The Extra's Role is Too My Taste (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
Drip. Drip.
Water droplets fell endlessly from the edge of the table.
Brody silently watched as her iced coffee spilled onto the earthen floor, darkening the earth’s hue even further.
Though standing beneath the blazing southern sun, her whole body felt chilled, her fine hairs standing on end.
Behind her thin hooded cloak, she sensed the large, solid presence of a man.
He was drenched in sweat, as if he’d run all the way here, breathing heavily with hot, labored breaths.
His heartbeat thudded wildly against her back.
“Bri….”
He murmured her name once again in a low voice.
No—her false name.
‘How long does he plan to stay like this?’
Brody was grateful for the hood hiding her face as she turned her head slightly.
When she moved, he embraced her tighter, as if afraid she’d vanish.
Just as curious onlookers began to stare more intently, Brody slipped her hand between their bodies and pushed gently against his arm.
“Shall we… move somewhere else?”
Only then could Aidan finally see Brody’s face as she turned toward him.
Her hood was pulled so deeply over her head that only the area below her nose was visible, making her expression unreadable.
Seeing her so calm—unlike his own turmoil—he felt his heart grow cold.
It was as if she were silently confirming just how utterly insignificant he was to her.
Brody wordlessly led the way, and Aidan followed in silence.
At first, he’d clutched her cloak, but eventually he couldn’t hold back and took her hand instead.
To his relief, she didn’t pull away.
‘Is this a dream?’
Outwardly composed, Brody was inwardly flustered.
She seriously considered whether she might have accidentally rubbed a “dream-place” leaf against her philtrum without realizing it.
That seemed far more plausible than the Grand Duke Icewall standing before her right now.
What unsettled her most was how glad she felt at the sight of him.
Several times, she nearly squeezed his large, warm hand in return—only stopping herself at the last moment.
She had chosen to leave his side of her own will, yet this contradictory longing left her deeply confused.
At the forest’s edge—a quiet spot where no passersby would appear—Brody stopped walking.
He halted as soon as she did.
Brody swiftly turned to face Aidan directly.
He’d feared she might turn away without even showing her face, telling him to leave—so he felt a small measure of relief.
‘If only she’d take off that hood…’
Brody’s lips, barely visible beneath the hood, moved.
Aidan, fixated only on her mouth, found himself unconsciously tensing.
He carefully kept his grip steady as he looked at her.
“Your Grace, what brings you here?”
“….”
What brings him here? As if anything other than searching for her could possibly explain his presence.
But Aidan’s lips felt frozen; no words came out.
When he stayed silent, Brody continued.
“Aren’t things at their most critical in the north right now? Surely you didn’t come all this way alone just to capture a single escaped prisoner?”
Aidan blinked.
Brody’s words sounded just like something River would say.
But coming from her, the effect was far more powerful.
He slumped his shoulders and replied, “I’m ashamed.”
Hidden beneath the hood, Brody’s eyes widened.
Ashamed? So… it’s true? He really came here to catch me?
Brody didn’t know whether to scold him for being insane, fear him for chasing her down, or feel happy just to see him again.
“Your… Grace. I was clearly promised my freedom. You’re not breaking your oath, are you?”
“Of course not. Though there may have been a slight misunderstanding. Right now, you’re no longer a prisoner—you’re free.”
Huh? What? He admitted it so easily?
Then he didn’t come to take her back after all.
Brody, who had been fully prepared to argue if he claimed he’d come to capture her, was left utterly speechless.
A brief silence stretched between them.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shimmering patterns of light upon them both.
Aidan extended his empty right hand.
“Bri, show me your face. I want to speak while looking into your eyes.”
Brody kept her head lowered and didn’t move.
Yet she didn’t stop him as his hand gently reached for her hood.
Soon, her face was fully revealed to him.
Her light brown hair caught the sunlight, glinting softly like gold.
Her hair, neatly tied up to suit the hot weather, exposed the elegant curve of her neck.
She wore not the coarse, thick, dull-colored fabric of the north, but a thin, bright, airy robe that fluttered gently past her shoulders.
Her previously shadowed face now appeared fairer and healthier, looking noticeably more at ease.
Her vivid green eyes, slowly lifting to meet his, shimmered with the lively hues of the southern landscape.
She fit perfectly into this warm, vibrant scenery—so different from the cold, heavy air of the north.
And that broke his heart.
Carefully, he reached out and brought his hand to her face.
With his rough thumb, he lightly brushed her soft cheek, barely grazing the skin.
“You look well.”
Regret flickered in his eyes.
His low voice, thick with unspoken emotion and exhaustion, trembled as if holding back tears.
Brody’s cheeks flushed redder than she realized as she looked up at him.
“Your Grace.”
Flustered, she pushed his hand away.
For just a moment, a flicker of hope passed through his eyes.
“Bri, I…”
“Heyyy!!”
At that moment, a large shadow stomped toward them from the village, letting out a thunderous roar.
The peaceful forest erupted into chaos as birds scattered skyward at the deafening sound.
Aidan covered his face with his palm in exasperation.
[This is the timeline separator]“Good heavens! What on earth is going on!”
