Ch.277The Death Choice (2)

My mother recognized me in disguise immediately for no special reason. She said she just knew intuitively the moment she saw me.

Even with horns courtesy of Mora, my build hadn’t changed much, so the disguise was meaningless in front of my mother.

But she admitted she’d pretended not to recognize me at first to play a trick on me, then called my name. Unfortunately, I had just started to relax at that moment and reflexively turned around.

As you can tell from my behavior so far, even when I maintain a blank expression, I have many naive and clueless aspects. When I try to act, my extreme facial expressions give everything away. That’s why people around me tell me to practice controlling my expressions first.

Anyway, the reason for disguising myself with Mora’s help was now gone. With everyone knowing I was Issac, the disguise had lost its purpose.

Mora had said it would last a week, though. In other words, if Hirt hadn’t stopped her, I might have had to live as a woman for a week.

I thanked Hirt again for this terrifying possibility. If I had truly transformed into a woman, I would have chosen death.

After this series of events, I returned to the palace still transformed as a demon. I brought my mother along.

Cecilly must have already sent word through message magic, because people in the palace just gave curious glances without treating me any differently than before.

“Do you know how surprised I was when I first saw you? If your face had been just a little different, I might not have recognized you. Did you all notice?”

“I noticed right away when I realized there was no dark mana, Mother.”

“What about Lord Cross?”

“Well… I recognized the young master immediately. Wouldn’t it be stranger not to?”

Somehow my mother had ended up visiting Helium, specifically the palace, and Cecilly began attending to her with great care.

Visiting without any prior notice is clearly rude. However, my mother never intended to visit the palace in the first place.

It was Cecilly who invited her to the palace. Though impromptu, she has the authority as the princess of Helium.

Above all, she’s my mother-in-law, so this level of impropriety can be overlooked. Plus, an interesting event unfolded, so she’s probably satisfied.

Even now, seeing her enjoying tea time pleasantly with Cecilly, she seems to be enjoying herself rather than feeling offended.

“By the way, Issac. Are you experiencing any discomfort?”

Just when I thought everything was going smoothly without incident, Marie, who was sitting beside me, suddenly asked a question.

Marie wasn’t present when the incident occurred, so she was startled when she first saw my transformed appearance.

Fortunately, thanks to explanations from others and her unique ability to discern the truth, it didn’t take her long to accept that it was me.

‘Did she actually say it was good?’

I received compliments about my completely different atmosphere and appearance, even hearing that I looked even more handsome than before, which was already quite handsome.

Moreover, this wasn’t just Marie’s opinion—others agreed as well. While living like this might not be bad, I’m much more comfortable in my original form.

“I don’t have any particular discomfort. Why do you ask?”

“I’ve heard that Lady Mora likes to play pranks. I was wondering if she might have done something strange to you.”

Pranks… Before turning me into a demon, she had tried to transform me into a woman.

Fortunately, after receiving a smack from her mother Hirt, that plan was abandoned.

However, nothing else has changed since I transformed into a demon. Even the horns are more like decorations that can be removed, so only my appearance has changed.

Along with this, the scent from my body has changed too. Due to receiving Mora’s divine power in abundance through this incident, I now emit a peach scent instead of lilac—a much stronger natural fragrance than the occasional peach scent from Cecilly, proving I’ve received Mora’s love.

“Ah. I forgot about that. I was also once victimized by Lady Mora.”

Hearing Marie’s question, Cecilly interjected. As she mentioned being victimized too, everyone’s attention, including Marie’s, shifted to her.

I’ve heard this story directly from Mora. It’s about how all the fat from her breasts, Mora’s pride and symbol, was taken away.

Although it was supposedly a prank, Cecilly became so depressed that even Mora quickly returned it, from what I understand.

“Victimized? How?”

“My chest became completely flat. There was nothing to touch.”

Simultaneously, everyone’s gaze shifted toward Cecilly’s chest, all with puzzled expressions.

It’s understandable that they’d find it hard to believe that such large fatty tissue could all disappear.

However, our Marie is a girl who always has outlandish thoughts. She seemed to have an interesting idea, and with a mischievous smile, she casually threw a comment at Cecilly.

“Isn’t it the opposite? You were originally flat, and with Lady Mora’s help…”

“That’s not true! I inherited this from my mother! Don’t talk nonsense.”

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Cecilly get so upset. It means Marie’s attack hit the mark.

