[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist":3,"chapter-the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-chapter-105":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Extra Who Shouldn't Exist",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1550080,2013,"Chapter 105 : Settling on a wedding date","the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-chapter-105",105,"\u003Cp>Alex stood in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window, sipping the last of his lukewarm tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let the ceramic cup hover mid-air with a casual flick of his finger, mana weaving around it like soft ribbons before it floated gently onto a nearby tray with a soft clink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze softened, absorbing the golden light of the setting sun as it stretched across the sprawling campus grounds of Zenith Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crimson rays painted the futuristic towers and cultivated greenery in hues of fire and calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shoulders eased. A rare moment of quiet. Of stillness. Of being alone with his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’What a beautiful evening,’ he mused. ’After such a troublesome day... it’s almost poetic how peaceful this is now. Maybe I’ll take a short nap. I hope no more trouble arises.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the soft chime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{ Alex, someone is at the door. }\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zara’s calm, melodic voice echoed from the apartment’s audio nodes, shattering the silence like a thrown pebble across glassy water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex blinked, pulled from the lull of tranquility. He tilted his head slightly. \"Hmm? At this hour?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He set the cup down fully now, turning toward the center console in the room’s sleek core. One eyebrow arched. \"Zara, tell me who it is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{ Analyzing... Match found in Zenith Academy caste registry. Visitor identified as Alicia von Crestvale. }\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex froze mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Alicia?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold ripple went down his spine, followed by a flush of mixed emotion—surprise, curiosity, and a healthy splash of dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Why is she here?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their last encounter had been... memorable, to say the least. He’d danced dangerously close to her patience limit—flirting with the type of reckless charm only a man with no regard for personal safety could afford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d taken her money, mocked her, and even pushed her dangerously close to committing murder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’But well, it had been worth it,’ he thought with a smug grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless, of course, she’s come back to collect that debt... in blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned. That was a possibility. But then, another memory surfaced—one more relevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That conversation. A rare one, where her tone had been more serious than sarcastic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d mentioned someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone involved in abyss corruption research. Someone she’d promised to introduce him to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next time, I’ll take you to meet him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’So... this could be about that time too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the logical conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then another, far less logical and far more terrifying thought wriggled into his brain like a cursed worm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The picture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s pupils shrank a fraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That picture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cursed, ill-fated joke he’d sent to Alden a few days ago—the one with extremely clear and utterly incriminating \"brother-in-law\" implications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An image of Alex on his knees, kissing Alicia’s hand like a proper gentleman — in a position that made it look as though he were proposing to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d sent it just to annoy Alden. A harmless joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Probably.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’She wouldn’t come all the way here just for that, right?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bead of sweat slid down the side of his temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’But... what if that idiot actually showed her?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breath hitched slightly. ’No. Alden wouldn’t be that dumb.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’...Would he?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex stared blankly for a beat longer, then slowly backed up a step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zara,\" he said calmly, \"activate the two-way audio projection. And do not open the door unless I say so. I don’t care if she uses her position as the student council president, her sword, or sarcasm. Keep it locked.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{ Affirmative. Intercom link established. Door remains sealed. }\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, Alicia stood before the sleek, seamless door to Alex’s luxurious apartment, arms crossed like a queen expecting a tribute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her perfectly manicured foot tapped with an almost melodic rhythm of restrained impatience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, suddenly, a voice crackled through the intercom system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, Miss Alicia. What can I do for you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tone was polite. Too polite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brow twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She narrowed her eyes at the sleek black panel beside the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’That smug bastard. He’s hiding behind his walls now?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, she breathed in, gathering the royal patience expected of a Crestvale. Her lips curled into a smile—a sweet, practiced thing. But her eyes gleamed like twin swords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I’ll kill him after. Slowly. With flair. But not yet.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m here because,\" she began, her tone smooth as glass, \"I promised to take you to someone researching abyssal corruption. I figured... now’s a good time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the room, Alex tapped a finger slowly against his crossed arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh? I do remember that,\" he replied, tone measured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. Then open the door,\" Alicia replied. Her voice was silk drawn taut over iron. \"I’ve been standing out here long enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But behind her graceful phrasing, her thoughts were spinning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Open it, silver-hair. Open it once. I’ll drag you into the abyss myself, beat you up, and then blackmail you. I’ll bring you to the ball with a swollen face. Yes. One humiliation at a time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s eyes remained fixed on the small holo-projection of her standing outside. Every gesture, every twitch, every blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zara,\" he murmured, \"focus on her facial features. Micro-expressions, voice changes. I’m about to drop a verbal bomb. If she reacts—even slightly—do not open that door.