After hearing Adelia’s offer to stay up late with her, my mind became hazy, but fortunately, I managed to recover. Until now, she had been focused solely on martial arts, so she hardly knew any euphemisms. Euphemisms are not something taught in books but rather acquired through interpersonal interactions, so it’s an unavoidable aspect.
I can’t blame her, as I, too, have no room to speak, having casually invited Marie for ‘coffee’ during the previous exhibition without knowing anything. Proposing to have coffee late at night was the equivalent of suggesting, ‘Shall we eat instant noodles in our next life?’ It meant the same thing.
Still, thanks to that, I’ve been enjoying happy days, and now I can laugh it off. However, I’ll have to explain it to Adelia. I first asked her to provide detailed information about euphemisms. It seems that the situation arose because Marie only conveyed it vaguely to Adelia.
Once Adelia learns about euphemisms, she might complain to Marie, but that’s a matter for later. It might be tough for her to look at my face for a while.
Regardless, some trivial incidents occurred, and I also informed Adelia about what to do during the exhibition. This includes the recent meeting with Hiriya. To prevent interference from the royal family or unnecessary actions from the Ters Kingdom, it might be possible to assign someone else. Just as Hiriya formally requested, if people from other countries make similar requests, that should be enough.
Nevertheless, even so, Adelia must stay by my side. I’ve somewhat relieved the trauma, but it hasn’t been completely resolved.
Adelia was taken aback when she heard the story, but with her characteristic confident smile, she replied.
“With you around, I don’t have any worries.”
Touched by this, I responded with a deep kiss. However, her confident smile disappeared instantly, leaving only a bashful blush.
Adelia, not the usual dignified knight but now a woman, exuded an indescribable charm. Persecuting someone like her so much only intensified my resentment towards the Ters Kingdom.
After expressing affection to Adelia a few times and advising her on what to watch out for at the exhibition, I returned to the dormitory. Before going back, Adelia mimicked something she learned from a book.
While I am looking forward to the exhibition, the most anticipated moment is when Adelia, dressed in a maid outfit, appears. I briefly explained this to my mother in a letter.
So, the moment we return to the mansion, Adelia undergoes maid training while donning a maid outfit. As a bonus, she will likely receive martial arts training from my father, fulfilling the fantasy of a perfect combat maid.
In this fantasy world, combat maids actually exist. Since the conditions to become an exclusive maid are extremely stringent. Basic martial arts skills are a must, and being a secretary is also a requirement.
It can truly be considered the epitome of being both cultured and martial. Moreover, Adelia, being a royal-born despite being a bastard, received a high-level education, making it possible for her, but for the average commoner, it’s incredibly challenging, almost like an impossible dream.
There probably isn’t a more suitable job for Adelia.
‘It feels strangely fitting.’
The meeting with Adelia was over, all that’s left was to finish my work until the vacation comes.
The task of submitting exam questions was also done, so the assistant’s work was almost over. I still had to stay in the research lab even after 5 o’clock because I had to do the grading as well.
There was also the fun of finding out which student submitted a unique answer. By the way, the content of the exam questions was about explaining history that I received a year ago.
I wrote the answer as ‘History repeats itself,’ and through that answer, I became Elena’s assistant.
And maybe because the number of literature students has tripled, there were quite a few students who wrote creative answers.
Among them, the most unique answer was ‘History is a mirror talking to itself.’ The student who wrote this answer is a male student like me who has a deep interest in history. Elena seemed secretly pleased when she saw that student’s answer, so it seems like she may appoint him as an assistant. Finally, it seems like I’m getting a junior.
‘As for Cherry…’
I also checked Cherry’s answer, and she wrote such an answer that it’s hard to say if it’s clever or strange.
[History is red.]
What does she mean red? Elena was perplexed while giving scores as she couldn’t understand the meaning of the answer at all.
Her looking at my hair, while I was grading the answers, was an extra challenge. I deliberately ignored that gaze and scored according to the standards Elena had taught me.
I didn’t have the task of grading my acquaintances’ scores for the second-year exam since Elena was in charge of all the exam questions. After grading all the exams, I returned to the dormitory and had dinner promptly.
After settling dinner, I immediately sat down at my desk and started writing. I had to write quickly; otherwise, I would forget what I intended to write.
And this time, what I’m writing is not the main story but a side story. Moreover, it’s the past story of Jin and Lily written for the demons.
‘Honestly, I didn’t expect to gain popularity to this extent.’
At the time of the first writing of Xenon’s Biography, the perception of demons was at the very bottom. So, when my family first read it, they were worried about the aftermath.
And as expected, as soon as the romance between the demon man and the human saint came out, there was a flood of attention and criticism.
People asked how a devil and a human could cultivate love. No matter how you look at it, they couldn’t understand forming a relationship with a demon. Considering the current status of Xenon’s Biography, the reaction was very different.
