Chapter 17: Attraction

“Are you trying to discuss the schedule for tomorrow, Sister Night Lei?”

Faon asked.

“It doesn’t matter much to me, as long as we don’t return too late.”

“Hehe… Are you worried Miss Evalyn will be too lonely at home, Brother Faon?”

Night Lei said with a smile.

“That is part of the reason, but I’m fine with whatever you arrange, Sister Night Lei. After all, I’ll be troubling you and Miss Night Night tomorrow,” Faon replied after a moment of thought.

Since his wife had asked Night Lei and Night Night to accompany him, it felt inappropriate to simply return immediately after buying the lingerie.

“We can talk while we eat,” Night Lei said, her smile widening.

“You’re leaving the arrangements to me? You really do trust me, Brother Faon. In that case… I’ll have to trouble you to accompany us on a long stroll tomorrow.”

Faon shook his head.

“It’s no trouble. My wife was right; if I were to show up at a women’s specialty shop in town alone, as a grown man, it would indeed look strange.”

“I don’t think so. On the contrary, an attractive man like you appearing alone in a lingerie shop might give Miss Evalyn a sense of crisis,” Night Lei teased, covering her mouth as she giggled.

“A sense of crisis? Usually, I’d just be seen as an adventurer with some… unusual hobbies.”

“You seem quite knowledgeable about that. Is it because you’ve experienced something like that before?”

Night Lei asked curiously.

“…It’s just an intuition.”

Faon instinctively put up his guard.

He increasingly felt that something was off about her.

‘If she had lived in this frontier town with such limited educational resources her entire life, I don’t think she would have mastered these conversation techniques.’

“Hehe… I get the feeling you’re a man with a lot of history, Brother Faon,” Night Lei said softly, appearing indifferent to his caution.

“Let’s change the subject. How long has it been since you and Miss Evalyn went out on a date?”

“It has probably been since we moved here. Because of Sister Evalyn’s health, she hasn’t left the house. Why do you ask?”

Faon was actually quite poor at dealing with women like Night Lei—mature, mysterious, and radiating a blend of tenderness and seduction.

Before moving here, the only women he was familiar with were Ailin, his adventuring companions, and the members of the Hero’s Party.

Under the tension of adventures and battlefields, he had only ever viewed them as comrades and partners.

That included Night Lei; until recently, he had viewed her strictly as a coworker.

“Hehe, it’s just curiosity and idle chatter. You almost never chatted with me while we were working before,” Night Lei said with a laugh.

“If you put it that way, does this trip count as your first date since moving here?”

Faon felt her choice of words was a bit strange.

He paused for a moment.

“I suppose it could be considered… the first time I’ve gone out? After we arrived, I was busy with the move and work, and once we settled in—”

“Hehe, you must have been cooped up for so long since you haven’t gone out with your wife,” Night Lei said, leaning her face against her hand with a smile.

“Then you really must accompany us properly tomorrow. How about this… tomorrow, after we finish buying Miss Evalyn’s lingerie, you follow my lead?”

‘Cooped up…’

Faon found the phrasing odd, but seeing her look of serious contemplation, he decided not to make a big deal of it.

He simply smiled.

“Buying my wife’s lingerie first? That works. If anything, getting that out of the way first makes me the one getting the better end of the deal.”

“The better end? Hehe, I don’t think you’re taking advantage of us. If anything, we’re taking advantage of you,” Night Lei said, brushing a lock of hair back.

“After all, Half-Demons like us are usually treated with suspicion even when accompanied. Of course, if the person by our side is you, Brother Faon… I feel like people won’t be so guarded.”

“You flatter me, Sister Night Lei. I don’t think I possess such a special ability,” Faon said, shaking his head.

“My wife mentioned that you’ve been to the town several times before. I assume you don’t find it too repelling? Since it’s so close.”

‘She heard it from his wife?’

The thought flashed through Night Lei’s mind before she spoke with a smile.

“How could I not find it repelling? Not everyone is like you and Miss Evalyn. When I went before, I wore a hood from the Order and disguised myself as a nun from that town. I’d just buy the daily necessities and come straight back.”

Night Lei’s tone didn’t change as she spoke, as if she were telling a story that had nothing to do with her.

Faon wasn’t surprised.

In this era, it was normal for people to reject Half-Demons, who were seen as the “erroneous” result of the fusion between the Demon Race and the Human Race.

