Chapter 99

■ Chapter 98. A Strange Connection (4) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

As Cecilie smiled and asked, a chill ran up my right arm and spread throughout my body. The blood in my veins turned cold, and my body felt as if it had frozen solid.

My body had stiffened to the point where I almost couldn't open my mouth, but I forced myself to shake off the feeling and turned my head in the direction I suspected the chill was coming from. It was where Arwen was.

However, Arwen was clearly flustered upon meeting Cecilie.

Judging by her expression and reaction, the culprit of this chill was definitely not Arwen. And certainly not Cecilie, who was smiling.

‘What is this? Who could it be…’

If that's the case, could this feeling of my blood turning cold be just an illusion? I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the goosebumps, and then suddenly thought of something.

Cecilie referred to this person as 'these people' rather than 'this person' when talking to Arwen. But there's only Arwen with me.

Does Cecilie have a bodyguard knight like Garth, or a security guard following her while hiding? Given that she is the next in line to be the Demon King, she must be able to see things I can't.

I alternated my gaze between Arwen and Cecilie, then fixed my eyes on Cecilie, who was smiling, and slowly opened my mouth. I decided to pretend I didn't know.

“…What do you mean, sis? Arwen is alone.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

When I pretended not to know, Cecilie let out a strange sound and smiled slyly. She then shifted her gaze to Arwen, crossed her arms, and showed a look of interest.

Her chest, already prominent in the dress, became even more noticeable with her arms crossed. I struggled to lift my gaze, which kept drifting downward.

Meanwhile, Cecilie stared intently at Arwen and smiled again. It was a smile so beautiful it was almost fatal.

“Sorry. I must have seen something wrong. Don't worry about what I said.”

“…I see.”

“Then who is this person? The pure aura suggests an elf.”

After circling back, Cecilie asked me who Arwen was. I glanced at Arwen.

Due to the deep hood, I couldn't see her expression clearly, but her slightly exposed mouth was tightly shut.

I had only met Arwen today, and Cecilie had already noticed she was an elf. I had nothing to say in response.

“It's just someone I met by chance at the bookstore. She helped me choose a book.”

“Is that all?”

“She also showed me around the exhibition and bought me some delicious treats. See, here's the strawberry candy.”

When I mentioned the strawberry candy, Cecilie looked at Arwen's hand. In Arwen's hand was the strawberry candy she had only taken a bite of.

Then, Cecilie complained to me in a slightly disappointed voice.

“Did you buy it for someone you just met today and not for me?”

“…I'm sorry. Do you want me to buy you some now?”

“No, it's fine.”

Cecilie answered and slowly approached us. As she got closer, the cold aura on my right side grew stronger.

When I turned my head to check on Arwen, she had a calm expression. I couldn't tell if I was being too sensitive or if it was just an illusion.

Thud-

Finally, Cecilie confidently reached in front of Arwen and me. More precisely, in front of Arwen.

Arwen is shorter than me, and Cecilie, with her tall stature, is quite tall like Nicole. The height difference made Cecilie look down at Arwen, who looked up at her.

As they stared at each other, a strange standoff occurred. Then, Cecilie introduced herself to Arwen with a gentle smile.

“Nice to meet you. I'm Cecilie.”

Cecilie didn't feel the need to reveal that she was the princess of Helium and only mentioned her name.

However, the grace and charisma she exuded would make one intuit that her status was not ordinary.

Arwen quickly scanned Cecilie's beautiful appearance and then spoke in a small voice.

“…Call me Arwen.”

Her voice was soft, but she wasn't intimidated. Rather, it was tinged with caution.

Unlike Cecilie, who used formal language, Arwen used informal language, which might seem strange, but considering the relationship between elves and demons, it wasn't that unusual.

In the past, elves viewed humans as inferior races, while demons were seen as harmful beings.

Elves, descendants of angels, and demons, descendants of devils. Just from this, one can see the strained relationship between them.

