Chapter 288. A Happy Ellis
I placed the unconscious Liliana on my lap and sat down on the sofa. Pat, pat. Soft hair. Smooth skin perfect for stroking. An elegant yet indecent beauty. A delicate frame with sensual curves that left viewers entranced. Was all this just because she was a succubus?
If every succubus was like this, there wouldn't be any left alive in hell. They'd all have been kidnapped by the high-ranking demons.
And a shut-in hikikomori who holed up at home turning out this pretty? That was weird too.
"…Tch."
I had no idea. The questions piled up endlessly. Liliana's memories, the Hell's Maniac Summoning Contract, Pandemic—everything was shrouded in mystery.
But Pandemic's goal was obvious: summon the Demon King and wipe out humanity. All I had to do was stop that.
"Mmm… nom."
As she slept, Liliana smacked her lips and mumbled in her sleep. It was so funny that I poked a finger at her mouth, and she latched on like she'd been waiting, sucking away.
"…Sigh."
Pure succubus behavior. I closed my eyes and leaned back into the sofa.
This is fine.
I had nothing else to do anyway. Lately, I hadn't had a moment to rest. Sometimes, just sitting here with my mind blank was helpful.
"Hng…."
Squeeze—Of course, I didn't forget to grope Liliana's breasts as she slept. The soft fullness filling my hand doubled the relaxation effect.
While fondling her with one hand, I scanned the living room. Boxes were scattered everywhere. They must have been packing for the move. They'd done a ton without me noticing.
"And here I am, the homeowner, with no clue where we're moving."
Not knowing where the head of the house was relocating? Well… it was proof I'd been busy living life! A family man gets preoccupied sometimes. I'd make up for it from now on.
Plenty of time left today—maybe we wrap up the move tonight.
Monday for a quick school day, then off to France Tuesday. Perfect timing. Assuming Liliana woke up.
"Mmm…."
About an hour later, bored and checking my smartwatch, Liliana started squirming on my lap. I turned it off and spoke.
"Liliana. Time to wake up."
Poke. Poke. I prodded her fluffy cheek. Even for a lightweight like her, my legs were starting to go numb.
"Ugh, uhh… Huh?"
Thankfully, she opened her eyes right away. She blinked in confusion, piecing things together, then lit up when our eyes met. Like a puppy spotting its owner. I couldn't help but smile a little.
"Wha? Why was I asleep?"
"…You suddenly snuggled into my arms and passed out. Must've been tired."
She didn't remember. Her reaction when she first woke up had hinted at that.
"Oh yeah? Well, I was grinding games hard. And beauties like me are sleepyheads!"
Flapping her arms, Liliana got off my lap, let out a big yawn, and started gathering her stuff.
"Packing already?"
"Yup. We're moving soon, right?"
Seeing her so carefree eased my mind. This was Liliana at her best.
"Yeah. Let's pack together. Oh, right—have you seen the new place?"
"Nope! Gotta go with you. Scarlett found it on her own, right?"
Wait, did Scarlett run off with my money? Why did no one know?
"How'd she find a place no one else knows about?"
Just then, I sensed mana slipping through the window. Swish—I turned, and calm blonde hair came into view.
"Perfect timing. Everyone's here, so we can head out now."
"…Scarlett?"
Ding—The cute Nam sisters entered through the front door.
"Huh? Oppa!"
"Ho-yeon?"
What? Everyone gathered in seconds. The dorm, just me and Liliana moments ago, was suddenly bustling.
"Da-eun. You okay?"
I hugged the rushing Da-hee and eyed Nam Da-eun. She'd looked pretty rough yesterday, but she seemed fine now.
"Yeah. Slept it off."
"Good. Scarlett, can we head to the new place now?"
Best to settle the move while we could—otherwise, it'd drag on forever. Plus, I was curious about the house.
"If that's what Ho-yeon wants, I'll guide you. Why not move in today?"
Scarlett chuckled, but her smile felt oddly ominous.
*
After Lee Ho-yeon left, Im Sol sat alone in the empty lab, legs crossed, eyes closed. She recalled three years ago, when she'd first sensed her limits as a mage.
That day, she'd realized humans had an innate ceiling. Like an ant couldn't push a human no matter its strength, no amount of magical honing could surpass a certain point. She'd intuited it instinctively.
At just 25, Im Sol had reached a realm no one before her had: the human limit, or so she'd thought.
From then on, she shifted from refining magic to diversifying it. But meeting him changed everything.
Heaven beyond heaven. Skies above the sky. The man towering over what she'd deemed her peak: Lee Ho-yeon.
