Chapter 278: Unjustly Criticized(1)
Chapter 278: Unjustly Criticized(1)
Life in Helium continued as usual. Isaac spent his days going on dates with the women he loved while continuing his writing, and everyone else went about their business.
There was, however, an incident where Anna gave Isaac a hard time after meeting Cecile’s parents. Of course, her "harassment" amounted to nothing more than scolding her son for his philandering tendencies.
Isaac might not have fully realized it, but Cecile was the princess destined to be the next Demon King of Helium. On the surface, one might mistake her for an ordinary(?) princess.
But considering Helium’s future, her potential was truly immeasurable.
Before the publication of Xenon’s Saga, Helium had been like a frog in a well. Since its release, however, the situation had shifted 180 degrees.
They possessed demons with abilities rivaling those of Albenheim, along with a foundation of scientific and magical knowledge built up from the ground up.
While the discrimination that had persisted for centuries hadn't vanished entirely, the potential of a Helium that had begun engaging in earnest diplomacy was formidable enough to make the great powers wary.
Of course, since they were just taking their first steps into diplomacy, they were experiencing growing pains and difficulties. Descal was currently working hard to establish a solid foundation.
In that sense, Cecile, who would eventually ascend as the Queen of Helium, was preparing to soar using that foundation as her springboard.
Given the long lifespan of her race—comparable to that of elves—it was uncertain when that day would come, but even so, Cecile’s status was something to be looked up to.
Even if her son was the author of Xenon’s Saga, Anna couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt that a "good-for-nothing" like Isaac had snatched up a princess.
Politically, it was like gaining an incredibly reliable ally, but as a mother with a playboy son, she felt profoundly apologetic.
Especially since he wasn't stopping at Cecile but was steadily adding more women to his circle, Anna felt compelled to offer a personal apology.
Fortunately, Descal and Aisilia were understanding, even expressing their own gratitude for becoming family with the savior who had rescued the demon race.
As for Isaac? He just watched with his golden—no, crimson—eyes blinking blankly.
He knew that if he so much as opened his mouth, Anna would snap at him to stay quiet.
In any case, the meeting of the in-laws—conducted without Hawk—concluded successfully, and Isaac resumed his daily life in Helium.
Anna didn't return to the mansion immediately either. Instead, she began touring various parts of Helium, a place she was visiting for the first time in her life.
She was accompanied by her second daughter-in-law and the Princess of Helium, Cecile. Cecile gladly fulfilled her mother-in-law's request, providing detailed explanations of Helium’s landmarks and local specialties.
Knock, knock, knock—
"Isaac? Are you inside?"
Cecile had returned to the palace after a pleasant shopping trip with her mother-in-law. She gave a light knock on the door of the room where Isaac was staying.
Part of her reason for visiting was to chat about the day's events, but Cecile made it a point to drop by several times a day regardless.
Just seeing Isaac’s face made any gloominess vanish, and conversely, it made her good moods feel even better.
The purpose of this visit was the latter. Cecile’s heart fluttered at the thought of seeing Isaac.
Her love for him had moved beyond mere passion into something bordering on blind devotion; his very existence warmed her heart.
It made her feel like an ordinary human, completely free from the inner evil that demons could never truly separate themselves from.
Perhaps because her "evil cycle" was slowly approaching, her desire for him seemed to be intensifying rather than any inner darkness.
Click—
The presence she felt behind the door quietly opened it. The hinges were so well-maintained they didn't make a single sound.
"Who is... Princess?"
"Hello, Adel."
As the door opened, she was met with the person she expected. Isaac’s exclusive maid and the woman he had recently accepted, Adelia.
Cecile smiled and greeted her, noting how well the maid uniform suited her.
Like Mari, Adelia was a woman who had fallen for the man named Isaac, not just the persona of Xenon. That was what Cecile liked most about her.
"Is Isaac still working?"
"No. He has been taking a nap for a little while now."
"A nap?"
Cecile’s eyes widened at the answer, but she quickly understood.
