CHAPTER 17

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 17

"...What?"

I asked Arthur after he told me that he was the one who told his parents to send me a proposal.

"I was the one who told them"

He gave me the most serious look I've seen from him in these past two years.

"...I see..."

Agh! What should I do in this situation?! In novels, a confession scene is one of the most important part in every story!

He is confessing! Confessing!

I'm not really used to this kind of things! In times like this, what should a character do? No...a person being confessed to!

"...Do you not want to be engaged with me?"

He put his head down with his fist clenching after he noticed my silent.

Don't pressure me! I don't know either!

Delie! Come on, give me a sign! What should I do??

A sudden strange feeling came to me. I'm feeling a bit dizzy, my vision is starting to get foggy and blur.

It's been a long time since I experienced this again. The last time is when I came into this new world, that time when I want to remember the memories of my past life.

Arthur noticed that my body is becoming wobbly so he went near me. I can also sense that I'm about to faint.

"Delie!"

I can hear Arthur calling my name.

"Young miss!"

I can also hear Sara and the other maids' voices before I finally collapsed on the floor and shut my eyes.

I woke up after a strange light gleam at me which made me look around in an unknown place.

The place has a peaceful vibe and sublime appearance. You can hear the birds chirping and the gust of wind.

I was sitting on a chair of a patio table outside a large mansion. The mansion looks familiar, this is like the Vi Claross mansion.

"Delie!"

I turn to look at the voice behind me and saw an older Arthur reaching his hand to me.

I look around my left and right side  before pointing myself.

"Me?"

He laughed at me before pinching one of my cheeks.

"Who else is Delie?"

Okay, this is getting weird! Why am I talking to the (handsome) older version of Arthur! I was just having a conversation to his younger self earlier.

"Umm...Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"What year is it?"

"...It's year 398! Why are you asking?"

I know you are confused. But I also am!

And 398?? But the time I was talking to his younger self is only year 391!  That means seven years had already passed!?

"What am I doing here...?"

I asked him another question.

"Isn't it because it is your last summer vacation? In a few months, you'll turn eighteen and will graduate in Bogdan Academy!"

Huhh?? If I'm turning eighteen this year then Arthur is already twenty at this time!

"I see..."

I mumbled still thinking how I get here and how I skipped seven years!

"Is there something wrong? Why are you suddenly asking an obvious question?"

I immediately stood up from the chair after he suddenly place his face only an inch away from mine. I can feel my face heating up right this moment.

"Nothing! I was just thinking...?"

Honestly, I don't know how to answer him. I heard him sighed and chuckle.

"Hmm...you're still as flustered as before but you should be used to it after the two of us got married since the two of us are engaged"

Engaged?? Marry? What the heck?!

"Engaged...?"

"Yes, we've been engaged since you were ten years old and I was twelve...our parents decided for us to marry after your graduation since I already graduated two years ago"

I think I need to faint again! I already accepted his proposal?!

"Anyways, I don't know why you are asking me that suddenly but I guess you are just hungry...come inside, I made chocolate pancakes!"

Chocolate pancakes?! Yipee!

...Wait a minute! Don't get distracted!

(The younger sister of David La Eclaus and the fiance of his bestfriend, Arthur Vi Claross died after she became a victim of Cain's destructive power. Delie La Eclaus was her name and she was buried near the Bogdan Academy and passed away without reaching the age of eighteen)

...What was that? A voice suddenly echoed in this place. Delie La Eclaus will be killed before eighteen?

Ridiculous! Why would she die?!

That must be my imagination! Enough of that. First of all, why am I here?

"Delie! Aren't you coming? The pancakes will be cold!"

I can hear the older Arthur calling out to me.

Pancakes!! Chocolate!

If this is a dream, I might as well enjoy it! Come to mama, my chocolate pancakes!

As I was about to head to the mansion, my body suddenly froze and I can't move my limbs.

I'm being dragged somewhere!

Fudge no!! My chocolate pancake!!

"!"

I woke up again but this time I'm inside a familiar room. It's my room.

I knew it! That was just only a dream!

By the way, as far as I remember...I was in the manor's garden and then...I collapsed...and Arthur...wait! Arthur!?

A warm hand was placed on the top of mine when I tried to get out of my bed. I look to see who's hand it is and saw Arthur resting his head on the side of my bed.

Awww, look at his face! He looks cute for a twelve-year old kid!

It was already night. The sky outside my window is already pitch black, was he here with me all this time?

The Arthur in my dream earlier is a lot more talkative than the quiet Arthur I know. Despite that, this child is really sweet.

