Chapter 62: Fan Letter(1)
Chapter 62: Fan Letter(1)
As soon as all the lectures were over, I set everything else aside and returned to my quarters. Since I hadn't made any plans with Mari today, I was able to head straight back.
A short while later, after arriving at my room, I lay down on the bed and pulled out the envelope I had hidden tightly between the pages of my notebook. As you might have guessed, this was the letter Cecile had handed to me during class.
Cecile had whispered in my ear that it contained her sincere feelings for her benefactor. She had phrased it indirectly, but for all intents and purposes, it was a letter meant for me.
'Is it like a fan letter? Or something else?'
I examined the envelope closely.
On the outside, it looked like an ordinary envelope, nothing more. However, the contents felt quite thick. There were definitely at least three pages inside.
Since she said it contained her sincere feelings for her benefactor, it could be considered close to a fan letter. Because I had kept my identity strictly hidden until now, I had never received a fan letter directly. This made the feeling even more peculiar.
I wondered what Cecile had written in this letter. After turning the envelope over a few times, I sat bolt upright.
It wasn't right to read this while lying in bed; it was better to sit at my desk and read it slowly. Cecile had surely put her heart into writing it, so shouldn't I read it with equal sincerity?
And once I finished reading, I planned to write a reply immediately. Since I had already finished the manuscript for Volume 10, I had plenty of spare time.
Rrip—
Sitting at my desk with everything ready, I carefully tore the top of the envelope. Looking inside, I found the letter neatly folded and resting there, just as I had expected.
With a mix of anticipation and anxiety, I took out the contents and slowly unfolded them. There were three pages in total, and as soon as I opened them, her elegant handwriting caught my eye.
[Hello, my deeply adored Author Isaac. As you already know, I am the Princess of Helium, Cecile Drat Aisilia bin. I am truly overwhelmed with emotion to have the honor of conveying my heart to the benefactor of the Demon race.]
I felt an unusual aura from the very first line. Setting aside the title of "Author," the word "adored" (경모) weighed heavily on my mind.
"Gyeongmo(경모)" was a word not commonly used in my previous life or in this world, but thanks to my habit of reading many books, I knew exactly what it meant.
—To deeply respect and adore, or to devote one's heart in longing.
In other words, it meant that Cecile harbored romantic feelings—love—for me. It felt a bit sudden, so I couldn't help but feel flustered.
Since we had started speaking informally, Cecile had treated me with familiarity and even played mischievous pranks, but that was always closer to how one would treat a close younger brother. I could understand that much, given that I had played along well and helped resolve some of her worries.
I read the first sentence over and over, checking if it really meant the word I thought it did. In this world, although a common language is used, there are words here and there that carry different meanings for each race.
However, focusing on the first sentence yielded nothing new. For now, it seemed best to set my doubts aside and slowly read the rest.
[First, before expressing my feelings, I wish to apologize for my discourtesy a few days ago. I was simply so excited to finally meet the benefactor I had long awaited that I made a mistake. Regardless of how you felt at the time, the fact remains that I was rude. I offer my apologies once again.]
As I read, I realized one thing. As seen in the letter, Cecile was taking a very humble stance.
Who was she? She was the Princess of Helium and the Demon destined to be the next Demon King.
Even if my influence on the world was powerful, there was no need for Cecile to bow her head like this. Furthermore, Helium was currently establishing diplomatic relations with other nations, so her standing should be immense.
One might ask, "Isn't it fine since she's treating you as a benefactor?" But it made me feel too uncomfortable.
The Cecile I knew was mischievous and someone who buried her pain deep inside. I couldn't help but wish she would joke around or chatter normally, just like Mari did.
'But...'
What was this murky emotion crawling up from deep within my chest? I had felt this same sensation when Cecile spoke formally to me last time.
A feeling close to ecstasy, yet one I felt I must never let consume me. A dark mood that I hadn't noticed before, but felt as though I could never escape if I tasted it even once.
I shook my head vigorously, casting those emotions aside. No matter how humble Cecile acted, treating her poorly didn't suit my personality.
Above all, Mari would be the most disappointed. If there was one thing I never wanted to see, it was her disappointment.
"Whew."
I let out a sigh, composed my mind, and returned my gaze to the letter. Along with the elegant cursive, Cecile's beautiful prose made the reading experience a pleasure.
[As you may know, Benefactor, we Demons were treated as devils until the Xenon Biography was released. We were forcibly cut off from the outside world and had no choice but to band together. A few brave Demons ventured out to plead that we were not devils, but it was all in vain. Some even took their own lives, unable to bear the condemnation, or suffered tragedies that turned them into actual devils. And...]
[Thank you so much for fulfilling the long-cherished wish of my people, something even I, as their princess, could not achieve. It does not matter if it was not your intention. It is a fact that you provided a ray of light to the Demons who had nothing but darkness. That light was a hope beyond measure for us, and you showed us the path forward. The sun has begun to shine on the skies of Helium, which were always shrouded in clouds. Smiles have blossomed on the faces of the people of Helium, and they have newly discovered the emotion of 'pride.' I can confidently say that this single lamp that lit the darkness will illuminate the future of our race.]
The letter detailed exactly how the Demon race had been treated and described how things had changed since the release of Xenon Biography.
The more I read, the warmer my heart felt.
I had been a bit uneasy when she whispered in my ear that she had put her "sincerity" into it, but that anxiety had now vanished. Cecile had written this letter with genuine sincerity in the truest sense.
