Ch.31Meeting (6)

Marie Housen Reckyless, the daughter of the Reckyless ducal family and a freshman literature student at the academy, was in a very good mood right now.

Though she had always hated attending social gatherings, she always made thorough preparations to be of help to her family someday.

Having superior knowledge means nothing without the experience to apply it. She was putting into practice the principles she had learned from her family.

Since each experience had proven genuinely helpful, Marie reluctantly participated in these events.

So while she always did her makeup diligently, usually hoping for the event to end quickly, today she meticulously checked for any imperfections. Her makeup process, which normally took only an hour, stretched beyond three hours.

The effort paid off—her makeup looked flawless, and the dress she brought from the mansion fit perfectly without any awkward lines. Satisfied with her beautiful appearance, Marie willingly headed to the gathering.

“Oh my! Aren’t you the daughter of the Reckyless family?”

“Yes. I’m Marie Housen Reckyless.”

“I’m Jenia Clton Hirtu of the Hirtu family.”

“The Hirtu family… Ah! Perhaps Baron Mad’s?”

“Yes! You know of us, as expected. It’s truly an honor to meet you, Lady Marie.”

“Lady Jenia, you’re studying magic, correct?”

Someone recognized Marie on her way to the gathering, but she handled the interaction smoothly. Being from a ducal family, she had learned how to deal with people since attending “social gatherings” from the age of 14.

Of course, she didn’t wear a “mask” like someone she knew. Not only was she naturally bad at acting, but rumors about her had long spread throughout social circles.

The daughter of the Reckyless family, Marie, was known for her lively personality.

Some might call her a tomboy, but given her powerful background, no one dared speak ill of her openly. Instead, they were busy flattering her with transparent sweet talk.

Marie truly despised such people—those hypocrites who hid daggers behind their backs while sweet-talking to your face. Wolves waiting to reveal their true intentions for personal gain.

‘This feeling again. I really hate it.’

Though Marie couldn’t act, she could discern whether people were sincere by reading their expressions. Unlike Rina with her exceptional observational skills, Marie sensed these things instinctively.

She strongly felt that insincerity from Jenia, who was acting friendly—a calculated move to establish connections with high-ranking nobility. Though Marie didn’t show it outwardly, the current situation made her very uncomfortable.

‘He never made me feel that way.’

While conversing with Jenia, Marie’s thoughts drifted to the red-haired male student she had recently become acquainted with. A man with crimson hair visible from afar and golden eyes that shone like those of a beast.

Their first meeting hadn’t been particularly pleasant, but the more time they spent together, the more she realized he was far removed from pretense.

Even when he lied, it showed plainly on his face, and though his manner of speaking was blunt, each of his answers contained sincerity.

‘Sometimes it seems like he’s hiding something…’

But those were personal secrets, not the pretense Marie despised. Unlike someone she knew, she didn’t make a habit of prying into others’ personal affairs.

Anyway, while Marie’s mind was occupied with thoughts of the male student who had recently caught her interest, outwardly she continued her conversation with Jenia. Before she knew it, they had arrived at the main hall where the gathering was to be held.

“We’ve arrived already. That’s a shame.”

“We can continue talking inside.”

“Can we really?”

“Of course. But I’m afraid I’ll have to part ways here as there’s someone else I’d like to meet.”

“Oh…”

Whether Jenia was genuinely disappointed or not, Marie wanted to leave quickly. She only wanted to go to his side as soon as possible and chat as they usually did.

She wondered what outfit he would wear to the gathering. He had mentioned buying a cheap formal wear for less than 8 gold, but somehow she felt anything would look good on him. With his average height but slim build, clothes would suit him well.

Marie then entered the main hall, leaving the disappointed Jenia behind. Even to someone like her who had attended numerous social gatherings, the interior of the hall was quite well-decorated—impressive enough to earn her admiration despite her high standards.

But there was something more important to her than the hall itself.

‘Red hair… red hair… red hair…’

As soon as Marie entered the hall, she began searching for none other than the red-haired man. Though there was a possibility he hadn’t arrived yet, finding him was her priority.

Eventually, her keen gaze caught sight of red hair—and the black-haired woman standing in front of him.

‘…Cecilly?’

It was a face Marie knew well. The princess of Helium and someone she had formed a connection with at the academy.

The woman was currently wearing a revealing dress, engaged in intimate conversation with the red-haired student. The red-haired man was also blushing, responding with a gentle expression.

“… …”

For a moment, Marie’s eyebrows twitched. Simultaneously, an unidentifiable emotion welled up from deep within her chest.

Seeing the two of them talking so intimately with her own eyes was, well… truly uncomfortable. So much so that she wanted to separate them immediately.

