The Incubus Archduke Dreams of a Pet Human - Chapter 1
Theticia Pelloni had never once chosen a place to live by herself.
Still, after her first attempt at running away, it was easy for her to choose her destination.
Kraven, the city of freedom, where rare creatures and herbs from around the world gather.
Rumor has it that not only ordinary flora and fauna, but also various demonic beasts and monstrous plants are traded illegally in Kraven.
‘If I go to Kraven, I’ll find the answer to this chronic illness.’
Of course, searching for an answer in a place where she had no connections while hiding her identity wouldn’t be easy. It would be nice if she could compile a bestiary, but in reality, she’d be scraping by, selling herbs just to keep her mouth fed.
If she could solve the questions she had carried for so long, she was prepared to accept that much.
That didn’t mean she had been prepared to crash through a stranger’s window like a cannonball.
“Ahh, ow.”
Theticia, who had planned to cross the contaminated forest with flying shoes, ended up crash-landing into a mansion. As she checked herself for injuries, her eyes grew wide at the gentle current rippling at her chest.
“A bathhouse?”
Beneath her feet, warm water was releasing clouds of steam. Amid the fragrant mist that smelled of infused oils, she saw something she shouldn’t have seen.
A person. A naked person.
In addition to trespassing, she also committed a great act of rudeness.
“I-I’m sorry!”
She’d be dragged back to Viscount Pelloni’s Estate by the border guards before she even set foot in Kraven.
Pale with panic, Theticia squeezed her eyes shut and hurriedly babbled out excuses.
“I was just passing through… I didn’t think there would be anyone in the contaminated forest! I even had the shoes fully tuned and charged with mana, but then they just went crazy and flew me straight here…!”
Even with her clumsy excuses, she could feel the sharp gaze through the steam.
“Um… excuse me?”
As she thought about it, it was strange for there to be a mansion in a contaminated zone, and even stranger for someone to be taking a leisurely bath there. Uneasy, Theticia cautiously opened her eyes.
“…Look at me, human.”
Warm air slowly drifted out through the broken window. The faint silhouette was unmistakably male. And not just any man, an imposing, well-built adult “man”.
“What are you?”
As the voice reached her, Theticia swallowed hard.
The low, mellow voice was sweet like a song. Smooth as malt, it was so distinct enough to recognize even in a crowd of hundreds.
“Answer me.”
In an instant, a soft wind swept through, and the steam that had filled the bath completely cleared.
A cool, clean scent lingered in its wake, like freshly cut sandalwood.
With her vision now completely clear, Theticia’s face turned bright red.
“…!”
The man was reclining in the bath. Though the misty water made it hard to see clearly, the solid muscles of his exposed chest hinted at the sculpted figure beneath.
Seeing a man’s bare body for the first time in her life, Theticia let out a half-scream.
“I-I’m just a passerby! I swear I’m not some pervert! If you’ll just forgive me, I’ll leave right away!”
Covering her eyes with both hands, Theticia babbled out excuses. The glimpse she’d had of the man’s face was enough to chill her to the bone. He looked like a beast who’d just spotted prey in his territory.
‘Wait. Something’s odd. He looks…angry?’
Surprised by her own unfamiliar suspicions, Theticia’s eyes snapped open. Between her crudely interlaced fingers, she saw the man’s face.
A straight nose bridge, evenly smooth forehead, a sharp jawline, and faintly flushed lips. Brows that curved in perfect arcs as if drawn in a single stroke, over which fell strands of black hair. Deep-set, violet eyes shadowed beneath heavy lids.
“…I can see your face.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them. The man’s gaze, openly scrutinizing her, narrowed in irritation, causing the flawless, silk-smooth skin between his brows to crease. That, too, was fascinating.
“What nonsense are you spouting, little spy?”
Despite his biting tone, Theticia awkwardly waded through the water until she was right in front of him.
“Goodness.”
She could see the man’s face. She could clearly read his expression.
Where his eyes were, where his nose was, how deeply furrowed his brow was with anger. She could see it all without effort.
As the intruder who had burst into his home in a frenzy crawled up to him with an excited face, the man flinched, wrinkling his nose.
“You…!”
The harsh voice that had been about to burst from his straight lips halted.
It was because Theticia’s small, wet fingers had brushed against his soft lips. Carefully, she traced the man’s face with trembling hands.
The man showed a flicker of discomfort at the sight of a strange woman’s hands on his face, but he didn’t stop her. If anything, there was a glimmer of wonder in his eyes.
Her fingers, touching his face as delicately as if handling glasswork, quivered softly.