And that sincerity was being transmitted to me without any filter. Even if it was unintentional, anyone would feel proud if the result was this positive.
'The difference from what I saw in the newspapers is huge.'
Coming from Cecile, a Demon herself, it resonated much more deeply.
When I read newspapers or heard rumors, I just brushed them off. Even when I spoke with Cecile directly, it hadn't hit home like this.
This was because Cecile had focused on the fact that I was the author of Xenon Biography and had never revealed her true inner feelings. She had rarely spoken with such authenticity.
But after reading this letter, I realized how difficult her life had been and how much gratitude she felt toward me.
An action I took without much thought could become hope for someone else. This was an emotional impact I had never felt in my previous life.
'She must have had a really hard time.'
A hundred years might be different for other races, but for a human, it was absurdly long. For those hundred years, Cecile had been making countless efforts to fulfill her people's desire.
Naturally, I had been completely unaware of this. I had guessed vaguely through our conversations, but compared to what was in the letter, my guesses were nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
That desire was fulfilled not by her hands, but by mine, and her joy must be beyond words. In terms of my previous life, it was like the liberation of people who had suffered terrible discrimination just because of the color of their skin.
Feeling the warmth in my chest vividly, I turned to the next page. Since it spanned three pages, I expected it would take a while to read it all.
[However, the wounds my people have suffered are unfathomably deep, and discriminatory views have not been entirely resolved. Even as you read this letter, someone out there is likely discriminating against a Demon, and a wounded Demon may be falling into corruption and causing harm. It is unfortunate, but even though the perception of Demons has changed thanks to Xenon Biography, the world has not completely transformed.]
[But that is alright. As the Princess of Helium, I will represent all Demons and let the world know. That we, too, can live ordinary lives like any other race, and that we are by no means devils. Only then will you not be disappointed in us. Through the grace you have bestowed upon us, I will strive so that our race can find an even brighter light.]
The second page spoke of Cecile's aspirations. This naturally brought to mind the speech she gave during the entrance ceremony.
How many people could proudly state their ambitions in front of so many? If it were me, I could never do it.
Cecile's courageous actions were enough to serve as a model not just for Demons, but for many people. It was something I had forgotten because she was usually so busy teasing me.
'I suppose this is what people mean when they say someone is extraordinary.'
I turned the page and began reading the final sheet. Perhaps because it was the last page, it was only about two-thirds full.
[The grace you have bestowed is so great that I dare not even speak of it. I say again, you have fulfilled the Demon race's longing that went unachieved for centuries. To repay this debt, I wish to offer my body and soul, but if you do not wish for that, I shall not. It would be even more difficult since there is already someone occupying your side.]
[However, I wanted to express my sincerity, however meagerly, in this way. If you only know that the contents of this letter are my true feelings, I will be beyond happy and joyful.]
[I am not sure how to phrase my final greeting... but I pray that you, Benefactor, will be healthy and filled only with happiness. For your happiness is my happiness.]
[With that, I shall take my leave. Not as the Princess of Helium, but as a Demon who loves Xenon Biography.]
The last page was filled with Cecile's feelings for me.
She would willingly offer her body and soul if I wished. But since Mari was by my side, she wouldn't do so if I didn't want it.
Rather than being dazed by the statement of a woman offering her everything, I felt troubled. Last time, I thought she had said such things just to seduce me.
But the letter was steeped in sincerity. It seemed Cecile was truly prepared to give herself to me without hesitation if I so desired.
"Sss..."
If Mari saw this, she'd be furious, wouldn't she? I'd have to keep the fact that Cecile sent a fan letter(?) a complete secret.
Of course, I wasn't sure if I, who was terrible at acting, could keep it hidden. It might be better to live with the mindset that I'd be caught eventually.
Regardless, since Cecile had put so much effort into writing the letter, it was only polite for me to reply. After reading the fan letter once more—which brought a natural, heartwarming smile to my face—I opened my desk drawer.
Until now, I thought I'd have no one to send letters to besides my parents, but that thought changed today.
'First, the greeting... Right. I'll write it like this.'
Unlike before, I began to slowly write a reply to Cecile with a joyful heart.
'Come to think of it, fan letters...'
Had other people written fan letters like Cecile? The thought suddenly occurred to me as I was writing.
It felt a bit strange that there wasn't a single fan letter despite Xenon Biography being a global hit. It was highly likely that my father had strictly blocked them to prevent any clues about my identity from leaking.
In that case, it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask him once. I planned to check if there were any fan letters first and then make the request.
Even if my father found it difficult due to the risk of being tracked, it didn't matter. I had someone else I could ask separately.
'It's a bit uncomfortable, but the results will be certain. Surely they won't make some petty demand over something like this.'
After reading the fan letter, I realized something. It felt very similar to reading comments in my previous life. I could confidently say that nothing makes an author feel the full spectrum of joy and sorrow quite like comments.
I moved my magic pen elegantly, praying that there were more fan letters.
'I wonder if there's one written by Mari too?'
I found myself looking forward to it.
*
Meanwhile, at the same time, in the girls' dormitory.
"A-choo! Ack..."
Mari, who had been leisurely eating bread on her bed, was startled by a sudden sneeze that erupted without warning. As a result, the bed was now messy with breadcrumbs.
"Geez... why did I suddenly sneeze out of nowhere? How annoying."
As she grumbled, her characteristically sharp intuition began to tingle.