Chapter 408: Shock and Horror(4)
Chapter 408: Shock and Horror(4)
As time passed, the reactions to the ending began to pour out like a broken dam. I savored the leisure of my guest room, reading through each response one by one.
I had seen similar comments in my previous life. Back then, people had also criticized me, asking if I was even human and how I could possibly kill off a character like that.
Of course, even then, it was mostly half-jest. I hadn't killed them off out of nowhere; I had laid down plenty of foreshadowing and breadcrumbs, just as I had done now.
In truth, the death of a supporting character—even one as beloved as the protagonist—is relatively minor. In my book, the greatest "internal damage" a reader can suffer is seeing the heroine taken by someone else.
I harbor a feeling bordering on loathing for that particular trope, to the point where I refuse to even mention it.
I remembered when Jackson had spouted that absolute nonsense in front of me during the freshman orientation. I was genuinely triggered back then.
Anyway, I was relaxing and enjoying the reactions exploding throughout the Imperial Palace when it happened.
"Why don't you take a look around the palace instead of just sitting here?"
Marie approached me with the suggestion while I was happily perusing the newspaper. I looked up at her the moment she spoke.
Perhaps because she had been staying indoors, she was dressed in light, casual attire. Judging by her expression, she seemed eager to go somewhere.
"Take a look around?"
"Yes. It looks like it'll be difficult to see His Majesty the Emperor today anyway. At the earliest, we might meet him around dinner. So, why not walk around until then? I know my way around every corner of the palace."
As she said, we had just finished lunch. Lina, who had stopped by our room then, had even hinted that we might have to wait a bit longer.
I could keep reading the newspaper or even start serializing Volume 30, but it felt strange to stay cooped up when I was finally at the Imperial Palace.
Besides, unlike the Academy, the chance of a demon worshipper attacking the palace was near zero.
This was the residence of the Imperial Family; not even an ant could sneak in. Unless, of course, it was a highly trained sorcerer like the one Ariel had absorbed.
‘Besides, if it were dangerous, wouldn't Kate have called me directly?’
Since there had been no warnings from the gods, nothing major would likely happen if I explored the palace. I nodded, following that train of thought.
It wasn't great to stay shut inside, and since opportunities to thoroughly examine the Imperial Palace were rare, going out didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Did you tell Lina? She might come looking for us."
"Don't worry about that. I've already informed the butler, and we'll be back before dinner."
"Is that so? All right then."
I closed the newspaper and stood up. When I rose in agreement, Marie gave a beaming smile and turned around.
She couldn't go out in such casual clothes, so she was likely going to change into a dress. The Imperial Palace was a place where many nobles worked, so there were many eyes watching.
Consequently, I had no choice but to dress smartly as well. Honestly, I wanted to go out in just a simple dress shirt, but Marie would surely give me a stern scolding.
"Aren't you coming, Adele?"
"I'll rest here. I should stay and guard the manuscript anyway."
"Got it. But you can't sneak a peek, okay?"
"..."
Why was there no answer? And why was she avoiding my gaze?
When no reply came from Adelia, I raised an eyebrow.
Feeling awkward, she cleared her throat and spoke quietly.
"......I definitely won't read it."
Just in case, I made Adelia close her eyes while I hid the manuscript in a place she wouldn't find. I even moved around to different spots so she couldn't track me by sound.
"Shall we go then? Where do you want to start?"
"I don't know the first thing about the palace. Are there any famous spots?"
"There are plenty. The banquet hall where the social circles meet is particularly famous for being the most magnificent in the world."
"The social circle..."
Marie's mention of the social circle suddenly reminded me of the freshman orientation. I had met quite a few people then, and I'd also seen a different side of Marie.
While she currently had her hair down, she had worn it in a ponytail back then, fully revealing her porcelain neck.
Furthermore, because she had been wearing a backless dress, her aura had been completely different. Her beauty was already striking, but it had been even more so then.
‘I did drink quite a bit.’
Because I have the palate of a child, I don't usually drink much, but I remember overindulging that time because the wine was more sweet than bitter.
It was Marie who had woken me up while I was sleeping in my chair. That orientation had been a colorful experience in many ways.
"If I marry you later, will I have to enter the social circle too?"
"Do you hate the idea?"
"Yes."
"You really don't lie, do you? I truly love that about you."
Saying so, Marie giggled and linked her arm with mine. I felt the soft sensation of her breast against my arm and involuntarily cleared my throat.
As everyone knows, lying in front of her is pointless, so it's better not to do it from the start. Besides, I'm not the type who's good at lying anyway.
"Well, the social circle is optional. Usually, the people who debut are those approaching marriageable age, but we're already engaged. And it's not like we need to play politics to increase our standing, right? Who would dare mess with Xenon?"
"There will probably be people sucking up to me just to get some crumbs."
"If you like that kind of thing, you can debut. Even if they aren't just flatterers, you'll meet a wide variety of people. Including some eccentrics."
I fell into thought for a moment after hearing Marie's explanation. For starters, no one in my family had debuted in the social circle except for my mother.
My father, Dave, and Nicole were warriors by nature and stayed far away from high society, and I was extremely introverted, perhaps due to the influence of my past life.
I was an author who chose to write the Xenon Biography rather than meet people to stave off boredom. Even revealing my identity had required a significant amount of courage on my part.
"So I don't have to do it, right?"
"Right. You can just visit whenever you're bored. However, the amount of information that flows through the social circle is enormous. People don't go there just because they want to; there's a reason for it."
"Information..."
Information is vital in any era. The lack of a single piece of information can often flip the entire board.
However, I already had reliable information sources scattered everywhere. The leaders of various nations were my acquaintances; it would be absurd for me to fall behind on information.
