Incubus System In a World of Women
Chapter 31: Marriage Proposals...

Chapter 31: Marriage Proposals...

[MARCUS VON RAVENCREST - STATUS SCREEN]

[Level: 1]

Experience: 47,500/100 (STORED)

Incubus Points: 2,700 IP]

[Primary Stats:

Charisma: 25/100 (+10 from bond)

Perception: 28/100 (+10 from enhanced abilities)

Magical Power: 32/100 (+20 from Fire Magic acquisition)

Physical Appeal: 35/100 (+15 from Physical Enhancement)]

[Magic Powers: Time Magic: Unclassifiable, Life Magic: Unclassifiable, Fire Magic: SS-Rank (Acquired from Cassandra)]

[System and Basic Abilities - Enhanced Perception, Eternal Bond, Charm Resistance, Snatch, Carnal Evolution, Satisfaction Addiction, Inventory, Shop.]

[Intermediate Abilities - UNLOCKED: Divine Rod, Endless Stamina, Pleasure Amplification, Perfect Technique, Passion Fuel, Multiple Climax]

[Active Abilities: Persuasive Voice, Divine Sight, Ravencrest Family Techniques (LOCKED)]

[Eternal Partners: Lady Cassandra von Ravencrest (Level 102 - Transcendent)]

Holy shit. SS-rank Fire Magic? That’s... that’s beyond what most people achieve in their entire lifetimes.

"System, open shop interface," I whispered quietly, not wanting to wake Cassandra.

[INCUBUS SYSTEM SHOP - ACCESS GRANTED

[Current Balance: 2,700 Incubus Points]

[BDSM Equipment Set - 300 IP, Silk Enchanted Lingerie - 250 IP, Minor Charm Amplifier Ring - 400 IP, Stamina Recovery Potion - 150 IP, Aphrodisiac Perfume - 200 IP]

[Magical Restraints (Unbreakable) - 600 IP, Pleasure Enhancement Collar - 750 IP, Empathy Crystal Pendant - 800 IP, Greater Charm Amplifier Amulet - 900 IP, Lust Incense (Magical) - 500 IP, Seduction Elixir (Permanent +5 Charisma) - 1000 IP]

[STAT ENHANCEMENTS: +100 Charisma - 1000 IP] [+100 Perception - 1000 IP] [+100 Magical Power - 1000 IP] [+100 Physical Appeal - 1000 IP]

Well, shit. And here I thought 2,700 points made me rich.

Looking at these prices, I was basically broke. The stat enhancements alone cost 1000 IP each, which meant I could afford maybe two stat boosts and be completely tapped out. Why the hell were stats so expensive? A single +100 boost cost more than most of the actual magical items.

I guess the System doesn’t believe in easy power progression. Figures.

The magical items were tempting though. That Empathy Crystal Pendant could be incredibly useful for reading people’s emotions, and the Greater Charm Amplifier Amulet might help with the more resistant targets I’d eventually face. But with the imperial palace visit looming...

Actually, these shop items might come in very handy for that meeting with Empress Aurelia. A charm amplifier could be the difference between success and ending up as another pretty trophy in her collection.

I sighed quietly, being careful not to disturb Cassandra. The smart play was to save my points for now, see what challenges the palace visit would bring, then make strategic purchases based on what I actually needed.

2,700 points sounds like a lot until you realize it’s barely enough for two stat upgrades or a handful of decent magical items. I need to start thinking about IP generation more seriously.

The stat prices especially stung. Each 100-point boost was worth nearly half my entire current balance, and looking at my current stats, I had a long way to go before hitting the cap at 100 in each category.

At this rate, maxing out my stats would cost 40,000 IP. For comparison, I just earned 2,700 from bonding with a Level 102 Transcendent. Either I’m missing something about how to earn points more efficiently, or the System expects me to be very selective about my upgrades.

I closed the shop interface with a mental sigh. Window shopping was just depressing when you couldn’t afford anything worthwhile.

Bloodline Awakening? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

***

"Marcus, darling, we really should go down for dinner," Cassandra murmured against my chest, though she made no move to actually get up.

We’d been lying there for another hour after my System discovery, just enjoying the warmth and intimacy. But reality was starting to intrude—my stomach was growling, the sun was setting, and eventually someone would come looking for us if we didn’t show up.

Plus, I need to see how good Cassandra is at acting normal while we’re both walking around with the magical equivalent of matching tattoos.

"Five more minutes," I said, running my fingers through her hair. "I’m not ready to share you with the world yet."

She smiled and pressed a soft kiss to my chest. "Flattery will get you everywhere. But Mother will send a search party soon, and I’d rather not have Anna find us like this."

