The Incubus System Chapter 1412. Human Before Demon
The Incubus System Chapter 1412. Human Before Demon
Larry looked at me mid-chew. “Prefer what way?”
“This.” I gestured vaguely at the cafeteria. The trays. The noise. The grease-stained tables. “At least this is what my nineteen year old human self wants.”
He raised a brow. “Cafetaria food and bad decisions?”
“Exactly.”
“This is a good break from all the politics.”
Larry hummed. “I guess.”
When we finally reached the counter, I didn’t hesitate. “Chicken bowl. And one french fries.”
Larry recoiled slightly. “Ew. You’re back to eating your unhealthy food again?”
“Hey,” I snapped. “Chicken bowl is healthy.”
The cafeteria staff behind the counter stared at me with a deadpan expression that said they’ve seen worse delusion today.
“Order?” the staff repeated flatly. “Some people don’t have all day.”
Larry cleared his throat dramatically. “Turkey sandwich and soup.” He looked at me and smirked. “Very healthy.”
“I don’t care,” I muttered.
The staff handed us our receipts. “Pay up and wait over there.”
We paid one by one and moved to the side, trays in hand.
The waiting felt longer than it should have.
Probably because I was hungry enough to chew through metaphysical boundaries.
Larry leaned against the counter casually. “I wonder why I don’t see Emma and Olivia?” he asked.
“They have different class schedules today,” I replied automatically.
He nodded. “Sad.”
“Focus on your soup.”
We grabbed our trays when our numbers were called and headed toward an empty table near the middle of the cafeteria.
I sat down heavily and didn’t wait.
I took a big bite of my chicken bowl.
Hot. Salty. Slightly too oily.
Perfect.
Less than two minutes in and half my bowl was gone.
Larry stared at me like I was committing a crime. “You inhale food like you’re afraid someone will confiscate it.”
“I might,” I said through a mouthful.
He laughed.
I didn’t care.
For a brief moment, it was just food. Hunger. Noise. Larry being annoying.
Normal.
And then…
The shift.
You know that feeling when the air changes before you see the reason?
The murmurs.
The whispers.
That subtle “woah” and “wait is that—”
Not directed at me.
Not at Larry.
We both noticed at the same time.
We looked around.
And yeah.
She was here.
Professor Lysathiel.
In the cafeteria.
Sitting near the window like she belonged in a magazine cover instead of a student dining hall.
Milk tea in hand.
Sunlight hitting her hair just right.
Like some kind of model while the rest of us were NPCs in the background.
And she wasn’t pretending not to look.
She looked at me.
Directly.
Not subtle.
Not embarrassed.
Focused.
Assessing.
Like she was taking notes on how I eat.
How I sit.
How I exist outside the classroom.
Larry froze mid-bite.
“…Oh.”
I exhaled slowly.
Of course.
Of course she would extend the observation period into lunch.
Larry leaned closer. “I think this is the scene where you should seduce and try to bang her.”
I stared at him. “You need help.”
“I’m serious.” He shrugged. “You’re the incubus. This is your genre.”
I didn’t respond.
Because yeah.
That was the plan.
Gain her trust.
Shift dynamic.
Control narrative.
But here?
In a cafeteria?
With plastic trays and students whispering? This was weirder than anything with Clea.
This wasn’t hidden tension in a dark hallway, this was fluorescent lights and french fries!
But maybe that’s the point.
If she wants to assess my human side.
Then I show her my human side.
Basic move.
Non-threatening.
Normal.
I wiped my mouth with a napkin and stood up slowly.
Larry’s eyes widened. “Oh my god you’re actually doing it.” He sounded proud.
“Shut up.”
I didn’t swagger.
Didn’t posture.
Just walked.
Calm.
Casual.
I stopped near her table.
She looked up at me.
Close up, she looked less like a queen and more like a very composed woman holding milk tea like it was ceremonial.
“Professor,” I said lightly. “Wanna join us?”
A few nearby students visibly leaned in to hear.
She tilted her head slightly. “I think it’s you who should join me.”
There was no challenge in her tone.
Just invitation.
I didn’t hesitate.
I glanced back at Larry.
He mouthed “Oh shit.”
I picked up my tray.
Larry grabbed his too.
We walked over and sat down across from her without asking permission again.
She observed the tray in my hands briefly.
“Chicken bowl,” she noted.
“Very strategic choice,” I replied.
She almost smiled.
Larry cleared his throat, unsure what he would say. “So… milk tea?”
She looked at him politely. “Yes.”
Silence hovered for a second.
Not awkward.
Just charged.
I needed to think about what I should say next. And Larry needed to think about whether what he said next would make the queen wage war against us or not.
The whispers around us grew slightly louder.
Students were definitely watching now.
“So,” I said casually, taking another bite like this was normal. “Enjoying campus life?”
“It is… enlightening,” she replied.
Larry snorted quietly into his soup.
She didn’t react.
I chewed slowly. “You’re extending the observation outside classroom hours?” I asked lightly.
She met my gaze. “I believe context matters.”
“Context like cafeteria diet?”
“Context like social integration.”
She glanced around subtly.
At the students.
At the whispers.
Then back at me.
“You live fully as human,” she said quietly.
There was no judgment in it.
Just acknowledgment.
“Yeah,” I replied. “I raised here. Human before demon.”
Larry kicked me lightly under the table.
I ignored him.
She studied my posture.
My expression.
How I held my fork.
This was ridiculous.
And yet… fascinating.
“Does it trouble you?” she asked softly.
“What?”
“That they whisper.”
I shrugged. “Humans always whisper.”
“And if they misunderstand?”
“They always do.”
Her gaze lingered. “You seem… unaffected.”
I swallowed. “I’m used to it.”
That part wasn’t entirely a lie.
But it wasn’t entirely true either.
Because attention isn’t the same as misunderstanding.
Larry leaned forward slightly. “Professor,” he said boldly, “just so we’re clear, this isn’t a crush situation.”
I kicked him under the table.
Hard.