Rong, however, had no choice.

If she weren’t desperate, she’d never resort to such tactics.

Though inexperienced, she had observed queen Eden’s coquettish behavior countless times. Swallowing her nerves, Rong hesitantly gave it a try.

She blinked her watery eyes and carefully wrapped her small hands around Shia’s fingers.

Then she began to swing them back and forth, gently pleading.

"Pretty please~! Be a dear and say yes~!"

Rong's actions were a little clumsy, but her soft, sweet voice was utterly adorable.

Shia, wanting to maintain his integrity as a craftsman, was determined not to compromise the purity of his products by adding any questionable ingredients.

But under Rong's persistent, heartfelt pleas, he finally caved.

"Fine, fine, I’ll do it," he sighed.

Rong’s eyes immediately sparkled with delight. Overcome with excitement, she spun in circles and even hugged Shia, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Shia, already mesmerized by her tender voice, touched his cheek in disbelief, feeling the damp imprint of her lips.

Was this really the same socially anxious Succubus Princess?

Indeed, she still struggled with her shyness, but her joy had temporarily made her forget herself.

When Rong stepped out of the brewing room, a cool breeze brought her back to her senses, and a faint blush crept across her face.

But she had more important matters to address now.

To show her gratitude to the succubi sisters who had cared for her, Rong decided to host a party and invite them to sample the new wine.

When the news broke, one of the older succubi immediately embraced Rong, smothering her in an affectionate hug.

"You're the best, Rong!"

---

The party was lavishly decorated, and the hall was soon filled with elegant, mature succubi. Long legs and captivating smiles dominated the scene, their beauty perfectly complemented by the allure of fine wine.

Drunken Dreams, though widely known, was a first-time experience for many of the succubi. Intrigued by the new wine and motivated by their affection for Rong, they didn’t hesitate to take their first sips.

However, after the initial rounds of drinking, a strange silence settled over the room.

The seductive older succubi, who had been both tasting the wine and flirting, froze in place, their expressions becoming uncharacteristically serious.

One succubus, who had been caressing her exposed shoulder and collarbone, suddenly stopped, sitting upright with an icy, poised demeanor.

The room’s sultry atmosphere dissipated entirely, replaced by an aura of cool detachment.

The succubi could feel it—something within them was slipping away.

While their minds still craved sensuality and dirty jokes, their bodies… remained unresponsive.

Some tried their usual flirtation techniques, but what once effortlessly stirred them now left them strangely calm.

“What’s happening?” one succubus murmured, her magnetic voice cold and low, free of its usual seductive tone.

---

From their elegant, languid selves, the succubi had transformed into aloof, high-class goddesses, exuding an untouchable aura of self-restraint.

Rong’s inner imp danced with glee, hands on its hips, laughing triumphantly. Outwardly, however, she mimicked Shia’s composed demeanor, flashing a confident, subtle smile.

"Now, can you all finally listen to me seriously?"

Freed from the distractions of their usual carnal inclinations, the succubi directed their full attention to Rong, a stark contrast to their prior indifference.

Satisfied with the results, Rong began to explain her vision for the future of their kind: two new career paths—assassins and spies.

Encouragingly, she looked at the formerly lethargic older sisters.

"If we start training now, we can carve out a place for ourselves in this world and gain true influence!"

At that point, the succubus race could genuinely stand on its own, breaking free from their current predicament.

"And don’t worry," she added, "you can still live your normal lives as usual. This is just something extra on the side."

Rong had expected excitement and enthusiasm after her speech.

Instead, she was met with blank, confused stares.

The hopeful and encouraging expression on her face stiffened.

What was this reaction?

Finally, one succubus couldn’t hold back and spoke.

"But… we’ve already been doing that kind of thing for a long time."

Now it was Rong’s turn to be dumbfounded.

Her eyes widened.

"What!?"

Encouraged by the first voice, others began to chime in.

"Princess, assassination and intelligence gathering—those have been our side gigs for ages."

"Yeah, just last week, I assassinated the High Priest of Southampton. Most of the commission is already gone—spent on wine."

"Last time I entertained a Patton court minister, I got plenty of intel out of him and sold it to his rival. Made a decent profit, too."

---

One by one, the succubi shared their stories.

Though Dreamland appeared to be a mere pleasure den on the surface, it was, in fact, a bustling hub for underground activities.

Assassinations of high-profile figures and clandestine intelligence deals were routine here.

Rong’s mouth hung slightly open, her disbelief written all over her face.

This was nothing like the lazy, unambitious Dreamland she had imagined.

She had thought these women were aimless slackers!

"Why… Why didn’t I know about any of this?" she asked, still processing the revelation.

"Because you’re still young, Princess," one succubus replied with a teasing smile.

At her age, Rong hadn’t yet reached the level of maturity needed to engage in these shadowy operations. Her role, until now, had been simply to grow up healthy.

Now utterly stunned, Rong reevaluated everything.

What she had believed to be a groundbreaking new path for her people turned out to be a well-established, thriving industry.

---

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The sound of slow applause broke Rong from her thoughts.

She turned toward the source of the noise and saw queen Eden standing at the doorway, exuding elegance and charm, her face lit with a proud smile.

Throughout Rong’s lecture and wine-tasting party, the queen had been conspicuously absent, neither interrupting nor stopping the festivities.

Finally, she stepped forward.

the queen approached Rong, gently patting her on the head, her eyes brimming with approval.

"I’m so proud of you, my darling daughter. You came up with such thoughtful ideas, so in tune with my own. Truly worthy of being my child!"

With that, she pulled Rong into her embrace.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com