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Chapter : 02
“Even if I’m an Extra, I’d Prefer Not to Die” (2)
“I’ll help you.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Serena, who had been curt earlier, must have had a change of heart—she stepped forward first, offering her help.
“Do you happen to have a piping bag?”
“What’s that?”
“Uh, well…”
As I looked around while making the meringue cookies, I finally understood why I’d been worried.
From what I’d heard, there seemed to be plenty of time, so I couldn’t figure out what the problem was.
There were so many ingredients that it was almost excessive.
The problem was the tools.
Even the most basic utensils were missing, so I had no choice but to do everything by hand.
“Then… do you have any thick plastic, maybe?”
“Wait a moment.”
A little later, Serena returned with a piece of plastic that was the perfect size to use as a piping bag.
“Will this work?”
“It’s more than enough. Thank you.”
It wouldn’t be easy to shape things with just plastic, but—
A strange sense of competitiveness flared up.
I cut a small hole in the corner of the plastic and carefully focused on shaping the cookies.
“Wow, that’s cute.”
“Hoo… If only I had a piping tip, I could do even better.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, it kind of looks like this. It’s really good for shaping.”
I explained while using all my fingers to demonstrate.
Serena, who had been watching closely, asked with sparkling eyes, clearly intrigued.
“You really know a lot.”
“Haha, do I…?”
“Where did you learn to make desserts?”
I couldn’t exactly say, ‘I learned at an academy.’
“Uh… I just like books, so I’ve seen a lot of this kind of thing in them.”
“I see.”
I placed the neatly shaped—well, neat enough—meringue cookies into the oven.
After slowly cleaning up and setting things in order, the timing lined up just right.
“Waaah.”
Serena let out a short exclamation.
I’d been a little worried, honestly, but the results were better than expected.
The colorful, toy-like meringue cookies lifted my mood just by looking at them.
I could almost imagine the crispy texture giving way to a sweet melt-in-your-mouth softness.
“Are they done?”
“Ah, yes.”
“It’s amazing… they really turned into cookies.”
Sophie, who had come up beside us without me noticing, scanned the cookies with curiosity.
I followed Sophie to the head pastry chef.
“Chef, would you like to try one?”
“Hm.”
The chef still looked doubtful, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at the meringues.
Then he picked one up, hesitated for a moment, and put it in his mouth.
“…Mm.”
I definitely saw it.
For just an instant, his eyes widened, a look of surprise flashing across his face.
He quickly composed himself and spoke as if nothing had happened.
“Well, it’s not bad.”
“Then… am I allowed to stay?”
“…Yes.”
“Wow!”
Feeling suddenly validated, I impulsively stretched out my hand toward Serena, palm wide open.
“….”
“Ah…”
Thinking I’d made a mistake when Serena hesitated in surprise, I was about to pull my hand back.
Smack.
The sound of our palms meeting rang out crisply.
“…Whew. Heart, calm down.”
My heart pounded like it was broken the entire time I walked down the corridor with Sophie.
I’d watched people eat desserts I made countless times before.
Yet just because it was my favorite character, I was this shaken—it surprised even me.
“Um, Head Maid.”
“Yes?”
“Is Iat—no, is His Highness alone right now?”
“No. The Lady Countess is visiting him at the moment.”
The countess.
Ruela Tenent—the only daughter and sole child of the Tenent Ducal House, the only ducal family of the Carton Empire.
Iat’s fiancée, and the female lead of the story.
I’d actually get to see the heroine whose beauty was praised so lavishly in the novel.
My tension rose another notch.
“Your Highness, we’ve brought dessert.”
The knight guarding the door opened it, and Sophie entered, offering proper courtesies.
I followed suit and slowly looked around the room.
“…Wow.”
I knew it at a glance.
Even if he weren’t my favorite, he would have drawn anyone’s attention.
His neatly settled platinum-blond hair shimmered under the light, and between sharp eyes shone vivid blue irises like jewels.
Perfectly groomed brows, a straight nose, and a clean jawline only intensified his cold impression.
No, more than that—
Since when were slightly undone shirt buttons this sexy?
I clenched my lips, afraid I might actually start drooling.
“A dessert I’ve never seen before.”
That voice—what is up with that voice?!
Even his casual tone was captivating, a low, rich voice that etched itself into my mind.
He really had it all.
“This is a dessert made by this girl, Irenea, who started working today.”
At Sophie’s words, Iat slowly turned his gaze toward me.
Being looked at by my favorite character… I might as well build my coffin today.
As I screamed all sorts of unspoken fangirl nonsense in my head, Sophie poked my side.
Snapping back to reality, I hurriedly bowed.
