Chapter 121: Book 11(2)
Chapter 121: Book 11(2)
Mari Hausen Rekilis, daughter of the Duke of Rekilis, had been enjoying blissful days lately. Thanks to her hard work, she was getting excellent grades at the Academy, and there was almost nothing causing her stress.
Even though she had faced various incidents this year, she had managed to navigate them wisely. Most importantly, her relationship with Lina—someone she once considered a bitter rival—had progressed significantly.
Following Isaac’s advice, the two of them had a heart-to-heart. Lina offered a sincere apology, bowing her head and expressing deep regret for her past actions, which allowed them to grow closer. Mari, for her part, didn't forget to apologize to Lina as well, admitting she had been far too petty.
With the tangled web of her ill-fated relationship with Lina finally cleared away, only one thing remained: her relationship with her boyfriend, Isaac.
And who was Isaac? He was none other than Xenon, the author of the Xenon Biography, whose identity countless people were dying to uncover.
Of course, while several acquaintances knew his secret, the fact that he was her boyfriend was far more important to her. And they weren't just any couple—they were a couple who had already shared a bed.
Since their first night together, Mari had fully awakened to her own sensuality, and they had been intimate almost every day. It helped that Isaac’s schedule had opened up significantly after Professor Elena appointed him as a recommended student.
Whenever Mari felt stressed by her studies, Isaac was there to take care of her both physically and mentally. She was so happy that she sometimes wondered if it was all a dream.
Above all, Mari was absolutely thrilled with the recent changes in Isaac. As they walked down the street, she called out to him as he stood by her side.
"Isaac."
"Yeah?"
At her call, Isaac turned his head to look at her. Mari took a moment to slowly scan his appearance, which had changed drastically over the past three months.
Before, he had a cute, innocent look—like a newborn penguin—that triggered a protective instinct. Now, his eyes had grown sharper, and he had lost his baby fat, giving him a much more gallant and manly air.
That wasn't all. As if proving the old saying that men grow later than women, he had shot up in height over the last few months.
He used to barely scrape past 170cm, but now he was a tall man easily exceeding 180cm. His father’s genes were clearly starting to shine through, as his shoulders had broadened significantly. She had heard that because he grew so suddenly, he had to change his school uniform every two weeks.
But for Mari, the most important change was something else.
"Did you say something?"
"Mmm..."
The moment Isaac spoke, Mari wore an ecstatic expression at the sound of his sweet voice, which felt like a whisper directly into her ear. His noticeably larger frame was one thing, but his voice was what she loved most.
In contrast to his previous boyish, delicate voice, he now possessed a mature, mid-to-low tone that sounded as if it were literally dripping with honey. It was a beautiful voice—the kind that could make her faint if he whispered "goodnight" in her ear.
A man’s attractive voice is more than enough to win a woman over, and Isaac possessed not only that but also a uniquely handsome face.
He was a great man of letters who held the world in his palm, his looks were flawless, and even his voice was perfect. She had wondered if such a man could truly exist in this world, only to realize that he was her very own boyfriend.
Feeling a thrill run through her, Mari tightly gripped Isaac’s arm. Before his growth spurt, it felt like she was just sticking to him, but now, due to the height difference, she was practically hanging off him.
"Isaac. Isaac."
"Yes, Mari."
"Hehe."
What kind of merit had she accumulated in her past life to meet such a perfect man? She giggled and rubbed her face against his arm.
Isaac blinked his golden eyes at her display of affection before chuckling and gently stroking her hair. Mari made a purring sound like a cat, leaning into his touch.
"Mmm~"
"Do you really like me that much?"
"Yes."
"I like you too."
His masculine, honeyed voice tickled Mari’s ear. She gripped his arm even tighter, as if she would never let go.
As she did, she subtly pressed his arm between her breasts, which had grown slightly larger than before. Just as Isaac had grown, she too had matured in various ways, beginning to exude a more womanly charm.
Isaac simply smiled at the soft sensation against his arm, no longer acting shy or embarrassed as he once had. Since they had already seen everything there was to see of each other, this was nothing more than a cute gesture.
Of course, since Mari had teased him, he intended to tease her back. He leaned in slowly and whispered into her ear.
"Are you trying to seduce me right now? Just say the word, anytime."
"Heheee..."
Mari completely melted.
*
I smiled as I watched Mari’s expression soften like melting ice cream. Even so, she didn't loosen her grip on my arm.
In the months since the exhibition, Mari had changed almost as much as I had. First, she had grown a bit taller, and her appearance had matured from that of a girl into a proper young woman.
Most importantly, as I could feel against my arm right now, her already large breasts had become even fuller. While they didn't quite reach the overwhelming presence of Cecile’s, they were definitely larger than they had been on our first night.
There’s a rumor that a woman’s breasts grow if someone touches them; perhaps that had something to do with it. I couldn't help but smile, remembering how Mari had grumbled about needing to buy new underwear.
It was still hard to believe that such a beautiful woman with such a stunning figure was my girlfriend, but that only made her feel more precious to me.
"...Not today. I have an exam tomorrow, so I have to study."
While I was lost in thought, Mari seemed to have regained her senses, answering with a bright red face. If I poked her cheek, it felt like red juice might come dripping out.
