Extra's Fate
Chapter 54: Unexpected [ II ]

Chapter 54: Unexpected [ II ]

"So... what is it you came here to talk about?"

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

Was this about the auction?

I’d thought that was behind us and she couldn’t be sure I was the one who outbid her.

No way, right?

Also, from what I remembered of her character in the game, Aveline wasn’t petty enough to hold a grudge over something so trivial. Nervously, I sipped my coffee, the bitter warmth failing to steady my racing thoughts.

Aveline set her cup down with a faint clink, her movements precise. She folded her hands in her lap, crimson eyes pinning me in place like a specimen under glass.

Once again, uncomfortable silence stretched between us.

"I’ve been watching you."

She said at last.

"Wha-"

I nearly choked.

’Watching me?’

"Uh... watching me?"

I croaked, coughing un-elegantly into my hand.

Aveline nodded once with a slight tilt of her head.

Before I could sputter a response, she raised a hand, her tone shifting to something practical.

"Let me clarify, I’ve been observing you because of the trip. We’re teammates now. I needed to see what you can handle, what I can expect out there."

My shoulders loosened a bit.

So it wasn’t some wild theory or suspicion about me being the mysterious bidder. Just Aveline being Aveline - methodical, sizing up her ally. It fit her perfectly.

"Oh."

I finally said, exhaling too loudly.

"That makes sense."

We sat in silence, sipping our coffees.

The soft clink of the cups against the table was the only sound filling the air between us.

Aveline’s expression remained unreadable, her crimson eyes watching me carefully, yet betraying nothing.

I shifted slightly in my seat, feeling the weight of the moment settle around us. Then, after what felt like an eternity, I decided to break the silence.

"So..."

I started, placing my cup down.

"What else?"

Aveline’s gaze flickered briefly, something almost imperceptible flashing across her eyes. For a moment, she hesitated.

It was unusual.

She was normally so decisive, so calm, never unsure. It was a defining trait of hers, the ability to command a room with mere presence, to always seem in control, unshaken by the uncertainties of others.

And yet, here she was, hesitating.

Finally, she spoke.

"I would like to train with you. Once, before the trip. So I can fully measure your capabilities."

My mind, which had been swirling with nerves just moments prior, suddenly became eerily calm.

Like ice spreading through my veins, my anxiety was replaced by a cold, detached sense of calculation.

I slowly reached out and grabbed the corner of the table, my fingers tightening around the wood as I offered her a small, polite smile.

"I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to comply with your request."

The words left my mouth with quiet finality.

Aveline’s expression didn’t change.

There was no immediate reaction, no flash of anger, no slight furrow of her brows, nothing to indicate whether she was surprised or displeased. She simply sat there, silent, watching me.

I knew denying her wasn’t something she was accustomed to. Most people in her life were ’yes’ people. She was royalty, after all.

But I couldn’t afford to show my entire deck of cards to anyone, not even to a protagonist.

To survive, I had to remain somewhat mysterious. If all my hidden strengths were revealed, I’d become nothing more than a walking target, something to be accounted for, planned against, eliminated when the time was right. That went against my ultimate goal: survival.

Aveline continued to look at me, her crimson eyes studying me with an unreadable depth. Seconds stretched into what felt like hours before, finally, she gave a single nod.

No emotion. No argument. Just silent acknowledgment.

I exhaled slowly, a quiet sigh of relief escaping me.

I had expected some resistance, maybe even mild irritation, but she had given me nothing. In a way, that was even more terrifying. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, what conclusions she had drawn from my refusal.

But for now, I had managed to hold my ground.

And that was enough.

"Okay, so let’s meet in two hours."

At least, that’s what I thought.

I felt the corner of my eye twitch.

"Excus-?"

I tried to speak, but before I could even finish the word, the princess stood up abruptly, her crimson eyes still locked on me for a fleeting second.

With her usual grace, well, mostly, she grabbed her cup and marched off toward the kitchen.

