prince looks like was locked up for a year! Only the private and most trusted people can only see what he looks like! "

Anne continued. What? A year of jail for being curious?

"How about her? Does she know what the prince looks like?"

I pursed my lips to point at a young girl with a large clique.

"Oh, her?"

They looked at the young girl who was obviously having fun. Even though she's with other girls, her smile looks a bit forced to me.

"Maybe? She always told everyone that she's the only one who knows what the crown prince looks like and that she fell for him when they first met! Indirectly saying that she's special"

Valerie told me.

"I feel sorry for the young lady of the Il Viva family, it seems that the duke and duchess found out that both of them have a secret lover behind their backs and was thinking of getting a divorce...they are now fighting who will take the young lady in their custody"

We heard a woman talk to another woman beside her while they are looking at Daphne.

"The duke and duchess doesn't even talk to each other after they went in the party"

"The eldest child and only son of the family is already twenty years old...he is not even close with his younger sister"

The nobles really like to gossip don't they? Looking at Daphne, it doesn't really look like she's having fun. Her smile is too forced and I can see her looking at her parents with a sad smile.

"You know...I-"

I was about to say something about Daphne to my friends but was cut off when a loud orchestra music played.

Ugh! Why is my sentence always being cut off?! What the heck author?

"Oh my! That's the dancing event! Let's go!!"

Phia pulled us towards the ballroom.

"Kids like us who are eight to eleven years old will dance first followed by the married adults and lastly the teens and unmarried people!"

Everyone told us to find a partner but it looks like everyone was already partnered. Even my friends were already asked by some young boys to be partnered with.

"I think I'm not going to join-"

I'm not really a fan of dancing. I was about to go in a corner to eat my chocolates when someone tapped my shoulders from behind.

"Lady Delie?"

I looked behind me and saw Arthur smiling at me.

"Arthur?"

"Will you dance with me?"

He reach his hand towards me and I giggled.

"Dance with you...?"

I noticed my parents looking at me and giving me a thumbs up as permission to dance with him. Even Arthur's parents are grinning and telling me to accept.

"Sure!"

I put my hand into his and we headed to the middle of the ballroom to dance. I'm not that good of a dancer but I can still keep up with them and dance with them at sync.

I put my left hand into his right shoulder and he put his right hand  into my right waist. I feel ticklish but I tried holding my laughter. His left hand is holding my right hand while we dance.

Arthur was actually a good dancer. I don't know why my heart is beating fast, it's like it's forcing me to beat for Arthur. It's like telling me to feel this way for him.

Or is it only my imagination...?

The dance finally finished so it's time for our parents and other married adults to dance.

"Thank you for agreeing to dance with me"

Arthur told me still holding my right hand.

"No problem, you can always ask me"

I grinned at him before his face suddenly leaned into my right hand and kissed the knuckles of it.

"!!!"

Gahhhh!! Did he just kissed my hand?!

What the fudge!?

I quickly removed my hand into his grasp in shock. He was a bit surprised with my sudden reaction.

"I...I...I...need to go outside for a moment...! Bye!!"

Arthur was about to say something to me when my feet suddenly runs away from him. I went to the imperial palace's garden to breathe.

I put my other hand on the knuckles of my gloved hand where he gave his small kiss. My hand is gloved but I can still feel his lips into it.

Is he really a ten-year-old child?! And why is my heart beating so fast? Even though I'm only eight as Delie, I'm already an adult in a child's body!

I don't think I feel something to him but my body is telling me there is. But why? Am I character who was supposed to fall for Arthur?!

I told myself that I will live a luxury life on my own and not to let myself be a part of this cheesy lovestories!

"Where did the young master go?! Didn't I tell you to not let him get out of your sight!"

I heard a voice of a man scolding another man in the garden, they are standing a few distance away from me.

"I'm sorry! He...his gift suddenly activates when I tried to stop him! I was so scared so I let him out!"

"Tsk! The duke El Blanc will be so furious when we knew that we let his son escape! He is too dangerous!"

The man told him who looks scared.

"Tell our men to find him! He might already be out of the castle"

He told him before the other man went to call the others.

A young child escaped? Wait...isn't duke El Blanc's son the young child who killed a relative and already activated his gift even though he is only eight?!

And what's with these kids sneaking out? Like Anne, David, the Cordelia girl and now the son of the duke El Blanc?!

These kids likes to sneak out a lot!

"Delie!!! So this is where you are?"

Anne called out to me and sit beside me on a golden bench chair.

"Anne! Why are you here?"

I asked her.

"It's too boring socializing with other nobles!"

She pouted before crossing her arms together.

"But you told me you were looking forward to this?"

"I am...but not this event!"

She gives me a wink which made me confused. I know that look!

"What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about the event outside the palace!"

"The event outside? You mean where the commoners and the poor nobles celebrate Christmas eve with?"

I asked her. According to Sara, she was given permission to enjoy the Christmas event outside the palace with her family.

There will be a giant pine tree at the middle of the empire where they will tie their colorful Christmas wish letters to it as their decoration. There will also be a parade, food stalls and street plays there!

Fireworks will start as soon as the empire's huge clock tower strikes at twelve in the midnight to celebrate Christmas.

"We'll only do dancing, socializing and toasting here! Besides, watching the fireworks is better than listening to the emperor's long speech before Christmas!"

"So you're saying...?"

"I want to go outside the palace!"

Her eyes sparkled at the thought but I only laughed.

"But nobles are not allowed to go there!"

She held her chin up and puts her mouth infront of my ears.

"So let's sneak out!"

"S-sneak out?! And what do you mean let's?"

"You're coming with me, of course!"

Sneaking out from the palace?!