Chapter 1 : It wasn’t a wet dream ? (1)

“Who are you?”

Anyone would be flustered if a stranger confronted them with a pregnancy test, demanding responsibility. Especially me, someone who had never even had s*x at this age.

‘Is she delusional, or is this some student’s prank?’

I carefully examined the woman. Her curves were certainly not those of a student. She looked to be around my age, at least.

‘Beautiful.’

She was so stunning that it was hard to believe she would be playing a prank with a pregnancy test.

Long, flowing white hair and red eyes that sparkled like jewels. Her head bore horns curved like a crown. An alluring beauty with demon wings sprouting from around her waist and a thin, heart-shaped tail reminiscent of a succubus.

Wait a minute.

‘…A succubus?’

My eyes widened.

Knowledge about succubi surfaced in my mind.

What kind of creatures were succubi?

A type of incubus, and a demon synonymous with lust.

They were known to gain power by absorbing the yang energy of humans at night.

The pregnancy test, which I had dismissed as a bad joke, now appeared differently.

‘Could it be… real?’

An unsettling thought crossed my mind.

Just in case, I asked, “What exactly do you mean by ‘take responsibility’?”

“Exactly what I said. It’s your child, so take responsibility.”

I glanced at the pregnancy test in her hand.

It seemed my hunch was correct.

Sigh…

I exhaled and, after a long moment of contemplation, opened the door wide.

“Please, come inside.”

This wasn’t a conversation to have outside.

I led her to the living room. She looked cold from standing outside for so long, so I brought out some tea.

Thud

I placed a steaming cup of black tea in front of her.

“Please, have some. It’s nothing fancy, and I don’t have any snacks, so I don’t know if it will suit your taste.”

“…Thank you.”

She seemed surprised that I actually let her in. From the moment she stepped inside, she had worn a bewildered expression.

She accepted the tea, and as I had suspected she was cold, she quietly savored it.

“…”

I watched her closely as she drank.

The way she held the teacup, the way she savored the aroma and taste—nothing about her seemed ordinary.

‘She drinks tea elegantly.’

Her demeanor exuded refinement. Not something learned overnight, but an etiquette perfectly ingrained within her.

“You must be a noble.”
“Y-Yes? How did you know?”
“I can tell by your posture. You enjoy your tea more elegantly than any noble I know.”
“…You’re observant.”
“Thank you.”

Habits are tendencies that manifest unconsciously. When I pointed this out, she calmly placed the teacup on the table. Confirming her noble status clearly changed her demeanor.

“Shall we get down to business now?”

Now that she had calmed down, it was the right time to ask about what I had just heard.

“Yes, ask me anything.”
“What do you mean by saying you’re pregnant with my child?”

I had a general idea, but I wanted to hear the answer from her. There was a chance I was mistaken.

“Is it some kind of code? A code for a religious or cult activity?”
“No… It’s exactly what I said.”
“Meaning…”
“I’m really pregnant. With your child.”

There was no misunderstanding. The succubus before me was indeed pregnant with my child.

‘It’s faint, but I can see it.’

I sensed a faint magical energy emanating from her abdomen. It was hardly a life yet, but something was slowly growing within her.

Hah… Right after regaining my past life memories, I thought all I had to do was avoid causing trouble. I never thought I would be the trouble.

Not only did I have a responsibility without any pleasure, but…

‘A succubus moving alone at this time, of all things.’

I thought about the game. The main story begins with the academy’s entrance ceremony.

It had been a month since the ceremony. The main story had just begun.

At this time, neither succubi nor incubi moved around freely, due to an unfortunate incident a year prior.

However, there was one exception. A succubus who had been building her power in the underworld.

A hidden boss who appears in the very late stages of the main story. A succubus who faces high-ranking demons and demon dukes with a single sword.

‘Lilia Von Asmodeus.’

The demon horns curved like a crown were a symbol of a high-ranking demon. Unlike most demons who have two small horns, the four horns on Lilia’s head proved her status.

