SHATTERED INNOCENCE: TRANSMIGRATED INTO A NOVEL AS AN EXTRA

Aeliana exhaled through her nose, barely resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of it.

This was getting painful to watch.

Lucavion—this cunning, sharp-tongued menace of a man—was getting ripped off.

And worse?

He didn’t even seem to care.

She had assumed, at first, that he was dragging the negotiation out just to toy with Corvina. That perhaps he was testing her, letting her think she had the upper hand before flipping the entire deal on its head.

But no.

No, he was just… bad at this.

Aeliana felt something tighten in her chest—was it secondhand frustration? Exasperation? Pity? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that she couldn’t watch this disaster unfold for a second longer.

“Stop.”

The word left her lips before she could even think about it, cutting cleanly through the air.

Both Lucavion and Corvina turned to her.

Corvina raised an eyebrow, as if mildly intrigued by the interruption.

Lucavion, on the other hand—

Well, the moment he saw her expression, that insufferable smirk of his deepened.

Aeliana crossed her arms, her voice laced with disbelief. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

Lucavion blinked, tilting his head ever so slightly. “Business, of course.”

“Business?” Aeliana repeated, her tone edged with incredulity. “You call this business? Are you seriously about to let yourself be talked down to thirty percent?”

Lucavion let out a quiet chuckle. “Oh? Now you care about my financial situation?”

Aeliana glared at him.

It was one thing to be reckless in battle, to throw himself into danger without a care in the world. But this?

This was just stupidity.

“I don’t care,” she said flatly. “But I do have a problem with standing here and watching someone get swindled right in front of me.”

Lucavion placed a hand over his chest, feigning offense. “Swindled? My dear Aeliana, I’m simply—”

“You’re getting ripped off.”

Corvina, to her credit, merely observed the exchange with mild amusement.

Lucavion sighed dramatically, leaning his chin against his palm. “Hah… And here I thought you weren’t getting involved.”

Aeliana gritted her teeth, debating—for just a second—whether she should actually strangle him.

But she wouldn’t.

No.

Instead, she would fix this before Lucavion walked out of here looking like a fool.

She turned to Corvina, her amber eyes sharp. “This deal is ridiculous. He is the one who hunted these creatures. He is the one who retrieved them. And you’re seriously going to sit here and act as if thirty percent is a fair split?”

Corvina exhaled through her nose, her lips twitching ever so slightly upward. “You make a compelling argument.”

Aeliana’s amber eyes locked onto Corvina, sharp and unwavering. “Ninety-ten,” she stated coldly. “His favor.”

Lucavion blinked. Then slowly, ever so slowly, turned to look at her, a new gleam of amusement flickering in his gaze.

Corvina, on the other hand, stiffened slightly before narrowing her eyes, the briefest flash of irritation slipping through her composed mask.

“That,” she said smoothly, though her voice carried an unmistakable edge, “is crossing the line.”

Aeliana didn’t flinch. “No,” she countered. “That is fair.”

Corvina let out a slow breath, her expression unreadable, but the sharpness in her gaze remained. “You seem to misunderstand how negotiations work, Lady Aeliana. I am the one facilitating this transaction. If you believe—”

“The only thing you’re doing,” Aeliana cut in, “is connecting us to the Magic Tower.”

Silence.

Corvina’s fingers curled ever so slightly against the surface of the desk.

Aeliana pressed forward, her tone smooth, unwavering. “Let’s not pretend this is some great act of generosity, Guildmaster. You’re not handling transport. You’re not risking your men. You’re not even making an investment. All you’re doing is playing the middleman.”

Lucavion let out a quiet hum under his breath, his smirk deepening as he watched the exchange unfold.

Aeliana ignored him.

“You have nothing to lose,” she continued, her voice crisp and measured. “And yet, you were planning to take seventy percent of the profits. For what, exactly?”

Corvina’s jaw tightened slightly, but she did not speak.

Aeliana tilted her head, pressing just a little further. “And if it’s simply a matter of reaching out to the Magic Tower, then there’s no need for your involvement at all, is there?”

Lucavion leaned forward slightly, intrigued now.

