The Strongest Being in the World is a Nameless Extra

Chapter 7: Family Reunion

((CA): Hello, this one I drew and Karebi adjusted, the blueish eyes I had to force her to keep. Oh, wait, this would technically be seen as my introduction of sorts. Ur um, well I'm CA I guess, I drew most of the artwork you'll see in the stories. Please do note that this is a co-authored story [even though AN writes most of it] most of us had to force her to let us join, including myself. I guess I should take this opportunity to introduce us. there is AN on the account the story is posted on[the email we use for EVERYTHING, from chatbot to drawing ideas to ibis paint, even the discord server belongs to her] and the main writer, she does the artwork sometimes just not as good as me. me CA[the only one who knows the password to said account] I draw most of the art you'll see at the top of the screen NA[the one who's known AN the longest and convinced her to make this] She does a little bit of both mainly writing, she provides ideas for AN and AN favors her, she also handles all of ANs notifications, and her email though she doesn't know the password[please do note that AN's email is a big problem, last time I checked it was at 345{no exageration} messages, that girl needs to take time management classes]. Next, there is UN, she controls publishing times, and decides what we post and what we don't, she also controls the amount of profanity AN Is allowed to use[PS: AN has a bigger potty mouth than Doja Cat in her songs, that's saying something] sometimes she decides to write, but most of her work is either deleted or changed by AN as payment for not allowing her to swear, uh who else. Well, those are the only ones I can think of from the top of my head, AN will probably add the rest later, please note that I am doing this from my phone which means I either only wrote the ones I interact with or most of the more major ones. Oh yeah, one more thing, AN has this thing where if she wants to refer to u she will say 'advisors' It's annoying but we deal with it)

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It was a week after the previous incident of me fainting. This morning I woke up extra early to get ready for my family's return. The headmaid dressed me up in my fanciest dress and shoes and did my hair. She then led me to the dining hall, which was where I would be meeting my family. Before she opened the door she gave me a few quick words of advice, "Miss remember, though they may be intimidating keep your chin up high, shoulders straight, and movements graceful. Remember your manners lessons, only speak when spoken to, table manners, and though this isn't really a worry when it comes to you, please, I BEG of you, you must absolutely NOT do any childish things or exhibit childish behavior. Most importantly of all, Don't show weakness in front of them." She warned me sternly.

The head maid's words echoed in my mind as she opened the grand doors to the dining hall. The room was adorned with opulence, a stark contrast to the more humble(if you could call it that) surroundings I had grown accustomed to in recent days. The air felt heavy with anticipation as I stepped into the room, my eyes adjusting to the grandeur that surrounded me. At the far end of the table sat the Duke and Duchess of Felanaire, my supposed parents, and beside them, my older brothers, who were strangers to me in this peculiar world.

The Duke of Felanaire, Reginald Floyd, had a sharp angular face, his short graying red hair and imposing eyes proved how evil this family was. My mother, Genevieve Floyd, was elegant, with sharp, cold, and judging eyes. Her dress looked like she was going to a formal meeting with the king rather than meeting with her daughter.

My older brother, Henry, who was sitting at my father's side, truly took after him. If you looked at the two you might've thought that he was just a shorter, younger, version of him. He was the only one in the entire room with a smile on his face, though it wasn't very inviting. He gave off the impression of a cunning fox befriending its prey to trick it, then betraying it and eating it later.

The oldest, and next in line for the Dukedo, out of us three siblings, Victor, was sitting next to my mother. He had jet-black hair, and deep black eyes, just like me and her. But instead of having a light yet void-like feeling when you looked into mine, he gave off the vibe of a deep sinking tar pit that would swallow you up if you were not careful.

If one looked at the situation they would think they were going to EAT me for dinner rather than having dinner WITH me. As I took in the sight of my family, I couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort and unease. The Duke and Duchess of Felanaire radiate an aura of cold authority, and my brothers seemed like extensions of their imposing presence. I greeted them with a practiced nod, keeping my movements graceful and my demeanor composed, as the head maid's advice echoed in my mind. The Duke acknowledged my presence with a curt nod, while my mother's eyes narrowed slightly as she scrutinized me. Henry's smile widened, revealing a glint of mischief, and Victor's gaze remained inscrutable.

I sat down at the end of the table opposite my family, with 8 evenly spaced seats in between either me and Victor, or me and Henry. The room fell into silence and everyone was just looking at me. As I delicately picked at my food, the tension in the air weighed heavily on my shoulders. Each bite felt like a chore, but I maintained my composure, keeping my gaze fixed ahead and my posture impeccable. The clinking of silverware against porcelain was the only sound in the room, punctuating the oppressive silence.

I stole glances at my family members, noting the calculating expressions on their faces. The Duke's eyes bore into me with an intensity that made my skin crawl, while the Duchess's disdain was thinly veiled behind her composed facade. Henry's smile never wavered, but there was a predatory gleam in his eyes that sent shivers down my spine. And Victor... Victor remained unreadable, his dark gaze unreadable as he observed me from across the table.

I silently pleaded for someone to say something, anything, to break the suffocating silence and alleviate the tension that hung in the air like a heavy fog. But as the minutes stretched on, it became increasingly apparent that the burden of initiating conversation fell squarely on my shoulders.

Eventually, to my relief, my father spoke up, "So Loila, we've heard of your recent fainting spells. I heard that it happened so often, and you stayed asleep for so long you had to call the family doctor all the way from the Duchy." His eyes bore into me, the way he said it made it sound like a question, one to which there was probably only one right answer.

I met my father's piercing gaze with a calm expression, careful not to reveal any signs of weakness. "Yes, Father," I responded evenly. "I've had a few episodes of fainting recently. The maids were concerned about my health, and since it happened more than once, they decided to seek the expertise of the family doctor."

The Duke's eyes scrutinized me for a moment longer before he nodded, seemingly satisfied with my explanation. The tension in the room remained palpable, and I braced myself for whatever inquiries or judgments my family might throw my way. It was a delicate dance, one that would either end in me keeping the peaceful life I had maintained up until now, or getting thrown around into the main storyline.

After a few more moments of silence my mother spoke up, but what she said was rather confusing, "Your, erh, aura got... bigger, a lot bigger." Then I remembered, people in the original story that could use magic had an aura. The bigger the aura, the more powerful the person. It appeared randomly so there was no way to tell whether it was there, one could only feel it leaving, never coming. Luckily there was a skill to hide one's aura in the book, so I contacted Temmy telepathically. "Temmy, please turn off my aura" As soon as I thought that I could feel my aura dissipating but by then my whole family was looking at me, and I knew it was too late to hide it.