Is It Strange for a Succubus to Wear Clothes?

Chapter 12: The Beetle’s Egg Nest 4

“3 million…”

“4 million…!”

“5 million!”

“10 million dollars!”

“11 million…!”

“Now, now! Please calm down! It seems the auction is getting too heated, so we’ll take a short break!”

Even the auctioneer, who had witnessed countless spectacles at the [Beetle’s Egg Nest], couldn’t hide their bewildered expression in the face of the current situation.

The auction house staff and auctioneer exchanged glances, trying to make sense of this turn of events.

‘What on earth is this…?’

‘There’s no reason for this violin to be so popular…’

‘Could there be some sort of mental contamination enchantment at play?’

‘No, we’re unaffected. Besides, the mental barrier ritual on this building alone costs 3 billion won a month.’

Indeed, it was hard to see ‘David’s Violin’ as a superior or powerful artifact compared to the other auction items.

Its only unique feature was that it was made using the materials from 187 children.

In contrast, other auction items included treasures like the Heart of a Dragon, which boosts innate energy and mana, the Abyss Spear, which provides substantial bonuses in water-attribute domains, and a flame-enchanted shotgun with infinite ammunition—items that were genuinely useful to Hunters and Awakened individuals.

By comparison, David’s Violin had no practical advantages for an ordinary Awakened.

It wasn’t even combat-capable and served merely as a decorative piece, like something a wealthy collector of modern art might hang on their wall.

Of course, as a masterpiece of curses created by David, who was infamous as a villain, terrorist, and murderer, it held unparalleled rarity and macabre allure.

Yet, it still wasn’t the sort of item that justified surpassing 10 million dollars in a flash.

Meanwhile, discussions were ongoing in the other VIP rooms at the auction house.

“…Master, what should we do?”

“Could this be the work of the Hoyeon Guild?”

“Even the Hoyeon Guild can’t know in advance what the auction items will be.”

Leaders of major guilds, prominent high-ranking Awakened often featured in the news, and rising stars were all present.

“The bigwigs are obsessed with that violin. There must be a reason.”

“Honestly, there’s no logical reason to pour this kind of money into a single violin, but if it means messing with that guy, then it’s worth every penny.”

Elsewhere, a scion of a chaebol family.

Successful underground entrepreneurs and organization leaders.

The sudden frenzy over the violin inflamed the desires of many.

“Frankly, what we really need is the wyvern egg…”

“We were planning to distribute a wyvern to each guild member, weren’t we?”

“But the Hoyeon Guild and others are all fixated on this. Those guys might not excel in every field, but they’re not reckless with money.”

“So, there must be a reason or value behind that violin?”

“Shall we use all our available resources?”

“Yes, let’s use everything we can.”

Meanwhile, Jaehee, watching everything unfold from the highest seat, wasn’t in any hurry.

After all, all she had done was ignite the flames of desire.

Most of the attendees here were influential figures with their own power bases, whether in the shadows or the limelight.

Naturally, such people were steeped in every kind of desire imaginable, and this auction house essentially turned everyone but herself into rivals—obstacles to be overcome someday.

Jaehee gazed down at the mesmerizing spectacle of desires dancing in chaos and accepted the brandy offered by her attendant.

“La~”

With a light hum, a subtle allure settled over the auction hall.

As though the melody of a violin resonated in the air, the atmosphere of the auction house began to shift gradually.

“We will now resume the auction!”

“David’s Violin, a masterpiece of curses crafted using the remains of 187 children!”

“The effects and enchantments imbued in it are entirely unknown!”

“As you already know, please consider carefully before bidding! The Kaklash Auction requires all transactions to be in cash, and we remind you that anyone lacking an invitation or judged unable to pay will be permanently banned!”

“The starting bid is 10 million dollars!”

“…11 million!”

“11.5 million!”

As soon as the auction restarted, the atmosphere inside shifted once again.

Though invisible, subtle changes began seeping among the people, soon coalescing into human-like shapes.

Forms steeped in desire.

Some people suddenly became acutely aware of their own breathing.

Others started feeling uncomfortable around those beside them.

This slight discomfort would eventually sprout into seeds of chaos.

“30 million!”

“Don’t be ridiculous! You don’t even have that much money!”

“Shut up! What do you know!”

As the auction progressed, the situation worsened.

It was only natural.

The allure spilled by the Queen was like a slowly spreading venom. If one didn’t notice it at first, they’d inevitably become addicted, losing their rationality without even realizing it.

“100 million! I’ll pay 100 million dollars! Just give it to me now!”

“No, no! That’s mine!”

“You wanna fight?”

“Hoyeon Guild! Come down here now, and I’ll…!”

“Crazy bastard…!”

Eventually, the auction house descended into utter chaos.

The auctioneer’s voice was drowned out as people, driven by their desires, abandoned reason and began acting out.

Caught in the whirlpool of greed and chaos, some pushed and shoved, while others started throwing punches to claim what they wanted.

‘Ahaha, it’s begun, hasn’t it?’

Desire is primal.

And when primal instincts are disrupted, violence naturally emerges.

I moved quietly, like the protagonist of a play.

Amidst the chaos, I strolled through the crowd, drawing closer to the violin.

The crowd, rendered insensible by desire and allure, barely noticed me.

Those consumed by the confusion failed to perceive my intentions altogether.

At the center of the frenzy, I finally laid my hands on the violin, and in that moment, the chaos reached its peak.

