"What are you all doing here?"
When the difficult situation continued for several minutes, a gentle woman's voice intervened. Her voice was filled with wonder and curiosity. Not only did I turn my head at that voice, but so did the two women holding my arms.
A woman with wavy golden hair and sapphire-blue eyes, while holding a wine glass in one hand, looked at us in puzzlement. The off-shoulder dress she wore, with its gold and white accents, exuded an elegant and lofty elegance. In addition, she wore a lot of expensive jewelry on her body, as if to show off what kind of person she was.
Rina appeared as this country's 'Princess' rather than just a student today, similar to Marie, whose aura had changed 180 degrees from before. "Are you having a love battle? If so, it's pretty fun to watch."
Rina said this with a hint of interest and sipped from her wine glass. She had the demeanor of someone watching a fire blazing across the river, but her words were somewhat chilling.
"...Love battle?" When she heard Rina's words, Marie furrowed her brows and turned to face me. Unconsciously, I also met Marie's gaze.
"...Ah!" Then, with a sudden look of startlement, Marie took her hand off my arm. Hearing Rina's words, she seems to have realized, albeit belatedly, how others would perceive the current situation.
Cecily, meanwhile, also quietly let go of my arm, as if she wanted to stop playing. It was the moment my arms, which had been nearly buried in her full chest, were finally free. It might seem a little strange to say, but Cecily's breasts were fluffy, like a pillow full of feathers. As she removed her arm, I could feel it more clearly.
"Who...who...ah, who is fighting? Don't just make assumptions, will you?" As the situation came to an end, Marie hollered at Rina. Her snow-white skin blushed as she stammered at first, indicating that she was embarrassed.
Rina shrugged her shoulders, as if it didn't matter, and replied with a nonchalant expression, "I apologize for any confusion. It looks like Cecily was joking, right?" Rina then turned to face Cecily. Her tone was calm but assured.
"You noticed it right away. As expected of Rina." Cecily, right on cue, did not deny it and immediately acknowledged it.
I looked at Cecily as I tried to cool my own burning face. Unlike Marie, Cecily's relaxed response, with her hands behind her back and her gaze elsewhere, suggested that nothing was wrong.
But I'm still baffled as to why she pulled this prank. Even though it was apparently a joke, it was a little much. Grabbing my arm without hesitation, even if it's for a 'reward' or something, is akin to displaying affection.
'...Is she just playing a prank on me because I am easy to tease?' Cecily has feelings for me. It's not an illusion. If you observe her attitude towards me and her pranks, you'll realize it no matter how tactless you normally are.
However, there are times when it is difficult to distinguish between a crush' as a person and a crush as a member of the opposite sex. As she previously stated, a reward-like concept to a demonkin would be similar to human-to-human feelings.
'I guess I have to think of it as just flirting...'
For the time being, it is preferable to believe so. Evidence that Cecily liked me as a member of the opposite sex was still insufficient, and even if she did, I was going to distance myself.
I, the son of a baron, and Cecily, the princess of Helium. This alone should tell anyone how great the social gap between us is. Of course, once she realizes I'm the author of Xenon's Saga, the tables will be turned, but let's forget about that for now because no one wants to reveal a well-kept secret.
It's not just Cecily, however, but also Marie who's a problem for me. Her social rank is also among the top of this country.
"By the way, Isaac's suit reminds me of Cecily's a little. It looks great with your hair color."
"Thank you. Ms. Rina seems to be shining like the sun in the blue sky, too."
"Huhu. Thank you for the compliment. Marie seems to be prettier than before. Is this what you meant when you said you would be working hard on something for today?"
"I'm not at all happy to hear you say that." Despite Rina's complimentary words, Marie treated her coldly. Despite the fact that Marie is the daughter of a duke, she still showed disrespect to the princess, who is superior to her.
Rina, however, didn't seem to mind at all, merely smiling like usual, and didn't say anything else in response. After seeing Rina's demeanor remain calm and unruffled, Marie's own expression started to crumple in real-time.
"...Anyway, what are you going to do now?" Mari asked Rina, maintaining her cold demeanor, to which Rina replied in her characteristically soft tone, "I was going to take Isaac with me. I thought it would be nice to introduce Isaac to a friend I know."
"You're asking Isaac to come with you? Don't you have to ask Isaac's opinion?"
