Playing Cupid: The Desire Experiment
Kukuku... This is turning out quite entertaining.
Minwoo stifled a laugh inside as he watched Line and Viscount Selton engrossed in their childish antics right next to him. Thanks to the perception inhibition suggestion he'd planted, the two had no idea he was there at all.
He'd already run plenty of experiments on perception manipulation with Ernate and Siola, so there was no room for error. Minwoo had implanted different pieces of brainwashing in Viscount Selton and Line—for a specific experiment.
The brainwashing on Viscount Selton was a simple memory alteration concerning Line. Direct changes to someone's prize were impossible, but this didn't contradict his love for her, so it was fine. The memory tweak he'd planted went something like this: He caught Line, forgave her, and confessed his feelings instead. They reconciled, and he took her as his concubine. It was the ideal outcome the viscount had dreamed of.
Imperial law forbade nobles from marrying beastkin as primary spouses, but concubines were allowed. The viscount already had a wife and children, but Minwoo had simply hypnotized the whole lot of them to resolve that little issue.
As for Line, he'd implanted a suggestion making her mistake Viscount Selton's body scent for her mother's. Her mother had died shortly after she was born, which left an even deeper, wistful longing buried in her unconscious. Minwoo had awakened it. He'd learned from Aisha that olfactory triggers worked wonders on beastkin. What you learn, you use.
The result? Line felt an inexplicable intimacy toward Viscount Selton. No matter how her rational mind screamed that he was the enemy, hostility never arose—instead, she felt only affection.
In effect, Minwoo had played cupid and brought them together. Why go to such lengths? Because I wanted to see what changes happen when you fulfill a subject's deepest desires.
All the targets Minwoo had hypnotized so far—the Demon King Ernate and Siola, and Aisha—harbored desires that were hard to grant easily. Ernate and Siola wished for the hero's downfall; Aisha dreamed of love with the now-unattainable Leon. Testing the aftermath of fulfillment was tricky. The succubus sisters, meanwhile, lacked any true desires from the start—just primal urges and mana to sustain themselves. In a way, they were like innocent children, unfit for the experiment.
Viscount Selton, on the other hand, had a clear prize: Line. His affection for her, and his desire to love her mutually. Judging him perfect for the test, Minwoo dove right in.
He couldn't directly alter Line's memories or feelings for the viscount, but like with Aisha, sensory manipulation diluted her hostility toward him considerably. Luckily, time had worn down her vengefulness more than expected, making it possible.
"Rest well for today. I'll inform the servants properly."
"W-Wait...!"
As Viscount Selton turned to leave the room again, Line unconsciously grabbed his hand. Her subconscious dreaded parting from the man who smelled like her mother.
The viscount blinked in mild surprise but kept his gentle smile. "What's wrong? Do you need something?"
"N-No... I mean..."
Flustered by her own unconscious action, Line soon blurted, "Why are you... being so nice to me? I thought... you hated me?"
"Hated you?"
"Then... you don't?"
Even after all these years, Line still remembered raping the viscount. Reverse rape or not, it was still rape. And he had been just a boy then—the trauma must have been immense. The old Line wouldn't have cared how he felt about it, but now? She did. Though she couldn't pinpoint why, she was anxious that Viscount Selton might hate her—like a child terrified of abandonment by her parents. That emotion had quietly taken root in her heart.
Viscount Selton smiled softly. "Surely not... because of that incident?"
"...!"
Even phrased vaguely as "that incident," they both knew exactly what he meant. As Line nodded silently, he continued in a kind tone.
"I told you I'd forgotten it. It was so long ago, from my childhood—I barely remember. I said not to worry..."
"But..."
Seeing her lingering unease, Viscount Selton approached and took her hand. "Is that why?"
"Huh?"
"Why you haven't given me an answer to my confession."
"What are you...?"
Line tilted her head in confusion, and the viscount grew serious. "I said I love you. That's why I'm taking you as my concubine. And yet you..."
"Huh? H-Huuuh?"
Stunned by his bold confession, Line could only fluster. When did I become his concubine? And he loves me? This is absurd! Pre-brainwashing Line would've brushed it off, but now she felt extreme intimacy toward him. Baffled yet blushing furiously, she didn't pull away—instead, she just stood there, at a loss.
Pffft...! Viscount Selton, you're more of a man than I thought. A bit sappy, but...
Minwoo pinched his thigh repeatedly to hold back laughter at the honey-sweet scene. Making noise wouldn't break the perception block, but he'd nearly forgotten that fact—their vibe was that steamy.
Still, it worked out great. I worried without tweaking Line's memories directly, but things are going smoother than expected. She'll accept his love soon enough.
Satisfied, Minwoo grinned and pondered the experiment's next phase. His long-awaited enjoyment time was near.
...
For the experiment, Minwoo stayed at Viscount Selton's estate longer than planned. He and Line needed time to fully unite.
While monitoring their progress, Minwoo found another task: verifying his new demon body. The incubus powers demanded testing. Knowing his strength precisely would help in any situation.
Luckily, becoming a demon didn't tip off Aisha. She just complimented how well his new clothes suited him—no suspicion at all. It was all thanks to Minwoo's unique constitution.
Demons usually exuded a distinct aura and mana that even moderately trained folks could detect—why Siola couldn't wander among humans freely. But Minwoo, an otherworlder who wasn't a hero, started with zero mana. Unlike heroes who grew massive mana vessels, he lacked even the container.
That trait persisted post-transformation. Plus, his glow stick absorbed infinite mana without detectable storage—an eerie property. To otherworlders, it was just a weird stick. He could channel that stored mana through his body as needed. Though his incubus form couldn't store mana itself, it was an ideal conduit.
Thus, perfect human camouflage—no rejection for his sudden change. If even a hero like Aisha missed it, the hero party should be fine too. Minwoo's guess, anyway.
With free movement confirmed, he began rigorously testing his incubus abilities.
He'd thought fixing his stamina was enough, but as an incubus, new fun possibilities excited him.
First up: confirm stamina resolution. The succubus sisters test used Jerome's magic circle, skewing results. Minwoo couldn't even pinpoint when he'd become an incubus.
He could've returned to the Demon King's Castle for Ernate and Siola if time allowed, but leaving the estate was tough—he had to watch Selton and Line.
Aisha was the handiest option. Induce heat, fuck as much as wanted, then claim it was a dream next day. Full brainwashing could've skipped excuses, but Minwoo saw no need. Their fling wasn't ongoing, and he didn't want to corrupt the kind-hearted woman who'd treated him well. Surprisingly, he had some conscience(?) there. Applied on his own terms, of course.