It took a long time to catch on, but once I did, the conversation with Marie became awkward. If my suspicions were incorrect, my mother wouldn’t have given me any medicine, and Marie wouldn’t have shown up in these clothes.

Until now, I never thought such a situation would arise, and I thought I could handle it if it did. But the problem is my desires that Cecily raised through her “work”.

I don’t know if Cecily did it on purpose or accidentally spread the pheromones, but it’s getting harder to resist. It was a difficult thing to deal with even after my reincarnation, and now I’m reaching my limit.

‘Fortunately, I can endure it for now.’

I slowly lifted my head and looked at Marie. She was sitting in front of me, wearing an evening dress that exposed almost all of her chest.

Moreover, I couldn’t see it from afar earlier, but it was even more shocking up close because the dress seemed to be made of see-through material, revealing the white fabric underneath.

They say that men feel stronger desires for women who show their secret parts in such a subtle way than those who are completely naked. And I’m experiencing that in real-time.

My mind is foggy because Marie, not just any other woman, appeared in front of me dressed like this, appealing to my desire to mix our bodies through her dress alone.

“Isaac. Can you tell me why you called me? And do you have anything else to talk about besides this?”

As I was trying my best to exercise patience and barely holding back my desires, Marie spoke to me. Her unique, refreshing voice remained the same, but due to the atmosphere, even her voice sounded seductive.

I removed my hands from my face and faced Marie directly. She seemed to be embarrassed like me, as her face was subtly reddened and her lips were trembling.

Luckily, I wasn’t the only one feeling tense, which gave me the confidence to finally speak up.

“... Yeah. I called you because you had something to say. But about that clothing...”

“What about the clothing?”

“... Never mind. Let’s talk about it later. It’s not the time, and the night is still young.”

“... ...”

I didn’t say the time we had was long, I said ‘night’ was long. Although it seemed like a minor difference at first glance, it had a completely different meaning in this situation.

In fact, it was nothing short of my indirect permission to indulge Marie’s desires. Marie seemed to have noticed the meaning and her snow-white cheeks became even redder, and her wavering face began to crack.

As the awkward situation subsided and only silence remained, I decided to get straight to the point. The reason why I had called Marie to the bedroom was all because of my relationship with Rina.

Although Rina and Leort had indeed wronged me, they were still royalty of the Minerva Empire. Making them enemies wouldn’t help at all, and I needed to make them a reliable ally like in this exhibition.

Sesilli declared to protect me, but the standing of the demons is currently uncertain. So, I have to make sure that Rina is on my side to make my future easier. It’s amazing how life can be, even though I used to hate politics, I’m trying to persuade Marie to make Rina our ally.

Still, it’s beneficial to prepare ahead instead of being dragged around. When I resume serialization, my value will increase, and I will inevitably have to deal with politics, whether I like it or not.

“Marie.”

“Yeah?”

“This conversation might be sensitive to you. It’s related to Rina.”

Marie flinched at the mention of Rina, who is her target of contempt beyond comparison. Her body trembled for a moment, and her uplifted mouth quickly turned down. The atmosphere, which had been on the verge of boiling over, suddenly plummeted in a split second. I thought I shouldn’t have said anything, but this is one of the problems that must be resolved someday.

I don’t want to keep putting it off like the proverb that it’s better to be beaten by dust than to wait and try to solve the problem when the devil comes.(TL: I too have no idea what it means... just not to procrastinate I guess)

“Why Rina?”

Marie asked me with a hint of dissatisfaction, narrowing her beautiful eyebrows.

I tried to fix my gaze on her face as much as possible, as my eyes kept drifting downward. From here on, I needed to speak well in order to make Marie feel better and restore the atmosphere that had previously sunk.

Staring intently at Marie’s beautiful face, I spoke the words that I wanted to say.

“I’ve always been thinking about it, and I plan to get closer to Rina and Leort from now on. As you know, Xenon’s Biography’s popularity grows exponentially with each new release. By the time it’s finished, it may be too much for even the country to handle.”

“So, you’re trying to make Rina an ally? To protect yourself, your family, and your house if something goes wrong in the future.”

“Exactly.”

As expected of the daughter of the Duke of Requilis, Marie accurately grasped what I wanted to say. However, her face still showed some dissatisfaction.

For her, it was probably a story that could hurt her pride. Why should she, a member of the Requilis family, befriend royalty?

But when my true identity was revealed, many eyes would be on me, and dark hands would reach out to me. To prevent this from happening, I needed to have as many allies as possible.

“Isn’t Cecily enough? She said she’d help you with everything.”

It was a question I had expected. I nodded my head apologetically and answered in a tone that showed there was no other choice.

“It’s not that she’s lacking. But it’s not enough either. Just like the last manuscript theft incident, this world is full of uncertainties. In the worst case scenario, I could be kidnapped.”

“... ...”

“And the scariest thing is... that you and my family could get hurt because of me.”

I don’t care what happens to me, as long as I’m the only one suffering the consequences.

But they’re not me. When I think of the love and dedication my family has shown me until now, they are like treasures in this world. It would be terrible to imagine them getting hurt because of me.

As someone who lost my family in a split second in my past life, I want to do everything I can to prevent that from happening again.

“Especially for you, I want to protect you no matter what I have to do. You liked me even before you knew I was Xenon, and you even confessed your feelings to me. You’re an irreplaceable treasure and the most precious woman to me. Just the thought of you getting hurt is enough to make me suffer for the rest of my life. You’ll protect you even until I reveal that I’m Xenon, and after that, it will be my turn to keep you safe.”

“... ...”

“I hope you understand how I feel. Even if it’s selfish, it’s okay. I’ll do anything to protect you.”

“... You really are Xenon.”

