Lately, buying succubi and incubi online had become all the rage. I could not afford one, so I picked one up from the side of the road instead.

It turned out the quality of this incubus left a lot to be desired. Not only did he have a terrible temper, but he showed absolutely no interest in me. He would rather starve than "feed".

Left with no other options, I snapped a photo of his incubus mark and sent it to the shop owner, asking how to handle this particular model.

The shop owner completely lost it.

"Oh my god, please tell me you're joking! That's not an incubus! That's a demon! The most dangerous kind!"

After work, I quietly asked my female coworker, Lydia Simpson, "What do you do when your incubus refuses to eat?"

"How is that possible?"

Lydia looked surprised. "Succubi and incubi get weak if they don't feed. My incubus needs to be fed three times a week. My best friend's is even more demanding. Four or five times a week isn't enough for hers!"

"They feed that much?"

I thought of Raven's cold, distant features. He did not look weak in the slightest.

"But there are a few situations where that might happen..."

"What?" I perked up.

"He might've had a previous owner, or something could be wrong with him physically. I'd suggest asking the shop where you bought him."

I felt too embarrassed to tell her the truth. My incubus was not purchased. I had found him on the street.

Still, Lydia had given me an idea. No matter how aloof an incubus might be, he could not resist his species' nature. I decided to give it a try.

That evening, I returned home and stared at Raven. He had dark skin and solid muscles. His features were flawless. Otherwise, I would not have spotted him by that dumpster at first glance.

"What are you staring at?" Raven asked impatiently.

"Do you feel unwell at all?"

"No. I'm perfectly fine."

Raven had a bad temper and spoke bluntly, nothing like other incubi who were docile and obedient. To check what was actually wrong with him, I reached out to touch him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Raven nearly jumped, his expression turning aggressive. "Who gave you permission to touch me? Get your filthy hands off me!"

That was strange. His body seemed perfectly fine. Could it be that particular part that was broken?

As my gaze drifted downward, Raven became furious. "What are you looking at? Chloe Sutton, I'm asking you, what are you looking at? Is that something a mere human should be looking at?"

Lydia had been right. He was almost certainly broken. Otherwise, his previous owner would not have thrown away such a beautiful incubus!

I needed to confirm through practical testing.

I removed my jacket, revealing the sheer, semi-transparent slip I had put on earlier. The room suddenly grew very hot. When Raven's emotions became unstable, his body heated up, and the air around him grew scorching.

I had asked others about this. Their incubi did not have this trait. Perhaps there were physical differences between incubi.

I pressed close to Raven's side. "Are you hungry?"

"Get off me!"

"If you're hungry, just eat. Don't suppress yourself."

"I said get off!"

I pretended not to hear, gripping his chin and planting a kiss on his burning lips.

Raven's voice turned sharp. "What did you make me take? Why can't I resist?"

"I added a bit of incubus-specific medication."

"You drugged me? Chloe Sutton! I'm going to kill you!"

"You should call me 'Master.'"

"I'm not one of those lowly creatures. I'm a pure-blooded de—"

Raven stopped himself mid-sentence. His eyes burned with restrained fury, like someone biding their time for revenge.

At the same time, I confirmed it. His body was perfectly functional. That left only one possibility. He had another owner.

Raven somehow regained his strength and shoved me away forcefully. "You think a simple drug can control me? Humans really are foolish!"

Watching him leave the room without a backward glance, the mystery was solved. He not only had a previous owner, but he also still pined for them.

Actually, I had suspected this for a while. After all, I had picked Raven up off the street. In recent years, buying incubi and succubi online had become trendy.

I had heard that incubi not only pleased their owners; some could even do housework. I had wanted one for the longest time, but I could not afford it.

A month ago, I found Raven abandoned by a dumpster. Back then, his face was deathly pale, and he was barely clinging to life. I brought him home and gave him food and water.

Raven remained very quiet, as if he did not want much contact with me.

I asked, "Do you remember where your home is? Once you've rested, I'll take you to find your owner."

"Don't have one."

"What?"

"I don't have an owner." He sounded displeased.

However, he had a name. Incubi's names were always given by their owners, so I guessed he was abandoned by his previous owner.

I kept Raven by my side, but because of his resistance, we never signed a contract.

Now, I finally understood. Despite his stubbornness, Raven was surprisingly devoted. He had never forgotten his former owner, had he?

A few days later, my suspicion was confirmed.

One weekend, I took Raven to watch the tidal bore. Before leaving, I specifically told him, "Considering you eat my food and drink, if a big wave comes, you need to protect me."

Raven made a noncommittal sound, clearly uninterested. However, after we arrived at the viewing point, he suddenly became serious.

Following Raven's line of sight, I discovered he was watching a young woman. He was staring so intently that he did not even hear me call his name.

I guessed that woman might be his former owner.

Suddenly, a large wave crashed toward us.

Raven abandoned me and rushed in front of the woman. With his nearly six-foot-three frame, he shielded her from the wave. Then, before she could see his face clearly, he silently walked away.

I had not dodged in time and was soaked through.

I asked Raven, "Do you know that woman?"

