The guild hall was unusually quiet that morning—  

until Lyssara Veinflare appeared at the doorway, arms crossed.  

“All right,” she said coldly. “I’m coming with you today.”  

Jexy Bakian sighed like a condemned man.  

“I told you, you’ll regret it.”  

“Less talking. Move.”  

And so, reluctantly, they stepped out together.  

Soon, they arrived at the infamous **Solneva Wine Street**.  

It was a place where the air itself seemed half-drunk—  

filled with the scent of liquor and magic incense.  

Bars, taverns, lounges, and pleasure dens lined the avenue.  

Neon sigils flashed across enchanted glass;  

succubi called out from every doorway.  

Lyssara froze. “You spend your days… here?”  

Jexy rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. Nice atmosphere.”  

Her eyes swept across the glittering signs—  

*Phantom Nights*, *Crimson Smile*, *Dream’s Embrace*, *Succubus Kiss*…  

Every one of them oozed temptation.  

“This place looks… improper,” she muttered.  

“That depends on your definition of improper,” he said, shrugging.  

“Anywhere that serves good alcohol is respectable in my book.”  

She opened her mouth to retort—  

but then a chorus of voices rang out.  

“Lord Jexy!!”  

“Lord Jexy, come in! I’ve got something new for you tonight~!”  

The street went dead silent for half a heartbeat.  

Lyssara’s head turned slowly toward him, her gaze sharp as blades.  

Jexy’s expression froze. “Oh, for hell’s sake…  

can they not yell that loud when I’m *with someone*?”  

He hissed under his breath, “Do they want to get me killed?”  

One of the succubi giggled. “Oh? A new attendant, my lord?”  

Lyssara’s eyebrow twitched. “Attendant?”  

Jexy forced a smile. “Uh… colleague.”  

“Colleague?” she repeated, voice dripping with disbelief.  

“Yep! Team-building day.” He coughed. “Come on, let’s grab a drink.”  

They stepped into **Succubus Kiss**.  

Inside, warm lights shimmered against velvet curtains,  

and the air was thick with perfume and laughter.  

Within seconds, a dozen succubi swarmed toward Jexy.  

“Your usual seat, my lord?”  

“Try our new Flame Kiss blend~”  

Lyssara stood awkwardly at the edge of the room.  

The hostesses barely even looked her way—  

few women ever came here, much less demonesses.  

Jexy, sweating bullets, tried to wave them off.  

“Ladies—enough! This one is—”  

A succubus interrupted by pouring him a drink.  

“My lord, one glass won’t hurt~”  

Lyssara sighed, sat down at the far end, and poured herself a drink.  

She took one sip… and blinked.  

“This… is really good.”  

Jexy chuckled. “Of course it is. A thousand-year-old Flame Whiskey.  

There are only a handful of bars in the realm that stock it.”  

Lyssara stared. “A… thousand years?”  

She’d thought she’d tasted fine liquor before—never this.  

Soon, one drink became two. Then three.  

Before long, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes unfocused.  

“Hey, maybe slow down a bit,” Jexy murmured.  

Lyssara waved him off, slurring slightly.  

“You know… you might waste money every day,  

but you’re still better than that so-called *‘Number One Spendthrift of the Demon Realm.’*”  

Jexy froze mid-sip.  

“…That so-called what now?”  

She leaned in, giggling. “That guy—rumor says he squandered everything.  

Bought kingdoms, kept thousands of succubi,  

drank himself stupid every night…  

A complete disgrace to demonkind.”  

Jexy’s eye twitched.  

In his mind: *Damn it—that’s literally me!!*  

He forced a laugh. “Sounds… awful.”  

Lyssara nodded dreamily. “You’re different, though.  

At least you waste money with purpose.”  

“Purpose?” he echoed.  

“Mm-hmm. You made this guild better.  

You don’t admit it, but I can see it.”  

Jexy said nothing—just smiled faintly.  

She didn’t know that the man she was praising and the man she cursed  

were one and the same.  

Maybe it was better that way.  

Low-key suited him just fine.  

Hours passed.  

Lyssara eventually slumped over the table, completely drunk.  

Jexy sighed. “Told you so.”  

He signaled a few succubi to help lift her up.  

As they walked through the dim streets,  

she mumbled half-coherently,  

“I’m not… losing to some… stupid spendthrift…”  

Jexy couldn’t help but chuckle.  

He carried her all the way back to the guild,  

laid her gently on the sofa in her office,  

and draped his coat over her.  

“Honestly… what a handful,” he whispered.  

He turned to leave,  

and as the door closed behind him,  

the only sound left in the night was his quiet murmur—  

“See? I told you you’d regret it.”