Her name was Betsy, and she was a succubus.
She had heard from her companions that they once came from a Succubus Kingdom, but it was invaded by evil intruders, forcing them to flee.
From the time she could remember, she had already been on the run.
On planets, on Starships, in all sorts of places.
They had to disguise their identities, unable to appear before the eyes of the world. The places they slept were mostly dark, damp, and filled with bugs and foul odors.
The food they ate was usually synthetic, and they only got to eat a meal every two or three days. She had personally witnessed several companions starve to death.
Several times, they had almost been captured by evil villains or defeated by hunger.
Fortunately, their sister Lilith was very capable. She always managed to lead them away from danger and find food for them.
But one day, suddenly, a group of people attacked the underground pipes where they were hiding. Just as they were in danger, a very powerful man appeared.
He effortlessly defeated all those villains and then brought them to his Starship.
She had never seen such a beautiful Starship before. Here, they didn't need to hide their identities because most of those they saw were female Half-orcs.
Sister Lilith had said that they, as succubi, must be extremely cautious around men!
Men were all man-eating demons.
Afterward, they were taken to bathe by a beautiful and gentle young woman.
That was the first time she had bathed with clean, warm water. Before, they could only use filthy water to wipe their bodies.
When she felt the water flowing over her body, she fell in love with the sensation.
It wasn't just bathing; that place also had bathing pools where they could enjoy the bliss of soaking their entire bodies.
Afterward, they were taken to a dining hall. The beautiful young woman said they could order whatever they wanted.
Looking at the names on the menu, she actually felt unfamiliar at first because, until then, she had only eaten synthetic food.
The only few times she had eaten natural food were a finger-sized biscuit and some wild beasts caught on a planet's surface.
In the end, she chose a dish that looked like it had a lot of meat.
When that large plate of meat was placed before her, the aroma that wafted over, and the infinite delight on her taste buds as she chewed...
...made her experience for the first time that eating wasn't just about surviving, but could be such an enjoyable thing.
Afterward, they were assigned to a very clean room.
There were soft beds, clean bedding, even private bathrooms, and clean, tidy clothes that carried a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Each of them could have their own private space, no longer crammed into narrow quarters.
Everything seemed so wonderful.
It was like a dream. If this really was a dream, Betsy truly wished it would never end.
For a whole week after that, they lived on this Starship, staying in clean rooms, eating delicious food. They also helped the female crew members clean the Starship, doing small, trivial tasks.
And just today, the man who had brought them here appeared again. But the words from his mouth made her feel as if they were whispers from an abyss.
"Speak. Where do you want to go next? I can send you on your way."
For a moment, Betsy's eyes went blank. The meat she had previously loved so much instantly lost its appeal.
Only one thought filled her mind: They... had to leave this place... They had to return to that previous life.
No! She didn't want to!
"What do you mean?" Lilith stared blankly at the man before her.
Zhao Chen said, "I've already contacted someone. I can book you tickets on an interstellar cruise ship, send you to any planet or Starport you wish to go."
Lilith's expression froze. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Because what this man said was completely unexpected.
Suddenly, one succubus sprang up. She grabbed a fork from the dining tray and pressed it against her own throat.
"I'm not going anywhere! I'm not going anywhere!" The succubus Betsy, tears streaming down her face, looked at Zhao Chen with a trembling voice.
"Betsy! What are you doing! Put the fork down!" Lilith looked at Betsy, the youngest among her companions. By succubus age reckoning, she was still an underage child.
The young succubus Betsy ignored Lilith completely. She looked at Zhao Chen: "Why?"
Zhao Chen looked at this little succubus. She was only about 1.4 meters tall, but due to the succubi's innate developmental advantages, she possessed a remarkably alluring figure.
If certain lolicon enthusiasts saw her, they would absolutely be prostrating themselves.
"Sister Lilith, I don't want to... I don't want to go back to living like before anymore.
I don't want to drink that black water again, I don't want to hide in sunless places anymore, I don't want to live in fear every day.
I don't want to have to scrape moss off walls, eat dirt, or search for anything edible I can stomach every day because I'm hungry, only to endure the pain in my gut in a corner afterward!
I don't want to fight those terrifying wild beasts on desolate planet surfaces for a morsel of food anymore. I don't want to see the bodies of our companions fallen in battle."
The young succubus Betsy choked up, looking around.
She said with a bitter smile, "Here... for the first time, I discovered that... living could also be an enjoyable thing."
Living could be an enjoyable thing?
That sentence was ironic. But for succubi living in darkness, merely surviving was an immense struggle, let alone enjoying life.
Many of the succubi present choked back sobs, their eyes red and swollen.
Some of the older succubi continued eating the food in their bowls, chewing each grain of rice carefully, for this might be the last time in their lives they would enjoy such wonderful food.
They... would return to the darkness.
The young succubus Betsy stared at Zhao Chen with bloodshot eyes. Hysterically, her voice choked with tears, she shouted,
"If you were going to send us away, why were you so kind to us!
Why let us experience this kind of life, giving us clean clothes, warm water, this food, and soft, warm beds?
Why let us know that... we too could live so happily?
You showed us the light, and now... you want to push us back into the darkness!"
As she spoke, the fork in the young succubus Betsy's hand clattered to the floor. She collapsed to the ground, covering her face and weeping.
Lilith, with mixed emotions, stepped forward and hugged the young succubus Betsy. She felt guilty, but she was also helpless.