Extras Are The First To Be Abandoned - Chapter 26

“I would like to offer you some information.”

 

When the princess said that she had come as an informant, Hector Servache let down the tension that had been raised to the maximum level.

 

It’s such an honor to be called like this already. He thought.

 

No matter which gossip the Princess wants to publish, Hector will sincerely help her.

 

Just what he needed was a connection to the Princess, and may he be allowed to be this close to her!

 

He was filled with trepidation.

 

Until the Princess took a step past him and threw the newspaper in front of him…

 

It was placed across the desk in a truly beautiful way.

 

“This one.”

 

“…Yes?”

 

“… It’s a follow-up to the article in the paper.”

 

“What do you mean….”

 

“I heard directly from Jason Evanders that I had turned down his expensive gift.”

 

With that, Hector Servache’s face went blank.

 

I said without regard.

 

“How much would it cost to put that on the front page of the newspaper?”

 

“That, that, that….Umm, it’s..”

 

It was utterly unnerving.

 

Hector Servache finally grasped his reason and said,

 

“First of all, the Velvet Daily would never publish an article like that. Besides, did you really return the necklace?”

 

“Yes, I did. There was no way your master, Jason Evanders, would have laughed at the necklace and given it back to me honestly.”

 

How much money did the owner spend to get the necklace, give it as a gift, and then spread rumors about it? It didn’t make any sense that the thorough Jason Evanders smiled and said, “The gift, thankfully, I got it back.”

 

In any case, all this was an investment.

 

Hector Servache glossed over.

 

“I’ll look into that some more….”

 

Soon the sharp words fell.

 

“Why do you think I came here in person? Mr editor?”

 

“Well, Your Imperial Highness….”

 

“I could have called you directly to the Imperial Palace. Then again, given my position, that would have been a natural thing to do. Why would I have taken the trouble and time to walk all the way here, directly?”

 

“…”

 

“I want you to get things done quickly and with certainty.”

 

Hector Servache remembered that the Imperial Princess had lived as a commoner for ten years.

 

So it wasn’t going to be a stretch for him to take the Imperial Princess on as his mouthpiece.

 

He thought of all the commoner idiots scattered in the fields.

 

But when he finally met her, he got the feeling that he could not treat the princess recklessly.

 

The perfect Velvian accent that the Imperial Princess used froze him.

 

Besides, for some reason, he felt that if his master liked her. If she could take away a huge amount of money from his master in a single negotiation, he would have to be careful with his words.

 

As he did so, the editor’s voice gradually faded.

 

“I still need to do internal checks for accurate reporting. I’ll ask the parties involved in the scandal directly…. After that…”

 

“Scandal?”

 

My cold voice made Hector Servache shudder involuntarily. I seemed pensive for a moment, but then said,

 

“Yes, it was a scandal. It’s not just a report of a gift.”

 

“…Your Imperial Highness.”

 

“How much do I have to pay you when I request a corrected report? The scandal is a laughable story, and you even reported that I returned the necklace…”

 

“Even if you give them ten billion dollars, they can’t report facts that haven’t been verified.”

 

“Then, are the facts that just appeared in that newspaper verified?”

 

“…That..”

 

“Some of it is fact. Because it is true that Jason Evanders gave me the necklace. But scandal, is that true? I don’t think so.”

 

“So I’m saying it’s a possible scandal, sure ….”

 

“What about the fact that you can’t report on the fact that I gave you ten billion dollars and it hasn’t been verified?”

 

“We are only suggesting possibilities. It was created by cause and effect. However, according to Her Imperial Highness, although she had no proof, she still returned the gift to its owner anyway. And that’s not a front page headline.”

 

“Does it matter that there is no evidence?”

 

“That’s right!”

 

Hector Servache spoke as happily as if he had found a rescue.

 

“All I have heard are the words of Your Highness. So if you would be so kind as to give me a moment of your time…”

 

“Igor.”

 

I turned and stared at Igor.

 

Hector Servache had never seen such a large man before.

 

He had heard that the Princess had bought quite a few mercenaries from Jason Evanders.

 

“Tell the editor what I said to Jason Evanders.”

 

“Her Imperial Highness first brought up the contract she had written with His Excellency Jason Evanders.

 

“Then?”

 

“There was no provision in the contract that the Princess would be a leading figure in the scandal and help businesses in the country, so she refused the gift and asked him to ensure that 20% of the mining revenue be deposited in the future.”

 

“And did Jason Evanders get his gift back?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That’s all.”

 

I said to Hector Servache.

 

“What, should I have gotten a deed from Jason Evanders to prove this?”

 

Hector froze. That was amazing. Did this woman really win at the negotiation table against Jason Evanders?

 

Twice?

 

****

 

After leaving Karen’s room with the necklace, the first place I went was Jason’s office.