A well-dressed man with shimmering golden hair approached Brody with dramatic flair.
Brody stared at him, bewildered—his face was unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar.
It was Jax McCarthy—the male protagonist of the original novel.
‘What’s he doing here?’
Seeing him in person for the first time, Brody’s first impression was that he looked exactly like a certain famous prince character from a well-known animated film in her previous world.
Not in personality—just appearance.
She hadn’t liked him much when reading about him in the novel, and seeing him in real life didn’t change her mind.
‘Grand Duke Icewall and Jax? What kind of bizarre pairing is this?’
Unconsciously, Brody frowned.
And Aidan saw that frown clearly.
No matter how generously he interpreted it, that was definitely not a welcoming expression toward Jax.
Hearing the clear suspicion in her muttered, “What on earth did you bring with you?” gave Aidan unexpected relief, causing him to straighten his shoulders with quiet confidence.
“I wondered where you’d gone off to! How on earth did you find her? Ahahaha! Sir Dan! If you were my subordinate, I’d reward you handsomely!”
Jax approached Aidan, excitedly reaching to clap him on the shoulder.
But Aidan easily sidestepped his hand.
Brody stepped back two or three paces and asked sharply, “What exactly are the two of you doing here?”
“Brody! Oh, Brody!”
Jax moved as if to embrace her in heartfelt joy, but Brody quickly dodged.
By pure happenstance, she ended up hiding behind Aidan.
Instantly, Aidan’s chest and shoulders broadened protectively, blocking Jax’s view in a silently threatening stance.
Jax stared at Brody in confusion, wondering, ‘Why is he acting like that?’
He remembered Brody as the girl who had always desperately tried to win his favor—the one who, for his sake, once wore a grim, obsessive look, willing to sacrifice even her life.
But now she was looking at him with clear, questioning eyes.
It was a side of her he’d never seen before.
“Brody, it’s all right. I know you failed and felt too ashamed to return.”
Brody was so startled she instinctively glanced at Aidan.
In that brief eye contact, she understood.
‘He knows everything. Why I was in the enemy camp in the north. Even my real name. Did that bastard Jax spill everything?’
Ashamed, she bit her lip and lowered her head.
Though it wasn’t “her” fault—it was the former Brody’s actions—she still couldn’t bring herself to meet Aidan’s gaze.
Jax assumed her bowed head meant guilt toward him, so he opened his mouth again with grandiose reassurance.
“I forgive you completely. I won’t hold you responsible. Just come back with me.”
Brody briefly imagined summoning vines from the treetops to wrap Jax tightly and hang him upside down.
At the very least, she wanted to gag that tactless fool.
‘Forgive? Hold responsible? After she risked her life for you without asking for anything in return? Brody, what on earth did you ever see in that Jax bastard? I seriously don’t get it. No. No.’
She let out a long sigh, barely containing her boiling frustration, then raised her head.
Crossing her arms firmly, she addressed him coldly.
“Lord Duke Jax.”
“Brody, why so formal all of a sudden? Call me ‘Hyung’ like you always used to.”
Jax smiled benevolently, as if granting her a favor.
But Brody’s expression didn’t change. She enunciated each syllable with deliberate clarity.
“Lord… Duke… Jax.”
Watching Jax’s confusion grow, she continued.
“You said you forgive my mission’s failure, correct?”
“Yes, absolutely. I won’t blame you at all. You know how precious you are to me. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
“Then that’s perfect.”
“Hm?”
“Since you won’t hold me responsible, I’ll continue on my own path. Please don’t trouble yourself further over this lowly girl. Return to the imperial capital now.”
Brody lifted her skirt politely—yet hastily—and bowed before turning sharply to walk into the forest.
Jax stood frozen, utterly baffled by this completely unfamiliar attitude from Brody, staring blankly at her retreating figure.
“Wait! Brody!”
Snapping back to his senses, Jax called out her name and hurried after her.
But his path was instantly blocked by a black-haired beast of a man, easily taller by a head.
“She just told you to leave.”
Ignoring Aidan’s words, Jax attempted a light sidestep to bypass him and rush toward Brody.
But Aidan swiftly moved again, blocking him once more as if to say, “Where do you think you’re going?”
Yet moments later, Aidan found himself just as stunned as Jax.
“Wait, wait—Sir Dan! She’s gone!”
At his words, they both looked—the figure of Brody, who had been striding purposefully just moments before, had vanished without a trace.
This was no time to stand around.
In an instant, Aidan went from protector to pursuer.
And so, the two men began running through the forest, grumbling as they searched for any sign of her disappearance.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
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Inline Comments (29)
Reflecting on it, she hadn’t once thought about his headache during their journe
With all the events she went through, it’s very normal for her not to remember Aidan’s headache at all.
He was still kind, yes—but no longer showed that impatient yearning to have her
After the number of times she refused to marry him, now Brody was upset why Aidan changed! What exactly does Brody want?!
‘If you’ve lost interest in me, just say so—why not sleep properly? Are you avoi
Brody please don’t talk or think anymore! Her stubbornness is very annoying. Male lead, find another heroine, please! (⩺_⩹)
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Don’t let Brody get away again