Chapter 2
The dwarves of the forest surrounded an old, small bed. They had laid Doran on it, their eyes fixed upon her as they now watched her in silence, none daring to sit upon the bed or raise their voice to wake her.
Doran’s face, once drained of all color like a corpse, gradually regained the warmth of a living person as it absorbed the cabin’s heat. Her stiff hands and feet softened and relaxed. Though the dwarves did not touch her, they could sense her body growing warmer.
Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green lifted their heads and looked at one another. With a shared nod, they quietly left the bedroom. Green was the last to step out, pausing to listen to the Princess’s breathing. A faint, steady breath still lingered, fragile yet present. Adjusting her large, round spectacles, Green allowed herself a small smile.
The cabin was divided into a cramped living room that could barely seat the four dwarves, a hearth tucked into one corner, and the bedroom where Doran now lay.
When the Princess wakes, she will have to stoop just to move about, the dwarves thought as they glanced toward the bedroom, all sharing the same concern. This narrow, shabby cabin was a haven to them, but it would hardly feel that way to a princess accustomed to the Demon King’s castle.
“If Her Highness wakes and sees how poor this place is, she’ll be terribly shocked.”
Red spoke with a grave expression. The strongest of the four, she had effectively become their leader. Broad-minded yet decisive, she was the one who always stepped forward to resolve and settle any trouble. It was rare for Red to show uncertainty, so her worried words made Yellow, Blue, and Green grow equally grave.
“Could we not simply take her back to the castle?”
“No, Yellow. That cannot be done.”
Green slowly shook her head.
“The ones who attacked the Princess were assassins.”
“How do you know? I didn’t see anything.”
“There was a foul stench of sweat and the sickening stench of steel. I’m certain of it!”
Everyone except Green drew a sharp breath in shock. Green continued calmly.
“Only someone of considerable standing could hire such people. At the very least, it must be someone close to the Princess.”
“Then someone in the castle tried to harm her?”
Green hesitated briefly before nodding. Red, Yellow, and Blue exhaled the deep sighs they had been holding back.
“We’ll need to hear the details from the Princess herself once she wakes, but that’s my guess.”
Green pushed her spectacles up. She was the eldest among them, though even she did not know her exact age. Quiet and shy, Green possessed a knowledge that seemed to encompass all things, and when her eyes gleamed behind her spectacles, they revealed a sharp intellect.
If Green said it was so, it was always so. The dwarves’ expressions darkened all at once.
“In that case…”
Blue spoke up. But despite having remained silent for so long, Blue did not continue, simply gazing toward the room where Doran slept. Delicate strands of hair framed Blue’s striking profile, with a high nose and sharp jawline.
“The first thing we should do is wake the Princess.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to let her rest a little longer?”
“No. Don’t you understand what I mean?”
At Blue’s question, the dwarves tilted their heads in confusion. What are you saying, asked Red as she leaned toward Blue. Yellow and Green also drew close, ears pricked.
“The Princess is a succubus. She needs to feed on life force to recover her strength!”
“Ah!”
Red, Yellow, and Green cried out, then clapped their hands over their mouths. Their faces flushed one after another. They already knew the nature of a succubus. Even Blue, the one who had spoken, was now flushed crimson.
They had much to say, yet none knew how to begin. As if by silent agreement, they fell silent, then groaned. Even if the Princess was a succubus, she surely had preferences. Painfully aware that they were not ordinary humans, they could not bring themselves to step forward rashly.
“If she cannot feed, might she be in danger?”
Red said.
“Right. It seems our being dwarves no longer matters. We should focus on helping the Princess regain consciousness first.”
Yellow said.
“That’s exactly what I meant. We cannot simply leave her lying there like that.”
Blue said.
After each had spoken, Red, Yellow, and Blue turned to look at Green, who had remained silent. They were tense and excited, like people standing before an unfamiliar task, yet equally thrilled by the stirring anticipation in their chests.
They stared at Green with pleading eyes, as though seeking permission. The air around them grew hot. It felt as though even the smallest spark could set the space ablaze.
“So, who will be the first to enter the bedroom where the Princess lies?”
At last, Green spoke and posed the crucial question. The youngest, Yellow, was so startled that she hiccupped. The sound of the playful, adorable youngest’s hiccup helped ease the atmosphere that had grown so taut. Red roughly ruffled Yellow’s hair, then pointed at Blue.
“I recommend Blue. She’s the most handsome among us.”
Blue’s small face lit up with overwhelming joy. Never before had Blue’s sharp features, cool and aloof, softened into such a docile expression.
“Yes, I agree. Blue is popular with the forest animals.”
“Th-thank you.”
When the discussion ended, they all rose. Green patted Blue’s shoulder, her gentle green eyes softly holding Blue within their gaze.
“Remember, the Princess is a succubus. You must not give her all of your life force, understand?”
“Right. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“We’ll go gather some turnips.”
At Green’s words, Red and Yellow prepared to harvest turnips. Green untied the string bound around Blue’s wrist. There was no need for a bell when Blue would not leave the house. Blue saw the others off as they departed to give her space.
Once her companions had left and the cabin fell quiet, tension seized Blue’s entire body. Her mind grew unbearably hazy, as though she had swallowed a searing, saccharine poison. With an awkward gait, Blue moved toward the bedroom where the Princess lay. Her eyes, now bloodshot, felt ready to burst, her heart pounding at speeds she had never experienced before.
Blue opened the bedroom door.
The air inside was different. The cozy scent unique to the place where Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green slept together was no more. The Princess still lay motionless in the center of the bed, yet something was undeniably different. Blue could clearly feel the change.