The auras they carry are so opposite that it's said that just being close to each other can cause discomfort.

Fortunately, since the appearance of Zeon, elves have become more accepting of demons like other races, but the inherent discomfort is hard to hide.

“Arwen… A simple but nice name. It's the name of an elf hero who was active during the Demon War.”

“You know it. And your name is also good. It means 'holy.'”

“Thank you.”

At least their first impression seemed good. Cecilie didn't seem to mind that Arwen used informal language.

However, we can't let our guard down. Although humans have oppressed demons the most, elves are inherently opposite, so who knows what might happen.

“Instead of standing here, why don't we look at some exhibits?”

While I maintained my tension, Cecilie suggested to Arwen in a gentle voice. Standing here for too long would be strange.

Arwen seemed to agree and nodded in acceptance. She still held the strawberry candy in her hand.

It seemed difficult to eat...

“Yum.”

“... ...”

...but she bit into the strawberry candy. Her gaze was fixed on Cecilie, as if it was hard to resist.

Cecilie, surprised by Arwen's sudden bite, widened her eyes for a moment, then smiled gracefully.

Although it was a bit rude, Arwen's cute appearance masked the rudeness and amplified her inherent cuteness.

“I'm sorry. The sweet smell stimulated me, and I couldn't help it.”

Arwen, who had been savoring the strawberry candy, swallowed the food in her mouth and answered.

Then, she glanced at me and continued while looking at Cecilie.

“It's unfortunate, but I think I shouldn't intrude. I'll stay here.”

“I'm really fine. What about you, Isaac?”

I nodded in response to Cecilie's question. So far, Arwen's personality didn't seem bad, and she was quite perceptive.

So, even if Cecilie is a demon, the chances of any problems arising are low.

“No. You two might be fine, but I feel uncomfortable. It seems you two know each other, so it wouldn't be right for an uninvited guest to intrude.”

“... ...”

“But I won't forget the kindness you showed me. I'm really grateful.”

Arwen placed her right hand on her chest and slowly bowed. It was an elegant and benevolent greeting.

I felt a bit sad as I received her greeting, but I also politely returned it. I had already guessed that she was a noble, so this was the least I could do to be polite.

“Then, I'll be on my way. Oh, the strawberry candy is really delicious. You should try it too. Yum.”

Arwen joked with me and took another bite of the strawberry candy. I laughed, as if to say, 'You're incorrigible.'

She said not to treat her like a child, but her actions were consistent.

“Maybe I'll buy you another strawberry candy if we meet again.”

“You keep treating me like a child. But there's no need. When we meet again, I'll show you kindness. I don't know when, but I have a feeling we'll meet again soon. Someone with your passion for history is rare. Maybe I'll see you at the sanctuary.”

“The sanctuary...”

Come to think of it, Professor Elena mentioned it. If I enter the field of history as a recommended student, she would take me to the sanctuary in Alvenheim.

Maybe I'll meet Arwen again then.

“I might visit Alvenheim in 2-3 years. If our paths cross, we can meet.”

“That's good news. Isaac Duker Mayshall... If I hear that you've visited the sanctuary, I'll come find you. Goodbye.”

Arwen left those words and took a step back, then turned and walked away.

I watched her retreating figure until she disappeared into the crowd.

We had a good conversation as fellow book lovers and a perceptive elf, so it was a bit sad to part ways.

“Sad?”

While I was looking in the direction Arwen had disappeared, Cecilie asked me. I turned to her.

Cecilie was wearing her usual gentle smile. I blinked and stared at her beautiful smile for a moment before quietly answering.

“...A little.”

“It seems you like her.”

“She has similar interests and is open-minded for an elf. And she showed me some magic...”

Wait a minute. I suddenly thought of something and looked at Cecilie again.

Cecilie tilted her head, as if wondering if I had something to say.

“Sis, can you show me some magic too?”

“Magic?”

“Yes. Earlier, Arwen made a water droplet and moved it around. Can you do that?”

