Chapter 32: What the Hell is This?(1)
Chapter 32: What the Hell is This?(1)
"What are you all doing here?"
As the awkward standoff continued for several minutes, a woman’s soft voice drifted into the air. It was laced with a hint of bewilderment and curiosity.
At the sound, I—along with the two women gripping my arms—turned my head. Standing there was a blonde woman holding a wine glass, watching us with a questioning expression.
Her golden hair fell in waves, and her blue eyes sparkled with the clarity of sapphires. Dressed in an off-the-shoulder gown that perfectly balanced gold and white, she exuded an innate aura of elegance and nobility.
She also wore a significant amount of expensive jewelry, as if to flaunt her status.
Unlike the student I knew, this was Lina appearing as a true 'Imperial Princess,' her atmosphere having shifted 180 degrees, much like Marie’s had.
"Are you having a lovers' spat? This is quite entertaining."
Lina spoke with an amused glint in her eyes, taking a sip of the drink in her glass. Though she acted like a mere spectator watching a fire across a river, her words had a sharp edge to them.
"...A lovers' spat?"
Marie narrowed her eyes at Lina’s words before her gaze met mine. I, too, found myself staring back at her in a daze.
"...Ah!"
Suddenly, Marie let out a startled cry and yanked her hand away from my arm. It seemed she had finally realized how this situation looked to outsiders after hearing Lina’s comment.
Meanwhile, Cecile, seemingly satisfied with her mischief, also gently released my arm. My arm, which had been pressed so close it felt buried against her chest, was finally free.
It might sound a bit strange to say, but Cecile’s chest had been as soft as a pillow stuffed with down. Now that my arm was away, that sensation felt even more distinct.
"W-W-W-Who’s having a lovers' spat?! D-Don't get the wrong i-idea, okay?"
Now that the situation had been defused, Marie barked at Lina. Between the flush rising on her snow-white skin and her stuttering, anyone could see she was deathly embarrassed.
Lina simply shrugged as if it didn't matter and replied with a nonchalant expression.
"If I misunderstood, I apologize. But it looks like Cecile was just playing a prank, right?"
Lina directed her next question at Cecile. Her voice was calm but filled with certainty.
"You caught on immediately. As expected of Lina."
Cecile didn't deny it and admitted it right away. I glanced at her while trying to cool down my burning face.
Seeing her answer so casually with her hands behind her back and her gaze wandering elsewhere, she seemed completely unfazed, unlike Marie.
However, I still couldn't understand why she had pulled such a prank. Even for a joke, it had gone a bit too far. Calling it a 'reward' or whatever, clinging to someone's arm like that would look like an expression of affection to anyone watching.
'Is she just teasing me because I'm an easy target?'
Cecile liked me. It wasn't a delusion; based on her usual behavior and her teasing, even the most oblivious person would realize it.
However, I often found myself confused as to whether it was a liking for me as a person or a romantic interest. If it was a 'reward' as she mentioned, it was likely closer to the former.
'I should just think of it as... a bit of flirting.'
It was better to think that way for now. The evidence that Cecile liked me romantically was too thin, and even if she did, I intended to keep my distance.
Me, the son of a mere Baron, and Cecile, the Princess of Helium. That alone showed how vast the gap between us was.
Of course, the situation would flip the moment she found out I was the author of the Xenon Chronicle, but revealing a closely guarded secret is a repulsive thought for anyone, so let's leave that as an exception.
This applied not just to Cecile, but to Marie as well.
"Now that I look at you, Isaac, your formal attire is red just like Cecile’s. It really suits your hair color."
"Thank you. You also look as radiant as the sun in a blue sky, Lady Lina."
"Fufu. Thank you for the compliment. And Marie, I wondered why you were putting in so much effort today, but you look even more beautiful than before."
"I'm not happy at all to hear that from you."
Despite Lina’s friendly compliment, Marie was cold. Even if Marie was the daughter of a Duke, she was being repeatedly rude to an Imperial Princess who outranked her.
Yet Lina didn't seem to mind at all, merely smiling and offering no further retort. Marie’s expression, however, was visibly souring by the second.
"...Anyway, what are you planning to do now?"
Marie asked Lina, maintaining her dissatisfied attitude. Lina replied in her characteristically soft tone.
"I was planning to take Isaac with me. I thought I’d take this opportunity to introduce him to some friends I know."
