Chapter 426: The Succubus’s Circumstances
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 426: The Succubus’s Circumstances
“Hhaah… Haah… Hnghh…”
“Hmph. I win. What a pointless battle.”
My gaze fell upon Silvia, who was sprawled out on her side on the sofa across the table, her limbs limp.
Anyone who saw her would think she’d been hit by a suicide bomb.
Well, she was still breathing, so she wasn’t dead.
“…Are you still at it?”
Diana, who must have been passing by, murmured as she approached.
For the record, we’d already played several hands of poker, and the others who had been watching at first had long since gone off to do their own thing.
I had thought it would be more effective to play one-on-one with Silvia to maximize our opportunities for eye contact, but seeing this result, maybe that idea was a failure.
Perhaps it would have been better to just have fun as a group from the start.
“Of course. This round also ended in my overwhelming victory.”
“Since when did poker become a fight to the death?”
“No, I didn’t do that. She died all on her own.”
“I’m… not dead…”
“Hmmmm?”
“Heuk!”
Silvia managed to assert that she was, in fact, alive, but when I leaned my face in close, she flailed, trying to put some distance between us.
Of course, blocked by the back of the sofa, she couldn’t move an inch. Trembling as our eyes met at point-blank range, Silvia’s head eventually drooped lifelessly…
“Don’t kill her.”
Just before Silvia expired, Diana intervened, giving my back a light smack.
Tch. Lucky girl. You’ve been spared.
“Hmm. But this special training isn’t having much of an effect.”
“Isn’t that because you made it impossible for her to concentrate on the poker game?”
“No, that’s true, but if she becomes completely unaware of my presence, then the training itself is pointless… Hmm… Isn’t there a more effective way?”
Should I call everyone over and play together?
“Well, it seems you’re at least thinking about it properly. In that case, maybe you should bet something to increase her concentration… Aaaah! N-No! It’s nothing! Nothing at all!”
Diana, who had been muttering to herself, suddenly seemed to realize something and hastily trailed off, but my ears had already clearly latched onto her idea.
“That’s it!”
“Ugh…”
Diana, it was your idea. Why do you look so defeated?
What’s wrong? It’s a great idea.
“See, Diana, you’re so smart. Hehehe. Alright, Silvia. Get up. From this round on, to make you play poker with a bit more desperation, let’s put something on the line. What should we bet? Right. How about the loser has to take off a piece of clothing…”
As I made my declaration, the color drained from Silvia’s face.
And as for Diana, the one who provided the idea…
“Are you! An idiot! Huh?! Is that all you have in that head of yours?!”
“No, when it comes to a bet between a man and a woman, strip poker is the classic… Alright, alright, calm down.”
Feeling guilty that she had caused this situation, Diana desperately lunged at me, unleashing a flurry of soft pats.
“If stripping is off the table… I guess there’s no choice. How about something simple, like the winner gets one favor? There’s no problem with that, right? Now, what kind of favor should I ask for?”
“…I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…”
Diana couldn’t hide the look of pity on her face as she kept apologizing to Silvia.
Hey, why are you apologizing?
This is all for Silvia’s sake.
“If you’re that sorry, you want to join in, Diana?”
“Ab-so-lutely! Not!”
“What’s this, Diana? You just said you were sorry. Are you abandoning Silvia? If this goes on, Silvia is really going to die, you know?”
“C-Can’t you just restrain yourself?!”
“Haha. What a foolish thing to say. As if I could ever restrain myself.”
“You’re the fool! You are!”
“That’s right. I was a fool. And today, this fool has decided to use Diana’s idea to make Silvia die of bliss.”
“W-Will you not stop?!”
“Then you can join in and beat me, Diana. Then there’s no problem, right? You can save Silvia’s life and even give me an order.”
“But if I lose, I have to listen to your order, don’t I?!”
“Is that such a problem?”
“Are you! Even! Serious right now!”
