Is It Strange for a Succubus to Wear Clothes?

Chapter 5: The Succubus Empress Takes Out a Suit 5

Senior Officer Dan handed me a coffee as a gift and asked me to wait for a moment, bowing her head.

To be honest, when I got the sudden call at dawn, I did feel a little playful.

The time when people are most relaxed and comfortable.

For someone to call during the deep hours of sleep—it’s no lie to say it felt just a little inconvenient.

But since it was Senior Officer Dan, someone familiar and friendly, who called, I was okay with it.

Besides, her gaze and posture showed that she genuinely felt sorry for having to call me out.

Now that I’m here, I don’t mind waiting a little longer.

“From now, we’ll begin handling the sheep’s corpses! Everyone, put on your mental barrier artifacts, and the injured, head to the medical room!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Separate the corpses of the young lambs and young rams! If any moving entities are found, immediately use the portable sealing ritual distributed earlier!”

Unlike the apologetic attitude she showed me, the way she commanded the public hunters with composure and discipline was quite impressive.

That’s my type, you know.

The way someone can switch up their demeanor depending on necessity.

I think her flustered behavior around me reflects her true nature, but… Oh, maybe the commanding presence she shows her subordinates is her real self too?

That’s beautiful too.

I like it.

On gloomy days, I like to take a walk through the streets.

To observe people.

And from the most ordinary, unremarkable individuals.

I find moments to offer quiet praise for their beauty.

Even while working, I catch glimpses of people sneaking looks at me.

It’s only natural.

I’m a complete stranger in this dangerous place, the Night Sea, so it’s no wonder the public hunters are curious about me.

Ah, of course, some of them are purely mesmerized by my beauty and have been staring at me, completely distracted.

“What are you doing over there?! Everyone else is handling the scene, and you’re spacing out?!”

“A-Ah, yes, ma’am! Sorry!”

“If you notice anything unusual or feel signs of mental erosion, report immediately and retreat to the rear!”

“No, ma’am! No mental erosion here… None at all.”

“Is that so? Then stay focused.”

The poor public hunter who had been staring at me in a daze was startled by Senior Officer Dan’s scolding and finally got to work handling the scene.

Hahaha, it’s understandable for a rookie.

And above all, I am beautiful.

Even with my veil on, it’s no wonder people get captivated.

Thinking about the convenience store clerk earlier who even got a nosebleed, I suppose these hunters have a commendable amount of mental fortitude.

“You’re all… working so hard.”

I wonder if it’s okay for me to just sit here drinking coffee while others are working so hard.

I feel tempted to sneak in and help, but even with my veil on, my presence might just cause trouble.

It would probably bring everything to a halt.

Oh, someone’s looking at me again.

I wave at them.

Haha, hang in there.

Oh my.

They’re getting a nosebleed.

Maybe I shouldn’t wave next time?

It’s just that seeing a young person working so earnestly felt so admirable that I couldn’t help myself….

Today feels like one of those days.

Even though I was urgently called at 4 a.m., small moments like this make me feel content.

‘Finding beauty in these small details is what makes life enjoyable.’

Even at 4 a.m., people are bustling around.

Seeing public hunters like Senior Officer Dan and others fulfilling their roles after receiving their assignments is truly impressive.

I came here on a whim, driven by light impulses and emotions, but compared to me, they risk their lives to carry out their duties despite their lack of power.

With their meager salaries and without any significant support from the government, they don’t run away but bravely stand together against the old and shabby lambs.

I may not know their names, but I can’t help but admire the courage, integrity, and resilience of these ordinary people.

The beauty of the common, the mundane—it captivates me.

“Ms. Jaehee?”

“…Ah, yes. Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment.”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. You were smiling just now, so I wondered if something was wrong….”

For someone who was commanding the public hunters so charismatically just moments ago, isn’t she being overly cautious around me?

Of course, this shy demeanor creates a contrast that I find endearing as well.

“I just thought it was nice to see.”

“Ah, I see! Well, if you need anything, let me know right away! Oh, you’ve finished your coffee? Would you like me to get you another?”

“No, I’m quite full today, thank you.”

