An Extra Who Wants To Escape The Obsessive Male Lead - Chapter 40
Chapter 40
After the reception ended, we naturally ended up in the same room.
It wasn’t Argenta mansion’s bedroom, so it felt unfamiliar, though the servants had prepared the room well to make us feel comfortable. It was evident that Argenta people on the fourth floor were guarding the surroundings carefully.
“Well, we managed to get through the reception, but…”
I trailed off, and Diello turned to look at me.
“Duke Alors doesn’t seem to suspect that we concealed the lilies.”
When Diello’s gentle voice resonated as he replied to me, I nodded in response.
“Still, he’s someone full of suspicion so he might try to confirm it himself.”
I wasn’t entirely sure how he would go about confirming it, but as I pondered, the dim light cast by the flickering candles was momentarily blocked by a shadow.
Diello leaned toward me.
“…I don’t think there’s a problem with the lilies, I’m more worried about you.”
“Me?”
I blinked in surprise, and Diello’s hand, as if about to fix my hair, brushed against the back of my neck.
“Ah.”
At that moment, when his warmth was felt near the back of my neck, he continued speaking.
“He might summon you again. He might summon you and…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence. At the same time, his hand, on the verge of touching the back of my neck, stopped. It stopped just before his name, near the wound that Duke Alors had inflicted earlier.
“It’s alright.”
I reassured him, grasping his worried hand and lowering it gently.
The injury did not require any extensive treatment since it was merely a minor ache, a lingering sting. Surprisingly, my heart was filled with warmth as I witnessed his reaction. Having someone genuinely concerned about me proved to be more comforting than I had initially imagined.
“It’s truly alright. He won’t summon me again since your name hasn’t been erased yet.”
When I reassured him once more, Diello slightly lowered his head in response, loosening the tie around his neck and releasing a sigh.
“Moreover.”
He eventually opened his mouth again, though his voice carrying a hint of concern.
“To wield the power of the source, one must shed blood. He might attempt to check if there are any significant wounds.”
“Oh, that…”
I responded nonchalantly as a mischievous smile played on my lips, surprising him as his pale blue eyes blinked in slight astonishment. It was endearing to witness the faint surprise flickering in his gaze.
Raising my hand before him, I showed him the finger wrapped in bandages—a consequence of the blood contract with Nira.
“I’m going to use this.”
Diello’s gaze stopped at my finger, which was wrapped in bandages.
“You see, the wound turned out to be deeper than I initially anticipated.”
I explained. For a while, it was even challenging to hold a pen.
Being inexperienced with handling a dagger, I hadn’t expected it to cut so deeply. At the time, I regretted not seeking assistance from someone else. However, my perspective changed only moments ago in the reception hall.
The power of the source.
Argenta needed to use the flames within their bodies to use it, while Alors used the water within theirs, which meant blood was an integral component. Using such a powerful force requires shedding a substantial amount of blood. I intended to show Duke Alors the severity of this wound — to show him that I had wielded such a formidable power!
Of course, I hadn’t actually used the power of the source.
“You calculated and planned all of this ahead?”
Diello exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with admiration. It was as if he wondered how far in advance I had strategized.
Basking in the glow of his innocent admiration, I couldn’t suppress my conscience any longer and finally confessed.
“No, it’s simply that I’m not used to handling a dagger, so I made a mistake.”
“What?”
He blinked, taken aback by my revelation.
Then, he couldn’t contain his laughter any longer, emitting a subdued chuckle as if unable to resist it. It seemed as though he had been suppressing his laughter. Straightening himself up from his leaning position against the wall, he ran both hands over his face.
The situation was amusing to me as well.
“Next time you need to handle a dagger, rely on me.”
He uttered as his hand moved away from his face, revealing an expression tinged with helplessness as he continued.
“It would be troublesome if you sustained a significant wound. You understand that, don’t you?”
Then, his fingertips caressed mine. I nodded, acknowledging his concern.
“Okay, I got it.”
At that moment…
Knock, knock.
Both of us turned our attention towards the door upon hearing the knocking.
“Someone at this hour…?”
I wondered aloud.
‘…Who could it be?’
As I rose to my feet, Diello approached the door and opened it.
“What’s the matter?”
A somewhat anxious voice responded from outside.
“M-Master Diello. The outfit you were supposed to wear tomorrow has disappeared. I’m sure I kept it safe, I’m sure I brought it, but it’s gone!”
The voice trembled on the verge of tears. Diello gripped the doorknob and glanced back at me. Our gazes met.
On the final day of the assembly, a customary tradition would took place. To release pent-up emotions and embark on a fresh start with a renewed heart, one would don a newly tailored outfit and attend the assembly… but now the outfit had disappeared?
