Chapter 277: I Will Choose Death (2)

My mother immediately recognized me when I was disguised, and there was no particular reason for it. She just instinctively sensed it as soon as she saw me disguised.

With Mora's help, I even grew horns, but since there wasn't a big change in my physique, it was meaningless in front of my mother.

However, considering that I was the one who first played the prank, she pretended not to notice me on purpose until she called my name to punish me.

Unfortunately, I was already feeling relieved at that time, so I had no choice but to automatically turn around.

You can see from my behavior up until now that even though I maintain a poker face on the outside, there are many tangled and stubborn parts.

I guess it's the reason why people around me tell me to practice managing my expressions.

Anyway, the reason for disguising myself even with Mora's help disappeared. Since everyone already knows that I'm Isaac, there's no point in disguising myself.

However, Mora said it would last for a week. In other words, if Harte hadn't intervened, I might have had to live as a woman for a week.

I expressed gratitude to Harte once again for the disturbing fact. If I had really turned into a woman, it would have been a disaster.

After a series of events, I returned to the palace still transformed into a demon. Mother with us.

Cecily seemingly had already transmitted the news through magic, as people in the palace just gave me curious looks, but there was no significant difference from before.

"Do you know how surprised I was when I first saw you? If only the face was a little different, I wouldn't have recognized you, right? Did you guys notice?"

"I knew right away because I noticed he didn't have black mana. Mother."

"And Dame Cross?"

"I also... immediately noticed it was the young master. Wouldn't it be stranger not to know?"

Somehow, Mother ended up visiting Helium, even the palace, but Cecily began to welcome her with sincerity. Coming without any notice is clearly rude. However, Mother never intended to visit the palace in the first place.

The invitation to the palace was from Cecily. Although it's impromptu, she holds that much authority as a princess of Helium. Since she's her husband's mother, they can overlook this level of impropriety. Thanks to it, an interesting event unfolded, so I guess she's somewhat satisfied.

Seeing my mother enjoying tea time contentedly right now, I was more amused than upset.

"But Isaac, is there anything bothering you?"

I thought everything had been smoothly overlooked, but Marie, who was sitting beside me, suddenly asked a question.

As Marie wasn't present at the time of the incident, she was startled when she saw my changed appearance.

Fortunately, thanks to her ability to grasp the situation from those around her, it didn't take her long to accept it was me.

'Is it actually better?'

With a completely different atmosphere and appearance than usual, and already handsome as it is, I even received compliments that I looked even better.

Even others, not just Marie, agreed on this point. While living like this might not be bad, I find my original appearance much more comfortable.

"There's nothing uncomfortable about it, why do you ask?"

"I heard that Lady Mora is good at playing pranks. I was wondering if she did something strange to you."

Pranks... Before she transformed me into a demon, she once tried to turn me into a woman.

Luckily, her mother's Harte's 'Back Smash(?)' stopped her in her tracks.

However,I haven't changed much since my transformation into a demon. Even my horns are more of an ornament and can be removed, so the only thing that has changed is my appearance.

That and the scent of my body. I now smell like peaches instead of lilacs, thanks to Mora's holy power.

It was a natural scent, much stronger than the peachy scent I sometimes smelled on Cecily, a testament to Mora's love.

"Ah. I forgot about that. I've been pranked by Mora once before."

Cecily interrupted Marie's question, and the story of her own victimization drew the attention of the others, including Marie.

I'd heard it from Mora herself, that she'd lost all the fat on her chest, her pride and symbol.

It was a prank, but Cecily was so depressed that even Mora quickly gave it back.

"You were pranked? How?"

"My breasts were like cliffs. I couldn't feel anything."

At the same time, all eyes turn to Cecily's chest. Every single one of them was filled with wonder.

It's hard to believe that such a large layer of fat was gone.

But Marie was a girl who always thinks out of the box. She flashes Cecily a wry grin, as if she's had an idea.

"Isn't it the other way around? It was supposed to be a cliff, but with Mora's help—"

"No, it's not, I got it from my mom, don't be ridiculous."

I haven't seen Cecily cringe like that in a long time. It must mean Marie's attack worked.

Marie giggled mischievously as if she knew it. Cecily, her face slightly flushed, looked exasperated, but she quickly changed the subject by asking me a question.

