***

It had always been like this, but today the weather was so nice, I felt like I could die.

There was still an uncomfortable sensation in my backside. It wasn’t even my real body, but the memories had been passed on so vividly that it still felt unpleasant. My face twisted every time I bent my waist.

Just thinking about last night made me want to cry, so I quickly rose onto my toes to shelve the book. In this vast imperial palace, even running into the commanders by chance made me want to crumble into ash and disappear. Now, more than fearing death, I just hoped I’d never be found out, even if I died.

Where in the world is the ring? What if I never find it? My lips trembled with anxiety. How wonderful it would be if I could find the ring soon and bring this life to an end.

Forcing away dark thoughts with a sigh, I opened the neatly stacked books on the cart. Today, I was inspecting the returned books for damage and returning them to their proper places. There were so many that it was already lunchtime before I knew it.

I had no appetite again today. I crossed my arms in a big X toward Lucy, who waved at me from the other side.

When the room had completely emptied, I took off the cap pinned to my head and untied the tightly bound ribbon. After confirming no one was around, I sat on the bench tucked in the far corner and leaned back.

“Ah, I’m exhausted.”

My body felt fine thanks to the excessive amount of energy I had absorbed, but the mental stress was so overwhelming that a groan slipped out. Staring blankly at my hands, now so used to holding nothing, I let out a breath and closed my eyes. Somehow, I felt tired.

“Ang, aaang, ah!”

A voice pierced my sensitive ears, and my eyes shot open. Did someone come in while I was asleep? Blinking my still-blurry eyes, I sat up.

There were certainly people who enjoyed inappropriate, secret activities throughout the palace, but there was only one person who would do something like this in broad daylight. I sighed, patting my cheek, and turned to leave—when it happened.

‘Ack!’

Right in front of me, a pale butt was moving wildly. I barely managed to swallow my scream, completely startled.

I quickly turned my body and peeked between the bookshelves. No matter how I looked at it, the dress lifted to the thighs wasn’t something a maid would wear. This wouldn’t end as just a minor mishap if I got caught. Pretending not to notice, I tried to walk away—when I met eyes with the man holding the woman.

“Ah, ah! Y-yes, it’s good. Ah…”

“Shhh, Lady Rinelle. Someone might hear us.”

“Haa, haaa…”

The man raised a finger to his lips, signaling the lady to be quiet, but his eyes were locked intently on me.

Every time I flinched, he would whisper provocative things like, ‘What if someone hears us and comes?’ or ‘What should we do if we get caught?’ With a face on the verge of tears, I had no choice but to witness their explicit act.

Seriously, why are you doing this to me, Endymion? I had no idea how many times I’d caught that man in secret affairs.

“Ahh, ah! Ah, Endymion…!”

Through the disheveled, shiny black hair, I saw the flushed nape of her neck. Endymion, mid-day in the act, held the noble-looking woman in his arms and trembled. The area where their bodies were joined made obscene squelching sounds as pale fluids dripped down.

My face felt like it was about to explode. It’s over now, right? Can I leave? As I stood there hesitating, he smiled and waved at me. I turned and ran away, internally shouting every curse word I knew.

‘Crazy. He’s absolutely crazy!’

Panting, I rubbed my cheeks.

Endymion Lucen, Commander of the Silver Order, had always been kind and gentle from the moment we met. But at some point, even though he knew I was around, he started having his trysts near the palace library on purpose. From steamy kisses to fondling half-undressed bodies, and now actual intercourse. I had no idea how it came to this.

Endymion was the most cooperative when I, as the succubus Lilith, visited him. But because of this behavior, he was the most uncomfortable person for me to deal with. And for some reason, unlike before when he had been so passionate, his attitude had become oddly different lately. Even Lilith, who usually sought more intense pleasure, grumbled that it wasn’t fun anymore.

Honestly, I preferred going to Endymion over Odile. But after witnessing stuff like this over and over again, the embarrassment was unbearable. Leaning back against the cold wall, I slumped down, flailed silently, and buried my burning face in my knees. Ugh, seriously, what is wrong with him!

