Adam looked by his side, and feel relieved when he saw the empty space without his 'Helper Fairy'.
Calling out Zeus was a choice every time he fell asleep. There was no use having one while asleep.
It's not like the unconscious could train anything.
Anne stood there blankly, but her instincts spurred her sense of awareness. Hunger started to rise.
Oddly, this hunger was accompanied by a sense of pain. This reaction made her mouth start to water.
"Hungry?" Adam asked while casually looking around Clarissa's office. She had snacks here.
He reached out and pulled out a pack of potato chips, a bar of chocolate, and a bottle of cola.
Not the most nutritional meal…
Maybe Anne, considering her luxurious upbringing and manners, would look down on 'inelegant' food.
But it wasn't like she had a choice.
She caught the snacks thrown to her with a show of good reflexes. Not like that of a normal person.
Even though she hesitated, Anne tried to eat to fill her hunger immediately… Ripping apart the packaging and uncapping the bottle, then scarfing everything down unceremoniously. Looking pitiful.
What happened next made her look more so…
Her face turned green, and she immediately opened the window and stuck her head out of it.
*Cough* "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" After throwing up in a plant pot outside the window frame, she threatened while holding onto her stomach. Such a display made Adam turn cold.
He walked up and grabbed her by the horn growing out of her head. The new nerves connected started to feel immense pain, but it was only through this would she even try to accept the reality around her.
"You grew horns and a tail out of nowhere, but it's only now you're become self-aware?" Adam didn't like her. She tried to pull something annoying on him on their first meeting, even if it wasn't her fault.
He didn't blame Clarissa for contaminating her mind whatsoever. It was a selfish way of thinking.
Protecting his self-interests while releasing stress.
The stimulation to her horns made her body react in ways Anne couldn't believe. It was too shameful.
Tears started to fall from her eyes when she realised her body was corrupting her mind.
She started to spasm. Her body reacting like a puppet getting used to the feeling of free will.
'Insightful Savant' allowed him to be enlightened on the deeper meaning behind each action made.
Even if it was usually hard to grasp guesswork.
He may not have experienced her 'perspective' before, but he made assumptions based off what he could see and the personality Sidmund Tailor originally started off with. Getting him a good take.
Even if not completely accurate.
Adam theorised from the changes in expression was that Anne's personality was being warped.
Perhaps because her mental strength wasn't like his with Insightful Savant or Clarissa, the mental dysfunctions of a Succubus was showing themselves clearly. She couldn't suppress desires.
The act of doing so wasn't that easy.
'So you decided to wall off your emotions.' Adam figured out that the more he pushed her towards the edge, the more desperately she locked up any feelings of desire. Everything had been blocked off.
Even the feelings of servitude she had towards Sophia Hildegard were blocked with this action.
All her emotions suppressed.
And since that was the biggest part of her, this situation with her going blank had occurred again.
If he wanted to, Adam could break this delicate mental situation and force her mind to break down.
Turning her into a toy for her own desires.
Perhaps the sudden shift may even destroy what was left of her personality. Making her his tool.
But he stopped himself from doing so.
This wasn't out of any feeling of chivalry or righteousness. Adam wasn't that kindhearted.
It was only a whim…
Since he had 'experienced' her devotion… and the betrayal of that feeling firsthand, he wasn't able to blame her for the things she did. Compassion was brewing in his empty heart, even if it was small.
Adam let go of her horn and waited for her eyes to clear up. She wouldn't hold this situation for long.
Her hunger pangs wouldn't rest.
The moment she grasped her composure again, it looked like she somehow forced an equilibrium.
Pushing down all her feelings.
It let her speak to him…
"Everything was my fault." She bowed her head and spoke slowly, her body was still trembling.
"I'd usually let you be, but I'll help you understand this situation: My Gift has changed your body into that of a sec demon. What do you think is going to happen next?" Adam made a smile filled with spite.
Despite such a sleazy smile curving on his face at that moment, he made no effort to approach her.
Standing right where he was.
It looked like his words filled her with fear.
He didn't know from where, but she pulled out a knife and held it against her throat while trembling.
"D-don't come any closer! I'll kill-" (Anne)
"If you were capable of suicide, would you still be alive?" Adam called out her bluffs immediately.
"I-I… I… Stay away!" Just as she was about to come up with a reason, he approached her recklessly.
Uncaring for if she turned that blade onto him.
"Looks like you still remember how to fear, but do you remember your devotion? You're loyal to your master, but are you capable of killing yourself for her?" Adam's figure seemed like that of a giant.
"I can!" She shrieked in a low and harsh tone.
"Really?" Adam smiled derisively in response.
"I… I am my master's servant. That's who I am. I'll do anything to protect my kind mistress." These words from Anne had caused a different reaction from the poisoner. The 'evil' being against her.
It was at that point Anne realised the look on the man's face had changed. Becoming thoughtful.
Truthfully, Adam didn't trust these 'Visions' very much. Regardless of how realistic they all seemed.
The inconsistencies, such as Sidmund being alive and well, were glaring enough to suppress him.
Making him not dare to trust them entirely.
"You call what you did to the people here 'kind'?" A look of suspicion appeared on his face, but he was too prideful to allow anyone to see even a hint of weakness in him. He wouldn't let himself be used
"This… is a big misunderstanding. They chose to be here… Their families have fallen, so banding together is the only way to protect us." Anne's eyes were becoming blurry again from the strong 'thirst'.
"From what-?" Suddenly, Adam heard a knock.
"Wait there a minute…!" He called out to the people not far away, then invaded Anne's personal space.
"N-no…!" She moved herself away, but he grabbed her shoulders while awakening a new power within.
There were three vague afterimages of tiny stars below his Ornate Stars (Gifts), waiting for him to unleash them patiently. Since this was a question of his pride, Adam awakened one of them using his untouched 'Blood Nurturing' Gift. He made a wish.
'Something that can negate the need for sex to share Essence.' He instinctively figured it out.
Adam easily found the way to advance that vague silhouette of a Defiance Star into its true form.
The tattoo of a Scorpion Dragon on his body became more vivid. Improving itself in strength.
It was the same moment he grasped Anne.
"You have two choices: Either let your mind be destroyed by your 'hunger', or feast." Anne wasn't too keen on any of these choices, but she had to harden her sealed heart to pick the best decision.
It was surely blackmail, but what could she do?
…Other than bury a grudge in her heart for later.
After an endless moment that seemed to go on forever, a girl at the door suddenly barged in.
All to see Adam standing in the middle of the room.
His heart no longer had any reason to completely believe all the things Clarissa had told him earlier.
This was just the type of man he was.
Always distrustful. Never showing others his face.
This was the nature he had since the day he was born. How could anything change it so easily?
Even after he saw the beautiful face of the former heiress, his heart was calm as a lake. Serene.
Only wondering how it was so easy for Clarissa to convince others to come to him of her own accord.
Anne was sitting weakly at the side. Wiping her mouth and trying her best to keep herself sane.
"Boss… said you could comfort me." The woman who barged in seemed worse off than Anne.
Her mind had been contaminated to a worse level.
Even still, Adam didn't embrace just any beauty that came his way. He had to be sure of Clarissa.
Was she truly an ally on his side?
Similarly yet different from Anne, she immediately tried to strip. Sloppy to the point of being a turn off.
"Hold on. What's there to rush?" Adam quickly held her hands and spoke in his most gentle voice.
"H-huh?" The girl seemed confused.
"Tell me about your troubles. I'll listen to anything you've kept bottled up inside." He made a smile.
Which was the first time he comforted a woman.