Chapter Seven: The Demon Concubine, Iris

The woman was beautiful, breathtakingly so.

Unlike the ethereal and detached nature of Phantom Butterfly, this woman exuded a unique, inherent charm; every glance and every smile seemed to emanate from within her very soul.

She stood up, took a few steps, and quietly arrived at Phantom Butterfly's side. Her fair, slender fingers traced slowly over the girl's smooth skin.

Her phoenix eyes, so enchanting they seemed capable of bewitching any soul, gazed at Phantom Butterfly with glistening tears. Her voice was plaintive, as if weeping, and full of sorrow: "Little Phantom Butterfly, you haven't come to visit your big sister in such a long time. My heart is so broken. If you don't believe me, just feel it yourself."

As she spoke, she pulled the girl’s small, delicate hand toward her own heaving, ample bosom.

The girl hurriedly pulled her hand away, her eyes darting around nervously before she lowered her head and whispered, "I believe you, Sister Iris."

"You're not being honest!"

Iris chuckled, reaching out with a slender finger to lift the girl’s chin and leaning close to her ear. "Are you tired of playing? Do you want to go home?"

A breath of hot air brushed against the girl's earlobe, sending a shiver of goosebumps down her spine.

"Tee-hee!"

Iris laughed, pulling the girl back onto the sofa and forcing her head onto her lap. She stroked the girl's hair and said slowly, "If it’s not that you want to go home, then it must be that you want your big sister to help you suppress the Abyss Energy inside the Star of Violet."

"Why must you be this way? Every time I see the Star of Violet shattered and broken, it breaks my heart to see you in such a sorry state."

"..."

The girl remained silent. Iris was one of the Abyssal Demon Empresses.

Ever since she had been parasitized by the Abyss-Phantom Butterfly and transformed into a Demon Empress, Iris had been the one who cared for her the most.

However, unlike the Demon Empress Ivy, who had constantly urged her to return to the Abyss, Demon Empress Iris continued to care for her wholeheartedly even after her defection, helping her conceal her aura and suppress the Abyss Energy.

For the sake of her "unreasonable" fantasy—to live a normal life as an ordinary human in the city—Iris had even opened a tea shop in Ye Qiu City. This was so that whenever Phantom Butterfly struggled to control the Abyss Energy, she could easily find her, allowing the girl to continue drowning in her human delusions.

As a Demon Empress herself, the girl knew that in the eyes of Abyssal monsters, humans were no more than insects. It went without saying just how ridiculous her aspirations must appear to them.

Yet, Iris supported her silently, as always. It would be even better if she didn't keep touching her every time they met.

The girl understood that Iris’s motives were not entirely pure. She was like an elder in the family, creating all the conditions for you to pursue your dreams, only to treat your wounds and comfort you when you returned home broken and battered—standing by your side whenever you needed help.

Once, twice, three times... countless times.

Until you finally give up, realizing that you and humans are two completely different species, and return to her side for good.

Unconsciously, she drifted off to sleep, resting on Iris’s warm, white legs. Her nose brushed against the soft, floral scent of the woman, and a sense of profound comfort washed over her. Perhaps only in these moments could she truly stop thinking and surrender completely, knowing that the woman would never harm her.

Yet, vaguely, she recalled that Iris’s scent was poisonous—like oleander, the rose-like fragrance would lull one into a deep sleep, stripping away one's ability to resist and causing one to sink deeper into the trap.

The girl instinctively tried to channel the Star of Violet to defend herself, but she found that the woman’s emerald-green Abyss Energy had already entered the core, probing every corner. Seeing this, the girl gave up all resistance; she knew the woman meant no harm, and with that final thought, she fell into a deep slumber.

Had she been watching her Star of Violet, she would have been astonished to see the pitch-black Abyss Energy, which usually wreaked havoc within, enveloped by a mass of emerald green and cleared away in moments. The pure white mana of the magical girl, after verifying that both "robber" energies had departed, cautiously reclaimed the space they had occupied.

As the girl lay on Iris’s lap, her body underwent a drastic transformation. The curvaceous, 1.6-meter-tall girl shifted into a petite, flat-chested young girl of about 1.45 meters.

The pure white skin, previously exposed to the air, was once again covered by a light purple magical dress. The deep patterns on her abdomen slowly faded until they vanished. Her dark purple hair turned a soft lavender, and her aura shifted completely—from bewitching to holy in an instant.

A moment later, the girl's form shifted again, transforming from a magical girl back into the appearance of a young man.

Iris seemed unfazed by this. She cupped his face in her hands, her exquisite, charming eyes fixed unblinkingly on Bai Yuze’s features as she broke into a smile. "As expected of my good little brother, you’ve become even more handsome."

In his sleep, Bai Yuze dreamed deeply. He dreamt of having three sisters, living together, playing together, foraging together, carefree and happy.

Until a spatial rift appeared in their hometown, and everything changed in an instant...

"No, it's not like that!"

With a gasp, Bai Yuze woke up. The faint floral scent of Iris still lingered in the room. The bright lights made him squint, and he blinked to adjust.

A cup of warm tea sat on the table, its aroma rising to meet him.

As he picked it up, a warmth bloomed in his heart, though as he remembered something, that feeling was quickly suppressed.

He looked around and realized he was on the sofa. His magical gear had vanished, and he had returned to his original form. What brought him some relief was that the agonizing Abyss Energy that usually plagued him was gone.

Even if only temporarily...

"Little brother, do you still want to go home? If you want to stay with your big sister, that’s not impossible, you know!"

A charming, melodic female voice drifted in from outside the room.

***

Bai Yuze shook his head, remembering he had to go home to cook for his sister. Checking his phone, he saw only half an hour had passed, though to him, it felt like an entire century.

It was still early, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

If Bai Youqing discovered he hadn't come home all night, there was no telling what kind of trouble she might cause.

To be a brother so firmly under his sister's thumb—how embarrassing!

Walking out of the inner room, he saw the guest had already left, and the living room lights were extinguished.

Outside, a pink, girlish Ferrari was parked. Under the neon advertisements, the car body seemed to be coated in a faint halo.

The tall, statuesque Iris sat in the driver’s seat, having changed her clothes.

A noble and elegant black evening gown covered her slender frame. Her black hair was pinned up with a jade hairpin, revealing her bright, exquisite face. Her long, slender legs were crossed as she leaned back in the seat, hand resting against her temple—the image of a powerful, regal woman.

Iris tapped the passenger seat, smiling at him like a seasoned veteran of the heart.

"Get in, you’re so slow and hesitant. Big sister is going to take you for a ride in a luxury car, so you can accumulate some experience. Whether you want to pick up girls in a fancy car in the future or just lean on a woman's shoulder and cry in the passenger seat, you won't look like such a country bumpkin."

Bai Yuze’s mouth twitched. He felt something was off about that, but he didn't argue.

If he claimed he would never cry on a woman's shoulder, she would surely get "furious" and ask why a girl can cry on a man's shoulder, but not the other way around.

She knew exactly how to twist things to her advantage.

The more he argued, the more excited she became; she loved seeing him shy and flustered.

Sure enough, seeing Bai Yuze get into the car in silence, Iris puffed out her cheeks, looking bored. She pouted and sighed, "Little brothers are no fun at all. The