"You're speaking as if Isaac will definitely be with you. Aren't you going to ask for his opinion?"
"Then I can just ask him now. What do you think, Isaac?"
Lina replied smoothly to Marie’s hostile question. Regardless of Marie’s scowl, she looked at me and asked for my thoughts.
In the midst of this once-again uncomfortable situation, I rubbed the writer's callus on my middle finger.
I was already drawing plenty of attention as it was; if I followed Lina around now, it was obvious what kind of looks I’d get from others.
It was much better to decline her offer, even if it disappointed her, than to step into the complicated political world of the nobility. Even if she pressured me like last time, I was determined to refuse.
"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I might be a burden to you, Lady Lina, so I must decline."
"Even if I'm the one asking?"
When I politely expressed my refusal, Lina said exactly what I expected. She called it a 'request,' but it was essentially an order from an Imperial Princess.
I looked Lina straight in the eye. Her eyes were filled with the confidence that I wouldn't be able to refuse. However, I could say with certainty that her expectations were entirely wrong.
"I apologize, Princess. I have absolutely no interest in complicated matters. At this moment, I simply want to enjoy the gathering itself."
I conveyed my intentions clearly to Lina with a firm voice. I placed my hand over my heart to emphasize my resolve.
Perhaps it was because I was being so direct, or because I had addressed her as 'Princess' instead of using her name as I usually did, but Lina’s eyes widened slightly. It was a reaction that said she never expected me to say such a thing.
Though it might sour her mood, cutting it off cleanly here was better for my future well-being.
"...I see. If that's how you feel. I can't exactly drag around someone who doesn't want to go."
Lina seemed to understand my heart, speaking with a hint of regret but no sign of disappointment. She fell silent for a moment, and then, having nothing more to say to me, she spoke to Cecile beside her.
"Then, what about you, Cecile?"
"I'm curious to see who Lina's friends are."
"Alright. Marie..."
"Do I really need to answer?"
Before the question could even be finished, Marie’s prickly response came back. At this, Lina chuckled as if she had expected it.
"Marie. I’m telling you this in advance, but how long are you going to keep up that attitude? Do you really hate me that much?"
"I just don't like getting close to people who wear masks. I can understand your position, but at the very least, you shouldn't have been like that with me."
It seemed Marie had been deeply hurt by Lina in the past. Seeing as Lina didn't say much in return, she likely felt she was in the wrong as well.
A dead silence fell after Marie’s answer, but it was soon broken when Lina spoke up to change the mood. However, her voice was weaker than before.
"...Let's talk privately later. Cecile? Let's go."
"Okay."
"Then, I hope you two have a pleasant time."
Lina led Cecile toward the groups of people gathered around. Before leaving, Cecile gave us a friendly wave.
Feeling a sense of déjà vu as if I’d experienced a similar situation before, I waved back. Marie, beside me, only said goodbye to Cecile and didn't even spare Lina a glance.
Once Lina and Cecile were surrounded by people and disappeared from view, Marie looked at me and made a suggestion.
Her face was bright and radiant, a complete contrast to how she had treated Lina.
"Shall we go somewhere else now?"
"Hmm..."
I stared blankly at Marie, who had so naturally referred to us as 'we.' The reason I didn't answer immediately was that I had something to consider.
The reason I refused Lina’s offer was partly to avoid political entanglement, but the fundamental reason was that I found Lina burdensome. She wasn't someone I could talk to comfortably like Marie or Cecile.
But Marie was a different case. I considered us fairly close, and she currently held a certain level of affection for me.
Whether that was romantic or platonic was as hard to tell as it was with Cecile, but I could say for certain that our relationship was not an uncomfortable one.
'Still, I should say what needs to be said.'
I asked Marie, my voice tinged with a bit of concern.
"If I stay with you, doesn't that negate the reason I refused Lady Lina’s offer?"
"Uh..."
Marie seemed stumped by that point and didn't answer immediately. Her blue eyes darted around as she tried to find a justification.
No matter how far Marie was from having a sense of entitlement, she was still from the Rekilis Duke family. Even if she wanted to avoid it, she was in a position where she couldn't help but be involved in complicated, political matters.
Furthermore, she had said something similar before—that even if she didn't want to attend gatherings, as the daughter of the Rekilis family, she had no choice but to participate to expand her network. That was an undeniable truth.
