Succubi Chapter 163. I Don't Want to be Dinner
I swallowed.
She smiled faintly. "And yeah. It influences you. It influences all of us. That is literally how relationships work, Your Royal Emotional Crisis."
I snorted despite myself. "That title needs to die."
"Never."
Silence returned for a moment, but it felt softer now. Less confrontational. More… shared.
"I don't want to be dinner," I said quietly.
The words slipped out before Pride could stop them.
Evelyn blinked. Then her expression softened in a way I had never seen before. No teasing. No smirk. Just raw understanding.
"You are not dinner," she said immediately.
"You literally feed through intimacy," I pointed out.
"Yes," she said. "And you think that is all this is?"
I hesitated.
"…I don't know."
She rolled her eyes dramatically, stepping back just enough to cross her arms, shifting into mock annoyance that barely hid the sincerity in her voice.
"If you were just dinner, do you think I would be sitting here having emotional negotiations instead of draining you and going to sleep like a responsible succubus," she said.
"…When you phrase it like that it sounds very illegal."
She laughed.
"Evan, we like you," she said. "Not because you are food. Not because you are convenient. Because you are you. Stupidly confident. Annoyingly charming. Emotionally constipated but trying."
"I am not emotionally constipated."
"You are emotionally lactose intolerant at best."
I groaned, dragging a hand down my face.
She stepped closer again, her tone softening.
"And yeah," she added, voice quieter now. "I like you. More than survival. More than feeding. I liked you before tonight."
My heart did that stupid traitor thing again.
"You… did?"
She shrugged like it was obvious. "You think Envy bonds easily? I hate needing people. I hate wanting things I might lose."
I blinked.
"That sounds familiar," I said slowly.
"Exactly," she replied.
We stood there, two disasters recognizing their shared disaster patterns.
Then she nudged my shoulder lightly.
"And also," she added casually, "you are really good in bed. That helps."
I choked on air. "Romance ruined."
"Romance enhanced," she corrected proudly.
I laughed. Full. Genuine. The tension cracked open like a storm finally breaking.
My shoulders relaxed for the first time since dinner. Maybe since before dinner.
The system flickered quietly at the edge of my vision.
[Emotional Bond Stabilizing]
[Contract Resonance Increased: Evelyn Nocturne]
[Passive Effect Unlocked: Shared Aura Synchronization]
I blinked.
"…Did you just feel that," I asked.
She nodded slowly, eyes widening slightly. "Yeah. That… was new."
We both looked at each other, realization blooming in identical, slightly terrified expressions.
"…We might have just leveled our relationship," I said.
"Congratulations," she muttered.
I laughed again, softer this time.
The tension had barely settled when she straightened up and brushed imaginary dust off her sleeves.
"Well," Evelyn said, suddenly composed again, "since all is settled… I guess I will leave now."
She turned slightly toward the door.
My brain short circuited.
"Wait," I blurted.
She paused, looking over her shoulder.
"You aren't going to… ehm… you know. Next round?"
She stared at me.
Not blinking.
Just staring.
"…I'm sorry," she said slowly. "Did you just emotionally open up and then immediately pivot to another round?"
I lifted both hands defensively. "I'm normal. That's why I said that."
Her eyebrow twitched. "Normal."
"Yes."
She narrowed her eyes. "I thought you were in complicated feelings mode."
"I am."
"And you are supposed to be more… I don't know. Introspective? Soft?"
"I am soft," I protested.
"You asked for another round."
"That is soft."
She looked at me like she was witnessing a historical failure of logic.
I grinned and stepped closer.
"Let me tell you my idea."
"Oh no," she muttered.
"You know I'm chasing power, right?"
"Yes," she said. "That part is constant."
"I need to get stronger to survive whatever nonsense the King of Hell has planned for me. Bounty. Execution attempt. Political chess match. Who knows."
Her expression sobered slightly.
"And since I'm just a student," I continued, stepping closer until she was almost backed against the wall, "and except killing I can't level up efficiently…"
I leaned in, placing one hand against the wall beside her head in what I thought was a devastatingly smooth move.
"…how about raising my level via…"
I lowered my voice dramatically.
"…sex."
I smirked.
For a moment I genuinely believed I looked cool.
Then I realized I probably looked like a cheesy pervert in a bad romance novel.
Evelyn cringed visibly.
"Seriously?" she asked flatly.
I kept my grin. "You don't want it? I mean… it's a good idea. You get extra food. I get extra power."
I even added a cheerful tone like I was proposing a group project.
Her eye twitched.
She looked like she wanted to kiss me.
Or slap me.
Or possibly both in rapid succession.
My grin faltered.
"You don't want it?" I asked, softer than I meant to. "I won't push you."
The words hung between us.
Yeah.
That did not sound like a Pride demon.
I exhaled slowly, jaw tightening before I forced the rest out.
"I mean… yeah. It sounds desperate. Because it is." I gave a small shrug, trying to keep my tone steady. "Desperate situations require desperate measures."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"You think this is desperate?" she asked.
I met her gaze, not smirking this time.
"I've been looking for every way to get stronger," I continued, voice lower now, more honest. "Missions. Combat requests. Extra training. I even checked the academy's classified boards. Most of it is entry level trash even though I passed everything with the highest score."
I stepped a little closer, but not in a dominating way this time.
In a thinking way.
"I don't have the luxury of waiting," I said quietly. "Not with a bounty hanging over my head. Not with the King of Hell possibly watching. If there's a way to grow stronger that doesn't involve killing someone… I'd be stupid not to consider it."
I let out a breath through my nose.
"So yeah," I admitted. "It sounds less Pride demon. Less dominant conqueror. More… practical."
Then, softer.
"Maybe a little desperate."
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