 

I presented him with the contract.

 

It wasn’t in our contract for him to use me for gossip, so I was going to return the gift and correct the article.

 

My hand swooped down on the desk and pushed the fancy jewelry case to Jason.

 

He looked at me without saying a word and happily accepted the gift.

 

I thanked him briefly and left to correct the article in the newspaper.

 

Jason left his seat as well and followed me.

 

‘Is he going to see me off?’

 

Just when I thought I was overreacting, he grabbed the doorknob.

 

My brow furrowed as I watched him. When I asked him to let go, he chuckled and bowed toward me and said,

 

“If the last time the reason the Princess did what she wanted was money….”

 

“…”

 

“This time it’s entirely my favor.”

 

His hand tapped the contract I was holding.

 

“Of course, the contract says that.”

 

He gripped the doorknob more tightly as I opened the door to leave. It was easy to see that his hand had more strength in it.

 

It was monstrous strength that stopped me, but he said, not changing a single expression on his face.

 

“You should be proud to have won my favor.”

 

It was a very arrogant voice.

 

“You may use it to your heart’s content in exchange for hurting your feelings.”

 

He then placed the edge of the doorknob in a showy manner. As I walked past him, I thought it was a truly typical apology from him.

 

I felt bad, but I was still glad that I got what I wanted.

 

The next day, I spread out the newspaper on the tea table as I drank the tea the maids brought me.

 

The front page of the Velvet Daily welcomed me with a bright smile on my face.

 

It was still not a reflection of my actual portrait, though, and not a face that resembled me much.

 

The headline was, I coolly rejected the condescending Jason Evanders.

 

It was a pretty good conclusion.

 

***

 

After checking the corrected newspaper article, I prepared to sneak out.

 

I knew that Mary, Hans and Daisy were safe, having heard about it through the mercenaries I had hired, but I wanted to check the safety of the family with my own eyes.

 

 

The Empress had sent her maidens to speak with me so far, but I sent them back.

 

There was nothing to say.

 

I packed my bags and was about to head out the door to meet my guards, the mercenaries I had hired, I heard the presence of someone.

 

Our gazes met at the open doorway, and the brilliant man mimed a small smile as he tapped on the door of the room.

 

“Stella.”

 

I could see the sweat running down the man’s forehead as if he had been practicing.

 

His cheeks were flushed, and his glittering green eyes contained warmth.

 

They always did.

 

“Brother.”

 

“I came to visit as soon as I had time.”

 

He didn’t seem to feel embarrassed about what he did. Now was the first time I met him after hearing that he had delivered my family’s location to the Empress.

 

“I expected you to come to me first and demand an explanation. But…”

 

“I see you were curious as to why I didn’t.”

 

“I came to explain.”

 

“I’m not curious.”

 

I replied.

 

“Please leave. I have nothing to say, brother.”

 

“Stella.”

 

Joseph looked surprised at my words.

 

It wasn’t an incomprehensible reaction.

 

To Joseph, I was the kind sister who always listened to him.

 

Joseph, the wonderful “Crown Prince Brother,” looked like he was in a fairy tale.

 

The loving Joseph.

 

I craved his affection and always seemed to give him away in my relationship with him.

 

When he asked me to wait, I waited.

 

Even when we were playing hide and seek together as children and he walked away after Karen caught him, I waited for him alone.

 

I understood him even when he awkwardly refrained from talking to me in public, and when he apologized to me the next day by bringing me a wildflower.

 

But this time was different.

 

I couldn’t bring myself to listen to his words.

 

His warmth was no longer special to me.

 

There was no reason for me to lose and beg for his piece of affection.

 

“I’m sorry I startled you. Mother sent me in first place…”

 

“Please stop.”

 

“Stella……”

 

“That’s enough.”

 

He wasn’t a bad person to me, but he wasn’t a good person, either. I remember him as a person who was kind to everyone.

 

And being everyone’s friend meant that I wasn’t his only friend.

 

He would come up to me in sympathy, but he could not pull me out of my solitude.

 

People would not like him acting that way.

 

Even if he was nice to me, it wouldn’t be nice to everyone except me.

 

That’s what I meant when I said he was everyone’s friend.

 

He was truly a righteous bystander.

 

There was a sense of justice in throwing out sympathetic affection, but that’s all he shall ever be.

 

What a cruel man he was.

 

I felt the warmth he gave me and made my young heart want more.

 

He made me want his love desperately. He made me wait for time with him.

 

He is who he is.

 

I had unconsciously learned to just be myself.

 

“I don’t want to accept your apology again.”

 

I drew the obvious line.

 

“If you are here to apologize, please don’t. Things have already happened and there’s nothing you can do to undo them. So please don’t try.”

 

I smiled at his two shimmering eyes.

 

“That doesn’t make you a good person to me.”