Chapter 1

I was Connie Nicholson, and I was a succubus.

The first time I tried to seduce Vincent Owen, I ended up pinned against the altar.

He was dressed in a pristine white ritual robe, his fingers locked around the back of my neck. When he looked down at me, it felt less like a man and more like a deity judging something unworthy.

My legs went weak instantly, but my mouth refused to cooperate.

"I-I was just passing by," I stammered.

He studied me for a long moment before speaking, calm and unreadable.

"Passing by all the way onto my altar?"

I went silent. I was done for.

*****

Normally, succubi lived off human desire. We were supposed to be so alluring that with just a wave of our hand, any guy would be completely spellbound.

But me? I was hopeless.

I was born with barely any magic and couldn't learn any seduction skills, and my only move was literally jumping into a guy's arms.

After three years of Demon Realm trials, I was always dead last. The elders got headaches just seeing me, saying I was a total embarrassment to the succubus clan.

This time, the elders finally snapped and gave me a do-or-die order. "Vincent, the High Priest of the mortal world, has a super fate and the purest spiritual energy.

"Go suck a bit of his core essence. If you can't, don't even think about coming back."

I couldn't help but cry as soon as I heard it.

Who exactly was Vincent?

He was the High Priest, had been cultivating in solitude for sixteen years, and lived at the highest point of Arcane Sanctum, in the Hall of Tranquility.

Every official in the court lowers their head when they see him, and the people of Frostenburg kneel and pay their respects to him during festivals.

Rumor had it that, with just a thought, he could suppress monsters, and with a single talisman, he could destroy demons. Even the King had to give him three parts respect.

With a guy like that, forget about stealing his core essence—even getting within three steps of him, I was terrified he'd just purify me out of existence.

But the elders didn't care at all. They just booted me right off the mountain.

"Starve to death or go seduce the High Priest. Take your pick," the elders said coldly.

So here I was.

But as soon as I snuck in through the back window of the Hall of Tranquility, before I could even reach the bed, a flash of golden light froze me in midair—and then, smack, I crashed right into his arms.

So yeah, that was how this whole mess happened.

He had me pinned down, and I was so stiff I might as well have been a block of wood. My mind was racing, and my mouth just ran off on its own.

"Mr. Owen, I heard you get chilly at night, so I came all the way here to keep your bed warm," I blurted out.

He replied coolly, "I'm not cold."

I kept up the act.

"Maybe I could give you a shoulder massage?" I offered desperately.

"I'm not tired," he replied.

"I can sing for you too," I blurted out.

"I don't need to hear it," he replied.

"Uh... I can tell you a joke?" I blurted out.

Vincent finally looked up at her.

"So, a succubus breaks into Arcane Sanctum just to crack jokes for me?" Vincent said.

My face turned beet red.

He saw right through me.

My voice trembled as I asked, "How did you know?"

Vincent's eyes zeroed in on the tip of my tail, sticking out for all to see.

As I glanced down, a wave of numbness washed over me.

I'd been so nervous that I completely forgot to retract my tail.

And to make it even worse, there was still that little copper bell tied to the end—the one I got during the Demon Realm trials. When I fell, it jingled nonstop, practically announcing to the world that I was a demon.

The room was dead silent. It was almost creepy.

I shrank my tail and mumbled in a tiny voice, "How about... you just act like you didn't see anything?"

Vincent stared at me, his eyes completely unmoved, not a flicker of emotion on his face.

"Breaking into the Hall of Tranquility and trying to seduce the High Priest—by law, that's a capital offense." Vincent's tone was chilling.

Everything went dark, and I lunged forward, grabbing his waist.

"Don't kill me," I cried out.

He stiffened instantly.

I clung to him even tighter, scared that if I let go, I'd lose my life.

"I swear, I've never hurt anyone. I'm just starving. If I can't get any core essence, I'll die. Please, just let me take a tiny bit—just a little, I promise." I begged, my voice trembling.

Vincent looked down at me, his eyes icy, like snow on a mountaintop.

"Let go," he said coldly.

"I won't," I replied.

"I'm only saying this one last time," Vincent said.

"I won't," I blurted out.

I clamped my eyes shut, ready to meet my doom.

But after a long, nerve-wracking pause, the heavenly thunder I was sure would fry me never struck. All I heard was Vincent's cool voice from above. "Look up."

I cautiously opened my eyes, my heart pounding.

Vincent was so close I could see the faint mole at the corner of his eye.

He was absurdly handsome. His brows were icy and chiseled, his lips pale.

That kind of face, wasted on a High Priest devoted to asceticism. What a shame.

I was totally dazed, just staring at him.

Suddenly, he reached out and gently pressed his thumb against my lower lip.

I jolted, a shiver running through me.

"So this is how a succubus begs for favors?" Vincent said, his voice cool and just a little mocking.

My cheeks burned hot.

"I-I'm really not good at this," I mumbled.