The legitimate daughter and heir of the Asmodeus family, one of the seven ducal families of the Empire.

Of course, that was in the past. The Asmodeus Ducal House no longer existed.

“I have many questions for you.”

“I understand. Ask me anything.”

Lilia gently stroked her belly.

Yes, I had many questions, including the one about what was in her belly.

After pondering what to ask first, I carefully chose the most important question.

“…I know who you are.”
“You know me?”
“I met you once at a birthday party.”

Lilia looked surprised.

“My birthday party? You’d need to be from a considerably influential family to be invited…”

Lilia trailed off, glancing around the room. She seemed to doubt my words after seeing my house. It was spacious enough for a single adult male, but from a noble’s perspective, it was merely a small villa. To the heir of a ducal family, it might even seem like a doghouse.

“I’m no longer in the family registry, but I was originally a noble.”
“A noble?”
“The eldest son of a count family.”
“…Why are you living in a place like this?”
“I told you, I was removed from the family registry.”
“How does the eldest son get kicked out of his family?”

The eldest son of a noble family usually becomes the head. They have the strong legitimacy of being the firstborn and the time to build a support base before their siblings.

The reason I wasn’t the head and was kicked out was simple.

“Because I’m too incompetent.”
“…I’m sorry. I think I asked a rude question.”

Lilia apologized, bowing her head. I didn’t mind.

“It’s alright. I may no longer be a noble, but I’m an assistant professor at the academy.”
“Assistant professor?”
“Yes, I received this house because I’m an assistant professor.”

While not on par with a noble, an assistant professor at the academy wasn’t a low position. Becoming a professor could bring even greater prestige and wealth than most nobles.

That is, if one became a professor.

Of course…

“Um… if it’s not too much trouble, can I ask you something?”
“Ask me anything.”
“You just said you were removed from the registry for being incompetent… How did you become an assistant professor at the academy? It’s not a position one achieves with ordinary talent, especially not as an assistant professor.”
“Well, naturally, I lobbied my current professor.”
“…Excuse me?”

I bought my way into the assistant professor position with money. I would never become a full professor, but…

‘He didn’t even bat an eye at small sums, so I gave him my entire fortune.’

Academy professors receive astronomical amounts of money annually for research. Possessing prestige, wealth, and power, they wouldn’t even glance at a meager sum.

To catch a professor’s eye and secure the assistant professor position, I offered my entire fortune.

“Thanks to that, I’m now using my research funds to supplement my living expenses.”
“Y-You bought a prestigious assistant professor position at the academy with money…”

Could such a thing happen? Lilia clutched her head, looking bewildered.

It wasn’t an unreasonable reaction. The Galleon Academy, the Empire’s premier educational institution, was renowned for its honor and fairness.

But there are always exceptions.

“It was possible because one particular professor, despite receiving astronomical funding, was struggling financially.”

Of course, money wasn’t the only compensation.

“…You.”
“What? Is there a problem?”
“That fact you just revealed. If the academy’s director or other professors find out, you’ll be fired without getting your investment back. Why would you tell that to someone you just met?”

Lilia stared at me with an incredulous look. It was something everyone who needed to know already knew, but this was the first time I had admitted it aloud.

I smiled at her and said, “Didn’t you say you wanted me to take responsibility?”

I glanced at Lilia’s belly and met her gaze.

“But we don’t know much about each other, do we?”

Before starting a serious conversation, we needed to start with the basics.

“You don’t even know my name. Let’s introduce ourselves first. It seems this is the first time we’ve been formally introduced. My name is Ziek Haren.”

I stood and extended my right hand towards her.

“…You’re right. I was so flustered that I skipped the first step.”

Lilia accepted my handshake, stood up, and elegantly lifted the sides of her dress with both hands. A typical noble’s greeting, slightly raising the hem of her long skirt as she bowed her head.

“Lilia Von Asmodeus. The sole survivor and acting head of the Asmodeus family greets Ziek Haren.”

Lilia, who had looked harried throughout our conversation, finally wore a gentle expression.