Marie chuckled and spoke her mind, which she had kept hidden. As she lifted her head, I realized she had been staring at me with an unyielding expression. Her blue eyes were filled with strong emotions and were glistening with moisture.

Then, she closed her eyes slowly, as if she was collecting her thoughts, before opening them again to meet my gaze directly.

“Are you playing with people’s hearts with those words? Can you really take responsibility for them? You said you’ll protect me.”

“I’ll protect you no matter what, even if I have to cut off both my hands.”

“If you say it like that, I can’t refuse. Alright, I’ll accept it.”

It seems like I was able to persuade her. For a moment, I even hummed a tune to myself, but I grabbed onto the strings of tension tightly and brought up the question that I wanted to ask.

Even if I made Rina my ally, progress would surely be slow as long as she maintained her awkward relationship with Marie. I had to find a way to resolve the situation between the two of them to make the future easier.

“It’s not enough to just consider each other allies. I’m curious about what happened between you and Rina.”

“Why? Wasn’t it enough to just consider each other allies?”

She showed her clear dislike, furrowing her eyebrows, as if I had touched on a trauma. It was a completely different reaction from before, as though her past was a different matter.

However, I continued with what I had to say without any hesitation. Although I may seem impertinent, it is not right for allies to engage in a psychological warfare with each other. That’s why I’m taking the lead.

“I didn’t know back then, but now I think I do.”

“... ...?”

“...Are you going to have a drink?”

Indirectly, I asked Marie...

“...yeah.”

With her direct answer, she gave permission. Hearing her answer, I slowly lowered my chin and took a deep breath before cautiously asking her.

“Do you have any regrets?”

“No, because it’s you.”

“I’m still lacking in many ways, and sometimes I can be frustrating.”

“I’m stubborn and talkative.”

Marie received each of my worried questions clearly. The more she did, the more courage she gained, and eventually we exchanged glances face to face. Staring at Marie’s eyes, which were a mixture of determination, tension, anticipation, and affection, I got up from my seat without saying a word.

Marie also stood up, holding my hand as if I was escorting her.

“Isaac.”

“Yeah, Mari.”

“I love you.”

Marie confessed her love to me with a smile on her face, blushing heavily. Her appearance was so beautiful, cute, and sexy that I couldn’t take it anymore. Slowly approaching her face, I stopped in front of her nose. Even when my face was so close to her nose, Marie never turned her head away.

“...me too.”

Swoosh-

I slowly let go of the hand that was clasped in hers, and went up smoothly and softly, towards her back. My other empty hand passed lightly over her thin waist and moved to her back.

Every time my hands moved slowly like a snake, Marie’s slender body flinched. In the meantime, I was finally able to embrace Marie.

Until now, I didn’t realize that her back was exposed and open, as I had only seen her from the front. The feeling of her back was transmitted to my hands.

“Ah...”

As we hugged, Marie let out a hot breath. Then, she cautiously and strongly embraced me while patting my body.

Unlike the previous hugs, I could fully feel her skin and heartbeat. Her large chest pressed against me beyond the evening dress.

Marie’s chest was soft and malleable like marshmallows, and her shape changed freely with even slight pressure. What would it feel like if I touched it with my hands?

But it’s not time yet. Marie is a woman who gave me her sweet first night, so I have to handle her like a precious glass craft.

“...Isaac, there’s something below...”

“You made it like this.”

“... ...”

Marie seemed to have already felt my manhood burning. As it swelled up, she kept teasing me below.

As if asking where she was looking, I swept my hands down from her back, where I had placed them. Not too fast or slow, so that she could feel it well.

“Hm!”

The sudden stimulus made Marie shiver and make a strange sound. Surprised, she applied more pressure to the arms that were wrapped around me. But I didn’t stop here.

The fact that her back was revealed meant that my hand could invade it below. I gently stroked her back and then moved down to her waist.

It wasn’t quite secretive, but I started to excite her by stroking her buttocks and wide hips like a potter.

“Ah... hah...”

As fresh stimulation continued, Marie shivered and moaned. She couldn’t look at me and lowered her head, so I grabbed her chin with one hand and forced her to look up.

“Hm...? Uhp!”

Then came the unexpected kiss. At first, she stiffened at the sudden contact, but gradually relaxed and accepted it.

With one hand holding the back of her head and the other holding her back, I explored her as much as I wanted.

Suckling and nibbling on each other’s lips, we shared a passionate, deep kiss. As I firmly held her head, she hugged my neck and responded eagerly.

We licked each other’s lips, teased with our tongues, and explored each other’s mouths.

Finally, their tongues tangled and exchanged saliva, longing for each other’s love.

“Ah...”

“... ...”

How long had it been since their act of devouring each other began? We separated our lips as if we had agreed beforehand. A thin silver thread connected our lips before it snapped off.

For a moment, I savored the sweet taste in my mouth, then looked at Marie’s face. She extended her tongue out, her eyes unfocused, expressing the ecstasy she felt. Her expression was more vulgar than elegant.

Just moments before, our intense kiss caused one of the straps of her dress to fall, exposing one of her breasts completely.

“Marie.”

“Haa... haa...”

Marie, unable to properly answer as she panted for breath, was already excited enough. I slowly approached her face and whispered in her ear.

“I love you.”

“Me too...”

As soon as she replied in a trembling voice, she immediately took action. I gently caressed her face, then leaned down to her slender and long neck and kissed her lips. I licked her skin with my tongue, savoring her scent to my heart’s content. The scent of the soap she had used earlier aroused my senses.

“Uhh...”

Marie also let out a satisfied moan and trembled with pleasure. I slowly led her towards the bed and grabbed one of her breasts that was already exposed.

Thus began a night of passion in the depths of the mansion.

Translators note:

WARNING CHAPTERS 112 and 113 ARE NSFW

Also I will be realisng both of them tomorrow