Chapter 17: How come the Academic Succubus is actually a real succubus?

“…”

“It’s okay… just let it out…”

Feeling the gentle hand stroking her hair, Luvia felt a wave of daze wash over her.

Her consciousness seemed to be struggling, yet her body couldn’t help sinking into the warm and generous embrace…

“When doing this kind of thing… you should call out like that…”

“Good girl… don’t be shy…”

Monet’s words seemed to carry some kind of magic…

Gradually, Luvia’s eyes grew hazy, her cherry lips parted slightly,

“…R-Respected Professor Monet!!”

She finally called out.

“That’s right!”

Hearing this address, Monet narrowed her eyes in enjoyment.

“When doing academics, you should call me Respected Professor Monet~~”

What was going on…?

Luvia felt as if all strength had left her body. She was soft and limp, unable to muster any energy…

She looked up at the ceiling in confusion, but half her view was blocked by two large mounds.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

“Ahem…”

“Didn’t you want me to cooperate with you in doing academics?”

Luvia gritted her teeth and said,

“I think you need to explain what exactly is happening right now.”

Hearing this, Monet fell silent for a long moment…

“I’m truly sorry, Your Highness Luvia.”

“Your shy appearance was a bit cute, and I wanted to hear you call me Professor… so I couldn’t hold back and used a little trick.”

It took quite a while before Luvia finally regained control of her body.

With a dark face, she climbed off Monet,

“Fine. Then just wait to have your pay deducted!”

She glared fiercely at Monet, which actually caused a trace of fear to appear on the latter’s face.

“B-But… you were the one who seduced me first…” Monet’s voice actually carried a hint of grievance.

“When I heard Your Highness personally say that you wanted to do academics with me… under those circumstances, who could possibly hold back?”

Hearing this explanation, Luvia’s eye twitched.

She felt that someone with such weird tastes really should go see a doctor…

But thinking of this, Luvia suddenly remembered something.

She focused slightly and looked above Monet’s head…

In the next second, a blinding golden light appeared.

As expected…

Having personally experienced what just happened, Luvia could roughly guess most of it.

This woman… was most likely not human!

Gritting her teeth, Luvia still chose to use Appraisal!

[-100 Gold Coins]

[Monet]

[…]

[Trait 4: Academic Succubus (S-)]

[This unit can convert a succubus’s mating instincts into a craving for academics, greatly enhancing her research capabilities.]

“…!?”

What kind of bizarre ability is this?

Luvia bit her fingernail as she recalled the relevant settings from the game—

Succubi belonged to the demon race. They possessed extremely strong desires and were bisexual.

They could secrete special pheromones that made their prey lose all resistance, allowing themselves to freely harvest them.

Although most succubi were willing to coexist peacefully with their “food,” with both parties willing,

some cruel succubi existed… If one encountered them, the prey could easily fall into endless estrus.

They might even actively cooperate in being “eaten” until they were exhausted to death!

So dangerous…

Luvia felt a wave of lingering fear.

Although the succubus before her was obsessed with academics, she had indeed used pheromones on her earlier!

Daring to play tricks on her boss on the very first day of employment—what would happen later?

She might suddenly turn hostile one day and take “revenge” on her…

Facing a third-tier mage and demon species like Monet, she would have no ability to resist at all.

It seemed she must reduce contact with Monet. At the very least, she should have reliable guards with her whenever she met her…

Luvia weighed the pros and cons in her heart.

Such a dangerous individual must be discarded as soon as she was no longer useful. She must not be given any chance to “take revenge.”

Thinking this, Luvia quietly observed Monet without showing any change in expression…

Meanwhile, seeing Luvia fall silent, Monet awkwardly scratched her cheek with a sheepish smile.

Monet still didn’t know — her succubus identity had already been exposed.

Luvia’s eyes flickered. She decided to keep this information to herself for now.

As for the present… she would provide good food and drink and let her work for her.

Once Professor Monet lost her usefulness, she could use the fact that she “concealed her race upon employment” to legitimately terminate the contract and kick her out.

…

Looking at the clueless Monet beside her, Luvia couldn’t help but admire her own foresight.

Heartless? Deceiving feelings? Crossing the river and tearing down the bridge?

Sorry, but those words did not exist in entrepreneur Luvia’s dictionary.

The only thing she felt regretful about was the 100 gold coins spent on the Appraisal fee for Monet…

Luvia’s gaze drifted slightly.

No, she had to earn this money back from Monet!

“Remember your main job… Now that you have the formula, the laboratory, and the funding, everything is ready.” Luvia said coldly,

“I expect to see results from you within two weeks!”

However, upon hearing her request, Monet did not look troubled at all…

Instead, her face was filled with confidence.

“Pardon my bluntness, Your Highness Luvia… You don’t need two weeks. You can start establishing the potion workshop right now.”

“…Is that so?”

Luvia looked somewhat surprised.

“I have always believed that theory should guide practice. And now, I possess a preliminary theory — as well as this potion formula that is sufficient to verify it!”

Monet picked up a reagent bottle from the experimental table. The liquid inside was as red as blood.

“In the coming months, I guarantee that the alchemy world will undergo an earth-shattering transformation!”

Monet turned her head, her golden eyes meeting Luvia’s gaze.

“You should understand clearly—”

“The biggest beneficiaries in a revolution are often those who respond to it first.”

“Therefore, your potion workshop must be able to adapt to these brand-new processes. This will be the foundation for you to lead in this race.”

“Promote the new formula, keep the production process confidential, and maximize the first-mover advantage to seize the market…”

“…”

Listening to Monet speak, Luvia suddenly felt moved.

Their lines of thinking… actually matched so perfectly?

Luvia let out a soft sigh, a trace of complicated emotion appearing between her brows.

She had originally thought that no one in this era would be able to understand her.

She wanted to be the only clear-minded person, with foresight far ahead of the entire era.

But it seemed Luvia had misjudged once again…

The NPCs in this world were different from those in the game. They could also think and were skilled in strategy. What they lacked was merely information…

“I understand…”

Luvia said indifferently, without criticizing Monet for overstepping her bounds.

Instead, a faint sense of… relief rose in her heart?

Relief that she could be acknowledged, relief that someone understood and supported her, relief that she was not alone on this path…

This feeling was quite nice.

She nodded slightly and prepared to leave the laboratory.

“Once you have results, remember to come find me immediately.”

“Of course, if I obtain any other new alchemy formulas like this, I will also hand them over to you for research.”

Hearing this, Monet simply revealed an elegant and charming smile:

“Of course, no problem, my Highness…”

But as Luvia stepped out of the laboratory door, a strange voice immediately came from behind.

“Oh ho ho~~ Magic crystal glass rods! I wonder what it feels like to use them? I’m a bit curious!”

“Eh? Where’s my beaker?”

“Wow~ The little beaker even has measurement markings on its belly… How thoughtful!”

With a head full of black lines, Luvia quickly walked away…

Academic succubi are terrifying…!