No wonder Delie accepted his proposal in my dream. Ahhh...young love!

Maybe that dream is telling me that I should accept Arthur's proposal and get engage to him.

Is that what you want, Delie?

But I'm not Delie, I am someone else! If I got engage to him without really liking him, isn't that a bit unfair to Arthur? And...I will be living with a lie...so I should already decide before he get his hopes up. Besides! I'm just ten here!

"Delie?"

He woke up after I patted his head.

"Did you sleep well?"

I gave him a grin.

"I was the one who was supposed to ask you that, how are you feeling?"

He stood up and patted his clothes and hair after he asked me that question.

"I'm fine, I was just a bit tired..."

A moment of awkward silence comes between us.

Now what? What should I say?

I coughed for a bit.

"I-"

"Yes, you've woken up! I should tell the count and countess!"

At the same time I opened my mouth, he opened his and told me that he'll go get my parents. He must felt awkward to be alone with me!

But I stopped him after he opened the door of my room.

"I'm sorry!"

I shouted at him as loud as I can. He stopped for a moment before looking at me surprised.

"I knew it..."

His surprised look suddenly turns into a warm smile. A smile that looks like a smile of relief.

"What?"

What does he meant by that?

"I know you are going to reject it so I purposely tried to get out of your room so that I can't hear your answer..."

"Oh..."

The reason why he was hurriedly going outside my room because he was scared to know my answer.

"If that is your decision...then I'll respect it"

This time, I went with him to tell my parents about my decision. They asked me if I was certain and I told them that I am really serious. When they realized that I am sure, they finally accepted it.

I thought they will contradict my decision but it seems that they respect it. As for Arthur, my parents asked him to stay over for the night since it is already dark but he told us that he has carriage outside waiting for him.

"See you, we are still friends right?"

He asked me before heading inside his carriage.

"Of course!"

I responded to him.

"And...in the future...can I send you another proposal?"

Haaa?

After being rejected...he still wants to be engaged to me?

"Sure! As long as I'm still available that time!"

I teased him.

He laughs a little before heading inside the carriage and gave me a small nod.

"Sister!"

I heard Dahlia heading outside too.

"Dahlia? Aren't you suppose to be sleeping now?"

"I want to say goodbye too! You and brother already told him farewell"

She pouted. How cute!

I chuckled and patted her head.

"We'll see him soon"

Dahlia's cute crush on Arthur is already developing on the next level. It'd be nice if these two ends up falling for each other instead.

...

I waited for another free day so that I can go to the famous Bogdan Public Library, thank goodness...viscountess Ranni and my  tutor for academics, viscount Taylor are both busy today. I'll turn eleven soon but my gift is still nowhere to be found!

Oh, when will you appear my precious gift~?

In my dream the other day with the older Arthur, I'm a student in Bogdan which still gives me hope that I will have one!

"Young miss, are you ready? The carriage is already outside"

Sara peeks into my room after I put on my shoes. I'm trying to dress up by myself now since there is no one who will dress me up when I go to the academy.

We'll be wearing the academy's uniform there. I wonder what the uniform looks like! I'm a bit excited!

"Yes, Sara!"

Me and Sara went inside the carriage. The Bogdan Public Library is a bit far, but the nearest residence there is the El Blanc manor.

"As expected from a ducal family! Their manor is really huge!"

Sara commented after we passed the large gates of the El Blanc family, I think this looks more like a prison than a home! The gates are really tall, I think it's about more than thirty meters!

There are even large gargoyle statues on the gates!

The mansion is almost three times the size of ours!

I remember the first time I explore our mansion, I almost got lost! What about the El Blanc mansion? 

Like the Il Viva mansion, it is almost the similar to the size of the palace.

"We are here, young miss"

The coachman informed us. Sara helped me get down from the carriage.

I saw some imperial knights outside the large library.

Why all the places here so huge?! Is this a library or a museum?

"Look, young miss! Even commoners are welcomed here!"

Sara glanced at the people who are walking inside the library with normal clothes and some nobles who went here using a carriage like me.

I asked my tutor, the viscount about the Public Library since I told him that I'd like to know more about it.

The emperor allowed everyone to enter the library after Empress Cybele suggested the idea to let the commoners use it and some other places too.

Before, it was called Bogdan Private Library for Nobles but now it changed to Bogdan Public Library.

According to my teacher, Empress Cybele was half-blooded meaning that the empress has a commoner blood running in her veins. Her mother was a commoner and her father is a marquis.

So she knows how to symphatize with commoners, unlike the emperor...the empress is the one doing the meeting with the wives of the nobles and by that, the emperor's relation to other nobles are increasing.

