Chapter 19: Awakening to a Succubus’s Touch

‘So… so soft—’

Qiaolun, still heavy with sleep, rolled over in bed, his hand idly settling upon something yielding. He instinctively gave it a squeeze.

This sensation was neither silk nor velvet; it was distinctly fleshy, firm, yet smooth.

‘What in the world is this? Ha, this texture surely couldn’t be some girl’s backside…’

“Hm?”

Perceiving the anomaly, Qiaolun opened his eyes. He caught the familiar scent of roses, which was hardly surprising given the Demon Lord’s castle was perpetually infused with its fragrance. What *was* surprising was this pink mass.

As his consciousness returned and his vision sharpened, the girl’s languid smile seemed to hold Qiaolun captive, preventing an immediate reaction.

“De-Demon Lord?”

“Good morning, Lord Hero.”

“Oh, good morning—good morning my foot!”

Qiaolun’s eyes widened. Before him lay a girl who straddled the line between alluring and adorable, yet he reacted as if confronting a terrifying demon, abruptly throwing off the covers.

“What are you doing here! No… this is my room. Yesterday I was… damn it!”

His plan to escape the Demon Lord’s castle was now utterly ruined. Could she have anticipated his intentions, secretly using magic to ensnare him? Last night, surely not…

“Relax, Lord Hero. Such things certainly can’t be forced. I merely took the opportunity to rest here for the night.”

“Phew, that’s a relief. I have no designs on you!” Qiaolun knew he wouldn’t be easily swayed by beauty; his will was firm, truly the mark of a principled gentleman.

“Heh heh, Lord Hero says one thing, but his body tells another story.”

“What?”

Yunajin propped her head with one hand, lying on her side on the bed facing Qiaolun. Her form-fitting black nightgown accentuated her alluring, slender figure. She then cast a subtle glance towards her own buttocks.

His hand remained rigidly placed there, as if firmly glued.

Yunajin deliberately used her tail to gently lift her skirt, causing Qiaolun’s previously aimless hand to naturally settle upon it.

‘I didn’t entice him; he put it there himself.’

‘—Is this too lewd?’

The thought flashed through Yunajin’s mind, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.

After all, she was a succubus. If she wasn’t a little lewd, could she truly be called a succubus?

“This…”

Qiaolun gritted his teeth, his expression contorted as if he were exerting every ounce of his strength to finally withdraw his hand.

Soft, elastic, smooth, incredibly delicate… was this, the backside of a succubus?

“I need to wash my hands.” Qiaolun declared, his face devoid of expression, as he prepared to get out of bed.

He patted his clothes, inspecting them thoroughly before finally letting out a sigh of relief, grateful there were no signs of them having been removed.

“Eh?! That’s incredibly rude of you!”

‘—You’re the one who touched it, aren’t you?’

“Oh? Are you saying that place is clean and fragrant?”

“Well… you can’t exactly put it that way. When you humans touch a girl’s backside like that, whether intentionally or not, shouldn’t you apologize first?” Yunajin stammered, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

“Is that so…” Qiaolun nodded, as if a realization had dawned on him. “But you’re a demon, aren’t you?”

“Hmph, pervert, equivocator!”

“Say whatever you like!” Qiaolun waved a dismissive hand, then walked to a corner to check his belongings.

‘If I simply consider that person a demon rather than an ordinary human girl, I feel somewhat better, at least the guilt isn’t as overwhelming.’

He had actually spent a night sleeping with the Demon Lord. Fortunately, nothing had happened between them. Since he hadn’t managed to escape the Demon Lord’s castle last night, he could only prepare for the final confrontation with her.

“Are you leaving?” Yunajin asked.

“Yes.”

“Don’t we still have a battle today?”

“Yes.”

“Once you kill me, will you leave?”

“Yes.”

“Stop just ‘mm-mm-mm’-ing! Look at me when you speak!” Yunajin’s anxious voice came from behind him.

Qiaolun straightened up, hands on his hips, and cast a helpless glance in her direction.

The straps of the girl’s nightgown had slipped from both shoulders. She remained lying on her side on the bed, and beneath her delicate, fair collarbones, her small yet shapely breasts were subtly revealed as the nightgown receded. Her flushed cheeks accentuated her youthful shyness and innocence.

“What are you doing?!” Qiaolun’s face burned crimson. Already under the influence of Yunajin’s charm, he was struggling to resist, and seeing such an explicit sight, even his desperate attempts to suppress his reaction proved futile.

“Shall we do it?”

These words, far more potent than any demonic whisper, exploded in Qiaolun’s ears. He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking audibly.

“No, this isn’t right!” The echoing words were not Qiaolun’s, but Yunajin’s. She snapped awake, suddenly realizing that her succubus instincts were driving her to “devour” this human.

She, too, clenched her fists.

Boom—

Her small fist slammed into the empty space facing the balcony. Though seemingly weak, the power contained within erupted, instantly shattering the room and sending a fierce hurricane that forced Qiaolun to close his eyes.