To me, this entire upheaval felt like a work of art I had crafted.

A masterpiece of chaos wrought from desire, rage, anxiety, and greed, sending shivers of triumph through me.

A disquieting satisfaction.

Base and dark human desires.

It’s deeply unpleasant, yet I do not deny it.

Even such unrefined desires serve as the soil for beauty.

However, that’s not what I’m seeking right now.

“Come here.”

At my gesture, the violin floated into the air.

As though it had a will of its own.

It approached me and began to whisper.

-…

-…

It whispered to me.

In tiny voices.

The voices of children—boys and girls alike.

They reached me faintly, like echoes.

“Ah… it hurts…”

It pained me.

My mind was being contaminated and eroded… it was steeped in a considerable curse.

Had it not been me.

Had it been another human who touched this, they would have been driven insane by the children’s grief and curses without realizing it.

Perhaps, through the fall of the violin’s crazed owner, the auction house might reclaim this violin and the owner’s wealth for another round of profit.

Or perhaps not.

“What is it that you lament so much?”

Voices of resentment.

Voices of curses.

Sorrow and pity.

Cries of anguish and weeping in pain.

Ah, but it was upon hearing these that I realized.

“Ah, you all, even after death… have not found peace…”

The children who became the violin’s materials were still vividly alive.

The children, trapped within the violin, screamed in sorrow and despair, their cries becoming a melody of curses that no one could hear.

Poor children.

Unfortunate, sorrowful children who were captured and killed by a creature more monstrous than a beast, devoid of humanity.

The children had not yet found rest.

This violin was their prison, their bars, their dark basement, and the foul-smelling leather pouch in which they were kidnapped.

“Now, tell me your story.”

I listened to the desires of the children.

No one could hear them; even if they screamed until their throats bled, no one would have listened.

“But I can hear you.”

So, please, tell me.

Come, come closer.

-Where is this place■■?

-Where is my mom■■■?

-It hurts■■.

-I’m■■scared.■■

-It’s■■dark.

-I don’t■■want■■ this.

-I■■want■■to■■live.

-I■■can’t■■breathe■■.

-K■■ill! Kill■■them!

Countless voices echoed in my mind.

The noise and confusion of the auction faded into insignificance.

This was far more important than the voices of adults.

“How pitiful.”

Their voices.

Their souls.

The dim remnants of life and energy clutched in my hands.

I could have left them as they were, and it would have still been beautiful.

A beauty born from sorrow.

Even despairing cries hold their own beauty.

“But that’s not to my taste.”

My taste…

What I consider beautiful is something a bit more vibrant, something that many can admire.

Though it may be beautiful to see the poor children sink into rotting earth, what I find truly beautiful is when flowers bloom again from that decayed soil, and tainted brilliance regains its light.

That’s what I find most beautiful.

“And flowers and brilliance… I call them by another name: the smiles of children.”

Children’s smiles.

The simplest yet most precious thing in the world.

And now, the rarest thing to behold.

“Today, I want to see children’s smiles.”

So I took hold of the violin.

I know nothing about violins.

Neither before nor after becoming a succubus.

I have never lived a life connected to music or violins.

However, the Succubus Empress possesses an innate resonance with ‘all things beautiful in this world.’

Even without knowledge or experience, I can handle anything that is beautiful or appears so.

“It’s my first time holding one.”

How do I look right now, I wonder?

Holding a violin and its bow for the first time in my life.

It’s light, with a certain elasticity to it.

How beautiful must I look holding this?

Ah, if only I had a mirror…

But it’s fine.

I’m sure it’s beautiful.

No one in the chaos paid attention to me.

But that’s okay.

This moment isn’t for them but for the pitiful children trapped in this violin.

It felt like standing alone in the middle of a quiet, dark forest.

The chandelier’s light descended like a silver veil of moonlight around me, and a gentle breeze brushed against my hair.

Amid the chaos, I stood apart as though I existed in another dimension, violin in hand.

With my fingers, I gently caressed the violin’s surface.

Its dark, eerie sheen seemed to hold a bottomless darkness like a deep well.

Guided by my hands.

Moved by the whispers of the beauty I sought, the violin fit perfectly in my hands, as though it had always been meant for me.

Though it was my first time touching it, it felt natural.

Music was new to me.

Playing was new to me.

Violins were new to me.

But my hands moved instinctively.

As though this was always how it was meant to be.

The melody was serene.

And pure.

It bloomed amidst the chaos, like a flower of dawn.

Like a spell calling to the souls of the lost, it summoned the children’s spirits one by one.

Ah, if I were to name this…

“[The Forgotten Lullaby].”

Because you were forgotten, I will remember you.

I whispered and called to them.

The auction house, rife with chaos and desire, fell silent.

All eyes.

All gazes of curiosity, doubt, and confusion turned toward me.

Could my crude melody have shaken their hearts?

I hope so.

Today is the day the children sleep.

The day the sorrowful, cursing children close their eyes.

So, if everyone here could join me in this quiet requiem, I would be grateful.

Ah, though no one will ever realize it.

‘The child who suffocated in a box. The child who hid in fear during their parents’ fights. The child who fled from Satan, plague, anger, disease, and hunger. Come to me.’

Forget your pain.

Forget your loneliness.

Forget your sorrow.

You should simply smile.

You are children meant to smile.

Though my melody is but a simple comfort, I promise you this one thing:

In my hands, you will bloom again, beautiful as ever.