The Extra Who Shouldn't Exist novel Chapter 304

Chapter 304: Chapter 304 : Desire

Inside the royal palace, the meeting room was now quiet.

Alex and Charlotte were the only ones left. The heavy doors had closed behind the others, leaving just the faint ticking of a wall clock and the soft rustle of Charlotte’s breathing.

Alex stood in front of her chair, fingers lightly brushing the tips of her hair—where snowy white strands had begun to turn an ominous purple.

He met her eyes. "Are you disappointed in me?"

Charlotte blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean by that...?"

"I mean exactly what I said," Alex replied. "Are you disappointed in me?"

Charlotte shook her head. "No. I’m not."

"Don’t you hate me?" he asked.

Her voice rose a notch. "No, I don’t."

"You do, don’t you?"

Even louder this time. "No, I don’t."

"You want to kill me, right?"

Charlotte suddenly yelled, "No, I don’t!"

Alex’s own voice snapped as he grabbed her shoulders. "Yes you do, don’t try to lie, Now tell me the truth!"

Charlotte’s control shattered. "I don’t know!" she screamed.

Tears spilled from her eyes, tracing down her cheeks. "I don’t know anything anymore..."

"All my life," Charlotte yelled, voice breaking, "I tried to prove to Father that I could shine too!"

"I wanted him to be proud of me. I wanted to surpass my brothers, to become a good ruler. So I did everything I could. I built my own faction. I went to Zenith Academy. I passed the entrance exam. I gained supporters. I did everything..."

Her hands clenched into fists in her lap.

"So why," she choked, "why were his last words before dying... that I should give up my claim to the throne?"

Her gaze lifted to Alex, raw and hurt. "And then there was you. The second person after Father that I tried my hardest to prove myself to. The first person I relied on—the one I believed would never betray me."

Alex’s eyes softened. "So, in your eyes, this is betrayal... huh."

Charlotte’s lips trembled. "Yes. It is."

She swallowed hard. "But you know what the saddest part is?"

Alex exhaled. "What is it?"

Charlotte’s voice dropped to a whisper. "Because I know you did it for my own good. I know this is your way of looking out for me. But still... still I can’t suppress this feeling of betrayal and hatred burning in my chest."

She grabbed his shoulders, fingers digging in. "Yes, I do feel betrayed. I do hate you for what you’ve done. You stole something that was rightfully mine. Something that has been my goal from the very beginning."

Alex poured a glass of water and handed it to her. Her voice had grown hoarse from all the yelling and crying.

Charlotte took the glass with shaking hands and drank.

Alex watched her quietly. "I’ll take all your hatred and disappointment," he said. "But answer me one thing."

Charlotte wiped her eyes and looked up. "What is it?"

"Why do you want the throne?" Alex asked.

"Because of Father..." she started—but her voice faltered. "But he’s already dead..."

Alex’s gaze hardened. "Answer me now. Why do you want to become queen?"

Charlotte’s mind stalled. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, struggling. "Because... because..."

Alex clicked his tongue. "You’re taking too long."

Sweat began to bead on Charlotte’s forehead. ’Why... why do I want it...?’ she thought desperately. "Yes, because of what Mother sa—"

Alex cut in sharply. "The dead don’t matter. The living do. That’s not a reason. Give me something else."

Charlotte’s thoughts scrambled. "Because... because... yes, because I want to take care of the empire and its peop—"

Alex suddenly shook her by the shoulders, shouting, "Don’t you dare lie, Charlotte! I know that’s a lie. You might care about the people a little, sure—but that’s not the real reason."

Charlotte froze, stunned into silence. Her mind felt like it was cracking; no answer would come.

Then the voice crept into her head again.

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