This was why I had no trouble grasping the general state of affairs even while cooped up in my room.
Of course, the information Marie mentioned was likely closer to personal gossip. Things like what someone did, or what rumors were circulating.
"Then I definitely shouldn't go."
"Why?"
"Because I'll inevitably be branded a playboy."
Such rumors would surely spread. That I met other women despite having a fiancée, or that I was surrounded by women even after marriage, and so on.
People naturally love to gossip, so these kinds of rumors were bound to surface.
Honestly, while much of the blame would lie with me, the problem was that the arrows would all be aimed at Marie. She would end up bearing all the stress.
I could use the power of authority to lock them all up, but if public opinion turned sour, it would only cause unnecessary trouble.
"Ah. Are you worried about me? That people will say I'm only the primary wife in name?"
"Yes. Exactly."
"You don't need to worry about that. Do you really think I'd be that careless?"
"......What are you trying to say?"
Her overly confident reply made me feel uneasy. Marie occasionally had a knack for being so bold that it left me speechless.
And sure enough, she flashed a mischievous, deep smile and gripped my arm even tighter than before.
I could feel her breasts being pressed against me so clearly that I felt more flustered than embarrassed.
"I have a plan~ First of all, the fact that Xenon is my husband already gives me a huge advantage. And then, I'll just have to tell all the stories that would make any woman jealous."
"......I won't bother asking for details."
"Why not~? Ask me. I'll tell you everything."
Marie acted coy and swayed her body. My arm, caught between her breasts, made the situation even more awkward.
If I reacted now, I might get sucked into her pace, so it seemed wisest not to answer at all.
Perhaps she was just teasing, as she stopped acting coy and began to walk gracefully. However, she didn't let go of my arm at all.
"Tch. Then shall we go to the garden?"
"The garden?"
"Yes. The Imperial Palace gardens are famous for their beauty. It's a place couples always visit whenever a social gathering is held."
"Is it okay for us to go there?"
"The garden is open to everyone, so it's fine. You only need prior permission to enter the banquet hall."
Not bad. It was a perfect spot for a date.
The Academy was nice, but walking quietly instead of being in a noisy environment for once seemed quite pleasant.
"All right. Let's go there."
"Hehe. Okay."
When I readily agreed, Marie giggled again. Seeing that laugh, I couldn't hide my bewilderment.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Just because. I think it'll be fun."
"What will?"
In response to my question, Marie laughed once more and answered.
"There's just something."
*
It was around the time Isaac and Marie were enjoying their long-awaited date. Unlike the peaceful pair, the world outside was currently in an absolute uproar.
The ending of shock and horror. A development devoid of any hope, filled only with torture.
The emotions readers felt due to that development were profoundly negative, beyond words.
"Where is Sir Xenon!"
"Please! Just one word saying that Jin doesn't die! I beg of you!"
"This is too much, no matter how you look at it! Let them be happy for once!"
The negativity was so intense that readers had gathered in front of the publishing house to protest vehemently. It hadn't even been fifteen days since Volume 29 was released, yet this was the reaction.
There had been many times when readers protested in front of the publishing house, such as during the hiatus crisis or other incidents.
However, those protests were due to external factors; there had never been a problem caused by internal factors—the story itself.
In other words, all of this was being directed at Xenon—that is, Isaac.
The very people who had previously protested to protect Xenon were now determined to catch him and... well, maybe not beat him, but they were certainly out for blood.
"Hahaha. Matthew, look at that. Isn't it interesting?"
"I fail to see what's interesting about it."
"Even more people will gather from now on, yet this man hasn't said a single word. Hahaha."
Musk, who was watching the scene through the window, was in a state of semi-delirium.
The protest in front of the publishing house was enough to make his head spin, yet Isaac remained silent without a single word.
Musk had even sent a letter asking for the ending in advance to prepare for such an event, but there had been no reply.
He had heard that Isaac had foreseen this and fled to the Imperial Palace. For Musk, it was enough to drive him mad.
"Did you say the mansion is in chaos too?"
"Yes. Protesters have gathered in front of the mansion as well. However, since there could be repercussions, they are quieter than the ones here."
Indeed, protesters had also gathered in front of the Maishal estate. However, they weren't as loud or violent as those at the publishing house.
Since it was Xenon's family home, the security was strict, and if an accident were to occur, the situation would escalate beyond control.
For now, they had no choice but to stay quiet until the readers' anger subsided.
Actually, there was one best solution: to receive Volume 30 of the Xenon Biography and hope its contents were hopeful.
‘If he really kills Jin...’
That would be the absolute worst. Musk mentally organized the situation that would unfold if Xenon killed Jin.
First, the number of subscribers would drop as fast as an ebbing tide. Every single reader who supported the Jin-Lily couple would leave.
From the publishing house's perspective, that would be fatal. The publishing house was running solely on Xenon, and if the subscribers left, there would be no way out.
The reason they were currently hiring more staff was to manage the subscribers as much as possible. In other words, they might end up with a surplus of idle labor.
It had to be stopped at all costs. Jin had to be resurrected somehow to ensure a happy ending.
‘Resurrection alone isn't enough. They don't just need to be revived; we need to show their happy life together to heal the readers' hearts.’
If Jin died, the readers would suffer unimaginable internal damage. It would be difficult to fully heal them with just a simple resurrection.
Having finished all his calculations, Musk let out a long sigh and spoke to Matthew in a somewhat hoarse voice.
"......Matthew."
"Yes, Boss."
"Make sure we have as many spare window panes as possible."
"I'll... wait, what?"
Matthew looked bewildered at Musk's incomprehensible command.
At this, Musk chuckled soundlessly and spoke in a hollow voice.
"Because all the windows are going to be smashed soon."