Marie moved toward them, her face unconsciously hardening.

*****

There’s a saying that a woman’s transformation is innocent. This adage emerged because ordinary women often become beautiful with makeup—a kind of maxim born from common experience.

Men, however, dismiss it with “What does it matter?” or “As long as she’s pretty, that’s all that counts.” In reality, it’s extremely rare for a man to break up with his girlfriend because she looks unattractive without makeup. Most would criticize a man who ended a relationship for such a reason.

Of course, this only applies to ordinary women who become prettier with makeup. For women who are beautiful even bare-faced, makeup often ends up concealing their beauty.

Moreover, with Cecilly right now, it wasn’t her face that drew attention, but elsewhere.

“Issac, your face is really red.”

“… …”

I stared blankly at Cecilly, who spoke with a mischievous tone. Perhaps because my face was too hot, I couldn’t even register that it had turned red.

‘Really…’

I finally covered my face with one hand and let out a groan. I barely managed to suppress the desire welling up from deep within me.

I’m not impotent, and seeing Cecilly like this was triggering my instincts as a man.

But any man would understand my feelings. An incredibly beautiful woman wearing a revealing dress was playfully teasing me—what man wouldn’t react?

Right now, my priority was desperately preventing the symbol of manhood from standing proudly! I exhaled a heated breath and quietly opened my mouth.

“Sigh… Noona…?”

“What?”

“…Isn’t your outfit a bit… excessive?”

“What’s excessive about it?”

As if she didn’t know. No, she was definitely doing this on purpose.

I sighed again at Cecilly, who maintained her playful demeanor while asking.

“That… your clothes are a bit…”

“Too sexy?”

“…Yes.”

Once my heart had calmed somewhat, I lowered the hand covering my face. As soon as I did, my gaze, which had been fixed on Cecilly’s face, kept drifting downward.

I’m not a sage—instincts can never be completely suppressed.

Meanwhile, Cecilly observed my wandering gaze intently before smiling softly and speaking.

“You don’t have to try so hard not to look.”

“…But it’s disrespectful.”

“If someone wears an outfit like this but calls looking ‘disrespectful,’ wouldn’t that person be the strange one? Besides, most of us demons wear clothes like this at social gatherings. Men are honest about their desires, aren’t they? It’s about seeing how much one can restrain those desires.”

Well… that’s a commendable practice. I nodded glumly at her explanation.

If someone else wore such clothes, I might speak ill of them, but when Cecilly wore them, it felt different. Along with sensuality, her inherent dignity was elevated to elegance, enhancing her charm.

But fundamentally, it remained difficult to look away.

“…Will you continue going around like that?”

“Hmm? Of course. Could it be that you’re worried others might look at me strangely?”

“… …”

“Seeing your face redden without a word, I guess I’m right.”

Cecilly wiggled her finger as if to say “you rascal.” I could feel my blood pressure rising in real-time.

Fearing I might get a nosebleed, I hurriedly changed the subject.

“Ah, anyway! What were you doing until just now?”

“I was talking with some people I met for the first time. It wasn’t particularly pleasant. Most of them, whether men or women, looked at me with desire-filled gazes. Humans are certainly honest about their desires.”

Despite her calm tone, the content was quite unpleasant. I frowned slightly and asked with an incomprehensible expression.

“Doesn’t that make you uncomfortable? Even if it’s part of demon culture…”

“Issac. Don’t carelessly apply human standards to other races. We have our ways, and humans have theirs.”

“… …”

“Though I want us demons to live as humans, if we accept what others impose on us, it would be mere imitation. As you said before, demons should live as demons.”

Cecilly’s sharp advice left me speechless. It felt like being hit on the head with a hammer.

As she said, imposing human ways on other races is a pathetically foolish act. Perhaps my behavior could even make her uncomfortable.

“…I’m sorry. I misspoke.”

“No, this must be your consideration at work. I appreciate feeling that consideration.”

Cecilly shrugged at my apology and smiled brightly. I also returned a gentle smile, meeting her gaze.

“What are you doing here?”

“Huh?”

Amidst the warm atmosphere, a familiar female voice wedged between us. Both Cecilly and I turned our heads toward the voice.

Standing there with her arms crossed was a beauty no less stunning than Cecilly. For whatever reason, she wore a thoroughly displeased expression.

For a moment, I didn’t recognize who this beauty was, but through her snow-white hair and sharp blue eyes, I could tell.

“…Could it be Marie?”

“Why are you calling me?”

When I uttered Marie’s name, the beautiful woman responded curtly. I examined Marie’s appearance with a slightly dazed expression.

