CHAPTER 9

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 9

"What are you talking about?!"

I asked my friend, Anne who took my hands into hers.

"Sneaking out together!"

"No, I meant...why do you even think of sneaking out and letting me go with you?"

I asked her. She gave me her puppy eyes look.

Oh no...

"Because it's fun?"

She tilted her head and put her hands on her chin like she's thinking.

"Do you know how dangerous it is? What about our parents? Won't they get worried if we sneak out suddenly?"

...And talk about my mother activating her She-ogre mode. Just the thought of that sent chills to my spine.

"Gosh...! You talk like my parents! Are we really the same age?!"

Well, chronologically and biologically we are but mentally nah...I'm already an adult from what I remember.

"Anyway, no"

I stood up from my seat to go back inside the ballroom but Anne took my arm.

"Whhaaatt?? Why?? Pleaseeee!!! Come with me!"

She pulls me very hard that I almost lost my balance.

"Let go! Anne!"

I tried pulling back to stop her but she won't budge.

"Please!! I'm really looking forward to it! Please? Please? Please?"

"No!"

"DELIEEEE!!!"

She shouted.

"Be quiet! Alright! Fine! But we'll go back as soon as the fireworks came out!"

I gave her a condition to which she nodded and agrees really fast.

"Yes mama!"

Mama...?

...

"Count Darius! Countess Inanna!"

Anne went to my parents gracefully.

"Oh! Young lady Anne, what is it?"

Father asked Anne who looks down to meet her eyes.

"Can I borrow Delie for a bit? I really need to go to the restroom!! And I think I might not get out soon until midnight"

Really? That's the excuse you said that will work?

"What?!"

Father looks so worried. Wait, her acting actually worked?!

Well...Anne is a great actress, it's like she's really having a diarrhea. Father and mother looked at each other and nodded.

"Of course! Feel free to make Delie your assistance!"

Mother glanced at me to tell me that I should accompany Anne.

Someone please give this girl an oscar award for her acting skills!

"Thank you so much"

Anne gave them a small head bow before giving me an eye contact. I followed her to go outside the ballroom.

"So...what about your parents?"

I asked Anne while we are walking side by side. Does her parents even know that she needs to go to the restroom?

"Don't worry! I handled them! Besides, my brother cooperated with me when he knew that you'll be coming with me"

Arthur? He let Anne sneak out for me?? Lol.

As I was thinking about him, I remembered the thing he did earlier.  When he kissed my hand...

I can feel my cheeks burning when the same scene flash inside my mind. Does Arthur have a crush on Delie?

When I think about it, maybe he does?!

I mean Delie is quite normal looking but she's not considered ugly at all. Compared to average girls, she can be pretty too but compared to beauties like the princesses, Daphne and Cordelia...Delie looks quite normal.

Nah...maybe it's just puppy love! It will be gone soon when we grow up and when we are already inside the academy. I mean there's a lot of pretty girls there for sure! He'll forget about his crush on me!

"Delie? Hey Delie? Are you listening?"

Anne claps infront of my face which made me stopped walking.

"Ah! Sorry, are we already here?"

Since I'm lost in thought and was only following Anne, I didn't realize that we are near on the huge back gate of the palace.

"Shhhh! Only few guards are here! We can sneak in here!"

She pointed at a part of the brick wall and took some bricks off to reveal a small hole.

"What?! How did you know there's something like that?"

I can't believe what I saw and I was amazed by how it seems like she knows what she's doing.

"My father told us about how he and His Majesty used to sneak out their lessons when they were still children! He said that there's a broken pile of bricks in the left side of the huge gate of the palace"

Anne confidently said. This girl likes to hear gossips and talks doesn't she? And I can't believe the emperor and marquis Vi Claross likes to sneak out?! I guess it's in the family...? That explain why Anne is like that.

"Let's go!"

She finally stops removing some bricks on the wall to reveal an opening. The opening is small but since we're still a child, we can easily pass through it.

Outside was a carriage with a coachman waving at Anne. It seems like he was waiting for us all this time.

"Young miss~!"

"Heyyyy!"

Anne waved back. Wait, she planned all this from start?! Their servants really like to spoil Anne so much!

...

It's Christmas but there's no snow. In this world, the snow only comes when the clock strikes midnight. Basically, the snow doesn't happen anytime and has a schedule here.

What a peculiar world.

"Do we really have to wear this?"