I felt a brief moment of disappointment at her answer, but then I spoke up at the mention of the exam period.
"Which exam is it this time?"
"Math. I'm so jealous of you, Isaac. You only have to take the History exam."
As Mari’s envy suggested, I had been appointed as a recommended student by Professor Elena, so I didn't need to attend other classes. I only had to focus on History, and starting from the second grade, I would be working as Professor Elena’s assistant.
However, because I wanted to acquire various types of knowledge in this world, I still audited other lectures. Since I didn't have to take the exams and was truly just observing, the professors didn't mind.
"I have to do well on the History exam, though. It would be a disaster if I slacked off after being appointed as a recommended student and had it revoked."
"Still, I'm jealous. I guess the professor only recommends you if you love history as much as she does?"
"I just got lucky."
Professor Elena had simply happened to discover my notes by chance. Since then, I had been visiting her laboratory and reading books and papers in exchange for teaching Cindy how to write.
Mari gave me an envious look, then swung my arm back and forth as she grumbled.
"Ugh, I'm seriously jealous. I want to be a third-year already. From the third year on, you can just focus on your major, right?"
"I'm sure you can do it. Or you could ask Professor Elena for a favor. You were planning to major in History anyway, weren't you?"
"I was thinking that before, but I've changed my mind. I'm going into Political Science."
"Didn't you say you wanted to be with me?"
"I did, but I had a change of heart. If I want to be helpful to you, it's better to learn politics. Now that I've made up with Lina, wouldn't this be better?"
How could she say such admirable and adorable things? She was truly, unbearably lovely.
I wanted nothing more than to take her somewhere secluded right then and there, but I barely managed to restrain myself since she had an exam tomorrow. There was plenty of time later.
"By the way, are you okay?"
"About what?"
"Things are crazy right now because of Volume 11. I heard there are even people coming to your estate to offer condolences."
"..."
I gave a bitter smile at Mari’s question. It had been about three days since Volume 11 was released.
Countless people were in deep shock over Kair’s death—and more specifically, the fact that the romance between a human and an elf had ended in tragedy. Even though he wasn't a real person, there were actual mourning processions for Kair.
To be honest, I had expected a strong reaction to some extent. Kair’s popularity had been soaring, especially since his side story had just been released.
But thinking I would just get cursed at a bit was a complete miscalculation. The situation had taken a strange turn as people began showing up at the publisher and even my family estate to mourn.
According to my mother’s letter, people were arriving with solemn expressions to place white chrysanthemums in front of the artworks related to Kair. For the record, the artworks from the exhibition were still on display.
I should have released Volume 12 at the same time...
Volume 11 highlights Kair’s death, while Volume 12 focuses on the relationship between Xenon and Mary. It’s when Mary reveals she is an elf and confesses her feelings to Xenon.
That’s when the line I once said to Cecile appears: that it’s better to live longing for someone than to live with regret. Therefore, I will love you.
Thanks to that, Xenon finds the strength to move past his shock, grows as a person, and begins training relentlessly to take revenge on Envy.
Of course, those are all scenes for Volume 12; right now, Volume 11 is the issue. I rubbed the back of my neck out of habit, unsure of how to respond.
"...I didn't think it would be this bad either. When I first heard the news, I thought it was an exaggeration."
"Well, who told you to create such a heartbreaking story and then just kill him off? You shattered the readers' fantasies, so of course this is happening."
"Keep your voice down. Someone might hear you."
Fortunately, there were no passersby around, but Mari’s comment was quite dangerous. Realizing this a moment too late, Mari gasped and quickly covered her mouth with her palm.
She looked around, and after confirming no one was there, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Anyway, I think killing off characters is a bit risky. Just in case... is there any chance Kair might be resurrected?"
"Um... probably not?"
"What do you mean 'probably not'? Are you considering it?"
"If he does appear, it'll be at the very end. Nothing's set in stone yet."
Originally, Kair wasn't supposed to appear again at all, but with the readers' protests being so intense, I was starting to reconsider. However, to avoid messing up the plot, he would only appear in the epilogue if he did.
The way he would appear is through reincarnation—just as I was reincarnated into this world, a soul identical to Kair’s would be born. The moment he meets Elisha, he remembers his past life and they are reunited—a love story that transcends time.
But before that, I'm going to be absolutely fucked because of Jin...
If the reaction to Kair is this bad, it’ll be even worse when Jin dies. It’s making me wonder if I should change the story.
But if I change the story, I won't be able to pay off the foreshadowing and plot points I've set up, which would likely turn the book into a mediocre mess. On the other hand, if I proceed as planned, I'll be buried under a mountain of hate from the readers.
Even my mother is one of the readers hoping for Jin and Lily to end up together, so I might get a severe scolding from her. It’s a truly distressing situation for me.
"Well, I'm sure you have something planned. As long as Xenon and Mary end up together, I'm fine. Surely those two won't..."
"I'll at least make sure the hero and heroine end up together."
"Good. I mean, he's the protagonist; he should at least have children. I assume it's the same for Jin and Lily? Just so you know, my mother is really looking forward to it."
"..."
I hope I don't end up getting my engagement broken off.