"So, Isaac, you need to come and see what's different. You know what I mean?"

"For our sake, you better go."

I think I got the gist of it. Even Adelia had a similar look on her face, even if she didn't say it.

It's probably not a joke, as it's deeply connected to their night activities. Given Mora's playful nature, it's not out of the question.

I headed to the restroom for a quick check. To be honest, I was a little uneasy after Cecily's example.

Luckily, nothing has changed. Mora had really only changed her appearance since Harte's scolding.

The horns on my head are a bit annoying, but they don't interfere with daily life. I slowly picked at my reflection in the mirror, then turned back to my seat.

"What do you think? Has anything changed?"

"You didn't change where we were concerned, did you?"

"Absolutely not, you have nothing to worry about."

The three women were relieved to hear my assurance, and judging by their reactions, they were genuinely worried.

I felt a little embarrassed, not to mention a little ridiculous, because they weren't the only ones there, my mother was too.

But Mother just smiled and lifted her teacup gracefully and drank her tea.

"I think every time I look at him, my little Isaac seems to have a lot of women's affections, which is curious, since his brother and sister have no interest in the opposite sex."

"Maybe he takes after his father?"

"Well, your dad also found your mom, so maybe you take after him."

"Me?"

I blinked at the suggestion that I looked like my father. In my eyes, he was the epitome of a pure man, with only one eye on Mother.

He still loves her so much that when Lily was born, you can see what a match made in heaven they were.

Look at me, on the other hand. I already have three women I've slept with, and I'm dating them all at the same time.

In that sense, it would be rude to say that I resemble my father that way. At least in my eyes, my father is the epitome of devotion.

"I don't know if you heard, but your dad was just as popular as you. Think about it. He was a commoner who rose to the rank of captain of the Navy Knights, and he was handsome in a manly way, like a knight from a fairy tale, so how could he not be popular with women?"

"—You don't mean to tell me I have a half-brother or something?"

My mother waved her hand in denial at my anxious question.

"It was only in his youth when he was wilder, but then he got older and more responsible. And then he met me."

From the stories I've heard, it sounds like my father's life was just as tumultuous as mine.

I don't know much about his past, but I've heard the story of how he and my mother met. I don't know the details, but they fell in love with each other.

Moreover, my mother was the one who helped him heal from PTSD while he was serving as a Knight Commander. Father's love for her has been unbroken since his time in the military.

Moreover, he said that he was given a baronetcy and a territory because he disliked the politics of the nobility.

Still, the fact that they both love each other so passionately despite their advanced age is enough to say that they are a match made in heaven.

I stared at my mother, whose face melted at the thought of my father, and suddenly realized I had a question.

"Is my father the first man you ever loved and the last?"

"Of course."

"Have you ever been asked out by any other men?"

"Yes, but I turned them all down, because they were all weaker than your mom. On the other hand, look at your father. What a dashing, handsome knight he is."

"— —"

You're right on the money, but how strong does a man have to be to be strong by Mother's standards?

She can crush fruit to pieces with just her hands. I had to wonder how they first met.

'It's not like she killed a bear with her fists or something like in a cartoon somewhere, right?'

This is a fantasy world, so it's not impossible. In any case, I don't have to worry about the future, because I'm going to live in harmony until my natural death.

I suppose that's why the gods reincarnated me into House Mishelle, so let's thank them again.

"So, Isaac, don't be discriminating in your love life. And keep up the exercise, because it may increase in the future."

"I'm not really thinking of increasing it—"

"Let's see. Let's count—"

"I'm sorry."

"If you're sorry, then show our daughters-in-law love and affection. Love is not something that can be divided, but it can be quenched, like drinking water when you're thirsty. If you respond with indifference, their thirst will be even worse."

My mother's nagging was also based on her concern and affection for me. I listened to her words in silence.

My mother was not wrong. She was right: indifference is worse than bullying, and humans are affection-craving animals.

We can feel discriminated against, but we can never feel indifferent. In fact, feeling discriminated against is a sign of not caring.

This advice was not only relevant to me, but also to others in the room, so it got everyone's attention.

She spoke slowly and thoughtfully, with her trademark soft-spoken, thoughtful tone. Her words had the power to hold a person's attention.

