Succubus Mansion

Leaving the attic, Ye Chuan took the little succubus and strolled around the busiest main street of Isu Town a couple of times.

The storefronts facing the street were indeed in prime locations with an endless stream of people, but the rent was terrifyingly high.

For a two-story storefront, the deposit alone cost one gold coin, not to mention the subsequent rent and renovation costs.

He had just rented a detached cottage with a hot spring for Angelina, paying half a year's rent in advance. His cash on hand wasn't exactly abundant, so he really couldn't afford to throw that much money at a main street storefront.

He spent most of the afternoon walking around the town and looked at four or five places. They were either so remote you couldn't even see a shadow of a person, or the rent was way over budget. He just couldn't find anything suitable.

Passing by the town center's general agency at dusk, Ye Chuan paused and simply pushed the door open and walked in.

The owner of the agency was a middle-aged man with a goatee. He had helped Ye Chuan find a house before, so they were somewhat acquainted.

Hearing Ye Chuan's budget and requirements, the owner stroked his beard and pondered for a long time before suddenly slapping his thigh. "I've got it! I happen to have a shop that will definitely suit your fancy!"

He led Ye Chuan toward the Adventurer's Guild, eventually stopping in an alley across the street and a short distance away from the guild.

The alley wasn't deep. The daily flow of adventurers and merchant caravans going in and out of the alley entrance was endless, and the foot traffic was no less than the main street. Yet, the alley itself was much quieter than the main street—a quiet oasis in a noisy area.

"This is it," the owner said, pointing to a two-story wooden storefront at the end of the alley.

"It used to be a clinic, and it's currently vacant and up for rent."

"The most important thing is that it's big enough inside. The only drawback is that it's not on the main street, so there's no display area... But you're opening a massage parlor, aren't you looking for something quiet and private?"

"I don't think that's a problem."

Ye Chuan pushed open the shop door and walked in, his eyes instantly lighting up.

The first floor was a spacious open area, more than enough to partition out a front desk and a reception area. There were also six independent small rooms, perfect for remodeling into therapy rooms. The second floor also had quite a few rooms, which could serve as living quarters for the girls so they wouldn't have to squeeze into that drafty, dilapidated attic anymore.

What was even rarer was that the building had a very good foundation. The floors and walls weren't damaged much, so there was no need for major renovations, saving a large sum of money.

"Hmm..." Ye Chuan did a round of inspection.

To be honest, if it weren't for the location issue, it would be a truly perfect shop.

"I'll take it," Ye Chuan decided on the spot.

"Great."

Over the next few days, the whole shop was bustling with activity.

Ye Chuan didn't hire decorators; he did most of the work himself.

He was strong, so tearing down wooden boards, building partitions, and moving lumber were all easy tasks for him. Angelina also came over to help, leading the girls in painting the walls, wiping the windows, and sewing cushions.

The girls worked exceptionally hard. Even the skinniest one, Sophia, stood on a small stool on her tiptoes to paint the walls a gentle cream color.

Ye Chuan didn't decorate the shop to be overly lavish, but rather went for a clean and elegant style.

After all, this was a legitimate business, and Ye Chuan didn't want to make it look like some kind of shady enterprise.

On the day the renovations wrapped up, the girls sat around the sofa in the reception area, looking at the completely revamped shop with red rims around their eyes.

After being displaced and wandering for so long, they finally had a place that truly belonged to them.

"Lord Ye Chuan, what... what should we name this shop?" Sophia asked softly, hugging a newly sewn throw pillow.

Ye Chuan thought for a moment and smiled. "I originally wanted to call it a therapy clinic, which sounds a bit more elegant, but you should be the ones to decide the name. This is your shop."

The girls looked at each other. Finally, Lina stood up, looking at Ye Chuan with an incredibly firm gaze:

"Lord Ye Chuan, we want to call it the Succubus Parlor."

As soon as she said this, everyone fell silent.

"We are succubi. This is carved into our bloodlines. In the past, we were hunted down because of this identity, treated as cargo, hiding away, afraid to let others know who we were."

Lina's voice trembled slightly, but it was exceptionally clear. "But it's different now. We want to live on proudly with this name, to let everyone know that succubi can also make a living openly and honestly with their own skills."

"Yes! We'll call it the Succubus Parlor!" Sophia nodded vigorously, her fluffy tail swaying gently in excitement.

"We aren't afraid of others knowing we are succubi!"

Seeing the light in the girls' eyes, Ye Chuan felt a surge of emotion and smiled, nodding. "Alright, then the Succubus Parlor it is."

With the name settled, all that remained was setting the rules and preparing for the grand opening.

Ye Chuan laid down the most core rule for the girls: the Succubus Parlor would receive anyone, but the services were strictly limited to massages. This was also to maximize the girls' safety.

He also set up different therapy treatments based on the girls' specialties, starting from basic neck and shoulder relaxation to back soothing, and set the prices exceptionally affordable.

Moreover, he assigned numbers to the succubi and made Sophia the poster girl, since the little girl was clever enough.

To ensure safety, Ye Chuan also went to the Adventurer's Guild and hired two female adventurers with excellent reputations and reliable work ethics to take shifts guarding the entrance of the Succubus Parlor. He established business hours and strictly forbade any unauthorized personnel from intruding.

With everything ready, the Succubus Parlor chose a sunny day and officially opened for business.

On opening day, there were no firecrackers or massive promotional campaigns; they simply hung a wooden sign reading "Succubus Parlor" at the entrance of the alley.

The succubi all changed into uniform outfits, their hair combed neatly, and wore faint smiles on their faces. The previous timidity and panic were completely gone.

At first, passersby only peered in curiously; no one dared to enter.

After all, the word "succubus" still made many people wary.

"There's no business," Sophia noted after waiting for a whole morning, realizing there were no customers.

"It doesn't matter. In the early stages of building a reputation, we can slowly accumulate popularity." Ye Chuan wasn't anxious at all. Since he was a somewhat famous adventurer in the Adventurer's Guild, he could introduce this business to other adventurers.

...

"What? Have a succubus give me a massage?"

"Are you for real?"

"Lord Ye Chuan, running this kind of business is illegal."

At the Adventurer's Guild, some people who heard about Ye Chuan's business thought he was running some sort of shady operation.

"It's a normal massage. Of course, if you want other services, once your affection level is high enough, romancing them like in a dating sim is fine too. After all, I don't restrict the succubi's private lives," Ye Chuan said, taking out some small cards from his pocket.

"These are trial vouchers. You can go try it out, and if it's good, help us promote the Succubus Parlor."

Hearing this, the adventurers looked at each other in dismay, but upon hearing it was a free trial, they accepted them without hesitation.

"Then we'll give it a try!"