For once, Raven did not deny it.

I ended up catching a cold after that and had to lie curled up in bed, feeling miserable.

Raven seemed unaccustomed to seeing me like this and muttered, "Getting sick from a little water. Humans really are fragile."

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"Hello. We've received a report about an unregistered creature in the area. We need you to cooperate with our investigation."

I bolted upright. "Unregistered creature?"

"Yes. According to regulations, any unregistered creature must be taken away for disposal."

That meant Raven was in danger. After being abandoned by his owner, his records would have been wiped. He probably fell under the 'unregistered' category too, right?

I quickly shoved Raven into the closet.

The enforcement officers came in and looked around but found nothing. Their gaze landed on the closet.

"Can we open it for inspection?"

I blocked the closet door. "I'm sorry, but that contains my private belongings."

"This is urgent. Please cooperate."

"No. It's all underwear and things I only wear for my boyfriend."

The two officers exchanged glances.

"What if we insist on opening it?"

"Please respect my privacy. You're already being unreasonable, barging into my home in the middle of the night for an inspection. If you want to open this closet and embarrass me further, you'll have to knock me out first."

They did not dare resort to force. After discussing it briefly, they said, "Fine. You're just a young woman. You probably wouldn't be hiding any dangerous creatures anyway."

"Dangerous creatures?"

The enforcement officer hesitated, a trace of fear crossing his face. "I mean... demons."

I remembered the news I saw a few days ago, saying demons had recently been spotted. Citizens were urged to be vigilant.

After they left, Raven emerged from the closet. He looked at me with a complicated expression. "Why didn't you turn me in?"

"If I did, you probably wouldn't survive."

"Didn't you hear them? They're looking for demons."

I laughed. "They're looking for demons. What does that have to do with a little incubus like you?"

"Little... incubus?"

I pointed at Raven's waist and abdomen. "You've got an incubus mark and everything. Are you trying to cosplay as a demon or something?"

There was silence.

I must have struck a nerve with that comment. He got angry again.

"But you know what?" I looked at him with a smile. "Even if you don't like me, even if you won't acknowledge me as your owner, I'll still protect you."

"Why?"

"Because it's enough that I like you."

It was just a human's fondness for an interesting creature, the same way I liked cats and dogs. However, Raven seemed to misunderstand. His face suddenly flushed red, and the air around us grew hot and scorching.

"W-What are you saying... That's way too forward..."

I did not tell him I had already decided to help him return to his former owner. Until then, as compensation for bringing him home without permission and touching and holding him, I would protect him from harm.

I arranged to meet with that woman when I had the chance. Finding her had not been difficult. After the tidal bore viewing ended, I added her on social media.

The woman's name was Tessa Gilbert. It was a cute name that matched her pretty appearance perfectly.

I asked, "Have you ever abandoned an incubus?"

Tessa's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"Does he have dark skin?"

"Yes, yes! He's really tall, almost six-foot-three, with horns and wings. His incubus mark is right here."

It matched.

"Can you tell me why you abandoned him back then?"

"To be honest, I didn't really like his personality."

I could understand that. Raven's personality was terrible.

Tessa continued, "After I bought him, the shop closed down. I couldn't return him, so I just released him. Have you seen him?"

I nodded. "He misses you."

Tessa's expression turned melancholic.

"To tell you the truth, after I released him, I felt some regret. He was actually pretty good. Tall, handsome, and very capable."

"Then take him back," I suggested sincerely. "Abandoning an incubus is just like abandoning your pet cats and dogs. He's really pitiful. Why don't you try getting along with him again?"

"That makes sense..."

Things with Tessa were more or less settled. Next, I just needed to persuade Raven.

Thinking about how he would get what he wanted made my mood brighten.

When I returned home, Raven was in the kitchen. He was following a recipe, but his movements were clumsy. Even so, he was clearly making an effort.

"What's gotten into you these past few days?" I asked curiously. "You're suddenly into cooking."

Raven's expression turned awkward. "You got sick the other day. You looked pretty fragile... I'm feeling generous, so I'll handle the cooking from now on."

"Perfect. Keep doing exactly that."

"What?"

"When you go back to your original owner, just keep doing this. Rein in your temper and get along with her properly."

"Original owner?" Raven froze.

"Yeah. I already talked to her. She's willing to take you back. Aren't you happy?"

He turned quiet.

"Wow, you're so happy you can't even speak!"

"How exactly do I look happy to you? Chloe Sutton, you just said you liked me a few days ago, and now, you're abandoning me? Are all humans like this?"

"How is this abandonment? Besides, you're the one who keeps refusing to acknowledge me."

"You just want an incubus, don't you? Fine, I agree! You can treat me as your incubus. I'll reluctantly cooperate with you!"

"Actually, I wanted to tell you something." I pulled a man standing outside the door into the house. "I have my own incubus now!"

It really was such a coincidence. I had been saving up money to buy an incubus, and my original plan had been to have enough saved up by the end of the year.

Yesterday, I happened to catch an incubus sale. I impulsively placed an order, and he was delivered today.

I named him Steele.