Currently, Lailah and Apophis were walking out of a special building not far from the manor.
They’d come at the behest of one of the others in the hopes of completing a certain group project.
“Mother, I did not find that enjoyable.” Apophis complained.
“Yes I know, my sweet boy went through a lot.” Lailah comforted.
The serpent familiar had shrunk himself down enough so that he could wrap himself comfortably around Lailah’s frail shoulders.
“She asked for something from each of us though, we couldn’t be the only ones to refuse could we?”
“Yes we could’ve.” Apophis nodded.
Lailah put on a displeased expression when she saw the way her familiar was behaving. “I’ll tell you what, next time there’s a battle I’ll let you eat as much as you want.”
The serpent’s tongue flickered in excitement.
It had been too long since he’d gotten to eat any fresh hearts and he was more than missing it.
“Mother is forgiven.”
“That’s my sweet boy!” Lailah promptly scratched under the serpent’s chin and gave him a few small pecks on the hood.
It was hard to tell since he was covered in red scales, but the serpent appeared to be blushing faintly.
As the pair walked through the streets, Lailah was showered in respectful bows and praise.
Everyone knew that she was one of the wives of the lord who had changed their lives so dramatically.
He had given them strength!
Beauty!
Longevity!
And most importantly he had lifted the veil from their eyes, revealing the folly of their views as humans and showcasing his own blinding majesty.
They were so grateful they began to pay taxes to him instead of the church and the city lord.
Even though he tried to refuse, the demons were adamant that he accept and eventually the lord agreed.
So now, Lailah was walking through the streets being offered fresh food, bouquets of flowers and other small trinkets.
Lailah wasn’t much of a people person but for the first time in her life, she was experiencing what it was like to be royalty.
Even though she was raised as a princess, that doesn’t mean she was treated like one.
Her mother, sisters, citizens, servants, none of them ever treated her respectfully or looked at her as much of anything more than a failure.
How could a daughter of the witch queen have such a low talent for magic?
Surely she was just a mistake!
As she lived with those whispers from others around her, she eventually internalized those comments and saw herself as no more than something that should not exist.
If she had the courage, she would’ve killed herself long ago.
And now here she was, on a completely different continent alongside the husband she was basically traded to.
The journey was undoubtedly rough beyond measure but this destination… it almost made it feel worth it.
She felt incredibly warm inside.
After the citizens filled Lailah’s little arms with gifts, she looked down at the calm serpent on her shoulder. “Well since we can’t eat all this ourselves should we go find your sisters?”
“Sisters?” The serpent asked.
“Ah.. well I guess you haven’t gotten to interact with them much but there’s no better time than right now!” Lailah nodded in satisfaction and prepared to start hunting for her two roaming daughters when she received a mental message from her husband.
‘My love, I need your help.’
Exedra’s tone did not sound very serious but Lailah was still a bit worried.
“Change of plans my son, looks like your father needs us.”
With that, Lailah hurriedly ran back to the manor.
–
Lailah walked up the stairs towards the second floor and raised her brow in surprise when she heard sounds of arguing.
“I just don’t understand why you’re always so mean to me!”
“I wouldn’t be if you weren’t always trying to seduce me.”
“So sleep with me one time so I can stop!”
“I take greater enjoyment in bullying you.”
“Jerk!”
“Imp.”
Suddenly, a new voice spoke that was much more timid than the one Lailah heard before.
“Can you… please put me down?”
“Not yet.” Came Exedra’s flat refusal.
Lailah finally arrived at the door where all of the noise was coming from and saw the succubus Lusamine red faced next to a silent Zheng.
There were three identical maids tending to a sleeping man on the bed and a little further away there was her husband leaning against the wall but…
“Husband… why is that woman in your arms?” Lailah asked with a smile that was not a smile.
Exedra smirked when he saw the obsessive jealousy of his wives and would’ve ‘eaten’ her right there had they not had more pressing matters.
“She’s injured. Can you heal her?”
Lailah swallowed her anger when she noticed the black bruises along Eris’ slender neck.
She dropped the basket of goodies she’d been carrying at the door and walked towards the pair.
“Give me your hand.”
Eris shyly obliged and allowed Lailah to cast a small healing spell that cleared up her bruising and returned her voice back to normal.
“Thank you.. I feel much better.” Eris said.
“You can thank me by getting out of my husband’s arms.” Lailah once again flashed that eerie smile from earlier.
In truth, Eris had gotten pretty comfortable in the arms of this man. She almost did not want to leave but a brief look into Lailah’s unfriendly eyes let her know that wasn’t an option.
She reluctantly lowered herself to the ground and stood next to a gloating Lusamine.
Lailah looked up at her massive 6’7 husband and held her arms up indicating she wanted to be picked up as well.
He obliged her and scooped her up in the same manner as he held Eris.
“Oh, come on!” Lusamine was sick of this gap in treatment!
‘I want to be back in his arms… No, what am I thinking?!’ Eris felt she’d go insane from the strange thoughts in her head.
Nita / Rita / Tita : ‘So unfair…’
“Was my wife jea-“
“Yes.” Lailah did not deny it and continued to give her husband a stern look.
Exedra showed a devilish grin that made the hearts of all the women in the room beat rapidly.
He placed a lingering kiss on Lailah’s soft lips and finally felt her relax a bit.
When they separated, Lailah’s gaze was a bit hazy as she muttered, “Okay fine, you’re off the hook but I still want to know why you brought them here.”
He chuckled and nodded before he went on to explain how he’d originally gone just to retrieve his father when the trio tagged along.
Lailah noticed how her husband neglected to mention how Eris got those bruises and assumed it must’ve been something unpleasant with her husband.
One of the maid triplets waited until his story was over before asking a sudden question.
“Then my lord, would you like us to prepare rooms for these guests as well?”𝑜𝑣𝔩xt.𝗇t
Exedra only thought about it briefly before nodding. “Please prepare two rooms immediately.”
“Two? Didn’t Yara teach you how to count?” Lusamine asked.
“She did indeed, however I have work for you to do.”
Lusamine’s pointed ears twitched in excitement as she gave Exedra a seductive grin.
“Will this work be in your bedroom perhaps?”
These words seemed to infuriate Lailah, causing her beautiful face to turn red with anger.
“Apophis.”
Heeding his mother’s call, the twenty foot long snake suddenly appeared and hissed at the golden haired succubus.
While Lusamine was sure she could kill the serpent with ease, she sensed a danger from those venomous fangs that made her reflexively step back.
“My love, I need her.”
The sweet cooing of her husband in her ear briefly calmed her rage and she reluctantly called Apophis back to her side.
“Fine.” Lailah pouted.
Seeing how cute his wife was being Exedra made a mental note to give her some very special alone time later.
While Lusamine was still trying to piece together what kind of familiar that was, Exedra’s cold voice reached her.
“Lusamine, kindly refrain from upsetting my wives. I need you to train my citizens.”
“Train them? For what?”
“There are over two thousand newly born succubi and incubi outside who have no idea how to use their powers. You are going to teach them.”
Lusamine stared at Exedra for a while before she burst into a fit of laughter that reverberated across the room.
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