The Extra's Rise - Chapter 362

Chapter 362: Winter Break (2)
‘Mother, Father, Aria,’ I prayed silently, hands clasped as if it might spare me. ‘Forgive your unfilial son for whatever chaos I’m dragging home with me. May I find a way to repent someday.’

Why was I offering up apologies? Because, as fate would have it, I was trapped in a self-driving luxury car with not one, not two, not three, but four high-born ladies. These weren’t just any nobility – three princesses and the daughter of Marquis Springshaper were casually seated around me as if this were a normal school trip rather than what it actually was: a calculated invasion of my private life.

The true mystery was how Cecilia had managed to convince her father so easily. I’d have expected more resistance to an impromptu holiday visit involving not just herself, but two other princesses and a marquis’s daughter. Instead, Emperor Quinn had simply nodded, muttered something along the lines of “Take the necessary precautions,” and here we were.

I could feel the ache forming at my temples. Yes, I liked these girls, but did I also enjoy the quiet simplicity of life outside the spotlight? Yes. Very much.

Cecilia caught me in my silent turmoil and flashed a smile that was far too innocent, and I saw Rachel and Seraphina exchange knowing looks. Rose sat quietly by the window, her serene expression betraying just a hint of amusement at my predicament. At that moment, I realized this wasn’t just a visit. This was a full royal invasion.

And here I was, the unwitting tour guide to an entourage that could rival a diplomatic mission.

Rachel sighed from her seat across from me, still visibly disgruntled at not claiming the coveted spot beside me, while Cecilia and Seraphina had made themselves right at home. Rose seemed content with her window seat, though her occasional glances my way suggested she wasn’t entirely disinterested in the silent competition unfolding.

“I wonder if your sister missed me,” Cecilia murmured, leaning in with a smirk as her breath brushed my ear. “Last time I visited, she wouldn’t stop asking me about court fashion.”

At her words, Seraphina seized the opportunity to take my other hand, fingers lacing through mine with a quiet but unyielding resolve. Rachel shot a wounded look my way, clearly feeling left out of the royal tug-of-war.

My mother’s parting words from when Cecilia and Rachel had visited us before the summer drifted back to me: ‘Just… try not to make things difficult, alright?’

‘Mother,’ I thought, ‘things are about to be very difficult.’ Not one, not two, but three princesses and a marquis’s daughter under the same roof—for a week, no less.

I didn’t know how their parents had agreed to this arrangement, particularly Alastor, who was almost fanatical in his protectiveness over Rachel. But here we were, barreling forward to an inevitable showdown in my family’s penthouse.

It was official. My peaceful winter break had been thoroughly hijacked.

‘Well, so much for a quiet holiday,’ I thought as Seraphina and Cecilia each claimed an arm like it was a prized relic. My attempts to wriggle free had proven futile—my arms had somehow become the battlefield in their quiet tug-of-war.

The car finally rolled to a stop in front of the gleaming high-rise where my family’s penthouse occupied the top two floors. The building’s glass and chrome exterior reflected the winter sky, its modern architecture a testament to my parents’ substantial success in the corporate world.

“So this is where the great Arthur Nightingale grew up,” Cecilia teased, gazing up at the tower.

Rachel nudged me, her pout morphing into a smirk. “Think your family will be ready for all this? Again?”

I swallowed, thinking of my unsuspecting parents and my sister Aria, who had developed a complicated mix of awe and suspicion toward my academy connections after meeting Rachel and Cecilia. “Ready” was a stretch.

“Right, let’s get going,” Seraphina announced, releasing my arm and stepping out through the butterfly door with a graceful efficiency that only a princess could pull off. Cecilia followed, gliding out as if she’d done it a thousand times—which, knowing her, she probably had.

Rose emerged next, her movements less showy but no less elegant. “Your home looks lovely, Arthur,” she said with a gentle smile that somehow calmed my nerves slightly.

