Episode 322. Irene & Alice

A cafe in the city.

Slurp-

Irene sipped her iced americano, gazing at the man before her.

The man who changed Alice’s personality.

The man monopolizing Alice’s attention.

The man who dragged Alice into dangerous places.

And perhaps… the man who might have taken Alice’s first time.

From Irene’s perspective, he was an enemy, but it was difficult to keep him in check. She couldn’t tell anyone that he was targeting Alice, and Lee Hoyeon was a necessary presence for Alice. What’s worse, he was even helping with the Centaur tracking, so Father was paying attention to him too. Therefore, Irene carefully considered what to say to Lee Hoyeon before her.

‘Why did he even come to the cafe.’

Meanwhile, Lee Hoyeon, sitting across from her, felt the same. He sat quietly, watching Irene furrow her brow. He had followed her since she dragged him to the cafe, but now that they were sitting down, she wasn’t saying anything and just seemed lost in thought, which was frustrating.

“So, why did you call me here?”

“….”

“….”

Lee Hoyeon remained silent, looking at Irene glaring at him.

Seriously, she called him here, so what was she expecting him to do? There’s a limit to relying on a pretty face. This is too much.

“How did you know I was behind you?”

“I could just see you.”

“….”

Lee Hoyeon averted his gaze from Irene.

Why is she staring at me so menacingly? It’s scary.

“Hmph.”

She couldn’t vibe with this man. Irene felt it clearly.

Deciding she had to state what she wanted, Irene spoke first.

“Don’t touch Alice.”

“I haven’t touched her.”

“Liar. I definitely….”

Irene stopped herself before she could say she definitely saw it. After all, she only had suspicions, she hadn’t actually seen anything. Just because Lee Hoyeon came out of Alice’s dorm didn’t guarantee anything had happened. It was only Irene’s intuition telling her. That something definitely happened that day.

“It’s not a lie….”

“I saw you. Coming out of Alice’s dorm.”

“……?”

Lee Hoyeon pondered Irene’s words for a moment.

Alice’s dorm? She must be talking about the day before the practical training. That was the day I only gave her a massage, wasn’t it? How did she even see me?

“How did you see that?”

“… I saw you passing by.”

Irene quickly turned her head away.

‘….’

What am I going to do with this person? We just don’t communicate. Her habit was just like Alice’s. When you have strong pride but find it hard to admit something. Turning your head away abruptly.

“That day was just a massage. To get her condition fully optimized before the sortie.”

“… There was something more to it.”

“There really wasn’t.”

If I had actually done it, I wouldn’t feel wronged, but since I didn’t, I feel wronged. I really wanted to, but I held back.

“Aren’t you being a bit too protective of your sister? Alice is an adult now.”

“No. Alice needs to be protected.”

“….”

Irene also felt wronged in her own way. She had raised Alice meticulously to her own taste, but Lee Hoyeon, who just barged in, was ruining all her plans. No matter how she tried to separate Lee Hoyeon and Alice, tailing him yielded no results. Seeing him on a date with Scarlet, she dragged him to the cafe, but now she couldn’t think of anything to say.

Slurp-

Lee Hoyeon thought while drinking his chocolate latte.

‘She’s a severe case.’

Is this what they mean by a crazy bitch but a good person? Or is she just a weird person?

Lee Hoyeon pondered, looking at Irene. She was clearly trying to keep him in check, but whether she didn’t know how or it was because of Alice, she just kept saying strange things after calling him here. It was no wonder he felt frustrated.

Ting-

Just then, something flashed through Lee Hoyeon’s mind.

It felt just like when he opened the Heroine Status Window…

‘… No way?’

★ Heroine Status Window

[Irene]

• [Affection: 30]

• [Lust: 70]

• [Hunger: 30]

• [Fatigue: 50]

Current State: I can’t give him up. Alice’s first time is mine… Absolutely not.

As soon as he thought about wanting to see Irene’s status window, it appeared before his eyes.

What the hell does she mean, she’s going to take her sister’s virginity? Is she really crazy?

Her affection level was only 30. Still, thanks to his handsome face, she seemed to have secured the minimum level of affection.

‘So the status window opens not based on affection, but on the possibility of conquest.’

He thought it opened based on high affection until now, but it seems that wasn’t the case. That means he could conquer Irene soon.

‘It must be jealousy, right?’

The only method that came to mind immediately was making her jealous of his relationship with Alice. Or her obsession with Alice’s first time… This requires more thought.

“… What are you thinking about? Thinking about Alice again, aren’t you?”

“I told you, no.”

Why are these sisters constantly checking each other out?

*

“She’s not following.”

I slipped out of the cafe, using the Centaur research as an excuse to avoid Irene’s strange attempts at deterrence. Fortunately, Irene couldn’t block that topic either and let me go easily. Seeing that she noticed I was aware of her tailing me, she didn’t follow, so I guess I’m free now.

“But can I actually conquer her?”

I continued thinking about Irene as I opened the door to the dorm. I know I have to use Alice to conquer her… but will it work? Using jealousy seems like the best approach, but I need to think more about this. Since she’s a character with no information in the original work, I lack the basis for judgment.

“Are you researching right after waking up?”

