Chapter 1: Is it funny that the little nightmare was killed?

Ever since arriving in Solus City, Rita had gradually grown accustomed to waking up to the gentle scent of soap, the aged aroma of wood, and the faint mustiness of the inn.

But as Rita groggily sat up in bed, she realized the scene before her didn’t match her memories.

The wooden floor beneath the bed was covered with an expensive red velvet carpet, a layer of gem-stitched gauze curtains blocked the harsh morning light, and even the bed, which should have been uncomfortably firm, felt unusually soft.

Something’s wrong! This isn’t my room!

At that moment, Rita’s hand accidentally brushed against something soft and warm.

Mechanically, she turned her head and saw a young girl lying beside her, fast asleep.

The girl’s pale golden hair cascaded naturally over the pillow, the morning sunlight filtering through the window and curtains casting sparse shadows from her long lashes onto her porcelain-like, delicate cheeks.

At that moment, the girl resembled a doll carefully tucked away in an exquisite wooden box, her presence adding a touch of brilliance to the already opulent room.

The pure white blanket, mingled with the girl’s golden hair, concealed her body, though Rita could still glimpse the girl’s slender shoulders through the strands.

Rita glanced down at her own slightly disheveled clothes and fell into deep thought.

Could it be… I got drunk last night and brought this girl back… or was I the one picked up by her?

No way! Whether in her past life or now, Rita was a teetotaler, a model citizen who never touched alcohol.

Then… could it be that I accidentally drank some sparkling pink love potion and…

That’s even more impossible!

If anyone were to use such a potion, Rita would be the one slipping it to someone else!

Rita’s confidence that she wouldn’t be affected by such things stemmed from her very nature.

Because she wasn’t an ordinary human—she was a succubus.

Yes, the kind that lures prey with sweet dreams and then… well, gets a little intimate with them.

A pair of small, forearm-length black wings were tucked at Rita’s lower back, and a black tail with a heart-shaped tip obediently coiled beneath her—signature traits of a succubus.

Though, not long ago, she hadn’t been a succubus but an ordinary, ambitious young woman in the real world, until an accident…

Now’s not the time to reminisce about the glory days! A new crisis has emerged! How could Rita afford to stand still?

Rita could vaguely recall some of what happened last night.

Last night.

Nightlife lingered only in the taverns and brothels crowded with adventurers; most people had already succumbed to sleep with the fall of darkness.

But the night was Rita’s best cover. Flapping the small wings at her lower back, she silently left her room under the cloak of darkness, setting out to find tonight’s prey.

As a succubus, Rita had her professional ethics.

First, she only nibbled on necks or left a hickey at most—nothing that crossed into restricted territory.

Second, she only got cozy with cute girls.

The best hunting ground was the inn, where all sorts of people gathered. Strip away the “sorts,” and you’re left with plenty of spice. A few extra marks on someone’s body would hardly be noticed.

Even if the guests noticed something, they’d never suspect the little succubus who attacked them was staying in the same inn.

It didn’t take long for Rita to lock onto tonight’s target.

Judging by her appearance, she might be the pampered daughter of some wealthy family passing through.

Even better—travelers were less likely to delay their journey just because Rita had taken a couple of nibbles.

But regardless of the girl’s identity, it wouldn’t change the fact that she was about to become Rita’s prey.

Rita quietly landed on the windowsill, a faint pink mist seeping from her heart-shaped tail, slipping through the window cracks to fill the room and envelop the golden-haired girl’s bed.

This was a succubus’s special ability, with many uses: charming hearts, lowering defenses, amplifying desires, and blurring memories—like a twenty-in-one shampoo.

Rita herself didn’t even know what this ability was called, so she just dubbed it “Charm Aura” for now.

She patiently waited a few minutes, ensuring her Charm Aura had enough time to take effect, before slipping through the window to the girl’s bedside.

Rita rubbed her hands together, silently chanting, ‘Time to dig in,’ as she prepared to feast.

Just then, the girl on the bed suddenly opened her eyes, her icy fingers swiftly grabbing Rita’s tail.

Rita’s heart felt as if it had been seized along with her tail, her breath halting for a moment, the pounding of her heart becoming the only sound in the room.

Amid the rhythm of her heartbeat, the girl, still holding Rita’s tail, slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard, and cast a faint glance at the lingering pink mist around the bed—and Rita’s tightly coiled heart-shaped tail.

“Visiting in the dead of night? Rather impolite, don’t you think?” The girl’s voice was light and melodious, like a robin’s.

There was no anger, no panic—just a calm that seemed to see through everything.

But this composed certainty was even more suffocating, fear momentarily overwhelming Rita’s hunger.

“A… lost little succubus?” The golden-haired girl raised her other hand, gently brushing aside the hair falling over her cheek while tightening her grip on the tail. “And, it seems, quite famished?”

She’s been found out!

If a succubus were caught, the grim dungeons of the duchy would be a kind fate. More likely, she’d end up on a gallows, an auction block, or in some big shot’s bedroom.

Rita had fled the demon territories precisely to avoid such fates!

It’s over! Everything’s over!

Rita’s mind went blank. Words of explanation reached her lips but felt utterly futile. Escaping was impossible with her tail still in the girl’s grasp, and attacking her would be tantamount to declaring war on an entire city that despised monsters.

Rita shrank back, her voice trembling. “I… I’m not, I didn’t, don’t make things up…”

Those piercing eyes, as if seeing right through her, swept over Rita’s face again, the fingers holding her tail tightening just enough to send an unmistakable warning.

The tingling sensation from the tip of her tail made Rita’s legs go weak, a stifled moan escaping her lips despite her efforts.

That sound seemed to pique the girl’s interest, causing her to lean forward slightly, her cold face looming closer in Rita’s vision.

But her face brushed past Rita’s, her cool lips grazing Rita’s ear.

“Your plan tonight was to use me to fill your stomach, wasn’t it?” The girl’s fingers gently rubbed the tip of Rita’s tail, her warm breath falling on her ear. “So, as an exchange, how should I deal with you?”

At this point, sitting idly by was a death sentence. Rita knew she had to do something.

“Th-that…” Rita stammered pitifully, her tear-filled eyes blinking rapidly. “My tail… it’s really uncomfortable…”

The girl clearly heard Rita’s plea but acted as if she hadn’t, continuing to toy with the black tail, making Rita suck in several sharp breaths. Thankfully, she managed to suppress any more embarrassing moans.

This woman! She’s deliberately ignoring me!

The roles of hunter and prey had completely reversed.

But if the other party was too careless, she might end up at a disadvantage!

A succubus’s tail, while a sensitive spot, was also her greatest weapon!

As the girl nonchalantly played with Rita’s tail, the heart-shaped tip twitched in her hand, suddenly unleashing a massive cloud of pink mist that instantly engulfed her.

Hmph! This was a super-sized dose of Charm Aura—enough to turn an ordinary person into a babbling fool.

As for whether such a massive dose would cause side effects or expose Rita’s presence, that was beyond her control. It was still better than being caught outright.

The moment the Charm Aura enveloped the girl, Rita felt the grip on her tail loosen.

Seizing the chance, she yanked her tail free, spread her wings, and bolted for the window.

Before she could escape, a stronger force grabbed her tail again, dragging her back in a wave of tingling numbness and tossing her onto the bed. The girl’s weight immediately pressed down on Rita’s waist.

Looking at the flushed cheeks of the girl now straddling her, Rita’s mind registered both good news and bad news.

Good news: her Charm Aura had indeed taken effect this time.

Bad news: tonight, the prey might just be her.