Marie, knowing this well, giggled like a prankster. Cecilly, whose face had turned slightly red, looked annoyed for a moment but quickly changed the subject by asking me a question.

“So, Issac, you should go check if anything has changed. You know what I mean, right?”

“Go quickly, for our sake too.”

I think I know what they’re talking about. Even Adelia has a similar expression without saying anything.

They’re probably joking because it might be deeply related to their nights with me. Given Mora’s playful personality, it’s not impossible.

I headed to the bathroom to check briefly. Honestly, I felt a bit anxious after hearing Cecilly’s precedent.

Fortunately, nothing had changed. It seems Mora really only changed my appearance after being scolded by Hirt.

The horns on my head are a bit annoying, but they don’t interfere with daily life. I carefully examined my appearance reflected in the mirror and then returned to my seat.

“How was it? Did anything change?”

“You don’t think the part we’re worried about changed, do you?”

“Absolutely not. Don’t worry.”

When I answered firmly, the three women looked relieved. Judging by their reactions, they were genuinely concerned.

Seeing that made me feel embarrassed rather than bewildered, especially since my mother was also present.

But my mother just smiled warmly, elegantly lifting her teacup to drink her tea.

“Every time I see it, I think our Issac has good luck with women. It’s strange that your brother and sister have no interest in the opposite sex.”

“Maybe he takes after Father?”

“Your father met your mother, didn’t he? If anything, you take after your father.”

“Me?”

I blinked at the suggestion that I resembled my father. In my eyes, my father is the epitome of a devoted man who only has eyes for my mother.

Even now, their marital harmony is so good that the birth of Lilly shows how much they are truly meant for each other.

In contrast, look at me. I already have three women with whom I’ve spent nights, and I’m dating them simultaneously.

In that sense, isn’t it somewhat disrespectful to say I resemble my father? At least from my perspective, my father only has eyes for my mother—the embodiment of pure love.

“You might not know, but your father was just as popular as you. Think about it. As a commoner, he rose to become the captain of the Navy Knights, with impressive martial prowess, and a manly, handsome face. It’s like a knight from a fairy tale actually existing—he couldn’t help but be popular with women.”

“…You don’t mean I have half-siblings or something like that, do you?”

At my anxious question, my mother waved her hand in denial.

“That’s only about his vigorous youth. As he grew older and developed a sense of responsibility, he restrained himself. That’s when he met your mother.”

From what I hear, my father’s life seems to have been just as turbulent as mine.

I don’t know exactly about my father’s past, but I’ve heard how he met my mother. I don’t know the details, but they say they fell in love at first sight.

Moreover, it was my mother who soothed his mind, which had been devastated by PTSD while he was active as a knight captain. Her support has continued since his active duty days, so my father’s love for my mother will never end.

Furthermore, he disliked the political strife among nobles, so he accepted a baronetcy and received a rural territory—I suspect there’s more to that story.

Still, seeing them both passionately in love despite being past forty shows they truly are meant for each other.

As I gazed at my mother, whose face softened just thinking about my father, a question suddenly occurred to me.

“Mother, was Father your first and last man?”

“Of course, dear.”

“Have you never received confessions from other men?”

“I have, but I rejected them all. Every one of them was weaker than me. But look at your father. What a sturdy and splendid knight!”

She’s completely smitten. But by my mother’s standards, how strong does someone need to be?

She’s someone who can not only shatter fruit with her bare hands but crush it. I wonder how their first meeting took place.

‘Surely it wasn’t like some manga where she dropped a bear or something?’

Since this is a fantasy world, it’s not entirely impossible. Anyway, they seem like they’ll remain harmonious until they die of natural causes, so there’s no need to worry about their future.

Perhaps this is why the gods reincarnated me into the Mayshall family. Let me thank the gods once again.

“So, Issac, don’t discriminate in your love and satisfy them all. You might have more in the future, so keep exercising regularly.”

“I don’t really plan to add more…”

“Let me see, let me count…”

“I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, repay your daughters-in-law with love and affection. Love isn’t something that diminishes when shared, but it can be satisfied like drinking water when thirsty. If you respond with indifference, the thirst will only grow stronger.”

My mother’s nagging is also based on her interest and affection for me. I quietly took her words to heart.

My mother’s words are not wrong at all. They say indifference is worse than torment—humans are creatures that crave affection.

