Chapter 190 : Chapter 190
Chapter 190: The Princess Cannot Sleep (1)
Lilith's castle was a few days' distance from the forest (or what used to be a forest) where we were.
I don't know if the news of Etian's death hasn't completely spread yet, or if Lilith took measures separately, but anyway, we weren't chased by the Demon King's Army until we arrived at the castle.
Thanks to that, what welcomed us, who arrived in front of the castle without any trouble, was.
“We have been waiting for you, everyone.”
Succubi, who were waiting in advance as if they knew we were coming from the beginning.
They greeted us politely, and as expected, they were all dressed in... voluptuous attire that people would commonly imagine when thinking of succubi.
It felt similar yet different from the Arhat Temple where I could see many succubi dressed in similarly stimulating attire.
If the (half-blood) succubi there felt like they were ‘not hiding’ their beauty following the teachings of Arhat, the God of Beauty, should I say the succubi here felt like they were deliberately ‘showing off’?
Since the intention itself was to naturally arouse lust so that they could consume it much more easily.
Or, to incapacitate the opponent more easily.
So strictly speaking, such attire was practically a combat uniform for them.
In the sense that it makes hunting easier.
And this place is, strictly speaking, a ‘dungeon’.
By human standards.
They are the guards of this castle, hired to stop intruders invading that dungeon.
So it was nothing strange for the guards to be wearing combat uniforms, just too natural.
However, from the perspective of someone who doesn't know well about their perception... it would just look like they were simply dressed in attire that made it hard to know where to look.
“...? S, Sister?”
Perhaps that's why Ibi covered Miki's two eyes with her palms right in front of him.
While she herself was staring intently as if she had lost her soul, unable to take her eyes off them.
Meanwhile, Lily, who would have shown the most embarrassed reaction usually, didn't show much reaction, perhaps because the situation was what it was.
Should I say she seemed to have no time to care about such things right now?
It seemed like their attire didn't even catch her eye.
Actually, she had been in that state continuously since around the time we arrived at the castle.
Should I say she looked like someone whose mind was somewhere else?
“We will guide you to Her Highness.”
Well, she would be meeting her mother before long.
Even if for whatever reason, the one who ‘abandoned’ her when she was a baby.
“Welcome to my castle.”
As soon as we arrived at the audience chamber guided by the guards, Lilith, sitting on the throne, greeted us.
“I am the Succubus Queen, Lilith.”
“...!”
And unlike me, the companions who faced her for the first time all showed surprised reactions, gasping regardless of who was first.
Because they resembled each other.
As I said a while ago, she resembled Lily very much.
Previously, when a companion similarly saw their ‘family’── that is, when Ibi faced Kain for the first time, one could immediately tell that the two were definitely father and daughter.
However, anyway, the two at that time had some differences along with the resemblance, such as gender or appearance according to age.
But now, there were almost no such differences.
Rather, except for the fact that she looked slightly younger or the hairstyle different from Lily, it was to the extent that one would wonder if they were practically the same person.
Therefore, strictly speaking, they looked closer to twin sisters.
And that much, the fact that the two were connected by blood was something anyone could tell at a glance.
“It's exactly the same...”
Ibi's gaze, which muttered while staring intently at Lilith's face, soon slowly went down.
Unlike the face that was almost exactly the same as Lily, the attire of the two was completely opposite.
As if bewitched by that appearance... no, actually staring while ‘bewitched’, Ibi swallowed hard unknowingly.
I, who had already seen that attire directly several times, especially in the dream a while ago, had some resistance, but the companions did not.
“Li, Lily Sister...?”
Even Miki stared blankly for a moment and then shook his head vigorously as if to shake off distracting thoughts.
“.......”
Even that Rine was blushing furiously.
This might be partly due to the influence of her making more abundant expressions due to recent events, but Lilith's appearance was certainly that stimulating.
Moreover, since it looked as if Lily, who always wore ascetic religious habits, was wearing such attire... the impact had to be even stronger.
Of course, the most fundamental cause was the ‘sex appeal’ unique to succubi.
All succubi emit such a kind of pheromone, and Lilith is the Queen of those succubi.
Naturally, she possesses immense sex appeal that cannot be ‘resisted’.
So in fact, standing fine even after seeing her, stopping at just blushing simply or losing one's soul for a moment itself was possible because we possessed a level of our standard.
In other words, the reason I can be fine is also because I am somewhat used to such appearance of Lilith, but fundamentally because I possess high [Charisma] resistance.
For a similar reason, Lily too could ‘resist’ Lilith's sex appeal just like me.
Because she is the same succubus.
Their sex appeal did not work on the same succubi.
Thanks to that, it was possible for Lily to maintain her sanity fine too.
“.......”
...Well, if the state from before that could be called ‘maintaining sanity’.
