Ch.336Legal Stalking (3)

The meeting between Cherry and Kate was like nuclear fusion waiting to happen. I couldn’t help but think of the saying that opposites attract.

I was genuinely concerned they might conspire together and do something terrible to me.

Fortunately, that possibility was extremely low. No matter how frightening their madness might be, that madness wouldn’t harm me.

Kate might get aroused just from holding hands, but aside from that, she had strong professional ethics. As for Cherry, it went without saying. Her self-esteem was so low that she wouldn’t even consider approaching me.

Above all, if they tried anything, the other women would punish them directly, so I could rest easy.

“How did you come to know Issac? From what I hear, you seem to be Merry.”

“We were pen pals before that. And coincidentally, I found a strand of your hair in one of the letters… Plus, the handwriting was identical.”

“Ah. That would have made you suspicious.”

No, don’t accept that. I deliberately approached her just to save someone’s life.

I let out a hollow laugh watching Kate nod in understanding. As expected, her thought process was beyond what a criminal could imagine.

“How did you know, Cardinal?”

“Please feel free to call me Kate. In my case, Luminus directly gave me a revelation. Then I arrived here and met him.”

“I see… Then do you also like Issac?”

“Yes. I love Issac, who spreads light and hope throughout this world, just like Luminus.”

It should have been a pleasant confession, but coming from Kate, it sounded rather ominous. There was an underlying madness in her words.

It was pure, but a different kind of purity that made me slightly uncomfortable. She had eliminated a corrupted cardinal with that pure white madness.

Meanwhile, Cherry nodded after listening to Kate’s words and gazed at me intently. Her dark eyes were the same as before, but they seemed filled with deep regret.

Even someone with rock-bottom self-esteem like her would feel jealousy. In this situation, she was likely blaming herself rather than resenting me.

Just as I was about to open my mouth to encourage her, Kate spoke first.

“Perhaps I’m in a similar situation as Cherry. I’m also waiting for Issac’s choice.”

“Choice…?”

“Yes. Choice. If I receive Issac’s choice, the seed—”

“Let’s stop there.”

I immediately cut her off when the seed topic was about to come up again. The more time I spent with Kate, the more I felt like a cult leader.

I sighed deeply at the combination of Kate and Cherry, which was on the verge of nuclear fusion.

Adelia’s lips were trembling as if she found the situation amusing. If Marie had witnessed this, she would have been furious.

“Sis.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“…Nothing.”

It was awkward to ask if she found it funny. Unlike Marie, whose position was constantly threatened, Adelia was in a situation where she could observe from a distance.

Perhaps Adelia was the most comfortable. I wasn’t one to discriminate in love, and I had freed her from past constraints.

I looked at her with a pitiful gaze as she tried to hold back her laughter, then turned my head forward. Since the conversation seemed to be over, I decided to ask about something I was curious about.

“So Cherry, will you continue this lifestyle steadily?”

“Yes. I’ll continue to follow you closely, senior.”

Cherry boldly revealed her intention to stalk me. My mind froze momentarily, but I quickly regained my senses.

It’s a terrible thing to say to her, but stalking will be difficult from now on. This isn’t because it’s a crime, but because it’s related to her safety.

Before I revealed my identity, it might have been different, but now there were devil worshippers. We never know when, where, or how they might threaten us.

Although there hasn’t been any substantial threat yet, a corrupted cardinal existed, so the danger remains.

“Um… can I be honest?”

“Yes.”

“It will probably be difficult for you to follow me from now on.”

“What…?”

When I spoke frankly, Cherry reacted strongly. Her eyes widened and her small mouth opened slightly.

At the same time, her eyes began to sink deeper and darker like an abyss. Sensing that something bad might happen if I delayed, I quickly opened my mouth.

“It’s not that I don’t want you around. You might be in danger. I am Xenon, after all. Xenon, who has caused great harm to devil worshippers. You understand what I mean, right?”

“You mean I could be in danger because I’m close to you?”

“That’s right.”

“Because it’s difficult to break through to you, they might target those around you first?”

Cherry tilted her head and expressed her opinion. That’s the most likely approach right now.

As evident from her writing, which I never taught her how to do, Cherry is quite intelligent.

“Exactly. So rather than following behind me, it would be better if you came to my side.”

“…You’re saying I could be a hindrance to your life?”

“Huh?”

This isn’t what I meant. I couldn’t help but pause when I saw Cherry’s eyes darkening rapidly.

I was just asking her to stay by my side, but I spoke without considering her self-esteem.

Cherry probably thought that if she were attacked by devil worshippers, the damage would extend to me as well.

So she might think she’s just an obstacle, and it might be better if she disappeared.

This isn’t an exaggeration; she’s the type of person who would genuinely think like that. So I spoke with an urgent voice.

“That’s not it. How could you be a hindrance to my life? It’s quite the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“Yes. I’m a fan of your writing too. I’ve been busy lately, but I’m looking forward to when you finish your writing.”

This isn’t a lie; it’s the truth. I don’t discriminate against genres as long as they match my taste.

And Cherry’s debut work, “One More Red Sunset,” is a novel that perfectly matches my style.

If I hadn’t revealed my identity until now, I would have continued to help her as her manager. It’s not an excuse, but I was genuinely too busy to pay attention to her.

“Hehe…”

Sensing my sincerity, Cherry smiled brightly. It wasn’t the eerie smile from before, but a radiant one with her eyes curved beautifully.

I inwardly sighed with relief. If nothing else, her self-esteem rises a bit when it comes to her dream, or rather, her novel.

But the situation isn’t completely resolved yet. Although she managed to follow Hyria, who was stalking me, without being detected, it’s still dangerous.

