I looked at Cecily without saying anything. She was looking at me with a seductive smile, chin propped up.
When a mature beauty like Cecily speaks with that kind of pose and voice, itâs hard to describe how devastating it is. She already had a sexy appearance, but the combination of her pose, expression, and voice made me feel like I was falling into a trance.
If it were another man, he would have fallen for her without regaining his senses. Fortunately, I had built up some immunity from spending time with her. Of course, I couldnât help my face from turning red and my heart from pounding.
âAhem⊠hemâŠâ
I cleared my throat to maintain my composure as my face heated up. It was partly due to the sudden ambush question, but also because Cecilyâs atmosphere was so seductive that it was hard to stay focused.
Still, I managed to calm down somehow. I opened one eye slightly and met Cecilyâs gaze.
Cecily remained in the same pose as before, as if she would stay that way until I answered. Just looking at her made my heart race even more.
ââŠIs she really a succubus descendant?â
Anyway, I thought it would be best to answer the question. I calmed my pounding heart and spoke calmly.
ââŠI want to say youâre excessively self-conscious, but I canât.â
In reality, the appearance of the executive in charge of lust, Lilith, is remarkably similar to Cecilyâs. Lilithâs setting is that exudes a sensual figure due to her revealing clothing and black hair, her clothing may not be as revealing as Cecilyâs.
Of course, itâs not exactly the same as Cecily. There may be a tear mole that adds to her charm, different hairstyles, a pair of devil wings on her shoulders, and, last but not least, Cecilyâs clothing isnât as revealing as Liliths.
Iâm not sure if itâs not the same dress I saw at the last gathering.
Anyway, itâs true that I used Cecily as a reference, but there are some significant differences. If I had to make an excuse, it was like Lilith in my head was in front of me right now, not Cecily.
âBy the way, why is she saying that? Is she teasing me?â
I opened one eye to confirm Cecilyâs face. I noticed her laughing with delight, finding something amusing.
As I mentioned before, Cecily is halfway convinced that I am the author of Xenonâs Biography. However, since she is not entirely sure, maybe she is trying to gauge my reaction by bringing up such a question.
While I pondered this question, Cecily responded with a brighter smile than before and spoke with her seductive voice that could stir any manâs heart.
âIs that so? Too similar, huh?â
âYes.â
âHmmâŠâ
With a smile on her face, Cecily looked at me intently despite my blunt response. I averted my gaze from her overwhelming gaze, which was truly burdensome.
For some reason, the more I met Cecilyâs red eyes, the more my mind became hazy. Although I thought I had become accustomed to it by now, her beauty was still at a level that could be considered unfair.
âOkay, I see. I feel good about something.â
Cecily grinned and then opened her mouth with an expression that seemed relieved. Did I just get caught judging by her reaction? I wondered to myself, but it didnât seem like it.
Anyway, the attractive atmosphere that she was emitting gradually diminished. My burning face subsided, and my heart, which had been beating recklessly, gradually became calm.
I heaved a sigh of relief inwardly and asked her with a slightly tired voice.
ââŠWhy would you ask that?â
âI just asked. I wondered if I was the only one who thought that way.â
âI said it before, but if it was someone else who said that, I would have called them out for an overblown ego.â
âHmm.â
Cecily let out a faint hum and narrowed her eyes halfway. Her red pupils shone brightly between her narrowed eyes.
Just when I felt a slight unease in my heart, Cecily leaned forward slightly and whispered to me.
âIsaac thinks of me as a succubus with a charming appearance and body, right?â
â⊠âŠâ
Trying to avoid revealing the secret somehow made me reveal my true thoughts. I couldnât help but let out a hollow laugh when I saw Cecilyâs slightly pouting expression.
Is this the experience of a demon princess who has lived for over 100 years? The more we talk, the more I feel like Iâm sinking into a swamp.
As I was lost in such pointless thoughts and unable to even respond, Cecily nodded her head in affirmation of my awkward laughter and leaned forward.
Then, she looked around and quietly informed me that there were hardly any people in the restaurant. Her smile remained on her face.
âIsaac, did you hear any rumors when you entered the school? About me being the descendant of a succubus.â
âOf course, I did.â
I was able to calmly answer, my tension easing as my true feelings came out. It was more embarrassing to reveal my true thoughts than to reveal a secret.
Cecily looked around again after hearing my answer, as if to see if anyone was listening to our conversation.
Then, she put a hand by her mouth to prevent any sound from leaking out and opened her mouth quietly.
âIf that rumor were true, would you believe it?â
âUmâŠâ
I stared at Cecilyâs face intently.
Her smirk seemed like a joke, but her tone was very serious. This made it more likely that it was true
But whether Cecily really was a descendant of a succubus or not, I was somewhat skeptical. There was a difference between hearing it as a rumor and hearing it from the person themselves.
After a brief moment of surprise, I nodded my head.
âI probably would believe it. But even if youâre a descendant of a succubus, that doesnât really change anything, does it?â
But nothing has changed. Even if she inherited the thick blood, Cecily is not a devil but a demon.