Lily was... making an expression difficult to describe.
She met her biological mother who gave birth to her, whose existence itself she didn't even know until recently.
But that biological mother is a ‘devil’ whom she was taught to absolutely never get close to all her life.
Even among those devils, she is the Succubus Queen representing ‘lust’, which one must especially stay away from as a cleric of Sistina.
On top of that, she is one of the Corps Commanders leading the Demon King's Army, a threat to humanity.
Yet facing her directly like this, she really resembles herself too much.
To the extent that the fact of blood relation cannot possibly be denied.
Not only that, she had the exact same face as herself, and was wearing... disturbing attire that she herself couldn't even imagine usually.
As if her ‘fallen’ appearance was unfolding before her eyes.
Since she faced all of that reality at once, which would be hard to accept even one such thing easily... the phrase ‘complex feelings’ wouldn't be appropriate as an expression for the numerous emotions Lily must be feeling right now.
And at the appearance of Lily showing such a reaction.
“.......”
Lilith too, likewise, was making a very complicated and subtle expression.
And even that appearance resembled her very much.
“...You don't have to force yourself to treat me as a mother.”
Before long, Lilith broached the subject again in a very cautious tone.
“Because I know well... that I am not qualified to be called that now.”
At those words, Lily flinched and trembled.
But that was all.
Lily, who lowered her gaze soon, did not say anything.
Lilith showed a faint bitter smile as if understanding such a reaction from Lily.
“...You must have suffered coming all this way, how about taking a rest first?”
Then looking at us who were examining the two, one by one, she said.
“I will prepare a meal after that.”
Although she said so earlier.
“...Let us share the story after this, at that place.”
Really exactly, with an attitude like a mother treating her child's friends.
***
Like that, we took a rest for a while in the room we were guided to, but no one rested comfortably.
Everyone seemed to be concerned about Lily.
And Lily, who would have definitely cared about us first saying she is really fine so please rest comfortably if it were usual, seemed to have no composure to do so right now.
Because she didn't say anything as if lost in thought the whole time after sitting down.
No, to be precise.
“A, are you okay, Sister...?”
To Miki's cautious question.
“...Yes.”
Answering shortly while showing an expression that wasn't okay at all was the end.
Since then, everyone couldn't open their mouths hastily.
“For now... it's not, a trap, right...?”
If Ibi, who found that silence unbearable, hadn't spoken first at least, we might have continued in that state for several hours probably.
“I didn't feel any suspicious flow of magic separately.”
“Killing intent or... signs of surveillance, I didn't particularly feel anything either.”
“Me, me too.”
First of all, from the surrounding ‘atmosphere’, we didn't feel any particularly suspicious parts.
This was everyone's common opinion.
And actually, leaving all that aside.
“Right now... she doesn't seem, to be hostile to us, though...”
Everyone felt it.
That Lilith really wanted to meet Lily.
That fact alone, is certain.
“...Hey, what do you think?”
At that time, Ibi suddenly approached me and whispered in a small voice so that Lily couldn't hear.
“Do you think it's a situation similar... to back then?”
If it's ‘back then’, she must be talking about the time with ‘Kain’.
In Kain's case too, he welcomed us as guests like now.
And actually, it was true that he wanted to meet Ibi too.
Just that the ‘reason’ he wanted to meet was extremely problematic.
So for Ibi, she couldn't help but recall that time.
“Sh*t... that bastard too at first...”
Fearing that Lily might follow the same path as herself.
Fearing that she might feel the ‘sense of betrayal’... she felt.
“At first, he really... looked decent at least.”
It seemed she couldn't shake off the worry.
So the words I could say to this hot and cold fellow were only one.
“Even if something happens, wouldn't it be fine if we stay by Lily's side?”
Just like back then.
Looking at me adding with a grin, Ibi showed a reaction as if speechless for a moment.
“...Well, yeah.”
Until she grinned likewise.
“That's true.”
About an hour passed after that, Lilith prepared a dining place as promised.
What we faced like that was a feast that made our eyes widen automatically.
Should I say it looked as if the ‘feast with the devil’ that humans commonly talk about was brought right before our eyes?
One of the representative ‘misunderstandings’ of humans── that ‘devils treat such lavish meals aiming for humans’ souls’.
For us who hadn't had the leisure to taste a proper meal, or more precisely Lily's [Cooking] which had been responsible for our diet until now, properly since crossing the wall, it was a sight that made our mouths water automatically.
“Now, please enjoy your meal.”
However, no one reached out for the food easily.
Only Ibi reached out as if bewitched, but eventually stopped abruptly before touching it.
Of course, that wasn't because she was really wary of the ‘feast with the devil’.
“──Why did you abandon me?”
It was because of Lily's question thrown abruptly and directly as soon as she sat down.