NOVEL NEXT Chapter 54: Can I Hug You?
Viktor was quite surprised to hear this news, his body stiffening slightly.
Seeing a hint of shock on his face for the first time, Vega also felt a bit surprised.
"So, you didn't know Henie was a succubus?"
"Why would I know that?" Viktor asked.
Viktor, of course, knew about the succubus species.
They were exclusively female, enhancing their magical power by absorbing men's energy through certain indescribable acts.
The more experienced the succubus, the more powerful their magic.
"So Henie, who doesn't have a trace of magical power..."
Viktor suddenly thought of a term.
The shame of succubi!
"I think she probably doesn't know this herself. To be honest, I only discovered it recently," Vega said.
Vega pecked at its feathers, speaking slowly:
"After the demon possessing Henie left, the succubus aura within her was gradually drawn out."
"After all, in some aspects, succubi are a branch of demons."
But the fact that Viktor hadn't noticed this still surprised Vega, who had always thought Viktor was aware of these little details.
"But Henie looks obviously like a normal human," Viktor said.
"When have you ever seen normal people with yellow pupils that glow? Honestly, when she opens her eyes at night, it's brighter than a light bulb," Vega retorted sarcastically.
However, Henie indeed hadn't shown any succubus characteristics, so Vega continued:
"Henie is probably a half-blood succubus, born from some creature and a succubus, but should be human."
Succubi can reproduce asexually, as they are only female and can't have children through intimate acts with each other.
But succubi can have children with other species. Although succubi can often transform into any form a species likes, once a succubus mates with a species, the child's appearance will be fixed as that species.
That's right, even if a succubus mates with a gorilla, the offspring would only be a female gorilla succubus.
Viktor pondered for a while.
If that's the case, Henie's background would make sense.
Lia had investigated Henie's background; she grew up in an orphanage, without parents from a young age.
Succubi aren't known for their maternal instincts. After their pleasure-seeking, they would simply abandon their children somewhere and continue their pursuits.
Whether the child survives or not is of no concern to them.
As for the father?
He was probably drained dry by the succubus long ago.
"So that means..." Viktor fell silent for a moment.
"Yes, becoming a mage through normal means is basically impossible for her," Vega said.
Vega looked Viktor up and down, mocking:
"That's why I said, didn't you already know this?"
"After all, our great Viktor's magical power is quite abundant."
Viktor quickly accepted this fact and calmed down.
So, he said indifferently:
"This doesn't help me at all."
As a practical player, Viktor wouldn't be interested in things that serve no purpose.
After all, as a power leveler, what he wanted was efficiency, not experience.
Therefore, he naturally wouldn't care whether Henie was a succubus or not.
That was just her race, and it had nothing to do with Henie as a person.
"Without magical talent, her knowledge is still valuable enough," Viktor said.
Hearing this, Vega smiled slyly, and no one knew what it was pondering in its heart.
.......
Henie lay on the bed, slowly opening her eyes.
Her body felt weak, as if she was carrying a stone on her back. Her spirit was also uncomfortable, and her head ached.
This was normal, after all, she felt very hungry now.
How long had she been unconscious? She didn't know.
She could only feel that she was now lying on a soft, large bed, which was very comfortable.
The spacious room was something she wouldn't dare to dream of.
But why did the surroundings seem so familiar?
A faint, fresh scent entered her nose.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Henie's eyes widened.
"Isn't this the guest room at Professor Viktor's house!?"
How did she know? Because she had slept here once before.
It was on the second day after meeting the professor, though it was only for a morning, it became an incredibly precious memory for Henie.
It was also because of that time that Henie felt Viktor was a very gentle professor.
In her heart, Viktor was like a dazzling starlight.
Yes, Henie admired him.
Viktor fulfilled all her fantasies about mages.
Strong, calm, mysterious, and gentle.
"The professor... he saved me..."
"For someone like me..."
All of a sudden, Henie's face turned red with embarrassment. She bit her lower lip and buried her head in the soft blanket.
As if imagining something, her fingers tightly gripped the blanket.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard from outside the door.
Henie instantly came to her senses. She hurriedly lay back down on the bed, pulled up the blanket, and tightly closed her eyes.
