May 1st, 2023
As Cecily asked with a bright smile, a shiver rose from my right arm and spread throughout my body like a chill. The blood flowing in my body cooled down, giving me the sensation of being frozen stiff. I almost couldn’t even move my mouth, but I forced myself to shake off the feeling and turned my head towards where I suspected the source of the chill to be coming from
Where Arwen was.
However, Arwen looked greatly taken aback as soon as she met Cecily. From her expression and reaction alone, it was clear that she couldn’t have been the one responsible for this chill. Neither could Cecily, who was still smiling.
‘Who could it be…?’
Could this feeling be just a figment of my imagination? As I hugged myself, feeling goosebumps rise on my skin, I suddenly remembered something odd.
Cecily had referred to the person she met as “these people,” not “this person,” when speaking to Arwen. But there was no one else but Arwen beside her.
Could there be a bodyguard like Gartz, who hid his body and followed Cecily around, protecting her from unseen threats? As Cecily was expected to be the next demon king, she must have had the ability to see things that others couldn’t.
Alternating her gaze between Arwen and Cecily, I fixed my gaze on Cecily’s smiling face and slowly spoke, pretending not to know anything.
“…What are you talking about, sis? Arwen is alone, isn’t she?”
“Huh. Is that so?”
Pretending not to know, Cecily let out a sly chuckle and shifted her gaze to Arwen, crossed her arms to show her interest. With the dress already accentuating her chest, the gesture made it even more prominent. I struggled to lift my gaze away from her constant downward glances.
In the meantime, Cecily glanced at Arwen with a smirk before flashing a dangerously beautiful smile.
“Sorry, I must have seen something wrong. You don’t have to pay attention to what I said earlier.”
“…Okay.”
“So, who is this person? Judging by the pure aura, she seems to be an elf.”
Cecily turned back to me and asked about Arwen’s identity. I glanced at Arwen.
Her face was difficult to read as her robe was pressed deeply against her skin, but her lips were slightly pursed.
Arwen had just met Cecily for the first time today, yet she had already noticed that she was an elf. There was nothing in particular for me to answer.
“She’s just someone I coincidentally met at the bookstore. She helped me while I was choosing a book.”
“Is that all?”
“I also bought some delicious things and watched the exhibition. You see the strawberry candy here?”
As I mentioned the strawberry candy, Cecily looked towards Arwen’s hand. In it, Arwen held a half-eaten strawberry candy.
Continuing on, Cecily expressed her dissatisfaction to me in a slightly disappointed voice.
“You didn’t buy it for me, but for someone you met for the first time today.”
“…I’m sorry. Can I buy it for you now?”
“No, it’s okay.”
Cecily replied briefly and approached us slowly. As she got closer, I could feel a cold energy emanating from my right side more and more strongly.
I turned my head to check on Arwen, but she had a calm expression on her face. I wasn’t sure if I was being too sensitive or if it was just my imagination.
Thud-
Finally, Cecily confidently arrived in front of Arwen and us. More accurately, in front of Arwen.
Arwen was shorter than me, and Cecily boasted a long, slender figure, taller than me like Nicole. Due to the difference in height, Cecily looked down at Arwen, and they had a confrontational stance.
As they looked at each other, Cecily smiled softly and introduced herself to Arwen.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Cecily.”
Perhaps she didn’t feel the need to reveal herself as the princess of Helium, as Cecily simply provided her name. However, one could sense from her grace and charisma that her status was not insignificant.
Arwen glanced quickly up and down at Cecily’s beautiful appearance before speaking in a quiet voice.
“…Call me Arwen.”
Her voice was small, but it wasn’t weak at all. Rather, one might say a sense of caution emanated from it. Unlike Cecily, who spoke formally, Arwen’s casual tone might seem strange, but given the relationship between elves and demons, it wasn’t that strange.
In the past, if elves viewed humans as inferior races, demons saw them as harmful beings. Elves were the descendants of angels, and demons were the descendants of devils. Just by looking at this, one could guess how their relationship was.
