A black tail, nearly half the length of Stella's body, appeared before Sasaki.
This long, inky-black tail, darker than the deepest night, extended from the little succubus's waist like a delicate black ribbon.
Unlike what Sasaki had imagined—a tail ending in a triangular shape—this little succubus's tail ended in a bud-like form.
The pure black "bud" wasn't made up of layers of delicate, unopened petals like those of ordinary plants.
Instead, it was composed of five distinct diamond-shaped "petals" pressed together.
Hmm... To put it into words, it was like peeling open a banana... but not as long as a banana segment.
The bud was about the size of an adult woman's thumb, small and utterly adorable.
As Sasaki examined the bud pointing toward him, a question arose in his mind... He had clearly felt something wrapping around him earlier... It must have been this, but it was so small.
Could it possibly expand and grow larger?
The lingering doubt and curiosity about the unknown made Sasaki reach out...
Just as he was about to touch the bud, he paused.
Seeing the little succubus clenching her small hands and curling her tiny feet in nervousness, along with her earlier eagerness for her tail, it was clear that the tail was very important to her.
Would grabbing it suddenly cause any problems?
Logically, magical creatures shouldn't be so fragile, but you never know.
If this delicate, important tail was some kind of fatal weak point, it wouldn't be surprising.
Patting the little succubus's back, Sasaki asked:
"Can I touch it?"
"..."
Like a little turtle retracting its limbs, the succubus lay across Sasaki's lap, head down, not responding.
The tail, which had been pulled out and now hung like a small question mark, coiled around Sasaki's wrist like a vine or a water snake, graceful and sinuous. The small, adorable bud at the end of the tail wriggled like a little burrowing mouse, nestling into Sasaki's palm and pressing against his fingertips.
Gently stroking the little succubus's hair, Sasaki turned his attention to the bud between his fingers.
The first sensation when it slipped into his palm was smoothness, followed by softness.
Now, focusing on it, Sasaki noticed how incredibly delicate the tiny bud felt.
Despite its black color, it was as tender and soft as a young girl's skin.
Moreover, the bud wasn't cold as Sasaki had imagined. Instead, it was warm and soft to the touch—like slightly warmed jelly.
Without thinking, he gave it a gentle squeeze.
The little succubus, who had been lying quietly across his lap ever since he pulled out her tail, let out a soft, muffled whimper.
"Does it hurt?"
Not wanting to hurt her, Sasaki asked softly after she reacted.
Still, she didn't respond, but the bud he was holding between his fingers twitched slightly, then coiled around his right index finger like it had done with his wrist.
Seeing her little gesture, Sasaki smiled and continued studying this fascinating, otherworldly appendage.
He carefully examined the tiny gaps between the petals where they joined.
Just as he was wondering whether he should try opening it, a faint, floral scent—like that of some kind of plant—drifted into his nose as it got closer to the bud.
The subtle floral fragrance wasn't overpowering, but it was strangely enticing... the kind of enticing that made your mouth water...
No, no, this isn't something to eat!
Quickly scolding himself, Sasaki hadn't even fully dismissed that thought when another idea popped into his head...
The enticing feeling wasn't exactly about eating... It was more like seeing a drink or clear water... wanting to take a sip, to taste it...
Given how dexterous the tail was, it could easily be considered the little succubus's third hand.
Sasaki wasn't opposed to putting a cute girl's soft, delicate fingers in his mouth, so the tail was fair game too...
Before he could act on this perverted thought, as if sensing his ill intentions, the tail quickly retreated from his fingers and wrist, slipping back into the little succubus's dress.
As the tail retracted, Stella struggled to sit up.
Rubbing her lower back, the little succubus looked at Sasaki with a sultry gaze. "You scared it~"
?!
Not understanding why she said that, Sasaki tilted his head:
"I didn't scare you?"
The little succubus's delicate brows furrowed, and she looked at Sasaki with a gaze that screamed *you idiot*, whining softly:
"I know you didn't scare *me*. You scared *it*."