She still remembered the dizzying awe of their first encounter. His mana quality was utterly different. Movements that seemed to transcend human limits. Pure, clear blue mana of breathtaking transparency.
He was surpassing her perceived limits through sheer talent alone. For Im Sol, who'd never felt talent-deficient, it was a fresh shock—a revelation. What she'd faced wasn't the end, but a towering wall.
Fuel enough to reignite her passion.
Of course, there were secrets she didn't know. She assumed his magic stemmed purely from talent and effort, but it wasn't just that. Divine intervention via his perks, unknown to her.
Without those perks, no amount of effort let Im Sol wield what he could. A tailless human couldn't wag a tail by shaking their hips.
Yet genius mage Im Sol's talent could sprout a tail from a vestigial coccyx.
"Magic reconfiguration… Mana transformed into spells. No, rethink it. The relationship between magic and mana. Maybe the entire discipline of magic was flawed from the start. Time to rebuild from the ground up."
Basing it on Ho-yeon's intuitive style, Im Sol resumed her research in the quiet lab.
"Can I prepare before the Magic Society conference…?"
Two weeks until break: about 336 hours. Assuming two hours sleep daily, over 300 hours of pure research. She smiled faintly.
Just like when she'd first touched magic… Her heart was ablaze again.
*
We finished prepping in a flash. We'd offered to help pack, but they'd already handled it without me. Even my stuff was neatly boxed—probably Nam Da-eun's doing.
We used an artifact Scarlett had: high-end, evades inspections while hiding heavy loads. First time using it for a move, she said.
Following her lead down familiar streets, we reached a massive mansion.
"Whoa. What is this? Way bigger than the hell mansion."
"Sis, can we really live here? Won't we have to pay rent?"
"…Probably fine. We'll cover utilities to save."
"Uh, yeah. I'll turn off the water tight."
Liliana bolted for the best room, while Nam Da-eun and Da-hee eyed the vast yard warily before entering.
Bringing up the rear, I stared at the place and let out a hollow laugh. A garden mirroring natural scenery, ivy climbing the walls. Small pool, veggie patch, colorful ornamental flowers. Obviously expensive.
Fine. All good. Even blowing 20 billion. But why was Ellis's house right next door?
I whispered so the others wouldn't hear.
"Hey."
"Yes, Ho-yeon."
"This why you kept it secret?"
"I have no idea what you mean."
Scarlett stood expressionless behind me, her innocent face infuriating.
"Haa…."
I turned in the wide yard. Not far at all. Hop the fence, and there was Ellis's mansion. No wonder it felt so pricey.
"Why here, seriously? I'm curious."
Not a big deal, honestly. Before, maybe—but now? Could be a plus. Things with Ellis were pretty good.
"It's courtesy to my former boss."
I shook my head at Scarlett's poised bow, hands neatly over her chest.
"Yeah. You're not normal either."
Makes sense. None of the women around me were.
"Still, I packed your things too. That's harsh."
Her hurt tone was fake, of course… So it was you.
"You did it?"
I'd assumed Da-eun.
"Snuck it in while Da-eun was hospitalized."
"…Thanks."
I pictured my neatly folded clothes. Scarlett handled unasked tasks like this. Too capable. Made her impossible to hate.
I sighed, wheeled my suitcase inside.
*
Around 6 p.m., while Lee Ho-yeon rolled around the new house with the girls, the sun still shone brightly. Ellis licked her dry lips and gazed out the window.
"…You said night. Definitely."
What counted as night? Sunset? If it were winter, it'd be nigh—but now?
She frowned at her pointless musings. Should've set an exact time. No waiting then.
Maybe message him.
Not impatience. Just to sync schedules. Though her day was lounging.
As she grabbed her smartwatch, ding—a message arrived first. From 'Sebas Chan'.
"Sebas Chan…?"
He usually went verbal or written. What now? Ellis checked curiously.
"Huh?"
Reading, Ellis furrowed her brow, then pondered. Lee Ho-yeon moving next door? Out of nowhere. But Sebas wouldn't lie. And he'd mentioned moving.
Why her neighbor, though? Her dilemma was brief. A small smile formed.
"Playing hard to get, huh."
She turned off her watch, clenched her fist, and pulled the blanket over. Tried clearing her mind, but her lips curved up anyway.
Grabbing her rising smirk, she thought: Fine. Not bad push-pull for a playboy.
He's folding after all. She canceled her draft to him. He seemed more excited than her now.
If this was his game… she could find it cute. Yeah.
"Hehe, huh. Hnng…."
Giggling softly, Ellis clutched the blanket tight.