We are already walking on the night market with commoners buying and selling different products and foods.

The food smells so good!!

"Of course! We need to wear this to hide our identity!"

Earlier, when we got inside the carriage...Anne already prepared some robes, wigs and eye masks to disguise ourselves. She wears a long straight blue hair and black mask with a shape of wings and brown robe to hide her dress. I also wear a wig that has a straight golden hair color and black mask that has a shape of a heart. I'm wearing a brown robe similar to Anne.

"Won't they atleast recognize our faces?"

I asked her feeling agitated.

"Don't worry! this mask has magic on it! We won't be recognized that easily!"

She proudly said even lifting her chin up.

"Yeah...I guess it's better to be safe"

I talk with Anne about having an adult with us but she refuses and told me that it will ruin the mood. She assures me that she has magic scrolls with her for defense.

I can't help but smile. She's right, it's only for a while! I need to enjoy my time here! Anne was looking forward to this, I should be in joy too for her sake.

We are still nobles and we can easily get kidnapped by some bad people and exchange us for money to our families. It's primarily a kidnap for ransom kind of act.

Anne also mentioned that his parents talk about how the crown prince was always being kidnapped as a baby and the culprits always gets executed after they were caught even if their reason for doing it is only for money to feed their families.

"The crown prince's life is really hard"

Anne exhaled deeply.

"Tell me about it"

I say in response.

"Anyway! Let's get some food!!!"

Anne suddenly tugs me towards the food stalls and buy a bunch of foods.

"Delie-cious!!!"

"Was that supposed to be a pun?"

"Yep!"

She agreed before giving a big bite to a large cheeseburger she bought.

"By the way, why didn't you invite the others?"

"It'll be too suspicious if they come with us too! And...they tend to be more rule-oriented! You're the only one I can easily drag around!"

She casually told me. I stood up and pat my clothes.

"Well then, I shouldn't have come with you"

I gave her a small glare and was about to walk away when she stopped me.

"Wait no! Don't leave me!! I was only kidding! I'm actually very happy you agreed to go with me!"

She looks very guilty and was about to panic when I pretended to walk away.

"Pffft! I was only making fun of you!"

It's fun to see her panicking.

Suddenly, a short blurred memory flashed in my head.

'I said I'm not guilty!'

An unknown girl was angry at me after I teased her.

'Hahaha! You're guilty!'

'I said I'm not!'

Then the memory ends. Another memory was triggered because of Anne,...who is she?!

"Look, there's a street play! Let's watch!"

She pointed at the the people acting on the a small stage. We watched the play for a while, I had to admit that I'm laughing all my might watching the comedic fighting scenes.

...

"That was funny! Commoners can use their gifts properly too huh?"

I told Anne who nodded in agreement. I noticed how they used their gifts for their play instead of using props. It's like they're really having a fight using their gifts.

"Actually, a commoner's gift is usually sealed the moment their power awakens so they can't easily use it without resealing it to the priests. You can only reseal it when the emperor gave the commoner a permit to activate it but when a person used it for evil then their gift will be forever sealed! If some commoners do some good deed, they might even go work under the empire but only with simple jobs!"

I see! I've been wondering why only few commoners are using their powers. It's just that their gifts are forced to be sealed when they finally activate it. You need a permit like a business permit for it to be used first!

"We nobles are not sealed! Instead, awakening a noble's gift sometimes goes for a celebration! And we are not forced to be sealed since we are expected to enroll at the academy to train it! Of course, your gifts can be sealed too if you did a very sinful act!"

"What about the young master of the El Blanc house?"

She stops walking for a moment and looks directly at my eyes.

"The thing that he did...killing a family was actually excused since they said that he activated it for self-defense"

Anne whispered to me.

"Self-defense?"

"It seems that the young master was seen with a lot of bruises while they are examining him"

What?! Poor kid!! He was being blamed for the death of his relative and now it was revealed he was actually abused?!

"What about the duke?! Doesn't he even know this? The emperor?!"

"I don't know anything beyond that...but the emperor was amused instead of being scared"

Wow...just wow! How can they make a kid suffer like that?! The emperor is quite twisted! Is he a sadist?!

"The parade is here!!"

A lot of people instantly rushed towards our right direction when we heard loud sounds of instruments getting louder as every seconds passed.

"Parade?"

"The parade!!!"

Anne also rushed towards the direction near the main road where the parade will be held.