Her white hair, which had grown to her waist, was tied in a ponytail, revealing her deer-like nape, and perhaps due to makeup, she exuded a mature aura.

Her white dress with a subtle blue tint was also quite bold, though not as much as Cecilly’s. It completely exposed her shoulders, clearly showing her collarbone line, and partially revealed her moderately sized chest, emanating sexual appeal.

Lastly, she wore expensive-looking accessories befitting a ducal daughter, but they seemed insignificant compared to her beauty.

In essence, while Marie as a student had exuded an active girlish charm, the current Marie presented a mature adult image like Cecilly, radiating sophistication.

“Why are you staring so intently? Does my appearance look strange?”

While I was blankly examining her figure, Marie asked again in a curt voice.

Judging by how she slightly averted her gaze and the blush rising to her cheeks, she seemed embarrassed.

I quickly gathered my wits and expressed my honest thoughts.

“No. It’s just… I was surprised? You’ve become so beautiful that I didn’t recognize you for a moment.”

“…Beautiful?”

At the word “beautiful,” Marie’s sullen face softened slightly. Then she looked Cecilly up and down before carefully opening her mouth.

“…How beautiful am I?”

“As you boasted before, beautiful enough to fall for at first sight?”

“…Huh?”

As soon as I answered, Cecilly beside me expressed confusion. Glancing at her expression, I saw she had raised one eyebrow, seemingly bothered by something.

Regardless, Marie seemed sufficiently satisfied with my answer, the corners of her mouth curving upward. She then faced me directly and spoke as if dismissing my words.

“When did you learn to say such flattering things when you’re usually so blunt? You know you won’t get anything out of it, right?”

“When have I ever said flattering things? If I had, I would have used all sorts of flowery language, calling you a goddess of beauty or something.”

“If you had done that, at least there might have been something in it for you. Too bad.”

“Should I do it now then?”

“No thanks. Anyway…”

Marie, who had been chatting with me, trailed off and shifted her gaze from me to Cecilly. She quickly looked her up and down, then cautiously spoke after checking the atmosphere.

“Cecilly, you’re… quite bold? I don’t know where to put my eyes.”

Marie seemed to share my sentiments. Well, anyone who saw Cecilly would likely have a similar reaction.

Meanwhile, Cecilly heard Marie’s assessment and smiled brightly before displaying an unexpected impulsive action.

“Yes. Don’t you think so too, Marie?”

She casually grabbed my arm, pulled it, and pressed it against her chest.

The movement flowed so naturally that I reacted too late. As the soft yet firm sensation transmitted clearly through my arm, the heat that had just subsided rose again.

“What, what are you…”

“I was curious how Issac would react if I wore this dress.”

What is she saying now? I was beyond surprised—I was perplexed by Cecilly’s answer. It was markedly different from what she had said earlier.

Judging by her characteristic mischievous tone, she was clearly joking, but even this was incomprehensible.

“…What does that mean?”

Marie also seemed bewildered by Cecilly’s answer. She squinted one eye, clearly expressing her inner thoughts of “what are you talking about?”

In response, Cecilly pulled my arm, which she had grabbed, even more firmly. She seemed determined, not budging even as I tried to pull away. Instead, the soft sensation only became more distinct as I struggled.

“It means exactly what I said. I was curious about Issac’s reaction.”

“No, Cecilly noona? Earlier you clearly…”

“…Isn’t that enough joking? Can’t you see Issac is uncomfortable?”

Before I could urgently speak, Marie stepped forward and grabbed my arm that Cecilly was holding. However, it was impossible for Marie, who was close to an ordinary person, to overcome Cecilly’s strength.

As a result, a situation unfolded where the two women faced off with my arm between them. Despite the suddenly chilled atmosphere, Cecilly maintained her playful attitude.

“I’m not joking. And linking arms like this is a kind of reward given to someone who has overcome desire. It’s an old cultural practice in our Helium.”

“That might apply among your demons. We humans don’t view your current behavior very favorably. What you’re doing with Issac now is something only couples do. It could make others question your chastity.”

“As I told Issac earlier, it’s not good to apply human standards to other races. And we demons are also very conservative about chastity.”

“Since you’ve come to the human world, shouldn’t you follow human customs? At least that’s what I think.”

A fierce exchange with no concession took place between the two women. What’s notable is that while Marie’s face had hardened completely, Cecilly maintained a consistently playful smile.

But it doesn’t matter. Looking around, I noticed gazes increasingly turning toward us with interest.

The princess of Helium and the daughter of Reckyless fighting over one man. What an exciting development.

You may have heard this saying before:

Life is a comedy when viewed from a distance, but a tragedy when seen up close.

‘…I want to go home.’

That’s exactly how I feel right now.