Queen of the Succubi, Serentia.
She was not the goddess worshiped by humans but the leader of the succubi, a demon race that served the Demon God.
With her ability to enthrall all and bestow unparalleled pleasure, she ascended to the throne.
Once considered a minor race among demons, the succubi had risen to prominence under her rule, earning a place among the highest ranks of demonkind.
As a result, she commanded the absolute loyalty of her people.
Among the succubi, none could defy her—none should defy her.
Indeed, her subordinates were so addicted to the pleasure she provided that they revered her, even loving her.
Serentia herself harbored no doubts.
None under her rule would ever betray her.
And no human could possibly resist the pleasure she bestowed.
That is what she had always believed.
Until now.
***
The Queen’s Audience Chamber.
The chamber, prepared for an audience with Queen Serentia, bore a resemblance to the throne rooms of human royalty, yet it exuded a distinctly different atmosphere.
A soft pink glow illuminated the space, blending seamlessly with the shadows that lent a sensual and enigmatic air.
And at the far end of the chamber stood a woman of otherworldly beauty—seductive yet dangerously alluring.
Her long, lilac hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her pink eyes, both languid and elegant, shimmered under the dim light.
No artist, no matter how skilled, could hope to capture the perfection of her features.
Among the famously beautiful succubi, she was a singular existence, an unrivaled masterpiece.
As she gazed at Marianne, one of her subordinates who knelt before her with bowed head, Serentia narrowed her eyes and spoke.
“…Ain said to wait a little longer?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Serentia pondered this.
‘…Strange. I expected Ain to come running immediately…’
By now, he should have been completely under her control.
He had long since reached the point where he would obey her every word without question.
Up until yesterday, he had gazed at her with eyes full of adoration, craving both her affection and the pleasure she provided.
‘So why was he suddenly resisting?’
It was an unsettling deviation from the norm.
‘And on this day, of all days…’
Today was supposed to be the day she claimed Ain.
Ever since she had ‘collected’ him, she had patiently trained him, molding him to be utterly devoted to her.
Today, she would make him hers—fully and irrevocably.
And yet, without her permission, he had chosen to wait?
‘A disobedient dog who dares to command its master… Perhaps I should discipline him again.’
For a brief moment, Serentia considered re-educating Ain.
But then, she shook her head.
‘…No, it will be fine. Today is a special day. There is no reason to delay it any further.’
Besides, if Ain had asked for more time, perhaps he was preparing something for her.
If that was the case, she could afford to be lenient.
Serentia allowed herself a small smile, recalling the first time they had met.
***
It had been a rainy day.
“…Why are you sitting here in the rain? Are you alright?”
At the time, Ain had just been abandoned by his party members—taken from him by other heroes.
There was never just one hero.
The Goddess worshiped by humans bestowed her blessing upon multiple champions, each carrying the title of “Hero.”
Their purpose was to drive demons from this world and usher in an era of human prosperity.
Blessed with divine favor, they all possessed great potential and rapid growth.
But among this generation’s heroes, Ain was… unfortunate.
Lacking in talent compared to his peers, he often found his achievements overshadowed.
Whenever he finally accomplished something, ill fortune would see his rewards stolen away—sometimes by chance, sometimes through political maneuvering.
A common-born man, he lacked the connections and knowledge to navigate the intricacies of power.
Outside of the Holy Kingdom, where the Goddess was revered, he received little support and faced relentless discrimination.
Misfortune clung to him like a curse, bringing one disaster after another.
He became known as the “Unlucky Hero,” a subject of ridicule rather than admiration.
In the end, his party abandoned him, unwilling to be dragged down by his misfortunes any longer.
And that was when Serentia approached him—deliberately.
“And you are…?”
“Call me Serentia. More importantly… are you alright?”
“…I, I…”
She still remembered the way he had looked then, like a lost, abandoned puppy.
A face filled with fear—the fear of being cast aside again.
It had been adorable.
So, she decided to take him in.
“It’s alright.”
“Ah…”
With a whisper, she imprinted a gentle pleasure into his mind, embedding herself into his very soul.
A rare opportunity to ‘collect’ a Hero—how could she let it slip away?
“It’s not your fault.”
“…Hic… Hic…”
A simple wedge, driven into his brain, coupled with a few words of comfort—he had fallen almost immediately.
And now, he was here.
There was no place left for him to return to.
‘Ah, my poor Ain.’
Serentia smiled wistfully, feeling genuine pity for him.
She would wait.
It was fine.
