It’s Been 500 Years as an Extra, and the Original Story Still Hasn’t Begun - Chapter 12
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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500 Years as Just an Extra,
The Original Story Still Won’t Begin
Episode 012
“That’s because Polaris did something wrong.”
“Uncle didn’t do anything wrong?”
Ailesia chuckled softly and whispered as she lightly kissed Elenora’s forehead.
“I actually think it was admirable. How much must he love Elly to get that angry?”
“Then Teacher doesn’t dislike Uncle?”
“Of course not. Teacher really likes both Elly and Uncle, you know?”
As soon as Elenora heard the answer, she raised her arms high and shouted.
“Elly likes Teacher the most too!”
“Who do you take after to be this pretty?”
“Mama and Papa and Grandmother and Uncle!”
What a shame. If Termion had heard this directly, his smile would have stretched from ear to ear.
His face looking at his niece with a bright smile would have been like a pictorial.
For now, she could only enjoy watching Elenora’s beaming face instead. Ailesia gently stroked Elenora’s cheek with her finger and smiled back at her.
Right after Ailesia carried Elenora outside, only silence lingered in the conference room for a moment.
“Grand Duke.”
The person who cleared the heavily subdued atmosphere was Baron Gavin, the chairman.
“In any case, the Grand Duchess has returned safely. The journey here must not have been easy either, so it seems Your Grace and the Grand Duchess should get sufficient rest first.”
“…I’ll do that.”
Termion, who had been staring blankly at the conference room door, opened his mouth.
As if the heat that had risen earlier had cooled, his tone had returned to normal.
“Furthermore, I don’t think we need to decide about Lady Milenov right here. Wouldn’t it be fine to treat her as an honored guest while thinking it over slowly?”
“Indeed, I may have been a bit hasty.”
Baron Gavin’s skill at mediating the situation was truly exquisite.
Without taking anyone’s side in particular, he appropriately appeased Termion’s mood. It was proof that he wasn’t chairman just for show.
“How about holding a modest banquet this evening?”
Hearing Baron Gavin’s words, Termion seemed to consider for a moment before shaking his head.
“It doesn’t seem like the right situation for that. For the time being, I’ll focus only on Elenora’s stability.”
“Understood.”
“Lord Dayford, please give separate reward money and special leave to the knights who went to Chernil Forest together.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“We’ll discuss the remaining matters again later. Let’s end here.”
With those words, Termion rose from his seat. Half-acknowledging the retainers’ greetings, he crossed the corridor with hurried steps.
“What’s the reason for keeping Elly sitting here the whole time? Don’t tell me it’s about the Grand Duchess’s duties or something like that? For a mere five-year-old child?”
The words he had heard in the conference room earlier kept circling in Termion’s mind.
Even if that wasn’t his intention, he had ended up making things difficult for Elenora. It was also discourteous to Ailesia, who was a guest.
‘Self-reproach can come later.’
Right now, apology comes before reflection.
In his worry getting ahead of him, he had failed to consider his niece who must have been tired and struggling.
He had thought that by calling the retainers as soon as they returned to the manor and observing their reactions, he could roughly figure out who had orchestrated things.
Indeed, Head Butler Baron Baton and several retainers had shown suspicious signs.
‘Still, I was too reckless.’
As Ailesia said, there was no need to have Elenora present at the conference room meeting.
Of course, he hadn’t made that decision impulsively either.
He simply wanted Elenora to be within his sight.
Because that way he could feel at ease. Because that way he could protect her.
He had almost lost his niece because of the complacent thought of “surely not.” He never wanted to let such a thing happen again.
“Lady Milenov, thank you so much for earlier.”
Just as he was about to turn the corner toward the stairs, Lady Herman’s voice could be heard. Termion quickly stepped back and concealed his presence.
“Then what you said to me earlier was…?”
“I apologize for that.”
“Head Maid.”
“For now, let’s continue moving to the Grand Duchess’s room.”
The sound of quiet footsteps gradually grew distant. They seemed to be going down the stairs.
Termion, who had been concentrating on the conversation while even forgetting to breathe, leaned his stiffened body against the wall.
“Haah…”
A heavy sigh flowed from his blocked mouth.
