It’s Been 500 Years as an Extra, and the Original Story Still Hasn’t Begun - Chapter 73

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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 073

Even though it was the same Imperial Palace, the atmosphere was quite different.

The garden we had been touring until just now was quite splendid, but it couldn’t compare to the area near the Prince Palace. Even just looking at the scale and design of the magical lighting installations, the difference was stark.

“Little One, shall we look over there? That building is really pretty, isn’t it?”

“…Mmm.”

Whatever had made her so upset, Elenora maintained a sulky expression for quite a while even after she stopped crying.

Because of this, the Imperial Knight Commander who had rushed over in a panic was dripping with cold sweat.

The two knights following at a distance behind him were still reading the situation. It was the result of the Imperial Knight Commander’s pleading that he couldn’t possibly let only Ailesia and Elenora enter alone.

‘That much doesn’t matter. After all, look where we’ve gotten in.’

Anyway, this pretty little thing. Who would have known she’d throw a tantrum there when she usually never does?

Such a praiseworthy child deserves a reward. When I kissed her forehead with a loud smacking sound, Elenora suddenly lifted her head.

“Teacher.”

“Yes?”

“Why did you suddenly give Elly a kiss?”

“Love should be expressed anytime, anywhere to be good.”

“…Then Elly too! Elly wants a kiss too!”

As soon as I readjusted my hold on the squirming child, I felt a soft touch on my cheek. After giggling for a moment, Elenora finally came down from my arms.

“Wouldn’t you be able to see better if Teacher held you?”

“That would be tiring for Teacher. And Elly wants to walk around here with her own feet too.”

“Is that so?”

It was an answer that felt strangely mature for a child, but it didn’t seem to have any deep meaning. She was a child who occasionally acted surprisingly grown-up anyway.

Ailesia took Elenora’s hand and looked around the surroundings more leisurely.

Indeed, since this was where the Imperial Family lived, each building was as large as Retis Main Castle.

Moreover, unlike the Grand Duke’s Castle which emphasized practicality, the exterior decorated with all sorts of sculptures and jewels was the epitome of splendor.

‘Just how much money did they pour into this.’

Even during the days when I enjoyed entertainment in the Northern Continent, I had experience touring that empire’s imperial palace, but this seemed excessive. Continuing to look at it made me frown involuntarily.

While passing several buildings like this, a strangely shabby palace caught my eye.

“Ah….”

A pitiful sigh flowed out of Ailesia’s mouth involuntarily.

‘Good heavens, why is only this place like a different world.’

To compare, it felt like an old, dilapidated shack stuck between luxury apartments.

The scale itself was similar to other buildings, but the condition of the exterior walls was noticeably different.

Far from jewels, even the sculptures were half-collapsed or full of scratches, and the garden had only a few bare trees.

The paving stones that should have been densely laid were broken here and there, exposing the bare earth.

‘The Second Prince’s Palace… I see.’

Until he awakened as an Aura Master and caught the Emperor’s eye, the Second Prince’s childhood was truly hardship and adversity itself.

After his birth mother the Empress died, the servants who originally managed the Second Prince’s Palace were replaced one by one, and financial support was reduced to the minimum.

The Empress’s family house doesn’t even have its name mentioned in the original work. It’s only mentioned as being a renowned scholarly family with no real substantial influence.

“Teacher….”

“Yes?”

“Here, why is this place like this…?”

While I was briefly recalling the original story’s content, Elenora’s voice reached me in an unusual way.

Trembling hands, large eyes that had become completely distorted.

Elenora was looking at the Second Prince’s Palace with a face that seemed ready to burst into tears at any moment.

‘…Is she instinctively drawn to it.’

At the end of Part 2, Second Prince Kalior dies while being held in Elenora’s arms.

The terrible curse that made Termion go berserk. Kalior realized the remnants of that curse dwelling in his own body around the time the civil war was ending.

He would have his first seizure before he could even enjoy the joy of defeating the First Prince and ending the civil war.

Intuiting that he would meet a similar end to Termion if things continued, Kalior secretly headed to the seaside in the Southern Empire. And Elenora, who chased after him belatedly, engaged in a life-or-death battle with him.