As if she was still unconscious.
The door creaked open with a 'squeak', and someone walked in.
Although she couldn't see, Henie's intuition told her that the person seemed to be looking her over.
The footsteps slowly approached, stopping by the bedside.
Henie wanted to open her eyes to see who had come, but her guilty state from earlier made her too afraid to open her eyes.
For a long time, the person remained silent.
Just when Henie was about to give up...
Whoosh!
The blanket was suddenly pulled away. Henie felt her body cool, and she opened her eyes wide, tightly grasping a corner of the blanket.
Looking up at the visitor, she saw an unchanging ice-cold face, as if they had just done something utterly ordinary.
"Pro-pro-pro-pro-pro-professor!"
Henie's face turned completely red with embarrassment. She quickly grabbed the blanket and covered her body.
Viktor's expression remained unchanged as he sat down in the chair by the bed.
"When did you wake up?"
Henie used the blanket to cover half her face, her face as red as a high-temperature, smoking steam engine. She only dared to peek at Viktor with her eyes.
"Just... just now."
Viktor nodded.
"Then change your clothes and tidy up."
Henie became even more embarrassed, thinking that Viktor had somehow sensed her earlier thoughts.
But she only heard Viktor say calmly:
"I've asked the maid to make some porridge for you. In your current state, you can eat some liquid food. Don't forget to eat to replenish your strength."
"Also, the academy has been destroyed. It will take a few days to rebuild. You don't need to return to the academy during this time. You can stay here, for as long as you want."
"When you go back, I'll recommend you to the dean for the title of associate professor. After that, you'll be able to teach your own classes."
Viktor methodically explained various arrangements to Henie, his tone leaving no room for refusal, not even giving Henie time to react.
"..."
Henie lowered her hand that was gripping the blanket, revealing her face.
Due to malnutrition from being unconscious for several days, her complexion was somewhat pale, which only made people want to pity her more.
Even her blushing couldn't add much color to her face.
She was dazed, not knowing what emotions she should feel.
She wanted so much to reach out and hug him, even though she knew the distance between them was so vast and unreachable.
"...Professor."
"Hmm?"
Viktor's gaze, unwavering, looked at her.
As if mustering some courage for herself, she lowered her head and voiced the request she had long desired but felt was too much.
"Can I... hug you?"
But as soon as she said it, she shrank back like a startled fawn, not daring to look at Viktor, hurriedly adding:
"I'm... I'm sorry, Professor! My request is too unreasonable, please don't take it to heart, forget it..."
The next second, Henie's eyes widened.
Before she could finish speaking, a large, sturdy embrace enveloped her from the front. Henie looked up but could only see the black lining inside his coat.
The scent from his chest reached her nose, making her completely immersed, wishing to linger in it.
She tried to reach out to embrace him in return, trying to hold on, trying to freeze time at this moment forever.
However, the hug lasted only for an instant. Viktor moved away from her before she could return the embrace.
He was like an elegant gentleman, neither refusing a woman's not-too-excessive request, nor overstepping bounds to do anything improper.
Henie stared at Viktor, but his figure gradually blurred.
Nobleman...
In her misty gaze, only this word remained.
Elegant and mysterious, noble and extraordinary. This word was most fitting for Viktor alone.
"If you need anything else, just ask the maid at the door."
Viktor left with these words, pushing open the guest room door and leaving like a gentle breeze.
Henie was startled, her face flushing red. She buried her face in the blanket again, but the image of Viktor embracing her lingered in her mind, refusing to fade.
Somehow, a warm current surged from within, making her feel immensely happy.
"Hm?"
Feeling something wasn't quite right, Henie crawled out of the blanket and stretched out a hand, palm facing upward in front of her.
As always, she tried to construct a magic array from her hand. Normally, for someone without magical power like her, such an attempt would only lead to failure.
But this time...
Pale green lines gradually appeared in the air, gradually forming a complete array.
A weak, small whirlwind began to spin continuously from her palm.
"..."
The cool breeze blew through Henie's hair, bringing a hint of coolness.
"Am I... a mage now?"
Henie felt her cheeks becoming moist.
Without realizing it, two clear tears had rolled down her face.