HTNSA 57

Chapter 57

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‘The mentality of a seasoned extra finally shines through in this moment.’

After hearing all sorts of things from Jerat, Eila was suddenly reminded of the time she worked as an extra on set.

Back then, she was treated like disposable background filler.

She was often left waiting without a chance to eat and would be scolded for the most trivial reasons.

If she had lines, it was still stressful, and if she didn’t, it was even worse.

“Hey, your timing on the turn is too fast. Can you match the mood better?”

“Seriously, you standing over there! Don’t try so hard. You’re just the background!”

Meeting all those unreasonable demands and swallowing her frustration was the fate of an extra.

Keeping a neutral face was a skill in itself.

And that’s how Eila was able to maintain her composure now. Or rather, she was acting like she was calm.

Of course, she had no idea what Rosia had been saying to Jerat behind her back.

‘She probably acted pitiful, just like she did in the original.’

But Eila was confident she could act better than Rosia.

Then, Eila fluttered her eyelashes.

But she didn’t shed a single tear.

Sometimes, showing restraint rather than fully expressing one’s emotions can make one appear even sadder.

“I’ve never ignored Rosia.”

“Then are you saying Rosia is lying?”

“It’s not like that. Rosia is a noble, and I’m just a commoner now. I was just keeping my distance. If Rosia treated me kindly, it would have been arrogant for me to just accept it.”

That was true.

If Eila had acted too familiarly with Rosia, it would certainly have caused gossip.

But even with Eila’s words, she couldn’t ignore the image of Rosia, still struggling and clearly in pain.

Jerat tried to steady his wavering emotions as he thought about it, but Eila’s trembling voice continued.

“And you asked why I took first place in the exam. Should I have lived my life as a fake daughter, always afflicted by mana insensitivity?”

“…”

“From the moment I left, you told me to take care of myself. So, I worked hard for it.”

Jerat slightly parted his lips, trying to close them again.

Eila’s words weren’t wrong.

“Also, declaring my breakup with Kadin and getting together with Felix was unavoidable.”

“…”

“Kadin was going to be engaged to Rosia anyway. I thought it was right to give up first and show that I had no feelings for him.”

Eila carefully lowered her gaze.

“And in that situation, Felix was the only one who took care of me when I was isolated. I couldn’t just push him away just because he’s a commoner.”

Eila’s voice carried an unknown pleading.

Perhaps because of that, Jerat could only mumble, not able to argue back forcefully.

In this situation, Eila didn’t even cry.

As if there was no one to help her even if she did shed tears.

She was simply holding back, looking as if she was enduring with all her might. It was… heartbreakingly pitiful.

At least the day before, when Rosia had cried, Eila had wiped away her tears and comforted her.

But now, Eila knew.

‘I can’t comfort her anymore.’

Jerat’s gaze fixed on Eila’s tightly shut lips.

Unlike Rosia, who had cried uncontrollably, Eila was desperately trying to hide any signs of weakness.

At that moment, it suddenly occurred to Jerat that Eila had been rejected by everyone since she was cast out from the family.

‘How lonely must she have been all this time?’

The reason she couldn’t push away Felix, a commoner, was because he was the only one who had taken care of her when she was isolated.

Finally, Jerat realized what he had been missing.

He had always thought that he had to protect Rosia, who had suffered through life.

But in that process, he had never truly understood what kind of life Eila had led since she was driven out of the family.

Guilt surged within Jerat, and he couldn’t hold it back.

A sense of foreboding washed over him, and he felt that he had done something terribly wrong.

As his mind was clouded by the image of the pitiful Rosia, his heart was overwhelmed by emotions he couldn’t fight.

Finally, Eila spoke with an unshakable voice.

“And you know how long I suffered with mana insensitivity.”

Eila’s eyes were red, but there were no tears falling from them.

But in her voice, emotions that were impossible to express poured out.

“You know better than anyone that my dream has always been to become a great mage… and now you’re telling me to quit the academy?”

Jerat felt a shocking jolt in his chest.

‘That’s right. I knew exactly what Eila wanted… yet I…’

What had blinded him, making him speak to her so coldly?

Jerat slowly realized why he had felt so much sympathy for Rosia.

‘I had been thinking of Eila when I looked at Rosia.’

Rosia’s suffering reminded him of Eila’s own pain when she couldn’t meet the family’s expectations.

Back then, just like Rosia, Eila had always cried after exams, blaming herself.

And Jerat had always felt helpless, unable to ease her pain.

His eyes, once dull, now regained some light.

He stared at Eila for a long time before quietly whispering.

“I’m sorry.”

His expression, filled with shock and regret, seemed to show his embarrassment.

Eila was taken aback by his sincere apology.

“Really…”

Jerat didn’t finish his sentence.

He turned and left with a troubled expression, rubbing his head in confusion.

After Jerat left, Eila let out a long, weary sigh.

No matter how much she had prepared herself mentally, facing her family unexpectedly had taken a huge emotional toll.

‘But I did handle it well.’

The act she had just put on was perfect, even in her own eyes. It was clear that Jerat had fallen for her performance completely.

She could be proud of herself for that, but strangely, her heart was filled with unease.

It was because of the final words Jerat had spoken, apologizing in a way that seemed to hold real regret.

‘It seems like Jerat is getting more and more affected by Rosia’s brainwashing. When I met Kedric before, he wasn’t this reckless.’

Eila sighed deeply again.

Thankfully, Jerat seemed a little more aware of things after their conversation, but once he returned to the mansion, he would soon fall under Rosia’s influence again.

Eila knew she had to cure her mana insensitivity as soon as possible.

That was the only way she could gain the power to resist the magic Rosia had over her.

‘To do that, Duke Azenta must realize that Felix is his son.’

Only then could she obtain the precious “Divine Footsteps” herb.

The name of the herb itself was grand, and it had been a gift from the temple to the Azenta family.

It was an extremely rare and precious plant, one of only a few in the empire. The Azenta family had kept its importance well guarded for generations.

‘And it’s been stored somewhere special, as they say.’

In the original story, Felix had worked hard to obtain the herb, but it was much more difficult for him after Duke Azenta passed away.

Now that Felix was still meeting with Duke Azenta, if only the truth about his parentage was revealed, obtaining the herb wouldn’t be an issue anymore.

‘I should subtly hint at it to one of them soon.’

Probably Felix too, would have started feeling something strange the more he met Duke Azenta.

The bond of blood often made itself felt, sometimes in strange ways.

Just like how Eila’s mother had poured love into her, even when she wasn’t her biological daughter.