One might feel discriminated against, but indifference is absolutely unacceptable. In fact, feeling discriminated against itself stems from not receiving attention.

This advice applies not only to me but also to the lovers sitting at the table, capturing everyone’s attention.

My mother gradually influenced everyone through her uniquely gentle and thoughtful rhetoric. Her words have the power to captivate people.

“So, you girls should understand even if Issac gets more women. Understand?”

“Don’t worry. I took that into account before even sleeping with Issac, so what’s the problem?”

“Me too. I became the woman of the benefactor who saved the demon race, so if anything, I’m the one who’s with a man too good for me.”

“I-I feel the same. I just like the young master…”

Thanks to my mother’s ability to control the atmosphere, a warm scene unfolds one after another. There’s no room for me to interject.

Still, I’m satisfied, so I’ll just leisurely drink my tea. Just as I picked up my teacup and took a sip of the sweet-scented tea:

“Oh, that’s right. Issac?”

“Yes?”

Cecilly, who had been laughing cheerfully while drinking tea, called my name. I put down my teacup and looked at her with an expression asking what she wanted to say.

Cecilly met my eyes, stared at me intently, blushed slightly, then cleared her throat.

Seeing that reaction, I tilted my head in confusion, and Cecilly asked me:

“Are you sure nothing changed? Like something getting smaller or something like that.”

“Nothing. I already checked in the bathroom.”

“Really? Shall we check tonight?”

“I’m telling you, really.”

“Hmm. That’s a bit strange.”

What’s strange? At Cecilly’s doubt, everyone, including me, had questioning looks in their eyes.

She then explained what she found strange while receiving those gazes.

“When Lady Mora plays pranks, she doesn’t just stop at something like that. You can tell just by how your hair stays long instead of getting shorter.”

As Cecilly said, this hair shows no signs of getting shorter. Even if I cut it, it somehow grows back again at some point.

I’ve essentially given up on it now and stopped paying attention, but thinking about it carefully, this is also Mora’s preference.

“For someone like her to just do a simple disguise… Honestly, she’s absolutely not the type to play such ordinary pranks.”

“Cecilly, aren’t you worried your chest might disappear again?”

That was Marie’s question. She seems to have gotten a sense of what kind of goddess Mora is through the conversation so far.

“Even then, I don’t know what future she saw, but I got it back right away.”

“Did you perhaps receive extra… Sorry.”

When Marie tried to joke, Cecilly glared at her with her red eyes.

Marie immediately apologized and turned her head away, pretending to be distracted.

As I was inwardly laughing at this unusual situation, Cecilly sighed and continued her words.

“…Anyway, Lady Mora isn’t someone who plays trivial pranks, so I’m saying this out of concern. If there really is nothing, we should visit the temple to apologize.”

“Hmm…”

Since Cecilly has been thoroughly victimized by Mora, she’s asking such questions.

In fact, before I transformed into a demon, she was trying to change my gender. If it weren’t for Hirt’s intervention, I would have been mercilessly transformed.

I took a sip of tea and thought carefully, then decided it would be okay to share this much. It’s a past event anyway, so there shouldn’t be a problem.

“It’s not that there’s nothing at all. Before I transformed into a demon, she showed me another form.”

“Another form?”

“Yes. She tried to transform me into a woman. Fortunately, Lady Hirt stopped her…”

I had to stop mid-sentence. Because of the gazes now pouring onto me.

Various colored gazes stabbing at me all at once is quite disconcerting.

The common thread is that they all contain intense curiosity. This made me stammer with a bewildered expression.

“W-why? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“That’s a bit…”

Marie, who had been looking at me, slowly turned her head to look at Cecilly.

“Aren’t you curious? What about you, Miss Adel?”

Cecilly, who received the baton from Marie, now turned her gaze to Adelia.

“I’m also a little… What about you, Madam?”

Startled by that gaze, Adelia stammered before passing it to my mother in a timid voice.

Finally, my mother stared intently at my face, then smiled brightly and opened her mouth.

“Shall we visit the temple again?”

“…”

I’d rather choose death.

Noticing my expression filled with resolute will, my mother waved her hands and joked.

“I’m kidding, just kidding. I’m curious, but if Issac doesn’t like it, what can we do? Instead, could you just tell us?”

“Tell you what?”

“Your appearance, your appearance. Seeing how strongly you refused, it seems she must have shown you how you would change?”

She did show me. Very kindly, through a full-length mirror.

