The Extra's Rise - Chapter 522

Chapter 522: Coming Of Age (2)
After my dance with Cecilia, I shared the floor with Seraphina, Rachel, and Rose, in that order. Cecilia chose to remain at the edge of the hall, content to watch rather than take another turn or dance with anyone else. Her gaze never left me, a quiet sort of possessiveness radiating from her as she sipped from a delicate glass.

Seraphina, as always, was different. Where Rachel and Cecilia exuded boldness—or to be frank, a relentless flirtatious energy that bordered on insatiable—Seraphina was quieter, her demeanor less fiery but no less compelling. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy our more intimate moments; she did. But she approached them with a sense of grace and restraint that contrasted starkly with the other two.

Her crystalline blue eyes met mine, steady and calm. The shadow of her brother Sun no longer loomed over her, and the difference was palpable. Where there had once been an undercurrent of tension, there was now serenity, a confidence that had been absent before.

“It will be hard,” Seraphina said at last, breaking the silence as we swayed to the soft rhythm of the music.

“What will be hard?” I asked, tilting my head slightly.

“Us. After my birthday,” she said, her voice measured but tinged with something I couldn’t quite place.

I blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?”

She hesitated, then lowered her voice, leaning in just enough for her words to be meant for me alone. “You’ll need to talk to my uncle. Convince him to distract my father.”

I nearly tripped over my own feet. ‘Talk to her uncle? About… that?’ Surely, she couldn’t be serious. Her uncle was my master, but he loved his niece as much as her father did. The idea was absurd enough to make me choke on a laugh that I quickly swallowed.

“Why can’t you talk to him yourself?” I asked, barely masking my incredulity.

Seraphina blinked, her cheeks turning a faint, rare shade of pink. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she admitted, “…I’m shy.”

For a moment, I was stunned. Seraphina Zenith, calm and collected, shy? The absurdity of the situation was almost too much. I couldn’t help the smile that crept onto my face as I shook my head.

“Alright,” I said, managing to keep my tone neutral despite the storm of thoughts in my head. “I’ll see what I can do.”

The softest of smiles graced her lips, and I realized I’d do far more than just talk to her uncle if it meant seeing her like this.

“I missed having you to myself, Arthur,” Seraphina whispered, her voice soft yet resolute as we moved in rhythm across the floor. Her crystalline blue eyes held a rare vulnerability, a quiet plea she didn’t often voice. “Come back to the East, and I’ll treat you well.”

I hesitated for a moment, giving her the honest answer she deserved. “…I’ll see about it after scaling the Wall, Sera.”

She pouted, her expression both endearing and stubborn, before nodding with a reluctant sigh. “Alright. Then scale it fast.”

“Anything for you,” I replied with a small, reassuring smile. The song drew to a close, and I let go of her hand with a light bow.

Next, I turned to Rachel Creighton. The future Saintess—or so they called her already—thanks to her tireless efforts against the Shadow Seekers in the North and her critical role in the reclamation of Hwaeryun. She approached me with a radiant smile, her energy infectious as she all but skipped into my arms.

“Arthurrr,” she sang, her voice playful and warm as we began our dance.

I raised an eyebrow, catching a slight shift in her demeanor. “Did the Saintess indulge in underage drinking?” I asked, my tone dry but laced with amusement.

Rachel giggled, the sound light and unguarded. “Hehe, no!” she replied with an exaggerated shake of her head, her golden locks bouncing. “I just like you so much, you know.”

I couldn’t help but smile, her sheer enthusiasm disarming. Rachel had a way of making even the simplest moments feel grand, her zest for life a constant force that lifted those around her. As we twirled to the music, I felt the weight of her affection, a warmth that was as humbling as it was undeniable.

“Honestly, I’m a bit sad I have to give you up to Cecilia for today,” Rachel said, her tone light but carrying a hint of genuine disappointment. “But I’ll manage, since you’re definitely not escaping during my birthday.”

I raised an eyebrow at her confidence. “What about your father and sister?” I asked, thinking of Alastor Creighton. He and I were on good terms, but I doubted he’d be thrilled about me being involved with Rachel—especially considering her past.

Rachel’s expression turned resolute. “I’ll deal with them,” she said firmly, her sapphire eyes glinting with determination. “They’re not going to keep you from me.”

I shook my head, half in amusement and half in disbelief. “At this point, they should revise the epithet you’ll earn when you reach Ascendant-rank.”

She shot me a pointed look. “Well, that’s your fault,” she said, her tone accusing but playful.

“How exactly is this my fault?” I asked, genuinely curious.

Her expression turned thoughtful, almost earnest, and it caught me off guard. “All boys like the innocent girl in public but a bad girl in private, don’t they?” she asked, tilting her head slightly as if pondering some universal truth. “And, well, you brought that out of me because you’re such a eunuch sometimes. At this rate, even Seraphina might start doing the same.”

