Chapter 55

■ Chapter 54. Confession (1) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

With renewed resolve, the next day dawned. Today, there were no exams, only assignments to submit, so there was plenty of time to chat with friends.

Originally, I had wished for nothing to happen, but after experiencing various incidents, my mindset had changed. Instead of wishing for nothing to happen, I decided to improve my ability to handle any situation that might arise.

I resolved to enhance my own abilities rather than relying on my family. With this mindset, I couldn't help but feel tense.

In any case, the first thing was to ask Cecil about what happened yesterday. What was her true intention in trying to seduce me? Without presenting any solid evidence, her actions left me not just surprised but utterly perplexed.

'And...'

After much deliberation, I could change my approach to dealing with Marie. If I truly cared for her, I should prevent her from being hurt if my secret were to be revealed later.

At the very least, I had to prevent a woman who liked me from being hurt due to my indecisiveness. Although Marie, unlike others, had no idea that I was the author of the Zayon Chronicles, she might feel betrayed if she found out.

She might wonder if someone else was more trustworthy than her. Why couldn't I tell her the secret?

We had built a relationship through a series of coincidences, and I was worried that it could all crumble due to my complacency. Moreover, Marie was quite perceptive and might have already sensed something.

Most importantly, I had already hurt her yesterday. If I were in her shoes, I would be heartbroken to see the woman I liked with another man.

'Let's focus on the class first.'

I reaffirmed my resolve and headed to the lecture hall. The first class was philosophy, and Marie, Cecil, and Lina were all in it.

While I didn't know about Lina, Marie and Cecil had talked alone yesterday, so there would definitely be significant changes. I was unsure if I could handle the situation wisely, but I had to believe in myself.

Otherwise, such situations would likely repeat, complicating matters and making things difficult for others as well.

With renewed determination, I was almost at the lecture hall when:

“Eh.”

“Huh?”

Coincidentally, I met Cecil at the door. Just as I was surprised, Cecil's eyes widened, indicating she hadn't expected to see me.

In this unexpected situation, I hesitated to speak, but Cecil smiled gently and greeted me in a soft tone.

“Hi. Good morning.”

“Ah... Yes, good morning.”

“Huhu.”

When I greeted her awkwardly, Cecil smiled faintly. Her smile reminded me of yesterday, making me feel embarrassed.

As I felt a bit shy and rubbed the back of my neck, Cecil looked at me intently and spoke softly.

“I'm really sorry about yesterday.”

“Huh?”

“I shouldn't have done that to you... It was my fault. I apologize again.”

I couldn't hide my surprise at her sudden apology and formal speech. What had changed her mindset so much?

The issue didn't end there. Cecil, with her characteristic playful smile, bowed slightly and expressed her feelings.

Anyone could see that it was a polite and respectful gesture.

I couldn't help but be puzzled by her actions.

“...Why are you doing this suddenly?”

“I'll treat you like this when we're alone. You are the benefactor of our demon race, so you deserve the appropriate treatment.”

“... ...”

“Shall we go inside?”

I had no idea what was going on. I stared blankly at Cecil's back as she entered the lecture hall with a smile.

While it was true that we were alone at the door, her formal speech felt a bit off.

It felt like the distance between Cecil and me, who had been close, had subtly widened. Her usual playful nature made the change feel strange.

‘Benefactor...’

I wasn't completely clueless. Yesterday, Cecil had said that the author of the Zayon Chronicles was a benefactor who had fulfilled the demon race's long-held wish.

Moreover, she had expressed her willingness to offer herself to the benefactor. It made sense that her attitude towards me would change.

If things were normal, I would have told her not to be so formal and to just act as usual, but...

‘...What is this?’

A strange tickling sensation filled my chest. A demon princess treating me with such respect after learning my true identity—how should I describe this?

If she hadn't apologized for yesterday, I might have found her bold, but she had apologized, even bowing.

I stood rooted to the spot in front of the lecture hall for a while before quickly regaining my composure. There was something more important to deal with than Cecil.

‘Still...’

I felt a mix of good and bad emotions, making it quite complex.

With these feelings, I stepped into the lecture hall. As soon as I entered, I saw a familiar face sitting in the front row.

Marie, looking somewhat displeased, was resting her chin on her hand with a pout. It was clear from her expression that she was in a bad mood.

Was it because of yesterday? The tickling sensation in my chest vanished, replaced by tension. Marie's behavior was surely due to yesterday's events.

‘Naturally... naturally...’

I tried to suppress my racing heart and approached Marie. Today, I was late, but she had arrived quite early, so the seat next to her was empty.

As I slowly approached her, she seemed to sense my presence and turned her gaze from her desk to me. I expected her to react coldly because of yesterday.