“My name is Irenea. It’s a pleasure to serve you.”
There was no response, so I cautiously lifted my head.
Iat stood there with his arms crossed, an unmistakably displeased expression on his face.
Even that looks insanely handsome.
“What an adorable dessert.”
A soft, gentle voice.
The presence I’d forgotten while being distracted by Iat—the heroine, Ruela.
The first thing that caught my eye were her red irises.
They looked intense, yet blended perfectly with her long, voluminous golden hair.
Even from a distance, her long lashes and naturally rosy, full lips stood out.
In short—she was beautiful. Extremely so.
Enough to instantly understand why the novel praised her looks so highly.
“Thank you, my lady.”
Her bright smile was like that of an angel.
Iat and Ruela.
Because everything about them was such a contrast, their traits seemed even more pronounced standing side by side.
“…Wait a minute.”
As I watched the two of them together, I suddenly wondered which part of the novel this was.
They were still together without any apparent conflict, so it must be early on.
But with just what I could see, it was hard to tell.
Even as I thought that, my eyes drifted back to Iat.
There was just something about him that drew you in.
I was gazing at him with quiet admiration when—
“…What is that?”
Dark purple smoke swirled above Iat’s head.
Then it slowly seeped into his hair.
“Head Maid, th-that…”
“Hm? What is it?”
I whispered in a slightly trembling voice.
Unlike me, Sophie looked completely calm as she asked back.
“Can’t you see that smoke?”
“Smoke? Where?”
“Above His Highness’s head—!”
Sophie followed my gaze for a moment, then suddenly looked at me with pity.
“Irenea, you must be very nervous.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s been a rough first day with that incident earlier. You should rest well when you return.”
…Was I really so tired that I was hallucinating?
I raised my hand and rubbed my eyes hard.
See? It’s still there!
I wasn’t imagining it.
The smoke had sunk in even more deeply, dyeing Iat’s hair.
Watching it made a chill run down my spine.
Goosebumps broke out all over my body.
Every instinct screamed at me to get out of here.
“…Ugh.”
A pained groan escaped Iat’s lips.
In an instant, everyone in the room turned to him.
“Your Highness, are you all right?”
The man standing behind him spoke anxiously.
That must have been Taron, his secretary.
Instead of answering, Iat clutched his head.
“Ghh…”
His voice, darker than before, spoke volumes about his condition.
The platinum-blond hair that had shimmered moments ago was gradually turning jet black.
It was a change obvious even from afar.
Yet no one but me seemed to notice.
“….”
As I floundered in confusion, Iat’s groans suddenly stopped.
I thought he might be better—but the smoke was still seeping in.
And the moment his hair turned completely black—
The hands gripping his head slowly relaxed.
Then, very slowly, he lifted his head.
…Run.
The instant our eyes met, alarms blared in my mind.
The once-clear blue eyes were now dull and clouded.
His lips curved into a sinister smile that should never have come so easily.
And then—
A clear marking visible between the loosened collar of his shirt.
It was unmistakable.
The symptoms of madness.
Iat’s madness could be described in a single word.
Blood.
A madness that only calmed when he saw blood.
Which meant—
Someone here had to bleed.
And the moment our eyes met, I knew.
That someone was probably me.
“Your Highness, no way—!”
Taron, finally realizing what was happening, rushed to block him.
“Please calm down, Your Highness! You there, help me—now!”
Taron shouted urgently at the knight by the door.
But even two strong adult men couldn’t restrain Iat once his madness took hold.
With brutal strength, Iat shoved the two men clinging to his arms away.
Unlike the knight, the untrained Taron slammed into the wall and couldn’t get up easily.
One knight stepped forward again, but it was hopeless.
“T-Taron…! No, Iat, please!”
“Your Highness! Irenea, come here—now!”
Ruela’s pale, panicked cries didn’t reach Iat.
I heard Sophie calling out to me, worried.
I knew I had to run.
I knew it clearly in my head.
But my feet felt rooted to the floor, utterly unmoving.
As I watched his hand slowly move to the hilt of his sword, my blood ran cold.
I’m scared… someone, please…
Help me.
Shing.
With a chilling sound, the sharp blade slid free.
At that moment, clarity struck me, and I remembered what had happened the night before.
[Prologue: Survive]
[Keywords: Madness, Dessert]
The words written in the book surfaced in my mind, and suddenly this situation felt staged—too perfectly arranged.
Iat’s madness didn’t appear on a regular schedule.
That was why Taron and at least two knights always accompanied him.
Yet today, for some reason, there was only one knight.
And despite all this noise, not a single person came to check.
“…Ha. So that’s how it is, huh?”