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{ Understood. Facial tracking set to max. Emotional variance filter active. }\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a breath, bracing himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Miss Alicia,\" he said with slow, cautious gravity, \"is that really the only reason you’ve come here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia didn’t even flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What other reason could there be?\" she asked smoothly. \"Now open the door, Alex.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, Alex squinted at the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Nothing? Seriously?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zara. Report.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{ No micro-expressions detected. Vocal tones within baseline. No signs of hostility or deceit. }\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He folded his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Too clean. Way too clean. Either she’s innocent... or a master assassin.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then again, this was Alicia von Crestvale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’s too good...\" he muttered, then louder, \"Alright, Alicia. I’m opening the door.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned toward the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with a devilish smirk creeping across his face, he added, \"Alden’s brother-in-law, reporting for duty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment—dead silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even the hum of the corridor could be heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the monitor. The image still showed her perfectly poised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without even turning toward the door, he spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zara. Now tell me. Did you notice anything?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{ Still no change. No facial twitch. No emotional spike. }\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex exhaled softly through his nose, smiling darkly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Oh, Alden... you absolute traitor.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if there was no reaction to that line, then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’She already knew.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant only one thing: Alden got caught and beaten up too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And right on cue, her voice rang through the speakers—coated with sugar and sharpened steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What... did you mean by that, Alex? Brother-in-law?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s lips twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’There it is. Rage, barely disguised behind polite concern. A classic noble special.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared toward the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he opened it now, he’d be airborne before he could say \"It was just a misunderstanding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, naturally, he did the sensible thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Give me... a few minutes to clean things up,\" he said, calm as moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, Alicia’s smile brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was radiant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too radiant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course,\" she said smoothly. \"Take your time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex stared at her image on the monitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zara,\" he said flatly, \"that smile is definitely fake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>{ Even I can tell, } Zara replied, sounding almost offended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed the back of his neck. \"Man... I might actually die today...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few minutes passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia stood in perfect poise. Regal. Patient. Noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for the repeated cracking of her knuckles, which echoed like a metronome of murder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—with a soft whoosh and a glow of ethereal blue—the door slid open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there stood Alex Dragonheart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silver-haired menace. Smug smile. Lazy stance. Arms outstretched like a game-show host.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome to my humble lair,\" he said cheerfully, as if nothing was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia stepped forward slowly. Each click of her heels was a countdown to war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips curled into a devilish smile. Her fingers flexed with silent promise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, darling,\" she cooed. \"Have you settled on a wedding date?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes shimmered with the dual intensity of mischief and manslaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because things can get bloody if you didn’t. And if you’re calling yourself Alden’s brother-in-law... then you do understand the consequences, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex rested his chin on one hand as if pondering the secrets of the universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whatever date you want, babe,\" he said smoothly. \"Your wish is my command.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned in just slightly, his grin turning dangerous. \"But—I did have a few ideas for the perfect wedding day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alicia’s brow twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, please, do tell,\" she replied sweetly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She added, \"But darling, I want our wedding to be truly unforgettable! Let’s pick a date no one will ever forget.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because who knows if you’ll still be conscious in a few seconds?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s eyes gleamed with wicked confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward, one hand raised in solemn announcement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve given it careful thought,\" he said gravely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A sacred decision, really.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After long, painstaking deliberation...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve settled on the perfect wedding date.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about 30th February? That way, we’ll never have to worry about remembering our anniversary!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He winked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perfect, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a beat of stunned silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"YOU BASTARD!\" Alicia shrieked, lunging forward like a wolf with a vendetta.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A\u002FN:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So how was the Chapter? Tell me in the comments!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks for the golden tickets:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@Brunezhio, @Unknown_6,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@EventfullMars, @Sleepy_R26\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I really appreciate the support 😊\u003C\u002Fp>",1581,"2026-06-06T07:14:57.154Z",1,"novelbin.me","07298375b644ca10b98a0579d59fd5d1d34b74da35534afacca9a814700a44e2","the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-chapter-253","the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-chapter-104",418,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-cover.jpg"]