It took a long time to catch on, but once I did, the conversation with Marie became awkward. If my suspicions were incorrect, my mother wouldn’t have given me any medicine, and Marie wouldn’t have shown up in these clothes.
Until now, I never thought such a situation would arise, and I thought I could handle it if it did. But the problem is my desires that Cecily raised through her “work”.
I don’t know if Cecily did it on purpose or accidentally spread the pheromones, but it’s getting harder to resist. It was a difficult thing to deal with even after my reincarnation, and now I’m reaching my limit.
‘Fortunately, I can endure it for now.’
I slowly lifted my head and looked at Marie. She was sitting in front of me, wearing an evening dress that exposed almost all of her chest.
Moreover, I couldn’t see it from afar earlier, but it was even more shocking up close because the dress seemed to be made of see-through material, revealing the white fabric underneath.
They say that men feel stronger desires for women who show their secret parts in such a subtle way than those who are completely naked. And I’m experiencing that in real-time.
My mind is foggy because Marie, not just any other woman, appeared in front of me dressed like this, appealing to my desire to mix our bodies through her dress alone.
“Isaac. Can you tell me why you called me? And do you have anything else to talk about besides this?”
As I was trying my best to exercise patience and barely holding back my desires, Marie spoke to me. Her unique, refreshing voice remained the same, but due to the atmosphere, even her voice sounded seductive.
I removed my hands from my face and faced Marie directly. She seemed to be embarrassed like me, as her face was subtly reddened and her lips were trembling.
Luckily, I wasn’t the only one feeling tense, which gave me the confidence to finally speak up.
“… Yeah. I called you because you had something to say. But about that clothing…”
“What about the clothing?”
“… Never mind. Let’s talk about it later. It’s not the time, and the night is still young.”
“… …”
I didn’t say the time we had was long, I said ‘night’ was long. Although it seemed like a minor difference at first glance, it had a completely different meaning in this situation.
In fact, it was nothing short of my indirect permission to indulge Marie’s desires. Marie seemed to have noticed the meaning and her snow-white cheeks became even redder, and her wavering face began to crack.
As the awkward situation subsided and only silence remained, I decided to get straight to the point. The reason why I had called Marie to the bedroom was all because of my relationship with Rina.
Although Rina and Leort had indeed wronged me, they were still royalty of the Minerva Empire. Making them enemies wouldn’t help at all, and I needed to make them a reliable ally like in this exhibition.
Sesilli declared to protect me, but the standing of the demons is currently uncertain. So, I have to make sure that Rina is on my side to make my future easier. It’s amazing how life can be, even though I used to hate politics, I’m trying to persuade Marie to make Rina our ally.
Still, it’s beneficial to prepare ahead instead of being dragged around. When I resume serialization, my value will increase, and I will inevitably have to deal with politics, whether I like it or not.
“Marie.”
“Yeah?”
“This conversation might be sensitive to you. It’s related to Rina.”
Marie flinched at the mention of Rina, who is her target of contempt beyond comparison. Her body trembled for a moment, and her uplifted mouth quickly turned down. The atmosphere, which had been on the verge of boiling over, suddenly plummeted in a split second. I thought I shouldn’t have said anything, but this is one of the problems that must be resolved someday.
I don’t want to keep putting it off like the proverb that it’s better to be beaten by dust than to wait and try to solve the problem when the devil comes.(TL: I too have no idea what it means… just not to procrastinate I guess)
“Why Rina?”
Marie asked me with a hint of dissatisfaction, narrowing her beautiful eyebrows.
I tried to fix my gaze on her face as much as possible, as my eyes kept drifting downward. From here on, I needed to speak well in order to make Marie feel better and restore the atmosphere that had previously sunk.
Staring intently at Marie’s beautiful face, I spoke the words that I wanted to say.
“I’ve always been thinking about it, and I plan to get closer to Rina and Leort from now on. As you know, Xenon’s Biography’s popularity grows exponentially with each new release. By the time it’s finished, it may be too much for even the country to handle.”
“So, you’re trying to make Rina an ally? To protect yourself, your family, and your house if something goes wrong in the future.”
“Exactly.”
As expected of the daughter of the Duke of Requilis, Marie accurately grasped what I wanted to say. However, her face still showed some dissatisfaction.
For her, it was probably a story that could hurt her pride. Why should she, a member of the Requilis family, befriend royalty?
But when my true identity was revealed, many eyes would be on me, and dark hands would reach out to me. To prevent this from happening, I needed to have as many allies as possible.