Before Sasaki could respond, he noticed the small bud peeking out from behind her waist, cautiously glancing around like a little girl who had been frightened by a stranger and was now hiding behind her mother to sneak a look.
Feeling strange about this impression, he glanced at the tail and asked uncertainly. "Isn't the tail under your control?"
Blinking, the little succubus thought for a moment, then explained in simple terms.
In short, the relationship between the little succubus and her tail was like that of a cat and its tail.
They could be seen as one entity, but the tail wasn't entirely under her control.
Hmm... You could think of the tail as the succubus's subconscious or instinct... The tail's actions reflected her truest feelings.
She could hide her thoughts on the surface, but the tail wouldn't.
For example, when Sasaki asked if he could touch her tail earlier, she didn't respond because the tail had already revealed her true feelings.
No matter how much she pretended to resist, it was pointless.
Understanding the relationship between the tail and the little succubus, Sasaki nodded and brought up another matter.
"Ahem~ So, can I take a look at the tail?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the slender, ink-black tail peeked out from behind the little succubus's waist, cautiously extending toward him.
But Sasaki wasn't done.
"I mean, it can unfold, right? Does it get bigger?"
At this, the tail froze mid-air, clearly unsure of how to proceed.
Clearly, the little succubus was deeply conflicted.
Her expression mirrored this inner turmoil.
Her usually pure, cute, and slightly mischievous face was now filled with hesitation.
Meeting Sasaki's gaze, the little succubus blinked her anxious eyes and whispered softly:
"Can we not look?"
Seeing her like this for the first time, Sasaki pulled her back into his arms, kissing her soft, bouncy cheek as he asked."What's wrong?"
"It might scare you..."
Having been in human society for a while, her sense of aesthetics was no different from an ordinary person's.
The little succubus knew full well that her tail would be terrifying to most humans.
Even though the man in front of her had promised to take care of her as her Master, he was still an ordinary person.
Faced with something ugly and bizarre, he might feel repulsed, disgusted, or even frightened.
Plus, she had just used her tail to...
If he saw what it really looked like, it wouldn't be surprising if he bolted out the door...
Thinking this, the bud hovering in the air began to slowly retract.
?
Now that it was out, there was no way Sasaki was letting her hide it again.
Reaching out, he grabbed the tail that was within arm's reach, causing her to shiver as he continued kissing her cheek, soothing her:
"It's fine, it's fine. Honestly, seeing the shape of the bud, I can imagine what it looks like when it unfolds. I'm mentally prepared. I won't be scared."
It was true.
The tip of the tail was shaped like a bud, so when it unfolded, it would probably look like a flower.
But imagination was one thing.
Without seeing it for himself, Sasaki was still incredibly curious.
Also, earlier when she had retaliated against him... well... like sticking chopsticks into a corn cob, Sasaki wanted to see the "chopsticks" that had caused him to lose...
Hearing that he wouldn't be scared, the little succubus shook the tail he was holding, slowly unfurling the bud...
"..."
To be honest, if Sasaki didn't know that the little succubus wouldn't hurt him, he might have thought this thing was a man-eating flower...
Except for the lack of sharp teeth, everything else about it didn't look particularly friendly.
Dripping with saliva... inside...
As it gradually unfolded to the size of an adult man's palm, he examined it while wiping away the moisture dripping from the petals.
"Mmm~~"
Hearing the little succubus in his arms let out a soft, breathy whimper, Sasaki tightened his hold on her gradually softening body as he rubbed his fingers together, then brought them to his nose to sniff.
Hmm... It felt like slightly cooled sugar water—cool, sticky, and sweet...
What made it different from sugar water was that when it touched his skin, it gave off a tingling sensation.
After rubbing it in, it also started to feel warm.
After smelling it for a while, he felt a pleasant dizziness.
Succubus... succubus... Considering their race, it wasn't hard to guess the purpose of this saliva, so Sasaki didn't ask.
After soothing the tail and letting it return to its original form, he didn't bring up the tail again.