There were even occasional requests for the series to be discontinued. Fortunately, the ratio of readers who find it interesting was higher, and from the fifth volume onwards, the evaluation has completely changed.
The disdainful and hateful gaze towards demons has been uprooted, and naturally, the romantic route of Jin and Lily has also risen. Furthermore, as Xenon’s Biography continued to be published, real demons also got a rise in reputation, and now, they are no more than a race included in the category of ‘humans’.
As it turned out, people were curious about the past of Jin and Lily. How did these two meet, and how did they confirm each other’s feelings?
While their past was mentioned intermittently throughout the story, it was not detailed. The only explanation was that Jin, who had a miserable past, met Lily and was redeemed. Originally, the side story was planned to be written after completing the main story, but for the sake of the demon who even invented the typewriter, there was a need to hurry.
Although there are still about two weeks left until the exhibition, it is more than enough time. The 20th volume is scheduled to be released during the vacation after the exhibition.
This is all thanks to the typewriter. Even if it breaks down, there is a great AS (After Service) knight named Gartz, so there is no need to worry.
Tap-tadada tap-tadadak
The sound of typing on the typewriter echoed throughout the dormitory. I paused for a moment while looking at the spectacle of sentences appearing on the holographic window.
It’s good to write the side story, but the perspective and atmosphere are crucial. Jin’s past was so depressing that even the expression “miserable” falls short. On the other hand, Lily, destined to become a future saint, received love and grew peacefully.
The inevitable clash between the two sharply contrasting backgrounds is bound to happen. Especially, the psychological changes in Jin, who has become crooked in his own way, are the most important.
‘In the main story, Lily teased Jin that he was a really disobedient child in the old days.’
It couldn’t be helped. Jin was a devil born from the rape of a human woman by Belzebub of gluttony.
Parental affection couldn’t exist, especially since it was an unwanted pregnancy and, on top of that, from a demon. As a result, Jin suffered severe abuse from his mother since he was young.
If he had been a human child, he probably wouldn’t have survived the abuse and would have lost his life. The robust physique characteristic of demons manifested from a young age.
‘I should portray a sense of true salvation…’
Even now and in my past life, I was a fantasy writer. I naturally focused more on adventure than romance.
While there are works in the fantasy adventure genre that depict emotions well, compared to those works, mine were lacking in various ways.
I paused my writing for a moment and opened the desk drawer. Instead of the manuscript for Xenon’s Biography, there was the draft of Cherry’s work, ‘Once Again, the Red Sunset.’
I kept it because if Cherry keeps it, there might be an unfortunate situation. The torn and patched draft was also here. It symbolizes her dreams, hopes, and scars, so I plan to keep it as much as possible. If a slump comes, I will show her this draft to stimulate and help her.
‘Doesn’t Cherry write romance well?’
Although only the first volume has been released, Cherry’s psychological descriptions were truly outstanding. If Xenon’s Biography captivates with an exciting development, Cherry’s work captivates with detailed psychological descriptions.
In reality, most of the praise for her work revolves around her excellent psychological portrayal.
The characteristic of a regression work is like the finest ingredient in cooking. Depending on how it is prepared, it can either become a masterpiece or a failure.
Finally, the type of dish varies depending on how it is cooked. In other words, if I want more detailed psychological descriptions, it’s better to seek help from her.
‘Of course, she’ll listen, but…’
It feels like receiving this for free goes against my conscience. Judging by Cherry’s behavior, she seems to be acting as if she’ll give me everything.
So, I also feel the need to repay her, but I’m unsure of what kind of repayment is appropriate. She seems to have everything despite her family situation.
For now, I should talk to Cherry about it when we meet tomorrow, and for now, it seems better to write whatever comes to mind.
‘Wouldn’t my mother like this the most?’
Since she liked Jin and Lily’s relationship so much, she would really enjoy the spin-off.
But the problem is the 20th volume. As mentioned before, a big twist is revealed in the 20th volume: Gluttony is actually Jin’s biological father. Jin hears this fact and collapses mentally, revealing everything until he’s on the verge of a breakdown.
Lily arrives late, and Jin is already subdued by Gluttony, mentally and emotionally devastated. Gluttony, having deduced Jin and Lily’s relationship, maliciously laughs and delivers the final blow.
While Lily screams while witnessing it in real-time, Jin’s heart is pierced by Gluttony.
‘…Should I release it after Mother’s postpartum care?’
It might be quite shocking. Of course, Jin won’t die immediately, as he’ll make a surprise appearance as the final boss, but unfortunately, the volume ends at that scene.
I plan to use the forbidden technique known as “early-stage severance perforation” once again.
‘I’ll just have to take a few hits on the back of my neck and it’ll be over.’
I shrugged my shoulders and continued typing.
******
While Isaac was diligently writing a prequel for demons, in the Michelle Territory, news of not only the Luminous’s Temple but also the Mora’s Temple being erected has spread. Since then, the Michelle Territory has become much busier than before.
