Chapter 26 - Prince Red Riding Hood

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Chapter 26

 

 

Tears welled up in Lil's eyes at the voice of the Queen—his grandmother.

 

It was indeed Queen Cyndia. But her tone was off.

 

She spoke with an oddly cheerful cadence that didn't suit the situation. Her voice, too, felt... young.

 

"Grandmother?"

 

"You recognized me by my scent, didn't you?"

 

"Y-yes... the lilies... such a pure, noble fragrance."

 

"Lil, you likely don't know. Lilies symbolize purity, yes, and appear chaste—but their scent is rather sensual. While pretending to be proper and smiling sweetly, they draw in a man and drain him dry..."

 

"—ah..."

 

A hand slipped beneath his hood, removing the black leather blindfold.

 

Against the backdrop of a moon tinged faintly red, it was not his grandmother who stood before him.

 

Long black hair flowed loose around large curling goat horns. Crimson irises glowed within dark-red pupils, and blood-red lips smiled wide. Four sharp fangs gleamed within the mouth of a creature now looming in Lil's vision.

 

Her body was bare from the neck down, her breasts exposed.

 

"A-ah...!"

 

He couldn't comprehend what was happening or believe what he was seeing.

 

Terrified to his core, Lil couldn't even scream. He struggled to breathe, clattering his shackles and chains as he scrambled backward in blind panic.

 

"How rude. You don't need to be so frightened, do you? You've buried your face in this chest before. Look—so full, so soft... and doesn't it smell lovely?"

 

The queen-turned-witch wore a bewitching smile as she seized Lil by the nape of his neck.

 

Lil let out a strangled gasp, only to freeze as he realized—her fingernails had grown into sharp claws.

 

They pricked at his neck and scalp, and her strength was far beyond what any woman should possess, immobilizing him with ease.

 

From the breasts before his eyes came the once-pure scent of lilies—now sickeningly pungent.

 

Overcome by the overpowering fragrance, Lil felt the urge to vomit.

 

"W-why... Why is this happening...? What did you do to Grandmother...?"

 

"My, what a curious boy you are. I didn't 'do' anything. I've always been myself. It all began... perhaps five hundred years ago? You see, I'm a succubus—one who lives by drawing out the essence and blood of men. I come from a blessed lineage, born with demonic eyes. I waited for the day the next heir would mature. My sweet Lil, once you awakened to desire, under the blood moon, a miracle would occur! By consuming your flesh and blood, I will evolve into a winged being! I shall rise from the Vallcent Mountains—and be free!"

 

"...No... Wait... Please... Say it's not true..."

 

The witch met Lil's eyes directly and laughed without a shred of dignity.

 

Lil wanted desperately to believe that a witch had possessed his grandmother, or that she was merely using her face and voice. But the longer he stared into her red-black eyes, the more that hope faded.

 

Her eyes, darker and deeper than his own, nonetheless held something unmistakably familiar. It was a color most humans found disturbing—deeply ominous.

 

Since childhood, his grandmother had praised his unusual eyes.

 

Not just with words, but in the way she looked at him—filled with pride for his crimson gaze.

 

That much hadn't changed. The witch now stared at him as if beholding a rare jewel, calling him a "blessed bloodline born with the eyes of a demon."

 

"Who... What am I...?"

 

"You're a succubus—just like me. Though you're male, you attract other males. You may be the most powerful of our kind. Even without taking your true form, your eyes remain red... Such a mesmerizing color—so captivating it draws one in. I envy you. You're truly beautiful, my dear grandson."

 

"A succubus...? Me...?"

 

"Surely you've sensed it. You've been sneaking out beyond the barrier to meet that foreign man, haven't you? I hear he's young and handsome. But you're still chaste, aren't you?"

 

"—Please... stop... Let go..."

 

"For a man not to succumb to your gaze... he must be incredibly faithful and strong-willed. Perhaps I should tempt and corrupt him myself. Now that I'll gain your power and evolve, there's nothing I cannot do."

 

The witch's voice, spoken with dreamy delight, froze Lil like a statue of ice.

 

To corrupt Klaus—to seduce and defile him—was unthinkable.

 

In that moment, he understood clearly: this witch, drenched in the scent of lilies, was his enemy.