After such an intense night, it was only natural for him to be short on sleep. Especially since he had dealt with not one, but three partners.
On the other hand, Isaac’s women were able to function normally because they had been fully satisfied and had slept soundly afterward.
"May I come in for a moment?"
"Yes."
Adelia opened the door wide to let Cecile in.
Cecile politely thanked her and stepped inside. As soon as she entered, the thick scent of peaches hit her nose.
It was the peach fragrance Isaac emitted due to receiving an excessive amount of Mora’s divine power.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the scent that was now his signature aroma, and then opened them again.
Her gaze immediately shifted toward the bed where Isaac was napping. Since this was a guest room, the layout was similar to a standard bedroom.
And sure enough, she saw Isaac lying there, having not even bothered to change his clothes or pull up the covers.
Mora’s prank hadn't worn off yet, so he still had his demon appearance, but that didn't matter to Cecile. His features were the same.
If anything, his completely transformed image and aura were even more alluring. Not that she disliked his original red hair and golden eyes.
It was just that... all his handsomeness seemed to have turned into raw magnetism. It might have been due to her evil cycle, but just looking at him lying there made her heart race.
With his hair untied and his body curled up like a shrimp, Isaac looked like a child in moments like this, despite the mature side he often showed.
"Adel."
"Yes, Princess."
"You must be very tired too, aren't you?"
Cecile asked Adelia, secretly wanting to watch Isaac sleep by herself.
Adelia wasn't slow-witted; she immediately grasped the underlying meaning of the question.
"No. I am fine."
"..."
Even when met with such a blunt refusal, Cecile didn't lose her smile. She already knew how sharp Adelia’s personality could be.
She also knew how much that sharpness dulled in front of Isaac. During the day, she would be flustered by his every word, yet at night, she turned into a wild beast.
They say the night is when a person's true nature comes out; perhaps Adelia’s true nature was that of a beast. More accurately, a beast harboring wounds in her heart.
Cecile shrugged at her answer, acting as if she didn't mind.
"I'll watch over Isaac. Why don't you go back to your room and rest for a bit?"
"I am real—"
"You're saying you aren't tired after being that wild last night?"
"..."
Adelia, who had been stubbornly refusing, clamped her mouth shut at Cecile’s question. Simultaneously, a flush crept up her pale face.
Cecile grinned at Adelia, whose face betrayed her lies just like Isaac’s did.
In terms of pure physical capability, Adelia was the strongest among them. And last night, she had unleashed that "performance" without restraint.
Adelia was responsible for at least half the reason Isaac was currently napping.
In exchange, Adelia had expressed her instincts so thoroughly that even if she looked fine on the outside, she had to be exhausted internally.
"I'll explain everything to Isaac when he wakes up. So, you can go rest for a while."
"No. How could I possibly..."
"Please?"
"..."
Adelia fell silent at Cecile’s earnest plea. The crimson eyes facing her were sparkling with anticipation.
Normally, an exclusive maid should stay by her master's side, and Adelia followed that rule strictly.
But if it was Cecile asking, the situation changed. The martial power the princess possessed was so great that even Adelia felt insignificant by comparison.
Above all, Adelia was lower in the social hierarchy, so she had no choice but to reluctantly accept.
"...Understood. However, I ask that you do not disturb the young master's nap."
"Thank you. Next time it's my turn, I'll invite you too, Adel~"
"..."
Adelia cleared her throat at Cecile’s suggestive offer and slowly headed for the door.
Even as she left, she made sure to move cautiously so as not to wake Isaac.
Soon, Isaac and Cecile were the only ones left in the guest room.
Since Mari was likely enjoying a shopping trip with Anna, there was no worry about anyone else coming by.
How lovely.
Cecile gazed at the curled-up, sleeping Isaac with moist eyes.
The savior who had rescued the demons and the man she had shared an intimate bond with. A person whose mere presence suppressed her inner evil.
Though he adamantly denied being a regressor or a prophet, a layer of his secret had been peeled away after his argument with Arwen.
