I Want to Be an Extra

Lewin Dee Dryerf, a 9-year-old boy, had developed a new hobby over the past year. One day, a girl stormed out of Lewin’s room, tears streaming down her face. Surprisingly, nobody paid any attention to her distress. Observing this, Lewin was taken aback.

“Wow,” he exclaimed, witnessing her emotional resilience. “If she continues honing her skills like this, she could become the greatest thief.”

Curiously, he had never provided her with any formal training after their initial encounter. As days passed, he found himself increasingly captivated by her blossoming stealth abilities.

“Master, Miss Laila doesn’t need to aspire to become the finest thief. No, there’s something even greater she can achieve,” a cold voice interjected.

Lewin turned to see Daisy, wearing an indifferent expression, casting a piercing gaze at him. Bewildered, he inquired, “Why?”

Daisy’s gaze remained icy as she responded, “She belongs to the prestigious Reinhardt family. Continually troubling her like this could create significant issues.”

“What? Troubling her? Anyone who hears that would misunderstand,” Lewin retorted, adamantly defending himself against the accusation of tormenting his only companion.

Daisy let out a heavy sigh, clearly exasperated. “And what about the playmate who just ran out crying?”

“People feel wronged when they lose. If they are competitive, they may become angry,” Lewin argued, convinced that it was all part of a fair game.

Unable to find a rebuttal, Daisy remained silent, silently acknowledging his astute point.

‘You articulate your thoughts quite well,’ she mused internally. It was Lewin himself who consistently provoked that competitive spirit, continuously issuing challenges. From Daisy’s perspective, observing from the sidelines, no other villain could be as cunning as this young master.

However, Laila, despite being on the receiving end of Lewin’s provocations, had not yet surrendered her determination.

“She’s quite remarkable,” Lewin commented, seemingly in a different mood.

“……”

“Exceptionally talented, hardworking, and mentally resilient.”

Daisy almost felt as if she could hear a voice saying, ‘There is no greater toy than this!’

She unwittingly let out a sigh.

“But Daisy, you were the one who brought Laila here, correct?” Lewin’s next words left no room for argument.

“That’s correct,” Daisy confirmed, aware of the consequences of her actions.

“I had to do it to ensure you wouldn’t escape, Master.”

Lewin’s enrollment in the academy was just a year away. Daisy had never doubted his ability to pass the entrance exam, despite his apparent lack of study. Somehow, he possessed a vast knowledge base.

The reason Laila had stormed out moments ago was because she lost a match based on what she had learned prior to her academy admission.

“The person who matters most to me is you, Master.”

Therefore, Daisy would employ Laila’s skills to whatever extent necessary.

“That’s scary.” 

“ Butler Alex said— A servant does their best for their Master, and the Karma that arises from that is the Master’s responsibility.”

Lewin was taken aback by her words that seemed to warn him to behave.

“It sounds like a threat, is it just my feeling?”

“It’s only your perception. Where would you find a servant threatening their master?” Daisy responded, dismissing his concerns with a hint of sarcasm.

“You’ve made remarkable progress,” Lewin complimented.

“I owe it all to you, Master..”

“Hehehe.”

“Hohoho.”

As the master and servant laughed in an eerie manner, Laila, clutching a stack of prepared papers, sought out Lewin for their second round.

“ I won’t lose this time.”

“Finished.”

“What?!”

The match concluded five minutes earlier than the previous one, leaving Laila in tears once again as she ran away.

***

“Don’t worry, Miss. It’s the Master who’s peculiar. You’re doing exceptionally well.” 

“Absolutely. It’s commendable that you’re not giving up despite facing such an extraordinary master.” 

“Lady Laila, you will undoubtedly succeed in whatever you do.”

Upon hearing these words of praise from those around her, Laila’s tears began to subside, and her spirits lifted.

“Yes, you’re right. It’s Lewin who’s strange. I’m doing great!”

“That’s correct.”

“The Master is the odd one.”

“Everyone in this mansion is aware of that.”

“…….”

Lewin, who had been quietly listening, was taken aback.

The praise directed at Laila was one thing, but he couldn’t help but suspect that they were subtly mocking him.

“You’re all making fun of me, aren’t you?”

The sarcasm was apparent, even if they tried to deny it.

“No.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Would we dare to mock a noble master like you?”

“Indeed, they are all well-behaved individuals.”

The four of them, including Laila, vehemently denied his accusations.

‘They’re in perfect sync.’

Laila and the three servants worked together so seamlessly that they hardly noticed the absence of Alex.

“I can’t even tell who’s servants you are anymore.”

“Of course.”

“We are servants of the Dryerf family.”

“Lewin Dee Dryerf’s loyal servants.”

“Unfortunately.”

“You must have rehearsed in advance, didn’t you? Right?”

Especially the word “unfortunately” carried a genuine sentiment.

As someone who often got lost, Laila found Lewin’s competent servants endearing.

“Do you want to join our household? We can offer the best compensation in the industry.”

“No, thank you. They wouldn’t. And where did you learn to talk about the best compensation in the industry?”

Lewin frowned at his childhood friend’s covetousness towards his servants, but their response was unexpected.

“We appreciate your kind offer, but we are bound to the Dryerf family and cannot move freely.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Yes, indeed.”

A voice filled with genuine regret.