So I need to persuade her somehow, but it’s difficult to figure out how to resolve this.

“Cherry.”

“Yes.”

“Do you really not want to come to my side?”

So I asked. Since she seems to have feelings for me, it would be much safer to keep her by my side.

However, Cherry seemed firm in her thoughts and shook her head.

“It’s okay. Someone like me doesn’t dare to interfere, and I don’t think there’s a place for me anyway.”

“What if I force you to stay by my side?”

“Huh…?”

This part seemed unexpected, as Cherry blinked her eyes slowly. The emotion of “confusion” was etched onto her gloomy expression.

At the same time, her pale cheeks turned slightly red, suggesting she might have had some romantic thoughts after hearing my words.

Seeing a gap in her defenses, I decided to break through immediately. It would become much more difficult if she regained her composure.

“You said it earlier, didn’t you? That you’d do whatever I say. If I want your body, you’d give it, and you could even become my slave, right?”

“B-but I…”

“I want to keep you by my side, even if it’s just to prevent you from being in danger. Will you still refuse?”

“…”

As I took a somewhat forceful approach, Cherry hesitated and fell into contemplation. While standing by my side might be unimaginable for her, it’s different if it’s my request.

By now, she must be experiencing severe internal conflict. I waited silently for her answer.

‘Marie would understand to some extent.’

I’m not a real scoundrel, and I don’t want to spend a night with Cherry. I’m solely focused on her safety.

Of course, since she has feelings for me, it might lead to something more. But that’s not what I’m thinking about right now.

How long did Cherry’s contemplation last?

“…I’m sorry.”

It seemed difficult in the current situation, as Cherry expressed her refusal. Her voice was tinged with deep regret, suggesting she was also disappointed.

“Not yet… it doesn’t seem right yet.”

“Not yet, you say?”

“Yes… but I promise I won’t cause you any trouble. I’m not a noticeable person anyway…”

“…Not a noticeable person?”

This was Adelia’s murmur, not mine. I also sympathize with her sentiment.

Hair and eyes that seem to capture cherry blossoms. While her dark, sunken eyes might be a negative factor, overall, Cherry is a beautiful woman who exudes radiance.

Moreover, her figure, which can’t be concealed even by the school uniform, is enough to arouse desire in men and jealousy in women.

Just as my red hair stands out from a distance, she has a combination that can’t help but attract attention.

Especially with her background as the Roseberry Count’s family, known for philosophy. People would approach her because of her background, which is strange.

Yet she says she’s not noticeable, suggesting her rock-bottom self-esteem prevents her from recognizing who she truly is.

“Um… Cherry? Do you really think that? That you’re not a noticeable person?”

“Yes… Except for you, no one approaches me or even talks to me.”

“What about group projects? There must be group projects?”

“They just added my name but didn’t give me any role?”

“…What’s going on?”

I can’t understand this at all. A beauty like Cherry, as good as Cecilly, and yet no one gives her attention.

Not just me, but Adelia also seemed puzzled by this, given her confused expression. How did Cherry become a person with no presence?

Anyway, setting this aside, I should first express my thoughts.

“Alright, I understand. But if anything suspicious or dangerous happens, tell me immediately. That’s the only way I can protect you. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, by the way, this might be a sensitive topic, but can you tell me what happened with Count Ratish?”

“He didn’t say anything? He just told me to read books other than philosophy books.”

That’s a relief. It seems the factual assault I inflicted on Count Ratish had a positive effect.

“Is your manuscript at the dormitory now?”

“Yes. Should I bring it?”

“No, you can bring it later. You’ll be following me tomorrow anyway, right?”

“Yes.”

She doesn’t even deny it, as she always did. I should inform others about this.

Not to report a woman with cherry blossom-colored hair and eyes. She has her reasons.

It’s a bit funny to think of it as legal stalking, but I plan to wait quietly until she grows.

“Let’s end the conversation here… Kate, do you have anything to say to Cherry? Except for the seed story.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Adelia, do you have anything?”

“No.”

“Then let’s end… wait, Cherry, I forgot to ask, was it you who reported Leona?”

I recalled when Leona was dragged before me. She had been wandering around because I hadn’t visited her, and someone reported her.

Normally, she would have been punished immediately, but fortunately, she was the first person to be reported, so she was brought to me. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as I completed the conversation with Lucia.

So it’s reasonable to suspect Cherry as the reporter. Even if she was, I wouldn’t scold her.

Cherry and Leona hadn’t even met yet. I plan to introduce them gradually in the future.

“Leona… you mean that woman with brown hair?”

“Yes.”

“It wasn’t her. I let her pass because she was acquainted with you.”

“Really?”

Then someone else reported her because they found her suspicious. It’s not something I need to worry about, so I moved on.

“Um… senior.”

“Yes?”

“Can I… can I ask for just one favor?”

Just as I was about to end the conversation, Cherry hesitantly made a request. Her expression was filled with embarrassment.

Initially puzzled, I quickly agreed to her request. She rarely asked me for anything, so I was curious about what she would say.

As Cherry hesitated and couldn’t open her mouth, she finally spoke.

“Hair…”

“Hmm?”

“Can I… can I have just one strand of your hair?”

“…”

“Or maybe a fingernail…”

Cherry is still Cherry. I’m glad she hasn’t changed at all.

“Ah, if possible, I’d like some too.”

“Why do you want it, Kate?”

“I want to make a charm with it.”

“…”

They’re terrifying hybrids in many ways. Why are they all so unhinged?

“Cherry, have you ever held hands with Issac?”

“Yes. It was really soft and nice.”

“I don’t know if it’s just me, but did you feel a stirring in your lower abdomen or a strange sensation afterward?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

“As I thought… it wasn’t just me.”

Stop it, you two.