Succubi Chapter 171. Responsible Scholar
I sat there at the long dining table like a disciplined heir pretending I hadn't committed moral crimes in my own bed four hours earlier.
Early.
For once.
That alone felt suspicious.
The morning light spilled across polished wood and silver cutlery, turning the breakfast spread into something that looked illegal for a student dorm. Fresh bread stacked neatly. Honey glistening in crystal bowls. Fruit sliced with precision sharp enough to question the knife's training background. There was a faint scent of butter and roasted meat hanging in the air like comfort had a physical form.
I leaned back in my chair and waited.
Like a good boy.
Which was funny, because Pride demons and "good boy" were not typically compatible concepts.
The first to arrive was Gladia.
Of course it was.
She walked in like the scent of food personally summoned her. Hair still slightly messy, eyes half open, but nose working at full capacity.
She stopped mid step when she saw me already seated.
"…You're early," she said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"I am a responsible scholar," I replied.
She hummed skeptically and took the seat beside me, immediately piling food onto her plate like she was securing territory before someone else invaded.
"You look different," she said casually, chewing.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
My mind was calm.
Too calm.
Or maybe just aware.
Then Val walked in.
Perfect posture. Perfect hair. That robe replaced with academy uniform, still looking like she owned stock in the building.
She glanced at me first.
Subtle.
Measured.
Then at Gladia.
Then back at me.
A faint smirk touched her lips, but she didn't say anything. Just took her seat gracefully.
Her eyes lingered for half a second longer than necessary.
Subtext.
Clear as daylight.
She knew.
Not everything.
But enough.
Then Sera drifted in like she had been awake for ten years already and was just bored by time itself. Rivy followed, loud and unapologetic, dragging a chair out with more force than required. Then Lilith.
And finally…
Evelyn.
She stepped in last.
And immediately the air shifted.
Not dramatically.
Not theatrically.
Just…
Different.
She looked… off.
Not messy.
Not tired.
Just different.
Evelyn usually carried herself like an assassin who could poison your tea and still make you thank her. Calm. Cold. Controlled. That cool beauty vibe that whispered, 'I killed my boyfriend in his sleep, don't test me.'
But now?
She walked in and froze for a fraction of a second when her eyes met mine.
We locked gazes.
And…
She blushed.
Actually blushed!
Her eyes widened slightly before she diverted her gaze away, focusing very hard on the bread basket like it had personally offended her.
What kind of dorm romance is this?
I blinked slowly.
Rivy noticed instantly.
Of course she did.
We all started eating once everyone was seated. Forks clinked. Plates shifted. The normal rhythm resumed.
But I couldn't stop glancing at Evelyn.
She kept her head down.
Avoiding eye contact.
Which was deeply unsettling.
I cleared my throat.
"You okay, Evelyn?" I asked casually. "You look like—"
"I'm fine," she said immediately.
Too fast.
Too loud.
The table went quiet for a split second.
Then her cheeks flushed even deeper.
She looked down again, suddenly very interested in her tea.
Rivy burst out laughing.
Unapologetic.
Full volume.
"Wow," Rivy said, leaning back in her chair. "After those moans and screams last night, we get this cute little romance drama in the morning?"
Gladia choked on her drink.
Val coughed to hide a smile.
Sera didn't even blink.
I slowly turned my head toward Evelyn.
She looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her.
My brain replayed Rivy's words.
Moans.
Screams.
Right.
Thin walls.
Shared dorm.
Succubus hearing.
Fantastic.
I leaned back in my chair, trying very hard to look unaffected.
"Soundproofing is clearly a myth," I muttered.
Rivy grinned wickedly. "Oh, it was very clear."
Evelyn buried her face in her hands for half a second before straightening up with visible effort.
"Can we not?" she said tightly.
There was something in her voice.
Not anger.
Embarrassment.
And that…
That hit me harder than the teasing.
I studied her quietly.
Why was she embarrassed?
Last night she was fearless. Dominant. Confident. In control of her own desire.
Now she couldn't even look at me without turning red.
I felt something twist in my chest.
Sera leaned her chin on her palm, watching the entire exchange like it was better than any morning entertainment.
"You two are fascinating," she murmured.
Val sipped her tea slowly. "Evelyn's just not used to… emotional exposure," she said casually.
Evelyn shot her a look.
Val smiled sweetly.
I looked at Evelyn again.
She was fiddling with her fork.
Avoiding everyone.
Avoiding me.
And I realized…
Last night wasn't just physical.
It wasn't just power or hunger or challenge.
It was vulnerable.
We had said things.
Done things.
Crossed something.
And now in daylight, with witnesses and breakfast and normalcy…
It felt real.
More real than the heat.
More real than the system notifications.
And maybe that scared her.
I leaned slightly closer.
Lowered my voice.
"Hey," I said softly. "You don't have to look like you committed treason."
Her eyes flicked up to mine.
There it was.
Uncertainty.
Which did not suit her usual assassin vibe at all.
"I'm not," she muttered.
"Then what is this?" I asked gently.
She hesitated.
The table quieted slightly again, everyone pretending not to listen.
She exhaled slowly.
"It's just…" she began, then stopped.
Her fingers tightened around her cup.
"It's different in the morning," she finished quietly.
That made sense.
Night had shadows.
Heat.
Privacy.
Morning had sunlight.
Witnesses.
Consequences.
I nodded once.
"Yeah," I said. "It is."
She glanced at me again.
Testing.
Waiting.
For what, I wasn't sure.
Maybe for me to act cool.
Detached.
Like it was nothing.
But I didn't.
I just held her gaze.
Steady.
Just calm.
And something in her shoulders eased slightly.
Rivy broke the silence again, though softer this time.
"So are we labeling this or what?"
Gladia elbowed her.
Sera sighed dramatically.
Val smiled like she already knew the answer and was enjoying watching us struggle.
"We are labeling this breakfast," I said. "Because I'm starving."
That earned a few laughs.
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