“Isn’t Cecily enough? She said she’d help you with everything.”
It was a question I had expected. I nodded my head apologetically and answered in a tone that showed there was no other choice.
“It’s not that she’s lacking. But it’s not enough either. Just like the last manuscript theft incident, this world is full of uncertainties. In the worst case scenario, I could be kidnapped.”
“… …”
“And the scariest thing is… that you and my family could get hurt because of me.”
I don’t care what happens to me, as long as I’m the only one suffering the consequences.
But they’re not me. When I think of the love and dedication my family has shown me until now, they are like treasures in this world. It would be terrible to imagine them getting hurt because of me.
As someone who lost my family in a split second in my past life, I want to do everything I can to prevent that from happening again.
“Especially for you, I want to protect you no matter what I have to do. You liked me even before you knew I was Xenon, and you even confessed your feelings to me. You’re an irreplaceable treasure and the most precious woman to me. Just the thought of you getting hurt is enough to make me suffer for the rest of my life. You’ll protect you even until I reveal that I’m Xenon, and after that, it will be my turn to keep you safe.”
“… …”
“I hope you understand how I feel. Even if it’s selfish, it’s okay. I’ll do anything to protect you.”
“… You really are Xenon.”
Marie chuckled and spoke her mind, which she had kept hidden. As she lifted her head, I realized she had been staring at me with an unyielding expression. Her blue eyes were filled with strong emotions and were glistening with moisture.
Then, she closed her eyes slowly, as if she was collecting her thoughts, before opening them again to meet my gaze directly.
“Are you playing with people’s hearts with those words? Can you really take responsibility for them? You said you’ll protect me.”
“I’ll protect you no matter what, even if I have to cut off both my hands.”
“If you say it like that, I can’t refuse. Alright, I’ll accept it.”
It seems like I was able to persuade her. For a moment, I even hummed a tune to myself, but I grabbed onto the strings of tension tightly and brought up the question that I wanted to ask.
Even if I made Rina my ally, progress would surely be slow as long as she maintained her awkward relationship with Marie. I had to find a way to resolve the situation between the two of them to make the future easier.
“It’s not enough to just consider each other allies. I’m curious about what happened between you and Rina.”
“Why? Wasn’t it enough to just consider each other allies?”
She showed her clear dislike, furrowing her eyebrows, as if I had touched on a trauma. It was a completely different reaction from before, as though her past was a different matter.
However, I continued with what I had to say without any hesitation. Although I may seem impertinent, it is not right for allies to engage in a psychological warfare with each other. That’s why I’m taking the lead.
“Even if we consider each other allies, bottled-up emotions between people can paralyze logic. Above all, it seems like Rina has a feeling of guilt towards you. I said this before, but I want to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
“… …”
“I don’t distrust you. Even if you don’t realize it now, going against the royal family will eventually come back like a boomerang. If Rina were to harbor ill intentions towards us, she would be the worst enemy we could face.”
“Hmm…”
After my persuasion, Marie seemed to have cooled down her head and closed her eyes, exhaling a deep sigh. Fortunately, it seemed to have gone down well.
Then, Marie rested her chin on her hands, looked away, and flicked her cheek with her fingers. After a moment, she quietly opened her mouth, having organized her thoughts.
“…As you said, it’s a problem that we’ll have to solve someday. Maybe I was a bit narrow-minded too.”
“What happened?”
“Just… as you know, Rina and I were friends when we were young. Since the Requilis family was one of the emperor’s close aides, we naturally became close. We were about the same age, and my father sent me to the palace. I received all education, including etiquette education, at the palace. It was fine until then… The problem was the debutante ball. It happened when I was 12 years old.”
“The debutante ball…”
I heard that high-ranking families debut in society from a young age. From then on, they gradually expand their connections and plan their future.
Marie and Rina, in particular, I’m convinced that they received enormous attention. They were a princess and a duke’s daughter, respectively. You can’t help but be interested in them.
“As you know, I can instinctively see through people’s sincerity. I’m fine now, but back then, I was so young that I couldn’t manage my expression at all. On the other hand, Rina was completely different. She had perfect facial expression management and mesmerized people with her brilliant eloquence.”
“Were you jealous?”
“Come on, what do you take me for? I just thought she was amazing.”
Marie shook her head and denied it. If it had been someone else, they might have felt jealous, but she was too innocent to feel any jealousy.