"So you will understand if Isaac has more women in his life. Right?"

"Don't worry. I took that into consideration when I chose to spend a night with Isaac."

"Me too. Being the woman of the savior who saved the demons, I've been linked to a man who deserves it."

"I don't mind either. I just like him, so—"

My mother's ability to control the mood kept the conversation flowing. There was no room for me to interrupt.

Still, I'm satisfied, so let's drink tea at my leisure. I picked up the teacup and took a sip of the sweet-smelling tea.

"Ah, yes, indeed. Isaac?

"Huh?"

Cecily, who was giggling in the middle of my tea, called my name. I put down my teacup and looked at her as if I had something to say.

As soon as she made eye contact with me, she stared at me, blushed slightly, and coughed loudly, loudly.

I was scratching my head at that reaction, and then Cecily asked me.

"You're sure nothing's changed, are you, like, shrunken or something?"

"No. I even checked myself in the bathroom earlier."

"Really? We're checking tonight?"

"No, really."

"Hmmm. That's weird."

What's wrong? Cecily's question was met with questioning glances, including from me.

She took those stares in stride and explained what she had noticed.

"Because when Mora plays a prank on you, it doesn't stop there. You can tell by the way your hair stayed long even after you cut it."

True to Cecily's word, my hair shows no signs of getting shorter. Even if I cut it, it always grows back at some point.

I'd practically given up on it, but now that I think about it, this is also Mora's preference.

"I'm surprised Isaac was disguised, because she's not the kind of person who would play such a mundane prank."

"Cecily, aren't you going to lose your boobs again?"

Marie asked. She's gotten a pretty good idea of what kind of goddess Mora is from their conversation so far.

"I don't know what you think, but I got them back right away."

"Did they get any bigge- sorry."

Cecily's red eyes pierced Marie's as she tried to play a prank.

Marie apologized as soon as she caught the stare, then turned her head away and began to distract herself.

Cecily continued speaking with a sigh, just as I was silently laughing inside at the unusual situation.

"Anyway, I'm just saying out of concern, Lady Mora isn't someone who plays such petty jokes."

"Um..."

Since Cecily had also experienced being pranked by Mora before, she likely answered those questions based on that experience.

In fact, before turning into a demon, she had tried to give me a sex change. If it weren't for Harte's dissuasion, I would have had to actually experience it.

I took a sip of tea and thought carefully, thinking it should be okay to say this much. After all, it's in the past, so there shouldn't be any problem.

"It's not that nothing happened before that. Before turning me into a demon, she showed me a different appearance."

"A different appearance?"

"Yeah. She tried to change me into a woman. Fortunately, Harte dissuaded her..."

I couldn't help but stop in the middle of my sentence. Because of the gazes pouring onto me right now.

It's not just one, but a variety of colorful ones, all focusing on me at once, which was quite embarrassing.

The commonality among them all was a deep curiosity. So, I couldn't help but stutter and fumble with my words with a bewildered expression.

"Why, what is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"That's a bit..."

As Marie, who was looking at me, slowly turned her head to look at Cecily.

"Curious, perhaps? How about Adelia-unni, you too?"

Cecily, who received the baton from Marie, now directed her gaze at Adelia.

"How about you, Madam?"

Caught off guard by that look, Adelia hesitated and then timidly deferred to my mother.

Finally, Mother pierced me with her eyes and then grinned before speaking.

"Shall we return to the temple?"

"... ..."

I would rather choose death.

Perhaps noticing the determination in my expression, Mother waved her hand dismissively.

"Just kidding, just kidding. Even if I'm curious, if Isaac dislikes it, there's nothing we can do. Can you at least tell me something?"

"What is it?"

"About appearance, dear. Considering how much you rejected it, I'm sure Mora would have told me how you would change, right?"

She did tell me. Very kindly, through the reflection in the full-length mirror. What would happen if I was a woman and how Lily will grow up.

Should I bring it up? But seeing those faces filled with anticipation makes it difficult to refuse.

After much deliberation, I reluctantly began to explain, exhaling deeply.

"Even though things have changed, it's nothing major. Compared to Nicole, my height has decreased a bit, and my hair has turned red. That's about it."