I wondered what choice Marie would make. I waited patiently until she had organized her thoughts.
After a moment, Marie looked toward where Lina and Cecile were and then nodded. It seemed she had made up her mind.
"...I guess we can't right now. As you know, I have things I need to do as well."
Marie spoke with a slightly gloomy expression. The 'things she needed to do' were undoubtedly networking.
If she had placed the same meaning on the gathering as I did, we could have gone together, but unfortunately, the situation wasn't that simple.
"I understand. I'll see you later then."
"Yeah. We can meet up when the event is mostly over. Oh, and..."
Marie trailed off and stared intently at my face. I tilted my head in confusion.
She opened and closed her mouth several times before blushing slightly and clearing her throat. Then, in a voice softer than before, she spoke to me.
"Um... because of the prank Cecile pulled earlier, other people might ask what our relationship is. When that happens..."
"When that happens?"
"... ..."
Marie didn't just trail off; she went completely silent. At the same time, her face began to turn as red as a sunset.
Well, I had a rough idea of what she was thinking. She was probably agonizing over what our relationship actually was. I waited quietly for her to speak.
Eventually, after a bit of time spent agonizing, she glanced at me and let out a deep sigh. Then, she spoke in a voice tinged with a bit of frustration.
"...Just say we're friends. Got it? Say that situation happened because Cecile pulled a prank and I was worried. That's all."
"Okay."
"...Right. Then, have a good time."
At my blunt reply, Marie gave a weak response and walked away. It was only after she turned around that I noticed the back of her dress was quite deeply cut. While not as much as Cecile’s, Marie’s dress was also quite daring.
I stared at her beautiful figure for a moment before turning around, feeling like the situation had finally settled.
"...Hm?"
Suddenly, I felt a gaze on me from behind and turned my head. But as if it had all been an illusion, no one was looking at me.
Only Marie’s receding back was in my field of vision. I kept my eyes on her back for a moment before turning away again.
'Maybe I'll just have some wine.'
On my way to the tables, I remembered the wine Lina had been holding. Here, you're considered an adult at seventeen, so drinking is perfectly fine.
I wasn't particularly fond of drinking, but I was curious. What would the wine of this world taste like? Since I have the palate of a child, I hoped it would be more sweet than bitter.
'But when is the event actually starting...'
I was grumbling to myself as I headed toward the tables.
"Hey! You! Redhead!"
"Huh?"
Was he calling me? Given the voice that pierced my ears and the fact that he called me 'Redhead' instead of by my name, I had a good idea of who it was.
I turned my head, and sure enough, a familiar face caught my eye from a short distance away. He was surrounded by people, but his punchable face was unmistakable.
As the eyes of the crowd focused on me along with that annoying face, I looked around just in case. But as expected, I was the only redhead there.
I pointed at myself with my index finger, expressing my doubt.
"Me?"
Did he get the message?
I saw that annoying face—Jackson’s face—contort violently. His expression clearly said, 'Who else would it be but you?'
I chuckled inwardly at his reaction and walked over to him. As I did, the gazes of the people surrounding him began to converge on me.
They were all faces I hadn't seen before, but I presumed they were Martial Studies students. Most of the men were tall or broad-shouldered, and a few of the women were wearing men's formal attire instead of dresses.
Standing before Jackson, I gave him a blunt greeting, just as I had last time. I didn't care that there were many people watching.
"Hey."
"... ..."
Jackson’s face contorted even further. For whatever reason, he seemed displeased with my greeting.
He took a deep breath as if to suppress his anger and then spoke quietly.
"You... you really have no manners. Didn't your family teach you to use formal speech with someone from a higher-ranking house?"
"... ..."
I didn't answer immediately, only glancing around with my eyes. The unfamiliar faces were watching the situation with interest.
It seemed he was trying to paint me as a rude fellow in front of everyone, but there was one thing Jackson was mistaken about.
"That only applies when someone has 'officially' inherited the title. I don't think that applies to children like us, does it?"
"...What?"
As soon as I replied, Jackson looked flustered. As I said, showing respect based on rank is for when someone has officially received the title.
Of course, there are exceptions. For instance, royalty, who outrank all nobility. That was why I always used formal speech with Lina. Let's leave Cecile as an exception since she told me to call her 'Noona.'
