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.

That was right. I bought Steele at a steal of a deal, 40% off.

I dragged Steele into the room. He looked timid and did not dare to look at Raven. "Is this... the other one?"

"Who are you calling the other one?" Raven exploded in fury. "I could roast you right now, believe it or not!"

Steele hid behind me. "Master, he's so scary. It doesn't matter if he's mean to me, but he's not usually like this to you, right?"

What a deliciously passive-aggressive act, but I liked it.

I patted Steele's pale, delicate hand. "Don't worry, sweetie. He'll be gone soon."

Raven said nothing, but he clenched his fists. The air around us felt like the heat at the peak of summer.

"No wonder you specifically requested a gentle temperament when placing the order, Master," Steele said thoughtfully.

Raven's expression darkened. "Chloe Sutton, is what he's saying true?"

Before I could answer, Steele nodded. "Not just that. She also asked for pale skin, low body temperature, cooking skills, and someone who can take care of people."

After speaking, Steele seemed to notice something and said with surprise to Raven, "Seems like I'm the complete opposite of you."

I stayed quiet. Steele should stop stirring the pot! The house was already turning into a hothouse.

"This is your ideal incubus?" Raven asked me.

I nodded. "He does meet my requirements."

Raven said nothing more. He threw down the spatula, went back to his room, and slammed the door with a loud bang.

From start to finish, he did not spare Steele a single glance.

"Master, did I make him angry?"

Steele seemed very worried, but when I turned my back, I caught the small curve of his lips. His smile was wicked.

The house remained hot the entire night, indicating that Raven had stayed angry all throughout.

My heart ached thinking about the air conditioning bill, so the next day, I immediately messaged Tessa.

[How are preparations going for getting your incubus back?]

[I was thinking maybe today would be good.]

Before I could finish typing the second message, Tessa replied.

Tessa: [Girl! Thank you so much! What you said yesterday really stayed with me, so I went out that same night and found my incubus!]

Me: [What?]

Tessa: [He hadn't gone far at all. He'd been wandering around near my place this whole time. When I found him, he even asked if I was tired. How could I have been such a jerk, abandoning a little angel like that?]

Me: [Wait... you already found your incubus?]

Tessa: [Yes!]

Then what was Raven doing still at my place?

Tessa sent me a photo of her with her incubus. In the photo, the incubus indeed had dark skin, horns on his head, and wings on his back. As for the location of his incubus mark, it was probably the same as Raven's.

What a coincidence.

Tessa: [How about it? Pretty handsome, right?]

Me: [Yeah... But wait, didn't you say yesterday that you didn't like your incubus' personality?]

Tessa: [Right! I have a quick temper, but he doesn't. He's so delicate and wishy-washy. When people bully him, he doesn't even know how to fight back. That's exactly what I don't like about him.]

[But it's not really his fault. I only specified appearance requirements when I ordered him, not personality.]

After reading Tessa's messages, I let out a long sigh at the ceiling. There was absolutely no way it could be Raven. In that case, why had Raven acted as though he had recognized her that day?

I sent her a photo of Raven. [Do you know him?]

Tessa: [Oh my God! So handsome! But no, I don't know him.]

Me: [You really have no memory of him?]

Tessa: [Trust me, with a face that handsome, I wouldn't forget him even if I've only seen him just once!]

It seemed Tessa truly was not Raven's former owner.

That evening, when I returned home, I went to ask Raven directly. However, his answer caught me completely off guard.

"That woman? I don't know her. She just looks a lot like my sister."