As if she had some pent-up frustration, Diana let out a cry of indignation and continued to pathetically pummel me.
Strange. Why is she so repulsed? I have no memory of doing anything to deserve this kind of treatment.
“Well, fine. Diana can sit this one out. Silvia and I will play by ourselves.”
“Uuuuugh…”
“Eughhh!”
And so, in the end, a poker match including both Diana and Silvia began.
On the surface, it was a 1-v-1-v-1, but obviously, Diana and Silvia would team up, making it a 2-v-1 game.
It was a game that was incredibly disadvantageous for me, but I was confident I could win.
And if I lost, well, so be it. It’s not like Diana or Silvia would make me do anything weird, right?
“Alright, let’s begin.”
Diana announced the start of the game with a dead-serious expression, as if she were researching magic.
My first hand was… hmm. Garbage that didn’t even make a single pair.
But that was no problem.
I stared intently at the heart on the card in my hand and began to hypnotize myself.
That heart is Sara’s ass. That heart is Sara’s ass.
A smirk. I could feel a satisfied smile naturally forming on my lips.
“How about you, Silvia? Get anything good?”
“Y-Yes!”
“Silvia-yang! No!”
“Silvia. Are you saying you don’t even want to make eye contact with me?”
“N-No…! Uwaaah…”
“Uwaaah! Silviaaaa!”
Yep. At this rate, even a 2-v-1 match would be no problem at all.
If I just rattled Diana a little, it would be perfect.
“What should I make her do? Right. For Diana… maybe I’ll make her go around all day without wearing any underwear. Or something even worse?”
“Y-Y-Y-Y-You! You’re joking, right?! Please tell me you’re joking!”
I whispered, covering my mouth with my hand so only Diana could hear. She cried out, her face already crumpled as if she had lost.
I was a little worried since my opponent was the rational Diana, but it seems I can shake her up without any issue.
As expected, stimulating her perverted side is the best way to get to her.
“There’s no problem if you win, right, Diana? …Though looking at your hand, you don’t seem to be planning on losing.”
“Fold! I fold!”
“Silvia? You’re not going to die and will play with me a little longer, right?”
“Uwaah… Uuu… F-Fold…”
“Tch. What’s this? I got such a good hand, too. This is no fun.”
Even though I hadn’t even completed a single pair by the time all six cards were dealt.
“Next! Next round!”
Diana began to deal the cards, her hands clasped together as if in prayer.
Is she praying to the Goddess right now?
Generally speaking, I’d think the Goddess would be on the Saint’s side.
“Ugh… Why… Why is this…”
And the result? Unsurprisingly, Silvia was the first to be knocked out.
Diana, too, was trembling with anxiety over what kind of order I might give her and couldn’t concentrate properly. The match ended in my victory.
“Hmph. This overwhelming strength. My own talent frightens me.”
“This is cheating! Who asks their opponent what cards they’re holding?!”
“You didn’t have to tell me. How could I ignore it when you did?”
“I-I’m so sorryyy…”
Looking at the despairing Diana and the sprawled-out Silvia, I began to gather the cards.
“Anyway, a bet’s a bet. Come to think of it, tonight was your turn, Diana. I’ll give you your order later tonight, so look forward to it.”
“W-Waaaaah!”
Hey. Don’t cry. You’re old enough to… anyway.
“And Silvia…”
“Heuk…!”
“For the rest of the day, you will call me ‘Oppa’.”
“Eh…? O-Oppa?”
“Mm. Nice. Perfect.”
“What’s that! What’s that! I-I’ll! I’ll call you Oppa too!”
“No, that’s okay, Noona.” [Noona: what a male calls an older female]
“Youuuu! Youuuuuu!”
I never said I was going to give Silvia some horrible command.
It was Diana’s own fault for getting baited by her own assumption that I would definitely give a weird order.
“Alright, shall we go get something to eat?”
