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 8.1

“Mm. It feels nice to be outside after a long time!”

Basking in the sunlight, Liliana stretches contentedly.

“………”

Asbel walks a little behind her, watching with his usual colorless eyes, keeping an eye on Liliana and her surroundings.

“Are you still making that boring face even outside? …Or are you scared that I might find out you brought me out without permission? You’re surprisingly timid, aren’t you?”

“No, I already got permission to take you out for a limited time on the condition that I’m always by your side.”

“…Oh, I see. So you anticipated this from the start.”

Liliana squints at him as if testing him. Could it be that she was led by such an unsociable man? …That thought doesn’t sit well with her, and she frowns.

“No, the original purpose is different.”

“…What do you mean?”

“One reason is to lure out someone who might be targeting you.”

“…So, you’re saying I’m bait.”

“The other reason is that by taking you outside, demons might approach you.”

“…So, again, bait.”

“………”

“………………”

After a brief silence, Liliana shouts.

“No, it’s just bait! …What do you think I am? I’m the witch of the nation. The succubus among succubi. I am Liliana Liche Riden. Do you understand?”

“I understand. That’s why, just in case, I would be troubled if you became ill after being locked up for a month.”

“…Well, fine then.”

This man is indeed annoying. It’s not just that her charm has no effect on him; he seems to lack something more fundamental. Liliana can’t accept how Asbel disregards freedom and fun, the things she values most.

“…Well, whatever.”

But because of that, this man’s rare display of humanity caught her interest. If she could hold this man’s weakness by merely healing a cat, it would be worth it.

“………”

The man, still alert and cautious of his surroundings. …To be honest, she had thought of escaping the moment they got outside, but unfortunately, there is not even a slight opening.

Liliana can use magic, but her combat ability is almost non-existent. She can handle an untrained ordinary person, but she wouldn’t stand a chance against a trained knight.

So for now, she would sell a favor to hold onto his weakness. Then eventually, this man would become one of her pawns.

“This way.”

As if interrupting Liliana’s thoughts, Asbel murmurs and turns the corner nearby. A small shop off the main street. She had imagined a louder and rougher store since it was a weapon shop, but it looked more like a stylish general goods store.

“Is this really the weapon shop you mentioned?”

Liliana tilts her head in confusion. As if to answer her doubt, a voice comes from in front of the shop.

“Oh, are you customers? Welcome!”

The voice belongs to an old woman, likely the shopkeeper, who doesn’t look like the typical weapon shop owner.

“…Liliana. Just to let you know, try not to let the outside people figure out that you’re a succubus. It would be troublesome if something complicated happens. Just pretend you are my friend.”

“…You should have said that earlier.”

After a brief exchange in a low voice, Asbel speaks to the old woman shopkeeper.

“Granny Rim. It’s me, Asbel. I brought my friend who might be able to treat the cat we talked about yesterday.”

“Oh, my dear boy. So, is this pretty lady your girlfriend?”

“She’s a friend. …But more importantly, how’s Lulu…the cat doing?”

Asbel doesn’t change his attitude even when talking to the old woman. The shopkeeper, referred to as Granny Rim, nods thoughtfully before speaking.

“It’s no good. She didn’t eat at all this morning. She’s been sleeping in the room the whole time. …She looks just like my grandfather did before he passed away…”

The old woman shuts her eyes tightly. Asbel glances at her and only says, “I’m coming in,” before stepping through the shop door.

“She called you ‘my dear boy,’ didn’t she?”

Following Asbel into the shop, Liliana teases him.

“…I told her to stop calling me ‘boy’ because I’m not that young anymore, but she doesn’t listen. I’ve given up.”

“You seem to get along well. You don’t look like the type to make friends with shopkeepers.”

“That’s not entirely wrong. …It’s just that Granny Rim took me in for a while after my parents died when I was left with no one else. So, we became somewhat close.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t she like family to you?”

“Not at all. Granny Rim has a son. I believe she has a grandchild now as well. I was just someone who was taken care of for a while, a mere lodger.”

Asbel’s words remain cold to the end. Still, the fact that he brought her to this place must mean it holds some importance for him.

Liliana glances around the shop lightly and lets out a sigh of disbelief.

“…You’ve so easily given up when someone so important is in trouble. I really don’t get you.”

Even for someone like a family, he doesn’t believe in breaking rules. She has seen people like that before. However, Liliana has never met someone who acts so completely emotionless.

“But, is this really a weapon shop? It looks more like a general goods store…or rather, a jewelry store.”

The surprisingly spacious shop is filled with trinkets like rings and necklaces. There are also a few daggers and shields in a corner, but the main items are clearly the decorations.

“You might not be familiar with it. Knights in this country have a habit of wearing items said to be blessed by the gods when they go into battle. All the decorations sold in this shop are like that.”

“Blessed by the gods, huh. …But isn’t that just a kind of superstition?”

“No, it’s not. All the products here are infused with magic. It’s a kind of countermeasure against demons that fight mainly with magic. A person carrying ordinary weapons has a lower survival rate than someone carrying these jewels.”

“…Is that really true?”