Chapter 8
Translator: IPO
Chapter 8
The Succubus Empress had to endure quite a few inconveniences while living in modern society.
For instance, if I thought, ‘Ah, today feels stifling, so I won’t wear a veil,’ and went outside barefaced, or if my outfit were slightly disheveled and even a bit of skin showed, it would be an absolute disaster.
If someone like me went out dressed as lasciviously as an ordinary succubus, those without mental resistance or tolerance would suffer severe physical and mental damage.
In the case of Assemblyman Lee Hyun-woo, who appeared on the morning news, I had openly harbored hostility, so the degree of self-destruction was a bit extreme.
Anyway, when I go out, I have to be careful not to destroy everyone’s mind like some foreign media that annihilates consciousness on a massive scale.
Of course, it wouldn’t be impossible if I wanted to….
Well, today, I’m going out for a drink after a long time.
“Hahaha, it’s been a while since you went out alone.”
Feeling the slightly thick yet warm air, a sense of liberation surged.
It was strange that going out during the day, after only going out at night, brought such a peculiar sense of freedom.
The Succubus Empress naturally had many restrictions in daily life.
For example, whenever I went somewhere, a relevant government official had to know my location and destination, or if I spent money, they had to know how much and where.
Also, I had to report in detail to the agency about when, where, and how I used my abilities, including supernatural ones, and getting permission to go out was usually impossible due to all sorts of restrictions.
In short… in principle, going out alone in broad daylight without a supervisor or Officer Dan was not allowed.
The government of this country was terribly afraid of me.
Or maybe they found me amusing rather than scary?
Perhaps it was both.
Naturally, minor issues in my daily life and the bureaucratic complaints starting with ‘This would be problematic’ were mostly handled by Officer Dan.
That was why I liked Officer Dan.
After all, she took care of me like family, like a mother.
Her sharp yet slightly goofy nature was also endearing.
Of course, I could understand the government’s position.
The title of Empress of Succubi was terrifying in itself, and I was a special monitored returnee already on the government’s radar. If I were a public official considering it from the other side, I would have also kept a close watch on the Succubus Empress as a monitored returnee and a potential threat.
But why should I care about accommodating the government and agencies?
For what they had done….
“Ah, no. Bad thoughts stop here. It’s been a long time since I went out alone, so I’ll think only pleasant thoughts.”
Weekday daytime.
A slightly quiet city scene, yet with some traces of life.
Buttons were tightly fastened. The veil was well in place.
I carried my favorite black parasol.
Even though my skin wouldn’t get sunburned or tanned, holding a black parasol enhanced the atmosphere and made the scene visually appealing.
Some might ask why someone who was originally male would be obsessed with beauty or prettiness, but as a Succubus Empress, my consciousness itself pursued beauty, so it wasn’t strange.
Though I might not even open the parasol once outside.
“Good morning~ Officer Dan~”
I smiled while looking at the mansion where Officer Dan slept.
Still, it’s a high-end bed, so she should sleep well.
Ah, she even picked out the bed herself.
“Hehe, it’s all Officer Dan’s fault for being so easily tempted.”
She would probably sleep the whole day.
If she woke up and said, ‘Jaehee! You tricked me!’ she might get angry, but I did feel some sympathy seeing her fatigued.
It must have been exhausting managing me so intensely, yet she even led night-sea observation missions as a high-level hunter.
No matter how superior the body, mental fatigue wears humans down.
Even if she dragged her exhausted body to work, bureaucratic procedures and tasks are always inefficient, most of which she wouldn’t need to personally attend.
Her real duty was managing me.
If needed, I could just say I had coaxed Officer Dan, so there would be no disadvantage for her.
-Click clack.
Stepping outside, a slightly chilly and gloomy cloud rolled in.
Though the morning had been full of bright sunlight, now a somber gray settled over the streets, giving the city an air of depression.
A slight wind blew, but it only added dampness rather than coolness.
Perhaps due to the low temperature, there were surprisingly few people, even in broad daylight.
Was it because of the chilly weather?
Or because of last night’s sea phenomenon, making people avoid going out?
It wasn’t completely deserted, but it felt as if only the sound of my shoes echoed in the ears.
Either way, feeling as if I alone possessed this wide space was quite pleasant.
“Wow, damn….”
“Yes, yes, Boss. I’ll be there right…huff.”
A few people I passed gave me shockingly vacant stares, but this had become routine, and I was unmoved.
