The Crumbling Siegfried Duke: Seria, Lilith's Daughter
Seria flinched in surprise upon spotting Siegfried Duke in the distance. She clearly had no desire to face her father like this.
The gates of the Siegfried mansion swung open, and Siegfried Duke came rushing out in a disheveled state. His eyes brimmed with murderous intent, fueled by our past enmity.
"What is the meaning of this, Minister Dmitry! Are you trying to humiliate me?!"
"It's been a while, Duke Siegfried."
Unlike the duke, who was bulging veins in his neck with rage, my voice remained calm and composed. He glared at me.
"Care to explain the situation?"
"Just paying a courtesy visit. I'm a key figure in His Majesty's cabinet, after all. And you're the cornerstone of the noble faction."
Siegfried Duke heaved heavy breaths, his shoulders rising and falling. Had the ordeals taken such a toll? His once-platinum hair had turned stark white, and new wrinkles etched his face.
Ignoring Seria standing beside me as best he could, he spoke up. "I've kept my guest waiting too long. Come inside."
He ground his teeth and led the way in. I followed silently to the drawing room. Seria trembled pitifully at my side, but I paid her no mind. From here on, I planned to deliberately ignore her.
Today, I would become the devil. There was no Morris pondering the empire's power balance. Only the Morris hell-bent on crushing Lilith remained.
"Why bring your maid along?" Siegfried Duke asked.
"What business is it of yours if I bring my own maid, Duke?"
"Just curious. That's all."
In the drawing room, I sipped the tea served by his servant. The moment it touched my tongue, a sharp sting hit.
"Hm, Goldric tea. You've mixed in mana-sealing poison, lethal to mages. Do you really think I'd drop dead from poison in something like this?"
I closed my eyes and slurped it down. Combining Goldric with mana-sealing was deadly for mages—a type undetectable unless ingested. Of course, it only worked on those below the 7th Circle.
Poison, huh. An amusing ploy.
Even with two circles damaged by Lilith, I was still an 8th Circle mage. Neutralizing this was child's play.
'And I've partially recovered using the mana she released in her heat.'
I could operate up to the 7th Circle without issue.
"Ah, my apologies. Must've been a mistake by my servant. It's my favorite lately—helps boost stamina for the knights."
For non-mages, it did enhance virility, as he said. Rumors even claimed it kept you hard all night.
"Could happen."
Slurp. The tongue-numbing sensation wasn't entirely unpleasant.
"But failing to correct such a 'mistake' leaves me no choice but to assume intent."
"No need to worry. I'll handle it."
"Appreciated."
Slurp. I took another sip. The servant who prepared it went pale. I probably wouldn't see him tomorrow. Poor guy. But that's this world for you.
"Minister Dmitry, state your business."
"Lilith."
I uttered the succubus's name—Seria's mother, the transcendent succubus. He had to know what it meant.
"You won't pretend ignorance, will you?"
"No idea. First time hearing it."
"Forcing me to pull out academy records, are you?"
I produced a thick stack of documents proving Seria was a descendant of the transcendent Lilith.
"You wouldn't dare undermine the academy's authority, would you? I'd take that as a direct challenge to the Magic Department."
After glaring at me briefly, the duke sighed.
"How much do you know?"
"That Lilith herself came to me, saying she and this maid had caused me no end of trouble. Shall we leave it there?"
He glanced between Seria and me.
"I see... It had to come to this."
He murmured with closed eyes, resigned. Protecting the family by sacrificing Seria must have tormented him. He looked utterly exhausted.
At those words, I cranked Rotor to maximum output.
"Ngh!"
A groan came from behind—Seria's.
"What's wrong?" Siegfried Duke asked her first, unable to hide his concern for his daughter.
"Mind your own business. It's just a lowly maid."
I blocked him without even turning.
"It's nothing, sir. My leg cramped."
I didn't respond, merely watching the worried duke.
"You demon..."
I felt Seria's glare on my back. Her whisper, meant only for me, rang clear.
Is that so. 'Demon.'
First time hearing it, but it didn't sound bad. Secretly tormenting his daughter before her father? It fit me perfectly right now.
No intention of stopping. She wouldn't have come if she couldn't endure this far. Over half the blame was hers. Mine? Less than 10%, if I had to quantify.
"Hah, no hiding it now."
The duke pressed his temples hard.
"The emperor would love hearing Siegfried's tied to a demon."
"...Can't we keep it secret?"
His eyes turned to Seria.
"Admitting dealings with a demon? You'd lose the family you sold your daughter to save. It'd become known as the house that sold souls to devils."
I'd look like the devil.
"You bastard! How dare you speak like that?!"
Siegfried roared in fury.
"Because you're a duke? Or because Siegfried's an ancient house?"
I crossed my legs.
"A family worth selling your daughter for might as well not exist."
"You scum!"
The first to lunge was Musk, the Swordmaster behind him. But his sword didn't budge. Mana in the air bound it fast.
"Guard Captain Musk of the duke's house—this isn't your place."
I fixed him with an icy stare. Blood welled in his glaring, bloodshot eyes.
"Feels like I've become the villain here."
I leaned back.
"When the soul-selling was someone else."
The duke's clenched fists trembled.
"Morris... Dmitry!"
"Calling my name won't solve it."
Bringing Seria had the desired effect. Starting with poison in the tea? Not like the duke.
'That scene via Musk must've hit hard.'
His daughter ravaged by a rival after he abandoned her. Tougher to endure than death, perhaps. That's why I brought her—to pressure him for honest info on Lilith.
A bit hardline for neutral faction outreach, but no choice. Without dealing with Lilith, Seria remained a toxic variable in my peaceful noble life.
