NOVEL WEB Chapter 7 - The Succubus Empress Takes Out a Suit 7
Chapter 7: The Succubus Empress Takes Out a Suit 7
Hunter Channel.
A platform only accessible to awakened individuals and those certified as Hunters.
It was the largest Hunter community in the country, usually featuring information about decent dungeons or gates.
Sometimes, it also provided tips on earning money or acquiring equipment.
Of course, given the large number of members, random nonsense, humor, funny images, and occasionally offensive ones were posted.
Yet, the information shared here occasionally saved lives and helped rookie Hunters achieve steady growth.
A certain post appeared in such a place.
[Public Hunter Just Saw a Goddess Today.]
『(Photo from the Night Sea Phenomenon Observation Ritual)
I’m posting this because the embargo has been lifted.
There were some lawmakers fussing around, which was annoying as hell, but in the end, nothing really happened.
An S-rank threat entity descended midway, and I thought we were doomed. But then, a woman appeared—just her silhouette made her look unbelievably gorgeous—and she handled everything.
I’ll provide detailed info about the threat entity later, and it’ll be on the news soon, so I won’t post it here.
The problem is, my mind and heart feel utterly strange right now.
I only caught a distant glimpse of the woman who resolved the situation, but my heart just won’t settle down.
I don’t know if I’ve been enchanted or what, but my mental contamination level showed normal.
She was wearing some sort of all-black outfit—either a suit or a dress—completely covering her body. Her hair was black and very long, and she had an unusual veil over her face.
Ah, but seriously.
You know that feeling when you just instinctively realize someone’s unbelievably beautiful, even just from their silhouette?
Even though her body was entirely covered, just… Wow.
I kept thinking she might be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
While tidying up and wrapping up the ritual, I found myself staring at her as if mesmerized.
She waved at me from afar, and I just… Wow.
Even recalling it makes my heart feel strange, seriously.』
ㅡYou’re enchanted.
ㅡThat was actually me.
ㄴ[Give me your number, please. I’m a Public Hunter and earn decently, so just give me one chance.]
ㄴPathetic.
ㄴ[You’re so full of it.]
ㄴIs this guy delusional?
ㄴDid he get mentally contaminated by a Succubus?
ㅡSo, who was she?
ㄴ[No idea.]
ㄴ?
ㄴ?
ㄴWhy post if you don’t know?
ㄴ[Because I, uh, seriously can’t calm down, damn it.]
ㅡBy the way, what’s “Public Hunter”?
ㄴLet this slow-wagon explain! It’s shorthand for Publicly Employed Hunter, who, compared to other Hunters, have stable yet modest incomes and are called in for various tasks! That said, their annual salary is higher than that of average C-rank Hunters, so don’t go around saying they don’t make money! They also receive government support for potions and equipment, making them roughly equivalent to B-rank Hunters! Ironically, however, most B-rank Hunters earn three to four times their salary.
ㄴWhy would B-rank Hunters even do that?
ㄴFor stable income? Also, perks like pensions, high-speed rail discounts, and free access to national museums?
ㄴAfter hearing this, I wonder why anyone would do it.
ㄴIf it were me, I’d quit immediately.
ㄴ[I don’t know, damn it.]
ㄴLOL
ㅡActually, certain figures still claim Public Hunters receive lieutenant-level treatment or are prestigious.
ㅡSo true. My grandma still nags me to quit running around like a Hunter and become a Public Hunter.
ㄴUh, three times the income difference, though.
ㄴEven showing her my bank account doesn’t convince her, LOL.
Of course, this post didn’t initially gain much attention.
It merely became a brief conversation topic for a handful of idle users.
But this post would later—no, shortly thereafter—become marked as a holy relic.
As the first recorded observation of the [Succubus Empress].
★
★
★
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
And I was no exception.
Although called the Succubus Empress, I still considered myself human and tried to live as one.
Even if my body and powers were something otherworldly or demonic, I believed that striving to live as a human could still qualify me as one.
Thus, it was only natural that I had both strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths?
First, I was beautiful.
This alone was an overwhelming and extraordinary advantage.
Ah, I was so stunningly beautiful that it could be considered a disadvantage as well.
In any case, I also possessed other strengths, like physical power and rapid regeneration.