Lewin was about to say something, but his three servants had already anticipated his thoughts.

“Lady Laila never skips her lessons.”

“She doesn’t escape out of boredom either.”

“And she doesn’t mercilessly beat people under the guise of training.”

“You’ve pent up quite a lot, huh?”

“Why? Don’t you understand?”

Feeling betrayed by their alignment with Laila, his mood soured momentarily.

“In any case, they won’t transfer. They will spend their entire lives taking care of me in this household. So, don’t tempt them.”

“Wow…”

Laila was impressed by his audacity.

“If you have a complaint, find someone else.”

“I tried. But my father scolded me.”

“Miss, imitating the Master’s actions is ill-advised.”

Hains felt sympathy for Duke Reinhardt, who had to hear that his daughter wanted to purchase a slave from the slave market.

“The pursuit of the unknown always deserves admiration, Hains.”

“Don’t plant useless ideas in the noble lady’s mind, Young Master.”

“There should only be one person like you in the world, Young Master.”

“To be honest, even one feels like too many.”

Engaged in a playful argument, they reached the room where Laila and her companions were.

“She’s out!”

The reason why all the servants who should have been attending to Laila were present became evident.

“Have you arrived, miss?”

“…Why are you addressing Lewin!”

Because Laila’s servants lacked the ability to locate her like Lewin’s servants could.

“It’s a misunderstanding, miss.”

“Say it with confidence! Look into my eyes and say it!”

“H-How can I do that?”

Laila puffed out her cheeks, her servant’s eyes trembling as if in an earthquake.

“They certainly know how to have fun.”

“The servants of Sir Lagil or Miss Luna don’t seem like this at all.”

“Young Master, it’s only us.”

“It’s only near you, Young Master.”

“Why does it always become my fault?”

It felt as if all the world’s unfairness was placed on his shoulders.

As Lewin, who had saved the world nine times, it was an incredibly unjust situation.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter now.’

Having saved the world nine times, it should be fine to make a mistake once, right?

“Well, even if it is my fault, it doesn’t matter.”

With that, Lewin could confidently carry on.

“Please don’t admit it!”

As someone overhearing that muttered statement, there was no choice but to feel dejected.

***

“Huh?”

“What?”

“Yes?”

During a peaceful dinner time at the Dryerf residence, that peace was easily shattered by a single comment from Lewin.

“Why are you all reacting like that?”

However, Lewin struggled to comprehend their response.

“Lewin?”

His sister, Luna, who had returned home after a long absence, looked at her brother with trembling eyes.

“Aren’t you coming to our academy?”

The empire provided equal educational opportunities to everyone.

Officially, that was the case, but in reality, there was a significant disparity among academies.

The Royal Academy, directly managed by the royal family, held the highest position among them.

It was the most prestigious academy coveted by all nobles, and all the Dryerf siblings had enrolled there.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Luna’s expression portrayed a sense of world-shattering disappointment, but Lewin remained resolute.

“I’m going elsewhere.”

The Royal Academy surpassed all other academies in the empire, even on the continent.

It excelled because it was established by the most powerful country on the continent, and as its reputation grew, talented individuals naturally flocked to it.

Consequently, it became the foremost educational institution acknowledged by everyone on the continent.

‘But the class hours there are excessively long.’

It had transformed into a place where not only admission but also graduation was challenging.

If one were to treat it casually like any other academy, they would be expelled midway through!

Lewin had an aversion to the bustling atmosphere of a place consumed by an overwhelming enthusiasm for learning.

“R-Really?”

Laila, frozen in place with her spoon halfway to her mouth, stared at Lewin with quivering eyes.

Even she had assumed that Lewin would choose the prestigious Royal Academy.

“Yes.”

The shock was palpable, not only for Luna but also for Laila, who had turned into a statue from the sheer surprise.

Lewin held immense value as a dear friend to Laila.

While playing with children from other families, it often ends up in a game of hide-and-seek, Lewin was an exception.

“You don’t enjoy studying?”

“No, I don’t.”

It was yet another shock.

To outshine Lewin in a battle of knowledge, Laila had diligently read books, keeping her drooping eyelids open.

‘On countless occasions, I had to prevent the servants from turning off the lights when they thought everyone had left!’

Yet now he was denying it all.

It felt so unjust that she almost burst into tears. However,

“It’s not necessary to go specifically to the Royal Academy. I never said I wouldn’t attend any academy.”

Lewin spoke with an air of nonchalance.

‘I was so prepared.’

Lewin had already experienced academy life multiple times.

He had even delved into what was referred to as the grueling life of a graduate student.

Thus, he was well aware of the importance of the academic environment within an academy and had earnestly investigated the merits and drawbacks of the various institutions throughout the empire.

His choice of self-study subjects was a testament to that effort.

Each person he had consulted was either affiliated with an academy or had a past connection to one.

After extracting information about each academy and discerning their distinct characteristics, he had come to a decision.

“I will be attending Beresha Academy.”

Conveniently located on the outskirts of the imperial capital, it boasted a laid-back academic atmosphere.

As one of the relatively newly established academies, it possessed excellent facilities and a sizable campus.

And…

“Why there?”

“The vacation period is the longest.”

Upon hearing that resolute statement, both Laila and Luna were rendered speechless.