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 23

“Lady Liliana, I’m so glad you’re safe.”

After Asbel left, Mimi and Liliana, who had entered the town a little later, were talking while hiding in a quiet alley with few passersby.

“Well, with me around, it’s no big deal,” Liliana said, her face hidden by a black hood, puffing out her chest proudly.

“As expected of you, Lady Liliana. You tricked the watchman, as always, and had him escort you all the way here, right?”

“Well…something like that,” Liliana replied, averting her gaze, trying to mask her unease.

“But, can we trust that man? He said something about causing a commotion, but the town’s security is tight. I saw several members of the Knight’s Order earlier. Hiding like this in the alleys can only work for so long. Can we really get on the ship in these conditions?”

“No problem,” Liliana answered immediately, causing Mimi to widen her eyes.

“If you say so, Lady Liliana, then I suppose it’s true…But you seem to trust that man quite a bit, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah. He’s not the friendliest, but he’s strong, and if he says he can do it, I believe him.”

“Well, I did notice he’s skilled in combat, just from looking at him…But still, Lady Liliana, you’re truly amazing.”

“Me? I’m amazing, but in this case, Asbel’s the impressive one, isn’t he?”

“No, no matter how strong a man is, in your hands, Lady Liliana, they’re all the same as slaves. That man also seemed to genuinely believe what you told him. He was ready to lead you to the Demon Tribe’s nation, something you would never actually do.”

“Well, that was—” Liliana cut herself off as she saw members of the Knight’s Order passing nearby. She turned her back to them and fell silent, listening to their conversation.

“Seems like some fool got seduced by a succubus.”

“Oh, you mean that? Iron Face. The commander of the third division. What a waste. He was on the fast track to promotion, but all ruined because of a woman.”

“Even if they call him a demon on the battlefield, he’s just a man in the end, huh? The captain seems to be defending him, but I doubt even he can cover for this one.”

“Best case, he gets demoted. Worst case, imprisonment isn’t out of the question.”

“Is it that serious? It’s just one succubus, right? Can’t he just apologize and say, ‘I got charmed, my bad,’ and be forgiven?”

“It’s not that simple. From what I hear, some noble is furious. Maybe not the king, but apparently Lord Gilbart personally lodged a complaint with the Knight’s Order.”

“Wow…That sounds like it’s going to get messy.”

“Well, I’m sure he had his fun with the succubus on the way. Probably no regrets.”

“Haha, lucky him. I wouldn’t mind getting with a succubus at least once.”

Laughing, the men walked away.

“……”

Liliana stared at them, her expression tense.

“Lady Liliana! What are you planning to do?” Mimi urgently stopped Liliana, who had reached for the ring on her finger.

“…I know, I know. I’m fine. I just got a little annoyed…yeah. He knew everything and still helped me. I can’t dishonor his pride.”

Liliana exhaled deeply, touching the necklace she had been given once.

“Lady Liliana, I hate to ask, but…you’re not actually falling for that man, are you?”

“Of course not. I’m the Enchantress of Nations. The succubus of all succubi, Liliana Liche Riden. To me, men are just disposable tools.”

“Exactly!” Mimi laughed. Liliana, however, looked away from the strange pain in her chest and raised her head. Another man in the uniform of the Knight’s Order appeared—this time, someone different from before.

This man, looking flustered, shouted as if the Demon Tribe had attacked.

“Hah, hah! The man who ran off with the succubus is causing a ruckus! Damn it…What is that monster?! Even ten of us can’t lay a finger on him! We need reinforcements! At this rate, he’ll wipe out the entire town’s knights!!”

“……!” Hearing that, the nearby knights sprinted away. Listening closely, distant shouts and the sounds of destruction could be heard.

“Lady Liliana!”

“I know! Let’s go!” Mimi leaped into the air, and Liliana took off running. Normally, the ship heading to the Demon Tribe’s nation was heavily guarded. But now, thanks to Asbel’s rampage, Liliana, disguised in her black hood, could dash through without being stopped.

“Hah, hah,” she panted. There was little time left before the ship departed. If they lingered too long, they might be caught by the inspection crew. Trusting Asbel’s words, Liliana and Mimi had hidden in the alley until the last possible moment.

“Just a little further…!”

Just a little more, and they would be on the ship. Once aboard, the ship would set sail immediately. The knights had no way to stop a moving vessel. So all they had to do now was keep running—

“Excuse me, miss. May I confirm your identity?”

“…!” A man in the Knight’s Order uniform, with blue hair, called out to her. Even though the security had thinned, it hadn’t disappeared completely. If they were caught here, everything would be ruined.

“I’m in a hurry. The ship’s about to leave. Sorry, but I don’t have time to chat.”

“I understand. But it will only take a moment if you could just show me your face. You see, you resemble a certain wanted girl.”

“……” Liliana thought quickly. There was no way she could charm the man in this situation…No, if she used a certain method, she might manage it, but drawing too much attention could backfire.

“……” She glanced toward Mimi, who was flying behind the man.

“Oh, and just so you know, attacking a knight results in immediate imprisonment. So I advise the lady behind me not to try anything foolish.”

“…!” He had noticed. Like Asbel, a top-level knight could easily sense the presence of someone as small as Mimi. If they were caught now, all of Asbel’s efforts to save her would be wasted.

Liliana made up her mind and exchanged a glance with Mimi.

—They would use force to get rid of the man and board the ship.

With just a single glance, the two synchronized, both unleashing their magic at the same time.

“El Lumina!!”

A light magic spell, designed to blind rather than deal damage. But the man remained unfazed.

He spoke with a weary sigh.

“Guess I’ll have to apprehend you.”

At that instant, the atmosphere around the man changed.