Naturally, the workload of Baron Hawk has also increased exponentially. The place where both the Luminous and Mora Temples are simultaneously erected has attracted attention from all quarters, as such a phenomenon was unprecedented anywhere in the world.
Already gaining attention due to the exhibition, the situation exploded when the news spread. From Hawk’s perspective, the development of the territory was a positive thing, but as the overtime increased proportionally, fatigue did not dissipate.
As a former commander of the knights, he was robust, but if it were someone else, they might have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.
“Sigh…”
“How about taking a break for a bit?”
In the study of the Michelle Manor, sitting at the desk, Hawk rubbed his eyes and sighed, expressing his exhaustion. Anna, concerned, suggested he take a break. The development of the territory is good news for the owner of the Michelle Manor, but what’s most important to her is the health of her family.
From the first meeting until now, after decades have passed, her burning passion towards Hawk has not cooled down, making her even more worrisome.
“You don’t have to worry about me. It’s just that I’m a bit tired.”
“That’s exactly what worries me. I know how robust your body is, and seeing you tired concerns me.”
In response to his loving wife’s concern, Hawk let out a wry smile. Every word she said was completely accurate.
In his heart, he wanted to push everything aside, but delaying work didn’t suit Hawk’s temperament. The habit of preparing in advance had been with him since his days as a knight.
“I should be the one worrying less. It hasn’t been that long since Lily was born.”
“Why worry? Cardinal Kate blessed us generously. Could there be anything wrong?”
“··· ···”
Hawk fell silent after hearing Anna’s response, left with nothing to say. Indeed, as soon as Kate heard the news of Anna’s childbirth, she bestowed her blessings upon her. Since the blessing was cast by a cardinal, Anna quickly recovered her health. Not only that, but Kate also imbued Lily with sacred power.
Thanks to this, both the mother and the child were not just healthy but could even flutter about energetically. All of this was thanks to Kate.
“That’s true. I want to pass the duty to Isaac and go to the child quickly, but…”
“No, you can’t. If you do that, Isaac will have less time to write. Please endure a little longer.”
“…Anna. Are you on my side, or on Isaac’s side?”
“I’m on our family’s side~”
Hawk shook his head with a playful smile as Anna extended her chest and gave a witty reply. It seemed that he couldn’t win a verbal battle against Anna.
Deciding to take a break and spend some intimate time with Anna, he rose from his seat. Anna, in response, approached him with a gentle smile and hugged his arm.
“So, let’s go see Lily. At this rate, she might not recognize her Dad’s face.”
“But hasn’t it only been a short time since she was born?”
“Her eyes have been open for a long time.”
Hawk looked at Anna, who exuded youthfulness, audacity, and beauty, with an affectionate gaze. Anna, in turn, responded to his gaze, creating a sweet and charming atmosphere.
Both of them were beyond the age of adolescence, yet they boasted a passionate love reminiscent of young couples. Thanks to this love, a latecomer, Lily, was born.
“I hope the kids come soon. They haven’t even seen Lily’s face yet.”
“I agree with that.”
“It would be nice if Isaac also released a side story. I don’t know what kind of gift he received, but I’m really looking forward to a book every two weeks.”
“··· ···”
It seems that what Anna was most looking forward to is Xenon’s Biography. If Isaac heard this, he might feel disappointed, but she truly loves her family more than anyone else.
Suddenly, a funny thought crossed his mind. It was about the prequel that Isaac is releasing for the demons, featuring Jin and Lily. Currently, Anna was eagerly anticipating that prequel as an avid fan. To the extent that, on occasion, she jokingly asked Isaac when Jin and Lily’s story will continue.
As soon as this thought came to Hawk’s mind, he asked Anna.
“More than that, Anna. Do you like the romance between Jin and Lily?”
“Of course. It seems like their passionate feelings are even transmitted to me. How could I not like it?”
“Well… What if. Just what if they…”
“Stop right there.”
Did she sense what kind of question he was about to ask? Anna cut him off with a tone not as cheerful as before, but rather significantly lowered.
Even Hawk seemed slightly startled by that voice. It was a voice and an atmosphere that could tell the cold north wind to go away.
Meanwhile, Anna continued to speak with a still cheerful face.
“Isaac probably wouldn’t do that, but if, really, truly, hypothetically, he were to tear those two apart…”
“…”
“I might seriously consider excluding them from the family. Of course, such a thing will never happen. Hoho.”
Following that, she emphasized once again.
“Right?”
“Uh, yes. That’s right.”
Hawk answered with a somewhat uneasy expression.
Translators note:
It’s me guys!
Sorry for the long break but I got seriously burned out and then started playing games on my back burner… Long story short Baldur’s Gate 3 is amazing and I have finally some motivation to resume so… riding on it I’ll translate a lot next couple days. Great to be back!
