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 9

“Hey, do you have a lover or anything like that?”

The day after her rare outing, Liliana finished eating the apple pie Asbel had brought and lazily sprawled out on the bed, asking him the question.

“As I told you before, I don’t know when I might die. I don’t have the luxury to get involved in something like that.”

Asbel replied to her in his usual calm tone.

“Yeah, that makes sense. It would seriously piss me off if I heard you were chasing other women when my charms don’t even work on you.”

“In the first place, I’m impotent. That kind of temptation doesn’t work on me.”

“…That shouldn’t matter. I’m the witch who can bring kingdoms to their knees, Liliana Liche Riden. No man or woman should be able to resist me. But here you are…”

Liliana gave him a mix of exasperation and confusion, staring at Asbel. He looked like a completely emotionless man, but still, just a human. It didn’t seem possible that her power wouldn’t work on him.

“Do you have a type you like?”

“I don’t.”

“Yeah, right. Even if you’re impotent, you’ve got to think some girls are attractive, right? Or do you like men?”

“…”

Asbel crossed his arms and thought seriously. Liliana knew by now that, despite his cold demeanor, if she talked to him properly, he would listen.

“…I don’t know.”

His answer was disappointing.

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“As I said before, my parents died when I was a child. I joined the knights right after that. Since then, I’ve been constantly fighting. I must have left behind any feelings for romance on the battlefield.”

“You’ve been fighting since you were a kid? Does this country send children to the battlefield?”

“It was that desperate. Besides, I lied about my age and volunteered. It’s not just the country’s fault.”

“Do you hate demons?”

Even though there was now a peace treaty, many humans still held ill feelings towards demons. A knight who had fought on the battlefield would likely feel that way too.

But Asbel shook his head.

“No, I don’t hate them. I wouldn’t hesitate to kill one on the battlefield, but I’ve never felt hatred.”

“Even though your friends or family were killed?”

“I’ve killed too. Demons have their good and evil, just like humans do. I live by my own sense of rightness. I don’t let emotions like liking or hating influence that.”

“Rightness, huh. I hate that word.”

“Why? The current demon nation, especially the Cordia Federation, is said to have stricter laws than human countries, right? Because so many different races live together, strict rules are necessary.”

“That’s exactly why. I want to live freely and have fun. I don’t care about rightness. It’s never once saved me.”

Liliana turned her back to Asbel and closed her eyes. It had been a few days since Asbel was assigned to watch over her. Liliana had realized by now that she couldn’t win him over by normal means.

“…So I have only one option left.”

She could remove her ring and unleash her true power. Then, she could easily deal with an ordinary human like Asbel. Even if his consciousness faded in the process, it didn’t matter to her. She was a demon. She didn’t care about the fate of a human’s life.

“…”

Yet for some reason, she hesitated. It wasn’t because she liked Asbel. He was an unusual human, sure, but she didn’t feel anything beyond that.

No matter how kind her smile, Liliana was a succubus. To her, humans were just toys to be used and discarded. …At least, that’s what she told herself.

“…Ugh, this is frustrating.”

The real problem was her own inner conflict. There was another woman, like Asbel, who constantly spoke of ‘rightness.’ Liliana had fled the demon nation because she didn’t want to live by that woman’s standards.

But now, was she going to run away again?

She had cultivated her power for so long, and now none of it worked. She would use the power someone gave her for the sake of others to flee from this man who believed in rightness. How pathetic would that be?

“Oh, by the way…”

As if remembering something, Asbel closed his book.

“It seems the negotiations with the demon nation concluded last night.”

“…Does that mean they’ve decided to send me back to the demon nation?”

“That’s likely. Though, it won’t be happening immediately. It will take about two weeks to finalize the location and security arrangements for your handover.”

“Are you sure you should be telling me this?”

“It’s not a secret. Depending on the outcome of the negotiations, your situation might change too.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re treated as a guest of the demon nation, they can’t just keep you locked up in this cell forever.”

Hearing that, Liliana’s expression changed.

“So, I’ll finally be free?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions. That’s not what I meant.”

Asbel continued, as if to calm her down when she stood up excitedly.

“Even if your status changes, you’ll still be under surveillance and protection. If you do anything strange as a guest, it could affect the relationship between the demon nation and this country.”

“…So you’re telling me to behave, huh? Fine, I get it. Stop nagging.”

Liliana flopped back down on the bed, turning her face away in a sulk. She looked a bit childish, but Asbel wisely didn’t say anything unnecessary.

“If you behave, I’ll bring you more apple pie. So stop thinking about anything reckless.”

With that, Asbel stood up.

“Hey, where are you going? Are you leaving already?”

“It’s a little early, but I’ve been called by my superior regarding the negotiations. Don’t worry, someone else will take over the watch and guard duty while I’m gone. Though they won’t come here directly.”

“I’m not worried about that. I mean…ugh, never mind. Just go report to your superior. Tell them Lady Liliana is angry she doesn’t have a bigger, softer bed.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Placing his book down, Asbel started to leave.

“What do you mean ‘keep that in mind’? Seriously, such a stiff guy.”

In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to use her trump card. A frustrating irritation built up in her chest.

“Well, fine. There’s still time. I’ll make him mine using my own power.”

Touching the necklace she received the day before, Liliana picked up the book Asbel had given her to pass the time. But before she could turn the page, a voice interrupted her.

“L-Liliana-sama! It’s terrible!”

It was Mimi, the pixie. She hurriedly flew in through the small window left open and rushed towards Liliana in a panic.

“What’s wrong, Mimi? Why are you so flustered?”

Closing the book indifferently, Liliana looked up at her. Mimi, with a tearful expression, spoke.

“The humans…They’ve decided to execute you!”