In truth, when everyone had been scrambling to claim Ren Kuroda earlier, Lia hadn't stepped forward at all.
She knew very well that someone as outstanding as him would never choose an unqualified succubus like herself.
Lia had always believed that she wasn't a proper succubus.
Although Rorisa's performance numbers were even worse than hers, that was only because Rorisa hadn't yet mastered how to use her abilities. As a succubus, however, Rorisa was unquestionably more competent than Lia. At the very least, Rorisa knew how to exploit a succubus's natural advantages—how to seduce, entice, and captivate the opposite sex.
Lia, on the other hand, simply couldn't do those things.
Just as the other succubi in the café often joked, compared to a succubus, Lia was pure—almost like an elf.
She had tried learning the seductive expressions, speech patterns, and gestures of the older succubi in the shop, but every time she attempted to copy them herself, it felt indescribably awkward and unnatural.
Earlier, when the succubi had been arguing fiercely over who would take Ren Kuroda's order and finally decided to draw lots, Lia hadn't even planned to participate. It was only because her close friend Rorisa urged her on that she reluctantly joined.
What no one expected was that Lia actually drew the winning lot.
Even she herself found it hard to believe.
"Lia, how about letting big sis handle this order for you?""With your level, you might not be able to satisfy someone like Ren-sama. If that happens, it could damage the café's reputation."
"That's right, Lia. I have several orders today—how about we trade? I'll give you mine."
The moment Lia drew the lucky lot, the other succubi gathered around her, all expressing concern—though in truth, every one of them was eyeing the opportunity in her hands.
Ren's essence might make them stronger, but that alone wasn't enough to drive them to this extent. What they really wanted was to turn him into a long-term client—or even make him their partner.
If it were another succubus, they might have let it go.
But Ren was visiting the succubus café for the first time, and Lia was the one assigned to him. If he ended up dissatisfied and never returned, what then?
That would mean they'd all lose any chance of ever interacting with such a powerful adventurer again.
In short, the succubi doubted Lia's professional ability and worried she wouldn't be able to retain such a high-quality client.
Just as Lia stood there timidly, wavering under the others' persuasion and on the verge of giving up her chance, Rorisa suddenly stepped forward.
"What's wrong with you all? Lia hasn't even started yet—how do you know she'll do badly?"
"And you too, Lia! Don't always listen to everyone else. This is a chance you finally got!"
As Lia's friend, Rorisa naturally stood firmly on her side. But at this moment, even Lia herself lacked confidence.
"Keeping a client like Ren would be wonderful, but even if we can't, it's not the end of the world," the succubus owner said calmly, walking over with a smoking pipe in hand."Before he came, our café was doing just fine, wasn't it?"
"Our reputation in Axel is solid. We won't shut down just because one client is dissatisfied. So Lia—just do your best."
After encouraging her, the owner turned to the other succubi and said coolly,
"You all agreed to the lottery. That means you follow the rules. Lia drew the lot, so she takes the job. Anyone who wants to break the rules can go back to Hell—I don't welcome them here."
Hearing this, the other succubi fell silent.
They deeply respected their owner. Compared to the hellish conditions of the Underworld, life in Axel was practically paradise, and they were grateful to her for bringing them here.
As night fell and people drifted into sleep, the succubi began following the addresses on their orders, slipping into their clients' rooms and weaving dreams according to each request.
After encouraging each other, Rorisa and Lia each flew toward the home of their only client that night.
Unlike ordinary adventurers, Ren Kuroda awoke almost instantly the moment he sensed another presence beside him. His eyes snapped open, and his hand was already gripping the long blade at his side.
But when Ren saw the silver-haired girl standing by his bed—staring at him in terror as he held his sword—he froze.
And then, noticing the unmistakable succubus traits on her body, he finally remembered.
…Right. He and Kazuma had ordered succubus services tonight.
Lia was an immature succubus—far weaker than most of her kind. Even as she approached Ren earlier, fear had clung to her heart. She worried constantly about whether she could do well, whether she'd disappoint her friend and the shop owner.
Ren, meanwhile, had forgotten all about the succubus service. When he sensed someone suddenly appearing nearby in his sleep, he instinctively entered combat mode. His presence flared, locking onto her without conscious thought.
Already nervous and fragile, Lia was instantly overwhelmed when Ren's aura fixed upon her.
She was just a small succubus—her strength didn't even compare to most rookie adventurers. Ren, on the other hand, had fought through multiple worlds and countless battles. The killing intent he carried was something no ordinary being could withstand.
In that instant, Lia felt as though a god of death from the abyss had turned its gaze upon her.
Just his presence alone left her unable to move, drowning her in a suffocating fear of death.
Realizing he'd terrified her due to his own mistake, Ren immediately softened his expression.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to—years of fighting made me react on instinct…"
But his apology didn't reach her ears.
Although Ren swiftly withdrew his aura and killing intent, the lingering terror didn't fade immediately.
"Wah—wah—wah—!"
Several minutes later, sitting on Ren's bed, Lia finally recovered enough to move—only to suddenly burst into loud sobs.
She was just a young succubus, not even mature by her species' standards.
She'd already been anxious about whether she could complete the job properly—but she never imagined that before she could even begin weaving a pleasant dream, her client would give her a nightmare instead.
That moment had truly terrified her.
Never in her life had she felt so close to death.
Watching the silver-haired girl cry her heart out on his bed gave Ren a massive headache.
This one was entirely his fault—no escaping that.
She had come to create dreams for him, and instead, he'd made her cry. And no matter how he looked at her, she was clearly still just a girl. He felt completely at a loss.
Thankfully, Ren had experience comforting a younger sister. After considerable effort, he finally managed to calm her down.
Lia reluctantly believed that Ren hadn't acted intentionally—but judging by her behavior, she was still deeply afraid of him.
After all, she had genuinely felt despair from him earlier, as though a single thought from him could have ended her life on the spot.
"You're here to weave a dream for me, right?" Ren said gently."Then let's begin. As compensation for scaring you earlier, no matter how the dream turns out, I'll give you a positive review."
In truth, Ren wasn't particularly interested in succubus services. If Kazuma hadn't dragged him along—and if he weren't curious about succubi as a species—he would never have gone to the café.
To let a succubus weave a dream, one had to open their mind completely in front of her, allowing even a weak succubus to work.
To Ren, doing that in front of a stranger was incredibly foolish. What if they had ulterior motives?
That was why he'd left his order request entirely blank—he hadn't even paid in advance. He'd assumed no succubus would show up.
Yet she had.
He could have simply sent her away—but seeing the girl he'd frightened to tears, guilt crept in.
No matter how you looked at her, she was still just a girl. And Ren knew better than anyone how overwhelming his killing intent could be.
Frankly speaking, for someone with her strength to endure his aura at such close range without losing consciousness proved she was far stronger inside than she appeared.
After giving her such a terrible experience—and effectively freeloading—Ren felt overwhelmingly guilty.
So he changed his mind and decided to experience the so-called succubus service after all.
"Yes… Lia will do her best," she said softly."Um… what kind of beauty does Ren-sama want? Your request form was blank, so Lia doesn't know how to… make you satisfied."
Hearing his words, Lia suddenly remembered why she'd come.
Thinking of everyone's expectations, she pushed down her lingering fear of Ren. Her small face took on a serious expression as she prepared herself.