Except... she didn’t.

Instead, I could only watch, dumbfounded, as her regal form vanished through the entrance to the bathroom.

My jaw tightened, a mix of confusion and amusement bubbling up inside me.

What was she doing?

Inspecting my soap collection?

Then, just as quickly as she’d gone in, she emerged, her expression still unreadable but her movements a little less... certain. Without missing a beat, she pivoted and strode into my bedroom.

I blinked. Hard.

Was she planning to evaluate my pillow-fluffing skills now?

My fingers dug into the edge of the table as I fought to keep a straight face.

Before I could even process that, she reappeared, her steps a touch faster this time, like she’d realized her royal navigation skills had taken a detour. Finally, she located the actual doorway to the kitchen and disappeared through it with her cup still clutched in hand.

I had to bite my lip, hard, not to let out a sound. A snort, a laugh, anything.

This was Aveline, the unflappable, commanding princess who could silence a room with a single glance and here she was, bumbling through my dorm like a lost tourist.

A few seconds later, she returned, her composure mostly intact but her cheeks faintly flushed, a rare crack in her pristine armor. She stopped in front of me, gave a slight nod, and opened her mouth.

"Thank you for..."

Her eyes darted to the drink still in my hand and she hesitated, her brow furrowing ever so slightly.

"Cofa... Coef? ...The drink."

I nearly lost it right there.

Cofa? Coef?

She was trying to say ’coffee’ and somehow, in her brain, it had turned into a tongue-twisting riddle.

She wriggled her way toward the door, her movements quick and a little awkward, like a cat pretending it hadn’t just tripped over its own paws. With one last nod, she flung the door open and practically fled, leaving me alone in the stunned silence of my own home.

"Hahahahahahah!"

The laugh erupted from me before I could stop it, bouncing off the walls. I clapped a hand over my mouth, but it was no use. The image of Aveline, the poised and perfect princess, fumbling through my house and butchering the word ’coffee’ was too much.

My stomach ached as I doubled over, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes.

For someone so calm and calculated, she’d just shown me a side of her I hadn’t expected. A silly, human side that didn’t quite know where the kitchen was or how to pronounce a simple word.

I wiped my eyes, still chuckling and took a sip of my own ’cofa’.

This was so fun, I almost forgot I was basically forced to train with her in two hours.

Almost.

***

Late evening, Wednesday.

"..."

Holding my sword, I observed the person standing before me.

Although my face was impassive, my mind was in complete panic mode.

Standing before me, Aveline held a bow with a firm expression, her posture flawless, her fingers lightly resting on the bowstring, ready to draw at any moment. Even though a good fifty feet separated us, I could feel her aura pressing against me with a suffocating intensity that made the air feel heavier.

’That’s a protagonist for you...’

Biting my molars, I chuckled to myself.

When she said she wanted to train, I had expected some drills, maybe an exchange of techniques, certainly not an immediate duel.

But here we were.

Although we were both in the top ten, there was no denying it, I was still leaps and bounds below her strength.

Aveline had always been strong, but seeing her like this, with the setting sun casting an eerie glow behind her, her crimson eyes gleaming in the dimming light, made me realize just how different we truly were.

"Whenever you’re ready."

She called out, her voice calm and composed.

I exhaled slowly, tightening my grip on my sword. I had to play this carefully, if I went in recklessly, she’d cut me down before I even got close. If I was too defensive, she’d simply pick me off from a distance.

’Adapt. Analyze. Survive. Survive. Survive. And.... survive.’

The moment my foot shifted, she moved.

Her bowstring snapped back, a flash of silver slicing through the air. My body reacted instinctively, jerking to the side as the arrow barely missed my cheek, embedding itself into the ground behind me with a sharp thud.

Fast.

Way too fast.

I barely had time to process before she loosed another.

This one hit me directly in the stomach.

"Ughh... I give up."

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