The Story of an Arrogant Succubus Princess Who Always Looked Down on Humans as Mere Food, Until She Fell in Love With an Ordinary Man - Chapter 22

After spending a long night together, the two left the inn as soon as the sun rose and walked toward a town along the border.

“People say we had a long night, but it sounds like we did something naughty, doesn’t it?”

“Stop saying silly things.”

“Ahahaha! You’re impotent, so that would be impossible for you.”

Liliana laughed. Asbel did not.

“More importantly, the border town has security that is much stricter than before. Reinforcements from the knight’s headquarters should also have arrived. We can’t avoid a fight.”

“I thought about that. Why don’t I just fly away in a flash with my power? Like yesterday.”

Asbel replied calmly to Liliana’s obvious question.

“They know there are demon kind who can fly in this country. They must have taken countermeasures in the border town. Plus, flying around clumsily would draw attention. Save something like that for a last resort.”

“…I got it.”

“Also, there’s a rugged mountain range at the border. Once we cross it, you’ll probably run out of energy and fall.”

“Eh? So what do we do?”

“A ship. A ship is leaving for the demon kingdom today at noon for trade. You can sneak onto it. I’ve already made arrangements. Besides, you came to this country by ship, right? Crossing that mountain range on foot is impossible for you.”

“…What? Are you saying you can do it?”

“Of course. I’ve trained for that. I can cross the mountains on foot or swim across the country without any problem.”

“Do you really think I’m going to swim that far? You’re unbelievable…”

Liliana looked at Asbel with a mix of awe and disbelief. She thought she understood this man, but he still surprised her.

“But won’t the ship be the most heavily guarded? Even if I’m the best succubus, I can’t just drop a bunch of people who are determined to catch me.”

“Given the current situation with the demon kingdom, the knights can’t afford to check every ship carrying demons.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. They don’t want unnecessary conflicts.”

“But if that’s true, then why are they trying to execute me?”

“Some people dislike conflict, while others want to profit from it. Our captain is not a fool. He won’t provoke the demons in this situation.”

It was rare for Asbel to speak so confidently about someone else. Liliana sighed quietly, realizing how much he trusted that captain.

“…………”

At the same time, Liliana felt a bit scared of Asbel, who would easily betray that captain. How long would he continue fighting while carrying that kind of risk?

“So…are you listening? Lily.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m listening. But hearing you call me Lily directly feels a bit strange.”

“You were the one who told me to call you that.”

“I know, but…Hmm. Since the balance is off, should I call you As-kun or something?”

“Stop that. It’s creepy.”

“Whoa! Did you just call me creepy? I’m the Enchantress of Nations. The best succubus…”

“You tripped over your words.”

“I did not!”

The two walked together, not quite in a close relationship, but in a much more relaxed atmosphere than before.

“Anyway, once we’re on the ship, we can handle the rest. The problem is how to get past the security until then.”

“You can just blow them all away, right?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but I want to avoid unnecessary fights for the future.”

“You’re so kind. Well, that’s obvious.”

Liliana playfully slapped Asbel’s back. He continued speaking without caring.

“So first, I’ll sneak into the town and cause a commotion. I’ll pretend that I’ve been caught while trying to escape with you, and then I’ll run away. You take that chance to get on the ship. I gave you the ticket earlier. Even if you don’t have it, I’ve made arrangements to let you on by saying you’re ‘Asbel’s luggage.'”

“What’s luggage?”

“Something you can carry in your hands.”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“You’re KMSS, right? I know.”

“Don’t translate it so carelessly!”

They continued discussing their plan for a while. Even if Liliana was an important person, they couldn’t reduce security just to search for her.

The border security was strict, but their focus was more outward than inward. They were tough on outside intruders but tended to relax their watch on escapees.

Unless the captain, Gran, was directly in charge, which was unlikely given his personality, Asbel judged that they could push through with a somewhat forceful plan.

“By the way, that pixie who’s been following us all this time, is she your friend?”

Asbel stopped and glared behind him. From there appeared…

“Mimi! You were hiding there!”

Liliana ran happily toward Mimi, but Mimi glared at Asbel with caution.

“Lady Liliana, I was trying to assist you in escaping at the border, but the security was too strict…”

“Don’t worry about it. It seems Asbel has taken care of that.”

“Is this man the lackey that Lady Liliana dropped?”

“No. Asbel is…”

At that moment, Liliana hesitated, unable to find the right words to describe their relationship.

“I’m a knight serving to guard and monitor this woman, Lily. You’re the pixie who sneaked into the prison sometimes, right?”

“…! You noticed?!”

“Of course. I left you alone because you weren’t much of a threat, but now you’re just right. I was concerned about Lily being weak in combat, but with you around, it’s not a problem.”

“You speak as if you know everything, human.”

“I’ve heard the rumors about the green-haired pixie. A magic user. If you’re going to fight, bring a whole squad.”

A tense, cold atmosphere filled the space between the two.

“Wait, wait! Stop the fighting. Mimi is one of my few friends, and Asbel is…my benefactor who has helped me so far. They are both trustworthy people.”

“I understand.”

“I understand too.”

The two reluctantly eased their shoulders.

“Alright, it’s about time. As I said, I will enter the town and cause a commotion. You take that chance to get on the ship. After that, you’ll have to manage on your own.”

“I know. You’re such a grumpy person until the end.”

The two shared a strange atmosphere as they looked at each other. Liliana seemed hesitant to express her true feelings for once and tangled her beautiful golden hair around her finger. She spoke without looking at Asbel.

“By the way, I told you before that there’s a beautiful flower field in the demon kingdom, right?”

“Now that you mention it, I remember.”

“And…well, the flowers are about to bloom. So…would you like to come see them?”

“…………”

Asbel closed his eyes for a moment, as if hesitating. But without any doubt, he spoke.

“Sorry, but I still have unfinished business in this country. So, I can’t leave.”

“…………I see. Well, I knew you would answer that.”

“Yes, but…”

Asbel looked at Liliana with a thankful squint in his usual expressionless way.

“I’ll come visit when I have the time someday. So when that time comes, you’ll show me around the town.”

“────”

Asbel reached out his hand to Liliana. But for a moment, she froze as if time had stopped.

“Huh? What’s wrong? You’re frozen.”

“…No, it’s nothing. I understand. So, it’s a promise? That country might be a boring place, but there are still fun things to do. So next time, I’ll take you to various places.”

Liliana took Asbel’s hand. And thus, their journey came to an end.