Sowrav2459
Somehow, my body felt lighter, like a weight I hadn’t noticed was lifting off my chest. “I feel like my health’s improving crazy fast,” I said, sprawled on the couch, watching Mom bustle around the kitchen. The air was thick with the warm, savory smell of lunch, her knife clicking against the cutting board as she finished up.
“Well, you did take medicine, Setsuna-chan,” she said with a soft sigh, wiping her hands on her apron. Her white hair caught the sunlight streaming through the window, giving her a glow that felt almost too perfect for our cramped little apartment.
“Wait, wasn’t that a pill or something?” I frowned, my brain snagging on the memory. I could’ve sworn they were pills, but now I wasn’t sure. Maybe all that talk about succubus stuff and lovemaking had me jumping to weird conclusions.
Mom tilted her head, her crimson eyes glinting with amusement. “Why would a succubus need a pill?”
“What? Don’t succubi worry about… you know, getting pregnant?” I blurted, feeling my face heat up.
“Nope,” she said, her voice light but firm. “I told you, it’s hard for us to get pregnant.” She sighed again, deeper this time, and stepped closer, her bare feet whispering against the worn wooden floor. “You really don’t know much about this, do you?”
She wasn’t wrong. I was clueless about succubus life, and it stung a bit, like I’d been left out of some big family secret. They always said succubi needed energy from… well, *that*, but I never really got it. Shaking off the thought, I remembered my unique skill. That status screen thing. I hadn’t tested it much, but if it could spill real info, maybe I could finally understand Mom better.
She was rifling through a pile of clothes Dad sent, humming softly, her fingers brushing over a bright red dress. Perfect chance. I focused hard, picturing her status in my mind, willing it to appear.
A glowing panel flickered into existence above her head, like a hologram from some sci-fi game. My jaw dropped.
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Status: Kuromori Lilith
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Name: Kuromori Lilith
Race: Succubus
Gender: Female
Age: 109 (appears mid-30s to humans)
Title: Queen of Lust, Demon of Lust
Husband: Kuromori Ryuji (1)
Lovers: 20
Servants: 396 (bound by her charm, serving her in various capacities)
Children: 1 (Kuromori Setsuna)
Occupation: Part-time courtesan at *Velvet Orchid Pavilion*
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The words burned into my brain. Mom didn’t even flinch, like she couldn’t see the screen hovering there. But something was *wrong*. Twenty lovers? Courtesan? No way.
“What the heck!” I burst out, my voice cracking. “This skill’s spitting out total lies!”
Mom turned, her head tilting again, a pyful smile tugging at her lips. “What’s up, Setsuna-chan? Did you sneak a peek at your mom’s status? You little punk.”
*BAM!*
“Ow!” I yelped, clutching my head where she’d pyfully bonked me. Her fist was light, but it still stung.
“That’s what you get for snooping on a maiden’s secrets,” she teased, her smile turning wicked. “So, what’d you see?”
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, rubbing the sore spot. “It’s just… the skill’s showing some wild stuff. Gotta be fake.”
“Fake?” She raised an eyebrow, curious now.
“It says you’re a courtesan. And you’ve got *twenty lovers*,” I said, my voice dropping. “How garbage is this skill to make that up?”
Mom’s smirk widened, and she leaned closer, her perfume—a mix of jasmine and something darker—wrapping around me. “Well, it’s telling the truth.”
“What?” My brain ftlined. The room spun a little, the cozy kitchen suddenly feeling too small.
“I *am* a courtesan,” she said, casual as if she was talking about the weather. “I’ve been with plenty of guys. Still take clients now and then. And yeah, I’ve got lovers. Lots of them. I’m a succubus, Setsuna-chan. This is just how we roll.”
My mind bnked. My mom, a prostitute? Selling herself? Were we *that* broke? The status screen’s words fshed in my head—*twenty lovers, Velvet Orchid Pavilion*—and my chest tightened. Before I knew it, tears were spilling down my cheeks, hot and unstoppable.
“I can’t… how…” I choked, my voice breaking.
Mom’s smirk faded. “I knew it,” she muttered, almost to herself. “I knew you wouldn’t get it. Maybe raising you so human was a mistake.”
She crossed the room in a heartbeat, pulling me into a hug. Her arms were warm, her heartbeat steady against my ear as she patted my head. “I get how you feel, Setsuna-chan. But listen, Mom hasn’t done anything wrong. This is just who we are.”
“But you…” I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat, drowned by sobs.
“We’re not human,” she said softly, her voice like a lulby. “Our values, our way of seeing love… it’s different. Lovemaking isn’t just physical for us. It’s life, energy, connection.” She pulled back, cupping my face so I had to meet her serious, glowing eyes. “Mama’s gonna teach you what it means to be a succubus. What lovemaking is in *our* world.”
My tears slowed, her words sinking in, heavy but oddly comforting. She meant it. This wasn’t some cruel joke.
“But first,” she said, her smile returning, bright and mischievous, “we’re taking a bath. You need to rex, kiddo.”
Sowrav2459