Even if he wasn't a regressor or a prophet, he was certainly someone from another world. It was likely because of that secret that he could write a work like Xenon’s Saga.
The grammar of Xenon’s Saga was one thing, but its content was profoundly heterodox and shocking. She knew that it had faced immense backlash when it was first released.
Yet, Xenon’s Saga had persisted through countless criticisms and was now treated almost like a holy scripture.
Critics even went so far as to say he had advanced the world's civilization by an entire generation. Even that wasn't an exaggeration; it was close to the truth.
What kind of world did you come from?
Cecile reached out and stroked Isaac’s soft cheek. The squishy texture, like a baby's skin, was felt through her fingertips.
What kind of world had Isaac come from that led him to save the demon race? Had he truly come from the future using the authority of the gods, or was he from a completely different world?
Whatever the case, it didn't matter to Cecile. All she had to do was love him.
Looking at it this way, I really am a lucky person.
Thanks to Isaac, the demons had gained a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spread their wings, and furthermore, she had become his.
Though the limitation of their lifespans was clear, even that wasn't a problem. She would rather spend her time missing these moments than spending them in regret.
The thought suddenly occurred to her: What would have happened to me if Isaac hadn't been here? Forget entering the Academy; she probably would have spent her entire life in Helium like a bird in a cage.
Feeling her love and devotion for Isaac deepen, Cecile leaned her face closer.
Mwah—
A light but sweet kiss. Isaac, in his deep sleep, didn't feel it, but Cecile felt a sense of ecstasy from the sensation on her lips.
A desire to ravish the defenseless Isaac right then and there began to crawl up, but she barely managed to suppress it.
Isaac was currently buried under layers of fatigue from last night's battle. It was a testament to his surprising stamina that he had managed to write even in such a state.
I wonder how much he’s written by now?
Thinking of his writing naturally brought the manuscript to mind. Cecile turned her head toward the desk Isaac used.
On the desk, as expected, she saw a typewriter along with a thick stack of manuscript paper.
The manuscript for Volume 21, which the whole world was waiting for. Isaac had said he would send it to the publisher within a week.
It was both surprising and understandable that his writing speed had doubled just by inventing the typewriter.
Isaac had said that in the world he lived in, things like typewriters were everywhere. Seeing how he had even requested modifications to suit his comfort, it was clearly true.
...Should I take a quick peek?
Realizing that the manuscript for Volume 21 was right in front of her, Cecile glanced at Isaac. He was currently sleeping like the dead.
Jin’s death at the end of Volume 20 had been a shock to Cecile as well. Fortunately, Isaac himself had said that Jin wouldn't die, so she could set her worries aside.
But that only raised more questions. Jin had clearly been killed when his chest was pierced by his own father, Gluttony.
Even for a demon with high regenerative powers—especially a first-generation demon—a hole through the chest meant instant death.
The fact that he wouldn't die was a plot point that even Cecile, who was well-versed in magic, couldn't understand.
...Just a little bit.
Isaac would scold her if she were caught, but he was currently in a deep sleep. Just in case, she set up a soundproofing spell to ensure no noise leaked out.
Then, Cecile crept toward the desk like a child rummaging through a parent's wallet.
Even as she sat at the desk, Isaac remained with his eyes closed, breathing evenly.
Rustle—
I shouldn't look...
Contrary to her heart, which was screaming "no," her body was honest. She was dying of curiosity to know how Jin would escape death.
For a moment, she thought of Arwen, who had sneaked a look at the manuscript before. The Elf Queen who had visited Isaac’s dormitory without permission.
This must have been how Arwen felt. How could anyone resist when the manuscript for Xenon’s Saga was sitting right there?
If it hadn't been Volume 21, she might have been able to endure through self-restraint, but this content was too closely linked to Jin’s resurrection to resist.
Perhaps it was even related to the demon race. That was highly likely.
I won't get caught, right?
Cecile didn't let her guard down until the moment she had the manuscript in her hands. Isaac was still wandering through dreamland, oblivious to the world.
Reassured, she set her eyes on the first page of Xenon’s Saga Volume 21.
