Chapter 50: The Seven Deadly Sins(3)
Chapter 50: The Seven Deadly Sins(3)
I stared at Cecile, momentarily lost for words. She was leaning her chin on her hand, watching me intently with a sultry smirk.
It wasn't just anyone; it was Cecile, a woman of mature beauty, speaking in that tone and striking that pose. The only way to describe it was that her charms were absolutely devastating.
She was already incredibly sexy, but with her pose, expression, and voice all working in perfect harmony, I felt like I was being pulled in.
If I were any other man, I would have lost my mind and fallen for her right then and there. Fortunately, I had developed a bit of immunity from spending so much time with her. Of course, that didn't stop my face from heating up or my heart from racing.
"Ahem... Cough..."
Feeling my face flush, I let out a dry cough to maintain my composure. It was partly due to the sudden, pointed question, but Cecile’s aura was so provocative that it was hard to keep my head straight.
Still, I managed to calm myself down somehow. I peeked at her with one eye and met her gaze.
Cecile remained exactly as she was, as if she wouldn't move until I gave her an answer. Just looking at her made my heart, which had finally settled, start pounding wildly again.
...Is she really a descendant of a succubus?
Regardless, it seemed best to answer the question. I calmed my disobedient heart and spoke as calmly as possible.
"...I’d like to say you’re being full of yourself, but I can’t really do that."
In truth, the appearance of Lilith, the executive in charge of Lust, was strikingly similar to Cecile’s. Lilith was a Demon who had fallen and become a Devil; like Cecile, she had black hair and red eyes, and her skimpy outfit was designed to show off her voluptuous figure.
Of course, she wasn't an exact copy. Lilith had a beauty mark under her eye that added to her charm, a different hairstyle, a pair of devil wings on her shoulders, and, most importantly, she didn't wear modest clothing.
Well, unless you counted that dress Cecile wore at the last gathering.
Anyway, while I had used Cecile as a reference, several parts were significantly different. To make an excuse, it wasn't so much that I had copied Cecile, but rather that the Lilith in my head happened to be standing right in front of me.
But why is she saying this? Is she testing me?
I kept one eye open to check Cecile’s face. I saw her grinning as if she found the whole situation amusing.
As I’ve mentioned before, Cecile was about halfway convinced that I was the author of the Xenon Biography. Since she wasn't entirely certain, she was likely throwing this out there to gauge my reaction.
While I was lost in thought, Cecile heard my answer and gave me an even deeper smile. Her voice, capable of shaking any man's heart, remained as alluring as ever.
"Really? Because we're so similar?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..."
At my blunt reply, Cecile kept her smile and stared at me piercingly. Her gaze was so overwhelming that I had to shift my eyes away.
I didn't know why, but the more I locked eyes with her crimson orbs, the more lightheaded I felt. I thought I’d gotten used to it, but her beauty was truly in a league of its own—it was practically cheating.
"I see. That makes me feel pretty good."
Cecile gave a bright smile and spoke with an expression that looked somewhat relieved. Seeing her reaction, I wondered for a moment if I’d been caught, but it didn't seem like it.
In any case, the seductive aura she was projecting began to fade. The heat in my face subsided, and I could feel my racing heart gradually returning to a calm rhythm.
I let out a silent sigh of relief and asked her in a slightly tired voice.
"...Why did you ask that?"
"I was just curious. I wondered if I was the only one who thought so."
"As I said before, if anyone else had said that, I would have told them they were being narcissistic."
"Hee-hee."
Cecile let out a sultry hum at my answer, her eyes half-closing. Her red pupils glowed brilliantly through the narrow slits of her eyelids.
Just as I was starting to feel a bit uneasy again, Cecile leaned forward slightly and whispered to me.
"So, that's how Isaac sees me? As a sultry succubus with a voluptuous face and body?"
"... ..."
In my attempt to avoid revealing my secret, I had accidentally exposed my true feelings instead. Looking at Cecile’s suggestive expression, I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
Was this the wisdom of a Demon princess who had lived for over a hundred years? The more we talked, the more I felt like I was sinking into a quagmire.
While I sat there unable to respond, lost in these useless thoughts, Cecile took my hollow laugh as a 'yes.' She nodded and leaned back.
She glanced around to confirm that the restaurant was nearly empty before speaking to me quietly. The smile never left her face.
"Isaac. Did you hear the rumors when you first enrolled? The ones saying I’m a descendant of a succubus."
"Of course I did."
Now that my true feelings were out in the open rather than my secret, the tension snapped, and I was able to answer calmly. It was more embarrassing to have my inner thoughts exposed than my secret identity.
Cecile looked around once more after hearing my answer. She seemed to be checking if anyone was eavesdropping on our conversation.
Then, she placed a hand next to her mouth to prevent her voice from carrying and spoke softly.
"If those rumors were true, would you believe them?"
"Hmm..."
I stared blankly at Cecile’s face.
Judging by her playful smile, it could have been a joke, but her tone was very serious. This meant there was a high probability it was the truth.
So, Cecile really was a descendant of a succubus. I had suspected it deep down, but hearing it as a rumor was very different from hearing it from her own lips.
Though I was briefly surprised, I simply nodded as if it made sense.
"I think I’d believe it. But even if you are a descendant of a succubus, does that really change anything?"
