If Huey was the succubus blessed with the most exquisite face in millions of years, then Lances was the succubus possessing the most gorgeous heart-shaped tail.
Naturally, his physical beauty was also second to none.
Lances’s tail was a pristine, jet-black hue possessing the luxurious, heavy texture of dark velvet the color most adored by the demons of the Underworld.
“Who is he?” Xavier’s voice snapped Huey out of his reverie.
Frowning, Frank explained, “Uncertain. Word has it he hails from a prominent succubus clan in this region.”
“Lances is a male succubus from the Soren family.” Biting down nervously on his cutlery, Huey offered a subdued explanation. “He’s also the most famous succubus in the entire realm.”
Huey and Lances existed at absolute opposite extremes: Huey had achieved notoriety for having an “ugly” tail, whereas Lances was famous for having a stunning one.
“Hm.” Indifferent to whether this succubus possessed any renown, Xavier merely nodded casually. “Frank, go ask what business he has here. If nothing of import, send him away and tell him I am not receiving visitors.”
As Frank retreated, Huey’s heart began hanging anxiously by a thread.
Lances’s reputation across the succubus realm was formidable; virtually no demon could resist his advances. No, more accurately, no demon could ever reject his invitations beneath the spell of that alluring tail.
Despair spread like wildfire across the dinner table. Noticing this shift, Xavier furrowed his brow slightly and asked warmly, “Unhappy? Is Frank’s prepared dinner unappealing to your palate?”
“No…” Lowering his head, Huey instinctively jabbed his fork repeatedly into the tender, delicate flesh of the dolphinfish resting on his plate.
He was merely… simply feeling a tiny bit anxious, terrified that the lord might be captivated by another succubus…
A familiar, sturdy hand rested gently upon Huey’s lowered head, while Xavier’s deep, elegant voice which carried an unwavering gentleness reserved solely for him echoed by his ear.
“Though I know not why you are unhappy, if you are willing to share it with me, I would be more than glad to shoulder all your displeasure.”
His voice was wrapped in a comforting, warm strength that enveloped the little succubus entirely. With eyes brimming with redness, Huey looked on the verge of shedding tears.
“My lord…” Lifting his face, the young succubus reflected nothing but the man’s silhouette within his violet irises.
“Would you please give me a hug?”
Curving his lips into a smile, Xavier obligingly opened both arms. “If that will bring a smile to your face.”
“Mhm—”
Bounding out of his chair in a flash, Huey flung himself directly into the man’s embrace.
Strong arms encircled the small succubus as a hand infused with light-element energy patted his petite back soothingly, smoothing away the anxiety in his heart and leaving behind an unshakeable sense of security.
Within the spacious dining hall, flickering candlelight cast shifting shadows across the entangled pair, blanketing them in warmth.
Regrettably, this tranquil respite was shattered almost instantly.
“My lord,” Frank said with a strained expression, escorting a frail-looking succubus into the room.
“This succubus insists he possesses an item of utmost importance to deliver to you, and demanded that I escort him inside.”
Even Frank was utterly exasperated; the succubus had claimed to hold critical cargo but refused to specify its nature when questioned. Lacking clear instructions and receiving zero replies to his barrage of status messages to Xavier, Frank had ultimately had no choice but to bring the visitor in.
Presently, catching sight of the little succubus nestled securely in his superior’s arms, Frank cast a profoundly expressive, exaggerated upward roll of his eyes.
No wonder he wasn’t replying to messages he was busy cuddling again. May the Light God forgive my disrespect toward the Grand Archangel, but I genuinely believe Heaven is doomed sooner rather than later!
Sensing the young succubus stiffen significantly in his arms, his tail snapping rigidly straight like a metal rod as he went as rigid as a startled cat, Xavier offered a reassuring pat.
“Fear not,” Xavier murmured, patting the little succubus consolingly. “I am here.”
Clutching tightly at Xavier’s tunic, Huey managed to crumple the man’s pristine garment into a wrinkled mess.