"And your figure? How's your figure?"

"My figure... well..."

When asked about my physique, I instinctively glanced at Cecily. More precisely, towards her chest area, boasting an overwhelming presence.

Should I say it's even larger than that? Should I not? Cecily herself is already of an incredible size, so if I say it's even bigger than that, it might not be easily believed.

Still, being inherently unable to lie, I blurted it out as it was in my mind.

"What's for sure is that a certain part seems to be larger than Cecily Noona's."

"Oh my. Is that so?"

"Oh, come on. Don't joke. Even though I might not know someone as big as me, have you ever seen someone bigger than me?"

It was a reaction of disbelief not only from Mother but also from Cecily. However, Marie seemed to have slightly different thoughts.

She seemed to be pondering something deeply before getting up from her seat and approaching Cecily. Mary needed to get up from her seat because she was sitting to my left, while Cecily was on my right.

Cecily also looked puzzled as Marie got up and approached her. Soon after, when Marie gestured to borrow her ear, Cecily lent it without any suspicion.

"Oh, I see."

Then Cecily nodded as if she had realized something. Although I didn't know what was said, her face showed conviction, as if she had been persuaded of something.

Marie didn't stop there and whispered something to Adelia as well. Upon hearing it, Adelia showed a convincing reaction too. Although I didn't know what was said, it seemed like Cecily and even Adelia were being given attention to a certain aspect, so I could roughly guess what was said.

"Oh my, oh my."

"How about that? Quite convincing, isn't it?"

"It's a story with high credibility."

Even Mother showed an interesting reaction in the end.

However, unlike the others, Mother just laughed like a girl and didn't look at any particular spot.

I silently observed their reactions while sipping my coffee. At the same time, I made a firm decision.

'I shouldn't mention it's similar to Lily's future appearance.'

If I do, I might truly have to choose death then.

"Isaac."

"Yes, Mother."

"I won't ask about the truth about Jin's death, so can't you just change once? It's a mother's request."

"He's not dead."

And if I were to choose death, I might as well spoil it.

'For now.'

For now, the extension of life was successful, and thanks to it, the cheerful atmosphere continued until tea time was over.

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

"Well, seeing the changed Isaac made me change my mind. How can I stay still after seeing Isaac like this?"

However, a fierce battle ensued at night. Originally, today was supposed to be Marie's turn. But whether it was because my changed appearance had caught Cecily's fancy or not, she attempted to hijack the turn.

It seemed that my transformed appearance into a demon pleased her so much that her inner desires writhed or something of that sort. Due to this reason, I was inevitably caught between Cecily and Marie, being pushed and pulled here and there with both arms.

"Adelia-unni! Can you please help too? Don't you think Cecily is being too selfish?"

Marie requested support from Adelia with a sense of injustice. Adelia, who had spent a warm night with me yesterday, was inclined to yield today. However, Adelia didn't know what to do either, especially becoming particularly timid in such situations, she could only stammer.

"Um... Both of you, please calm down. The young master seems to be in trouble."

"What would you do, Adelia-unni? Don't you feel unfair?"

"W-well, that's true, but..."

Life in Helium continued peacefully.

"Well, we can't help it. We have to do it together. Adelia, please join too."

"What?"

"Noona?"

"Isaac is a public good, so we should share fairly. It seems like you've received plenty of blessings from Mora, even the scent of peaches. It must be hard to endure alone, right?"

Indeed.

"Well... It's annoying, but it definitely makes sense. Even for the sake of distributing energy, it's better that way."

"Marie?"

"Why are you making that face? This is all because of you, so you have to bear it. Adelia-unni, don't you think so too?"

"I, I..."

"As the lady of the house, I command you to participate. Don't you want to become closer to us?"

"...Alright."

And thus, a truly peaceful (squeezed out) summer vacation continued.

*****

At that moment, Gartz, who accompanied Isaac's mother, Anna...

"Lord Balak will surely feel unjust. It's a request from the benefactor's mother, how can he refuse? But he should receive punishment for making the benefactor uncomfortable. Don't you agree?"

"...Yes."

"Then, hand over the signed copies. Let it be the means of punishment."

Was in the midst of receiving a disciplinary action that wasn't a disciplinary action.

Translators note: