Transmigrated as an Extra: Awakening of The Ex‐Class'-Chapter 46 : Butterfly effect part 1

For a moment, I felt a pang in my stomach. I didn’t want to hurt her, but I wasn’t willing to be left behind either. I was just beginning to understand these feelings that clung to me, persistent, difficult to define.

I took a moment to breathe, to compose myself. A slight tremor ran through my hands, but I hid it. I stared at Cyan and with a slight gesture, I urged him to enter. When I opened the door, my eyes met an incredible image.

There, sitting in a black leather chair, made from the finest quality monster skin, the soft lighting of the lamps reflected intensely on her face, who else could it be if not her: the sixth princess, Rachel Campbell. The most adored daughter of the current king, the jewel of the court, always surrounded by a calm and dignified atmosphere. Her beautiful navy blue eyes shone beautifully with subtlety, as if they were adorned with two tiny stars. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. In addition, her golden curls were so captivating that it almost seemed unreal.

"You’re back, sister," she said in a soft voice, almost a whisper, as she saw me enter.

A spontaneous smile appeared on my face as I heard that usual greeting. The magic of her voice had always been somewhat bewitching, even in her simplest moments.

"Of course, how could I keep you waiting, Your Highness? Besides, I wanted to introduce you to this friend here," I replied, keeping my tone light, but respectful.

Cyan and I approached slowly in the process, my eyes couldn’t help but quickly go to her face, looking for some hint of surprise. I wanted to see a reaction that went beyond her impeccable composure. It’s not every day that you get the chance to see the princess, unfortunately that didn’t happen. Her expression remained impassive, a mask in perfect harmony. Not a trace of astonishment, nor curiosity, not even a spark that broke her serenity.

The silence that became more pronounced and soon made her uncomfortable accompanied us. I wanted the atmosphere to clear up more so we could continue, but Cyan remained oblivious, almost as if nothing could really disturb her. If it weren’t for Rachel being a princess, I could have sworn that Cyan, with his calm presence and his fixed gaze, seemed more imposing, more dignified than her. It was as if, at that moment, the brilliance of the crown had lost its status.

Finally, it was the princess who broke the silence, her voice low but loaded with a tension that I hadn’t perceived before.

"Is this the ’friend’ you were talking about, sister?" she asked, although her tone wasn’t inquisitive, but rather playful, as if she were hinting at something.

"Yes, his name is Cyan Vesper, and he is truly talented, I assure you." I answered with a calm smile. Then, I turned to Cyan. "Come on, Cyan, say hello to the princess." fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Cyan gave a slight nod, his imposing posture never changing, but his words were clear and formal.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, princess." Cyan said. His voice was serene, almost distant, but with an elegance that only he could convey.

The atmosphere was still stiff but little by little, it improved and in the blink of an eye the two were having a normal chat. Until the princess, watching Cyan closely, broke that calm with an unexpected question.

"So, Cyan... tell me, how did you meet my sister?" Her voice had a curious tone, but something in her gaze denoted that she wasn’t expecting a simple answer.

Before Cyan could say anything I hurried quickly.

"No... we..." I began, but stopped, as if the words wouldn’t come out of my mouth. "We don’t have that kind of relationship, princess," I finally managed to say, trying to sound convincing, although my cheeks were beginning to blush from embarrassment.

Rachel watched me subtly, sometimes with a slight smile, a smile that you couldn’t fully interpret. She seemed amused, as if she found my life interesting.

Cyan, for his part, remained silent, observing our interactions, when the princess was calmer then he approached her as if everything was simply another scene that was unfolding before him.

***

«Cyan’s perspective»

The conversation with the princess was becoming more exhausting than I had imagined. Her questions seemed endless, and worst of all, she was always asking me very trivial things. First she asked me what my relationship with Aliana was, and although I had clarified it a couple of times, her insistence was beginning to irritate me. Then she continued with a series of questions that, to be honest, seemed completely irrelevant to me: my age, my weight, among other stupidities.

Rachel’s words fell on me without much effort, leaving no real impression. Each sentence slipped through my mind superficially, as if there was no substance behind them. My patience was slowly beginning to wear thin.

Aliana, standing next to me, watched me silently. I noticed how her eyes shone with gentleness and she looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and concern, as if there was something in my expression that she didn’t like. Then, in a soft, almost imperceptible whisper, she spoke to me.

"The princess is a bit of a talker, I know," she said with a smile that couldn’t hide her discomfort, "but, still, she has a good heart. That’s why I wanted you to meet her. Not only because of her connections, but also because she hoped you would relate more with her. She has almost no friends because she is royalty and she told me that she will be attending the academy next year."

Her words surprised me, although I tried not to show it. Aliana had always been direct, but there was something in her tone now that made me think there was more behind her plea. She wanted me to understand the princess, to not judge her so quickly. Perhaps because of her closeness to Rachel, because of her own interest in maintaining the balance between the two.

"Yes, I hope so too," I replied in a rather bland tone but with a slight hint of curiosity.

But as I spoke, I found myself increasingly aware of the disconnection I felt with the real world that both women represented. Rachel, the princess, shone with her own light, and I was delighted to be able to appreciate that. Then something surprising happened. At that very moment, without warning, all the lights in the room suddenly went out. The glow that had until then illuminated the room disappeared completely, plunging everything into a dense and almost palpable darkness.