Admiring and being captivated by beauty wasn’t exclusive to succubi; humans experienced it too.
It was only natural for people to be stunned and mentally dazed by seeing me.
Truthfully, I felt a slight boost in pride from their reactions.
Even with the veil and fully fastened buttons, my beauty couldn’t be completely hidden—it was that remarkable.
Sometimes, those filled with unreasoned confidence don’t stop at admiration…
“Ah… maiden… today I must… hold you… for a moment, become this old man’s servant… shall we share… beautiful love… together…?”
“…?”
As soon as he spoke, an incredible example appeared in reality.
Oh my, I almost wanted to photograph him and broadcast it live online.
“…maiden… though I have nothing… I must have you…”
Sigh.
Such.
An involuntary, almost rude sigh escaped me.
No need to respond to this.
No need to remove the veil and face him barefaced.
“Hah, hhh!”
Just a half-mooned eye-smile would usually send such types into a near-mental climax, leaving them incoherent.
Soon, a passerby might call 119, and the bold delinquent approaching me would be taken to the hospital.
Of course, this was all intentional, and I wouldn’t bother calling 119.
Too troublesome.
It happened far too often.
I didn’t watch to see what that old man became in the end.
I have no taste for lingering on shabby and grotesque things.
Cruel?
Don’t be mistaken.
I generally aim for a humanlike life, but fundamentally, I am a Succubus Empress at the peak of demonkind; I am not a good person.
“Next time, I’ll have to undo a button.”
Undoing one button increases my beauty by a remarkable 1.25 times.
In other words, while admiration and reverence for my beauty might increase, the tendency of people to approach me directly decreases.
Anyway, just walking down the street, I quietly enjoyed the pride and self-admiration for my beauty.
Eventually, I reached an old street with a foreboding air.
Modern South Korea…
No, not just South Korea, the entire world was far from safe or peaceful.
After the Great Rift in 2030, awakened individuals appeared worldwide. Dungeons and gates, all kinds of monsters and beasts, and phenomena inexplicable by science or physics occurred endlessly, so peace was the strange anomaly.
Metropolises retained forms closer to pre-rift shapes, but venturing into rural or outlying areas revealed post-apocalyptic landscapes.
Old streets enveloped in still silence.
Law enforcement concentrated in cities, leaving outer areas bleak.
Occasionally, monsters or mutants would emerge from shadows, along with illegitimate or uncontrolled societies nearby.
This was once called Hongdae’s bustling district, but now, beyond the Han River, the Mapo District itself had decayed and fallen.
Naturally, there were controllers protecting this area.
Soldiers were stationed along the Han River boundary, and law enforcement awakened and public-service hunters patrolled Mapo, but few could actually stop me.
Today, I was lucky; no patrolling forces crossed my path.
Of course, people still lived in Mapo.
Although many were criminals or illegals, some had no choice but to move here due to Seoul’s high housing prices.
Walking through the dilapidated scene, an old bar with a precariously shaking sign caught my eye.
The sign was too old and corroded to read, but it was one of my favorite spots.
-Creak.
The old door squeaked as I opened it, folded my parasol, and crossed the threshold slowly.
Inside, the bar contrasted with the gloomy exterior, being cozy and neat.
Old furniture filled the space, with moderately dim lighting suiting my taste.
The walls were decorated with all sorts of unknown liquor and whiskey bottles.
Behind the counter, a middle-aged man quietly polished cocktail glasses.
“…….”
The first thing that struck me was his intense gaze.
And an appearance as if stepped out of a black-and-white film.
The lines of his face were sharp and sculpted, radiating a calm yet masculine strength.
High cheekbones stood like cliffs, and deep eyes beneath conveyed age and solitude.
Clearly, he was older, yet personally, I found him more handsome than young actors or idols.
His name was Mickelson.
He was the owner of the bar.
It resembled some movie actor’s name, but whether it was real or fake, and what his surname truly was, I didn’t know.
I didn’t particularly care.
Even with my presence, he remained focused on polishing glasses.
‘Still the same.’
Ah, I had no desire to captivate a man, but to be ignored entirely by someone who would normally notice me was slightly bruising to pride.
But it was fine.
I knew him, and he knew me.
“It’s been a while, Mickelson.”
When I greeted him, he finally directed his shadowed eyes toward me.
He showed no warmth or pleasure but calmly responded.
Just like any ordinary day.
Calmly, and ordinarily.
“…To your seat.”
