‘Ex… Exposed?’
That phrase echoed continuously in Ai Yue’s mind.
With her Vitality Essence completely depleted, her strength was currently insufficient to even break free from Egrette’s restraint.
In other words, she had no path of retreat.
Whether she would die or be “cooked and eaten,” those were basically the only two options left to her.
However, no one had told her to give up yet, so she could not throw in the towel so easily.
Ai Yue forced herself to remain calm and put on the contemptuous smile of a Great Demon King.
“Did you hurt your head in the battle just now? Did you not see my final strike?”
If Ai Yue were truly weak, it would have been impossible for her to release that massive spell, whose mere light had spread across the entire Demon Realm, let alone defeat the Player who had possessed the body of the Fourth Demon King.
This was a reasoning so logical it couldn’t be more sound. There was no way it could be refuted!
“Do you think I don’t know? A Succubus requires Vitality Essence to use her power. You are likely in a state of chronic deficiency right now, aren’t you?”
“…”
A finishing blow! Forget about refuting her; Egrette was one step away from correctly guessing the color of Ai Yue’s panties.
“…Fine! So what if I’m a Succubus? Did I offend you or something?”
Since her secrets had been completely laid bare, Ai Yue chose to simply stop caring. She was currently like a fish on a cutting board, possessing no power to fight back. Egrette could prepare her however she pleased.
“To think you really are a Succubus…”
Although she had already been certain, Egrette still found it hard to believe now that the truth had been confirmed by Ai Yue herself.
After all, while the Succubus race possessed over-the-top base Information Panels and abilities, they had immense requirements for growth.
For normal races, including the Demon Race, getting stronger involved combat and training; as their Level rose, their base attributes would increase accordingly. However, once they reached a certain limit — which could be understood as a major realm in cultivation or a rank-up in a game — the height of that limit varied from person to person. Other races had various ways to break through, such as unique racial methods, continuous combat, or pushing past their limits in desperate situations.
Yet, a Succubus could not break through using those methods. They could only consume Vitality Essence to lift this cap. Simply put, it was as if their breakthrough materials were strictly limited to a single rare resource, and universal materials could not be used.
From this, one could understand how abnormal it was for Ai Yue, as a Succubus, to possess strength that far exceeded the other Demon Kings. If she were an ordinary Succubus, she probably wouldn’t have succeeded even if she drained the Vitality Essence of every demon in her territory or the entire Demon Realm.
…Wait, did that mean Ai Yue was already extremely experienced?
At that thought, Egrette’s body suddenly began to emit the same intense emotions previously triggered by the magic.
“Wait, Egrette!?”
Feeling that aura, Ai Yue immediately grew anxious.
She was currently pinned beneath Egrette. If the woman went on a rampage, Ai Yue would achieve the accomplishment of being crushed to death by a boss’s explosion of energy.
However, contrary to Ai Yue’s expectations, Egrette suppressed her emotions almost as soon as they appeared.
“Don’t worry. I am not the same person I was before.”
After Ai Yue had told her that ‘an accomplice is the most intimate relationship,’ Egrette would no longer lose control over such trivial matters. Regardless of anything else, she would always be the one closest to Ai Yue.
“However, what you did to me can’t just be brushed aside. You need to take proper responsibility~”
Having said that, Egrette leaned down close to Ai Yue, her small fangs lightly nipping at Ai Yue’s ear.
“Nngh!?”
Because she lacked Vitality Essence, Ai Yue was currently in a state that made it easiest to absorb essence. In other words, her senses were extremely sensitive; even a light touch felt as if it were spreading through her entire body.
“Take… What responsibility?”
“Do you even need to ask? Back when we were pretending to be commoners at the market, didn’t you give me a gemstone necklace that matched your eye color as a return gift for me being your human pillow?”
With those words, Egrette pulled a Blue and White Gemstone Necklace from the spatial storage between her breasts.
“You should be very clear about the meaning behind giving someone a gift that uses your own eye or hair color as the primary theme. Yet, you’ve never been clear about your feelings, making me feel dejected for a long time.”
“So it’s my fault?”
Egrette didn’t answer Ai Yue’s question, but her eyes said everything.
“Guh…”
“Don’t even think about running. You’re so hungry right now that if you run outside, you’ll definitely cause a very serious accident.”
“Those are some honest words…”
“I’m going to make this a done deal.”
“…”
This blunt, somewhat off-putting metaphor left Ai Yue speechless.
No, now was not the time for this.
“Let me go…!”
“Still thinking of escaping? It seems I need to punish you a little~”
Egrette lowered her head, her fingers reaching for the buttons of Ai Yue’s top…
“Are you all right, Master Ai Yue!?”
At that moment, the door to the room was slammed open. Bululu, covered in bandages, rushed in while carrying a Healing Device that was larger than a person.
“…You again…”
“That’s right, it’s me again. Fortunately, I was worried and sent someone to check the guest room where you were staying, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to make it in time.”
Bululu radiated strong hostility toward Egrette, while Egrette looked displeased that her fun had been interrupted.
“Ai Yue and I share the ‘most’ intimate relationship. Since when is it the place of a mere Maid to intervene?”
Egrette placed heavy emphasis on the word “most,” as if asserting her status.
However, Bululu refused to back down.
“If you’re the most intimate, then have you been petted by Master Ai Yue? Have you been held by Master Ai Yue while she sleeps? I assume the answer is no?”
“You!?”
“I have only known Master Ai Yue for less than one month, yet you… Have you never tried those things in all these years?”
“Dammit! You’re nothing but a stealing cat!”
Egrette lunged off the bed and landed in front of Bululu, beginning to trade insults with her.
“Old hag!”
“Little brat!”
“Wha!?”
“Yeah!?”
Like two children bickering, they shouted at each other for quite a while before their injuries finally forced them to stop and catch their breath.
“You… pant…“
“Whew… Ai Yue! Whose side are you on!?”
Both of them turned their heads toward the bed at the same time, but they couldn’t see the white-capped girl who had been lying there.
“Wait… where is she?” they both asked.
While they weren’t looking, Ai Yue had long since slipped away.
She was just a socially anxious person with zero experience in making friends. She absolutely could not handle a “bloody battlefield” like this!
Therefore, there was only one decision she could make:
‘Thirty-Six Stratagems: Fleeing is the Best! Time to run!’