Chapter 20

Translator: Yonnee

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────Chapter 20

When I opened my eyes, I was lying in bed, and I saw Sir Ares by my side.

What the. This situation, what the hell was this.

I tried to jog my memories, and I gradually started to remember. Sir Ares realized that I was the ‘succubus’ and after that, I think I collapsed.

My shoulders trembled as I looked at Sir Ares, whose mouth was slightly open while he slept. I realized that the room I was in was unfamiliar, and in the air was the scent of medicinal herbs. It seemed to be the medical ward.

It was bright outside. I guess I slept for a whole day. Biting my lips, I wrapped a palm over my face.

‘What do I do…’

Even if I tried to think of anything, I couldn’t come up with any excuses. Just how absurd was this situation with Sir Ares? I was overcome with the urge to pull all my hair out, and while I screamed inwardly, it was then.

“Are you awake now, Lady?”

“Ack!”

At the sound of his groggy voice, I immediately covered myself with the blanket on me. It was a reflexive action. I could hear only shallow breaths, but I suddenly heard him sniffle, so I carefully slipped the blanket down to show only my face. And what I saw was Ares sobbing.

“W-Why are you crying?”

“I didn’t recognize you —and I was always saying weird things —that’s why you don’t like me, right?”

“It’s not like that….”

“I d-don’t mean to cry, but you’ve been rejecting me since yesterday, so… I’m sorry…”

When I saw Ares saying sorry and crying like that again, I also wanted to cry.

“Please be angry at me.”

“Huh? M-Me? Why…?”

Ares spoke in a small voice and his eyes widened. What do you mean why.

“Your virgini—”

“Argh!”

Sir Ares jumped up and yelped. Even after signing the contract, he was very upset that he lost his first time in that way. Endymion and Damian actively encouraged and said it was a good thing, but Ares and Odil thought otherwise.

For me, I brought it up first with as much courage as I could muster, but I was rather embarrassed by Ares’ bright red blush that was even down to his neck, his hands waving around.

“Um, what should I say… First of all, I’m not angry or anything. I thought you were mad at me.”

“Why would I be…?”

“You suddenly disappeared without saying a word… And you only talked to Eddie. Is it because I don’t want to let us know that you’re living like an ordinary person?”

“That’s true, but I never told Endymion either. He said my body scent is the same… so he noticed.”

When I spoke in a tiny voice, Ares tilted his head to the side, but soon blushed. Saying it like that felt too revealing. With an awkward atmosphere wrapping around us, Ares continued, his voice a little hoarse.

“If the Lady doesn’t want to reveal it, I’ll keep your identity a secret from Odil.”

“…You’re closer to Commander Cygnus. Like a brother. Is it okay if you lie because of me?”

“I told you. I’m a person who likes winning.”

“……”

Sir Ares smiled shyly. If it was a matter of winning, then if what I was thinking was right, well Odil couldn’t possibly like me, so winning or losing doesn’t mean anything here.

But beyond that, I was so embarrassed to be here listening to him say his honest feelings. I raised the blanket again and covered my face without answering.

I still couldn’t understand why Endymion liked ‘Lily,’ but what I couldn’t comprehend even more than that was why Ares liked ‘Lilith’.

It was obvious that his taste was horrendous. However, I wanted to believe that Sir Ares wasn’t the type of person who felt any affection or love for someone who forced him and actively trampled on him. So, I decided to think that he might just be captivated by Lilith’s looks.

It was a bit complicated to think about.

“So, please don’t worry.”

“…Alright.”

Ares urged me as if this would make me feel relieved, but I couldn’t help but worry. I didn’t feel comfortable at all even though I said ‘alright’.

As expected, it was dangerous to keep meeting the commanders like this. Then, he asked cautiously.

“Um, I have a question. I don’t think it’s just something I’m mistaken about, but at night, um, does the Lady change into someone else…?”

“…I always felt guilty about attacking you against my will.”

“Huh? N-No! Really! Even if you say that, it honestly feels g… No, it’s not like that!”

I knew what he was about to say, but Ares desperately waved his hands in the air as he shook his head. There was no need to make this person even more embarrassed, so I just nodded as though I didn’t notice.

Ares coughed twice before he spoke again.

“You mentioned ‘against your will’. Then, does that mean that it’s not you?”

“Something like that. It’s a unique situation—at night, I turn into… the person that Sir Ares knows.”

“The succubus.”

“Ah, yes…”

I was reminded of our conversation with Endymion, and the moment I was about to mention the name Lilith, I suddenly remembered the Chivalric Order of Adelaide. Instead of telling him the name, I just nodded quietly.

Sir Ares’ eyebrows scrunched up as though he was lost in thought, but then I heard a few voices out the window so I asked him.

“Sir Ares, what time is it now?”

“Huh? Well, it’s just past midnight, but if you’re thinking about work, please don’t worry. Your co-workers were informed.”

“You told them? Who did you tell…?”

“Someone who has blonde hair up to her shoulders. Her name’s Lucy, and she told me you know her.”

