I Transmigrated as an Extra in a Trashy Dark Romance Game - Chapter 80

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※ This work contains depictions of coercive relationships, explicit language, and other graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

* * *

That night—the first time he had ever experienced such an atmosphere, such a satisfaction of the senses—it was as if his carefully constructed walls came crashing down.

After that, she had already become someone very special to him.

“Careful.”

Kazaniel caught Edie’s hand as she nearly tripped over a tree root. When monsters appeared, he stepped in front of her, shielding her as if afraid something might strike her.

And then, finally, they emerged from the monster forest and stepped onto the border of the desert…

“Edie, your appearance…!”

Her features shifted as if washed clean by the sparkling starlight illuminating the night sky.

Hair like a glittering galaxy. Transparent gray eyes. And her ordinarily plain, indistinct impression sharpened like dissipating fog—until she was, to him, beautiful.

He touched her hair. It was cool and serene, like dipping his hand into clear water.

‘It’s as if the desert gave you to me. I will never let you return to the Empire.’

The thought of how to keep her—the woman who said she would leave once the year ended—crystallized in his mind.

He would hurry her to the kingdom. Make her his princess consort.

Unaware of the smile creeping onto his lips, he slowly pressed his mouth to her hair.

Perhaps because of what he had experienced that one night, an ugly desire for her—without his even realizing it—began to spread rapidly, like ink bleeding into white paper.

* * *

Having entered the kingdom with such an overt display of her presence, he first went straight to his father, the king, for an audience.

As expected, the king had already heard the news and bombarded him with questions.

“You’ve worked hard, my son. Now you, too, are recognized as a fine adult of Silverwind.”

“Thank you, Father.”

“By the way, I hear you’ve returned with a rather beautiful woman…”

The king’s bluntness nearly made him laugh.

“Yes. I met her in the Empire during my coming-of-age rite and she accompanied me on my journey back.”

“Hmm. You never showed the slightest interest in all the women I brought into the palace for you. I speak out of fatherly concern—you’re not thinking of taking her as a mere concubine, are you?”

With the princess consort candidate practically decided upon by the council of elders, the king was clearly probing him, hoping he would instead simply add her to his harem.

His father, for all his gentle and benevolent demeanor, was an old serpent at heart. Kazaniel had anticipated this question. He smiled, satisfied, and delivered the line he had prepared.

“I understand your concern, Father. But I wish for her to be my princess consort.”

He could almost hear his father’s deep sigh.

He could already imagine how the council of elders would react—how the discussions would go, the tedium of their predictable responses.

“Haa. I suspected as much. You must be tired today. You may go, my son.”

Having paid his respects to the king, Kazaniel succeeded in his objective: he had planted the bait. His father now knew he intended to make her his princess consort. He immediately headed to his office.

Despite the mountain of work and endless meetings, he did not feel tired.

The elders, disturbed by the rumors about the Imperial woman spreading among the consort candidates, insisted he must decide on a princess consort quickly. Watching their meddling, Kazaniel felt his plan was slowly, steadily falling into place.

‘Just letting the rumors spread isn’t enough. I need to make her clearly visible to everyone.’

He had planned to bring her to tonight’s banquet, to ensure everyone recognized her presence. But.

“Mr. Kaz… I mean, Prince Kazaniel. I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to attend…”

“…Wouldn’t entering with you draw too much attention, Mr. Kazan?”

He had expected her to be pleased to attend the banquet with the prince himself. Instead, she began erecting walls—using awkward, formal address and displaying clear discomfort.

This unexpected reaction displeased him. At the banquet, he even mentioned the consort candidates, hoping to spark jealousy. But it had no effect on Edie at all.

‘Then…’

He escorted Edie through the banquet hall, drawing the candidates’ sharp glares as he led her to the King and Queen.

She seemed momentarily flustered—she hadn’t expected an introduction—but quickly composed herself and displayed flawless etiquette befitting a noble lady. The candidates’ stares flickered between them, unsettled.

He deliberately leaned closer to Edie, bringing his hand near her ear.

“There are Sunlight Berries by the far edge. The ones you like.”

His quiet whisper earned him a brief glare from Edie, clearly annoyed. After receiving the King’s greeting, she signaled him with her eyes: May I leave now? He nodded.

He watched as Edie piled Sunlight Berries onto her plate and began eating. Then he spotted the consort candidates swarming toward her.

‘Just as expected. With the rumors, they’d naturally be curious.’

Pleased that his plan was unfolding accordingly, he wet his throat with wine from a golden goblet, a sly smile playing on his lips. Perry approached, his business apparently concluded.

“Your Highness has arrived. Hm? Didn’t you come with Edie?”

At his words, Kazaniel gestured with his eyes toward Edie, now surrounded by the candidates. Perry’s expression shifted to alarm.

“Why are the consort candidates… Are you sure it’s fine to leave her like that, Your Highness?”

“Yes. It’s probably the rumors.”

Perry’s expression grew strange at his detached response, but Kazaniel paid it no mind and turned his attention back to the King and Queen. Perry, still worried, hurried off toward Edie.

The banquet night stretched long. He listened to the rumors about her blooming here and there throughout the hall, and smiled in satisfaction once more.