Chapter 17: How come the Academic Succubus is actually a real succubus?

“It’s all right… just let it out…”

Feeling the hand gently stroking the top of her head, Luwei felt a sense of trance wash over her.

‘My consciousness feels like it’s trying to struggle, but my body can’t help but sink into this warm and broad embrace…’

“When doing things like this… that’s how you should call me…”

“Be good… don’t be shy…”

Monet’s words seemed to carry some sort of magic…

Gradually, Luwei’s eyes became misty, and her cherry-red lips parted slightly.

“…Re—Respected Professor Monet!!”

She finally cried it out.

“Exactly!”

Hearing the title, Monet squinted her eyes in enjoyment.

“When doing academic work, you should call me Respected Professor Monet~~”

‘What is happening…?’

Luwei felt as if all the strength had drained from her body. She felt soft and limp, unable to muster even a shred of energy…

She gazed blankly at the ceiling, but her view was half-blocked by two large mounds.

‘Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?’

“Ahem…”

“Didn’t you want me to cooperate with your academic research?”

Luwei grit her teeth and said, “I think you need to explain what exactly is going on right now.”

Upon hearing this, Monet remained silent for a long while…

“My deepest apologies, Your Highness Luwei.”

“You looked a little too cute while being shy, and I really wanted to hear you call me ‘Professor’… so I couldn’t resist using a few minor tricks.”

It took another long while before Luwei felt she had regained control over her body.

With a dark expression, she scrambled off Monet. “Fine, then just you wait to have your pay docked!”

She glared fiercely at Monet, which actually caused a hint of fear to surface on the latter’s face.

“B—But, it was clearly Your Highness who seduced me first…”

Monet’s voice actually sounded aggrieved.

“Seeing Your Highness Luwei say with her own mouth that she wanted to do ‘academic work’ with me… in that situation, who could possibly hold back?”

Hearing this explanation, Luwei’s eye twitched.

‘This person’s kinks are so weird they should probably see a doctor…’

But at that thought, Luwei suddenly remembered something.

She focused her mind and looked at the top of Monet’s head…

In the next second, a piercing golden light shone.

‘As I thought…’

Having personally experienced that strange sensation, Luwei could roughly guess the truth.

‘This person… might not even be human!’

Luwei grit her teeth and chose to use Appraisal!

[ -100 Gold Coins ]

[ Monet ]

[ … ]

[ Trait 4: Academic Succubus (S-) ]

[ This unit can convert a succubus’s mating instinct into a craving for academics, granting a massive boost to research and development capabilities. ]

“…!?”

‘What kind of bizarre ability is this?’

Luwei bit her nail, recalling the relevant settings from the game in her mind—

Succubi belonged to the Demon Clan. They possessed intense desires and were known to pursue any gender.

They could secrete special pheromones that caused their prey to lose the ability to resist, allowing themselves to be harvested at will.

Although most succubi were willing to coexist with their “food” in a mutually beneficial—if somewhat lopsided—arrangement… some were exceptionally cruel.

If one encountered them, the prey might fall into an endless state of arousal, even actively cooperating with the feeding process until they died of exhaustion!

‘Th—That’s so dangerous…’

Luwei felt a lingering fear.

Although the succubus before her was obsessed with academics, she had indeed used pheromones on her just now!

If she dared to play tricks on her boss on the very first day of work, what would happen later?

Perhaps one day she would suddenly flip and enact some sort of “revenge” on her…

And facing Monet, a third-tier Mage and a member of the Demon Clan, she wouldn’t have any ability to resist at all.

‘It seems I must reduce my contact with Monet. At the very least, when I see her, I must have reliable guards by my side…’

Luwei weighed the pros and cons in her mind.

‘Dangerous individuals like this must be discarded as soon as they’ve been used. I won’t give her any chance to “take revenge” on me!’

Thinking of this, Luwei discreetly sized up Monet…

Seeing Luwei fall into silence, the latter gave a sheepish laugh and scratched her cheek.

Monet currently had no idea that her identity as a succubus had been exposed.

Luwei’s eyes flickered, but she decided to keep this information to herself for now.

As for the present… she would provide her with good food and drink and let her work.

Once Professor Monet lost her value, she would use this point—”concealing her race during recruitment”—to logically terminate the contract and kick her out.

Looking at the oblivious Monet beside her, Luwei couldn’t help but admire her own foresight.

Heartless?

Deceiving emotions?

Burning bridges?

Sorry, but those words didn’t exist in Entrepreneur Luwei’s dictionary.

The only thing she felt regretful about was the 100 gold coins spent on the Appraisal fee…

Luwei’s gaze drifted slightly.

‘No, I have to earn this money back from Monet!’

“Remember your primary job… now that the recipe is here and the laboratory and funding are all set,” Luwei said coldly, “I expect to see results within two weeks!”

However, upon hearing her request, Monet did not look troubled at all. On the contrary, her face was filled with confidence.

“With all due respect, Your Highness Luwei… there’s no need for two weeks. You can already begin establishing the Potion Workshop right now.”

“…Is that so?”

Luwei looked a bit surprised.

“I have always believed that theory guides practice. And now, I have the preliminary theory—as well as this potion recipe sufficient to verify that theory!”

Monet picked up a reagent bottle from the lab table; the potion inside was as crimson as blood.

“In the coming months, I guarantee that a world-shaking revolution is about to sweep through the Alchemy World!”

Monet turned her head, her golden eyes meeting Luwei’s gaze.

“You should be well aware—”

“The ones who benefit the most from a revolution are usually the first group of people to respond to it.”

“Therefore, your Potion Workshop must be able to adapt to these brand-new processes. This will be the foundation for you to take the lead in this race.”

“Promote the new recipe, keep the industrial process a secret, and maximize the first-mover advantage to seize the market…”

Listening to Monet speak, Luwei was suddenly moved.

‘Her way of thinking… actually coincides with mine?’

Luwei let out a soft sigh, a trace of complexity appearing in her expression.

She had originally thought that no one in this era would be able to understand her. She wanted to be the only “sober” person, with a vision that was far ahead of this entire age.

But Luwei seemed to have miscalculated again…

The NPCs in this world were different from those in the game.

They could also think and were equally skilled in strategy.

All they lacked was information…

“I understand…”

Luwei said calmly, not rebuking Monet for her overstepping advice.

Instead, a hint of… relief rose in her heart?

Relief that she could be recognized, relief that someone understood and supported her, and relief that she wasn’t alone on this path…

It felt quite good.

She nodded slightly and prepared to leave the laboratory.

“Once there are results, remember to find me immediately.”

“Of course, if I happen to obtain more new alchemy recipes like this, I will also hand them over to you for research.”

Hearing this, Monet simply gave an elegant and handsome smile.

“Of course, no problem at all, my Princess…”

But as Luwei stepped out of the laboratory door, a series of strange sounds immediately drifted from behind her.

“Oh ho ho~~ A glass rod made of magic crystal! I wonder how it’ll feel to use? I’m so curious!”

“Eh? Where’s my beaker?”

“Wow~ The little beaker even has scale lines drawn on its belly… how thoughtful!”

Luwei left in a hurry, her forehead covered in dark lines…

‘The Academic Succubus is terrifying…!’