"Well, I guess I could ask him now. What does Isaac think?"
Even after Marie's hostile-sounding question, Rina answered skillfully. She looked at Marie's annoyed face and then asked for my opinion. I rubbed the nib on my middle finger, feeling uncomfortable once again.
I'm already getting a lot of looks, and what if I follow Rina around the venue? It is obvious what others will think. Even if Rina is disappointed, rejecting her offer is preferable to entering the complicated world of aristocratic politics. Even if she applies subtle pressure again, I will refuse.
"I apologize. I don't want to cause any trouble to Ms. Rina, so I shouldn't."
"Even if I personally ask you to?"
After I politely expressed my refusal, Rina said what I expected. "Please," she added, but it was more like an order from a royal princess. I was looking Rina in the eyes as she said this. Her eyes were filled with the certainty that I would be unable to refuse. But I can assure you, princess, that you are wrong.
"I'm sorry, Princess. I'm not interested in situations that get too complicated. Not at all. I just want to enjoy the Gathering itself at this moment." I said this in a strong voice, making my intentions clear to Rina. I placed a hand on my chest to show my resolve.
Rina's eyes widened slightly, perhaps because I'd said it so bluntly, using the title of Princess instead of calling her by her first name as I usually did. She hadn't expected me to say this at all. Even if it hurts her feelings, it's better for my future reputation if I cut her off here.
"...Okay. If that's what you intend. I can't take someone who doesn't feel comfortable being with me."
Rina understood what I meant, but she didn't show any signs of disappointment. She was silent for a moment, and when she had nothing more to say to me, she turned to Cecily next to her.
"And you, Cecily?"
"Me? I'm just wondering who Rina's friends are."
"Okay. Marie—"
"Do I really have to answer that?" Before she could finish the question, a harsh reply came back from Marie.
Rina, as expected, smiled and opened her mouth. "Marie. Before I say anything, how long are you going to keep that attitude? Do you hate me so much?"
"I don't want to get close to someone who always wears a mask. I can understand where you're coming from, but it shouldn't have happened, at least not to me."
Rina had apparently caused Marie great pain in the past, huh. Rina isn't saying much about it, so I'm guessing she feels that she made a mistake.
The stunned silence that followed Marie's answer was broken only briefly when Rina spoke again. Instead, her voice was weaker than before as she murmured, "...We'll talk about it later. Cecily, shall we go?"
"Um, yes, certainly."
"Then I hope you two have a good time."
Rina led Cecily to a spot where people were gathered in groups of twos and threes. Cecily waved a quick goodbye and smiled at us as she walked away.
I waved back in déjà vu, feeling like I'd been through a similar situation before. Marie next to me also waved back at Cecily, but didn't even spare Rina a glance.
(To be continued............)
---Chapter 32.2 – What Bullshit Is This (1)----
The chapter title has been changed from 'What Nonsense Is This' to 'What Bullshit Is This'. Though I feel it wouldn't make much difference, it just shows the MC's feelings a bit more.
When Rina and Cecily were surrounded by people and soon out of sight, Marie looked at me and suggested something. Her face was bright and cheerful, unlike the way it was around Rina.
"Why don't we go somewhere else, then?"
"Umm..." I cast a glance at Marie, who had casually referred to us as 'we,' and didn't answer right away because I had something to think about.
The reason for rejecting Rina's proposal was partly because I didn't want to get involved politically, but the fundamental reason was that I felt uncomfortable around Rina. She wasn't someone I felt comfortable talking to, like Marie or Cecily.
But in Marie's case, things were a little different. I consider myself to be close to her, and she currently has feelings for me. I couldn't tell if these were feelings as a member of the opposite sex or as a person like Cecily, but I could say that it was not an unpleasant relationship.
'Still, I have to say something.'
Feeling a little worried, I asked Marie, "If I'm with you, won't the reason for rejecting Ms. Rina's proposal disappear?"
"Uh..." Marie didn't answer right away, probably because she was at a loss for words. Her blue eyes rolled back and forth, searching for a reason.
No matter how far away Marie is from a sense of authority, she still hails from the Duke of Reqiluis' family. Even if she wants to avoid it, it is a complicated thing to be in a position where she has no choice but to be politically involved.
