"Henny?"
Viktor stood beside the bed, casually tossing the blanket in his hand onto the floor. He stared at Henny for quite a while.
Only then did Henny stretch lazily, rubbing her eyes as she let out a sleepy hum or two.
When she opened her slightly blurry eyes and saw Viktor standing by the bed, she wasn't alarmed in the slightest.
Instead, she just giggled foolishly at him, squinting her eyes as she climbed onto him, hanging on like a koala, before promptly falling back asleep.
Viktor, "..."
Viktor felt like his sanity was about to collapse.
Vega, perched on the pole, watched the two of them and burst into a fit of chattering laughter.
But when he noticed Viktor's icy glare, he stopped laughing, flapped his wings, and flew out of the room.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to toss in a final remark, "Well then, I won't disturb your… pleasant time."
And after that, he even thoughtfully shut the door behind him.
"..."
Viktor didn't know what filthy nonsense that damned crow was thinking, but right now, the situation made him too afraid to move.
Henny was wearing only a thin nightgown, exposing large patches of snow-white skin, soft, smooth, and impossibly tempting.
He tried to pry her off him but couldn't figure out where to even start.
This was a big problem, Henny's natural succubus charm wafted up to his nose, tickling him, teasing him.
No matter what, Viktor was still a man. Under this kind of seductive aura, his breathing grew heavy; it was hard to keep his composure.
He bent down and gently lifted Henny off his body, laying her back on the bed.
From the outside, this position looked very bad, like he was pressing her beneath him.
As if the next second, something that couldn't possibly pass censorship was about to happen.
But after doing all that, Viktor merely opened his mouth softly and called out the girl's name.
"Henny."
It was as if the sound of her name had some kind of magic to it. Hearing it, Henny blinked groggily, eyes hazy with sleep.
This time, she actually woke up.
She opened her eyes, and immediately saw Viktor right in front of her.
"Eh!? Professor!?"
Her face turned as red as a ripe apple, and she couldn't help but cry out, "W-Wh-What's going on!?"
That being said, she still didn't let go of Viktor. Maybe because his sudden appearance startled her so much, she forgot that she was wrapped around him like an octopus.
Viktor's face darkened frighteningly as he spoke in a calm, cold tone, "This is my room."
"Ah!"
———
With a "whoosh," Henny dove under the blanket, curling up in the corner of the bed and trembling, only her head peeking out.
Whether it was fear or panic, she kept apologizing over and over.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"I, I don't know why I fell asleep in your room, Professor! I only meant to come report something to you…"
She stole a glance at Viktor sitting in the chair, her cheeks still flushed red.
She had thought she was dreaming about Professor Viktor just now, but that wasn't a dream…?
Even though her heart was full of happiness, she was still scared that the professor might be angry.
And judging by Viktor's face, he didn't look very happy.
"So, you came to find me… dressed like that?"
At those words, Henny yelped and ducked her head back under the blanket, not daring to look at Viktor, mumbling "I'm sorry" again and again.
"When I wake up too early, I get a bit dazed and… forget to put on outer clothes…"
Her voice grew smaller and smaller until it was like a mosquito's faint buzzing, barely audible.
Listening to her explanation, Viktor's expression only darkened further.
Succubi were truly dangerous creatures.
He'd almost lost control just now.
A succubus's unique allure and sweet scent were their natural weapons for luring men.
Now that Henny had magic power, her succubus nature was beginning to fully manifest.
She probably didn't even realize she possessed such an ability, it was like an instinct for her kind.
Even unconsciously, that charm could affect Viktor.
Combined with that flimsy nightgown, it was enough to drive a man mad.
Viktor had to use [Self-Suggestion] three times before he managed to calm down a little.
In the game, he'd seen succubi before, had even killed a few himself.
But in the game, when a succubus used "Charm" on a player, it just gave a 50% damage reduction debuff. After all, the game characters couldn't even take off their underwear, so there was never any… real danger.
But now, Viktor was a real, flesh-and-blood man.
He had to lecture Henny a bit, at the very least, she couldn't keep doing things like this.
Otherwise, he might really end up doing something that would betray the girl's will.
Feeling helpless, Viktor could only add a note of intimidation to his tone.
"Remember this, Henny, no one can hold back around you forever."
"If it happens again, I can't promise I won't do something… out of line."
"..."