Inside the dorm, Rebecca and Liliana were engrossed in researching the Centaur’s magic. It should be time for them to wake up soon, I bought breakfast bread, but they’ve already started researching.

“Ah, Daddy’s here. But we’re almost done.”

“I’m so tired….”

“You’ve worked hard. I bought this, so eat while you work.”

“Liliana, shall we take a short break?”

“Okay!”

I put down the bread I bought from the street bakery and briefly observed their research. From the looks of it, they were almost done, but it seemed like deciphering the location coordinates was taking time.

“What do you think, Daddy?”

“It’s certainly well-structured. If we find the location coordinates, we might be able to locate the hideout.”

“As expected, we need someone who understands. I worked hard to make this.”

“Thank you, Rebecca-ssi.”

“Mm-hmm. Oh, should I get some drinks too?”

Rebecca got up and went into the kitchen, while Liliana hunched her shoulders and devoured the bread. Normally, she’d cling to me and rub against me when I arrived, but she didn’t even seem to have the energy for that. She had the look of a graduate student who pulled an all-nighter.

“Are you that exhausted?”

“It’s so bothersome because I’m trying to work after not wanting to….”

“But you’re good at broadcasting.”

“Even broadcasting feels bothersome after taking a week off.”

“You’re just like humans.”

They say people shouldn’t rest, and it seems succubi are the same.

Sitting next to Liliana and picking up a piece of bread, something suddenly occurred to me. Come to think of it, there’s a succubus here, an expert on sex, so maybe I could ask her about Irene too?

“Liliana. Speaking of which, I have a question.”

“Yeah?”

“How do I seduce an older sister who likes her younger sister?”

“That’s a bit of a challenging question, even for a succubus.”

“I guess so?”

I thought a succubus who had mastered all tastes would be able to handle it, but was it that difficult? But Liliana didn’t give up.

“Don’t you have any characteristics? Like what aspects of her sister she likes?”

“She likes her sister’s appearance. She’s incredibly beautiful. And the older sister has immense pride, and, um. She wants to take her sister’s virginity.”

“…… Nom nom.”

Liliana thoughtfully chewed on her donut, contemplating seriously. I’m glad I bought the bread after all. Of course, the topic of discussion is a bit… awkward.

“Is this question really inappropriate for a succubus too?”

Not knowing the ecosystem of the Underworld, I worried I might be making a huge mistake.

“It’s not exactly inappropriate, maybe more like a slightly uncomfortable client. Among the famous nobles in the Underworld, there’s one who likes the smell of succubi’s feet…”

“You don’t have to continue. Just keep thinking.”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to hear any more of the Underworld’s dirty secrets.

“Hmm, how about this? Right before taking the sister’s first time, call the older sister too, and share it.”

Share what? It’s not something you eat.

“I mean, enjoy it together!”

Alice probably wouldn’t just stand by if that happened.

‘Wait a second.’

Come to think of it, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. If I go to Alice, Irene will definitely follow me, right? But I don’t want to share the crucial moment of taking her virginity with Irene. So, in that state…

“Oh, Liliana. You seem quite helpful?”

“Really?! That’s a relief! Then buy me a chocolate swirl bread next time too.”

“Sure, sure. I’ll buy you anything.”

“Daddy~. I brought coffee.”

“Thank you, Rebecca-ssi. Have some of this too.”

I handed over the remaining bread to Liliana and Rebecca and continued pondering.

*

Scratch, scratch-

Alice was writing in her notebook in her room. It was about her experience facing a Centaur during her first real combat mission. However, that experience wasn’t a good one for her.

Thump-

Frustrated by the next part that wouldn’t write, Alice put down her pen and closed her eyes.

Her father’s and Irene’s overprotectiveness. At first, she was annoyed, feeling like they were just ignoring her, but when she actually faced the Centaur, her trembling legs made her feel even more ashamed and irritated. If a real battle had broken out, she would have been nothing more than a burden. She would have been a negative factor, actually.

Moreover, Alice had clearly seen it. Lee Hoyeon’s appearance when facing the Centaur. Lee Hoyeon wasn’t scared at all; he was staring right at the Centaur. In fact, he had even managed to analyze the Centaur’s magic and track its location. She felt intimidated by his actions, which were so different from her own. No one was comparing them, but Alice felt a sense of inferiority. Lee Hoyeon’s response, brushing off her jealousy with a smile, had the composure of someone far ahead. The more she thought about it, the more her confidence seemed to dwindle.

Ting-

Just then, Alice’s smartwatch chimed.

• Lee Hoyeon: Alice. Can I come over now? I’m heading back to the academy tomorrow, so I’ll give you the massage I couldn’t before.

Speak of the devil. It was a message from Lee Hoyeon.

“… I’m not going tomorrow.”

Alice replied that he could come over. Since I’m not going back to the academy tomorrow, I can talk to him face-to-face. He might be a little surprised, perhaps?

“Hmph…”

Thinking about the schedule brought back memories of the aegyo she’d used on her dad. Would he ever know what pathetic display she put on just to buy a few extra days?

‘No, he must never know.’

There was no way for him to find out anyway, so it was fine. Relieved, Alice began tidying up the room to welcome Lee Hoyeon.