“…Is there a tailor nearby?”
It was too late to visit the Argenta mansion and seek another tailor. We needed to find someone who could hastily create an outfit resembling the missing one, even if they were makeshift.
“I’ll look for someone quickly.”
A maid’s voice was heard as she hurried away.
Thud.
The door closed once more, and Diello returned with a troubled expression.
‘We’ve never lost an outfit like this before.’
I shook my head at his words.
“It’s highly unlikely that it was lost in the Argenta mansion. It seems someone deliberately took it.”
“If the outfit disappears tonight, it’s only natural that we must call for a new tailor…”
Diello trailed off, looking flustered.
“It seems that they want to find out through the tailors who can make the new outfit if your lilies have indeed disappeared.”
Indeed, it was a method fitting of Alors.
* * *
Thanks to Alors, sleep eluded us. The local tailor, swiftly located, was dumbstruck upon learning that he was tasked with creating the outfit for the final day of the three-family assembly. Naturally, there was no time for him to utter a word.
“I-I can’t possibly make such an outfit…”
The reluctant tailor wore a perplexed expression.
“Please let me call the assistants who used to work in my workshop!”
“I tried to contact them, though I couldn’t locate them, so I brought those from the nearby workshop instead.”
An Argenta informant replied.
The pitiful tailor was dragged along like a captive of war. In the meanwhile, Diello cast him a remorseful look as if apologizing for summoning him. He maintained his composed demeanor, even amidst the chaos.
With the three of them in view, the scene was rife with comedic potential. Other than that, Vielle had mentioned her sudden departure, likely orchestrated by Alors.
‘The assistants were probably under Alors’ command as well.’
Alors intended to gauge the extent to which the lilies had been erased from Diello’s body. It was evident that they aimed to strip his clothes under the guise of taking measurements. The problem was that if they found any traces of concealment, it would be a big issue.
‘Even if he’s a local tailor, he should be able to make it before the start of the assembly.’
Upon hearing the circumstances, the tailor spoke up.
“The problem is, it’s been about twenty… no, forty-seven years since I last worked on such an elaborate outfit…”
Seeing the tailor was undoubtedly plagued by self-doubt, I patted the tailor’s back reassuringly.
“So, it’s been twenty years since you last worked, correct?”
The tailor swiftly corrected my statement.
“Forty-seven years.”
“Alright, that’s enough.”
He had enough experience. He had been making a living with this for forty-seven years, after all.
“Yes, yes? Oh, no!”
Hearing his reply, I whispered the sum offered into his ear, making the tailor’s face change instantly.
“I will… do my best!”
And suddenly, the tailor, who had overcome his aversion to making fancy outfits, shouted. Well, it was too much money to refuse, wasn’t it?
At that moment, other people approached us. Naturally, they were not Argenta’s maids.
“We are the ones who work in the nearby tailoring workshop…”
They glanced at each other with embarrassment.
“We came to assist in taking measurements for the attire.”
It was just as I expected. If possible, I had to prevent them from getting too close to Diello’s body.
“Wait a moment.”
In the end, I had to stop them.
Diello and the informant turned to look at me.
“Even if we don’t have the clothes, there should be records or someone who remembers when the measurements were taken at the mansion. Do we have any documents or anyone who remembers?”
The informant bowed his head in response to my question.
“As you know, matters concerning Duke Diello are kept confidential and not documented.”
‘…While I understand the need for secrecy, should they keep even his measurements a secret?’
“Then, who remembers?”
I asked.
“Miss Vielle might remember, but she is currently away.”
The informant replied.
I could sense Alors’ determination to confirm Diello’s true measurements, even if it meant going to great lengths. So, I had to ensure that no one could get close enough to catch a glimpse of any traces of his disguise.
Hence, there was only one option left.
‘Well, there’s no other choice. Fine then.’
While I thought so, at that moment, the assistants of the tailors, undoubtedly under Alors’ influence, closed in on Diello, but I wasn’t finished.
“I will handle the measurements myself.”
I declared.
“Yes?”
The assistants visibly hesitated. They appeared tense, likely well aware of Krua’s personality. Or rather, the personality of the original Krua from the novel. Thanks to that, convincing them should be relatively straightforward.
Narrowing my eyes and crossing my arms, I scrutinized them.
“After all, we are newlyweds.”
I stated, stealing a glance at Diello as he blinked with his gaze fixed on me.
“No matter what the reason may be.”
I persisted with my words. To think I would say such things in front of those innocent eyes… but this, too, was part of the act.
I smiled, exuding a villainous charm.
“I… dislike it when other women lay their hands on what belongs to me.”
My words caused Diello’s eyes to widen.
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