The Useless Extra Knows It All....But Does He?

Chapter 469: Chapter 468 - "Need a Hand?"

The night atmosphere surrounding the vast noble estate felt strangely lonely.

The magnificent mansion stood illuminated beneath countless magical lanterns while moonlight washed over the sprawling gardens and stone pathways. Guards continued their patrols along the walls, servants quietly attended to their duties, and noble retainers moved throughout the estate with practiced discipline.

Everything appeared normal.

Everything appeared orderly.

Yet for one particular red-haired girl, the entire estate felt suffocating.

Aurelia slowly walked through one of the quieter wings of the mansion, her footsteps echoing softly against the polished floors.

The conversation with her grandfather lingered in her mind.

The argument with Kyle lingered even more.

After their discussion in the study, she had spent most of the day trying to find opportunities to speak with him again.

Trying to apologize.

Trying to explain herself properly.

Trying to tell him that she had never meant what her words had sounded like.

Unfortunately—

Kyle had chosen the path of a younger brother who had discovered an excellent opportunity for revenge.

He wasn’t truly angry.

That much Aurelia knew.

Yet he continued ignoring every attempt she made to approach him.

Every conversation mysteriously ended before it began.

Every apology was met with suspiciously convenient excuses.

Every effort she made was somehow avoided.

And while she knew he was doing it deliberately—

That somehow made it worse.

Because now she couldn’t even properly apologize.

Aurelia eventually stepped onto one of the mansion’s balconies overlooking the gardens.

The cool night breeze brushed against her crimson hair.

Her violet eyes gazed toward the distant darkness.

And finally—

The smile she had been forcing throughout the day disappeared.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips.

The exhaustion she had been suppressing gradually surfaced.

Not physical exhaustion.

Something deeper.

Something far more difficult to deal with.

The succession issue.

Her grandfather’s decision.

The expectations of the family.

The uncertainty surrounding the future.

The possibility of losing the dream she had spent years pursuing.

All of it seemed to return at once.

Aurelia slowly lowered herself into one of the chairs overlooking the garden.

Her hands clenched slightly.

Her gaze lowered.

She hated this feeling.

She hated feeling powerless.

Ever since she was young, she had worked harder than anyone around her.

She had trained relentlessly.

Studied relentlessly.

Pushed herself endlessly.

Not because someone had ordered her to.

Not because someone expected her to.

Because she genuinely wanted it.

She wanted to lead.

She wanted to prove that ability mattered more than tradition.

She wanted to stand at the front of the family through her own merit.

And now—

For the first time—

It felt like that dream might be slipping away from her for reasons completely outside her control.

Aurelia laughed softly.

A bitter laugh.

The kind that sounded more painful than crying.

Her thoughts spiraled further.

Questions followed.

Doubts followed.

Fears followed.

What if she wasn’t enough?

What if all her efforts ultimately changed nothing?

What if no matter how hard she worked, the decision had already been made?

The thoughts kept coming.

One after another.

Without mercy.

Without pause.

Until—

A familiar voice suddenly broke through them.

"Do you need a hand?"

Aurelia froze.

Her eyes widened instantly.

For a brief moment she wondered whether she had imagined it.

Whether exhaustion was finally getting to her.

Slowly—

Very slowly—

She raised her head.

And there—

Standing near the balcony entrance beneath the moonlight—

Was a familiar figure.

Dark violet hair stirred gently in the night breeze.

Crimson eyes reflected the moonlight.

And a small smile rested upon his face.

The moment Aurelia saw him—

Every thought inside her head stopped.

Every fear vanished.

Every doubt disappeared.

Only disbelief remained.

Her lips parted slightly.

"W-what are you doing here...?"

The question emerged almost as a whisper.

Luca’s smile widened.

A warm smile.

The kind she knew better than anyone.

Then he casually shrugged.

"I thought you might need me."

The answer was simple.

Ridiculously simple.

No grand speech.

No dramatic explanation.

Just those words.

And somehow—

That was enough.

Aurelia stared at him.

For several moments she simply stared.

As though confirming he was actually real.

As though making sure this wasn’t another one of her wishes pretending to be reality.

Then suddenly—

The distance between them disappeared.

Aurelia moved before she even realized it herself.

One moment she was standing near the balcony.

The next—

She had buried herself against Luca’s chest.

Her hands clutched his clothes tightly.

Far more tightly than she intended.

As though afraid he might disappear if she let go.

Luca staggered slightly from the impact.

Then laughed softly.

A quiet laugh.

Gentle.

Affectionate.

Without asking questions.

Without demanding explanations.

Without saying anything unnecessary.

His arms simply wrapped around her.

One hand rested upon her back.

The other gently stroked her hair.

Patiently.

Comfortingly.

The same way one would calm a frightened child.

Aurelia didn’t speak.

For several moments neither of them spoke.

The night breeze continued flowing around them.

Moonlight illuminated the balcony.

And the enormous worries that had seemed impossible to bear only moments earlier suddenly felt much smaller.

Not because they had disappeared.

Not because they had been solved.

Simply because she no longer felt alone carrying them.

Luca sighed quietly.

The journey from Arcadia Academy to the estate had been anything but short.