I blinked, completely thrown off by her unexpected candor. “I don’t even know how to respond to that,” I admitted.

Rachel just laughed, the sound warm and carefree, as if she’d won some unspoken battle. And perhaps she had.

“Maybe let go of your inhibitions sometimes,” she murmured, her voice as soft as a breeze.

“You’ll find out during your birthday what happens when I do,” I replied in a low voice, meeting her gaze. Rachel’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson, but the mischievous glint in her eyes was unmistakable as she broke into another bright smile. The dance ended with a slight bow from both of us, though her expression lingered in my mind.

Finally, I approached Rose Springshaper, who had been waiting with characteristic patience at the edge of the dance floor. Where the others had claimed their dances with varying degrees of enthusiasm and boldness, Rose maintained her composed elegance, though I could see the anticipation in her brown eyes.

“My turn at last,” she said with a gentle smile, offering her hand with the refined grace that had been drilled into her since childhood.

As we began to move together, I was struck by how naturally we fell into sync. Rose’s movements were fluid, practiced, each step a testament to years of formal training. But beneath the technical perfection, there was something more personal—a warmth that she reserved only for moments like these.

“You know,” she said quietly, her voice carrying just a hint of her usual teasing tone, “watching you dance with the others was quite educational.”

“Educational how?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Each of them brings out a different side of you,” she observed, her brown eyes studying my face with the analytical precision she usually reserved for her alchemical work. “With Seraphina, you’re gentle, almost protective. With Rachel, you match her energy but temper her wildness. With Cecilia…” She paused, a small smile playing at her lips. “With Cecilia, you look like you’re constantly trying to stay one step ahead of whatever she’s planning.”

“And with you?” I asked, genuinely curious about her assessment.

Rose’s smile softened, becoming something more intimate than her usual composed expression. “With me, you relax. Like you don’t have to be anyone other than yourself.”

The observation caught me off guard with its accuracy. There was something about Rose’s presence that had always felt… safe. Not in the sense of being less passionate or intense than the others, but in the way that allowed me to simply exist without constantly navigating complex emotional currents.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said,” she continued, her voice dropping to a whisper meant only for my ears. “About not letting fear hold me back.”

“And?”

“And I’ve decided you’re right.” Her grip on my hand tightened slightly, a gesture of resolve. “I want to be part of this—of us—completely. Not holding back, not second-guessing every feeling.”

I spun her gently, drawing her back close as the music swelled around us. “Rose…”

“I know it’s complicated,” she said quickly, anticipating my concerns. “I know there are four of us, and that’s not exactly conventional. But when have any of us ever been conventional?”

She had a point. Looking around at the other three, each remarkable in their own way, each bringing something unique to whatever this arrangement was becoming, conventional seemed like the last word anyone would use to describe our situation.

As our dance concluded and I bowed to her with the same courtesy I’d shown the others, I couldn’t help but marvel at how different yet complementary they all were. Each dance had been a reminder of why I’d fallen for them in the first place, and why the thought of choosing between them felt impossible.

After the dances, I found myself mingling with Seraphina, Rachel, Rose, and Cecilia, the four of them chatting and laughing while I did my best to remain inconspicuous. Well, as inconspicuous as one could be while avoiding the laser-focused gaze of Quinn Slatemark and trying not to think about the various parental figures who were undoubtedly taking note of tonight’s proceedings.

The sight of Rose fitting so naturally into the group dynamic, her gentle humor balancing Rachel’s exuberance and tempering some of Cecilia’s more outrageous comments, felt right in a way that was both surprising and inevitable.

Ignoring the gaze of a Radiant-ranker was about as effective as hiding in plain sight, but it gave me the illusion of control over the situation. I chose to cling to that.

As the banquet slowly wound down, the hum of conversation dulled, and the atmosphere grew more subdued. Guests began departing in small groups, the grand hall emptying in measured waves.

“Come with me,” Cecilia whispered, her fingers lacing through mine before I could even register her words. Her touch was warm and firm, leaving no room for hesitation. I glanced briefly at Rachel, Seraphina, and Rose, giving them a parting wave that earned me knowing looks from all three, before Cecilia gently tugged me along.

As we slipped past the dwindling crowd, she leaned closer. “Hide us with your mana,” she whispered, her voice almost inaudible.

I frowned slightly. “Your father will notice,” I warned. The idea of cloaking ourselves was appealing, but I knew the limits of my current abilities. A Radiant-ranker like Quinn would see through it in an instant.

“Just worry about hiding us from Ascendant-rankers and below,” she replied, her tone filled with unshakable confidence. I hesitated for a moment but nodded, weaving a subtle veil of mana around us. It wouldn’t fool the likes of Quinn, but it would be enough to evade lesser eyes.

As the veil settled into place, Cecilia’s crimson eyes sparkled with delight. She squeezed my hand and whispered, “Trust me. Tonight, we’ll only have to deal with each other.”