Conquest Complete, So Why Is the Affection Dropping? - Chapter 77
‘Could it be… this isn’t Cedric?’
A chilling sensation ran down my spine. I remembered the black pillar I’d seen in the core of Valhalla. The hundreds of blue jewels embedded there that had spoken to me with their luminescent glow.
They had said it then. That if I just called out, not the current Cedric but the Cedric within the jewels could manifest.
‘So this one isn’t Cedric yet, and I need to summon the Cedric from the jewels?’
Having to summon that madman with my own hands – it would be like strapping on dynamite and jumping into a pit of fire.
“Um…”
As I hesitated in confusion, Cedric cautiously approached me.
Though wary of a stranger, he seemed curious since I didn’t appear dangerous.
“Do you know me?”
Should I say I do, or I don’t?
“I don’t know you well.”
I answered honestly. It was true that I didn’t know much about Cedric. Other than him being crazy enough to make me fear encountering him, I knew nothing. Since it wasn’t a lie, I could say it confidently.
“Then why did you call out to me?”
“Because I want to know you.”
The unprepared answer just slipped out. But facing those blue eyes set in that face as pretty as a sugar sculpture, I didn’t feel like beating around the bush.
My anxious heart quickly calmed once I confirmed he wasn’t the psychopath from the previous iteration.
The current Cedric seemed harmless.
With his innocent eyes blinking and occasionally nervously hand trembles, he was like a big child despite his size.
‘He was this pretty in the guidebook too. Given that his profile shows up normally, it’s unlikely there’s another Cedric. At least physically, this must be the original Cedric.’
Probably like Hexion before, he must be showing as “Cannot be pursued” because some conditions haven’t been met yet. After organizing the situation in my head, I sighed lightly and extended my hand to Cedric.
“I’m Shin Joo. Nice to meet you, Cedric.”
“…Why do you call me by that name?”
Oops. His name was still unknown here.
“I’m sorry. My mistake. What’s your name?”
“20XX year XX month XX day, XX:XX:XX PM…”
“What?”
When I asked again, Cedric blinked, then lowered his head with slightly reddened eyes as if embarrassed.
“I don’t have a name.”
Oh my. No name? But he was just talking to someone in the tower. How could someone living with others not have a name they’re called by?
‘No way.’
I looked at Cedric’s profile window again. The core of Valhalla and keeper of records. Not the kind of description you’d give to a family member or colleague.
‘Could he be being abused like a slave?’
It would make sense if they didn’t even give him a name and called him by dates. A mage with a tragic past of being treated like a tool. It’s a plausible setting.
Seeming ashamed of not having a name to give, Cedric couldn’t meet my eyes. Seeing such a large person so dejected somehow made my heart ache.
“Then would it be alright if I gave you a name?”
“You would?”
“Yes. It’s inconvenient not having a name to call you by.”
I extended my hand again. When I took Cedric’s hand, which hung limply as if he didn’t know how to shake hands, he flinched. He apparently hadn’t expected the sudden contact. But this much physical contact should be excusable for a first meeting. No censorship warning appeared either.
“Cedric.”
When I called him that with a gentle smile, Cedric blinked in surprise.
“You called me that earlier too. Is it someone’s name?”
It’s your name, actually.
“Yes. You remind me of someone else I know, so I called you that without thinking.”
“…What kind of person are they?”
A scary person. A crazy mage. A bulldozer-like psycho who rushed straight to the bad ending without giving any chance for compromise after being rejected.
…I couldn’t say that. Besides, judging from the circumstances, the current Cedric was likely not that psycho. He seemed cute and innocent, so it would be better to treat him kindly from the start to prevent any extreme behavior.
‘The basics of seduction start with sweet talk.’
Didn’t Soo-young say it too? Pull, pull, and pull in the beginning, then push at the end.
“He is someone very precious to me.”
“Someone precious…”
Cedric’s gloomy expression cleared, replaced by a radiance like a spring breeze. His cheeks turning peach-colored like a child praised by parents was so cute that I internally clutched my chest.
If this were really a game, this would be the moment to take about 100 screenshots!
“You said you’re Shin Joo, right? But we just met today, so why…”
“It’s not our first meeting. Actually, I’ve known you for a while.”