Soon, he would belong to her completely.
There would be no more sadness, only eternal bliss.
Turning her attention back to Marianne, she spoke.
“Very well, Marianne. Wait until Ain has finished preparing, then bring him to me.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
With that, Marianne withdrew.
***
Time passed.
But no one came.
Minutes turned to hours.
Neither Marianne nor Ain appeared.
‘…What is going on?’
For the first time, Serentia felt a creeping sense of unease.
Something was wrong.
No matter how much time passed—
No one came.
Serentia rose from her throne and made her way to Ain’s chamber.
The thought that they would need ‘education’ for making her come all this way was firmly imprinted in her mind.
As she walked toward Ain’s room—
“…Marianne.”
Marianne was standing blankly in front of Ain’s door.
It was only after Serentia called her name that she finally turned to face her.
“…Your Majesty.”
“What are you doing right now? I distinctly remember telling you to bring Ain to me once he was ready.”
“Yes, so I am waiting.”
Her voice was strangely mechanical.
It was only then that Serentia realized something was wrong with Marianne.
Her vacant, hazy eyes, her monotone voice, the way she stood like a marionette with its strings cut…
Serentia’s expression hardened as she asked, “…Marianne, who is your master right now?”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“…My… master…”
Creak, creak.
Like a rusted machine in need of oil, Marianne’s head twisted at unnatural angles as her body trembled.
“My… master… is…”
“A… A… Ain… sir… sir…”
As she watched the grotesque sight unfold before her, Serentia’s usual gentle expression disappeared, replaced by an ominous frown.
“No, your master is me, Marianne.”
A low hum reverberated through the air.
Serentia’s eyes gleamed dangerously.
Marianne’s gaze was instantly engulfed in pink light.
“For a succubus of your caliber to be caught in such a powerful mind control spell… I did not expect Ain to have such abilities. Even I was deceived.”
‘Had he been pretending to be enthralled by her all along?’
No, that couldn’t be.
Just yesterday, she had driven a wedge so deep into his mind that he had been utterly, hopelessly hers.
‘Could her enchantment have been broken? But how?’
No—none of that mattered right now.
She needed to free Marianne from the mind control first.
***
Bang!
“…Ugh!”
A sudden burst of magic sent Serentia staggering backward.
With a dull thud, Marianne collapsed like a puppet with its strings severed.
But Serentia had no time to concern herself with such trivialities.
She muttered blankly, “…I can’t break it?”
‘How?’
‘How could there be a mental enslavement spell so powerful that even she could not undo it?’
Serentia was the Queen of the succubi.
Her ability to manipulate the mind far exceeded any other form of mental interference, magic or otherwise.
And yet, she could not break the spell on Marianne.
None of this made sense.
‘Had Ain, in the span of a single day, somehow acquired the ability to dominate minds to such a terrifying degree?’
‘…Wait. Then what about Ain—?’
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Serentia pushed past Marianne’s fallen body and threw open Ain’s door.
***
Bang!
The room was empty.
A moment of silence.
Then, in a hollow voice, Serentia murmured, “…He escaped?”
‘From me?’
‘…How?’
‘…Why?’
‘Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?’
Countless questions swirled in her mind.
‘I gave him so much pleasure. I cherished him so much. And yet, he dares to escape from me?’
She had treated him like an abandoned puppy, had found him adorable.
She never imagined he would bite the hand that fed him and flee.
“…Your Majesty?”
A voice broke through her daze.
One of the succubi had been passing by and noticed the situation.
But Serentia did not even glance at her.
She did not care.
“W-What is happening? Why is Marianne—”
“…Find him.”
“…Pardon?”
The succubus, who had been staring at the collapsed Marianne in shock, turned to Serentia in confusion.
And then—she froze.
Serentia, who was usually so gentle and affectionate, now looked utterly different.
Her eyes, wide with a terrifying intensity, held a twisted obsession, a possessiveness so suffocating it sent shivers down the succubus’s spine.
Even so, she forced herself to stammer, “F-Find him…? Find who…?”
“…The Hero Ain.”
“…W-What?”
“Find him and bring him to me. Immediately.”
Her face was expressionless, her lips unmoving.
Only her eyes burned with a chilling, desperate fervor.
At that moment, the succubus realized—this was not a request.
This was an order.
“Y-Yes! Understood!”
Without hesitation, the succubus fled, rushing to spread the Queen’s command throughout the entire region.
At that moment, Ain had gained a relentless stalker who would never leave him alone.