“But the problem… it appeared somewhere else, not just from me or Rina. Rina, the princess, and me, the daughter of the Duke. It would have been perfect if we just left it at that… but there are always people who feel jealous, like you said.”
“Someone spread rumors or tried to drive a wedge between you?”
“Yes. Since I was 15, a daughter of the Viscount, started subtly dividing us. Of course, Rina didn’t even know.”
It was the start of serious political maneuvering. I listened with a stiff expression, expecting to hear something serious.
Marie hesitated when she saw me like that, but then she smiled wryly and continued in a quiet voice. However, I could see it. Her hands began to shake intermittently, as if the trauma had been deeply embedded in her heart.
“You know that among the nobles, some who are not dukes or marquesses are still considered high-ranking, right? That young lady’s family was one of the high-ranking families. But they were greedy. They wanted to climb higher.”
“…”
“That girl started isolating me completely. Whenever I tried to get close to Rina, she would find a way to separate us, and she would say bad things about me to Rina. Of course, Rina didn’t believe her at first, but as it piled up… Rina also started to…”
“Stop. That’s enough.”
I think I can stop talking about it now. I quickly grabbed Marie’s hand and firmly cut off her words. Marie, who had been speaking while trembling with both hands and voice, slowly raised her head when I held her hand. She wasn’t aware of it herself, but tears were already welling up in her eyes.
I looked at Marie with a sympathetic expression. Her usual confident and lively demeanor had completely disappeared, leaving only a person who had been betrayed by a friend.
There are few memories as terrible and painful as being betrayed by a friend you trusted. Especially at a young age, the wounds are deeply engraved.
Fortunately, the misunderstanding was resolved and the matter seemed to have been handled well, but it left an unforgettable scar for Marie. I could vaguely guess why she had hated and despised Rina so much.
“I guess I asked for no reason. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know if anything like that had happened…”
“Oh, no. We’ve resolved the misunderstanding since then, and that Viscount’s daughter was banished from the family. Actually, Rina also apologized to me, bowing down to me all the way to her waist and apologizing. I just didn’t accept the apology.”
“It’s not that you didn’t accept it, but that you couldn’t, right?”
Once trust between people is broken, it is extremely difficult to repair. Even if you try your best to mend it for a lifetime, it is often too difficult.
Like the hole left when you remove a nail from a wall, the hole that has been pierced in a person’s heart can never be fixed.
“…But you won’t be like that, right?”
Marie quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and asked me in a moist voice. Without saying a word, I firmly held her hand and said with determination.
“Never. No matter what happens, I will always tell you the truth.”
“Didn’t you go cheating with Cecily?”
“… …”
I had nothing to say to that. I closed my mouth and Marie, as if it were a joke, burst out laughing and pinching my cheeks and acting all natural.
“To think you would make another woman while having such a pretty girlfriend like me. And she’s even prettier? I can’t stand it. I’ll torment you all night long.”
“Did you talk to Cecily?”
“Yeah. Cecily will be allowed if I specially permit it.”
Although I didn’t know what they talked about, there was no indication of discomfort. It was rather a feeling of relief.
Moreover, the nuance suggested that Marie held the decision-making power over Cecily.
I sighed with relief and for a moment, I gently grabbed Marie’s wrist as she pinched my cheek.
Then, slowly, very slowly, I lifted her hand onto the desk. Marie didn’t resist my touch and moved her arm as I guided her.
“… …”
That’s how we looked at each other, holding hands without saying a word. Just by looking at each other, the atmosphere became more relaxed.
Starting from Marie’s face, I slowly lowered my gaze downward.
Starting from the slender neck, the chest that proudly shows its presence with most of its area exposed, and even the glimpse of the lingerie faintly shining through the evening dress. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her picturesque figure, and at the same time, it stimulated my desires like a needle poking at me.
As if there were no more reservations, I openly stared at Marie with a lustful gaze.
“Isaac.”
She called my name with a bashful expression. I slowly lifted my head and met her gaze. When she looked at me, she avoided eye contact and flicked her hair behind her ear. And then she spoke with a voice like an ant crawling.
“You…during the performance, you said let’s have a chat while drinking coffee in the bedroom.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what that means?”
I don’t know the exact meaning, but it’s similar to the famous line ‘Do you want to come in for coffee?’ Isn’t it?
I couldn’t even take a sip of coffee because we were too busy chatting, but the meaning was more than enough. I was already determined.
Blushing heavily, I held Marie’s hand tighter and opened my mouth.
“I didn’t know back then, but now I think I do.”
“… …?”