Also...I heard from one of my friends that the current Duke El Blanc was a childhood friend of the empress and gave a proposal to her but she instantly rejected him since she already accepted the crown prince's proposal who is the current emperor now.

Now I know why...

Why the duke looks at the empress with pure admiration.

Me and Sara went inside the library and saw a bunch of people inside. Even though this is a Public Library, the nobles still has a VIP treatment but I guess it can't be helped since being allowed inside here as a commoner is already enough.

Also, there are about a millions of books here! I should ask the person in the counter.

"Good day, young lady! What brings you here? Are you here to borrow or read?"

The man who was on the counter and was speaking in a sternly manner with a commoner changed his attitude when he saw me.

"I'm just going to borrow a book..."

I told him.

"I see...what book are you looking for?"

"Books about the history of the empire and the gifts"

"Really? I thought you'll look for books about fashion and teas since a lot of girls your age that are coming here are looking for those"

Is is really that shocking for a young girl to look for books like that?

"I want to learn something new!"

"Those books are located in that section, you can ask our staffs here if you need something, young lady"

He pointed one of the sections of the bookshelves.

"Thanks"

"Why are you looking for those books, young miss?"

Sara who was walking beside me asked me that question.

"Just curious...oh! Sara, you had your gift sealed too, right?"

"Yes...when I turned ten, I was immediately sent to the empire's church to seal it"

"Are you okay with that? You know...sealing it just like that?"

She smiled.

"Even if I don't want it to be sealed, It is a rule..."

That's the harsh reality. Even if you don't want your gift to be sealed, you have no choice but for it to be sealed unless you got a permit from the emperor to reseal it.

Some people who are commoners are not sealing theirs so that they can use it for bad things. Every child commoner that was born is registered to the empire immediately and when they turn ten, they will be called to the church to seal theirs.

"Young lady La Eclaus and...Sara?"

We heard a voice of a man behind us and saw Kayle's butler, Ron.

"Ron??"

Sara's face turned red as she saw Ron. Oho~

"What are you doing here, young lady?"

Ron asked me with his arms occupied with a bunch of books that looks like it was about fashion.

"I'm just looking for something, how about you? And how's Kayle?"

"You see...master Kayle asked me to get some books for his designs after the lord let him do his hobbies openly"

That Kayle really likes to make people do errands for him.

"Sara! Why don't you help Ron to look at fashion books?"

I pushed Sara a little bit towards Ron. I'll play Cupid again.

"Young miss?"

"Don't worry! The books I'm looking for is just on this side!"

I assured her.

"Alright...but call me after you are done"

I nodded before collecting all the books I need. I even asked some staff nearby to take the books.

There is also a book that caught my interest which is called the 'Legend of the Saintess'. I flip all the pages and saw a ripped page, I was about to read that page when Sara came to me.

"Young miss! Are you done? I'm sorry! I'll take that"

She took all the books that are in my hands but I told her that I'm going to take this book with me. We went to counter to stamp the books I'm borrowing for a week.

"Where's Ron?"

I asked Sara who just blushed.

"He already left..."

She whispered. Well, atleast they got to spend some time.

"And...he asked me to eat out on our day off"

She whispered trying to hide her blush.

"That's good! You'll go, right?"

"But who would take care of you?"

"You don't need to worry about that! I can take care of myself! Just go!"

She looks hesistant when I told her that I can take care of myself.

"Alright...thank you, young miss"

I want to give Sara a rest once in a while. She did so much for me, afterall.

We are walking back to the carriage with me walking behind her back to read the book.

It seems that there was a saintess in this world too like some typical stories in my past life. The saintess contains powers that can negate one's gift and it is said that the descendant of a saintess will one day come back to balance the powers of light and black magic.

There was someone who possess those powers aside from the saintess and that is...the part that was ripped. Why was it ripped? Strange...

I was busy reading the page of the book when I bumped into someone.

"Sorry!"

I dropped my book and the young boy I bumped into caught it before it falls on the ground.

Cool!

"It's alright, I'm happy to see a cute girl like you today~"

Huh?

A flirty...boy? He looks like he is in the same age as me. He has a dirty blonde hair and onyx colored eyes.

He looks at the book I dropped and paused for a moment before he gave it back to me.

"Here~"

"Thank you"

I am cringing at his flirty tone but he looks nice though.

I took the book and our hands brushed for a moment as he was giving it to me. I was surprised to saw that his dirty blonde hair had turned into silver and his onyx eyes turns into purple.

!!!