At the moment when Elenora, screaming that she’d rather die together, and he exchanged final strikes, Kalior simply let go of his sword.

“Kal, Kal! Please open your eyes!”

“Elly….”

“Why did you do that, why! How, how could you do this to me!”

“Hahaha….”

“Don’t laugh, you fool!”

“The Grand Duke… asked me to protect you….”

“Liar! All the men around me only lie to me! Sob….”

“Because I loved you, because I was loved by you… I was truly happy.”

“Kal? Kalior? Aah… Aaaahhh!”

The Second Prince closing his eyes with a smile, Elenora screaming as she lost another precious person.

Above them, only the indifferent moonlight pouring down and the quiet beach where only the sound of waves could be heard.

The Original Author must have been on some kind of drug, because they even included an illustration of Elenora crying while holding Kalior in her arms.

And that episode had over 1,000 comments. Most were a mix of various crying emoticons and all kinds of curses.

“Does a prince really live here too…?”

“Probably…?”

“Wh, what should we do….”

Finally, Elenora couldn’t overcome the weight of sorrow gathered in her eyes.

Tears that even swallowed the sniffling sounds formed droplets on her chin and fell one by one.

Yet the child just stood there firmly, gazing endlessly at the main gate of the Second Prince’s Palace.

“…Little One.”

Ailesia crouched down in front of Elenora. The hot tears flowing over her fingers as she cupped the small cheeks made her heart heavy.

“Do you want to go inside?”

“W, wouldn’t that be impossible?”

Only then did Elenora clumsily wipe her tears with the back of her hand and look at Ailesia.

Seeing the child’s reddened eyes, Ailesia quietly swallowed a bitter smile.

‘I had resolved never to use mental magic.’

Except for perhaps slight illusions for deception, Ailesia had never once used this type of magic until now.

Despite living in this world for such a long time, the values of a modern Korean were still deeply ingrained in her.

By her standards, acts of erasing people’s memories or manipulating emotions were no different from crimes.

Though she half-jokingly introduced herself as a witch, if she did such things carelessly, she might really become a witch.

Depending on her mindset, she could even drive the continent to ruin. Who could possibly avoid her brainwashing with her infinite magical power?

‘Just this once.’

Ailesia spread her arms toward Elenora with a gentle smile.

She silently stroked the back of the child who embraced her and stood up from her spot.

It wasn’t about harming anyone, and it certainly wasn’t about doing something bad.

Just briefly, to relieve this child’s inexplicable sadness.

Using illusion magic for disguise was too risky of being discovered. The Imperial Knights weren’t ordinary people either, and if they happened to have special magical tools, it could raise unnecessary suspicion.

Ailesia bit her lips firmly and hugged Elenora a little tighter.

Completely covering the child’s face with her arm, she turned her head toward the knights following behind.

Fragments of Shattered Phantoms

『Broken Hallucination』

The knights froze in place like statues.

The moment they met Ailesia’s golden-tinted eyes, they opened their mouths in a daze with dreamy, hazy gazes as if they were dreaming.

“Let’s go.”

“Teacher…?”

Elenora, who had stopped crying at some point, was looking up at Ailesia with a terrified expression.

She really was quick to catch on. It seemed she had realized that because of her tantrum, Teacher had done something she shouldn’t have.

“It’s okay. I promised you before, didn’t I?”

As if telling her not to worry, Ailesia gently stroked Elenora’s cheek with her finger and smiled brightly.

“My Little One, I told you to do whatever you want. Teacher said it was okay.”

“But…”

“Shh. Adult matters should be left to adults.”

When she even playfully winked, Elenora squeezed her eyes shut and hugged Ailesia’s neck tightly.

“We can’t stay long. Let’s just stay for exactly 10 minutes and come out. Understood?”

“Yes…”

Creeeeak.

When they forced open the heavily rusted Main Gate, it made a sound exactly like a ghost wailing.

The path, a mess of mud and broken paving stones, was so bumpy it was difficult to walk on. Having no choice but to cross through midair with Flight Magic, the moment they reached the entrance.

‘…Damn, what is this.’

Ailesia grimaced as she caught the acrid smell of burning drifting from beyond the door.

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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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