Oh, heavens! Why did they actually bring him straight inside?!
The little tail sprang into motion, desperately attempting to block Xavier’s line of sight.
You are forbidden to look at him!
Unfortunately, the tail missed its mark entirely, wrapping itself straight around Xavier’s neck instead, with the heart-shaped tip finding its way right over the man’s bobbing Adam’s apple.
Pausing briefly, Xavier accepted the gesture with easy grace, quietly assuming that the little succubus’s playful, enthusiastic tail was simply expanding its territory upward, no longer satisfied with lingering around his waist.
May the Light God strike me blind…
Frank covered his face in sheer agony, desperately wishing he could purge the image of his superior’s growing addiction to huffing succubi from his memory.
Throughout the intrusion, Lances maintained a soft, delicate smile. Even upon spotting Huey hiding in Xavier’s embrace and strangling the man’s throat with his tail, his facial expression remained completely unperturbed discounting, of course, the flash of sharp disgust that flickered briefly through his eyes.
“It appears Huey has successfully found himself a remarkably formidable companion as well.”
Lances spoke softly, his voice possessing an ethereal, melodious resonance that sounded remarkably like a nightingale singing in the dark.
Breaking into a light, teasing laugh, he remarked: “Huey’s tail… has never exactly been favored by others. We were all terribly concerned he might never secure a companion in this lifetime, given how consistently his past affections were rebuffed by demons. Seeing him discover true love now brings me genuine happiness.”
Now why did that phrasing sound so deeply offensive? Turning his head, Frank gave him a sidelong glance, narrowing his eyes as a distinct suspicion formed in his mind.
Buried within Xavier’s arms, Huey muttered a soft, defensive rebuttal: “I did no such thing!”
Pulling Huey closer, Xavier swept an icy, glacial glance across Lances and echoed, “Of course he didn’t. He is a delightfully adorable little succubus, and everyone cherishes him.”
Pouting, Huey flushed crimson and grumbled defensively, “I meant that I have never expressed affection to any other demon!”
As far as maintaining proper restraint toward outsiders went, he was a remarkably principled little succubus he would never casually throw his affections at just anyone. Naturally, Lord Xavier stood as an absolute exception.
“A good child,” Xavier praised unhesitatingly.
With the pair absorbed entirely in their own dialogue and ignoring Lances completely, the famously poised visitor felt his professional smile crack at the edges.
Biting his lip internally, Lances forced himself to steer the conversation back to center stage. “Speaking of which, it has been over a century since I last managed to find a companion who truly dotes upon me.”
Casting an envious, lingering gaze toward Xavier, Lances murmured softly, “A demon of your caliber, my lord, is an exceptionally rare find.”
“Hm?” The alarm bells in Huey’s head began chiming furiously. Straightening his posture instantly, he shot back, “Is that so? Yet if I recall correctly, you were dating a companion as recently as three years ago wasn’t he quite a prominent, powerful demon lord?”
Being called out so explicitly froze Lances’s expression mid-smile, leaving him momentarily stranded without a retort.
“Pfft.”
Failing to suppress his amusement, Frank let out a sudden snort. Meeting Lances’s murderous glare, Frank clamped a hand over his mouth, suppressing a chuckle as he offered a deadpan apology: “Pardon me, pardon me. I just happened to recall something quite amusing.”
Closing his eyes, Lances took a deep breath to recalibrate his composure. Furrowing his brows with a practiced look of startled innocence, his round eyes widened as he feigned shock: “Huey, you really shouldn’t parrot the baseless gossip circulating outside. I never once accepted his affections; it was merely a case of him pursuing me unilaterally.”
Sighing delicately, he let out a wistful breath, deliberately letting his jet-black heart-shaped tail dangle forward to ensure it caught Xavier’s line of sight.
“What can one do? They are simply far too obsessed with my tail. As you well know, demons can be frightfully frantic creatures having a tail that is far too beautiful is a genuine curse…” Stopping abruptly as if catching himself, he covered his mouth in mock dismay, his eyes brimming with apologetic distress. “Oh, forgive me. Perhaps I shouldn’t have brought up tail colors in your presence. I truly didn’t mean to rub salt in a wound; it’s simply that this cursed tail continually attracts such troublesome suitors.”
