January 31, 2026

The Incubus System Chapter 1375. How to Fix This

I washed slowly. Rinsed. Scrubbed. Rinsed again. Let the steam fog the bottom edge of the window above the counter.

Somewhere in the middle of drying the second plate, my phone pinged from the table.

I wiped my hands on the towel and walked back over, screen lighting up with a soft buzz.

Celia.

Celia: I’m going to be late. I have new friends here. I’m going to hang out with them.

I stared at it for a moment. My heart didn’t drop. Not really. I wasn’t expecting her. But… yeah, okay. It stung a little.

Just a little.

I thumbed a reply, simple.

Ethan: Don’t be late. I already made you fried noodles.

Sent.

That was all.

She’d see the plate. Maybe she’d laugh. Or maybe she’d never know it existed.

I turned the screen off, dropped it on the counter, and walked to the bathroom like my body moved on instinct.

The door clicked shut behind me.

I needed to calm down.

I needed to just… stop being on for five minutes.

Steam already clung to the mirror from earlier, faint swirls still ghosting the glass. I dispersed my Demon’s Clothes, wincing as I realized how tense my shoulders were. Like I'd been flexing them for days without letting go. My feet touched the cool tile and I stared at the tub like it might judge me too.

It was rare for me to actually use the damn thing. Showers were fast. Practical. Safe.

But tonight?

Tonight I needed to sink.

I popped open the wooden bath drawer and rummaged.

Found it. A round purple bath bomb, soft specks of gold and blue dusted across the surface like a melted galaxy. The wrapper crinkled between my fingers.

Lavender. From the last time.

I tossed it in.

It fizzed immediately, loud and cheerful, the scent punching through the air like a spa had exploded. Lavender and honey and something minty coated my lungs as the water turned cloudy and soft. Steam curled up from the edges. The light dimmed a little.

I slid into the tub like a tired corpse claiming a grave.

Groaned like an old man as the heat wrapped around my bones.

My head tipped back. My eyes shut.

Silence.

But not really.

My body stilled. But my mind?

My mind was sprinting.

Not in a panic spiral this time. Not the usual “Why me”, “Why now”, “Why again” echo. No… now it was tactical. Focused.

Problem-solving. Demon edition.

How to fix this.

Because I knew now. Proving I was peaceful wasn’t gonna cut it. Being kind didn’t matter. Holding back? Didn’t matter. I could wear a halo and serve soup to orphans, and they’d still see the horns.

So yeah… this was war now. A cold one. Maybe even a quiet one. But it was still a war.

So what were my options?

Open war? Straightforward. Loud. Risky. Walk through the Light Dimension with my blades out, daring them to touch me again. Hit first. Break their temples. Shatter their chains. Paint their sigils with their own fear.

Nah.

Too obvious. Too reckless. Too much like Lord Damon. Or worse.

Infiltration then? Classic. Quiet. Slip into their systems. Unravel from the inside. Cause their bureaucracy to choke on its own paperwork. Become a rumor in their clean halls. Demon whisperer among saints.

Yeah… sounds kinda sexy.

I could even throw a metaphorical Uno reverse card at them.

“You came to attack me? Wrong move, buddy. I already attacked you yesterday.”

But it still wasn’t… right.

Still too reactive. Too bitter. I wanted more than vengeance. I wanted to change something. Not just survive it.

Then…

Then it hit me.

The most dangerous, ridiculous, absolutely bonkers plan yet.

What if I seduced the queen?

My eyes opened, staring at the steamy ceiling like it owed me an explanation for that thought.

But seriously. Think about it.

She was powerful. Composed. Calculating. But not cruel. She hadn’t ordered my arrest. She didn’t attack me on sight. She sat down and talked to me, watched me like I was a piece on the board, not just a threat.

And yeah… she was beautiful. Like, absurdly so. Even sitting casually in a cafeteria made her look like she was holding court.

If I could get her to see me, not as a weapon or a risk, but as a partner…

An ally…

Hell, maybe even as a lover?

I mean, I did it all the time. Making pacts. Seducing rulers. Shaping politics through the bedroom. Maybe I needed to stop pretending it was a dirty thing. Afterall, a win still a win.

The door creaked open.

I sat up fast, water sloshing.

Puriel stood in the doorway, one hand still on the knob, her eyes immediately locking on me through the steam. Her expression was unreadable, somewhere between confusion and concern. Maybe even a little amused.

“Ethan,” she said, tone cautious. “You okay?”

I blinked.

I was naked. In a bath full of lavender bombs. Midway through a ‘what if I seduce the queen’ thought spiral.

And I froze like a damn deer.

“I’m fine,” I said too fast. Too loud.

She raised one brow. Slowly. Like she didn’t believe me for a second.

“Right,” she said. “Well… the door was open. I just came to check on you.”

“I’m great!” I added, voice cracking halfway. “Just. Bathing. Thinking. Peacefully.”

Yeah, I was wondering what Puriel was thinking about this.

A pause.

No footsteps. No sound of retreat.

She was still there.

I felt it.

And not in the “angelic sixth sense” way. Just… in the way you feel someone standing in a doorway when you’re vulnerable and trying not to drown in your own brain stew.

Which meant this wasn’t just “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

She stayed.

Lingering.

And I knew what that meant.

I tilted my head toward the door, not even hiding the small smirk growing on my lips.

“You wanna join me?”