Moreover, she had brought up a similar point before. Even if she does not want to attend gatherings like this, as the daughter of the Requilis Family, she is obligated to do so in order to expand her network. It's an inescapable truth.
What choice will Marie make here? I waited patiently for her to organize her thoughts.
She nodded after a few moments, looking over to Rina and Cecily. She'd apparently come to a conclusion.
"...Not right now. I have things to do, you know."
Marie spoke with a slightly gloomy expression. Her work was obviously to expand her network. If she valued the gathering as a simple, friendly get-together of academy students like I did, she'd be happy to join me, but alas, it wasn't to be.
"Okay. I'll see you later, then."
"Yeah. I'll meet you when the event is over. Oh, and..." Marie stopped talking and stared at my face. In response, I tilted my head in question.
She opened and closed her mouth, blushed slightly, coughed, and then spoke to me in a quieter voice than before, "That...because of Cecily's prank earlier, other people might ask what's going on between you and me. Then..."
"Then?"
".........."
Marie's speech was no longer just slurred, it was gone, and at the same time, her face was beginning to turn a deeper shade of sunset red.
Well, I could sense what she was thinking. She's probably trying to figure out what kind of relationship she has with me. I waited quietly for her lips to open.
After a few moments of deliberation, she glanced at me and sighed heavily, and opened her mouth in a slightly mixed voice, "...Just say we're just friends, okay? Tell them that Cecily was playing a prank and you were worried about her."
"Okay."
"...Okay. Then have a good time." Marie walked away after a weak response to my forthright reply. It wasn't until she turned around that I noticed the back of her dress was open. Although not as good as Cecily, Marie's dress is also daring.
I looked at her for a moment, her back alone radiating beauty, before turning away as the situation appeared to be resolved.
"...Huh?" Suddenly I felt eyes on me from behind so I turned my head back. But, as if it was all an illusion, no one was looking at me.
Only Marie's back, which was getting further away, was visible. I turned away after looking at her back once again.
"Let's just get some wine."
On my way to the table, I thought about the wine Rina had in one hand earlier. You're considered an adult here when you turn 17, so it's okay to drink.
I don't really like drinking, but I was curious. What does wine taste like in this world? I'm not sure if it's because my taste buds are childish, but I prefer it sweet rather than bitter.
'But when will the event start...' I muttered to myself as I made my way to the table.
"Hey, the redhead over there!"
"Huh?"
The redhead in question was me, and I could roughly guess who it was based on the voice that kept repeating in my head and the fact that I was called a redhead instead of my name.
I turned my head, and sure enough, I saw a familiar face in the distance. Despite being surrounded by others, that undeniable presence was unmistakable.
As my unmistakable face draws the attention of those around me, I nervously surveyed my surroundings just in case. But sure enough, there's only me with red hair.
In response, I pointed my index finger at myself and questioned, "Me?"
I wonder if that got through. The unmistakable presence—that is, Jackson's face—appeared twisted and distorted. His expression clearly showed an 'If not you, then who?' look.
I walked over to Jackson, giggling inwardly at his reaction. Then the people around him focused their attention on me. They were all unfamiliar faces, presumably not students. The men were mostly tall or broad-shouldered, and some women wore men's robes rather than dresses.
I stood in front of Jackson and gave him the same blunt greeting as before. I didn't care even if there were a lot of people watching.
"Hi."
"..........."
Jackson's face crumpled even more than before. For some reason, he seemed unhappy with my greeting.
He then took a deep breath as if to clear his throat and spoke quietly. "You're... You have no manners. Didn't your family teach you to show respect to those who hold a higher rank than you?"
".........."
I didn't answer right away, just glanced around. The faces I saw for the first time were watching this situation with interest. It seems like he was trying to paint me as a rude bastard in front of everyone, but he's got one thing wrong.
"That's only when you've 'officially' taken over the title, not when you're one of us."
"...what?"
As soon as I said that, Jackson gave me a puzzled look. It turns out that the only time you should be polite is when you're officially titled.
There are, of course, exceptions. One example is royalty, which is higher than nobility. This is why I always addressed Rina in a respectful manner. Because Cecily asked me to call her Noona, that was an exception.
But Jackson had this weird belief that I don't know where he got it from. Besides, unless you have a condescending mindset like Jackson's, people are usually respectful and honor each other.
"But shouldn't they be formal with each other?"
"That redhead spoke informally first."
