Chapter 552: A Succubus?

Aqua stepped forward instantly, her expression full of faith and conviction.

"Of course my brother will agree to it."

She said proudly, her tone filled with unwavering faith.

"Cassius has nothing to hide. A test like this is nothing to him! He’s the kindest, most honest person in the entire world, and I know—no, I’m certain—that his soul will shine brighter than anyone’s in this room!"

She turned to Cassius with a warm, expectant smile.

"Right, Cassius? You’ll show her, won’t you? Show her just how pure you are?"

Her words made several of the maids nod in agreement, some even clapping softly and Aqua smiled proudly, expecting him to nod and declare the same with that usual charming confidence.

But to her confusion, Cassius didn’t reply immediately.

He stood there, still smiling faintly, but there was something off about his expression. His fingers twitched slightly at his side, his gaze flickered, and for the first time since the beginning of the entire ordeal, his composure faltered.

That made everyone pause.

"Cassius?" Aqua tilted her head, the smile fading from her face. "What’s wrong?"

Even Maria noticed it. "He looks...nervous."

Indeed, Cassius looked unusually tense.

Because truthfully...he was nervous.

Cassius was normally a man who prepared for everything. Every possible problem, every trap, every scenario, he always had an escape.

The ’movie’ excuse had been one of those perfect backdoors—crafted long ago when the leaked recordings ever caused him trouble. He’d planned it meticulously: by presenting the narrative as ’art.’

He could twist any evidence into fiction, and the officials would be forced to clear him.

Meanwhile, the common folk would gossip and spread his name across the continent—unknowingly amplifying the influence of the Goddess of Debauchery, whose worship thrived on lust, rumor, and obsession.

It was brilliant. Flawless.

But now he faced something completely outside the realm of his schemes.

Soul-bound appraisal wasn’t something you could fake.

You couldn’t lie to it, bribe it, or prepare a clever defense. It was the purest and most holy ability given by the Goddess herself, one that could peer directly into the essence of a person, into their very soul.

And Cassius...had no idea what his soul would reveal.

He had his suspicions, of course. With his past—his dealings, his manipulations, the powers that slumbered within him.

There was no telling what Joy might see.

And if she glimpsed even a fraction of the truth, of what he truly was...

Well. That would be catastrophic.

So, Cassius felt his calm begin to crack, but still he forced a wry smile, trying to brush it off.

"Ah...is it possible for me to, say, decline this particular test?" He asked lightly. "It’s not that I don’t trust you, Saintess, but honestly...it feels a little invasive, doesn’t it? I mean, peering into my soul. It’s almost like you’re seeing me...naked."

Joy raised a brow. "Naked?" She echoed with mild amusement, before replying dryly. "I’ve already seen you naked before. This is no big deal."

That made several maids choke on air, Aqua yelp, and even Maria drop her rosary in shock.

Joy smiled faintly at the reactions. "This is hardly any different. So, stop stalling since you have no other choice here. If you truly are innocent, you should have nothing to fear."

"Well, if it’s something I have to accept." He said. "Then it’s not really a request, is it? It’s a command."

Joy’s expression didn’t change. "Call it whatever you like."

Cassius sighed, realizing there was no way out. He could feel Aqua’s hopeful eyes on him, the maids nervous gazes, the nuns whispering among themselves.

Everyone was waiting for him to prove himself one final time.

And so, with a resigned breath, he straightened his collar, adjusted his cuffs, and gave a crooked smile.

"Fine, fine. Let’s get this over with then. Go on, Saintess. Do what you must."

"Gladly." Joy replied, stepping forward.

And so, the two stood opposite each other, neither too close nor too far, but near enough that the tension between them was almost physical.

It felt as though their gazes alone were dueling.

Joy lifted her hand, her pendant glowing faintly as energy began to flow. Her voice was calm but carried the resonance of holy authority.

"Goddess above, grant me sight beyond illusion. Let me see this man’s soul and the color of his truth."

Cassius stood completely still, closing his eyes as if bracing himself.

The moment the spell activated, Joy’s eyes lit up—a brilliant, luminous pink and a soft light spread across her form, bathing the room in gentle radiance.

Normally, what she saw in this state was simple: a small sphere of light nestled inside a person’s chest. The soul—glowing white for the pure, dark for the sinful.

Sometimes, she could even see faint shades of emotion drifting around it.

But this time....this time was different.

The moment her power connected with Cassius, she felt a violent pull.

Her breath hitched—then everything went black.

When her vision returned, she wasn’t standing in the Holyfield estate anymore.

All around her was darkness. A vast, endless void stretching into infinity. The air was cold, heavy, suffocating. There was no light, no ground, no sound.

Only her, floating in the abyss.

Joy’s voice trembled slightly. "This...This is the soul? No...No, it can’t be."

Her blessing didn’t work like this. It never transported her anywhere. She could only peer from afar, never enter.

"This shouldn’t be possible." She whispered, glancing around. "Am I...inside his mind?"

She then looked down when she felt how cold it was—and gasped.

Her entire body was bare. Completely naked.

