The Extra's Rise - Chapter 364

Chapter 364: Winter Break (4)
Rachel tilted her head, her sapphire eyes wide and guileless. “We wanted to chat, obviously. It’s just… cozier here.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So sneaking into my room makes it… cozier?”

Rachel nodded with complete sincerity. “Precisely.”

Meanwhile, Seraphina leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a faint smile on her lips. “Besides, we’re hardly doing anything inappropriate. We’re just talking.”

Rose looked up from my journal, her expression sheepish but unapologetic. “Your writing is quite insightful, Arthur. I hope you don’t mind that I took a peek.”

“Not helping, any of you,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair, hoping my exasperation didn’t show too much.

Cecilia shrugged. “Look, if it’s really a problem, we’ll go.” Her words might have sounded reasonable, but the glint in her crimson eyes suggested she’d planned this encounter down to the last minute detail.

The four of them gave me identically guilty-yet-entirely-shameless expressions, and I sighed. “Alright, fine. You can stay. But let’s not make a habit of it. People will start talking.”

Rachel and Cecilia exchanged satisfied glances, while Seraphina simply nodded, as though we’d just come to a monumental agreement. Rose quietly closed my journal and placed it back on the desk, though I noticed she marked her place with a small bookmark.

“Just so you know,” I added, “I’m under no illusions that this isn’t going to come up at breakfast tomorrow.”

Cecilia’s smirk was unrepentant. “Then we’d better enjoy it now, shouldn’t we?”

I shook my head, quietly wondering how I was ever going to make it through this winter break.

Cecilia edged closer, her hand resting on my sleeve. “Come now, Art,” she teased, her voice lilting, “no need to play the shy gentleman.”

At this point, I wasn’t sure which was worse—the reputation of being a playboy or the alternative. Still, I shot back, “You might want to reconsider that after… last time.” The words left my mouth before I could stop them, and instantly, I knew I’d made a mistake.

Rachel, Seraphina, and Rose all turned, eyebrows raised, each one intrigued in a way that was anything but casual.

“Last time?” Seraphina repeated, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear, her sharp gaze firmly fixed on me.

I felt Cecilia’s smirk widen beside me, and I sighed. “Oh, you know… just a misunderstanding.” I could feel Rachel’s sapphire eyes studying me, a glint of amusement and challenge in them.

“A misunderstanding?” Seraphina repeated, folding her arms. “Care to elaborate?”

Before I could formulate a proper response, Cecilia leaned in with a smile that was anything but innocent. “Let’s just say someone got a little more than she bargained for.”

I shot her a look, silently pleading for mercy, but she merely laughed.

“Wait, what?” Rachel’s eyes darted between us, clearly baffled, while Cecilia only smiled enigmatically. Rose looked equally curious, her head tilted like a bird observing something peculiar.

I sighed, sinking onto the bed—an Alaskan King, big enough for five. That’s when I realized it wasn’t just large, it was massive, with plenty of room. Even for noble homes, this was excessive. I glanced at Cecilia, who raised an eyebrow as if to say, “Handy, isn’t it?”

The others saw their chance. They shifted closer, and before I knew it, I’d been pulled sideways by Seraphina, right into her lap.

Caught off guard, I tumbled forward, and she didn’t hesitate, gently settling my head against her. Her hands were soft, fingers weaving through my hair. The elven flush of her skin stood out, a slight, uncharacteristic blush. She was normally so stoic; the contrast only made her look more delicate.

‘I can’t lie, this is actually pretty comfortable,’ I mused, a reluctant smile tugging at my lips as I sank into her lap pillow.

After a long day, I hadn’t realized how tired I was until now. Seraphina’s touch was careful and calm, her pale hands moving through my hair with gentle grace. I could feel her eyes on me, focused yet serene, and had to stifle a chuckle at her concentration.

She paused, noticing, and tilted her head. “Is this… alright?”

“Yes, thank you, Sera,” I replied, meeting her gaze with a smile. She nodded, resuming the quiet rhythm, her touch calming in a way I hadn’t anticipated.

For once, the others were silent, even Cecilia and Rachel seemed taken aback, glancing at me as if they hadn’t quite expected this. Rose moved to sit on the floor beside Seraphina, her warm brown eyes watching me with quiet concern.

“Not fair, Sera,” Rachel grumbled, pressing her fingers against my cheek. “Your face is completely free of any baby fat.”

I gave her a raised brow. “Of course. Yours, though…” I reached up and gently pinched her cheek. “Still has some, doesn’t it?”