Cecilie is a demon, and the next in line to be the Demon King. She must have incredible magical abilities.

As I looked at her with sparkling eyes, Cecilie stared at me. Then, she smiled and spoke in a soothing voice.

“What kind of magic do you want, my lord Isaac?”

“Something that won't cause harm and is just a trick?”

“A trick, huh...”

Swoosh-

Cecilie trailed off and gently took my hand. I could feel the calloused skin from her rigorous training, not the softness of well-maintained hands.

As I looked at her in confusion, she maintained her cheerful smile and spoke.

“Like this?”

“What... Ah!”

Whoosh!

I couldn't help but let out a shrill scream as my body's balance was suddenly thrown upward.

Because...

“W, W, What is this...! Put me down quickly!!”

“Why? It's just a trick to me.”

“My heart is about to stop, so quickly!!”

Cecilie had used magic to lift me into the sky. She was also floating in the sky using magic.

Seeing me flailing my arms and legs in the blue sky, Cecilie burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Isaac, do you know what you look like right now?”

“I know, I know, please put me down!”

“No, I don't want to. You're cute, so let's stay like this for a bit.”

“Sis!!”

In the end, we flew in the sky for 30 minutes.

* * *

After parting ways with Isaac, Arwen wandered around the exhibition, viewing the works. In her hand was the strawberry candy that Isaac had bought for her.

She had already eaten two, leaving only three, but it was enough for her. She savored the candy, which was both sweet and tangy.

The sweetness of the syrup and the tanginess of the strawberry spread in her mouth, giving her a sense of happiness.

“Your Majesty, are you really going to leave it as it is?”

While Arwen was savoring the strawberry candy, someone beside her asked in a discontented voice.

Currently in hiding, no one could see her, but it was Rain, the dark elf who had accompanied Arwen.

She was the one who had emitted a terrifying aura when Cecilie noticed her presence, making Isaac feel cold.

“We can't do anything, can we? We came here to view the exhibition, not to fight.”

“But... Your Majesty, you know how dangerous the aura from that demon is.”

“... ...”

Arwen didn't respond to Rain's explanation. She was just thinking about Cecilie.

As Rain said, the aura from Cecilie was extremely dangerous. Normally, demons are not much different from humans, but in certain situations, things change.

For example, just before turning into a devil. If a demon experiences a terrible event and can't suppress emotions like anger or sadness, the concentration of black mana in their body increases.

However, this is something that can be felt regardless of race, and elves, who are opposite to demons, can sense it more finely.

Currently, the concentration of black mana from Cecilie is not as high as a devil's, but it's at a slightly dangerous level. It needs to be watched.

“...I know that. It's probably the onset of a bad period. But she seems to have strong patience, so we don't need to worry.”

“If Your Majesty says so... What about the red-haired one?”

“Isaac is...”

Arwen thought of Isaac's face. A human who loved books like her and showed her kindness.

His rare red hair and golden eyes made his face unforgettable. To her, who rarely had someone to converse with, he was a refreshing experience.

‘But a human like that has a connection with the princess of Helium...’

Arwen had also noticed that Cecilie was the princess of Helium. And it seemed Cecilie had a rough idea of who she was.

It was because of Isaac that she didn't reveal her identity, to avoid complicating the situation.

Arwen pondered the relationship between the two and glanced at Rain. Rain was still waiting for her answer.

“...Isaac seems to be just an ordinary human. Didn't you feel it too? He can use mana, but that's all. He's just an ordinary human.”

“But the fact that he's with that demon doesn't seem ordinary at all.”

“We don't need to know every detail. The exhibition is important now. And he did buy you strawberry candy.”

“...I understand.”

Rain pouted in response to Arwen's reprimand, indirectly showing her dissatisfaction.

Seeing this, Arwen sighed inwardly and couldn't help but worry.

‘Nothing should happen... It's fortunate that we have insurance.’

The strange encounter ended here.