When I return, I just know that Lucy will come running to me with her eyes gleaming. What happened, Lily? Huh? Huh? I could already see her wide smile.

Even so, I was grateful that Sir Ares went there to explain the situation.

“Thank you, Commander.”

“My name.”

“Huh?”

“Please call me by my name. You call Eddy by his.”

I tilted my head to the side as I stared at Sir Ares, who was speaking with a bashful expression. Then I remembered that I called Endymion by his name a while ago.

It’s not a difficult request, but… was he jealous?

Since I had no proper excuse to turn him down, I replied that I will, and at this he smiled brightly.

“Actually, I had a strange thought yesterday.”

“Strange thought?”

“While we were talking to Reg about the person that my granduncle loved.”

“Ah… yes.”

“He also mentioned that she had black hair and red eyes. While talking about it yesterday, I suddenly had a strange thought that the person that he loved and the succubus I knew were the same person.”

We weren’t the same person, just blood related.

Sir Ares smiled awkwardly, perhaps embarrassed even after saying that. I hesitated for a moment, then I spoke.

“Sir Ares, that person… She’s probably my maternal grandmother.”

“Grandmother? Lady Lily’s? Uh… Wait, wait—can a succubus give birth to a child?”

“I heard that my grandmother became human when she married my grandfather.”

“Then you…”

“I mentioned earlier that I only change my appearance at night because of my circumstances. My mom and dad are both ordinary humans, but I became a succubus when I was younger. I took after my grandmother.”

It was the first time I ever said any of this to anyone, not even Sir Endymion. In fact, I wasn’t going to say much, but once I started talking, the words poured out like a flood.

Maybe I felt a strange connection to him, conscious of the fact that his granduncle and my grandmother knew each other. Other than that, it was something that I couldn’t explain.

I talked on and on. I told him how at night, I turned into a succubus and needed essence, but if you wear my lost ring, I can suppress that instinct…

And when I talked about everything I could tell him, I even mentioned my grandmother’s letter. With a pale face, Sir Ares’ first response was grave.

“It’s because of us.”

“Huh?”

“If the war hadn’t broken out in Spiruna, you wouldn’t have lost your ring…”

Well, he wasn’t exactly wrong, but there would be no end to the blaming if he went by that logic. Besides, I never blamed any of the commanders. Even so, he got really emotional, so I held Sir Ares’ hand as he continued to blame himself with quite a lot of bitterness.

“If you say that, then I’m the one at fault for forcibly making the commanders sign a contract with me. It’s my fault anyway that I lost such an important thing. At that time, I couldn’t act rationally because I’d been relying on that ring for years, and all the instinct that had piled up over the years burst out. And when I came back to my senses, that already happened… I’m so sorry, I wouldn’t have done such a thing if I was of the right mind…”

“…It was like that. At first, you were with us day and night, but by the end of the way, I think that’s when you started only coming by at night.”

“It would have been better if I had come forward and told the truth while asking for help, but everything was just so strange. It was frightening for me.”

“Is that why you became a maid?”

“Yes. Unless I have the ring, I’ll have to absorb essence periodically, but if I’m far away, I won’t be able to visit the commanders. And the palace has stricter security at night compared to the day, but I didn’t have to worry about that after becoming a maid. I thought the ring would be found quickly, but it still hasn’t, and I even slipped and said that to Sir Odil…”

While talking calmly, I sighed. I was always reluctant to meet him because I always felt guilty towards—and I was also scared of him—but Lilith seemed to like him a lot.

I knew I was at fault about how the fascination was weakened around him, that’s why, Sir Odil, who used to say harsh words with a hateful face, held me intensely that night—my guards were lowered and I slipped. However, understanding and accepting were two completely different things.

Sir Ares was staying still as I poured my heart out for a long time as though I was talking to myself. Then, he spoke.

“You know, I had this thought while listening to you, Lady. There might be something like your magic that was cast over your ring.”

“Magic?”

“Yes. In an auction house… I’ve never been to one, but I heard that there’s a magic spell to prevent theft in such places, or in large treasure warehouses. If an item leaves the owner’s hand or if it leaves its storage place, it will come back.”

I never thought of something like that. I didn’t learn or study from someone in the first place—I just woke up as a succubus one day and handled mana as naturally as breathing. But the magic I used daily was just washing my body or cleaning up my bedsheets.

“So… When the Lady’s ring was picked up by that knight, that fellow might have inadvertently set off your magic, that’s why it disappeared.”

“But the ring didn’t come back to me, and that never happened when I was carrying it around.”

“That’s what’s strange. Neither the Lady nor the Lady’s mother know anything about the ring. I’ve also never heard of a half-succubus like you, and neither have I heard about an item that can suppress instincts like that. So what I’m saying is…”

After hesitating for a long time, he clutched my hand tighter, which he was still holding from earlier.

“It’s not even the Lady’s fault that the ring has gone missing.”

At the words that Sir Ares uttered, I looked at him with a stiff expression. An unknown feeling fostered within me as he looked back at me straightforwardly.

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