39. The Extra Wants to Play

「If you haven’t decided, I’ll watch your training progress and decide for you. Don’t worry, your basic talent is excellent, so you’ll soon see achievements.」

“Why should I stand beside the hero? I just want to lay the groundwork and then bounce!”

「So you were planning to just sit idly with that talent?」

“It’s fortunate that I have talent, but I don’t necessarily need to put in effort!”

Darius will go on the demon king subjugation with the female lead Evangeline anyway!

「With that attitude toward your talent, no wonder your skills haven’t improved!」

“Bleh, how long has it been since you gave me Sylph, and you’re already complaining about ‘haven’t improved’!”

「What a waste of extraordinary talent!」

Here it comes, the “my child is smart but doesn’t study” complaint!

“It’s mine now, so I can waste it if I want!”

「You have the foundation, so with just a little training, you could achieve two or three times more than others! And the Spirit King is offering to be your teacher!」

“I never asked for a Spirit King teacher!”

Don’t be ridiculous, I can hear my divorce plans getting further away if I become tremendously strong!

「Stop talking nonsense and train!」

“No, you said you’d help me. Just help me directly!”

「I won’t help you next time you’re in danger!」

Gasp, gasp, gasp.

I was panting from all the shouting. So was Sylphid.

Hmph, acting like a human when you’re not even one!

「T-train.」

“N-no.”

Knock knock.

“Anette?”

“Just a mooooment!”

Shh! Just as we were about to enter round two, there was a knock at the door.

I raised my finger toward Sylphid, signaling a truce.

‘We’ll talk later, later!’

“Come in!”

The one who entered was Darius.

As soon as he came in, Darius looked around my room once as if something was strange.

“Did something happen?”

“Ho, hohoho. Why, why do you ask?”

“I kept hearing voices from outside.”

“Oh my, v-voices? W-w-what voices? Hahaha.”

This is bad.

Spirits are basically invisible to people who aren’t spirit masters.

Which means only my voice was heard from outside, and now I’ll soon be rumored around the castle as a crazy person talking to walls by myself…

While I was imagining the ending where I’d be driven from my position as the lord’s wife, wandering the North until I died, it happened.

“You truly are Inkheart’s descendant. You look just like your ancestor.”

Sylphid spoke with nostalgia.

‘He can’t hear you even if you speak to him like that!’

I was glaring at him, trying to signal him, when it happened.

“Step back, Anette!”

Killing intent suddenly exploded from Darius as he positioned me behind his back and drew his sword.

Zing. The sword’s edge was fierce.

‘Huh? What? What’s going on?’

“Who are you? How did you suddenly appear, evading my eyes?”

“Darius, do you have spirit affinity?”

Is that why he can see Sylphid, whom ordinary people can’t see?

“That distinctive black hair, black eyes. And that spirit that never backs down in emergencies, though it doesn’t show in normal times. I thought so when I first learned about it, but you truly resemble Inkheart’s characteristics.”

“If you continue to refuse to answer, there’s no need for conversation. You’ve entered a lady’s private room without permission, so you can’t complain if you’re struck by my sword.”

‘Well, strictly speaking, since I was the one who summoned the Spirit King, saying he entered without permission isn’t quite right?’

Stop reminiscing and explain that you’re not human but a spirit! This is going to turn into a sword fight!

“Darius, this is—!”

“Anette, please step back as it’s dangerous! I’ll handle this!”

Hey, that’s not it!

“To think you’d try to cut me with the magic sword I gifted you, that would be interesting too. Try if you can. This friend has a quick temper.”

“Ah, wait! Just wait a moment! Darius!”

Darius’s sword strike was precise. The magic sword followed a clean trajectory as it pierced through Sylphid.

Instead of making a sound, the Spirit King’s body dispersed briefly before reforming in place.

“What is this!”

Darius’s eyes wavered momentarily, but he didn’t give up and swung his sword a second and third time. Each time, Sylphid showed off his uninjured body as if taunting him.

“Excellent. Your swordsmanship is no less than your ancestor’s at that age. He would have been proud if he had seen it. My friend.”

Darius bit his lip at the repeatedly missing sword.

“Do not insult my ancestor.”

“You can’t honestly accept praise from your grandfather’s friend?”

Sylphid smirked with an extremely relaxed face.

‘He really is like a grandfather who doesn’t act his age, bullying his little grandson.’

That old geezer! If you’re old, you should behave gracefully, why are you bothering someone else’s male lead!

“I am Sylphid, the Wind Spirit King, Anette’s contractor and patron. Though you may not believe it, I was friends with your distant ancestor and adventured together.”

As if he had heard my cursing, Sylphid finally introduced himself formally.

“Syl……phid?”

“I thought I had contracted with the wind spirit Sylph, but actually Sylphid was pretending to be Sylph and going around with me with sinister intentions!”

