When the door opened, the space beyond revealed itself to be a simple bedroom. A single candle flickered weakly in the vast, shadowy room.

“You’re here, sweetheart.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs playfully, was a woman. Two devilish horns adorned her head, and wings resembling bat membranes spread slightly behind her. Her pale, almost glowing skin contrasted with her dark surroundings, while her red lips and piercing crimson eyes captivated effortlessly.

As she stood and approached with a seductive smile, the nearly transparent, sheer nightgown she wore left little to the imagination. It was quintessentially Rosecha, and while striking, it wasn’t enough to shock me.

Her presence was fundamentally different from Callandas. Where Callandas was terrifying, emanating an aura that made it impossible to meet his gaze, Rosecha's mere existence demanded attention, drawing people in like moths to a flame. But falling for her charm meant inevitably becoming her possession.

Good thing I was undead. A eunuch, even. Had I still been alive, resisting her allure would have been impossible.

Rosecha came to a stop in front of me, clasping her hands behind her back. Then, without warning, she reached up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me closer until our faces were nearly touching. Rising onto her tiptoes, she brought her forehead against mine, just like our first meeting.

“I missed you.”

“…”

I was silent, my mind swirling with a storm of questions.

[Lv. 73 (?)]

The sixth-ranked boss of the Seven Abyssal Palaces… only level 73?
She looked exactly like her in-game portrayal, down to the smallest detail, and I almost fell for it.

‘Still with the decoys, huh?’

Rosecha didn’t trust me.
If she did, she wouldn’t be greeting me in her bedroom with a mere duplicate.

This was bad. My entire reason for coming here depended on building trust, and from the start, that trust seemed out of reach. Even if I extended my goodwill, it was clear she didn’t reciprocate.

Her level marker glowed a faint green—a sign of tentative friendliness mixed with distrust.

I straightened my posture, lifting my chin.

“You promised we’d meet face-to-face next time.”

“Oh my, you’re sharp. I went through a lot of trouble preparing this one.”

She had indeed put in considerable effort. If I hadn’t been paying attention, I might have been fooled entirely.

“I have my reasons,” she said, smiling coyly. “Maybe I’ll show you my real face later when the time’s right. Okay? Sound good, darling?”

“Rosecha,” I said, my tone firm. “Even after our first meeting, I held a favorable impression of you.”

Backing down wasn’t an option. A duplicate was a sign of distrust, and trying to negotiate under such circumstances was fundamentally flawed.

Rosecha tilted her head slightly, then leaned forward, her hands behind her back, bending just enough to meet my eyes with a smoldering gaze. Her proximity made me want to look away, but I held firm.

“Oh? A favorable impression? What do you mean by that?”

“If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have come here. I traveled all this way to forge a mutually beneficial relationship. So tell me—what’s with this transparent deceit?”

Rosecha stared at me silently, her eyes searching mine, as if trying to discern my true intentions.

“Sweetheart, aren’t you moving a bit fast?”

“You were the one who showed interest first,” I replied. “You helped me without expecting anything in return. I’m not like other bosses; I remember every favor you’ve done for me.”

“Hmm, but what if it was all just a whim? What if I didn’t mean anything by it?”

“If that were the case, I wouldn’t be standing here. Surely you wouldn’t have invited me if you weren’t at least a little interested.”

Rosecha’s smile widened. “Well, aren’t you the charmer? You’re right, though—men and women don’t share a bedroom unless there’s something special between them.”

Fortunately, the game of push and pull I feared didn’t materialize.

“In the end, you just want to see my true form, don’t you?”

Her directness caught me off guard, but I nodded slowly.

“I know why,” she teased. “You’ve got a naughty side, don’t you?”

I had no idea what she was imagining, but she couldn’t have been more wrong. Still, it seemed like things were finally moving in the right direction. If the conversation continued this way, she’d likely reveal her true form soon. After that, I’d just need to steer the dialogue toward securing her support.

“Sorry, but no.”

“…”

Not so easy, after all.

Her demeanor suggested an easygoing flirt, but when it came down to it, she was an impenetrable fortress. The infamous virgin succubus was as unyielding as her reputation suggested.

“I told you, I have my reasons,” she said.

“What kind of reasons?”

“If I told you, they wouldn’t be secrets anymore. Some things are best left unsaid.”

For a moment, I wondered if her reasons were as crass as they sounded, but her tone turned serious, and the playful smile faded from her face.

“I have no ulterior motives,” I said evenly. “I only wish to have an honest conversation and build mutual trust.”

“…And yet,” I continued, “you refuse. If you insist on speaking to me through a puppet, then there’s no point in continuing this discussion. I’ll take my leave.”

If she wouldn’t meet me halfway, I’d play hardball.

Feigning indifference, I turned to leave. Internally, I was praying fervently that she’d stop me.

“You’re a tough one, aren’t you? Fine, wait here.”

The light in the duplicate succubus’s eyes flickered and died.

I hid my relief behind a blank expression as Rosecha’s real voice called from behind me.

“Over here.”

Turning, I saw her waving playfully, a new presence in the room.

[Lv. 90]

This was it—the real Rosecha.

She walked over, grabbed my wrist, and pressed my hand against her cheek. The warmth of her soft skin even registered through my skeletal fingers.

“This time, it’s really me. Not a fake.”
“Seems like it.”

“You should know,” she said, looking me in the eye. “I don’t show my real self lightly. Even the other bosses don’t know. You’re the only one I’ve shown out of personal interest.”

Her words carried weight, though I couldn’t yet understand the full extent of her reasons.

“Do you know what this is?” she asked suddenly, pointing to the gemstone adorning her chest.

“It’s the Binding Amethyst of Kalasutra.”

“Exactly. This amethyst seals my special trait.”

I blinked, stunned. The succubus queen’s defining trait—her ability to manipulate dreams—was sealed?

“Why would you…?”

“Long story short, it was a gift from a duke of Kalasutra centuries ago. He tricked me into wearing it, then tried to blackmail me into… sharing his bed. So I killed him and his entire family.”

As she spoke, the playful tone faded, replaced by genuine bitterness.

“No matter what I’ve tried, I can’t remove it. Not even one of the Ten Elders of the Abyss could break the seal.”

Her frustration was palpable, and for the first time, I saw her vulnerable side.

“I’ve lived for centuries like this, weaker than I should be. It’s my biggest regret.”

Her soft laugh carried a trace of sadness, and it wasn’t hard to see how much this weighed on her.

“…But you’re different. I trust you,” she said. “Keep my secret, okay?”

As she smiled, a system message suddenly appeared.

[Enhancing Binding Amethyst of Kalasutra (S)]
[Enhancement failed. The amethyst has been destroyed.]

The gem on her chest vanished in an instant.

“Huh?”

Rosecha stared down at her chest, dumbfounded.

[Lv. 91]
[Lv. 92]
[Lv. 93]

Her level shot up, stopping only when it matched Callandas’s. It was clear—she’d been restored to her prime.

“It’s done,” I said, shrugging as if it were no big deal.

Rosecha’s gaze shifted to me, her expression unreadable. Her level indicator, now a deep, vibrant pink, glowed brighter than I’d ever seen—even brighter than Charlotte’s.

“Sweetheart,” she said, her tone suddenly soft and dangerous, “let’s get married.”

For some reason, a wave of unease swept over me.