[I shall become the foulest darkness to protect the brightest light.]
The very first sentence was extraordinary. This famous line was the monologue Jin had delivered when he pledged his loyalty to Lily.
A phrase that perfectly captured Jin’s spirit of sacrifice—that if Lily was the light, he would be the shadow.
Thanks to this, Jin’s popularity had skyrocketed, only for him to be ruthlessly killed at the end of Volume 20. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say he was on the brink of death.
As soon as she read the first sentence, Cecile felt her heart pound with anticipation and continued reading slowly.
And then...
W-What is this...!
As the story progressed, Cecile moved beyond surprise into sheer shock.
Having experienced many things, she wasn't easily startled, but the content of Volume 21 would have a profound impact not just on her, but on the entire demon race.
It was because the manuscript contained an "ideology" that completely overturned "restraint," which demons had held as a virtue and a necessity for so long.
Instead of restraining the inner evil, it suggested "controlling" it and accepting it as one's own power—a concept that was utterly heretical to modern demons.
If this were published as is, there would be backlash even in Helium, where Isaac was revered as a saint.
This was content that completely upended the beliefs the demons had built up until now, so there would undoubtedly be negative voices.
But...
Cecile regained her composure and continued reading. While the idea of accepting the inner evil was shocking, as she went through the details, they were incredibly convincing.
To a demon, the inner evil was a power like a shadow that could never be detached. In a way, it could be called the true source of a demon.
And demons had essentially "succumbed" to the inner evil by fearing it. But what if, conversely, a demon made the inner evil succumb to them?
There would be many voices opposing it on ideological grounds, but couldn't this draw out the potential of the demon race even further?
Instead of being separate from the devil within, wouldn't a "demon" in the truest sense be born?
Above all, since it was in Xenon’s Saga, wouldn't it be possible for real-life demons as well?
...Isaac.
Cecile stopped reading and looked at Isaac. He was currently too busy traveling through dreamland to notice anything.
If this had been any other book besides Xenon’s Saga, it would have been treated as mere kindling. But this was Xenon’s Saga.
Isaac must have included a story that was actually feasible. If it weren't, he wouldn't have even mentioned it.
Come to think of it, Lilith too...
It was easy to overlook, but Lilith, one of the Seven Deadly Sins who had become a devil after losing her lover, strangely maintained her "reason."
Normally, a demon who becomes a devil has a habit of indiscriminately destroying their surroundings. Yet, Lilith clearly maintained her sanity.
Though she had completely turned into a devil, according to Volume 21, she too must have gained victory over her inner evil.
It was possible. It wasn't impossible. A new ideology—not "restraint," but "control"—slowly began to emerge in Cecile’s heart.
He really must be from another world.
She smiled and calmly set down the manuscript. There was no need to read any further.
What she needed right now was her own effort. The effort to prove that Xenon’s Saga was indeed a book of prophecy.
Please wait just a little longer, my savior.
She had work to do. Cecile gave the sleeping Isaac a playful smile and slowly approached him.
A bird is safest in its cage.
But a bird isn't born to die inside a cage.
To soar through a wider world, it must break out of the shell that is the cage.
This was also a line from Volume 21: gaining "courage" instead of "fear" to completely subjugate the inner evil.
"Haa..."
What a beautiful and brilliant story. Cecile let out a sultry breath as she looked down at Isaac.
Like Jin in the story, if she thought of Isaac in a moment of crisis, subjugating the inner evil wouldn't be difficult.
No. More accurately, she would have no choice but to succeed. Because Xenon’s Saga was surely a story that had actually happened.
A person like you is truly...
She loved him so much it was driving her crazy. She felt as if she could accomplish anything as long as he was by her side.
"I love you."
Cecile confessed her feelings once more and kissed Isaac on the forehead.
Time passed, and the next day arrived.
"What? Cecile is training?"
"That's right. I don't know the reason, but she said not to let anyone in."
"??"
Isaac was left puzzled by the strange news of Cecile’s sudden training.