Originally, I had plans to introduce Cherry to my friends, but it seems that the introductions have concluded during Rina’s and mine brief visit to the classroom.
However, even though I didn’t know what exactly was discussed, their expressions were different. Marie had a somewhat hesitant expression, Cecily had a sympathetic expression, and Cherry had a somewhat grim smile.
Observing that, I was momentarily puzzled, but since I hadn’t yet told Rina what I planned to say, I continued with the remaining part of the conversation. Rina, after being momentarily surprised when I introduced Cherry, thought for a while and then asked me a question.
“So, when is Young Lady’s Roseberry book going to be published?”
“It should be published soon, right? By now, they should have finalized the contract.”
Cherry’s debut work, “Once Again, the Red Sunset,” was entrusted to my father for another contract. Ideally, Cherry should have visited in person, but due to certain circumstances, there was no other choice.
The CEO of the publishing company is the first person I’ve met in relation to Xenon’s Biography, so there should be no problems in handling the contract. Since the CEO will keep silent about our identities thanks to the contracts, there’s no need to worry.
If the CEO quotes an unusual amount, I can pressure him. The position of the top-ranked author, as long as Xenon’s Biography is going crazy, will always be mine. Therefore, Cherry’s work will be thoroughly protected under my name. Now, all that’s left is to wait for it to grow and bloom like a flower.
“I’m looking forward to it. Since you said it’s interesting, the quality of the work is guaranteed.”
“Can you tell me what it’s about?”
Cecily asked with interest about Cherry’s work. For reference, Rina was sitting beside Cherry, and I was sitting between Marie and Cecily.
I pondered for a moment on how to explain her question and then spoke. I decided not to mention the time travel setting.
“First of all, it’s a romance genre, so I think you guys will really like it. However, it’s better to see the story for yourselves, don’t you think? I was impressed when I first read it.”
“The book that the author of Xenon’s Biography was impressed with… makes us even more excited, right? Young Lady Roseberry?”
“Ye-yes?!”
Cherry, who had been hesitating at Rina’s call, suddenly perked up and lifted her head in surprise. It seems that even someone like Cherry couldn’t help but be tense in the presence of Princess Rina’s authority.
Perhaps, living with me has made her emotions a bit richer. Before meeting me, Cherry was truly lifeless, as if she were a walking corpse.
“I will visit the Roseberry family soon. The Roseberry family is famous for their philosophy, so it might not be a bad idea to have a conversation with them.”
“Ah…”
As soon as Rina mentioned the family, Cherry’s pink eyes sank deep like an abyss. I couldn’t help but be terrified as soon as I heard Rina mention the family.
For Cherry, ‘family’ was like a forbidden land that should not even be mentioned. But Lina seemed completely unaware of this and spoke as if it were nothing.
When Rina saw Cherry’s gaze suddenly darken, she seemed to realize that something was wrong and had a bewildered expression. Then, as if to convey that she wondered what had happened, she shifted her gaze to me.
Only after explaining Cherry’s family situation did she realize her mistake and hurriedly apologized.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know about your circumstances…”
“Princess, there’s no need to apologize. Everything is fine now…”
It wasn’t really okay. Because of the trauma deeply ingrained in her heart, not only her voice but even her hands were trembling.
Rina seemed to have noticed this, as she didn’t ask any more related questions. Instead, she changed the topic to something more direct, praising Cherry herself in place of her family.
“Anyway, as the Minerva Empire, we’re in for a real stroke of luck. Xenon’s Biography author and the author he praises have emerged here. Maybe we can really surpass the Ters Kingdom.”
“I haven’t even said I’m bound to the Minerva Empire.”
“Well, if you marry Marie, it’s pretty much the same as being bound to the Minerva Empire. There’s no reason to go over to the Ters Kingdom, is there?”
“I have no intention of going over there.”
The Ters Kingdom is a country of art and culture. At first glance, many artists have impressive titles. However, it seems like just empty words when you look at Adelia’s unfortunate family history.
Perhaps, as Rina says, it might be the same to be bound to the Minerva Empire, just writing works under their protection. Moreover, Rina must also know that I am in a position that cannot be easily disturbed. It was just a playful expression of intimacy.
“And starting with Cherry, many writers will emerge in other countries as well. Honestly, it’s not difficult if you have the material, and the grammar I use is easy to copy.”
“That’s true, but who would dare to imitate you? People might even say you’re tarnishing your reputation. Cherry is your precious friend, but other writers are different.”
“In anticipation of that, I’ve already told the publishing house. I told them not to be afraid of following me and to express themselves freely.”
“Hmm… Is that so? It’s a bit regrettable, but if that’s how you feel, there’s nothing to be done.”
Of course, commonly known copycats might also appear. In that case, the publishing house will have to filter them out. Moreover, if the story is almost a carbon copy, I’ve made it clear that they need to scrutinize it closely. If I say I’m uncomfortable, they don’t have to wait for me to step in, those around will handle it on their own.