Blue drew a deep breath. A sweet, sharp, addictive fragrance that made her mouth water filled her lungs. Closing her eyes, she inhaled even deeper until her chest began to ache. When Blue opened her eyes again, her blue gaze was oozing with intense desire.
“Princess…”
Drawn by an unknown force, she hurried toward Doran. Her steps halted at the edge of the bed. Doran’s black hair, resting neatly upon the pillow, suddenly lashed out like a predator seizing prey, snatching her by the neck.
With a short grunt, Blue was flung onto the bed and landed beside Doran.
As expected of a succubus, a demon that ruled desire. The Fourth Princess Doran’s magic was terrifying. Unconscious, Doran could not feel the guilt that usually restrained her power. All that remained were her ruthless instincts, faithful only to her true nature.
Her abundant black hair coiled around Blue’s face, invading her ears, then nose, then mouth.
Her slender frame now pinned to the bed, Blue convulsed violently. Though she was swift and agile, there was no escape from the Princess’s grasp. Unable to see, hear, or speak, with every movement blocked, she could only submit to the Princess’s power as the tendrils thrashed within.
The succubus began to draw out Blue’s life force. A suppressed moan escaped her throat, now completely filled by hair. Her legs shook even harder, and so she offered her living body whole.
The sound of tearing fabric echoed as her clothes were ripped apart. The Princess’s hair spread hungrily across her flesh, now bare. Strands coiled around her rounded peaks like vines, sliding down to seek an entrance, deep into the dampness between her thighs.
The hair swayed back and forth as though dancing, and so did Blue’s body, too. Her trembling form bobbed up and down, draped over the Princess’s soon. As their entwined bodies clung together, her legs quickly ceased to struggle, settling down between the Princess’s parted thighs.
The hair covering her face slowly unraveled and gathered low. Wrapped around her hips and thighs, it thrust greedily into her depths. Feeling her essence being drained completely, she finally opened her mouth and moaned. And soon the narrow cabin was filled with piercing, guttural groans.
“Aaah! Ngh! Princess… Princess, please…! No more!”
But these weren’t screams of pain, but moans, her body filled with powerful waves of pleasure. Pleasure so intense that it made her twist and made her scream. It felt as though she could die without regret, but her lips still cried out for salvation yet.
“Princess, please, stop! My body’s being torn apart… Aah, ngh!”
Blue bit her lip as climax stole her breath. Tears streamed from Blue’s blue eyes, her body overwhelmed by the exciting ecstasy. It felt as though her insides had turned to mush, pouring out through some random hole, and overcome by pleasure that washed away all she was, she writhed and trembled as she groaned.
Her quivering movements finally ceased. And as if she had been waiting, Doran’s eyelids, which had remained tightly shut, slowly began to stir. Blue watched, holding her breath, the Princess’s beautiful lashes. Little by little, they fluttered and lifted.
Blue’s blues met the Princess’s blacks, their gazes holding each other, locked. The tears gathered in Blue’s eyes soon fell on the Princess’s face, drop by drop. The Princess’s large, dark eyes blinked blankly, sweeping over Blue’s tear-streaked face. Then down to Blue’s bare body trailed the Princess’s black gaze.
“Did I do this to you?”
“Not on purpose, Your Highness.”
Blue’s voice was terribly hoarse. Fixed on Blue, the Princess’s eyes twisted in distress. The black hair that had dominated Blue’s lower body lost its strength and left. When the Princess’s presence vanished from within, Blue’s face briefly crumpled at the sudden, gaping void.
“It seems that in the end, I can only bring good people pain.”
“No, Your Highness. This happened because I came here of my own free will.”
“Do you even know what you look like? Oh, heavens. If I had regained my senses even a moment later, you could have lost your life!”
“As you have already seen, Your Highness, I am not an ordinary human. So please, set aside your distress.”
Blue lifted herself from atop the Princess and moved aside. Covering her body with her arms, she bowed her head. With her clothes torn to shreds, there was little else she could use to cover herself. Feeling ashamed, she sought the Princess’s forgiveness.
“I am the one who ruined your clothes. I am the one who should ask forgiveness.”
“I came here knowing, or at least suspecting, that this might happen.”
“Why?”
“I hoped you would regain consciousness. I wanted to help you recover sooner, to learn how you came to collapse in the forest.”
There were no blankets for the dwarves. The Princess realized there was nothing with which to cover Blue’s naked form. Her own clothes would be far too large for Blue. She rose and approached Blue, then pulled her into a tight embrace as the dwarf bowed before her.
“Princess…”
“Thanks to you, I have regained my senses. Let me ask my savior, what would you have me do?”
Blue felt deeply moved by the Princess’s embrace, which showed no concern for the fact that she was a dwarf. It was the first time she had ever become someone’s savior. Having lived with Red, Yellow, and Green, all dwarves like herself, she had long been at odds with the human world.
A swelling warmth welled up inside her. It seemed to gently soothe the hostile disillusionment she once harbored toward others.
Blue let out a small sob. The Princess unconsciously licked away the tears Blue shed and pressed her lips to Blue’s damp blue eyes, her once-limp black wings suddenly spreading wide.
Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong…
Bells rang out as Red, Yellow, and Green, who had gone to gather turnips, soon returned. As the ringing grew clear, the black wings of the succubus, in all her glory, spread even wider at their approach.
“P-Princess?”
The gentle look of affection the Princess had worn moments ago began to change. Color bloomed vividly across her once-pallid face. Long fangs gleamed between the delicate swells of her lips, her once-soft black eyes now burning with black desire.
“Oh… What should I do? Ah! Your essence just tastes divine. My body… my body’s never…”
The Princess’s body arched sharply backward. Then, as though shedding her skin, she began to awaken as a lethal succubus.