“Alright, but if there’s anything else you need or want to drink, don’t hesitate to ask—not just me, but anyone else too!”

“Yes, yes. Now, shouldn’t you get back to the scene? Others are waiting for you.”

“Oh, right.”

With that, the Senior Officer bowed her head countless times before walking away.

Then she stepped right next to a still-twitching young ram and stomped it down with her shoe.

Oh my, seeing things like that—despite being so much shorter than me, she’s brimming with authority.

“Is there something you need from me?”

At that moment, someone approached me.

It wasn’t one of the hunters diligently working.

“So, you’re that, huh? The succubus or whatever, the returnee?”

“….”

Ah, great.

My mood just took a nosedive.

★ ★ ★

“Hoo, an accident at the Night Sea observation event, huh….”

“Geez, what’s the director even doing?”

“Alright, folks, let’s head to a second round. Nothing bad happened anyway, right?”

“Where are you off to, Representative Lee Hyunwoo?”

“Oh, I have something to discuss with the site manager.”

“Sure, sure, we’ll be here waiting!”

Interestingly, politicians—they’re incompetent, but they’re not stupid.

Especially when it comes to their own safety, their minds work at lightning speed.

They know exactly when to build relationships and when to cut off ties with someone who’s become a liability.

Occasionally, there are selfless individuals filled with a sense of duty and justice, much like the kind you’d read about in books, but they are exceedingly rare.

Most high-ranking individuals are the epitome of clever yet incompetent and deceitful archetypes.

Thus, it’s only natural that many of their actions are deliberate and calculated.

Representative Lee Hyunwoo, who attended the Night Sea phenomenon observation event, was one such person.

“Senior Officer Dan Ahyeon is the one responsible for managing [Special Returnees].”

From the outset, his reason for attending the observation event was none other than Senior Officer Dan.

More precisely, it was about her [Special Returnee].

That’s why he went as far as to provoke a drunken lawmaker in the VIP room, saying, “Why don’t you figure out what’s going on here?”

If it worked out as intended, good. If not, so be it.

Even if things didn’t go as planned, attending the Night Sea observation event would still be a valuable political experience.

He couldn’t have predicted that the lawmaker would actually lock eyes with the Old Lamb—a creature one must never gaze upon—and attract its tremendous aggression.

However, the situation unfolded as he had envisioned.

After all, the VIP room was protected by a defensive ritual, giving them confidence that they wouldn’t be harmed.

And he suspected that if Senior Officer Dan, who was a fairly high-ranking Awakener, found herself in danger, she would urgently summon her [Special Returnee].

It might seem absurd for a lawmaker to be so fixated on a [Special Returnee], but ironically, Succubus Empress Lee Jaehee—a [Special Returnee]—was someone even lawmakers and the nation’s elites, including the President, dreamed of meeting at least once.

Politicians can obtain almost anything.

Money, power, honor, women.

With the right connections, they could even handpick women of their taste at any reception.

A simple adjustment to a bill or a gesture to raise corporate taxes for Hunters could earn them significant benefits.

This is why, once intoxicated by power, they cannot let go of it.

Yet, there was one thing they could not have.

A [Special Returnee], the Succubus Empress.

She was beauty incarnate, a living embodiment of intense allure.

It was hardly surprising for politicians, who had tasted every pleasure and wealth, to covet her.

In fact, the Succubus Empress was already famous in political circles.

It would’ve been strange if she weren’t.

“She’s the first generation of returnees. No, more precisely, the very first 0th-generation returnee who appeared on Earth even before the Rift.”

In political circles, she wasn’t just renowned; her very existence was considered a singularity.

Many openly praised and admired her beauty.

“Once you see her, you can never forget.”

“I’d give everything just to hold her in my arms.”

“I want to meet her again.”

“Ah, the moment I first saw her in the lab, I lost my heart.”

Until one saw her in person, it was easy to dismiss such comments as nonsense.

They could seem exaggerated, blown out of proportion like urban legends.

Representative Lee Hyunwoo thought so too.

At least until he saw her for himself today.

“Oh, to think she’s this stunning even with her face covered…!”

It was overwhelming.

