Scars from trauma were hard to erase, even an eternity couldn't be sure to heal such a wound.
Which was exactly why Clarissa dug into them.
She used her words to poke at their sorest spots of their hearts, and contamination to break them.
Making them submissive to her, yet needy.
It was natural that those who had never thought they would become prey… to be easily consumed.
Clarissa felt a bit guilty, but it was for her sister's sake. Therefore, it was better they'd understand.
People were selfish by nature, after all.
After Arlene was moved, the mercenary chief moved on to other former-heiresses-now-Mercs.
She waited for while after the 38th and last person was convinced, but then started to have doubts.
Why wasn't anyone coming out?
She wasn't sure what method Adam used to deal with the broken hearted women being sent to him.
Was he lecturing them?
Having a big orgy?
Or what?
What was happening there?
The curiosity was killing her. She quickly walked back up her office to follow the last individual…
…only to be surprised by an eerie silence.
The door was hanging open.
Inside was the insidious maid curling up her body and bracing her mind from the impure demonic transformation. Next to her sitting a familiar figure that was looking at her like she'd betrayed him.
What was going on here?
Where did everyone go?
"Confused?" Adam crossed his legs in a largely famine way, looked stunned, then shifted his body.
It was as if he'd realised something, or was embarrassed by how familiar he was with that act.
Not that such a small thing mattered to her.
Such a tiny action was overshadowed by the fact that it looked like her prior words had worn off.
He went back into being defensive against her.
"Where are my subordinates?" Clarissa asked without showing any intention to let him off easy.
She had to show who was in-charge here.
"Subordinate…?" Adam didn't seem to know if he should laugh or cry from such nonsensical words.
It was at that point she wondered how much they'd told him, and how much he'd derived from them.
Something that was unexpected.
From what she knew, a man with his personality didn't have enough interest in people glean clues.
Only being able to learn surface-level information.
"You're not making any sense." Clarissa held her stance, since he'd yet to find any faults in her.
The man's gaze became several notches sharper.
"You hid something from me." (Adam)
"Like what?" (Clarissa)
"Like how you killed their entire families. Not even their close aide, or even their pets lived." (Adam)
"…I didn't find it relevant." (Clarissa)
"To someone trying to protect his own family, it is relevant enough." He rolled his eyes with a frown.
"Don't act high and mighty. You and me are both literal 'Demons' now." Clarissa no longer held back.
Her eyes became more intense while leaning over and slamming the back of his seat. Pinning him.
Adam suddenly felt the pressure of her attitude.
"Don't push your luck." A glint of fighting spirit mixed in with the intention kill engulfed his eyes.
It was at that moment Clarissa made a certain look.
She was showing hesitation and weakness after figuring out all her plans went awry. An opportunity.
But it wasn't taken.
Allowing her ample time to think about the things she had done and how it had come to this point.
All she wanted to go was protect her family too.
So what was the difference between them?
How could he talk to her like she was some sort of psychopath? Just a murderer who took many lives?
She wasn't like that…!
That bitch, Sophia Hildegard, had turned her sister into a brainwashed 'Sex Junkie'. Impure. Corrupted.
After seeing the taped videos of what Sidmund had done with her, she'd almost want crazy for a while.
But she managed to hold onto her sanity for the sake of 'saving' Abigail. To bring back her sister.
Because that 'thing' wasn't it.
There was no way her sister would shake her ass for such a man. Forgetting her honour and pride.
Everything was that bitch's fault…!
Once Sophia was killed, the brainwashing would turn off and her sister would go back to normal.
Returning to her sweet self.
For the sake of that, Clarissa was willing to use anything and everything that was at her disposal.
Even if she had to do despicable things to stop her sister from being defiled further, she would do so.
She would… She would…
"Urgh…" Adam held his mouth with a wretched expression after seeing the look on her face.
A reaction she didn't expect,
…..
….
…
..
.
Adam stopped his 'Perspective Shift'.
He had underestimated the kind of mental pollution that could come with empathy towards another.
Digesting the information was swift thanks to his Gift of insight. Allowing him to glean information.
From the looks of it, the difference between the first perspective he'd seen as Sidmund… and this extreme mentality, was the nature of events. The key difference would likely be Clarissa's inclusion.
Thanks to attaining her power, Sophia didn't need to throw away Sid's pride the exact same way.