“...Isaac!”

But she greeted me with wide, blue eyes and even waved her arms enthusiastically.

I was initially taken aback by her lively response, which I had expected to be more subdued, but I couldn't help but chuckle. It was so typical of her.

However, I still needed to apologize for my mistake, even though the heavy feeling in my chest had lightened somewhat.

“Hi.”

“Yeah, hi.”

When I greeted her with my usual gruffness, she smiled warmly. Her cheerful face was truly adorable.

As I sat down and took out my notebook, Marie asked:

“Did you get in okay yesterday?”

I couldn't help but pause at her question. Her voice was bright, but I could sense a hidden edge.

Looking at her, I saw her smiling, but it was clear to me that her lips were trembling slightly. It was a forced smile to hide her unease.

She was trying to act as if everything was fine, but it was evident that she was holding something back. After some thought, I responded:

“Yeah, I got in fine. How about you?”

“Me? Well...”

She trailed off and glanced behind her. Marie's gaze was directed at Cecil, who was currently chatting with Lina.

“...I got in fine. Nothing happened.”

“Really?”

She was lying. When she looked at Cecil, her eyes had briefly darkened.

It seemed she didn't want our relationship to become awkward, which only increased my guilt towards her.

I was glad I had made the decision. At least she wouldn't be hurt anymore.

“By the way, Isaac, have you read the latest volume of the Zayon Chronicles?”

As I struggled to hide my bitterness, Marie seemed to try to change the mood with this question. Since I had anticipated it, I nodded without hesitation.

“Of course. The new volumes are being published continuously thanks to the new technology introduced by the publisher. Have you read it?”

“Yeah, I read it yesterday. I was so surprised by the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins. The more I read the Zayon Chronicles, the more curious I am about what's in the author's mind. And...”

The person you're talking about is right in front of you. I swallowed my thoughts and smiled warmly as I watched Marie chatter.

Watching her from the side, she seemed like a small, cute bird chirping, which was soothing.

It was problematic that I had hurt such a girl.

As I watched Marie excitedly talk, I quietly spoke.

“...Marie.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“How much value do you think the author of the Zayon Chronicles has?”

Marie blinked her large eyes a few times and looked down, as if organizing her thoughts.

I waited patiently, resting my chin on my hand, until she spoke. I planned to ask Lina and Leort the same question if the opportunity arose, but I started with Marie, who was the most comfortable to talk to.

It might seem sudden to her, but it didn't matter. I had planned to meet her alone for lunch or after all the classes.

After a moment, Marie tapped her cheek with her index finger and shared her thoughts.

“First, speaking as a member of the Rechilles family, not just me, our family and even the empire can't afford to mess with the author. The impact the author has had on the world is immense.”

“Really that much?”

“Of course. Both our empire and the Teiros Kingdom are likely trying to recruit the author. They are in a fierce cultural competition, and there's nothing more effective than culture in governing a nation.”

“Culture...”

The concept of culture made sense. In my previous life, China was a good example.

China was once praised as a cultural powerhouse, but historical mistakes led to the destruction of its culture. This hindered its growth, even as it competed with the United States.

While the Chinese government's censorship and repression were major issues, the cultural destruction could have been avoided, making China an unstoppable superpower.

‘...A bit scary, isn't it?’

The idea that a single person could significantly influence a nation's culture is truly terrifying. In this world, which emulates the medieval era, culture is even more important.

As I thought about this, Marie looked at me intently and added another point.

“Also, the author's books can be used as weapons. Just as the author changed the perception of demons, it wouldn't be hard to change the perception of other races. While the author may not intend it, it could be very dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

“Yes. If the wrong ideology spreads, it could have serious consequences. That's why the state has to pay close attention.”

Indeed, this world doesn't have smartphones or the internet. Information dissemination is limited, with newspapers being a primary source.

For someone with limited connections like me, newspapers are the only way to stay informed, but I have no way of knowing if the information is true or fabricated.

So, according to Marie, my books could be used to spread ideologies, which naturally made me frown.

‘I just wanted to write an interesting book...’

I am far removed from politics. In my previous life, I was a college student with a very short career. The idea of entering the complex political world made me uncomfortable.

However, as I've said before, avoiding the issue isn't the solution. I need to prepare a strategy to write the books I want.

To do that, I need to improve my own abilities.

“Why are you asking this?”

As I made this resolve, Marie tilted her head in curiosity. I looked at her and spoke carefully.

“Marie.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you... have time today?”

I hesitated for a moment before mustering the courage to ask.

“I have something I want to talk about with you.”

Perhaps because the statement was open to misinterpretation:

“...Eh?”

Marie's pale face turned red rapidly.