Seeing my chance, I tattled my grievances to Darius.

“Sinister intentions? I really did give you Sylph, but since your vessel isn’t capable of handling a Spirit King, I occasionally came to watch over you in Sylph’s form. The Spirit King’s position in the spirit realm isn’t so leisurely that I could always be with you.”

Sylphid spoke as if wronged.

“Talking about sinister intentions when you can’t even distinguish between a real Sylph and a Spirit King transformed into Sylph. That’s why when I thoughtfully offered to train you, you misunderstood my goodwill.”

“Yes, fine. By the way, how can Darius see you, Sylphid? Does he also have the qualities of a spirit master?”

“No, because I materialized myself with my power.”

“Materialized?”

“Normally he couldn’t see me, but I appeared first because I wanted to see Inkheart’s descendant.”

Ah, so even if a spirit master lacks skill, if the spirit has enough power, it can appear before people?

Oh, what the heck, I didn’t even know that.

I was thoroughly embarrassed.

“You could have appeared from the beginning! Keeping your mouth shut and making me look strange! Back then, in front of Sir Lucion! When I was proudly showing off Sylph as my contracted spirit!”

Just thinking about that time still makes my face red!

“This is a special service! You keep thinking about relying on me, when will you develop your own strength and live independently!”

“I’m living well right now! You don’t even know how great I am, hmph, really!”

“You should think about doing better, who told you to be satisfied with the present! You make me so frustrated whenever I look at you!”

“How long have you been watching me, are you my mother? Even my mother doesn’t treat me like this!”

“I’m sure she doesn’t, you don’t have a mother!”

“Wow, you really crossed the line, how can you bring up a dead person?”

Swoosh.

Darius’s sword, which had been lowered, pierced through Sylphid once more. Unprepared for this one, Sylphid’s face contorted momentarily.

“I don’t care who you are. Don’t insult Anette with that mouth again.”

“Do you continue to swing your sword knowing that physical attacks have no effect on spirits? You’re less intelligent than I thought, Inkheart.”

Darius’s voice was cold, and Sylphid continued to taunt without stopping.

“A knight protects a lady’s honor. Especially if that lady is my wife.”

‘Wait, I was the one who first brought up the non-existent mother? Besides, I never even met Anette’s deceased mother, so I’m fine with it?’

The mother of who gave me this body, I’m sorry. But it’s true that I’ve never actually met you.

‘But wasn’t Sylphid talking about my real deceased mother after reading my memories?’

Thinking about it, I felt like I should fight. Go, Darius!

“I understand from this conversation that my ancestor was a spirit master and shared friendship with you. But that doesn’t give you reason to insult my wife now.”

“Is that so? I didn’t know that my contractor’s mother had actually passed away. The argument got heated, and I spoke carelessly.”

Wait, you knew when you said it, didn’t you? How could you speak so accurately if you didn’t know?

“I apologize.”

Sylphid suddenly changed his attitude and bowed politely. I was dumbfounded by the change in attitude that happened as easily as flipping a palm.

“What will you do?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking if you’ll accept the Spirit King’s apology.”

What happens if I don’t accept it? As if answering my question, Darius continued.

“If you can’t forget this insult, I will fight for your honor.”

“It’s fine, he said he didn’t know, these things happen! He even apologized!”

Isn’t the Spirit King too high a level for the first battle?

“Yes, my contractor has also resolved the misunderstanding with an open mind, so all is well.”

Sylphid clapped his hands and grinned. It was the first time a handsome man’s smile made me feel so uneasy.

* * *

“All sorts of things are said during arguments. I really don’t mind.”

“……”

After sending Sylphid away and leaving my room, Darius seemed displeased.

“Next time I’ll say harsher things to Sylphid.”

Even though I tried to convey with my whole body that I really didn’t mind, it was useless.

‘Is there something else bothering him?’

Let’s see, what could be making Darius upset right now?

Recently, the castle head maid, Lady Ygret, was revealed to be a witch, and he hadn’t known that demonic forces had been active in the castle all this time.

He thought he had put out the urgent fire with Grand Duke Inkheart’s gold coins, but those coins can’t be used right away and must wait until the magic disappears.

The chief physician left the castle after arguing with me due to Rose’s injury.

Yes, no matter what I recall, these are big problems!

Thinking about it again, I seem to have possessed a character in a transmigration story with a particularly high difficulty level.

‘Still, I’m glad I’m not the protagonist.’

I’m someone who will just help Darius moderately until the middle, and when the female lead Evangeline appears, I’ll be free from my obligations.

“Darius.”

Tap tap, I gently held Darius’s arms, who was walking stiffly down the corridor.

What can I do? I should help this overthinking male lead.

“Earlier, you suggested we go sightseeing below the castle, remember? When should we make time to go together?”

“……Anytime.”

Darius finally looked at me and smiled.