Nothing would change. Even if she carried the blood strongly, Cecile was a Demon, not a Devil.
In literature, succubi grow stronger by absorbing the essence of men, much like in my previous life. But here, as true Devils, they absorb that essence until the man dies.
In short, from the man's perspective, it’s death by snu-snu.
And don't go thinking that sounds like a good way to go. Historical records mention that they would continue the act even if blood was drawn from the genitals, and there are even records of them tearing off testicles. It was truly horrific.
"There are a few things. For example..."
Cecile trailed off and, unusually for her, started checking my reaction. Moreover, seeing the blush creeping onto her cheeks, it seemed like whatever she wanted to say was too embarrassing to say out loud.
I couldn't help but wonder what kind of secret would make her hesitate—her, who usually made suggestive jokes without a second thought.
After hesitating for a while, she began twirling her pitch-black hair around her finger and finally spoke in a bashful tone.
"...Like my libido exploding during my period?"
"... ..."
"I don't know if it's because I inherited succubus blood, but it's exceptionally hard for me to endure. So... I'll stop there."
She must have been embarrassed by her own words, as her face turned rapidly red. I was also dumbfounded and just stared at her blankly.
She had lived for over a hundred years, so perhaps during that time...
"J-Just in case you're getting the wrong idea, I've never actually done anything like that, okay? I can endure the urges if I just meditate all day."
Just as my thoughts were heading in that direction, Cecile hurriedly cleared up the misunderstanding. It seemed she had read my thoughts from my expression, but that actually made it weirder.
A hundred years is an unimaginably long time. My combined age from my previous and current lives isn't even forty, yet Cecile has lived for over a century. It was hard to believe she had zero romantic experience in all that time.
I stared at the uncharacteristically flustered Cecile and asked cautiously.
"...You've had no experience with men in over a hundred years? Is that even possible?"
"...As I told you before, other than my father, there are very few people who can take my jokes for what they are. And since I'm the Princess of Helium, any scandal would be politically troublesome."
"Hmm... I suppose that makes sense."
As the child of a ruler, like Cecile or Lina, one would have to be even more careful about their conduct. In my previous life, if the children of politicians were caught in a scandal, the parents would often be dragged down and criticized along with them.
Furthermore, Cecile was the Princess of Helium, destined to be the next Demon King. Even a small rumor would put her in a very difficult position.
Then is it okay for her to be with me?
The thought suddenly occurred to me, and I couldn't help but tilt my head. During the last gathering, she had said that linking arms was a sort of reward, but that didn't seem to add up.
Or maybe it was just a cultural difference. Once the question popped into my head, I asked Cecile about it.
"Was it okay to link arms during the last gathering?"
"Huh? Oh, that? Me linking arms with you then was meant as a reward, so it's fine. But anything beyond that is a no-go. For example, touching my horns or interlacing our fingers."
Cecile, who had been fanning her face to cool down the heat, explained. To me, as a human, linking arms felt more intimate, but I brushed it off as a cultural difference.
The conversation lapsed into silence, and just as it seemed about to end, Cecile glanced at me tentatively and spoke in a quiet voice. A faint red glow still lingered on her face, as if she hadn't quite calmed down.
"...Isaac, don't you have any secrets like that?"
"Secrets?"
"Yeah. Secrets that are hard to tell others. Actually, the reason I have no dating experience is because I'm a descendant of a succubus. As you know, people believe succubi drain a man's essence until he dies. The men in Helium believe those rumors religiously, so they tend to avoid me. They see me as a poisonous flower."
"Oh..."
That was a fresh perspective. I rounded my lips in a small 'o' of admiration.
Personally, I didn't care if Cecile was a succubus or a descendant of one, but it seemed the Demons felt differently. Since they were the descendants of Devils themselves, they were likely sensitive about such things.
Even as a human, I could easily understand that. But that wasn't the important part right now.
"A secret..."
I rested my chin on my hand and lowered my gaze, murmuring softly. I caught Cecile’s face across from me, tinged with tension.
The fact that she told me her secret—did that mean she trusted me? Unlike Lina, Cecile might drop hints, but she wouldn't interrogate me until I chose to speak for myself.
However, she was already practically certain that I was the author of the Xenon Biography. If she wasn't, she wouldn't have created this situation in the first place. A secret only has true sincerity when it is revealed by one's own mouth.
Is she someone I can trust?
Two months had passed since I met Cecile, but there was still much I didn't know about her. Just because she revealed her secret didn't mean I could fully trust her.
But if I hesitated to speak when she was already half-convinced? She might actually be disappointed. She might think she trusted me enough to share her secret, but I didn't feel the same.
I agonized over it for a long time before slowly lifting my gaze. I saw Cecile waiting for my answer with a tense expression.
"...Cecile."
"Yes, Isaac."
"Are you good at keeping secrets?"
Cecile nodded at my grave question. Her expression was very serious, with no sign of playfulness.
I took a long breath and looked around. There were hardly any people, but it would be better to speak in a truly quiet space.
With a slight smile, I made a quiet suggestion to Cecile.
"Shall we go somewhere quiet for a moment?"
"...Yes!"
At my suggestion, a smile bloomed on Cecile’s face like a flower in full spirit.