‘So that’s how it was.’
From just that brief conversation, he could guess what kind of situation it had been.
Ailesia who boldly turned the atmosphere around and Lady Herman who wittily played along. They were all a step above him.
‘…This is difficult.’
He had thought the process of growing from child to adult was quite burdensome, but raising a child as an adult was even more challenging.
“It’s difficult, Father…”
Termion called out to someone he could no longer see, for the first time in a very long while.
“Teacher.”
“Hmm?”
“Am I not heavy?”
“You’re light as a feather?”
“Really?”
“Of course. I could carry you all day long.”
Ailesia had reached the first floor before she knew it. She was still holding Elenora in her arms.
“The Grand Duchess’s room is in the West Wing.”
“The West Wing?”
Usually don’t direct descendants stay in the main building?
Perhaps noticing her puzzlement, Lady Herman added a few more words.
“Originally it was on the third floor of the main building, but Grand Duke moved it to the West Wing.”
“Is there a reason?”
“He judged that it wouldn’t be good for the still young Grand Duchess to frequently encounter adults. I agreed as well.”
“That was a wise choice.”
If the previous Grand Duke and his wife were still alive it might be different, but Elenora, left all alone, was nothing more than tempting prey to other nobles.
Termion had not yet completely taken control of the Grand Ducal House. This disappearance incident was practically proof of that.
That said, he couldn’t keep Elenora by his side all day either. To protect his young niece, he needed a place where she could stay comfortably without drawing much attention.
‘…So that’s why he brought her to the conference room.’
Probably he could only feel at ease when Elenora was visible to him.
Thinking of it that way, Termion, whose shoulders must have been heavy, felt even more pitiful.
“Little one, aren’t you cold?”
“No.”
“Still, your ears might get cold.”
As she pulled up the hood attached to the coat and adjusted Elenora’s collar once more, someone could be heard calling for Lady Herman.
“H-Head Maid! Head Maid!”
“What’s the matter?”
A sturdy servant rushed over urgently and stood before Lady Herman. For some reason, his face was half pale with fear.
“Th-the wolves that pulled the carriage earlier!”
“Wolves?”
Lady Herman turned her head to look at Ailesia.
“What about my kids?”
The servant, recognizing Ailesia, spoke in a trembling voice.
“M-Mage. I’m sorry, but could you please move those wolves somewhere else?”
“I told them to stay put. Did something happen?”
“They’re wandering around that area, so we can’t get near the stables! The horses are terrified and causing a commotion!”
“Oh my…”
Ailesia made an awkward expression after hearing the whole story.
They must have gotten bored from just sitting and moved around a bit, but for ordinary people, that alone would be terrifying. Wolves larger than horses weren’t exactly common.
“Sorry. Let me call the kids first.”
“Pardon? You’re going to call them?”
“Whitey, Blanky!”
Ailesia cupped her hand to her mouth and shouted loudly in a general direction.
When they were in the forest, the two wolves would come running quickly no matter where she called from. No matter how vast the Grand Duke’s Estate was, could it be as large as the forest where she lived?
“Kyaah!”
“Oh, mother!”
“Aaaaah!”
At the faint screams coming from somewhere, Lady Herman turned to the side with a dizzy expression.
“…It’ll be fine, right?”
“Prob…ably?”
When she received a look that seemed far from trustworthy, Ailesia’s expression became even more awkward.
“Woof woof!”
Whitey, who had run over energetically, rubbed his face enthusiastically against Ailesia’s waist. Blanky quietly gathered his front paws and stood beside them.
“Good heavens.”
Lady Herman, seeing this sight, couldn’t continue speaking. She was just barely holding on, clutching her trembling hands.
She hadn’t noticed when they were tied to the carriage, but seeing the two wolves just a few steps away, they exuded tremendous intimidation. Even sitting with their rumps on the ground, their eye level was higher than most adult men.
“Whitey, Whitey!”
“Gruff?”
“G-Grand Duchess!”
Elenora, who had somehow gotten down to the ground, tugged at Whitey’s soft fur with her hands. Lady Herman reached out in surprise.
But she soon had to witness a sight that made her doubt her eyes.
Lick.
“Kyahahaha! That tickles!”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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