She had no intention of appearing striking, yet her presence alone exuded an intense allure.

Under the soft starlight of the dark dawn, she looked lonely and forlorn, as if she had lost her light.

Yet at the same time, an aura of cold weightiness enveloped her.

Her long lashes and serene violet eyes, as though they were submerged deep within the ocean.

Her hair, darker than the night sky, flowed gently like autumn leaves swayed by the wind, draping over her shoulders.

Her hands, delicate and jade-like, rested lightly on her knees.

Her fingertips looked frail and fragile, yet they carried an irresistible urge to hold them, to clasp them tightly.

Like a canary trapped in a cage.

Her very existence seemed so delicate, as if she might disappear like dust blown by the wind.

“She’s so, so beautiful.”

It wasn’t surprising that exaggerated rumors had spread.

It might even seem absurd for such rumors about a woman to circulate in Yeouido, but Representative Lee Hyunwoo thought they actually understated the truth.

His admiration for her beauty quickly turned into greed.

“I want her….”

Even though the Succubus Empress wasn’t actively enchanting anyone, he was already captivated by her beauty.

It drove him to do something he normally wouldn’t.

A lawmaker, reduced to throwing himself at a woman, entirely consumed by her allure.

“Ahem, excuse me, I…”

Thus, Representative Lee Hyunwoo approached Succubus Empress Lee Jaehee.

Fueled by the absurd dream of making her his woman.

“Do you have a moment? I’d like to…”

He brimmed with confidence.

“For my age, I look like I’m in my twenties, don’t I?”

“I work out diligently, and no one has ever said I look lacking in appearance.”

“Even at receptions, I’ve been told several times that I resemble certain celebrities.”

“With my impressive title as a lawmaker and ample wealth, what could possibly stop me from winning over this Succubus Empress?”

He embodied the stereotypical image of a Swinging Forties man.

“If you’re free, shall we go somewhere? I know a great spot with a lovely ambiance.”

“….”

“Ah, you must be shy. That’s alright. When a man and a woman feel a mutual connection, they share drinks and spend time together—that’s how relationships blossom, isn’t it?”

Objectively, Representative Lee Hyunwoo didn’t look remotely like he was in his twenties.

He wasn’t exactly handsome either—just not unattractive.

And at receptions, people were bound to flatter him endlessly.

Initially, he felt a tinge of anger at the Succubus Empress’s silence, but the faint glance she cast at him with her forlorn eyes instantly melted his heart.

“Haha, yes, a woman that beautiful has the right to act haughty.”

“But she’s a succubus, isn’t she?”

“A lewd and vulgar creature that dances in bed and submits when a man dominates her.”

“I can overlook her current act of playing hard to get.”

“…Haha! You must be a shy lady. Ah, may I see your face? When a man and a woman converse, they should meet eyes properly….”

Yet, even if Representative Lee Hyunwoo were the President of the United States, the Succubus Empress wouldn’t have cared.

Above all.

The Succubus Empress loved beauty.

Conversely, she utterly detested anything unattractive.

Like the Old Lambs—wretched and decrepit creatures.

“Fufufu….”

Instead of sighing or expressing anger, Jaehee chuckled softly.

She had lived far too long to get upset over such trivial matters.

And so, she removed her veil.

“Haha, if you’re that stunning with the veil on, how much more…”

And then, one man’s soul melted.

“Ah…”

No, his soul melted, his mind disintegrated, and his spirit dissolved.

Melted.

Disintegrated.

Merged.

Once ensnared by her beauty, there was no returning to one’s former self.

Representative Lee Hyunwoo didn’t move an inch.

He didn’t scream, nor did he bleed from his nose.

He remained utterly still.

Still as a stone statue.

He had no choice but to stay still.

Seeing this, Jaehee casually put her veil back on and stood up.

Click. Clack.

Then, she headed toward Senior Officer Dan.

“Ah! Ms. Jaehee! I was just about to fetch you now that the site inspection is over!”

“Is that so? Then please take me home.”

“Understood!”

Beneath the veil, a true smile bloomed on Jaehee’s face.

‘Seeing Senior Officer Dan makes me want to be a better person, but I guess I’m not there yet.’