I stepped out after them, preparing myself for the inevitable moment when my family would see the full entourage I’d brought home. We took the private elevator directly to the penthouse level, the girls chatting among themselves about their expectations for the visit.

“I hope your parents made those amazing pastries again,” Rachel said, her eyes lighting up at the memory. “The ones with the caramelized sugar on top.”

“I’m more interested in seeing Arthur’s childhood photos,” Cecilia added with a mischievous grin.

We hadn’t even made it out of the elevator before the penthouse doors swung open. My mother, father, and sister Aria were already waiting, their faces a complex mix of emotions.

“Welcome back, Arthur!” my mother began, her voice warm… until her gaze settled on the quartet of nobility standing beside me. Her smile flickered only slightly—she’d had some practice with this situation, after all.

Her eyes settled on me, brimming with silent questions. I cleared my throat, trying to sound casual. “These are the… friends I mentioned,” I said, attempting a laugh that, in hindsight, might have sounded more like a small animal caught in a trap.

Aria raised an eyebrow that was positively loaded with skepticism, her gaze lingering particularly on Seraphina and Rose—the two she hadn’t met before. She did see Seraphina before but to say she met her would be a stretch. At fifteen, just a year younger than me, my sister had inherited all of our mother’s sharp perception and none of her diplomatic restraint.

“Four friends,” my father repeated slowly, giving me a look that said we’d be having a very serious chat later. “How… unexpected.”

“Hello, Sir Douglas Nightingale,” Rachel greeted my father with a warm smile, her tone effortlessly gentle. “It’s wonderful to see you again. And Lady Alice, you look as elegant as ever.”

My mother nodded graciously, having already weathered two royal visits. “Princess Rachel, always a pleasure. And Princess Cecilia—” a slight tightening around her eyes was the only indication of her remembering some previous incident, “—welcome back to our home.”

Cecilia had the decency to look slightly abashed, though it didn’t last long. “Thank you for having us, Lady Alice. I promise, no demonstrations this time.”

Aria snorted, not bothering to hide her skepticism. “That’s what you said last time, right before you decided to show us what happens when magic meets modern technology.”

Before Cecilia could respond, I quickly stepped in to introduce the others. “And this is Princess Seraphina of the Mount Hua Sect and Lady Rose Springshaper, daughter of Marquis Springshaper.”

My parents immediately bowed in greeting, though my father’s posture suggested he was fighting a sudden tension headache. “It is an honor to welcome you to our home, Your Highness, My Lady,” he said, his tone carefully modulated.

But Seraphina quickly raised her hand, waving off the formality with a subtle gesture. “Please, I came here as Arthur’s friend, not as a princess,” she insisted. “No honorifics needed.”

Rose nodded in agreement. “Just Rose, please,” she added with a gentle smile that seemed to ease some of the tension in the room.

My father hesitated, clearly struggling to decide if it was possible to just ignore the titles they wore like fine cloaks, and my mother looked at me as if to ask, ‘Did you plan any of this?’

“Alright… Seraphina, Rose,” my father finally said, a bit awkwardly, as if trying the names out in a sentence for the first time.

Just as my parents were starting to wrap their minds around the whole situation, Aria stepped forward, her eyes narrowed with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

“So,” she began, her tone casual but her eyes sharp, “all four of you just happened to decide to visit my brother during break? At the same time? What an incredible coincidence.”

I was starting to feel the last shreds of my peaceful winter break slip away. The kind of quiet, restful holiday where I’d train a bit, catch up on sleep, maybe even indulge in a good book. But that vision? Gone, evaporating into thin air like morning mist in the wake of a hurricane named Cecilia, with supporting storms Rachel, Seraphina, and even the usually calm Rose.

As we moved into the penthouse, Aria fell into step beside me, leaning close to whisper, “You’re so dead, big brother. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.”

And from the gleam in her eyes, I knew she meant every word.