The Succubus, The Priest, and His Fall Into Lustful Heat - Chapter 114
Ashtel’s concern was for Payne’s mental state.
In the past, she had heard stories about Sermedes personally descending to the human realm, and how many humans went mad simply from seeing her. The Demon Lord’s mere appearance was a threat, and she could easily take a human’s life.
“Did she not touch you? Huh, could it be that you fell after seeing Sermedes and getting scared?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Sis Liz said so. The ruler of the area you were in. According to her, you were so startled seeing a demon that you fell from the cliff?”
“Why would I fall after seeing a demon?”
“…Isn’t that what happened?”
Payne could guess how the situation was unfolding and sighed, feeling absurd. If he had been that weak to be startled by a demon, he would have fainted the moment he met Ashtel.
As he thought about it, he realized that there were several odd things about Ashtel, which made him stiff.
“What about Sis Carmen’s necklace?”
“Your sister broke it.”
“Liz?”
“No. Sermedes. The ruler of succubus and incubus.”
He let out a long sigh with his body relaxing. Having his head resting on Ashtel’s lap had been anything but comfortable. It was too soft—way too soft. Payne tried to block his senses to avoid thinking about it.
“That demon pushed me.”
“Sis Seri? Why would she…?”
“Who knows.”
Maybe it was because he was near her. Some mere human was monopolizing the youngest’s affection, causing trouble, after all.
A normal succubus would have immediately taken him who was overreacting to pheromones and devoured him. But Ashtel, instead of doing that, infiltrated Medialle, determined to return him to normal.
She hovered around him, monitoring his condition, persuading him for help, and never once used her power.
Was that typical behavior for a demon? He thought it was ridiculous to the point of laughter.
Still, a demon was a demon. And being a succubus, she was probably swayed by desire in the moment, which led to these complications.
So, Payne knew he had to stay on guard with Ashtel. He had to use her favor to escape the situation without being taken advantage of.
Then suddenly, a thought struck him.
Ashtel’s sisters had a soft spot for her, unlike any other demon. Maybe the reason Ashtel grew up so naive and easily manipulated was that her sisters, thinking of her as a family member, had showered her with affection.
They acted in a way unlike demons, sharing familial affection, taking care of each other, and behaving as tenderly as humans would.
And so, Payne realized that Ashtel’s sisters had the love he had never experienced—love, family, affection, and blood ties. All of it, things that were exclusively human.
Payne slowly closed his eyes. He felt as though if he fell asleep now, he would have another nightmare, but strangely, after talking to Ashtel, his tension eased.
“Payne?”
A gentle hand caressed his cheek.
Payne, trying not to feel the warmth, slowly let himself sink beneath the surface of his consciousness.
It seemed that Ashtel had forgotten that humans, when they lose too much blood, might die.
* * *
The truth behind Payne’s attempted murder was revealed.
As soon as Payne fainted, Ashtel chose anger, not sorrow. The corrupted energy she had been holding back surged out, enveloping the surroundings.
When Hela arrived at Ashtel’s small hideout, her horns had turned bright red again.
“My goodness, he’s still alive?”
“Just barely. We need to treat him quickly.”
“How are we supposed to treat a human in the demon realm?”
“We’ll have to go to Sis Carmen. She might have something useful.”
Ashtel used magic to levitate Payne in the air. With a cloth she summoned, she covered his wounds, but blood continued to drip down.
“Sue, are you okay?”
She used her magic to block any demons that might harm Payne, but Hela was still primarily concerned about Ashtel.
It was a completely understandable concern.
But given what had happened to Payne, Ashtel couldn’t accept even normal concern as something good. A discomfort, as if the world had turned upside down, welled up inside her.
“I’m not okay. And when Payne is stable, I’ll have to meet with Sis Seri.”
“Why meet with the first sister?”
“Because Sis Seri pushed Payne.”
“What?!”
Hela’s shoulders shook with shock, but in a way, it seemed plausible. Sermedes valued rules. Unless Ashtel had brought Payne to devour him, she wouldn’t have left him alone.
Besides, he was a priest of Katzel Medialle, a person with divine power and the love of god.
“So… what are you going to say to her?”
“I’ll tell her I won’t see her for the next hundred years.”
“What?!”
Hela was once again in shock.
Some might ask if such a thing could lead to a struggle, but this was a huge punishment, one that had never occurred in the history of the Asti sisters.