Following his low voice, I sat at the bar.
“A Scotch, please.”
“…Ice?”
“Leave it out. I want to savor the aroma today.”
“…Very well.”
Mickelson poured the Scotch into a clear glass with a skilled, almost artistic touch.
Then, without hesitation, he discarded it.
‘At first I was surprised when he threw away the precious liquor, but it was to discard the residual aroma in the glass, right?’
Then Mickelson poured Scotch into a Nosing Glass to better appreciate its aroma, added ice, and next, cold water to adjust concentration and temperature.
Curiously, he dipped his fingers into water beforehand.
Of course, he must have washed his hands, but why dip them in water remained a question.
“Why dip your fingers in water?”
“…Ordinary bartenders sometimes pour hot water from a bottle by mistake. That’s the surest way to ruin whiskey.”
His husky yet gentlemanly voice made me smile.
It was the voice of a middle-aged man radiating charm.
A voice that could make one sleepy just by listening.
If I praise him like this, it’s high commendation.
“Hot water? Such a rookie mistake, isn’t it?”
“I’ve tasted whiskey ruined by warmth six times in my life: twice in America, once in France, once in Stockholm, twice in the UK.”
Finishing the words, Mickelson returned to preparing whiskey.
He swirled the poured whiskey lightly and added cold water.
Alcohol concentration only to about 35 percent, just slightly.
The ideal concentration to bring out whiskey aroma.
“Miscalculating the concentration numbs taste buds and distorts flavor.”
“My taste buds shouldn’t be numbed by alcohol?”
“You cannot be certain. Yours are far more delicate than humans; perhaps alcohol numbing is more effective on you.”
“That’s true.”
Originally, I wasn’t fond of alcohol, but with this body, I began to appreciate the deep taste and aroma of liquor and cocktails beautifully.
I didn’t get drunk, which was a pity, but the bar’s atmosphere could intoxicate.
-Clink.
Finally, a complete Scotch whiskey was presented before me.
After a busy or exhausting day, nothing matched the sound of whiskey being poured.
With gentle lighting and a slightly dark yet classic bar.
Alone, holding a whiskey glass.
“Shall I remove the veil?”
“Oh, I forgot.”
As previously stated… I must not remove the veil recklessly.
My appearance could harm both civilians and awakened alike.
However, there are a few spaces where I can safely remove it.
One is my home.
Another is when alone with Officer Dan.
And the last…
Is this place.
“Hah, this is comfortable….”
“….”
Even without the veil, the indifferent bartender didn’t glance at me.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t beautiful.
His heart had a void.
With a hole in his heart, there was no room for beauty or love, so he would not be captivated by me.
A truly pitiful being.
I enjoyed the whiskey’s aroma using that pitiful man as accompaniment.
And I drank.
Hello, whiskey.
How have you been?
Oh, so delicious and fragrant.
And farewell.
“Gulp.”
Haaah….
My face flushed.
Feeling good.
Feeling good made enjoyment inevitable.
“Mickelson, what shall I play for you today?”
“….”
At my words, Mickelson paused his polishing, as if pondering.
He did not ask for money.
So I gave him something else instead.
“1973, Joel Villard. Pianist.”
“Oh my, you like that.”
It suited the bar perfectly.
~♬
Before I knew it, the record began, with its characteristic slight noise.
While I enjoyed Scotch, Mickelson must have already placed the LP.
Saxophone sounds.
Piano sounds.
And my voice intertwined.
“It’s late on a Saturday night,
And people gather one by one.
An old man sits beside me,
Staring at the memories in his glass~”
Fortunately… I knew this song.
I liked it too.
Ah, perhaps I should have adapted it to the Scotch I was drinking instead of tonic and gin?
No.
The original lyrics felt more nostalgic and familiar, so no unnecessary adaptation.
“He softly whispers to me,
‘Your music is what brought me here.’
Though my piano only makes sound,
People find themselves in the notes.”
Even for unknown songs, the Succubus Empress naturally improves beauty in all things, but singing a song I know and love was far more enjoyable.
“La la la, di di da
La la, di di da da da~”
Fortunately… he seemed pleased.
He didn’t smile, but even with a heart void of love and beauty, his eyes showed pleasure.
Even without feeling love or beauty, enjoying the song while polishing glasses made me happy.
“Play for us, O pianist~!
Lift us all away from reality.
As long as this song is playing,
The world can rest for just a while.”*
You gave me a glass of whiskey,
I gave you a song.