The moment he had spoken with Aiden, he had understood enough.

Understood why Aurelia wasn’t answering.

Understood why Kyle had vanished.

Understood that she was probably struggling.

And after that—

Waiting had never been an option.

So he had left immediately.

Rushing from the academy.

Flying at the fastest speed Kunpeng could maintain.

Crossing vast distances without stopping.

Ignoring how unreasonable it probably was.

Ignoring how ridiculous it probably looked.

Because there had only been one thought in his mind.

What if she needs me?

And now—

Feeling Aurelia trembling slightly in his arms—

He realized he would make the exact same decision again.

Without hesitation.

Without regret.

Without even thinking about it.

So instead of asking questions—

Instead of talking about succession disputes or family politics—

Luca simply continued gently patting her back.

Allowing her to calm down at her own pace.

Allowing her to breathe.

Allowing her to rest.

And for the first time since returning home—

Aurelia finally felt like she could.

The night continued peacefully around them.

After the emotions that had overwhelmed Aurelia earlier had finally settled, neither of them immediately returned to the mansion. Instead, they simply walked through the vast estate grounds beneath the star-filled sky, allowing the quiet of the night to soothe what words could not.

The gardens stretched endlessly around them, illuminated by moonlight and the occasional magical lantern placed along the stone pathways. Ancient trees swayed gently beneath the cool breeze while distant fountains filled the silence with their soft, rhythmic sounds.

Aurelia walked close beside Luca.

Closer than usual.

One of her hands remained wrapped around his arm while her shoulder leaned lightly against him as though seeking reassurance from his presence alone.

Luca said nothing.

Not because he had nothing to say.

Quite the opposite.

There were countless things he could have said.

Countless questions he could have asked.

Yet he understood that none of them were what Aurelia needed right now.

So he simply remained beside her.

Patiently.

Comfortably.

Allowing her to speak whenever she felt ready.

The silence between them never felt awkward.

If anything, it felt strangely comforting.

The kind of silence that only existed between people who understood each other.

Time passed slowly.

The moon climbed higher.

The estate grew quieter.

Eventually, Aurelia’s voice broke the silence.

Softly.

Almost hesitantly.

"You know..."

Luca glanced toward her.

Her gaze remained fixed ahead.

"I always thought I was prepared."

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

Though there was little happiness within it.

"I always thought that if I worked harder than everyone else, if I trained harder than everyone else, if I became stronger than everyone else..." She paused briefly. "Then eventually it would be enough."

The night breeze stirred her crimson hair.

Her voice grew quieter.

"But maybe it isn’t."

Luca remained silent.

Aurelia continued speaking.

Perhaps because she finally had someone willing to listen.

Perhaps because she had been holding these thoughts inside for too long.

"Maybe I don’t have what it takes."

The words sounded foreign coming from her.

Luca had never heard Aurelia doubt herself like this before.

Yet she continued.

"I keep telling myself that I can become family head."

Her fingers tightened around his arm.

"I keep telling myself that I can lead."

Her voice trembled slightly.

"But what if everyone else is right?"

The question lingered in the night air.

"What if Kyle really is the better choice?"

Aurelia laughed softly.

The sound carried no joy.

Only exhaustion.

"He’s smarter than he pretends."

"He understands people better than I do."

"Everyone likes him."

A bitter smile appeared on her face.

"Even I like him."

The confession made her shake her head.

Then her gaze lowered.

"And after all of that..."

Her voice became smaller.

"I still managed to hurt him."

Luca’s expression softened.

Aurelia continued speaking before he could interrupt.

"I couldn’t even apologize properly."

She laughed weakly.

"I claim I want to lead thousands of people someday, yet I can’t even explain myself properly to my own brother."

The self-deprecating thoughts seemed to pour out endlessly now.

Years of pressure.

Years of expectations.

Years of hidden insecurities.

All emerging at once.

"Maybe I’m not a good sister."

She lowered her head further.

"Maybe I’m not a good granddaughter either."

The words became increasingly painful.

"Grandfather is disappointed in me."

"Mother probably thinks I’m being childish."

"Kyle is angry with me."

"And honestly..."

Aurelia smiled sadly.

"Maybe I don’t deserve any of it."

Luca stopped walking.

Immediately.

Aurelia blinked in surprise as she turned toward him.

Before she could continue—

A finger gently pressed against her lips.

Her words stopped.

The self-criticism.

The doubt.

The guilt.

All of it ended abruptly.

Aurelia froze.

Her violet eyes widened slightly.

Luca stood before her beneath the moonlight.

His crimson eyes remained fixed upon hers.

Steady.

Calm.

And for perhaps the first time that night—

There was a firmness in his gaze that left no room for argument.

The night breeze moved softly around them.

The stars shone overhead.

And neither looked away.

Then Luca spoke.

Quietly.

Firmly.

Almost gently.

"Shhh."

The single sound carried more weight than an entire speech.

Because for the first time since she had started talking—

Someone had stopped her.

Not because they didn’t want to listen.

But because they refused to let her continue hurting herself.

And as Aurelia stared into those familiar crimson eyes, she suddenly found herself unable to say another word.