Since all that butler had to do was seduce a bunch of girls who had their hearts broken, it didn't need much effort. It was to the point that Sidmund never made much of a personal connection with them.
It might seem small, but this changed everything.
Going from 'strong passion' to 'nothing personal' was the difference between assassins and hitmen.
The former were usually raised to destroy their morals along with the enemy, while the latter only did a job. Regardless of what the latter was tasked to do, they took not much interest in their mission.
The same way someone wouldn't have interest in eating a way too familiar meal, but do so anyway.
This likely made him change in a more heartless man. One who didn't care if his master was wrong.
At least, that was the explanation Adam thought of.
If that wasn't entirely true, then how…
"Urgh… Uh…" (Adam)
"What's wrong?" (Clarissa)
"It's nothing." The newborn Incubus pushed her off and looked at the woman writhing not far away.
Her struggles seemed to be dying down.
Almost ready to fall into the depths of depravity.
With a wave of his hand, Adam sealed her racial characteristics and returned her to being 'Human'.
Immediately stopping her current 'defilement'.
After seeing Clarissa's perspective, he could no longer feel excited about taking advantage of her.
He remembered the scene he'd saw of Abigail dropping her hips onto Sidmund's waist in a hurry.
Eating up his manhood.
Turning herself into such a mess that one couldn't even fathom the resentment her family would feel.
It was like she'd lost herself to physical pleasures.
The kind of thing you'd read in an erotica.
Maybe it was because Arlene was asleep, but the contamination also seemed to stop affecting her.
Something he made note of.
"Where are they now? Did you… kill them?" These words ring out, and their eeriness was heavy.
Adam didn't even have to turn around to realise that she'd somehow grown attached to them.
"You won't see them for a while." (Adam)
"Then what about the plan?" (Clarissa)
"Plans change. It's a lot better for us if they were taken out of the equation anyway." (Adam)
"Hmmm…" Clarissa thought about it, then realised that it made much more sense to simplify it all.
Without the others to interfere, this became a fight between her and Sophia. Adam could handle Sid.
"Then we should go now." (Clarissa)
"Not yet." (Adam)
"Not yet…?" The maiden couldn't understand what they were waiting for. This was their opportunity!
"Have you thought about what would happen after Sophia's brainwashing ends?" The man asked her.
This question was one she'd avoided internally.
And from the look on her face, it didn't seem like she had an answer. It made the Incubus sigh…
"What?" (Clarissa)
"Nothing. Show me where she is." (Adam)
"Huh…?" Clarissa was more guarded.
"Don't worry. We're going there to interfere with the brainwashing ourselves. Did you forget what we are?" Adam straightened his loose white shirt and rolled up his sleeves while speaking about this.
It was at that point she realised what he meant.
"So you're taking my offer?" She remembered something about inviting him to seduce her sister.
"Yeah. We can come back for them anytime. I've placed a chess piece here anyway." Adam glanced at Arlene, which made Clarissa calm down. It was until she thought deeper that her face darkened.
"…No." She refused his offer.
"Why not?" (Adam)
"You're planning to 'subdue' her." (Clarissa)
"I won't." Adam walked closer to her despite seeing her volatile state and grabbed her hands boldly.
Looking straight in her eyes.
"…" Clarissa looked back and saw a foreign look she didn't know he was capable of even expressing.
"I'll wake her up." Adam made this statement.
She didn't know how the man was able to figure out her thoughts, but grabbed his hands too.
"I'll trust you this once." There was a sweetness in her originally sour tone shone through her vileness.
Was this 'Gap Moe'…?
To see someone as self-made as Clarissa putting her faith in him… made him want to reciprocate.
It was at that point they turned towards the door and walked downstairs, going for the front exit.
They'd took their time getting dressed in their best clothes, then planned to leave this place for good.
Even though it meant so much to them.
For Clarissa, it was her bird cage. She had only stayed here because of the threats from Sophia.
For Adam, it was originally supposed to be his new home. Despite that, this land had no place for him.
And he was no longer the man he once was.
Whether that be both metaphorically or literally.
They stepped onto the streets and breathed in the fresh air, only to feel like strangers to the world.
Everything moved along without them.
Cars driving by and people walking past.
"Let's go." Adam gestured her to lead the way, and Clarissa started to walk at deceptively high speeds.
Leaving her partner to catch up to her.