This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!
Huey’s face flushed a brilliant shade of beet-red. This was nothing short of driving a dagger straight into his historical trauma!
Even the platinum-gold heart-shaped tail bristled with righteous indignation, trembling slightly as it itched to leap out and slap the visitor across the face.
Ahem.
Because the little tail was still coiled firmly around Xavier’s throat, its sudden fit of anger caused it to tighten reflexively, completely forgetting the unfortunate man trapped in its grip.
“Ah my apologies,” Huey snapped back to reality in a panic, hurriedly unwrapping his tail and asking anxiously, “Are you alright? This is all my fault.”
“I am quite well.” Swallowing to clear his throat, Xavier reached for a glass of water.
That little succubus packs an astonishing amount of physical strength in that tail.
Having lived over five centuries, Lances had witnessed countless men yet throughout his entire monologue, the master of the estate had spared him no more than a single glance, keeping his undivided attention entirely locked upon the little succubus in his arms.
What else was there to understand?
Knowing when to withdraw was the cornerstone of maintaining long-term grace.
Pulling out a calling card redolent with heavy perfume, Lances handed it off to Frank. “This is an invitation to a banquet hosted by our Soren family, scheduled for tomorrow evening. As for the objective of this gathering…”
Flushing with a bashful, coy smile, he lifted his gaze to dart a shy look toward the master seated at the head of the table.
Only to discover that Xavier wasn’t even looking at him, currently occupied with feeding a sip of water to the succubus in his arms.
Lances: Damn it all, what a complete waste of my acting performance.
“In truth, I am simply hoping to settle down and find a steady companion, and I would be deeply honored if you might grace us with your presence, my lord.”
Wooden-faced, Lances spat out the scripted lines at maximum velocity. Without waiting for a reply, he offered a perfunctory bow, pivoted on his heel, and strode out of the hall.
Remaining behind simply invited public rejection and Lances stubbornly refused to degrade himself into such an undignified, humiliating succubus!
Passing the invitation to Xavier, Frank bolted backward out of the hall at a dead sprint. He urgently needed to find someone to vent his bewilderment to, or at the very least, start brainstorming backup career paths in case Heaven truly collapsed.
“My lord,” Huey picked up the invitation, his lips curling downward into a bitter pout. “Are you actually planning to attend Lances’s ‘Matchmaking Extravaganza’?”
The little succubus’s tone dripped with sarcasm, punctuating every single syllable with icy precision.
“I am not going.” Though mystified by the abrupt shift in Huey’s demeanor, Xavier offered a straightforward, unequivocal denial.
“My sole purpose for coming to the eastern region is to handle official matters.” Setting Huey back down onto his chair, Xavier attentively sliced the remaining dolphinfish on the plate into bite-sized, accessible portions.
“I daresay I won’t even possess the spare time to escort you on a tour through this city.” Xavier handed him a glass of grape juice with an apologetic expression.
Huey cared very little about whether he had time for sightseeing; simply hearing that the man had zero interest in attending some ridiculous matchmaking banquet was enough to restore sunshine to his world.
“It’s quite alright,” Huey replied, flashing a sweet, honeyed smile. “I can happily wait until you’re free to invite you out.”
Right as the buoyant young succubus lifted a forkful of beautifully carved fish toward his lips, the seemingly omnipresent butler burst breathlessly back into the hall like a miniature whirlwind, kicking up enough wind to ruffle everyone’s hair.
Bowing low, Frank whispered a brief report directly into Xavier’s ear.
In the next instant, Huey heard Xavier speak in a tone laced with genuine regret: “My regards, Huey… it appears I must pay a visit to the Soren family tomorrow after all.”
Clack
The sound of fish slipping from a fork to clatter back against porcelain echoed clearly across the silent hall.
Little succubus: QAQ