I sat there for a long while, sighing, until I finally lifted my head—and right in front of me was Endymion.

“Ack!”

“Hello, Miss Lily.”

“Oh, h-hello, Commander Lucen.”

“Have you eaten?”

“My stomach’s been… not great, so I didn’t.”

“That won’t do. Skipping meals like that isn’t good for you. Are you feeling unwell…”

“N-no, not at all. I just had a big breakfast.”

“I see.”

I forced myself to hide my sour expression at his innocently smiling face. This man really looked like a prince out of a fairytale. So dazzling and delicate that people joked you’d go blind if you looked too closely, but the problem was, he knew he was handsome, which often made him come off a bit sleazy.

And though I had no right to say it, to be honest, the fact that he slept with a different woman every time made no sense to me.

He tilted his head with a gentle smile. “You still have such pretty hair.”

“Thank you. You too, Commander, um, you’re… pretty.”

Though my plain black hair was nothing special compared to his platinum blond that shimmered even in midwinter, he never failed to compliment it whenever he saw me. Now that I thought about it, all the women he was with seemed to have black hair. Did he like dark hair? Maybe that’s why Lilith always got such a warm reception when she visited at night. Whatever the reason, I just hoped he wouldn’t flirt with me.

Shrinking under his persistent gaze, I tensed, and Endymion let out a low chuckle.

“You remind me of someone.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I haven’t seen her lately, maybe she’s busy, but you really resemble her.”

My heart pounded violently. Not from embarrassment or nervousness, but from fear.

Though everything about me—from height and build to hair length and bone structure—was different from my succubus form, there was still something about us that felt similar when we stood side by side. I hadn’t worried too much about it, since a succubus’s charm caused others to perceive her as their ideal type, creating confusion.

So there was no way he’d think we looked alike… yet the anxiety wouldn’t settle.

“She has hair as dark as yours. Eyes a beautiful red, and her skin… like pearls, pale and glowing. Just like you, Miss Lily.”

“Ah, I… see…”

Endymion spoke dreamily, as if in a trance. Something about his tone felt off. Could it be? Did he… like Lilith?

“She’s truly beautiful. Just like you.”

“Th-that’s… I see.”

My voice kept trembling. I wasn’t exactly the most perceptive person, but I could tell for sure that was the look of a man in love. Without a doubt, this man liked the other me, Lilith. It made sense, really. After all, people saw her as the embodiment of their ideals.

Feeling awkward, I fidgeted with my fingers. Then, Endymion, who had been bent forward, reached out his hand. I hesitated briefly, but aside from his perverted tendencies, he was well-mannered, and now that I understood why he’d been so kind to me, there was no need to flatly refuse him.

I took his hand and stood. I couldn’t bring myself to meet his smiling, flower-like face, so I spoke quietly.

“W-well, then… I’ll be going.”

“Yes. Until next time, Miss Lily.”

“…Yes.”

I fled, avoiding his lingering gaze, and behind me came the sound of low laughter.

“Thanks for this, Lucy.”

“You were out of it this morning too. What’s going on with you? I’ll take care of the rest. Go on back.”

Clicking her tongue, Lucy pushed me toward the door. Maybe she was worried because I hadn’t eaten lunch, she brought me a simple snack, but I couldn’t manage to eat it properly. I must’ve looked terrible, because the others also said, ‘Go rest already,’ and pushed me out. I had no choice but to give a brief goodbye and step out.

As I walked to my room, the thought struck me that maybe the reason Endymion had always been so unusually cooperative was because he liked Lilith. It made me feel strangely guilty. Of all the people he could fall for, why her? He was odd, but with a face like his, it seemed like a waste.

I wasn’t exactly in a position to worry about anyone else. But thinking of his twisted longing for someone he couldn’t see unless she came to him made me feel I could understand some of his actions. The world is big, and strange people are everywhere.

After washing up, I stood in front of the mirror.

This was it. Today was the last day. Just one more energy absorption, and I’d be able to last for a while.

With a deep sigh, I lay on the bed. The mark below my navel gradually began to heat up.