Hearing that, Henny slowly poked her head out from the blanket and looked up at Viktor carefully.
"…Really?"
There was even a hint of expectation in her voice.
Viktor, "?"
'Wait. That didn't sound right.'
"If it's the professor… I-I don't mind…"
"..."
Henny looked at him shyly, the blanket slipping slightly to reveal her pale, delicate shoulder, her eyes full of silky charm.
Viktor closed his eyes.
Yeah, there was no suppressing this anymore.
A pure, beautiful girl, looking at you like that, it was nearly impossible to resist.
But…
He opened his eyes again, stood up, and his gaze became crystal clear.
"Henny."
"Mm… Mmh?"
Like a startled fawn, she lifted her head nervously to look at him, both flustered and hopeful.
"At least for now, I won't accept you."
"..."
The light in Henny's eyes dimmed slightly at those words.
Although deep down, she had always known, she had never truly expected anything.
She knew perfectly well how vast the distance between her and the professor was. So it was enough… just to secretly like him.
Henny liked the professor, but she would never trouble him because of it.
Even if it meant loving him quietly, for a lifetime.
She herself didn't even realize, when did a succubus ever become capable of such devotion?
'Wait a second.'
Her eyes lit up a little again.
Didn't Professor Viktor just say, 'At least for now?'
She looked up at him in disbelief, but his expression remained as indifferent as ever.
"You're too weak. Right now, you can't even be called a mage."
"At least catch up to me first."
She blinked at him blankly, but the next moment, a long black robe fell onto her face, covering her completely.
Her vision went dark; she couldn't see Viktor anymore. She reached up to pull the robe off, but his voice came instead.
"Get dressed. And don't forget, you still have something to report to me."
After that, the only sounds were the door opening and closing.
When Henny finally pulled the robe off, Viktor was already gone.
But the happiness in her chest swelled, and his words still echoed in her mind.
"Catch up… to Professor Viktor?"
As the most gifted young mage alive, Viktor had already reached the Fourth Tier at such a young age.
Could she ever do that…?
Yet, as the lingering warmth faded, a tide of magic surged within her body, like the rising sea.
That growing magic power seemed to prove something to her.
Catching up to Viktor wasn't impossible.
Henny clutched the robe in her arms and cheered herself on.
Actually, Viktor didn't know, succubi had another trait that players could never discover.
Once a succubus recognized someone as their chosen one, she would never give up.
She would chase him, cling to him, and never let go, not until her very life was spent.
"I can do it… I definitely can!"
———
When Viktor stepped out the door, the crow was perched on the stair railing, dozing off.
Without a word, Viktor walked up, grabbed it by the neck.
The crow snapped awake, its one visible eye bulging like it was choking.
"Let go, Viktor! Let go! You trying to choke me to death, kidding~"
Vega shot him a teasing look and easily wriggled free.
It flew onto Viktor's shoulder, preening its feathers in irritation, claiming they were beautiful.
Well, you could hardly understand a crow's sense of beauty anyway.
Soon after, once its feathers were fixed, Vega spoke in that supremely annoying tone, "What's this, Lord Viktor done already?"
"Not even counting the undressing time, it's only been five minutes, don't you think that's a little… short?"
It looked him up and down with mockery gleaming in its eye.
"Sometimes, I really want to tear that beak of yours off."
Viktor replied flatly, walking toward the study without slowing down.
Vega didn't shut up, in fact, it laughed even louder, clutching its belly with its wings.
"No way! Between being a beast and being worse than a beast, you actually picked the latter?"
"Don't tell me… you can't?"
Viktor ignored it and kept walking.
Vega got more and more excited, giggling as it went on.
"Hey, she's a succubus, you know! There'll come a day when you can't hold out anymore."
"You can't seriously believe a succubus would never… right?"
Viktor stopped, looked down at Vega, and said calmly, "Since she's Henny, she'll only obey my orders."
"A weak succubus can't withstand the magic of a Fourth-Tier mage. Indulging her would only hurt her."
"So, she needs to become stronger."
Vega blinked, then its eyes gleamed slyly as it understood.
"You can even use the admiration of those around you as leverage. Should I call you cold-blooded and heartless, or praise you for your cunning foresight?"
Viktor didn't reply. Only Vega's voice echoed softly in his ear as he walked away, "Just don't go counting me in your schemes too, when the time comes."