Chapter 51

■ Chapter 50. The Seven Deadly Sins (3) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

I stared at Cecilie, forgetting what I was about to say. She was resting her chin in her hand, looking at me with a seductive smile.

It wasn't just anyone, but Cecilie, with her mature beauty, speaking in such a pose and tone. It was hard to describe it any other way than to say it was incredibly powerful.

She was already sexy, but the combination of her pose, expression, and voice made me feel like I was being drawn in.

If it were any other man, he would have lost his composure and been completely captivated. Fortunately, I had developed a certain immunity from spending time with her. Of course, I couldn't stop my face from flushing and my heart from racing.

"Ahem... Ahem..."

I cleared my throat to maintain my composure, feeling my face heat up. It was partly due to her sudden, unexpected question, but her seductive aura made it hard to keep my wits about me.

Still, I managed to regain my composure. I opened one eye and met Cecilie's gaze.

Cecilie remained in the same position, as if she intended to stay that way until I answered. Just looking at her made my heart, which had calmed down, start beating wildly again.

'...Is she really a succubus's descendant?'

Anyway, it seemed best to answer her question. I calmed my racing heart and spoke calmly.

"...I would say it's an overactive imagination, but I can't really say that."

In fact, Lilith, the demon in charge of lust, bears a striking resemblance to Cecilie. Lilith is a fallen demon with black hair and red eyes, and her revealing outfit emphasizes her voluptuous figure.

Of course, they're not exactly the same. Lilith has a beauty mark, a different hairstyle, a pair of demon wings on her shoulders, and a more revealing outfit.

At least, that's what I remember from the dress she wore at the last gathering.

Anyway, while Cecilie was the inspiration, there are some significant differences. To be more precise, it's not that I based Lilith on Cecilie, but rather that the Lilith in my mind exists before me.

'Anyway, why is she saying such things? Is she testing me?'

I opened one eye and looked at Cecilie's face. She was smiling, seemingly amused by something.

As I mentioned before, Cecilie is half-convinced that I am the author of Zayon's biography. Since she's not entirely sure, she might be testing my reaction with such statements.

While I was pondering this, Cecilie listened to my answer and smiled even more warmly, her voice still captivating.

"Really? Too similar?"

"Yes."

"Hmm..."

In response to my blunt answer, Cecilie maintained her smile and stared at me intently. Her gaze was so intense that I had to look away.

For some reason, the more I met Cecilie's red eyes, the more I felt my mind becoming hazy. I thought I had gotten used to it, but her beauty was truly exceptional.

"Alright. I feel good."

Cecilie smiled and spoke with a relieved expression. I wondered if she had caught on, but it didn't seem like it.

Anyway, the alluring aura she was giving off gradually faded. My flushed face calmed down, and my heart, which had been racing, slowly returned to normal.

I sighed in relief and asked her in a slightly tired voice.

"...Why did you ask that?"

"Just curious. I thought maybe I was the only one who thought so."

"As I said before, if anyone else had said that, I would have called it an overactive imagination."

"Hmm."

In response to my answer, Cecilie let out a seductive sigh and half-closed her eyes. Her red eyes glowed brightly through the slits.

Just as I was feeling a bit uneasy, Cecilie leaned forward slightly and whispered to me.

"Is that how you see me, Isaac? As a succubus with a seductive appearance and figure?"

"..."

Trying to avoid revealing my secret, I ended up revealing my true feelings. I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh at Cecilie's intense expression.

Is this the experience of a demon princess who has lived for over a century? The more the conversation progressed, the more I felt like I was being drawn into a quagmire.

While I was having such pointless thoughts and couldn't even form a response, Cecilie seemed to take my hollow laugh as a positive sign and nodded, leaning back.

Then, after looking around and confirming that the restaurant was almost empty, she spoke quietly, still smiling.

"Isaac, did you hear any rumors when you enrolled? About me being a succubus's descendant?"

"Of course I did."

It was my true feelings, not a secret, that came out. The tension in my body relaxed, and I could answer calmly. It was more embarrassing to have my true feelings revealed than a secret.

Cecilie looked around again after hearing my answer, probably to make sure no one was listening to our conversation.

Then, to prevent any sound from escaping, she put her hand to her mouth and spoke quietly.

"If that rumor were true, would you believe it?"

"Hmm..."

I stared at Cecilie's face.

Her smile seemed playful, but her tone was very serious. This suggested a high probability that it was true.