However, there was one glaring flaw….
Of course, compared to my beauty, it was a mere speck of dust—a minuscule imperfection.
Still, it existed.
And that flaw was….
“Ms. Jaehee! What on earth is this?!”
I didn’t clean.
Well, I’d never done it before….
“I’ve told you before that food waste, general trash, and recyclables all need to be separated! You can’t just cram everything into a box and toss it out! There are designated disposal days; how many times must I tell you?!”
“….”
“Good grief! Chicken bones go in general trash!”
“….”
Jaehee thought to herself.
Wah.
I don’t know anything.
I’m a Returnee.
Senior Officer handles everything.
Wah.
The “polite speech” instinct of the Succubus Empress had long since faded, leaving Jaehee sneaking glances at Senior Officer Dan.
She resembled the puffed-up, wide-eyed meme creature going [hint, hint…].
In truth, proper waste sorting had been mandatory even before her return. But Jaehee’s flaws weren’t limited to ignoring waste separation.
“Ms. Jaehee! I brought you some side dishes like kimchi, stir-fried anchovies, and soy-braised beef! Why are there only chicken boxes piled up? And why haven’t you done the dishes?! It reeks!”
“….”
“Seriously… The soybean paste soup I made for you last time is still here? It’s gone bad! Have you not touched it since I left?!”
“….”
“Goodness, everything’s exactly as I left it! Have you really been surviving on takeout for every meal?!”
“But….”
“But what! Go on, explain yourself! Let’s hear your excuse!”
“Well… The soybean paste stew isn’t tasty at all if it’s not shared with you, Senior Officer….”
“….”
Hearing that, Dan Ahyeon’s face turned oddly complicated again.
The Succubus Empress’s innate charm, combined with her forlorn, teary-eyed gaze and wistful expression, flipped the mood, making Dan feel like the guilty one.
“Don’t give me that nonsense. By the way, is the rice in the pressure cooker still untouched?”
“….”
Of course, as a relatively high-ranking awakened individual—and one capable of withstanding Jaehee’s unveiled beauty—Senior Officer Dan was immune to such tactics.
If it were anyone else, Jaehee’s pitiful demeanor would have quickly prompted them to say, “I’m sorry! I’ll clean everything up! Please let me do it!”
But Dan wasn’t so easily swayed.
Tch, truly a high-ranking awakened one….
“Don’t roll your eyes at me! Open it up and show me! Oh, for heaven’s sake…! The rice is moldy! Have you seriously been living on delivery food this whole time?!”
“….”
The Senior Officer, chiding with the vigor of a mother, was far scarier than expected.
Senior Officer Dan Ahyeon’s primary duty was to oversee the overall daily life of Jaehee, a [Managing Special Returnees].
While she occasionally assisted with tasks involving awakened individuals or gates, such as the Night Sea Phenomenon, her main responsibility was managing Jaehee’s lifestyle.
This included monitoring Jaehee’s daily routines, housing, living expenses, cultural expenses, and schedules, which required regular visits to Jaehee’s home.
The problem was that Jaehee’s life skills were not just abysmal but practically non-existent, leaving Dan Ahyeon deeply frustrated.
“Seriously, Jaehee! Garbage bags need to be filled before being thrown out! Why are you tying it up when it’s not even half full?”
Sniffle….
Jaehee wasn’t even called “Ms. Jaehee” anymore; it had downgraded to just “Jaehee.”
“It started to smell….”
“Wait, smell? Did you throw kimchi brine or other liquids in there?”
“….”
“Open the garbage bag right now!”
“Can’t I just poof it all away? Then there’d be no trash….”
“Are you insane? If you burn it, will our ancestors clean up the ash and fine dust?”
“….”
Jaehee.
Glorious, noble, elegant, and more beautiful than any jewel in the world as the Succubus Empress, but as you can see, utterly useless when it came to basic life skills.
Even with an expensive vacuum cleaner, she had clearly never used it, as the floors were covered in dust.
After much commotion, Dan Ahyeon spent the morning explaining, for what felt like the hundredth time, how to separate trash, eat leftovers, reheat food, and store or dispose of things properly.
“Got it? Papers go in a separate pile, and for plastic bottles, you need to empty them before throwing them away.”