 

The noble queen, the kind grandmother, was no longer there. She hadn't died. She hadn't vanished. That person had never existed to begin with.

 

"Lil… You've grown into such a good and obedient child. Let us continue to live together. Your parents live on too… as my blood and flesh."

 

"—What…?"

 

"It couldn't be helped. Your father discovered what I truly was. And your mother—she had no succubus blood. Useless. But she served her purpose, giving birth to a remarkable heir."

 

"No… Not just Father… even your own daughter—my mother!"

 

"Oh, but she hated you, you know. The moment she saw your red eyes, she went mad. She screamed, 'This demon isn't my child!' and tried to cast you away."

 

"…ah…"

 

"I'm the only one who loves you as you are. I alone see your true worth."

 

She pressed a clawed finger beneath Lil's eye, forcing it open.

 

A sharp nail pierced his skin, drawing blood.

 

His face throbbed with pain—but it was nothing compared to the agony of having the love and trust he had cherished torn apart and trampled underfoot.

 

The memory of his grandmother shattered before his eyes, disappearing like a mirage.

 

Above them, the moon bloomed red, then blurred and bled into the night sky.

 

"Mother… aah… Mother…"

 

The tears came rushing. He had always believed his mother waited for him in the eastern tower. Now he knew she never had.

 

His arms were bound in chains; he couldn't even wipe his eyes. Sobs wracked his body.

 

Even if she had hated him, even if she had rejected him… he could not mourn her death in silence.

 

Familiarity, time shared—those things could have nurtured love. If only they had spent even a little time together, perhaps she could have grown used to his eyes. But that chance had been stolen away by the cold hands of a monster.

 

He had dreamed of a future where she might embrace him and say, "Lil, my precious boy. Your eyes don't matter. I love you."

 

Now, with her death, even dreaming of that was no longer possible.

 

No more tears. I have to stop crying… I have to pull myself together… or Klaus… Klaus will be devoured.

 

Even as sobs escaped him, Lil began to center himself.

 

He sorted through the truth in his mind.

 

He wanted to scream, How could you kill your own daughter? But he knew there was no point. This creature, with horns like a goat, crimson eyes, sharp claws and fangs, and a naked body standing shameless in the snow—this was no human to whom love or conscience could be appealed.

 

"My sweet Lil… Ahh, I can hardly wait. When will the moon stain itself red? I long for the moment to come. Once you awaken fully as a gifted succubus—a male who can beguile other males—I'll devour you. Your power will make me young again, push me to a higher evolution. And when I grow wings of darkness that carry me to the skies, I'll claim every treasure this land holds and soar far beyond this mountain range."

 

"…And… what if… what if those wings never grow?"

 

Suppressing his hatred, Lil asked the question while still struggling against the chains.

 

The witch was so close, he could feel her breath. He thought: if I can snap these chains, I'll strike her with the iron manacles—maybe knock her out.

 

It felt strange to be thinking such violent thoughts. But at that moment, it was the only action that seemed possible.

 

"Oh, well—if that happens, I'll simply take on the role of your mother and rule as the next queen. I've made sure the first princess, the rightful heir, is still 'alive' after all. In my version of events, Queen Cyndia couldn't bear to see her grandson sacrificed, so she rushed out to save him—and died, devoured by the Wolf King, alongside him."

 

"When I regain my youth by eating you, I won't be able to maintain Cyndia's appearance anymore. So that ending is necessary."

 

"Stricken by the loss of both mother and son, the first princess will awaken from her grief and ascend the throne. She'll take a new husband and bear a child. It's a bother, but the stronger the bloodline I consume, the stronger I become. And one day, I will be free!"

 

"Ah—ugh!"

 

Though the moon had not fully turned red, the witch ran her tongue across Lil's wounded cheek, as if tasting a delicacy.

 

Her red lips brushed against his ear, and a long tongue slithered across his skin.

 

It was warm and slick. The scent of lilies clung to her, cloying and nauseating.

 

"No—stop it—!"

 

Driven by sheer disgust, Lil screamed—and in the next moment, lifted both legs off the ground.

 

Though the chain connecting his wrist and ankle cuffs wouldn't break, he could strain it to its limit. And with all his might, he swung the chain in the direction where nothing stood—only to redirect it and lash it against the witch's neck.

 

"Grgh—!"

 

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