So, I just need to quietly enjoy it from the perspective of an observer. It can be a little ambitious, but the grammar of Xenon’s Biography is so easy that a little practice is enough to follow along.
It’s better to lay it all out from the beginning, as there may be complaints later.
“They’ll create books for me to read myself, too.”
Most satisfying of all is that there will be an increase in books that are enjoyable to read. The reason for writing Xenon’s Biography in the first place was that there were hardly any books worth reading, except for history books and adventurer biographies.
In my past life, genre novels poured out like a flood, and there were many enjoyable novels as well, but it’s not the same in this world. People’s enthusiasm for Xenon’s Biography is also due to this.
While there may initially be a lot of trash at first, there are also sprouts in this world that wither away without ever revealing their talents. Just like the sprout in front of me, which will eventually blossom like a cherry tree, and when more talents bloom beside it, it will create a beautiful garden called “culture.”
“Isaac, I think I know what you’re thinking. But it’s going to take longer than you expect.”
Marie, who was next to me, voiced her opinion cautiously. It was somewhat surprising that this came from Marie, not Rina. When I looked at her, Marie brought out her thoughts.
“If you say that, then undoubtedly countless aspiring writers will be compelled to write. However, that will also harm some people. For example, the moment Xenon’s Biography came out, a lot of troublesome things happened, right?”
“You mean established writers?”
“Yeah.”
The novels of this world are filled with very obscure sentences and words. It’s so difficult that some even say you need to use an encyclopedia to understand the story. Nobles, after reading some novels, might end up discussing them, making it feel like an English exam for no reason.
At least until the era of Xenon’s Biography, this was the prevailing trend. Authors would proudly write, showcasing their philosophy and intellectual qualities, and if readers didn’t understand, they would accuse them of being ignorant.
But since the advent of Xenon’s Biography, the landscape and public opinion have completely reversed. People now wonder why they should bother reading those when there are other novels with simple and straightforward sentences with easy-to-understand stories. They just call it dirty and avoid reading it.
Naturally, established authors criticized and slandered Xenon’s Biography, but it remained unscathed. Some writers praised it for its depth, but they were in the minority.
Of course, over time, there were people who started taking an interest in books themselves rather than just Xenon’s Biography, and it resulted in some considerable benefits. You can see this from the fact that the number of literary newcomers has tripled in just one year.
“It’s because you’re in such a high position. The influence of established authors is much stronger than you think. The publishing house that signed Xenon’s Biography can ignore it because you’re involved, but it’ll be tough for publishers in other countries. It won’t be resolved as quickly as you think.”
“Hmm. I didn’t think of that. But it’s not entirely impossible, right?”
“No.”
“That’s enough then.”
If time can resolve it, I can wait indefinitely. Until then, I can write Xenon’s Biography and the next work, waiting for the readers’ reactions. After that, I’ll finish by writing another work casually.
In the meantime, I should read Cherry’s books so she won’t feel left out.
“Well, I think a bit differently, you know? Maybe it won’t ever happen.”
However, Cecily’s opinion seemed a bit different from Marie’s. I looked at Cecily with a puzzled expression and asked.
“What do you mean by that?”
In response to my question, Cecily smiled cryptically. Her smile was always beautiful and captivating, no matter when I saw it.
As I was staring blankly at that smile, Cecily pointed at me with her long index finger and spoke.
“Xenon’s Biography, and because you’re in such a high position.”
“…?”
It had a similar yet different tone.
******
Creation is a very demanding task. The creative process itself is challenging, and when you present your creation to the world, it’s equally demanding. That’s because people tend to judge creative works based on the ‘outcome’ rather than the process. No matter how much someone has suffered or how much effort they’ve put in, people only focus on the final result.
Some may praise the outcome, while others may criticize it. Creators can draw strength or despair from these results. In this way, art, which is the act of creation itself, is a difficult and arduous endeavor. However, even this is a story of significance when it receives attention, as there are countless works of art that have withered away unnoticed by the world.
In this sense, Cherry’s debut work, ‘Once Again, the Red Sunset,’ can be considered quite fortunate. She happened to meet me, the author of Xenon’s Biography and received praise for her writing being interesting. To support her dream entirely, we used Xenon’s reputation to lead to publication. However, just because I find it interesting doesn’t mean everyone does, as everyone has their own tastes.
“Shall we take a look now?”
“Ye-yes…!”
A week after Cherry’s first work was published, Cherry and I arrived at the cafe to check the reaction. The way to confirm the reaction was very simple. All we had to do was to check what news was in today’s newspaper.
You might think it’s possible to check the newspaper that was available on the day it was published, but that’s only possible in my past life on Earth, where there was the internet.
Even if the books start selling at the publisher, it takes a considerable amount of time for them to move to other places. It takes at least a month to arrive in Alvenheim, the farthest country from the Minerva Empire.