“Is… that so?”
Cedric nodded as if understanding the reason for my sudden behavior, though he seemed slightly surprised.
Seeing him believe so innocently without a trace of doubt made my heart ache. What could have happened to turn this soft tofu-like young man into such a psycho?
“I’ve wanted to meet you all this time.”
“Ah…”
“Didn’t Cedric want to see me?”
Come to think of it, even the game notification that came on my phone was about Cedric. When I mentioned how he’d said he wanted to see me and asked me to come quickly, Cedric became flustered.
The Cedric I’d chatted with in messages was just as docile and pure as he is now. Though he did ignore my nonsense about asking for 5 billion won.
‘No, wait. There was something more after that, wasn’t there?’
I tried to recall what huge shock I’d received before the possession, but it was all blurry as if deliberately smudged, and I couldn’t remember clearly.
As I was trying to recall, Cedric’s clear voice rang out.
“Shin Joo. I…”
Oh dear, I got lost in thought with someone right in front of me. I quickly scattered my wandering thoughts and focused on what Cedric was saying.
“I want to be yours.”
His skill at proposing, despite being in an “Cannot be pursued” state, was quite something.
How should I interpret this situation where Marvis, whom I’ve successfully pursued, has his affection plummeting terrifyingly low, while Cedric, who can’t be pursued, is clinging to me with puppy dog eyes?
While gently stroking the back of Cedric’s hand, I asked him.
“Cedric, you live here, right? How long have you been staying in this sky island… no, in the Tower of Valhalla?”
“How long…? I don’t know. As far as I can remember, I’ve always been here.”
So he was captured very young and treated like a slave. How pitiful.
Feeling suddenly sympathetic, I patted Cedric’s arm. Unfamiliar with such contact, he flinched each time I touched him, but he didn’t pull away.
Come to think of it, what was that person who pushed Cedric out of the tower yelling about when they shoved him? Seeing how unfamiliar he was with gentle touches, it was clear he’d never received any affectionate care.
“Who do you live with? Are they also a mage?”
“Simon is my master.”
It was surprising enough that the guy had a proper name, but what followed was even more outrageous.
‘Master? Maaaaster?’
Treating my Cedric like this, calling him by dates instead of a name, and abusing him – what’s with that?
Though it hadn’t even been 10 minutes since we had exchanged greetings, how could I ignore Cedric clinging to me with those sparkling blue eyes? I must make him my baby cat!
‘Though he’s like a puppy, he looks like a cat, so let’s call him a puppy-cat.’
Having reached this rather pointless conclusion, I reached out to pat Cedric’s shoulder. He awkwardly rolled his eyes around before slowly bending toward me.
It looked just like a cat presenting its head to be petted, so I slid my fingers through Cedric’s black hair and combed through it.
“Ah…”
Cedric slowly closed his eyes and let out a languid sigh. He seemed to enjoy being touched. Come to think of it, if he’d been treated like an object in the tower all this time, there probably hadn’t been anyone to give him a warm embrace.
While stroking his handsome ears, I cupped his cheeks with both hands, and his bright blue eyes opened to meet mine.
“Shin Joo. I want to be yours.”
What should I do when a “Cannot be pursued” character keeps proposing?
Though I want to accept right away, wouldn’t it look too desperate to raise both hands in agreement when affection points aren’t even accumulating yet?
After wracking my brain, I found the most rational answer.
“Cedric. A person can’t belong to someone else.”
“Ah…”
“So stop treating that person as your master.”
My cute baby cat, throw out that horrible person Simon or whatever and become the master of this tower.
“That person treated you badly, didn’t he? That’s wrong. You deserve to be treated more preciously.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. From now on, only experience good things. Life’s too short as it is.”
The way to comfort an abused unfortunate character is obvious, isn’t it? Just keep chanting like a mantra that they’re pretty and precious and worthy of love while giving them warm hugs.
“I’ll follow Shin Joo’s words.”
Cedric smiled brightly.
That’s when I heard the clear sound of bells along with the effect of pages turning.
[Cedric]’s current affection: 99(MAX)
“….”
As soon as the “Cannot be pursued” mark disappeared, it hit the maximum.
Excuse me. Where did all the middle numbers go?
