Chapter 419: Launch(1)
Chapter 419: Launch(1)
Since my father had likely sent Volume 30 of Xenon's Biography to the publisher himself, I didn't have to worry about my mother grabbing me by the hair. I wasn't concerned about that part at all.
Instead, it was Ariel and Clark who weighed on my mind. Although my father said he would explain things well, the problem wasn't my mother—it was the employees at the mansion.
Currently, our residence was swarming with people sent directly from the Imperial Family to provide support. It ranged from a butler managing the entire household to civil servants handling administrative duties.
On top of that, because even Imperial Guard knights had been dispatched, the mansion felt a bit crowded for its size.
In a situation like this, if Ariel and Clark's existence became known, it would inevitably lead to a massive headache.
Keeping people quiet only works when there are few of them; with so many eyes watching, troublesome situations were bound to crop up one by one.
I thought about waiting for the right timing, but right now didn't feel appropriate. The moment Volume 30 of Xenon's Biography was released, Ariel and Clark would likely be buried under the noise anyway.
Clark was going to have a funeral soon, so it didn't matter if he was overlooked, but Ariel was a different story. I needed to explain her situation in detail to minimize the fallout later.
In other words, it was better to stay quiet for the time being. As for Clark, aside from being a skeleton, he was practically human, so he could easily fool others with a proper disguise.
And so, with all preparations complete, I headed back to the mansion as soon as vacation began.
The group heading to our mansion consisted of four people: myself, Adelia, Ariel, and finally, Clark.
Mari planned to visit her parents briefly before coming to the mansion, and Leona would arrive later with her mother, Lucia.
In Leona's case, it wasn't just a simple visit; she was moving her entire household to the Maishal Territory.
Not only were we soon to become one family, but Lucia, unlike others, was extremely vulnerable to Demon Worshippers. That was why they were relocating to our lands.
Finally, as for Cherry...
"I think I need to focus on my work during this vacation."
"Really? Did you get some good inspiration?"
"Yes. I've been thinking about how I can give readers a fresh shock, just like you do, Senior Isaac... and how to make a story that will be talked about for a long time. That kind of inspiration."
"..."
"Actually, I have something in mind. For example, what if this was all just a dream—"
"Don't you dare do that."
I strictly warned her never to write a Light Path Ending. That kind of ending is certainly "shock and horror," but in the worst way possible.
If the setting is meticulously crafted, various interpretations might be possible, but if you suddenly drop an ending like that, your ratings will plummet.
Whether she realized something from my warning or not, Cherry blinked her dark, gloomy eyes slowly before speaking quietly.
"Then why are you killing Jin?"
I never imagined I'd hear those words from Cherry. I suppose since we're in the same profession, she's naturally more curious.
I was momentarily speechless, but then I answered with a bitter smile.
"...Because it has to be done."
"You're not... discarding Jin, are you?"
As she said that, Cherry clasped her hands demurely, looking anxious. It seemed she was projecting the "shock and horror" ending onto herself.
The idea that one could ruthlessly discard even something they cherish for the sake of a goal. Or seeing people as mere tools.
Since it was Cherry, who was mentally fragile, I could see where her thoughts were going.
"Absolutely not. If anything, it's because I cherish Jin that I'm giving him more character depth. If I had discarded him, I wouldn't have bothered giving him any attention at all."
"Not even giving him attention..."
Cherry nodded once more, as if she had realized something. I placed my hand on her head to reassure her.
At that, Cherry blinked and stared blankly at me. Her eyes looked significantly more lively than before, so I gave her a smile.
"I think I know what you're thinking. So don't be anxious. I don't treat people who like me coldly, at least."
"..."
"Writing is good, but I'd like it if you sent a letter every now and then. And it's better to exchange opinions through speech rather than text, so come visit the mansion. I'll always welcome you."
"...Yes."
Cherry replied quietly, looking shy. A faint blush rose to her pale cheeks.
It was certainly a huge improvement compared to before. When I first met her, she looked like a walking doll, but now she was exuding a much more human aura.
As I've mentioned before, Cherry is a woman who more than deserves to be loved. If she had more energy, she probably would have been incredibly popular among the freshmen.
'I just have to make sure no ruffians try to hit on her.'
I gave Cherry's head a light pat as she stood there shyly, then headed back to the mansion. For some reason, it felt like I hadn't been back in a very long time.
During this vacation, I planned to finish all the side stories and then take a proper rest. I'd also jot down some ideas for my next work.
Of course, the world would be in an uproar for a while due to Jin's death. Furthermore, hadn't I heard that protesters were already swarming in front of the mansion and the publisher?
If I could just get through this, I'd be able to live a somewhat peaceful life.
'I also need to formally introduce Leona to my family...'
During the Xenon Festival, Leona and her mother, Lucia, had visited our mansion.
But back then, I had introduced her strictly as a friend, not as someone I intended to marry. I planned to make it official this winter break.
Was Leona just going to be a dependent? Absolutely not.
She could be trained as a maid like Adelia, and more importantly, she possessed the unique ability of 'Sorcery.'
That sorcery alone would drastically reduce the threat of Demon Worshippers, which would be a huge help to me.
*
"Grandma! Grandma, you're pretty too!"
"My goodness, whose child is this, saying such sweet things? Do you want to give Grandma a kiss?"
"Like this? Mwah!"
"Kyaa~!"
First, I introduced Ariel to my mother. Perhaps because my father had spoken to her in advance, my mother accepted Ariel warmly.
Actually, "warmly" was an understatement; she was showering her with love. Right now, she was holding Ariel up, smothering her with affection.
Ariel, sensing that my mother's love and inner thoughts were genuine, was wearing the brightest smile in the world.
"You're saying she really was born from the seed of the World Tree?"
"...Yes. Father must have explained it. When we went to Albenheim, we met Hirt, and the seed was beneath her. Ariel was born from that seed."
"Lord Hirt has given us such a lovely blessing. Between this sprout and these wings, there isn't a single spot that isn't adorable."
"Hehe."
My mother rubbed her face against Ariel's, clearly smitten. It seemed she cared less about Ariel being an angel and more about just having a granddaughter.
Ariel didn't seem uncomfortable at all, laughing and showing her pearly white teeth. Perhaps because she was receiving so much love, her smile was brimming with happiness.
I chuckled at the sight and made a joke.
"Don't leave Lily out, though. Ariel is your granddaughter, but Lily is your own child, Mother."
"Don't you worry about that. I used to joke that if you and Mari had a child, the family tree would get tangled, but I never imagined it would happen like this."
"Does Ariel have an aunt?"
Ariel, having read my mother's thoughts, asked in her characteristically cheeky voice. She was still cheek-to-cheek with my mother, which was both funny and cute.
"Yes. Ariel has two aunts and one uncle. Shall we go see them now?"
"Yes! I want to see my aunt!"
Dave and Nicole had received leave for this winter break. They would be arriving at the mansion soon.
Since my siblings were showing their faces for the first time in a while, I planned to have a long, long chat with them.
Soon, as my mother took Ariel into the next room, I followed behind them.
Lily was sleeping in the room right next door, and I had already checked the hallway to make sure no one was passing by, just in case.
"Awoo."
"What do you think, Ariel? This is your aunt, Lily, who is younger than you. Looking at her now, I can imagine what she'll look like when she grows up."
"Aunt? She's Ariel's aunt?"
"Ooh."
Coincidentally, Lily had just woken up and was staring with wide eyes. She had grown a bit since I last saw her, and her eyes seemed larger than before.
A girl with red hair and golden eyes facing off with a baby. If I had a camera in my hand, I would have taken a picture immediately.
"Hi, Auntie. I'm Ariel."
"Aung?"
"Me? I'm Lily's niece."
"Aung?"
"Auntie, can't you understand words? I can understand them."
Lily was only babbling, yet Ariel was talking to her as if they were having a conversation. It was a strange sight.
Not just me, but my mother also seemed surprised by this, as she opened her eyes wide and questioned Ariel.
"Ariel. Can you actually understand what Lily is saying?"
At that question, Ariel shook her head. Then, after organizing her thoughts for a moment, she looked at Lily and answered.
"Auntie can't talk. So I'm reading her thoughts. Why is Auntie so small? Ariel was like this from the moment she was born."
Meeting Lily seemed to have sparked some doubts about the secret of her birth(?), as Ariel asked a difficult question.
I wasn't worried about her being shocked; I just had no idea how to explain it.
Unlike Ariel, who was born from a seed like something out of a myth, Lily was the fruit of our parents' love.
As I rolled my eyes, struggling for an answer, my mother gave a response perfectly suited for a child.
"That's because the stork brought Ariel a little late. The stork brought Lily right on time, but it forgot and brought Ariel later, you see?"
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Would Grandma ever lie to you?"
"Uung..."
Ariel stared intently at my smiling mother. She was likely trying to read her thoughts to see if it was a lie.
So far, no one had escaped Ariel's mind-reading. On our first night in Albenheim, hadn't Ariel revealed everything when Arwen tried to suppress her lustful thoughts?
I was about to think it would be the same this time, but to my surprise, Ariel nodded in acceptance.
"I see. Is that why Auntie is so small?"
"That's right. You understand now, don't you?"
"Yes!"
How did she fool her? I rounded my mouth in an expression of pure admiration.
Other people might be able to hide their thoughts if they tried, but hiding a spontaneous lie is many times harder.
And yet, she had easily deceived Ariel. If she had mentally asked Ariel to play along, Ariel would have acted even more mischievously.
In other words, my mother had deceived Ariel purely through her own... skill(?).
"Now then, Ariel."
"Uung?"
My mother gently lifted Ariel, who had been sitting by the cradle looking at Lily. Ariel blinked, wondering what was happening.
Then, my mother held Ariel up so she was facing me, and as if seizing the opportunity, she spoke.
"Ariel. Could you help Grandma for a moment?"
"What kind of help?"
"You just need to read your daddy's thoughts. Now, Isaac?"
"..."
My mother looked at me intently with a soft gaze. Her purple eyes were incredibly benevolent, but I couldn't let my guard down.
Then, without taking her eyes off me, she dropped a single question in a low, calm tone.
"I'm going to ask one thing. Is that alright?"
"...Yes, well. I don't mind."
"Thank you. Then..."
My mother paused for a moment, glanced at Ariel, and then continued.
"...Is Jin really going to die?"
As expected, the question I anticipated came. It seemed she intended to use Ariel's mind-reading to confirm my true feelings.
But did she know? That I had already coordinated with Ariel for just such an occasion.
I had told her that if she heard a question like this, she should lie, and I'd give her delicious snacks as a reward.
Because of that foundation, I was able to answer more confidently than usual.
"I can't tell you that, Mother. It'll be better for you to see it with your own eyes."
But at that moment, I had no idea.
"...Is that so? Ariel? Is what Daddy saying true?"
"Yes. It's true."
"Hmm... I see."
I had no idea that I had just pressed the detonator of a tactical nuke.
"Then I suppose it's better to see for myself."
"Of course."
"I'm looking forward to it."
At the time, I truly had no way of knowing.