Path of the Extra

”Princess, I think it is time for us to head inside. Something must have come up at the last minute for the Queen to be this late.”

”No! Granny promised she would be here, so we wait!”

”Princess...”

The maid placed a hand against her forehead and sighed in exasperation. With her other hand, she held firmly onto the little princess, preventing her from running off somewhere again and sending the entire estate into a panic.

They were standing beneath the shade of a tree in the estate garden. Around them, flowerbeds rose in lavish yet carefully tended profusion—violet spires, golden blossoms, white plumes, and crimson clusters, all mingling their fragrances in the warm air.

The little princess, whose hand the maid held tightly, kept hopping from one foot to the other in excitement.

Her silver hair, bright and full of life, barely reached her shoulders. Her grey eyes, shining as beautifully as sunlight upon fresh snow, darted around impatiently.

”Even if Granny is late, she always comes!”

”But, Princess, you still haven’t eaten dinner.”

”I’ll eat with Granny!”

The maid looked troubled as she stared down at the young princess. There was no point trying to persuade Her Highness when she was like this.

After all, she was the most stubborn princess there could ever be.

Placing a hand against her cheek, the maid let out another sigh. Then she tightened her grip on the princess’s hand before stepping in front of the excited child and crouching low.

”Your Highness, how about I bring us a trolley of snacks for you to enjoy while you wait?”

”But...”

”The Queen would be quite upset if she found out you were starving yourself, wouldn’t she?”

”...Okay.”

After mulling it over—and hearing the growl of her own stomach—the princess finally nodded.

The maid gave her a warm, affectionate smile before suddenly turning stern.

”Don’t leave this spot, all right? Promise me?”

She held out her pinky.

The princess stared at it for a few seconds before giving her a bright, beaming smile.

”Promise!”

She hooked her tiny pinky around the maid’s and shook it once.

Only then did the maid leave.

The princess waved after her until she vanished from sight.

The moment the maid was gone, however, the little princess’s smile faded. A serious expression settled across her face.

At least, it was as serious as a child could manage—which, to anyone watching, would have looked unbearably adorable.

”I should pick some flowers for Granny to cheer her up if she’s having a difficult day...”

Holding her chin and nodding to herself, the princess looked quite pleased with her own idea. Then she started walking toward the flowers.

Crouching in front of one of the flowerbeds, the young princess...

The heiress of the Frost Clan...

Celestina Frost...

Studied each bloom with grave concentration, trying to decide which ones were worthy.

”Maybe I should get some for Gramps, Mom, and Dad too...”

The thought put another happy smile on Celestina’s face.

As she searched for the perfect flowers, something caught the corner of her eye.

She turned her head and saw a tiny azure orb floating faintly in the air.

Celestina blinked.

Then she rubbed her eyes, wondering whether she was seeing things properly.

But when she looked again, she realized it was not an orb at all.

It was a butterfly.

A beautiful, mesmerizing butterfly, with gorgeous wings that pulsed with a soft, ethereal glow.

”Wow...”

Celestina stood up, utterly enchanted.

The butterfly shimmered faintly, its color throbbing like a gentle heartbeat sewn into the air itself. Slowly, it flew closer to her, dancing before her eyes as if it had come only to be admired.

”...Are you a void creature?” she asked in a high-pitched, excited voice.

Yet, despite her wonder, there was a small hint of caution in her eyes.

”I don’t sense any danger from you, though.”

Celestina raised her hand and reached out slowly, wanting to catch the butterfly.

”But Mom told me that the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it can be.”

Just as her fingers were about to touch it, the butterfly suddenly flew in the opposite direction.

Celestina’s eyes widened.

”Hey, wait!”

She did not know why, but she felt as though she had to follow it.

She did not even think.

Her little legs simply started moving, racing after the butterfly as it drifted away. Yet it did not fly too high or vanish beyond her reach. Instead, it remained at eye level, as if teasing her.

Celestina ran with all the strength her tiny legs could manage. Soon, she was out of breath.

Only then did the butterfly finally land on the petal of a pure white flower growing near the edge of the garden.

Celestina dropped onto both knees and glared at it, puffing out her cheeks in anger.

She did not even want to catch it with her bare hands anymore!

Only then did she realize she might have run too far.

The breath trapped in her cheeks escaped all at once, and she looked around in sudden panic.

The garden was enormous, almost like a small forest of its own. And just behind the butterfly were the trees—thick, quiet, and untouched. No one really entered that part of the estate to maintain anything.

Celestina also remembered that her father had explicitly told her not to enter the forest, lest she get lost.

Of course, with how curious Celestina was, and with how many times she had already disobeyed her parents out of sheer curiosity, she should have entered it long ago.

But she had not.

In the end, the forest was just that.

A forest.

There was no life in it. Nothing interesting. Nothing worth discovering.

Her father had taken her inside once, and after that, Celestina had decided not to bother with it again.

Still, she was forbidden from going in alone.

So Celestina sighed, stood up, and dusted off her knees. Then she looked at the butterfly, which flapped its glowing wings as if annoyed with her.

She reached out one hand again, though she did not move from her spot.

”Last chance,” she said.

The butterfly remained still.

”I’ll keep you as a pet. You’ll live the best life as my pet! The pet of a princess! There is no better thing than that, you know. But only if you accept!”

The butterfly did not move.

Celestina sulked.

”Fine. Have it your way. I don’t like you anyway!”

Turning around, she began walking away, leaving the butterfly behind.

Or at least, pretending to.

In truth, she was already concocting a plan to fetch a butterfly net and return later to hunt it down.

She was not letting such a beautiful creature escape just yet.

And as that thought crossed her mind, she heard a familiar, loving voice.

”Sweetheart.”

Celestina stopped.

The voice came from behind her.

Behind the butterfly.

Beyond the trees.

It came from the forest.

Celestina turned around immediately, her face lighting up with delight.

”Granny!” she shouted excitedly.

But her joy quickly gave way to confusion.

There was no one there.

”Granny?”

She looked around, searching the empty garden.

”Granny, are you here? Are we playing hide-and-seek?”

”We are, sweetheart.”

Celestina’s face glowed as she heard her grandmother’s voice from beyond the trees.

”Will you seek me... sweetheart?”

The warmth in the voice drew an eager nod from Celestina.

”Of course!”

’Even if Granny is late and tired, she still wants to play with me. Hehehe...’

The thought made Celestina even happier.

Her grandmother was obviously hiding behind one of the trees ahead. Once Celestina found her and gave her a hug, they could return to the garden and eat the snacks the maid was preparing. Then Granny could finally relax!

”Hurry, sweetheart, or I might begin to think you are a sore loser.”

”Wha—!? I am not!”

Celestina immediately glared toward the trees from which the voice had come, her cheeks puffing out once more.

”Oh? Then prove that you are not a loser, my dear sweetheart.”

Celestina released the air from her cheeks and broke into an ecstatic grin as her competitive spirit flared.

’Dad only banned me from entering the forest because he is afraid I might get lost. But with Granny here, that won’t happen!’

With that thought, Celestina immediately activated her Unique Skill.

Her appearance began to change.

Two fluffy silver fox ears emerged from the top of her head. Her grey eyes turned a brilliant silver as her vision sharpened, and the scents of the forest became clearer than ever before. Her silver hair seemed to shine with a light of its own, while her already fair skin grew even paler.

Her canine teeth lengthened into two tiny, adorable fangs.

Behind her, three long, plush silver tails unfurled and swayed through the air.

”Then... here I come! Ready or not!”

Celestina bolted into the forest like a streak of silver, racing toward the sound of breathing—and the familiar scent of her grandmother.