Aeliana lifted a hand in a slow, deliberate gesture. “After all,” she said, her voice smooth as silk, “the Duchy can handle that just fine.”

Another beat of silence.

Lucavion’s smirk turned sharp.

Corvina’s expression remained composed, but Aeliana could see the shift—the silent recognition that she had been maneuvered into a corner.

This wasn’t a negotiation anymore.

This was a power play.

Aeliana let the moment stretch before finally speaking again, delivering the final push.

“If you don’t want the deal,” she said simply, “then we’ll take our leave.”

She turned slightly, her gaze flickering toward Lucavion. “I’ll have the butler contact the mages directly.”

Lucavion let out a low chuckle, clearly thoroughly enjoying himself now. “My, my,” he mused, tilting his head toward Corvina. “What do you say, Guildmaster?”

Corvina exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders as she leaned back into her chair. A heavy pause filled the space between them, stretching just long enough to make the tension feel tangible.

Then—

A slow, measured smile spread across Corvina’s lips.

Corvina’s smile remained, slow and measured, her sharp eyes flickering between Aeliana and Lucavion before she finally spoke.

“Eighty-five, fifteen.”

Aeliana narrowed her eyes slightly. She could push further—could likely get the ninety-ten she had originally demanded—but this was still a significant improvement. More than enough.

Before she could respond, Lucavion leaned back with an easy, satisfied smirk. “That sounds fair.”

Aeliana shot him a look. Now he thinks about what’s fair?

Corvina exhaled softly, rolling her shoulders before reaching for a quill. “I’ll have the documents prepared shortly.” She tapped the feather lightly against the desk before adding, “Though, I get the feeling that’s not the only thing you came for.”

Lucavion hummed, tilting his head slightly. “You know me too well, Guildmaster.”

Corvina didn’t respond, merely watching him with mild curiosity as she leaned back in her chair. “What is it, then?”

Lucavion’s smirk remained—but then, something shifted.

He turned his head.

And looked directly at Aeliana.

“Can you spare me a minute?”

His voice was smooth, calm—but his eyes…

Aeliana stiffened.

Something about them was different.

The usual teasing glint was gone. His gaze, dark and unreadable, held something else—something she couldn’t quite place.

She didn’t like it.

Her instinct was to stay, to refuse. She wanted to remain in the room, to listen, to know exactly what he was about to ask.

But…

This wasn’t her place.

She had already stepped into his business once.

If she pushed further, it wouldn’t be negotiation.

It would be overstepping.

And she wasn’t that kind of person.

Aeliana inhaled slowly, holding his gaze for a moment longer before turning on her heel.

“…Fine,” she muttered.

She didn’t like it.

But she walked out.

The door shut behind her.

And now—

It was just Lucavion and Corvina.

The room was silent after Aeliana left, the tension still lingering in the air like an echo. Corvina watched Lucavion carefully, her sharp gaze not missing the way his posture shifted the moment the door clicked shut.

The teasing smirk was still there, but it had dulled—faded into something that no longer quite reached his eyes.

She tapped her fingers against the desk, tilting her head slightly. “So,” she said smoothly, “what is it that you really came here for?”

Lucavion exhaled through his nose, leaning forward slightly. He rested his elbow against the desk, his fingers lightly grazing his chin. For a moment, he didn’t answer, as if considering how much he wanted to say.

Then, finally, he spoke.

“I want you to find someone.”

Corvina blinked.

She had expected many things. More trade discussions. An extension of negotiations. Perhaps even another taunt meant to test her patience.

But this—

This was different.

Her expression didn’t waver, but inwardly, her mind was already turning.

“…Find someone?” she repeated.

Lucavion nodded.

“Yes.”

And then—

The temperature in the room shifted.

It wasn’t something tangible. Not something the average person would notice.

But Corvina wasn’t average.

She felt it immediately.

The pressure. The weight in the air.

It was subtle, a quiet, controlled release of his aura. Just enough to be felt, just enough to warn.

Lucavion’s smirk faded entirely.

And then—

His dark eyes met hers.

“I want you to find someone who participated in the War of Valerius Plains.”

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