However, this is just the story before the appearance of the 12th volume. I heard that even the elves found it hard to thumb through the pages after the 12th volume, so they requested it directly from Arwen. In response, Arwen readily lowered the tariffs and even provided teleportation facilities.
It didn’t even take a few days to establish the facility for transporting only the Xenon series. Because it was the work of the elven magic experts, the work progressed at a fast pace.
Anyway, it’s been a week now, and it’s the moment when the evaluation of Cherry’s work was expected to explode. It’s already reached the maximum interest level because it’s a work written by the child I cherish.
The only thing left is whether the readers found it enjoyable. I glanced at Cherry, who was tense and rigid due to expectation and anxiety.
The light returned a little to the eyes that were dark and gloomy when we first met.
Slowly, I unfolded the newspaper, and Cherry and I started examining the news that was boldly highlighted without deciding who would go first.
[Another major debut? Xenon protegee’s, Mary’s ‘Red Sunset’, is on sale with great enthusiasm!]
[Just the story of traveling from the future to the past is noteworthy in itself.]
[Similar to the Xenon series, yet with a different style. Each emotional and warm sentence touches the heart.]
[This book, which is exploding in popularity among women…]
And as expected, it was receiving tremendous praise from its first work. Regression stories are inherently a popular theme, and when combined with Cherry’s unique writing style, it’s no wonder it’s a hit.
Moreover, I even personally said it’s enjoyable, leveraging Xenon’s reputation. They can’t criticize it because of my name? That’s a funny statement. Even when Xenon’s Biography was at its peak of popularity, there were critics.
Initially, most of the criticism came from established writers’ jealousy, but as time passed, more conventional criticism followed.
[Since it’s a romance, it focuses more on people’s psychology than events. Immersion is sufficient, but it’s slightly challenging to understand how the events unfold. However, it will gradually develop.]
[I wish they would provide a more detailed explanation of what happened in the future.]
The format was as described above. However, it wasn’t just malicious criticism, as I had also entertained similar thoughts, so I nodded in agreement.
But what mattered most was Cherry. How would she react? I glanced at Cherry while reading the newspaper, and I couldn’t help but be surprised.
“······”
Cherry was clearly reading the newspaper, but tears were streaming down her rosy cheeks.
Could it be that all the pent-up emotions in her heart had finally been released? Perhaps even she wasn’t aware of it, as she didn’t make a sound and just let the tears flow endlessly.
This might be a moment when the dream, which had been ruthlessly trampled before it had a chance to sprout, was blossoming. I gazed at her with an expression of bewilderment and quietly spoke.
“Cherry.”
“Yes?”
“How do you feel? Your dream has come true, hasn’t it?”
She stared blankly at the question for a while and then shifted her gaze back to the newspaper. The news was full of praise for her work. The question of when the next volume would be released echoed loudly.
Cherry stared at the news with a vacant look in her eyes, but soon her lips, which had been horizontal, slowly turned up. Not only her lips, but the tears in her eyes, too, gradually disappeared.
After a while, a ‘happy smile’ that had not been seen until then bloomed like her own work, and she quietly said.
“I’m happy…”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’m so… so happy… it feels like a dream…”
She didn’t seem to realize she was still crying, and tears began to fall from her cheeks, drop by drop. I wordlessly took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears.
At that, Cherry looked at me in surprise. It was then that she seemed to realize that she was crying and fumbled nervously.
“Um, I… I…”
“Use this until you stop crying.”
“…Thank you.”
It was as if the faucet of tears had broken, and she couldn’t stop crying. Eventually, she reached for my handkerchief. While she wiped away her tears, I looked at other news.
I turned the pages of the newspaper, but there was nothing else except news related to Cherry’s work. This meant it was just as big a hit as the Xenon series.
Due to its romantic nature, it was gaining immense popularity among women. However, due to its unique setting as a regression story, even men were reading it.
Whether this was a bubble or not, it all depends on Cherry from now on. According to her, she has already planned the ending, so all she has to do is write it. We just have to wait patiently.
‘But, isn’t there any news about new authors or something?’
I had informed the publishing company about it, but it didn’t seem to show up strangely. With doubts in my mind, as I flipped through the pages, I came across a strange passage.
[Xenon said it was okay to copy his writing style, but that is simply not possible.]
What’s this all about? I squinted my eyes and brought my face closer to the noticeably strange text.
[If you want your work to be recognized, you have to gain Xenon’s approval first. If you don’t, it’s an insult to Xenon.]
Ah, right.
[Don’t sully Xenon’s honor! Who dares to besmirch Xenon’s honor! He may say it doesn’t matter, but we will not forgive!]
This era was like that. Damn it.
“Hmm… Cherry.”
“Yes… sniff…”
With a heavy heart, I gently stroked Cherry’s head and said resignedly,
“…Give me the next volume a bit earlier.”
“Even if I have to risk my life, I’ll give it to you early…”
“You don’t need to do that…”
It seems like it will take a long time for a worthy book to come out.