Since the energies they each possessed were polar opposites, there was a saying that they could feel uncomfortable just being close to each other. Fortunately, after the appearance of Xenon’s Biography, the elf’s gaze toward demons softened like any other races, but it would be difficult to hide the inherent discomfort.
“Arwen… a plain but good name. It’s the name of an elf hero who fought in the demon war, isn’t it?”
“You know it. And your name is also on the good side. It means ‘holy’.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
At first glance, they seemed to be getting along well. Cecily didn’t seem to pay much attention to Arwen’s condescending attitude. But one must not let their guard down. Although humans were the race that persecuted demons the most, elves were polar opposites by nature, so one couldn’t be sure what they were thinking.
“Shall we not stay here and go see some artwork instead?”
While I was maintaining my composure, Cecily suggested to Arwen in a gentle voice.
“It’s strange to just stand here like this. Don’t you agree?”
Arwen nodded her head, indicating her acceptance. She still had a strawberry candy in her hand. It seemed difficult to eat.
“Ahem.”
Without hesitation, Arwen took a bite of the strawberry candy. She found it difficult to resist keeping her gaze fixed on Cecily as she did so.
For a moment, Cecily’s eyes widened in surprise when Arwen suddenly took a bite of the candy. However, she quickly regained her composure and smiled gracefully like a lady.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist the sweet smell.”
Meanwhile, Arwen, who had been eating the candy, swallowed her food with a gulp and replied.
“It’s okay. Isaac, what about you?”
I nodded my head in agreement with Cecily’s question. Arwen’s personality had never been bad, and I had no reason to be against her.
Therefore, even if Cecily were a demon, there would be little chance of any problems arising.
“No. Even though you guys might be fine, I feel uncomfortable. It seems like the two of you know each other, and it’s not appropriate for an outsider to interfere.”
“… …”
“But I won’t forget the kindness you showed me. I’m really grateful.”
Arwen placed her right hand on the center of her chest and bowed her head slowly with an elegant and gracious greeting.
I accepted her greeting and briefly lamented the missed opportunity, then also politely greeted her according to etiquette. Since I had already guessed that she was a noble, I thought I should do this much out of courtesy.
“Well, I should be going now. Oh, and by the way, the strawberry candy is really delicious, so you should try it too. Yum.”
Arwen joked with me and took another bite of the strawberry candy. I couldn’t help but laugh.
Her actions, telling me not to treat her like a child, were consistent to the end.
“If we meet again someday, should I buy you another strawberry candy?”
“You treat me like a child until the end. But there’s no need for that. I should be the one to show you kindness then. I don’t even know when, but I have a feeling that we’ll meet again soon. People with a passion for history like you are rare, so we might even see each other at the Sanctuary.”
“The Sanctuary…”
Come to think of it, Professor Elena had mentioned it before. She said that if I entered the history department as a recommended student, she would take me to the sacred place of Albenheim.
Perhaps I could meet Arwen again at that time.
“I might be able to visit Alvenheim within the next 2-3 years. If fate allows, we could meet then.”
“That’s great news. Isaac Ducker Michelle…If I ever hear news of your visit to the sanctuary, I will make sure to go find you. Goodbye.”
Arwen left with only those words, taking a step back and then another before turning her back and walking away. I watched her retreating figure until she disappeared completely into the crowd.
As an elf who loved books and had an open mind, it was easy to converse with Arwen, so I felt quite disappointed to part ways like this.
“Are you feeling disappointed?”
When I turned my gaze to the direction where Arwen had disappeared, Cecily asked me from beside me. I blinked my eyes and turned my head to look at her.
Cecily had a gentle smile on her face. I stared at that beautiful smile for a moment and answered quietly.
“…A little bit?”
“It seems like you liked her.”
“We had similar hobbies, and for an elf, she was open-minded. She even showed me some magic…”
Wait a minute. I suddenly remembered something and looked back at Cecily.
She tilted her head, as if she had something to say.
“Noona, can you show me some magic too?”
“Magic?”
“Yes. Earlier, Arwen made water droplets and moved them around. Can’t you do it too, Noona?”
Cecily is a demon, and she’s even scheduled to be the next Demon King. So she must have an immense ability when it comes to magic.