Moments later, as the tempest subsided, Qiaolun steadied himself. Yunajin had vanished amidst the wreckage.

“Yunajin…”

A strange desolation spread across Qiaolun’s vacant eyes.

Considering it from her perspective, if he was trying to avoid being charmed by her, then she, too, must have been controlling her own instincts to remain calm in his presence. Last night… truly nothing had happened.

At this thought, he found himself feeling a sudden surge of sympathy for Yunajin.

****

The Morning Star Bell, highest floor of the Demon Lord’s castle.

Kala Shuff, as always, stood watch by the warning bell. When he heard the faint footsteps and hurried breathing emanating from the deserted small attic, his heart gave an involuntary lurch.

A faint blush bloomed on Yunajin’s face. Her lips slightly parted, her eyes tightly shut, she hugged her knees and squatted beneath the railing.

Her black tail writhed, revealing glimpses beneath her skirt that were sure to ignite the imagination.

When the newcomer was finished, the fox-eared youth had already brewed a cup of black tea, which he respectfully offered to the Demon Lord.

He had only been working as the bell-ringer for three years, yet Kala’s tribesmen had already warned him: if the Demon Lord ever appeared in the corner of the attic, he was not to be surprised, nor to disturb her. If all else failed, he could try bringing her a warm cup of tea.

Gulp, gulp—

“Wait, Demon Lord, that’s still very hot…”

Disregarding the scalding steam rising from the cup, Yunajin drained it in a single gulp.

“What did you say?” She wiped her mouth, her expression one of cool bewilderment.

“N-nothing.” Kala took the Demon Lord’s teacup, nearly forgetting to bow as he hastened to leave.

‘Why, after enduring for so long, did I falter at the very last moment? Now, in his eyes, I truly am no different from a man-eating succubus.’

The morning breeze atop the high tower ruffled the girl’s black skirt, as if enchanted by her beauty. Her pink hair flew wildly, mirroring Yunajin’s own restless state of mind.

“A succubus’s unique ‘Charm’ talent inherently affects those they favor, or can be directed to influence specific individuals. Demon Lord, you really should pay more attention in class.” A substantial shadow rippled, dispelling the morning light, as a graceful woman gradually materialized within the darkness.

“Lady Meredith?”

“Your personal maid seems quite troubled by your disappearance. Today’s work remains unfinished, and then there’s your promised battle with that human…”

Meredith’s appearance held no surprise for Yunajin. Ever since her tail had grown, signifying the maturity of her succubus nature, her occasionally uncontrollable instincts would compel her to drain the life energy of any creature. It was Meredith who had suggested that the echoing chimes of the Morning Star Bell might soothe her agitated emotions.

“Lady Meredith, could you answer a question for me?”

“Anything you ask, Demon Lord.”

“How do those humans—the human race—perceive us demons? As monsters? As devils?” Yunajin asked, curling up with her head resting on her knees, gazing at Meredith.

“The inherent differences between various races are often enough for them to label each other ‘monsters,’ but this isn’t necessarily a derogatory term. As for ‘devils’…” Meredith narrowed her dark purple eyes, her grave expression betraying the rigorous attitude she held towards that particular word.

“Demon Lord, you must always remember that the Demon race is not solely comprised of the Divine Demon and Soul Devouring races. A vast majority are Beastmen and Demi-humans. They believe the Demon Lord has the power to lead everyone towards prosperity. So, do you truly believe that a so-called ‘devil’ would garner the support of other beings?”

“That’s true.” Yunajin had never once considered taking Qiaolun’s essence or life energy; she simply liked him.

“Lady Meredith, I like that human,” Yunajin stated without a hint of reservation.

“Like?”

Just as people show preferences for different foods, there are many kinds of ‘liking.’

“Not that kind of like. I think I love him, ever since I first saw him.”

Deep within Yunajin’s soul resided memories from a past world, most of them indistinct. Yet, the man’s face was etched profoundly into her mind.

“Ah, so that’s it. I truly thought he was merely a flower you had cultivated, Demon Lord.” Meredith offered a relieved smile. This was one of the rare instances where she had misjudged the Demon Lord’s thoughts, perhaps due to her own lack of expertise in matters of the heart.

“What? I don’t have such peculiar tastes,” Yunajin retorted, pouting her small lips in annoyance.

“I have no right to interfere with your choices, unless they are decisions that would plunge the Demon race into the abyss. In matters personal to you, you are entirely free.”

“I thought you’d launch into a lengthy argument against it, Lady Meredith. You’re not so rigid after all.”

As the Demon Lord, Yunajin understood she possessed the power to devastate this land. With but a single command, the Eight Demon Generals and millions of demon soldiers would unconditionally obey her orders.

Humans, elves, demi-humans, even the angels in heaven—disobeying her would simply lead to their own destruction.

But now, Yunajin felt she had something far more important to do—

‘I must pursue that man, no matter the means… Before that, I have no time to destroy the human race.’