"Come on Delie!"

She puts both of her hands near her mouth and yells to me.

"Wait for me!"

I immediately went towards the crowd of people. There is a magical barrier to separate the people and the parade, it is also to avoid people heading towards the parade and keep them in place.

Large confettis and flowers are being thrown to the people. They are making flowers out of nowhere using their own hands and the instruments are playing even though there is no one directly playing it. It must be the conductor's gift that is making the instruments play since the instruments started to play when he started to move his baton.

"What are those people doing?"

I pointed at the people behind the parade who are not moving.

"I think they are the ones who will make the fireworks later at midnight!"

Anne replied without looking back to me. Even I'm captivated at the sight of the parade. Magical instruments, floating balloons, confettis and flowers and some people singing while riding. They only made those things using their gifts.

"It's beauti-"

I was about to say something when I heard someone said the same thing that I was about to say.

"It's beautiful..."

I looked at the child near me who was also cramped in the crowd. Along with the loud noises and shouts of the people, somehow...I heard his small whisper.

He looks gorgeous! He is wearing a black robe but I can clearly see his silver hair shining at the night while he is looking at the parade. He has beautiful purple eyes! Is he...?

"?"

Somehow, he realized that someone is staring at him which made him look my way.

"!"

He looks startled and quickly hide his face before he rushed away from the crowd.

Is he that shocked to make him run away? I saw a glimpse of his face when he looked at me clearly. Maybe he is a noble too under a disguise? His silver hair must be a wig but he is not wearing mask like me.

"Ouch!"

The crowd of people is being more cramped than before that I'm being carried away by a sea of people after we heard a loud sound of explosion not far away from us.

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

The people with the crowd and the people performing from the parade was surprised. The parade stops for a moment and the crowd suddenly panics.

Wait!

"Anne!"

Anne is nowhere in sight! Where is she?! I'm being dragged away from my place. I can't easily move especially that I'm only eight.

"Delie!"

I saw Anne but she's now far away from me.

"Anne!"

She's slowly being dragged away from me.

No!!

...

"That was horrible!"

I managed to get off the crowd. It's like I'm in a maze trying to find my way out! I'm even catching my breath!

The crowd became a bit calm and quiet now so the parade continues.

"Now...where to find Anne?"

I looked around to see if Anne is around here.

"Where the heck did she go..?"

"Hey! Where did the explosion came from?"

I heard a civilian talking to another man.

"It's the young master of the El Blanc family! I heard he used his gift to hurt the people looking for him!"

The young master of El Blanc? Isn't he the one with the dangerous gift?

I heard some people from the palace's garden that the young master has escaped. A child like him shouldn't be wandering around like that!

Ummm...look who's talking! I'm also a child yet I'm wandering off! That also goes for Anne! I knew it, we should have an adult escort us!

I continue to walk around. I went behind some families in order for me to not be an easy target for kidnappers! I heard that a lot of children are missing now and was rumoured to be sold into slavery.

Poor children! Why did the author even make stories like that? Those children are characters too that can be hurt!

"I'm so tired..."

I muttered to myself before I saw a wooden bench beside a tree and bushes. There's still a few people here, I won't be kidnapped that easily!

I went and took a chocolate bar that I stuffed in my pocket to eat it. What? I'm hungry for walking around!

"It's almost midnight..."

I looked up to see the large clock tower of the Bogdan empire. You can always see in any place at Bogdan empire even at the forest part since it is so big.

It's only more than five minutes till the clock strikes at twelve then it's finally Christmas, it will finally rain snow and the fireworks will start. I should be enjoying Christmas! Not sulking here because I'm lost!!

"Grrrr...I hate this world!!"

I shouted in anger. People were startled so they turn to me in confusion.

Ahhh...they must think I'm nuts! Alright! Calm down Delie!

But how can I calm down when I know I'm lost! My parents...mother will kill me!!

I want to cry so bad...!

Suddenly, I heard a small weeping sound behind me and someone sniffing.

"?"

Someone is crying? That wasn't me!

"...Everybody hates me..."

The weeping turns into a small voice of a young boy.

It's in the back of the bushes!

I tried to go near the bushes and I was surprised to see someone hiding in there.

"?!"

We were both surprised to see each other. It was a bit dark  because of the night but I can see that the young boy I'm currently looking at has jet-black hair and beautiful blue eyes.

What an attractive young boy!