Can't return to my old world? Then carve a spot here and survive anew.
A war-free empire. That's what I wanted. For my own safety, at least.
'Lilith must die.'
The duke, deep in thought, looked at Seria.
"I'll talk. But let Seria leave this room first."
"Siegfried, another breach of etiquette. She's my maid. Not Seria. Don't presume to name my maid."
His pupils quivered. The enmity drained from his face.
"My mistake. Visiting you after you became Magic Minister—that was my error."
He repeated in a hollow voice.
"Speak. First abandonment was easy—second harder?"
"You're... a demon."
Blood trickled from the duke's mouth. Silence blanketed the drawing room.
Thud. He slumped into his chair, fight gone. He'd realized no one here could match me.
"A one-night mistake."
"Mistake?"
"Yes. Back when I was vigorous, I met Lilith. Didn't know she was a succubus then."
He recalled his first encounter with Lilith.
"I was Duke Siegfried. Had an heir, a wife—ran the house solidly. We were among the empire's elite."
"Siegfried was, yes."
"To keep succession clean, I was meticulous with contraception. Applied herbs to every woman's entrance. Even my wife."
Two sons besides Seria—his former heirs, grown and in key posts.
Once.
"Yes, two princes of Siegfried. Not anymore."
His eyes were vacant.
"Yes, Seria was the youngest."
"A concubine, right? Lilith."
"Yes. No heirs from her—that was the deal. But that night, the herbs failed."
"Hence the 'mistake'?"
"Yes! Seria was an accident. Not planned! No demon pact."
He rambled incoherently. Fearing demon contract charges? Losing his hard-won house again?
Drained of vigor, he blurted whatever came to mind, heedless of witnesses.
"Oh? A 'mistake' daughter. The ones in the afterlife must be heartbroken."
I didn't look at Seria, but I knew her expression. The frail face of a twice-abandoned daughter. Grief? Rage?
I could tell from the duke's face opposite me.
'Rage.'
His gaze reached Seria behind me.
"But I saw her as my daughter! Loved her truly—still do! Can't forget her!"
His eyes avoided me. Obvious who he addressed.
In that instant, his face aged years. I could guess Seria's look but couldn't face it. Her rage would turn on me too—the one who forced this painful secret.
Instead, I watched a duke reduced to a mere father, abandoned even by his last daughter. His eyes lost all will. Gone was the drive to reclaim her—his sole motivation.
"Sad family tale. Couldn't listen without tears. But your charges are cleared. Succubus slips happen—especially transcendent ones."
Irresistible, surely. Today, I extracted the lifelong secret: Seria, born of Siegfried Duke and Lilith's union.
Not cloned like other succubi—carried in her own womb.
'Intriguing.'
Thus, Lilith's deeper bond with Seria than her other daughters. Now I understood her possession ability.
And a way to kill that damned transcendent succubus.
The key to slaying Lilith lay in Seria.
'No need to hunt other succubi.'
I stood.
"Heard all I wanted. Thanks for the intel. Our secret. I'll never forget your efforts to protect the house."
"Time to go. Much work left."
For the first time since arriving, I looked at Seria. She trembled, glaring murderously at Siegfried Duke.
"How could you say that... Even so..."
I saw her lips form words she couldn't voice: I'm your daughter.
'Impressive willpower.'
How could she stand so firm amid that ecstasy?
Her rage-filled face turned to me next.
—Best not to speak.
I telepathed into her mind.
"We're leaving."
I touched her body. This time, I admitted defeat.
She wouldn't climax till home. So I cheated.
Mana flowed from my hand—true calming magic. Her seething fury ebbed, relief washing over her.
As anger faded, forgotten pleasure surged.
"Kyaaah!"
She shuddered, legs giving out as she collapsed. Overwhelmed, she blacked out.
"Oh dear. She must be quite ill."
"Wh-what happened?"
The duke looked up, voice thick with paternal worry. The man who'd sacrificed his daughter twice for the house was gone. Even Siegfried couldn't endure his daughter's face full of rage and contempt.
"None of your concern. My maid's affair."
Tears welled in the duke's humbled eyes.
"Ahh... Seria... What have I done..."
"Then we'll be off. I'll visit again soon."
Siegfried Duke covered his face with both hands. Like cursed, he repeated himself.
"Seria... Father is sorry..."
Seria's eyes fluttered open to a familiar ceiling—the room where she always slept and woke.
'What...'
She'd been in the Siegfried mansion. She recalled Morris touching her last.
"I won the bet."
Morris's voice came from beside her.
"That was cheating."
"But I won. You couldn't hold out till we returned."
She knew it was sophistry but couldn't retort.
"Seria, do you hate me?"
No answer.
"Can't blame you. But remember this."
"..."
"Abandoned by your house, I'm all you've got."
"...You did it on purpose, didn't you?"
"What?"
"Bringing me to the Siegfried mansion."
"Yes. With you, I could pressure the duke. And extract Lilith's secrets easily. That's why."
"You're awful."
Seria regretted it—even briefly liking this man.
But one thing she had to admit: He was perfectly taming her.
Her glare sharpened.
"Anyway, I won the bet, so it'll be as agreed."
"Do as you like. You never planned to heed my opinion anyway."
"Knew you'd say that, so I've already engraved it."
Morris stroked below her navel, where her lewd crest was etched.
Lingering pleasure? Just his touch heated her lower belly.
"Intense, wasn't it? The spot you stood was soaked—maids cleaning might notice."
Seria clamped her mouth shut.
"Rest today. New training starts tomorrow."