“…Are you going to have a drink?”
Indirectly, I asked Marie…
“…yeah.”
With her direct answer, she gave permission. Hearing her answer, I slowly lowered my chin and took a deep breath before cautiously asking her.
“Do you have any regrets?”
“No, because it’s you.”
“I’m still lacking in many ways, and sometimes I can be frustrating.”
“I’m stubborn and talkative.”
Marie received each of my worried questions clearly. The more she did, the more courage she gained, and eventually we exchanged glances face to face. Staring at Marie’s eyes, which were a mixture of determination, tension, anticipation, and affection, I got up from my seat without saying a word.
Marie also stood up, holding my hand as if I was escorting her.
“Isaac.”
“Yeah, Mari.”
“I love you.”
Marie confessed her love to me with a smile on her face, blushing heavily. Her appearance was so beautiful, cute, and sexy that I couldn’t take it anymore. Slowly approaching her face, I stopped in front of her nose. Even when my face was so close to her nose, Marie never turned her head away.
“…me too.”
Swoosh-
I slowly let go of the hand that was clasped in hers, and went up smoothly and softly, towards her back. My other empty hand passed lightly over her thin waist and moved to her back.
Every time my hands moved slowly like a snake, Marie’s slender body flinched. In the meantime, I was finally able to embrace Marie.
Until now, I didn’t realize that her back was exposed and open, as I had only seen her from the front. The feeling of her back was transmitted to my hands.
“Ah…”
As we hugged, Marie let out a hot breath. Then, she cautiously and strongly embraced me while patting my body.
Unlike the previous hugs, I could fully feel her skin and heartbeat. Her large chest pressed against me beyond the evening dress.
Marie’s chest was soft and malleable like marshmallows, and her shape changed freely with even slight pressure. What would it feel like if I touched it with my hands?
But it’s not time yet. Marie is a woman who gave me her sweet first night, so I have to handle her like a precious glass craft.
“…Isaac, there’s something below…”
“You made it like this.”
“… …”
Marie seemed to have already felt my manhood burning. As it swelled up, she kept teasing me below.
As if asking where she was looking, I swept my hands down from her back, where I had placed them. Not too fast or slow, so that she could feel it well.
“Hm!”
The sudden stimulus made Marie shiver and make a strange sound. Surprised, she applied more pressure to the arms that were wrapped around me. But I didn’t stop here.
The fact that her back was revealed meant that my hand could invade it below. I gently stroked her back and then moved down to her waist.
It wasn’t quite secretive, but I started to excite her by stroking her buttocks and wide hips like a potter.
“Ah… hah…”
As fresh stimulation continued, Marie shivered and moaned. She couldn’t look at me and lowered her head, so I grabbed her chin with one hand and forced her to look up.
“Hm…? Uhp!”
Then came the unexpected kiss. At first, she stiffened at the sudden contact, but gradually relaxed and accepted it.
With one hand holding the back of her head and the other holding her back, I explored her as much as I wanted.
Suckling and nibbling on each other’s lips, we shared a passionate, deep kiss. As I firmly held her head, she hugged my neck and responded eagerly.
We licked each other’s lips, teased with our tongues, and explored each other’s mouths.
Finally, their tongues tangled and exchanged saliva, longing for each other’s love.
“Ah…”
“… …”
How long had it been since their act of devouring each other began? We separated our lips as if we had agreed beforehand. A thin silver thread connected our lips before it snapped off.
For a moment, I savored the sweet taste in my mouth, then looked at Marie’s face. She extended her tongue out, her eyes unfocused, expressing the ecstasy she felt. Her expression was more vulgar than elegant.
Just moments before, our intense kiss caused one of the straps of her dress to fall, exposing one of her breasts completely.
“Marie.”
“Haa… haa…”
Marie, unable to properly answer as she panted for breath, was already excited enough. I slowly approached her face and whispered in her ear.
“I love you.”
“Me too…”
As soon as she replied in a trembling voice, she immediately took action. I gently caressed her face, then leaned down to her slender and long neck and kissed her lips. I licked her skin with my tongue, savoring her scent to my heart’s content. The scent of the soap she had used earlier aroused my senses.
“Uhh…”
Marie also let out a satisfied moan and trembled with pleasure. I slowly led her towards the bed and grabbed one of her breasts that was already exposed.
Thus began a night of passion in the depths of the mansion.
Translators note:
WARNING CHAPTERS 112 and 113 ARE NSFW
Also I will be realisng both of them tomorrow