Good point. Though the mental image of Anna’s reaction is pretty amusing.

With a reluctant sigh, I helped Cassandra sit up. She immediately winced and put a hand to her lower back.

"Sore?" I asked with probably too much masculine pride in my voice.

"Everywhere," she admitted with a rueful laugh. "Worth every ache, but I’m definitely going to need a hot bath later." She paused, a wicked glint in her eyes. "Care to join me?"

Jesus, she’s going to kill me with that look.

"Behave," I said, though I was grinning. "We have to get through dinner first without scandalizing the family."

"Right. Innocent little brother Marcus who definitely didn’t spend the afternoon making me scream his name." She stood up, stretching in ways that made my mouth go dry. "This is going to be harder than I thought."

You’re telling me. Watching her move around naked is not helping my ability to think clearly.

We took turns getting cleaned up and dressed. I opted for a simple but elegant outfit—dark blue silk that Anna had picked out this morning, which felt like a lifetime ago. Cassandra chose a flowing emerald dress that complemented her hair and, more importantly, hid any evidence of our activities.

"How do I look?" she asked, smoothing down the fabric.

Like a goddess who just spent hours being thoroughly worshipped.

"Perfect," I said honestly. "No one will suspect a thing."

She raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? Because you’re looking at me like you want to throw me back on that bed."

Because I do.

"I’ll behave," I promised, though we both knew it was a lie.

The walk to the dining room felt surreal. Everything looked exactly the same as it had this morning—same hallways, same paintings, same magical lighting—but I felt fundamentally different. More aware of my body, of Cassandra beside me, of the invisible connection thrumming between us.

It’s like seeing the world through a new filter. One that makes everything more vivid, more significant.

We paused outside the dining room doors, and I could hear Mother and Lyanna’s voices inside, discussing something about trade negotiations with the eastern provinces.

"Ready?" Cassandra whispered.

"As I’ll ever be."

She pushed open the doors, and we stepped into what felt like a performance.

The dining room was as opulent as everything else in the manor—a long table that could seat twenty, set tonight for just the four of us. Crystal glasses caught the light from an elaborate chandelier, and the smell of roasted meat and herbs made my stomach remind me I hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

Mother looked up as we entered, her violet eyes immediately scanning both of us with the intensity of someone who noticed everything. She was still breathtaking in that mature, regal way—platinum blonde hair swept up in an elegant style, wearing a deep purple gown that emphasized her curves while maintaining perfect propriety.

Level 180 Ascendant. If anyone’s going to sense the change, it’s her.

"There you are," she said warmly, though I caught the slight furrow in her brow. "I was starting to worry. How are you feeling, darling? You’ve been sleeping most of the day."

"Much better," I said, settling into my usual chair. "Just needed the rest, I think."

Lyanna looked up from her plate, ice-blue eyes sharp and analytical as always. Her silver-white hair was braided back, and she wore a simple but elegant pale blue dress that matched her coloring. Even at dinner, she looked like she was solving complex equations in her head.

Level 95 Grandmaster. Also going to notice something’s off.

"You look different," she observed bluntly. "Both of you. More... I don’t know. Relaxed?"

Shit. Twenty seconds and she’s already picking up on it.

"It’s been a peaceful afternoon," Cassandra said smoothly, taking her seat across from me. "Marcus and I spent some time talking. It’s nice to just be family sometimes, without all the political pressures."

Good recovery. Technically true, if you count what we did as ’talking.’

Mother’s eyes narrowed slightly, and I could feel her magical senses probing. Not invasively—she’d never violate our privacy like that—but the way a Level 180 Ascendant unconsciously reads the magical emanations around her.

"Hmm," she murmured, and I knew she’d sensed something but couldn’t quite identify what.

The servants brought out the first course—some kind of delicate soup that smelled incredible. I focused on eating, trying to project the image of a perfectly normal, innocent young man who definitely hadn’t spent the afternoon discovering he might be part incubus.

Just act natural, Marcus. You’ve been playing the harmless prince act for days. You can do this.

"So," Mother said conversationally, "I’ve been reviewing the marriage proposals that arrived today. We’re up to eighty-seven now."

I nearly choked on my soup. "Eighty-seven?"

"The overnight count was seventy-three," Lyanna added with dry amusement. "Apparently word of your awakening has spread further than we thought. Duchesses from all six empires are sending offers."

Great. Because what I needed was more political complications.

"Some of them are quite generous," Mother continued, pulling out a small stack of letters. "Duchess Stormwind is offering a dowry that would fund a small army. The Frost Elves sent an offer from Duchess Glaciana’s daughter that includes territorial concessions. And the Golden Djinn..." She paused, looking impressed despite herself. "Let’s just say they’re taking this very seriously."