How I would look if I were transformed into a woman, and simultaneously how Lilly would look when she grows up.

Should I really say it out loud? But seeing their expectant faces makes it hard to refuse.

After much deliberation, I sighed deeply and reluctantly began to explain.

“There wasn’t much change. I just became a bit shorter than sister Nicole, and my hair turned red.”

“What about your figure? How was your figure?”

“Well, my figure…”

I reflexively looked at Cecilly when asked about the figure. More precisely, at her overwhelming chest.

Should I mention that it would be even bigger than that? Even Cecilly’s size is unbelievably large, so it would be hard to believe something even larger.

But since I’m naturally bad at lying, I just said it outright.

“One thing for sure is that a certain part seems bigger than Cecilly’s.”

“My goodness. That much?”

“Come on, don’t joke. I’ve rarely seen anyone as big as me, let alone bigger?”

Both my mother and Cecilly seemed quite skeptical. However, Marie seemed to have a slightly different thought.

She appeared to be pondering something deeply, then quietly rose from her seat and approached Cecilly. Marie was sitting on my left, and Cecilly on my right, so she needed to stand up.

Cecilly also looked puzzled as Marie got up and approached her. When Marie gestured to borrow her ear, she lent it without any suspicion.

“…Aha.”

And then Cecilly nodded as if she had realized something. Whatever was said, she looked convinced.

Marie didn’t stop there and whispered something to Adelia as well. Adelia also showed a comprehending reaction.

I don’t know exactly what was said, but seeing both Cecilly and Adelia directing their gazes at a certain area, I can guess what kind of conversation took place.

“Oh my. Oh my.”

“What do you think? Quite plausible, isn’t it?”

“That’s a highly credible story.”

Finally, even my mother showed an interested reaction.

Unlike the others, however, my mother just giggled like a young girl without looking at any inappropriate places.

I silently drank my coffee while watching their reactions. At the same time, I made one firm resolution.

‘I must never mention that it’s Lilly’s future appearance.’

If I did, I might truly have to choose death.

“Issac.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“I won’t ask about Gin’s death, so could you transform just once? Your mother is begging you.”

“I won’t die.”

And rather than choosing death, I’d rather spoil it.

‘At least not right now.’

I’ve successfully extended my life for now. Thanks to that, the cheerful atmosphere continued until the end of tea time.

“No way! Today is my turn! Why are you suddenly changing it?”

“Well, seeing the changed Issac made me change my mind. How could I stay still after seeing Issac like this?”

But at night, a fierce competition unfolded. Originally, today was Marie’s turn.

However, Cecilly attempted to hijack it, apparently completely taken with my changed appearance.

It seems she was so pleased with my demon appearance that her dormant desires stirred.

For this reason, I could only be pulled back and forth, with both Cecilly and Marie grabbing my arms.

“Sister Adel! Help me out! Don’t you think Cecilly is being too selfish?”

Marie appealed to Adelia with a sense of injustice. Adelia had spent a passionate night with me yesterday, so she was planning to yield today.

But Adelia was also at a loss. Especially in situations like this, she tends to become particularly timid and could only flounder.

“Um… both of you, please calm down. You’re troubling the young master.”

“Sister Adel, what would you do? Isn’t it unfair?”

“W-well, that’s true, but…”

Life in Helium continued very peacefully.

“Then there’s no choice. We’ll have to do it together. Miss Adel, please join us too.”

“What?”

“Sister?”

“Issac is a public good, so we should share him fairly. Seeing that he even smells like peaches, it seems he’s received plenty of divine power from Lady Mora. You probably can’t handle him alone?”

Truly.

“Hmm… it’s annoying, but that’s certainly a reasonable point. It would be better for distributing his stamina.”

“Marie?”

“Why are you making that face? This is all your fault, so you have to bear with it. Sister Adel thinks so too, right?”

“I-I…”

“As the legal wife, I’m giving an order. Join us. Don’t you want to become closer to us?”

“…Alright.”

A truly peaceful (squeezing) summer vacation continued.

*****

Meanwhile, Gartz, who had brought Issac’s mother, Annah…

“Lord Balack must feel wronged too. How could he refuse a request from the benefactor’s mother? But you should be punished for troubling the benefactor. Don’t you agree?”

“…Yes.”

“Then hand over all your signed copies. That will be your punishment.”

He was receiving a punishment that wasn’t really a punishment.