Lying on the sofa with the little succubus in his arms, he nuzzled her soft, fragrant shoulder and asked:
"Are you going to eat more later?"
Rubbing her stomach, which was about seventy percent full, the little succubus shook her head:
"No, I'll leave the rest for Lulum."
Even though he had been drained all morning by Kasumi, Sasaki had never felt tired in this regard.
Feeding two little succubi with modest appetites was no problem at all.
If he said he wouldn't let them go hungry, he meant it.
So, stroking the little succubus's hair and breathing in her natural scent, he said:
"Really not eating more? This little bit won't affect me. Don't worry about me."
Succubi were demons, the embodiment of insatiable greed.
The fact that Stella told Sasaki she didn't want to eat more wasn't because she thought being seventy percent full was enough—it was because she was an educated, intelligent little succubus who understood the dangers of overindulgence.
According to the succubus's racial traits... she could eat until her belly was as round as a watermelon without any issues.
Shaking her tail, which had unconsciously wrapped around Sasaki's ankle, the little succubus in his arms furrowed her brows in thought before answering.
"I'll wait until Lulum recovers her magic before I eat again."
Thinking she said this to ensure her sister could also grow a tail, Sasaki didn't press further.
If she didn't want to eat, then so be it.
When it was time to feed Lulum, if she couldn't resist, she'd come over on her own, drawn by the scent.
Holding the little succubus close as they squeezed onto the small sofa together, Sasaki pressed his forehead against hers and asked:
"You and Lulum are from the same stem. When her tail comes out, will it be the same as yours?"
"Mmm~"
Frowning as she thought seriously, the little succubus replied uncertainly.
"Probably... not."
The tail, as an important organ for various functions, is influenced by many factors in its development.
These factors include magical affinity, personality, and the amount of magical energy stored at the time of its emergence...
She and Lulum had completely different personalities and magical affinities, so it was highly likely that their tails would also be different.
Before her tail emerged, she had always focused on obtaining food, mastering magic, and protecting her sister.
As a result, her tail was designed for acquiring food, leaning toward a predatory nature.
Lulum, on the other hand, had always been protected by her, staying at home and learning various life skills like cooking and cleaning.
She wasn't as aggressive, so her tail probably wouldn't be the same as hers.
After hearing her explanation, Sasaki nodded softly.
This was the first time he had learned that so many factors influenced the development of a succubus's tail.
Thinking back to some fragments from his past life, he asked another question. "Then, will you grow little wings too?"
"Wings?"
Stretching out her slender, pale hand to scratch her back, the little succubus searched through her inherited memories and shook her head:
"I don't know. There's nothing about it in my inherited memories. Probably not."
"Ah~"
Yawning, the little succubus, now full and sleepy, found a comfortable spot in his arms and closed her eyes, ready to nap.
Seeing that he had no further questions, she nestled into his embrace and drifted off to sleep.
Well..although Sasaki felt a bit disappointed that the little succubus didn't have wings, but, looking at her peaceful, beautiful sleeping face, he smiled softly.
Only when she was asleep did she resemble an ordinary girl.
When awake, her innocent yet cold face always carried an indescribable expression—both childlike and strangely alluring.
Her sharp tongue only made her more endearing, making him want to both cherish and scold her.
Gently smoothing her hair and adjusting her dress, Sasaki carefully stood up, cradling her in his arms, and carried her to the bedroom.
Although the sofa was enough for the little succubus to sleep on, it certainly wasn't as comfortable as a bed.
Placing the still-sleeping succubus on the bed and tucking her in, he quietly left the room.
After briefly checking their living environment and confirming there were no inconveniences, Sasaki wandered into the kitchen.
Hmm... Watching Lulum, dressed like a little housewife, standing on a stool and cooking with a gentle expression, he couldn't help but feel like he was looking at a young wife.
Even though it was their first meeting, her pink hair and the tender expression she wore while cooking reminded him of Otome... It was no wonder he felt this way.
.
.
.
.
.