An Extra Who Wants To Escape The Obsessive Male Lead

“There are two ships.”

It wasn’t expected that both people from Cartiel and Mirta would have their own ships. As I furrowed my eyebrows, something happened.

Whoosh!

“Huh?”

One of the two ships caught fire.

…What could cause a sudden fire in the middle of the sea?

As I steered the water towards the uninhabited island, our ship swiftly approached its vicinity. However, my attention was quickly drawn to a figure standing there, causing me to almost forget to slow down.

“…Diello?”

It was indeed Diello.

The person before me wore a white shirt and formal black pants, with no jacket in sight. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight, while in his left hand, he tightly gripped a long sword.

Something red dripped from the blade, catching my attention.

Diello’s gaze seemed to be fixed in my direction. Whether it was due to our location at sea or the traces of blood staining his cheeks, his usually light blue eyes appeared unusually deep and dark. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his cheeks and the sword he held.

“Diello…?”

He approached me with a slow, deliberate stride, the sword still firmly in his grasp. As I disembarked from the ship and drew nearer to the sandy shore, his figure grew more defined.

It was undoubtedly Mirta standing behind him, although he was already dead.

The truth became clear as to whom Diello’s sword had struck. And beside Mirta lay an unfamiliar figure, motionless but not yet lifeless—a person from Cartiel, most likely.

I glanced between them, my gaze ultimately settling on Diello. His eyes, now seen up close, seemed different from usual. Above all, he appeared just as taken aback by our unexpected encounter here as I was.

“How did you come all the way here?”

His voice sounded slightly hoarse. Unable to tear my gaze away from the blood splatters on his cheeks, I replied.

“I heard a report that Mirta’s contract was burning in the study… So—”

How did Diello end up here? Wasn’t he supposed to be in one of the zones? Did he rush here immediately upon receiving the news? Well, if he had sailed the seas, it wouldn’t have been challenging for him to catch up with Mirta on the open waters.

However…

Words escaped me as I struggled to find something to say. The image of him clutching the sword felt strange to me, even though it appeared entirely natural to him.

“Ah…”

He noticed that my gaze had returned to Mirta, and his hand once again shielded his eyes from the sunlight. Then, he unfolded a handkerchief and covered my eyes with it.

There were a few drops of blood on the pristine white handkerchief, which I didn’t know the origin of.

“I’m sorry you had to witness such a sight, Krua.”

I could feel the warmth through the handkerchief… no, it might have been heat.

During the brief silence, Diello spoke again.

“I didn’t expect you to come.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here either.”

The words I was about to utter were abruptly halted.

More precisely, I hadn’t anticipated seeing him in this state… and certainly not in person. While I understood that he held the position of authority in the family and had entered into a ruthless contract, witnessing it firsthand was a different experience altogether…

“….”

Silence enveloped us as Diello took a step closer, enveloping me in a gentle embrace. His hold was firm enough to obscure my entire field of vision, perhaps to shield me from directly witnessing Mirta. Then, he gently removed the handkerchief covering my eyes.

The first thing I saw as the fabric was lifted away was Diello’s concerned expression.

“Enforcing contracts is a sad thing. It’s something I write to ensure that they’re not broken.”

A pitiful expression appeared on Diello’s face. However, the drops of blood didn’t disappear.

“Thank you for deliberately helping me, Krua.”

He placed his hand, holding the handkerchief, on my cheek. The seawater that had splashed on my cheek was wiped away by his fingertips, and he gave me a gentle smile.

“Unfortunately, I showed you a scary sight.”

I wasn’t sure if he was referring to Mirta’s state or his own.

“Krua.”

Then, he whispered my name. It was a calm voice as if he hadn’t just taken someone’s life.

“Yes.”

I replied, and he slightly tilted his head.

“You also said you would leave Argenta, didn’t you?”

His tone was the same as usual.

If I moved my gaze slightly, I could see Mirta… the one who lost life to his sword.

It was only natural to dispose of the traitor. It was the duty of Diello Argenta, the head of the family, and it was clearly stated in the contract. Of course, it was obvious. Still… was Diello Argenta someone like this?

“…Yes.”

I answered slowly.

“You know that Argenta operates differently from other families. Although I never talked much about it…”

He extended his hand.

“I know you belong with Argenta, Krua.”

Splash.

At that moment, the blood that had clung to the tip of his sword fell and stained the sandy beach. The scarlet color disappeared quickly in the sand, as if covering up any traces, just like a drop of water falling.

“Not only me, but the Argenta family wants you, Krua.”

Diello’s calm words continued.

“So please, be an Argenta.”

“That’s…”

I had already made her decision.

…No, that wasn’t an option in the first place. Once the real Ferro appeared, I wouldn’t be the Duchess of Argenta. Not only that, but I couldn’t afford to interfere with their relationship in order for Diello to fully awaken and harm Alors.

Regardless, he gently intercepted my words.

“I’ll try to persuade the Ferro.”

The word ‘persuade’ sounded strange.

Diello smiled.

“I believe in you, Krua, because you also understand the principles of Argenta.”

His words reminded me of one thing.

“…Do it or don’t.”

In response to my words, Diello smiled beautifully again.

“Yes, Krua.”

As if it was the correct answer, he reached out his hand to me.

“Will you become an Argenta?”

Of course, I couldn’t go back to Alors and I had no intention of going back. Becoming an Argenta was not a bad choice either, as long as he could fully awaken.

“Diello…”

As I was about to say something, Diello spoke gently in a soft voice.

“The Ferro’s opinion doesn’t matter, Krua.”

He persisted.

“I won’t make it matter.”

During the fleeting moment of silence, he uttered an unexpected remark. It caught me off guard, causing my mouth to slightly open in surprise.

At that instant, his fingertips delicately grazed my hand.

“Would you rather become an Argenta or…”

His voice trailed off, accompanied by a wistful expression that partially veiled his blue eyes. The shadow cast by his eyelashes made his azure irises appear darker.

“Would you rather make me sad?”