"No, it was Jackson who called out to the one with red hair first."
Ah, but that doesn't make me right. As one can see from what the others are saying now, we were both labeled as rude. However, Jackson appeared befuddled by the current situation. I've never been publicly labeled as rude before so this was a first.
I opened my mouth to continue the conversation since he was stumped. The first thing I need to know is why he called me. "Anyway, do you have something to tell me? There has to be a reason you called me, right?"
"...Hmm? Hmm." Jackson cleared his throat and calmed down, perhaps as a result of my question. And he spoke to me with his usual condescending demeanor, "It's no big deal. I happened to see you while passing by. There was a funny situation before that."
"..........."
"The daughter of the Duke of Requilis and the Princess of Helium. They are people you can't get close to, no matter what anyone says. They live in different worlds, unlike us."
"So what's the point? If you're going to talk about weird things, I'm leaving."
"Now, wait! Listen to me!"
When I gestured as if I was really going, Jackson stopped me abruptly. It seems that he never expected that I would act like this. But now I'm a little annoyed that my precious time is being taken away. I was going to drink my wine, after all, so what the hell?
With a look that implied that he still looked down on me despite my brusque expression, Jackson said, "The story I want to tell is simple. It's to test each other's logic."
"Logic?"
"Yeah. I didn't think it was worth it at first, but after seeing how much attention you were getting from professors, I changed my mind. Your knowledge and understanding have been validated, so I've been wondering how sound your logic is."
Umm... So you're going to humiliate me in front of everyone, assuming you're smarter than me?
I'm not sure why he made such a confident proposal. Rather, it could be the equivalent of arm wrestling for Jackson. Apparently, he wants to humiliate me and show off his brains at the same time, which will backfire if he loses.
I raised one eyebrow and expressed my doubts. Let alone a suggestion, I was curious about the subject.
"What's the subject? If it's weird, I'll reject it."
"Xenon's Saga."
"...what?"
Why is this happening all of a sudden?
"Everyone here is a huge admirer of Xenon's Saga," Jackson said as he spread his arms and pointed to the people gathered around him. "Just a few moments ago, we were discussing how the story will unfold in the future, each with our own opinions and logic."
"............"
"And then I saw your face. You, the freshman in Academics, are often receiving the attention of the professors."
"So?"
At my question, Jackson sneered and continued, "As you know, Xenon's Saga has Xenon and Mary as the main characters, but Jin and Lily are just as important. In addition, the pitiful love story between Jin, a demon, and Lily, a saintess, is tugging at the heartstrings of countless readers. We were just discussing it a moment ago."
"So I noticed."
And I'm going to tragically end that love story. No matter what others say, shouldn't rice cakes* and foreshadowing be collected?
{*T/N:- The literal translation is 'Tteokbap' which is used as a metaphor to describe something popular and hot like a hot topic, hot issue, or hot information that will catch people's interest, a.k.a. bait.}
But the discussion of ships, I thought, was a little off. I thought we were going to talk about the economy or politics of the story, but as Nicole once said to me, 'Kids will be kids.'
Jackson, seemingly bolstered by my affirmation, rattled off a series of explanations, adding, "But I don't think so. Jin and Lily can never get along. I can be sure of this."
"...Why?"
You bastard, did you find the rice cake I hid so tightly?
I felt my liking for Jackson rise a bit from where he usually crawled on the floor (metaphorically speaking), and focused on his words. From a writer's point of view, there's nothing more gratifying than when a reader deduces a plot twist through reasoning.
Furthermore, what if it is a case of meticulous analysis and reasoning based on foreshadowing and my rice cakes to draw his conclusions? I will write more diligently now that I know you enjoy my work so much.
That's why I couldn't help but have more expectations for Jackson. Everyone thinks Jin and Lily should end up together, but if he says they can't, there must be something...
"Because Lily will eventually go to Xenon."
".........."
"A combination of a demon and a saintess... God won't allow it no matter how fierce their struggle to be together is. Lily will eventually realize this too. Besides, you can tell that she has feelings for Xenon from the way she often shows kindness to him."
"Fuck. What?" What the hell is this bullshit? I let a heartfelt curse slip out of my mouth as soon as I heard his explanation.
This asshole just turned a perfectly good character into a fucking bitch.
(End of chapter............ Thank you for reading...............)