But Jackson seemed to have some strange knowledge, or perhaps he had just been taught wrong. Besides, unless someone has a mindset of looking down on others like Jackson does, people usually use formal speech with each other out of mutual respect.
"Still, shouldn't you show some formality to each other?"
"That redhead was the one who used informal speech first."
"Jackson called him 'Redhead' from the moment he summoned him."
Ah, not that I was in the right either. As the people were saying, we were both being branded as rude.
However, Jackson seemed quite flustered by the current situation. I didn't care, but he had been labeled as a rude person as well.
While Jackson was flustered, I spoke up to continue the conversation. First, it was important to know why he had called me.
"Anyway, do you have something to say? There must be a reason you called me."
"...Hmph. Hmph."
Jackson seemed to snap out of it at my question, clearing his throat to calm himself. Then, with his characteristic condescending expression, he spoke to me.
"It's nothing much. I just happened to see you while passing by. And there was that interesting situation earlier, too."
"... ..."
"The daughter of the Rekilis Duke family and the Princess of Helium. They are people no one can easily approach. They live in a different world than someone like you."
"So what's your point? If you're just going to ramble on with strange stories, I'm leaving."
"W-Wait! Just listen!"
When I made a gesture as if I were really going to leave, Jackson hurriedly stopped me. He also seemed to have never expected me to act this way.
But right now, I was slightly annoyed that my precious time was being wasted. I was trying to go drink some wine; what is this guy doing?
Jackson looked at my grumpy expression and then spoke, still with a condescending nuance.
"What I want to say is simple. Let's test each other's logic."
"Logic?"
"Yes. Normally, I wouldn't even feel it was worth the effort, but my mind changed after seeing you receive the attention of so many professors. Your knowledge has been verified, so I became curious about how good your logic is."
Hmm... so he wants to humiliate me in front of everyone? Assuming he's smarter than me?
I had no idea where he got the confidence to make such a proposal. It could very well backfire on him.
It seemed he wanted to show off his own brain while humiliating me, but if he were to lose, the backlash would be immense.
I raised an eyebrow in question. Setting aside the proposal itself, I was curious about the topic.
"What's the topic? If it's something weird, I'm refusing."
"The Xenon Chronicle."
"...What?"
Why is that coming up all of a sudden?
While I was quite flustered, Jackson spread his arms and gestured to the groups of people gathered around.
"Everyone gathered here is a fan of the Xenon Chronicle. Just a moment ago, we were discussing how the story will unfold. Various opinions and logic were exchanged."
"... ..."
"And then I happened to see you. You, the freshman of the Literature Department who has all the professors' attention."
"And?"
At my question, Jackson snorted and continued.
"As you know, Xenon and Mary are the leads in the Xenon Chronicle, but Jin and Lily’s roles are just as significant. Furthermore, the sorrowful love story between the demon Jin and the priestess Lily is tugging at the heartstrings of many readers. We were just discussing that topic."
"I know that much."
And I plan to shatter that love story quite tragically. Regardless of what others say, shouldn't I collect the seeds and foreshadowing I've sown?
But discussing 'shipping'... it seemed a bit much to me. I thought they’d be talking about economics or politics, but as Nicole said, kids will be kids.
Encouraged by my affirmation, Jackson continued his explanation.
"But I think differently. Jin and Lily can never be together. I'm certain of this."
"...Why?"
Did this guy actually find the foreshadowing I hid so carefully?
I felt my opinion of Jackson, which had usually been at rock bottom, skyrocket as I focused on his words. From an author's perspective, there's nothing more rewarding than a reader predicting the plot through deduction.
Especially if they've thoroughly analyzed the foreshadowing and clues! It makes me think, 'They really love my work,' and motivates me to write even harder.
So, I couldn't help but have high expectations for Jackson. Everyone else thought Jin and Lily would end up together, but since he was saying they wouldn't, there must be something...
"Because Lily will eventually go to Xenon."
"... ..."
"A combination of a demon and a priestess... No matter what, God won't allow it. Lily will eventually realize that too. Besides, if you look at how she occasionally shows kindness to Xenon, you can tell she has feelings for him."
What kind of bullshit is this? As soon as I heard his explanation, I let out a sincere curse.
"Fuck. What?"
This bastard is turning a perfectly good character into a total bitch.