She had never expected this scene.

On the night she left the Bloody Rose, she was ready to say farewell forever.

Candy had been entrusted to Lady Beatrice, and William had Fannila.

No one should have noticed her absence, and even if she disappeared, no one would get hurt anymore.

That sweet voice echoed in her ears, just as it had once whispered beside her pillow.

"Everyone has their place, Gurellia. But a Succubus will not, because we are demons that usurp and steal..."

Those eyes, the same color as moonlight, hooked away her soul in the darkness, and even as a member of the same sex, as mother and daughter, Gurellia could not resist Sara Nightwish’s allure.

Those beautiful eyes opened a window to her soul, bringing storms to her spiritual desert.

Gurellia had never thought she would return to the chaotic skies of the City of Wandering, in William’s embrace once again.

Thanks to Carlos’s self-sacrificial "sacrifice," William and the rest of the Arcanists had made it out of the Stone Monster district unscathed.

Every Arcanist bore rage on their faces; the City of Wandering had once been a capital, and its Arcanists still followed the old monarchy, although Carlos himself had created a parliamentary system to lessen his workload and make excuses to leave. But human thought is stubborn, and in the present, where knightly ideals are widespread, these Arcanists felt a deep sense of humiliation.

Their leader had sacrificed himself before them—wasn’t this the greatest portrayal of their own incompetence?

"Damn War Messengers, Arcanists, search our city! The Lord of the City’s blood should not have been spilled in vain! Put away your noble mage’s carefree attitudes, find those scum. We are the true masters of the City of Wandering!"

The Arcanists, filled with rage, put two hundred percent effort into the search for the War Messenger.

Before leaving, they gave William some instructions.

"Mr. William, you are the person our Lord of the City favored. From now on, the Secret Pivot Council is your home. We will take care of you as if you were the Lord’s own orphan... for the prosperity of magic."

After a brief exchange, the group of purple-robed Arcanists left.

William and Gurellia were now safe, and the City of Wandering was in chaos due to the furious Arcanists, with no darkness to hide in. Even if someone foolish enough approached, William’s call for help would ensure Arcanist support so quick it would demonstrate human solidarity.

Exhaustion and the fear of facing a higher existence returned to both their minds as their spirits relaxed.

This was the central district’s garden, private land owned by the Arcanists. The two of them lay on the luscious grass, silently gazing at each other.

When the rush of emotions within them subsided, their emotional confession seemed like an abrupt drama, and both protagonists clearly had stage fright.

Eventually, William broke the deadlock, lifting his upper body with effort. In Gurellia’s view, aside from the chaotic sky, there he was.

"Spring of Purity."

Clear water flowed between William’s hands, forming a protective film of water. He slowly revealed his palms, tentatively touching Gurellia’s cheek. Meticulously and gently, he cleaned the mud on her cheeks and hair, with great care and softness.

No words were spoken.

Gurellia watched the boy’s shadow cover her, his breath on her skin, his hands combing through her hair, his gaze clear as water, focused intently on every part of her. As the Scale Armor slowly receded, a rising flush appeared on Gurellia’s face. She turned her gaze away, daring not look into his eyes.

William’s voice directly penetrated her ears; though gentle, it was too close, and Gurellia’s ears turned red.

"Gurellia, I meant what I said earlier. I won’t allow you to dismiss it as a dream and forget."

"Mhm..." Gurellia managed a faint response with all her remaining strength.

"Mhm? What does ’mhm’ mean? You haven’t forgotten already, have you?" William moved closer discontentedly, their noses almost touching.

"I meant I remember..." Gurellia covered her face with her palms, feeling as though she were on fire.

"So, tell me what you do remember," William said, having noticed Gurellia’s shyness. A smile adorned his face; such an Anna was rare to see, so he didn’t mind her showing more of her adorable side.

Almost immediately, William’s head was seized by an outstretched claw, and along with his body, he was slammed to the ground. The roles were now reversed, and William found himself pinned down by the indignant Succubus. Water droplets adorned Gurellia’s hair, dripping onto his face. The Succubus roared in anger, but it seemed more like sulking to William, "I remember—I like you, you bastard, and I promised to become your mate. Are you satisfied now, you jerk!"

"I’m satisfied," William’s voice put an end to it all as he caressed Gurellia’s cheek, looking into her beautiful eyes, "Couldn’t be more satisfied, my Gurellia."

"Greedy jerk," the Succubus muttered softly, but her smile couldn’t be hidden.

The two of them quickly sorted themselves out and leaned back on the grass together.

"Gurellia, those Demons chasing you were..."

"My father’s clan. I’m a hybrid of the War Demon Clan and a Succubus. I’m a breeding tool deliberately created by my father."

"The ability of a Succubus to give birth is special—they only give birth to girls, inheriting all their father’s excellent abilities. This was the plan of my father, Relicette. My birth was merely to become a suitable partner for my elder brother, to strengthen our clan. He hit it off with the carefree Succubus, Sara Nightwish, and they had me."

"My childhood was spent in a war hell, undergoing training, developing ferocity, living a beastly life of blood and flesh, and I had no objection because my value had already been decided."

"But mom changed; she changed herself and me too."

"Candy..."

"Candy is my half-brother from my mother, his father being a human, a man I’ve never seen."

"At that time, my mother, who was pregnant, found me in the war hell and took me to this city. She taught me about the outside world, things beyond fighting—how to survive as a Succubus, warmth, feelings, and family."

"All of this was because of Candy’s father; he changed her."

"She took me away because she wanted to atone for the sin of abandoning me. She became a competent mother. She kept telling me stories about my brother, imagining what he would look like when he was born."

[My child will be named Candy because that’s the sweetest thing in the world.]

[Gurellia, Candy will be very cute, following you around, calling ’sister, sister’ with his little short legs, reaching out his chubby little hands. Candy will surely be the cutest child.]

[If only Candy could be more like his father, just a bit more, a bit more...]

"But she never got to see those beautiful fantasies..."

Here, William heard something that puzzled him.

"Candy is a boy, right? Could it be that Candy is actually a girl?"

Gurellia leaned on William’s shoulder, and her voice deepened, "Succubi possess a special magic that transforms the unborn child within them, ensuring the offspring is always a girl to continue the Succubus lineage. However, there is one exception: a dying Succubus doesn’t have the extra magic to change her child. Every night, after I fell asleep, mom would infuse her own magic into me—for me and for Candy."

"Mom died in childbirth with Candy. She gave me her strength and left hope and love for Candy."

"That baby, so similar to my mother, my brother, my family, my Candy."

"I continued to survive in this City of Wandering with Candy; Lady Beatrice took us in. Then, I met you..." Gurellia’s eyes turned as red as those of the War Demon Clan.

"So, if you dare have any bad thoughts about my Candy, William, I will kill you!"

Damn! William nearly ran out of breath and quickly patted Gurellia on the back to soothe her.

"How could I possibly, Gurellia, how could I possibly lay a hand on my own little brother-in-law?"

Gurellia looked at him with suspicion, "Why not? Candy is so adorable! Every man who sees my brother will fall for him! He’s the pride of the Nightwish Succubus Family!"

"Oh, this..." William had to spend even more time clearing himself of suspicion.