In literature, succubi are depicted as gaining power by absorbing menâs vitality, similar to my past life. However, here, they donât suck the vitality until the victim dies like true devils.
In other words, from a manâs perspective, it is like being drained of his life force.
Of course, it is forbidden to think of it as a good thing. In recorded history, there are instances of continuing the intercourse even if blood came out of the genitals, as well as reports of tearing off the testicles. It is truly dreadful.
âThere are many different things, for exampleâŠâ
Cecilyâs speech trailed off, and she began to occasionally glance at me, blushing on her cheeks. It seemed like an embarrassing topic for her to talk about.
What kind of secret could it be that makes her hesitate, even though she usually doesnât hesitate to make suggestive jokes? I couldnât help but wonder.
After a while, she hesitated before finally opening her mouth with an embarrassed tone, twisting her jet-black hair.
ââŠlike having an explosive sexual desire during menstruation?â
â⊠âŠâ
âMaybe itâs because I inherited the blood of a succubus, but I have a particularly hard time resisting it. So⊠Iâll stop here.â
Her face rapidly turned red, as if she was embarrassed to even say it. I also stared at her blankly, my eyes wide open.
Since she had lived for over 100 years, maybe during that timeâŠ
âOh, just in case thereâs any misunderstanding, I have never had such an experience. If I meditate all day, I can control my desires.â
Just before I was about to think in that direction, Cecily hastily cleared up the misunderstanding. It seemed like she had read my thoughts by looking at my expression, which was even more surprising since a century is an unimaginably long time. Even compared to my age combined with my past life is less than 40 years, yet Cecily had lived for over a hundred years. It was difficult to believe that she had never been in a relationship considering all the things that must have happened during that time.
I stared at Cecily, who was rarely flustered, and cautiously asked her in a careful tone, âYouâve never had any experience with men in over a hundred years? Is that even possible?â
âAs Iâve mentioned before, besides my father, there were hardly any people who would treat my pranks lightly. Plus, Iâm a princess of Helium, so any scandal involving me would be politically inconvenient.â
âWell, I guess that makes sense.â
If you were the child of a ruler like Cecily or Rina, you would have to be even more careful with your behavior. In my past life, if a negative rumor arose about a politicianâs child, the parents were often caught up in the scandal as well.
Furthermore, Cecily is the next demon king of Helium, which makes her position even more delicate. Even a small rumor about her could put her in an embarrassing situation in many ways.
âIs it okay for me to be with you, then?â
Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind, and I couldnât help but tilt my head in confusion. During our last meeting, Cecily said that linking arms was a form of reward, but something didnât quite add up.
It could be due to cultural differences, or maybe something else entirely. As the question arose in my mind, I asked Cecily about my curiosity.
âIs it okay to link arms like we did during our last meeting?â
âHuh? Oh, that? I donât mind it since I consider it a reward. However, anything beyond that is not allowed. For example, touching my horns or holding hands.â
Cecily explained while fanning herself to calm down the heat on her face. It was even more surprising for me as a human to hear that linking arms was acceptable, but she brushed it off as a cultural difference.
At the moment when our conversation seemed to be cut off with no more exchanges, Cecily carefully looked around before opening her mouth in a quiet voice. There was a faint redness engraved on her face, indicating that her mind was not yet calm.
ââŠIsaac, do you have any secrets like this?â
âSecrets?â
âYeah. Secrets that are hard to tell others. The reason I have no experience in love is because I am a succubus descendant. As you know, succubi have to absorb a manâs vitality until they die. Because of that rumor, Heliumâs men tend to avoid me, thinking that I am like a poisonous flower.â
âOhâŠâ
It was an interesting story. I exclaimed with my lips round in admiration.
As for me, I didnât care whether Cecily was a succubus or a descendant of one, but it seemed that demons were sensitive to such matters, probably because they were themselves descendants of the devil.
Even I, as a human, could easily understand it. But thatâs not important now.
âA secretâŠâ
I lowered my gaze and muttered softly while holding my chin with one hand. Cecilyâs face across from me was tense.
Does her telling me a secret mean that she trusts me? Cecily isnât prying until I speak, unlike Rina.
However, sheâs already convinced that Iâm the author of Xenonâs Biography. Otherwise, she wouldnât have created this situation. Secrets are meant to be revealed by oneâs own mouth to have any authenticity.
âCan I really trust her?â
Itâs been two months since I met Cecily, but there are still many things I donât know about her. Even if she reveals a secret herself, it doesnât mean that I can trust her.
But what if Iâm hesitant to speak when sheâs already halfway convinced? She might be disappointed that I donât trust her enough to reveal the secret she already believes in.
I pondered for a while before lifting my gaze up. Cecily was waiting for my answer with a tense expression.
ââŠNoona.â
âYeah, Isaac?â
âDo you tend to keep secrets to yourself?â
Cecily nodded in response to my serious question. Her expression was very grave, and there was no sign of joking.
I took a deep breath and looked around. There were hardly any people, but I felt like we should speak in a quiet place at least.
With a slight smile, I whispered to Cecily.
âShould we go somewhere quiet for a moment?â
âOkay!â
Cecilyâs face lit up with a smile at my suggestion.