The Incubus System Chapter 1035. I Haven’t Done Anything Yet, Have I?

The Incubus System Chapter 1035. I Haven’t Done Anything Yet, Have I?

I could see that despite her bravado, she was still nervous. "Change your clothes," I said, nodding toward the fabric still crumpled in her lap. "It’s more comfortable than whatever’s left of your dress. You are literally half naked." My annoying grin came back. “Well… except you indeed want to seduce me.”

Her eyes widened, and she immediately pulled the blanket tighter around herself. “I can’t… not while you’re here!” she protested, her voice rising in panic again. "Leave!"

I made an exaggerated sigh, shaking my head as if I were deeply disappointed. "And let you run off? No way." I grinned again. "Who knows? You might fly out the window if I leave the room. Can’t have that."

"I won’t!" she insisted, her voice indignant now, but I could see the flicker of doubt in her eyes. She knew as well as I did that she was still recovering, and her strength wasn’t back yet.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow, my voice dripping with mock seriousness. "Because I’ve heard stories of angels slipping away when no one’s looking. You’re not exactly trustworthy when it comes to staying put."

"That’s not true!" she fired back, her voice rising defensively. "I wouldn’t run away."

I tilted my head, giving her a long, amused look. "You’ve been in a crystal for centuries, and you don’t want to fly off somewhere the moment you’re free?" I paused for effect. "I find that hard to believe."

Puriel’s mouth opened, then closed again as if she was trying to come up with a retort. Eventually, she just frowned and looked away. "I’m too tired to fly off anywhere, even if I wanted to," she admitted begrudgingly. “I-I don’t know where I should go.”

I laughed softly. "Good to know," I said, stepping closer to the bed but still keeping a respectful distance. "But seriously, change your clothes. I’ll stay right here, and I promise not to look."

She glanced at me skeptically, her eyes narrowing. "You expect me to believe that?"

"I haven’t done anything yet, have I?" I replied, raising my hands in mock surrender. "I mean, you’re still fully dressed, wrapped up like a burrito, and I’m standing here being the picture of self-restraint."

Puriel shot me a look of pure skepticism, her brows knitted together in that familiar frown. "Self-restraint?" she repeated, incredulity lacing her voice. "You are tormenting me with your creepy comments. I’m surprised you can spell restraint."

I chuckled, shaking my head as I turned around to give her some privacy. "I’m a demon lord, not a barbarian," I said, my voice filled with mock offense. "There’s a difference. I only tease you because it’s fun. If I wanted to make you uncomfortable, I’d do a lot worse."

She grumbled something under her breath, and I could hear the soft rustle of fabric as she started changing behind me. I resisted the urge to turn around. I’d agreed not to look, and though teasing her was fun, I wasn’t that heartless. Not yet, anyway.

"I’m starting to question your definition of 'fun,'" she muttered, the sound of her pulling the t-shirt over her head making her voice muffled. "Tormenting a fallen angel isn’t exactly what I’d call entertainment."

"Well, that’s because you don’t have a demon’s sense of humor," I shot back, grinning to myself. "And you’re not fallen, by the way. You’re just… displaced."

"Displaced? Is that what you’re calling it now?" she snapped, sarcasm dripping from her words. "I’ve been stuck in a crystal for centuries, and now I’m playing dress-up in a demon lord’s bedroom. Yeah, really feeling like I’m in the right place."

"Hey, it’s not so bad," I said, feigning offense again. "You’re free, you’ve got fresh clothes, and—let’s not forget—the best company a girl could ask for."

Puriel snorted, clearly unimpressed. "Company? I’ve been trying to figure out if you’re going to help me or just toy with me until I collapse."

I grinned, though she couldn’t see it. "Depends on how you define 'help.' I mean, I did get you out of that crystal, didn’t I?"

She paused, her tone softening slightly. "Yes… and for that, I am grateful. But…" Her voice trailed off, and I could tell she was hesitating, as if she wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence.

"But what?" I pressed, genuinely curious now. I heard her stop moving, and the rustle of fabric ceased.

"But doing that with you… It feels so wrong," she said quietly. "You’re not a human or celestial being, Ethan. I know it’s normal for you. But not for me. You don’t have a human’s morality, only a demon’s logic."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d known, deep down, that I wasn’t the same person I once was. I’d been aware of the changes, the way my goals had shifted, how my priorities had hardened. But hearing her say it out loud brought a strange pang of guilt to the surface, one I hadn’t expected.

"I still have my morality. A bit twisted, but I still have it," I said, but the words felt hollow even as I spoke them. The silence that followed. I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince—Puriel, or myself.

Puriel stayed quiet for a long moment, and I could feel her eyes on me, even though I kept my back turned. The faint rustling of fabric behind me let me know she had finished changing, but the atmosphere between us had shifted. The teasing and playful banter had given way to something deeper, something more uncomfortable.

"I don’t believe you," she said finally, her voice soft but steady. There was no accusation, just a simple statement of fact.

I clenched my jaw, my fingers twitching slightly as I stood there, staring at the wall. She wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t the same person. But after everything I’d been through, after the power I’d gained and all the pain, I couldn’t afford to be that person anymore. I had made sacrifices. Choices.