Her cheeks flushed with fury. "What in the Goddess’s name—?! This...This wretched man! Even his soul is depraved! Stripping me the moment I step inside!"

Grinding her teeth, she muttered a quick prayer for protection and modesty. Then she looked around again.

Still nothing. No soul, no light, no essence.

Just pure, unending black.

For a moment, she thought there might be no soul here at all.

’Maybe he was soulless. A husk.’ The thought alone chilled her.

"I should pull back." She murmured. "This place...feels wrong."

But just as she was about to retreat, something flickered in the distance.

A faint light. Small, fragile, barely visible, like a candle flickering in an ocean of night.

Her heart quickened. "There it is..." She whispered, relief flooding her. "His soul."

She began walking, though she wasn’t sure what she was walking on.

Every step echoed faintly, like treading on invisible glass and the closer she got, the brighter the light became.

Finally, she was near enough to see it clearly—a small orb of radiance, suspended in midair.

But when she focused on it, her relief turned to confusion.

The soul had...no color.

It wasn’t white. It wasn’t black.

It was a strange, shifting gray—colorless, neutral, almost empty.

It didn’t make sense. Souls always had color—some hint of emotions and sins.

But this one...it felt incomplete.

She frowned and took another step forward. "What are you...?" She whispered.

Then she froze.

Because there—right in front of the soul—was someone else.

A woman.

Her back was turned, her long hair cascading like a dark waterfall down her spine. She hovered gently, her hands cupped around the soul as though protecting it, shielding it from view.

Joy’s mouth fell open slightly, her heart skipping a beat.

"What...?" She whispered, eyes wide. "Who are you?"

The woman didn’t answer. She stood perfectly still, hands tenderly cradling Cassius’s soul as if it were the most precious thing in existence.

But even in silence, Joy felt it—an overwhelming wave of dread crawling up her spine.

Her instincts screamed that this was no ordinary woman.

Something about her presence, about the way the void itself seemed to bend around her, told Joy that she had stepped into the territory of something far beyond her comprehension.

But the more she stared, the more she noticed her shape.

The curve of her hips, the flawless line of her back, the perfect arch of her shoulders—so elegant, yet so sinfully human.

Joy’s breath caught. ’No...no, this can’t be right.’

Even without seeing the woman’s face, she could feel her beauty. A kind of beauty that was not divine—but intoxicating, carnal, dangerous. The kind of beauty that could enslave kingdoms.

And it wasn’t just her beauty but her figure as well that was mesmerizing her.

The fabric that clung to her seemed almost alive, flowing and hugging her every contour.

Her body was full, voluptuous, perfectly balanced between softness and power. Her waist narrowed like an artist’s dream, her hips curved outward with divine symmetry, and her chest...

Joy’s face flushed instantly. ’Dear Goddess...’

Even through the strange fabric that shimmered faintly in the dim light, Joy could see the heavy swell of her breasts, rising and falling gently with her breathing, barely restrained by her garment.

The longer she stared, the more her body betrayed her.

Her heart pounded. Her skin burned.

She tried to look away, but couldn’t.

Her thoughts became cloudy. Her breath quickened. She could almost smell the woman’s scent, a faint trace of flowers and smoke, so intoxicating it made her dizzy.

Joy bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, trying to snap herself out of it.

’No. I am a servant of the Goddess. I have no desires. I do not yield to temptation!’

The metallic taste of blood grounded her back to reality, but the heat didn’t fade.

"This...This woman..." She whispered shakily. "She’s...no human."

The realization struck her with dread.

"A demon...she must be. A demon of lust...a succubus."

Her hands trembled as she took a step forward.

"Answer me!" She shouted, forcing her voice to stay firm despite her rising panic. "Who are you?! What are you doing here—in his soul?!"

Still, the woman didn’t move. Her fingers continued to glide gently over the glowing orb—Cassius’s soul—caressing it with such delicate affection it made Joy’s stomach twist.

Then, slowly, her head tilted.

Her lips curved into a faint smile—a smile Joy could see even from the corner of her face.

And then...she began to turn.

"No..." Joy whispered, instinctively taking a step back. "Don’t—"

Too late.

The woman turned fully toward her—and in that instant, Joy’s vision exploded in pain.

Her scream tore through the darkness.

"AaaaAAHHHHHHH—!!"

It felt like molten iron had been poured straight into her eyes—every nerve searing, her vision burning white and red. She dropped to her knees, clutching her face, screaming as blood began to drip between her fingers.

"AaaaAAHhhhHH—!!"

The agony was unbearable. Her body convulsed; her voice broke into ragged gasps. It was as though her very soul was being flayed apart.

’It hurts...It hurts—!’

But just when she thought she would die from the sheer pain—

Something soft and warm enveloped her.

Her body was suddenly pulled into an embrace—gentle, maternal, radiant with peace. The sensation was so soothing that the pain vanished almost instantly, replaced by a deep, tranquil warmth.

Joy trembled. Her vision was still red, but she could feel arms around her, holding her the way a mother holds her frightened child.

And the smell.

Fresh earth, rain, and flowers.

The scent of life itself.