“…Understood.”
Thanks to Dan Ahyeon’s incredibly detailed instructions, akin to that of a doting mother, Jaehee’s home became significantly cleaner.
When Dan checked the clock, it was already noon.
She had spent the entire morning cleaning Jaehee’s home and re-teaching things she had explained before, losing a lot of time.
‘Now I need to clock in at the agency, submit the Night Sea field report, and update the information on the Old Lamb… Ugh, so much to do.’
Dan sighed involuntarily, and Jaehee glanced at her face.
She didn’t think so, but Dan looked tired.
Dan had stayed up two nights installing protection rituals and barriers at the predicted Night Sea Phenomenon site.
On top of that, she had monitored the phenomenon since dawn and even fought an S-Rank Threat Entity, the Old Lamb.
No matter how high-ranking an awakened individual, fatigue was inevitable.
“Senior Officer.”
“Oh, yes, Ms. Jaehee, sorry, but I really need to get going….”
“Don’t go.”
“…What?”
Dan stared at Jaehee, puzzled by the unexpected statement.
The helpless, whining Jaehee from earlier was gone, replaced by the Succubus Empress, who sat gracefully on the bed and gazed at her.
“Come here.”
“N-no, what are you saying? I told you, I need to go to work….”
“Are you busy, Senior Officer? What do you need to do?”
“Well, I need to clock in at the agency, submit the Night Sea field report, and update the Old Lamb’s information….”
“Those are all things someone else can handle, aren’t they?”
“But….”
“Come here.”
Of course, Dan wanted to rest.
The way Jaehee sat on the bed, patting the spot beside her, was so tempting and alluring.
The bed seemed to call, I’m here, dive in!
But Dan resisted.
“No, I’m fine.”
This isn’t even my house, let alone my bed.
More importantly, this was the home of Jaehee, a [Managing Special Returnees] and the Succubus Empress.
How could I possibly….
“You’ve worked hard, Senior Officer. You stayed up all night protecting others.”
“No, I…”
“If I’m important to you… come here.”
With those words, Jaehee removed her veil.
In that instant, Dan’s mind wavered like never before.
No, this can’t be….
“Come….”
Jaehee’s delicate hand reached out, beckoning Dan.
“…here.”
“….”
“To my side.”
-Pat, pat.
Her long, slender fingers gestured invitingly.
Dan could withstand seeing Jaehee’s bare face.
After all, her high-ranking awakening and mental resilience were precisely why she had been assigned as the caretaker for a [Managing Special Returnees].
But now….
She wanted to yield to the temptation.
No, no.
I can’t.
I have to work.
Ms. Jaehee, no matter how close we are, inviting me to your bed like this, especially unveiled, is just….
“Good. That’s it.”
“…What?”
Why am I lying on the bed…?
As Dan’s startled mind tried to refocus, Jaehee whispered.
“Now… it’s time to sleep.”
“…Ugh…”
“That’s right. For our hardworking Senior Officer….”
Dan tried to get up.
But at some point, her strength left her.
Why can’t I move?
Why am I lying here?
As the questions swirled, Jaehee gently pressed a finger to Dan’s forehead.
It was a silent command to stay down, to rest deeply here.
Her touch was so soft and warm that resistance seemed impossible.
And more than anything… faced with her unveiled, serene smile, Dan found herself utterly powerless to fight back.
I’m falling asleep.
Ah… is that so bad?
It’s not bad, right?
It must be fine, right?
“Yes. Our Senior Officer deserves a proper rest.”
In truth, Jaehee could clean if she wanted to.
She simply chose not to.
That way, her Senior Officer would visit often.
That way, Senior Officer Dan would grow more comfortable around her.
“What are little girls made of?
What are little girls made of?”
Like soothing a baby.
Like cherishing a doll.
With gentle and loving care.
“Sugar and spice,
And all that’s nice;
That’s what little girls are made of.”
Sleep well, Senior Officer.
“That’s what little girls are made of~.”
“….”
Sweet and seductive, her voice was irresistible.
No one could escape it.
“And what is our Senior Officer made of~?”
With that, Jaehee replaced her veil.
Leaving the peacefully sleeping Dan Ahyeon behind, she rose.