She flushed as my thumb lingered, and meanwhile, I noticed Cecilia’s gaze had drifted… a bit lower. I followed her gaze, and then it hit me—my night shirt was far more transparent in this light.

Rachel and Seraphina must have noticed as well, their cheeks reddening as they tried to avert their eyes. Rose, ever the dignified one, simply looked away, though the tips of her ears had turned distinctly pink.

“Well then,” I coughed, feigning composure. “Remind me to invest in heavier fabric next time.”

“No need,” Cecilia replied, her face lightly flushed.

Raising an eyebrow, I reached out to pinch her nose, which earned a rare look of surprise from her.

“See? Even you have your cute moments,” I grinned.

She batted my hand away, but I caught the hint of amusement in her eyes, reluctantly betraying her cool exterior.

Seraphina chuckled softly, her fingers tracing a light pattern over my hair. “It seems even the ‘fearsome’ princess isn’t immune to Arthur’s charms.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Arthur.” Cecilia rolled her eyes, doing her best to remain stoic. “It’s just… unexpected.”

I leaned back, enjoying the moment. “Unexpected is just a polite way of saying I surprised you, isn’t it?”

Rachel groaned. “Why do I feel like I’m watching a performance?”

“Because that’s exactly what this is,” I winked. “A one-night special of Arthur and Friends.”

“Not friends,” Seraphina murmured, her eyes gleaming as she reached over and gently pinched my nose.

“Right, not quite friends,” I laughed, rubbing my nose. “Apparently, my vocabulary needs an upgrade.”

Rachel folded her arms, her look of mock indignation barely holding back her smile. “Given the scene here, I’d say so. Friendships don’t usually involve lap pillows and… affectionate pinches.”

Cecilia leaned in, eyes bright with challenge. “I’d say we’re well beyond just ‘friends,’ Arthur. Or are we merely ‘close acquaintances’ now?”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “If we’re redefining friendship, I’d say we’re in… ‘exclusive company.'”

Seraphina smiled, her hand resting softly on my shoulder. “Exclusive company, hmm? I could live with that.”

As the playful banter subsided, I noticed Rose’s expression shift to something more serious. Her intuition had always been sharp.

“Arthur,” she said quietly, “you’ve seemed… different since the festival. More distant. It’s not just about the tournament loss or the Aspect wall, is it?”

The room grew still. I hadn’t expected this direct approach, especially not from Rose.

“I…” I hesitated, unsure how to proceed. How could I possibly explain Emma to them? How could I tell them that I had memories of another life, another world entirely? That this world had once been nothing more than words on a page to me?

Seraphina’s fingers paused in my hair. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but we’ve all noticed.”

“Even during the car ride,” Rachel added, her usual playfulness replaced with genuine concern. “You were smiling, but it didn’t reach your eyes.”

Cecilia, for once, didn’t tease. “We know something happened, Arthur. Something beyond what you’ve told anyone.”

I stared at the ceiling, feeling the weight of their gazes. “Have you ever… felt like you’ve known someone before? In a way that shouldn’t be possible?”

Rose’s eyes widened slightly. “You mean like déjà vu?”

“More than that,” I said carefully. “Like meeting someone who couldn’t possibly exist in your world, and yet… there they are.”

The four exchanged glances, clearly trying to understand.

“Is this about someone you met recently?” Seraphina asked, her tone cautious.

I closed my eyes, seeing Emma’s face in my mind—not as she had been in my previous life, but as she must be now, the Pope of the Red Chalice Cult. “It’s complicated. Someone I thought I knew completely… turns out I didn’t know them at all.”

“A betrayal?” Cecilia’s voice had an edge to it, protective and fierce.

“Not exactly,” I said. “More like… discovering a completely different side to someone. A side that changes everything.”

Rachel reached out, her hand finding mine. “Arthur, whoever this person is, whatever they’ve done… it doesn’t change who you are.”

“Or what you mean to us,” Rose added softly.

Seraphina nodded, her fingers resuming their gentle movement through my hair. “Some mysteries can’t be solved immediately. Give yourself time.”

“And meanwhile,” Cecilia said, her usual confidence returning, “you have us. Your ‘exclusive company,’ remember?”

I felt something loosen in my chest—not a solution to the Emma dilemma, but the comfort of knowing I wasn’t facing it entirely alone.

“Thank you,” I said simply, looking at each of them in turn. “For being here.”

“Where else would we be?” Rachel asked with a small smile.

As her words settled, I felt a warmth spread through the room. Despite the teasing, despite the not-so-subtle jabs, it felt right, and for once, the room felt full.

“Exclusive company it is, then,” I murmured, feeling, perhaps for the first time, that this winter break might not be so daunting after all.