Chapter 14: TBSL

Chapter 14

Warm sunlight streamed in through the window, and the beautiful woman slowly opened her eyes.

She still looked drowsy, but even so, the red eyes shining beneath her sleepy gaze were breathtakingly beautiful.

Rustle—

As she slowly sat up, her silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall.

Even her simple actions—yawning and stretching—looked strangely seductive and enchanting.

"You're awake."

"Ah... yeah. Did you sleep well?"

"I slept well, but I can't say I'm doing well right now."

There was obvious anxiety in Sion's reply.

Tilting her head, Lilith walked over to Sion, who was standing by the window and staring intently at something outside.

His sharp gaze was fixed on an elderly man and a young woman.

'I've got a really bad feeling about this.'

Raido had come again.

He was a man who lived however he pleased and clearly had a few screws loose mentally, but he was not the type to come and go frequently.

Which meant there had to be another reason for him showing up again after visiting the castle two days ago.

'Lucia came too. What the hell is going on?'

Sion racked his brain, but nothing immediately came to mind.

Still, he could think of two possible reasons.

One was to discuss the upcoming war with Marquis Lichten.

And the other was...

"...Why are you looking at me like that?"

"..."

"What? Don't tell me you want to do it again first thing in the morning?"

Lilith looked incredibly alluring.

She wasn't wearing a single thread of clothing, only barely covering her chest with her hair.

If a man saw that and didn't react, he was probably on the verge of death.

"Th-that isn't it. More importantly, Lady Lilith, about what you mentioned yesterday. You said you were imprisoned somewhere. Could you tell me more? As much detail as possible."

Sion wondered if there might be something that matched the contents of the novel.

Lilith nodded and began telling her story.

She had suddenly been attacked, most of her mana stolen, and then sealed inside a mysterious temple.

Later, she sensed an enormous flow of mana nearby and slowly absorbed it, waiting for a single chance to escape.

Then, she heard someone's desperate call and broke through the seal.

"That was me?"

"Yeah. I think you were the one within range who wanted something desperately."

Had his desire to become stronger really been that intense?

Scratching his head, Sion carefully reviewed everything Lilith had said.

In the novel, she appeared only after the Clausen territory fell and was absorbed into the Kingdom of Nudia.

A knight from Nudia investigated the temple, was suddenly ambushed by something, and the chapter ended there.

Not long after, that knight appeared before Kim Yoo-hyun as Lilith's puppet.

'It's bothering me that Lilith appeared earlier than in the novel... but she was obsessed only with Kim Yoo-hyun anyway, and later she gets killed by the Celestials. It shouldn't cause any major problems.'

Besides, having the Succubus Queen by his side was a huge advantage.

Not only was her combat ability above average, but as a dream demon, she specialized in mental attacks.

Even Kim Yoo-hyun, who had endured countless extreme situations, struggled against her mental assaults.

Sion was still a mana cripple with pathetic stamina, but having a sturdy shield beside him made him feel a little safer.

"Lady Lilith, shouldn't you put some clothes on?"

"Clothes?"

"Yes. You're not planning to walk around naked, are you?"

"Hmm... I guess you're right. Humans care way too much about clothes. Honestly, it seems exhausting. Who's even looking enough to care that much?"

"I'm not that extreme. It's just basic courtesy. Cover what should be covered."

"Heh? What is this? Are you jealous because other men might get turned on by my body?"

Lilith suddenly pressed herself against him.

Her soft chest pushed against him, and her sweet scent invaded his senses, shaking his reason.

"Did you like it?"

"Huh?"

"Don't pretend you didn't hear me. Did you enjoy last night?"

Embarrassed by the question, Sion simply cleared his throat and nodded.

Of course he had enjoyed it.

He had held a woman this beautiful—a woman people called a goddess.

"Then do you want to keep me all to yourself?"

"...Would that be a problem if I said yes?"

"Not at all. It's only natural. We signed the contract, so now I belong to you. Honestly, if you'd said you didn't want me all to yourself, I would've felt pathetic."

Lilith walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

Crossing her legs slightly, she openly displayed her graceful hips, smooth thighs, and slender calves.

"Hehe, you shouldn't get so excited already. Yesterday, I had no mana left, so my instincts were overwhelming my reason. But it wasn't even my heat cycle. What are you going to do when I actually go into heat?"

Sion simply shrugged.

He wasn't really a eunuch, so he figured he could worry about it when the time came.

"Now then! What should I do? We have a contract now, so I'll do whatever you tell me. That's the only way I can keep receiving your energy and maintain my true body."

"For now, just stay by my side."

"...Wow. You didn't prepare that line in advance, did you? My heart skipped a beat for a second."

Smiling seductively, Lilith opened her arms toward him.

Sion shrugged and was about to hug her when—

"Young Master, it's Sebastian."

Cough!

The pink dreamland instantly shattered, and Sion nearly choked.

Ignoring the annoyed look Lilith gave him, he cleared his throat.

"What is it?"

"The Marquis requests your presence in the reception room in thirty minutes."

"Understood. Tell him I'll be there on time."

"Very well, Young Master."

Sion had been tense the entire time, worried Sebastian might walk into the room.

Fortunately, Sebastian apparently thought it improper to enter his young master's room so early in the morning and quietly left.

"What was that? Why are you so nervous?"

Lilith poked his chest with her finger.

She must have heard his rapidly beating heart.

