Chapter 58: The Aftermath
"Yawnnn."
Orion woke up the next day. Peering out the window, he realized it was already the middle of the day.
"Thank God I booked this room for two days," he muttered.
He looked around and froze. The bed was half torn, the painting lay on the floor, and white stains covered the sheets and walls.
Holy shit... I really went overboard last night, he thought.
He felt a flicker of pride... but then remembered Sofia. She wasn’t a dragon like him, and he worried he might have been too rough.
Gently, he tugged at her sweaty, messy body.
The moment he touched her, she shivered in pleasure. She was... that sensitive.
Orion blinked in surprise, just as he was about to touch her again, when—
"I wove you... Orion," Sofia murmured sleepily, holding his hand with both of hers.
Orion chuckled. "Wake up, sleepyhead."
At his voice, Sofia fluttered her eyes, struggling to open them.
"We should freshen up... soon," Orion said as he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
Still half-asleep, Sofia followed him.
Inside the bathroom, the atmosphere turned awkward. Neither of them spoke as they quietly freshened up, avoiding each other’s eyes.
After they stepped out, Sofia finally took in the state of the room.
"You really did a number on me last night," she said.
Orion could just laugh awkwardly at her words.
Then something he had ignored the previous night came back to him.
"Right... Sofia," he said, his expression turning serious. "When we were... You know... I saw your eyes glowing pink. Do you have any idea why that happened?"
Sofia became thoughtful. "That’s strange... Are you sure you weren’t just imagining it? You know, in the excitement?"
"I don’t think so. No. Your eyes definitely glowed pink."
Then Sofia remembered that her class had ranked up when they first kissed, and she told Orion about it.
"What?" Orion stared at her in disbelief. "I mean, I guessed your class was related to lust, but ranking up just from a kiss...?"
He immediately used Appraisal on her.
And what he saw made his mouth fall open.
[Half-Succubus → C Rank]
Possesses a dangerous charm ability.
He stared at her, dumbfounded.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Sofia asked, concerned.
"Do you know what you are?" Orion asked quietly.
"What do you mean?" she replied, confused. "I’m human—just like you."
"No, Sofia," he said after a pause. "You’re half-succubus."
Her eyes widened. "What...? Are you joking right now? Because this really isn’t funny."
Orion then explained his Appraisal skill. He figured that since he already knew what might be the biggest secret of her life, sharing one of his own wouldn’t hurt.
"No... no, no..." Sofia shook her head, tears welling up. "That can’t be true. I know my mother—she’s as human as a person can be."
"Hey, stop," Orion said gently. "So what if you’re a succubus? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, it makes you stronger. You should be proud. You’ve already lived as a human—now you get the rare chance to explore another race. You’re lucky."
At his words, Sofia stared at him with tear-filled eyes.
"Are you sure you don’t hate me now?" she asked softly. "That I’m... a demon?"
"Hell no," Orion replied immediately. "I don’t care about any of that. In my eyes, you just got more interesting."
"Really...?" she muttered. A small smile appeared on her face.
"Thanks," she said quietly.
"Don’t mention it," Orion replied, putting on his clothes. "But I think we’re already late. We should head back. We’ll meet again soon and talk this through properly, okay?"
"Going so soon?" Sofia asked.
"Yeah. Why?"
"I mean... now that we... did it," she hesitated. "What are we to each other?"
She looked straight into his eyes.
Orion sighed. "Listen... we were both vulnerable last night, and one thing led to another. But just because the sex was good doesn’t mean we have to be a couple."
He knew his words were harsh—but he wasn’t good at phrasing this kinda things gently.
Sofia froze.
"Is it because of Lilian?" she asked, tears gathering again. "Is that why you won’t date me?"
Orion looked down, knowing that what she said might hold some truth. It wasn’t just Lilian—there was also Ember. He had mentioned wanting to create a harem, but he had no idea how he could actually go about it.
Orion’s silence confirmed her words.
"It doesn’t matter if you like Lilian too," Sofia said suddenly. "I don’t care—as long as you love me just as much."
Orion’s eyes widened.
’Wait... is this actually happening?’
He pushed the thought aside.
"Look, I truly care about you—you know I do. But I don’t know if I love you or not. How about we go on a few dates and see what happens?"
Sofia’s eyes lit up.
That was all she needed.
"I’d really like that," she said with a smile. "And mark my words—I’ll make you fall in love with me one day," she said in absolute determination.
Orion smiled back. "Then I’ll patiently wait for that day."
He left, leaving behind a very happy Sofia.
Last night, Lilian returned home late. When she asked the maid where Orion was, she was told he hadn’t come back.
Lilian grew restless.
Orion was new to the capital. He barely knew anyone. Where could he be so late at night?
She waited through the night, and by morning, she was about to go look for him when there was a knock at the door.
When she opened it, Orion stood there.
"Hello, Lilian. I was—" he started, but Lilian cut him off.
"Where have you been all night?" she shouted. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?! Explain yourself—now."
"I was out with a friend," he said quickly. "I’m really sorry. Things happened so fast, I forgot to inform you."
Lilian sighed. "Fine. You can explain properly later. For now, go to your room and rest."
Orion exhaled in relief and walked inside.
But as he passed her, Lilian stopped him.
"Orion."
"Yes?"
She stayed silent for a moment before speaking.
"Why does Sofia’s scent linger on you?"
A chill ran down Orion’s spine.
"I... I was with Sofia last night," he admitted—and immediately realized how stupid that sounded.
"All night?" Lilian’s expression darkened.
"What were you doing with her all night?" Her voice turned menacing.
"We just... hung out," he said, knowing full well it wouldn’t convince her.
Lilian didn’t say another word. She stormed to her room and slammed the door shut, collapsing onto her bed.
She sighed.
’Why am I reacting so strongly?
He’s not my boyfriend. He can be with whoever he wants...
So why do I feel like this? So defeated... so helpless?’
Then she realized something.
She had to make a decision.
Her responsibilities...
Or Orion.