As I looked at Cecily with sparkling eyes and anticipation, she looked at me with a disapproving gaze. Then, she smiled and spoke in a soothing voice.
“What kind of magic do you want, Isaac?”
“For now, something that won’t cause any harm and is at the level of parlor tricks.”
“At the level of parlor tricks, huh?”
Suddenly, Cecily blurred her words and gently grabbed my hand. I felt her calloused skin that had hardened through rigorous training, rather than being soft and well-maintained.
As I looked at Cecily with doubt, she maintained her smile and opened her mouth.
“Like this, for example?”
“What the… Ugh!”
Shwoosh!
My body was suddenly thrown upwards, and I couldn’t help but scream in surprise.
Because…
“W-What is this…! Please bring me down quickly!!”
“Why? It’s just a parlor trick for me?”
“My heart feels like it’s going to stop, so please bring me down quickly!!”
Because Cecily sent me flying into the sky with her magic. She too was swimming through the sky through her magic.
Cecily let out a laugh as if seeing me flapping her arms and legs in the blue sky made her laugh.
“Ahahahaha! Isaac. Do you know what you look like now?”
“Please stop and let me down!”
“Don’t be such a killjoy. Let’s stay like this for a little while because it’s cute.”
“Noona!”
And so, we ended up flying in the sky for 30 minutes.
*****
After parting ways with Isaac, Arwen went around visiting various art exhibits. In her hand, she held the strawberry candy that Isaac had bought for her.
She had already eaten two, leaving only three remaining, but it was enough for Arwen. She savored the candy’s sweetness and sourness at the same time in her mouth.
The syrupy sweetness and the tartness of the strawberry spread in her mouth, bringing Arwen a feeling of happiness.
“Your Majesty, are you really going to leave it as it is?”
Someone with a dissatisfied voice asked her beside her while Arwen was savoring the strawberry candy.
No one could see who it was, as they were currently in hiding, but it was Rain, the dark elf who had followed Arwen this time.
A little while ago, as soon as Cecily realized her existence, she exuded a terrifying energy that made Isaac cold.
“Is there anything we can do? We came here to watch, not to fight.”
“But… the Queen knows too. The energy from that demon is very dangerous right now.”
“… …”
Arwen didn’t say anything in response to Rain’s explanation. She was just thinking about Cecily in her head.
The energy she felt from Cecily was very dangerous. Normally, demons are no different from humans, but in certain situations, things can change. The biggest example is when they are about to turn into devils. If they can’t suppress emotions like anger or sadness after experiencing a terrible event, the concentration of black mana in them will increase.
However, this is something that can be felt regardless of race, and elves, who are opposite to demons, can feel it even more sensitively. And the concentration of black mana emanating from Cecily at the moment is slightly more dangerous than that of a demon. It is necessary to be cautious.
“I know that too. It’s probably the evil cycle. But if she has a strong patience, we don’t have to worry.”
“If the Queen says so… What about that red-haired guy?”
“Isaac is…”
Arwen thought of Isaac’s face. He was a human child who loved books and showed her kindness.
Rare red hair and golden eyes that are extremely rare in this world made her face intriguing. It was a fresh experience for her, who had never had anyone to talk to.
“But to think such a person had a connection with the demon princess…”
Arwen noticed that Cécile was Helium’s princess. And it seemed that Cécile also had a rough idea of who she was.
It was because of Isaac. There was no need to complicate things unnecessarily by revealing her identity.
Arwen hesitated about the relationship between the two men and thought about Rain. Rain was still waiting for her answer.
“…Isaac seems like just an ordinary human. You felt it too, right? He can manipulate mana, but that’s all. He’s just an ordinary human.”
“But seeing him with the demon, he doesn’t seem ordinary at all, does he?”
“We don’t need to know the details. The exhibition is what’s important now. Besides, he’s the one who bought you strawberry candy.”
“Okay, I understand.”
As soon as Rain heard Arwen’s criticism, he pouted and showed his dissatisfaction indirectly. Arwen couldn’t help but worry inwardly.
‘I hope nothing happens… It’s a relief that we have insurance.’
Their strange encounter ended here.