Sion let out a long sigh.

"There are monsters everywhere around me. It's hard to relax."

"Hmm? Just say the word. Big sister will take care of them all."

"Maybe you can handle two of them, but the last one would be difficult."

"Listen to you! Just because I was under you last night, you think I'm easy? I'm the Succubus Queen! A high-ranking demon, got it?!"

Sion knew that perfectly well.

He knew she was a high-ranking demon and was even called a demigod.

The problem was that even she got thoroughly beaten by Kim Yoo-hyun, fled to recover, and was eventually slaughtered by the Celestials.

'They were a terrible matchup from the start.'

Even as the Succubus Queen, she was still a dream demon.

She excelled at mental attacks rather than direct combat.

But Kim Yoo-hyun had been transported to other worlds twice and gone through countless hardships. His mental fortitude was practically made of vibranium.

He lived by one principle:

'I don't enjoy killing. But I never avoid bloodshed when it's necessary.'

Unlike the typical protagonist of an isekai novel, he was cold and ruthless.

Naturally, Lilith's mental attacks only worked at first.

Once Kim Yoo-hyun developed resistance, she became nothing more than a mentally unstable stalker following him around.

'Still, every other character crumbled under her mental attacks. For me, this is an incredible card to have.'

Thinking he'd gained at least one extra life, Sion felt much more at ease.

Even with the Succubus Queen Lilith beside him—the very woman whose beauty even the Celestials admitted rivaled their own—Sion still thought of her as nothing more than an extra life.

"Lady Lilith, you can transform, right?"

"Hm? Of course I can. But... how did you know that too?"

"I read it in a book."

"That's a lie. Humans don't know anything about transformation, the succubi's second weapon after charm. Tell me honestly. How do you know?"

Her touch was so direct and aggressive that blood immediately rushed downward.

Seeing his reaction, Lilith burst into laughter.

"Do you want me that badly? Hmm?"

"Th-this is just a natural physiological response. It's no different from salivating when food enters your mouth."

"You're good with words. So you're saying you don't want me more? I'm always ready, you know. If you just touch me a little, I might flood the room~"

Mixing a playful tone into her sweet voice, she nearly shattered Sion's self-control.

Human desire was basic and instinctive.

But Sion had an even stronger instinct.

The desire to survive.

"Not now. Seriously. Please transform first."

"Tch... fine. But later, I'm charging interest and collecting it all at once!"

Lilith asked who she should transform into.

A village girl? A castle maid? His mysterious fiancée?

Or maybe a melodramatic woman who suddenly appeared carrying a child and shouted, "This is your child!"

"Lady Lilith, this is the person you're going to become."

The moment Sion handed her some basic information and a rough sketch—

"...Hey, what the hell? Are you insane?"

Lilith genuinely cursed.

Inside the Clausen family castle's reception room.

Since this was a border territory, visitors were rare, so the room was seldom used.

"I wish I could just use this place as my study."

"I'll pass. I'd rather not see my castle destroyed."

At Lichten's sincere joke, Raido laughed and smacked Kim Yoo-hyun on the back.

Not a light pat.

An actual hit.

Wham! Wham!

This wasn't some frail old man hitting him.

This was a monster whose martial arts had once shaken the continent.

That wasn't playful tapping—it was a beating that could kill someone.

Worried that the master and disciple might start swinging swords and fists inside his castle again, Marquis Lichten hurriedly spoke up.

"You've visited twice in just two days. What brings you here so suddenly?"

"That mysterious temple I was investigating."

"The one where nothing was found?"

"Something escaped from it."

"What?"

"And the traces, though faint, lead all the way to this castle. Of course, the trail vanished completely afterward."

Raido's serious tone caused Marquis Lichten's expression to harden as well.

After all, the reason Raido was staying in his territory was to investigate that temple.

Something escaping from there and leaving traces near the castle was deeply unsettling.

"Well, don't worry too much. You've got me here."

"...That's exactly the part I'm worried about."

"Pfft!"

Lucia, who sat beside him, couldn't help laughing at Lichten's heartfelt joke.

The Marquis looked at her briefly and bowed his head slightly.

"It's been a while, Miss Lucia."

"Have you been well, Marquis?"

"I've been fine. Though I didn't expect you to accompany Lord Raido."

"Ah, well... there's someone I wanted to see."

"Someone you wanted to see?"

"Ahem! Lichten, you brat! More importantly, when is your son getting here? Why isn't he here yet?"

"He should be arriving any moment now."

Knock, knock.

"Father, it's Sion."

No sooner had the Marquis finished speaking than Sion's voice came from outside the door.

At the invitation to enter, the door opened, and Sion walked in wearing formal attire.

When he saw Raido, he greeted him immediately.

"Lord Raido."

"Welcome, you little bas— I mean, brat."

Raido hurriedly swallowed the rest of his words and glanced at Lucia.

Her eyes, which had been calm moments ago, were now sparkling intensely.

'That thieving bastard!'

He wanted to shout it at Sion, but if he did, Lucia would lecture him for a week straight.

So he kept his mouth shut.

Meanwhile, a knight entered behind Sion.

The middle-aged man looked ordinary and quietly followed him.

Then his eyes met Kim Yoo-hyun's.

"..."

"..."

At that moment, a strange light flashed in Kim Yoo-hyun's eyes.

Almost simultaneously, a faint red glow flickered in the middle-aged knight's eyes before disappearing.