To him, however, the union of the two races not only resulted in a perfect appearance but also allowed for a very high potential as an adventurer once their Magic Power fused.

Furthermore, he had tasted the sting of being ostracized by nobles on the battlefield, a feeling that had only been diluted by the trust of his Captain and teammates.

He remained silent for a moment before saying, “I see.”

“So, I’m actually very grateful that Miss Evalyn asked us to go with you. To be able to go out as equals with someone like you… it’s like the date I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” Night Lei said, blinking her eyes.

“I think I can use your own words here, Sister Night Lei. I find you very charming. Not only are your features exquisite, but your traits as a Succubus provide an unprecedented attraction,” Faon said, tossing her earlier compliment back to her with a smile.

“And… if you’re worried about that, I can use Disguise Magic to make you both look like normal humans.”

“You’re as kind and charming as ever, Brother Faon—”

Perhaps due to excitement, a faint blush appeared on Night Lei’s face.

“Because of that, I really envy Miss Evalyn.”

Hearing her praise him so directly, Faon felt a bit embarrassed.

“Envy? I believe being able to marry Sister Evalyn is my greatest happiness. Besides, someone as charming as you will surely find the right person and live a happy life, Sister Night Lei.”

“You really are good at giving compliments. But I don’t have those thoughts right now. Though, if I were to meet someone like you, I think my heart would skip a beat.”

She then shifted the conversation.

“Won’t using Disguise Magic be a heavy drain on you?”

“It’s only mid-tier magic; the consumption is minimal,” Faon replied nonchalantly.

“Ah, in that case, I’ll be in your debt. As your elder sister, I’ll have to find a way to repay you,” Night Lei said, pressing her hands together.

“It’s just a small favor. There’s no need for a reward.”

“No, you can look forward to a small reward from a Semi-succubus.”

Night Lei’s voice took on a teasing lilt.

She finished her last bite and licked her lips.

“I’ll look forward to it then.”

Faon didn’t take it seriously, viewing it only as a bit of humor from Night Lei.

The two finished their lunch amidst idle chatter.

As they were about to leave and head back to work, Night Lei stood up and set the meeting time.

“I’ll be going now. Let’s meet at your house tomorrow morning. That way, even if we stay out for a long time, we won’t return too late.”

“No problem,” Faon nodded.

“Hehe, eating and chatting with you like this is truly pleasant. Should we eat together in the future? It would be more convenient to prepare food for both of us at once. I’ve been feeling a bit lonely at the Church lately, so it would be like having a meal partner,” Night Lei suggested, smiling with her arms crossed.

“Let me ask my wife first.”

“All right. I’m heading back to work. See you tomorrow. Oh, and since I was the one who came to discuss this with you today, if there’s anything you find inconvenient to tell Miss Evalyn, you can come to me.”

“Okay, I’ll look for you if something comes up. See you tomorrow.”

Faon took it as mere politeness.

Once Night Lei left, Faon chose not to take his usual short nap and headed straight back to the Medical Hall.

‘Talk to her about things that are inconvenient to tell my wife?’

Sitting at his desk, Faon suddenly thought of what Night Lei had just said.

He then thought of the letter Ailin had sent after returning home for her break.

After thinking it over, he decided it wasn’t necessary.

“What are you thinking about, my child?”

Lady Eve’s gentle voice sounded from beside him.

She seemed to have just returned from lunch at the Church.

“Lady Eve? It’s nothing.”

Faon was slightly surprised.

He hadn’t sensed her approach at all.

He asked, “Is there any specific arrangement for work tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow… there isn’t much work, just like today. Actually, the next few days should be just as quiet. Why do you ask, my child?”

Lady Eve sat down across from him.

She spoke with a beaming smile, which, combined with her exaggerated curves, gave off a motherly aura.

“That’s good… I need to head to the nearby town tomorrow to buy some necessities for my wife. I’ll also likely return to my hometown in a few days.”

Faon decided to give her a heads-up.

“Hmm… that’s fine. Speaking of which, one of the children from the Church has also requested time off. Are you going out with her, my child?”

Lady Eve watched Faon with her face resting in her hands, her long, pointed elven ears twitching slightly.

“Sister Night Lei? Yes, we’re going together to buy some things.”

Faon saw no reason to hide it.

“I see— but my child, you should be careful to maintain some distance.”

Lady Eve left behind those meaningful words before returning to her office.

Faon felt a bit helpless but said nothing, continuing to wait for the afternoon’s work to begin.