But if Cecilie really was a succubus's descendant... I had my suspicions, but there's a difference between hearing it as a rumor and hearing it from her own mouth.

I was momentarily surprised but simply nodded and answered.

"I would probably believe it. But even if you are a succubus's descendant, it doesn't change anything, right?"

But it doesn't change anything. Even if she inherited a lot of blood, Cecilie is a demon, not a succubus.

According to historical records, succubi in this world absorb male essence to gain power, similar to their past lives, but they do so until the man dies.

In other words, from the man's perspective, it's like a fatal accident.

Of course, it's not something to be desired. According to historical records, men continued to have relations even when their genitals bled, and there are even accounts of testicles being torn off. It's truly terrifying.

"There are various things. For example..."

Cecilie trailed off and started to gauge my reaction. Moreover, the blush on her cheeks suggested that she was embarrassed to say it.

What kind of secret could it be that she, who usually doesn't hesitate to make suggestive jokes, was now hesitating? I couldn't help but wonder.

After a moment of hesitation, she twirled her jet-black hair and finally spoke in an embarrassed tone.

"...My libido explodes during my period?"

"..."

"I don't know if it's because I inherited succubus blood, but I find it particularly hard to control. So... I'll stop there."

Her face turned red quickly, and I was left speechless, staring at her in shock.

Given that she has lived for over a century, perhaps during that time...

"To avoid any misunderstanding, I have never had such an experience. I can control my desires if I meditate all day."

Just as I was about to think the worst, Cecilie quickly clarified. It seemed she had read my thoughts from my expression, which was even more unsettling.

A century is an unimaginably long time. I'm not even 40 years old, combining my past and present lives, while Cecilie has lived for over a century. It's hard to believe she has no romantic experience during that time.

I stared at the unusually flustered Cecilie and asked cautiously.

"...You mean you've had no male experience in over a century? Is that even possible?"

"...As I said before, apart from my father, there are almost no people who take my jokes seriously. And as the princess of Helium, scandals would cause political problems."

"Um... That makes sense."

As the children of rulers like Cecilie and Lina, they would have to be more careful with their behavior. In my past life, if the children of politicians had negative rumors, their parents would also be criticized.

Moreover, Cecilie is the princess of Helium, the next in line to be the Demon King. Even a small rumor could put her in a difficult position.

'Then, is it okay for me to be with her?'

I couldn't help but wonder. During the last gathering, she said that linking arms was a reward, but it didn't quite make sense.

Or maybe it was a cultural difference. I asked Cecilie about my confusion.

"Is it okay to link arms, like at the last gathering?"

"Huh? Oh, that? Linking arms was a reward, so it's fine. But anything more is not allowed. For example, touching horns or interlocking fingers."

Cecilie explained, fanning her face to cool down. The idea of linking arms was strange to me as a human, but I attributed it to cultural differences.

Just as the conversation was about to end, Cecilie looked around and spoke softly. Her face still had a faint blush.

"...Isaac, do you have any secrets?"

"Secrets?"

"Yes. Secrets that are hard to tell others. Actually, the reason I have no romantic experience is because I'm a succubus's descendant. As you know, succubi absorb male essence until the man dies. The men of Helium believe this rumor and avoid me, thinking I'm a poisonous flower."

"Ah..."

It was an interesting story. I pursed my lips in amazement.

I don't care if Cecilie is a succubus or a succubus's descendant, but it seems the demons do. Given that they are descendants of demons, they are sensitive to such things.

Even as a human, I could understand this. But that's not the important part right now.

"Secrets..."

I rested my chin in my hand, looking down and murmured. I noticed Cecilie's face tense up.

By telling me her secret, does it mean she trusts me? Cecilie is testing me, but unlike Lina, she won't push me to speak until I do.

However, she already half-believes I am the author of Zayon's biography. If I hesitate to speak, she might be disappointed. She trusts me enough to share her secret, but I don't.

I thought for a long time and then raised my gaze. Cecilie was waiting for my answer, her face tense.

"...Sis."

"Yes, Isaac."

"Are you good at keeping secrets?"

Cecilie nodded at my serious question. Her expression was very serious, showing no signs of joking.

I took a deep breath and looked around. There were almost no people, but it would be better to speak in a quiet place.

With that, I smiled slightly and suggested to Cecilie.

"Let's go somewhere quiet for a moment."

"...Okay!"

Cecilie's face lit up with a smile at my suggestion.