“Y-Yes! Guwo… O-Oppa… Uwaah…”
Kuh. She really is cute.
After gathering all the cards, I tucked Silvia firmly under my arm and left the reception room.
“Wait! Is this it?! Are you really going to give me my order tonight?!”
Diana. Just give up. It’s easier if you give up.
“Oh, ooh. This is cooked perfectly. Why don’t you have a bite? Here, I’ll feed it to you myself. Ah, aaah…”
Of course, Diana did not give up.
Throughout the entire meal, she stuck to my side like glue, pouring on all the charm she rarely ever showed.
“H-How is it? Is it delicious? Seeing you eat so happily makes me happy too. Wait. Did you get something on your cheek? Hold on. Ah, ahm…”
Smiling so brightly I thought her cheeks might cramp, she even licked the sauce off my cheek with her own mouth.
Incredible. To think a person could change this much just from having to grant a single favor.
Is this the power of authority?
I can kind of understand why the princess has that kind of personality. No. Even so, she’s probably just like that by nature.
Drunk on the overwhelming power of authority, I savored the situation while entertaining such trivial thoughts.
“…I think I understand what Diana said to me earlier today.”
Even Sara, who would normally be jealous, was staring at Diana with a dumbfounded expression as she muttered quietly.
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Diana. Does Guwon have some kind of dirt on you?”
“Hey! As if! Diana is just so into me she can’t help herself! Right, Diana?”
“O-Of course! That’s right! I’m just so fond of my dear that I don’t know what to do with myself!”
Diana’s long ears were flushed bright red all the way to the tips, but her face remained fixed in a bright smile as she nodded her head frantically.
I’ll say it again. Power is the best.
“…Guwon-ssi. You shouldn’t tease Diana-ssi too much.”
Of course, my angel. How could I ever torment our cute Diana?
“Weren’t you with Silvia-ssi today in the first place? Why is Diana-ssi…”
Matilda tilted her head, looking like she didn’t understand.
There’s a long, long story behind how this happened.
“Th-That’s because Guwo-ni… O-Oppa and I…”
“Oppa?!”
“Whoa, you scared me. What is it, Sara?”
“I-It’s nothing! Th… O-Oppa.”
“……”
“Wh-What’s wrong, Oppa?”
“Hey. You don’t have to be so anxious. You’re still the youngest, so don’t worry. Setting aside appearances… No! I’m not saying you look old! Just mature! Wait! That hurts! For real! Diana! Stop her! Help!”
“Sara-yang! Mince him! At least so he can’t move tonight!”
“Hey! Dianaaaaa!”
Mince me?! Is that something you say about a person?!
Dammit. Is this the end for one who becomes drunk on power and falls to corruption…?
To get straight to the point, I was not minced.
Because my angel was there. She saved me.
My angel. I love you.
*
“Hey. Diana.”
“Wh-What is it? Ah, no. What can I do for you, my dear? Is there something you require of me?”
As night fell and we were alone, Diana tried every cute trick in the book, and some that weren’t, to try and improve my mood.
To be honest, it was incredibly cute.
It was the kind of charm that could soothe any anger. Mine had long since dissipated.
Of course, that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to give my order.
How could I let such a golden opportunity just slip away?
“Trying to act cute now won’t work.”
“Ugh…”
“What kind of order should I give to get a good reputation… Wait. Reputation? Right. Something that would start a rumor would be good, wouldn’t it?”
“Y-Y-Y-Y-You…!”
Hey. Vibrating is Silvia’s trademark, don’t steal it.
“Hmm. Well, I guess there’s no need to decide too hastily.”
“Mm! Mm! That’s right! Absolutely! A wise decision!”
“I’ll decide based on what you do from now on. Alright, Diana. Do your best.”
“Mm! Leave it to me!”
With a confident expression, Diana immediately approached me.
With each step she took, her height shot up, and the curves of her body began to change noticeably.