Kang Manor, North District
James was still on top of Vivian, and her sylph-like arms were wrapped around him so tightly that he wasn't sure he could even break free.
He chuckled nervously, trying to pull away, but she only shook her head vehemently.
"No!"
She snapped as her grip tightened around him.
James suddenly felt her chest press against him as her soft breasts molded into his torso, and a strange weakness ran through his body like an electric current. His mind went blank for a split second before he quickly snapped himself out of it.
On the other hand, Vivian squeezed her face in a way that was… almost childish. It was so unlike the cold beauty everyone at the company had come to know—like an entirely different person was clinging to him.
James swallowed hard.
He had no idea how to tell her to get off without sounding rude—especially after their last… encounter.
With an awkward sigh, he muttered—
"Uh… Vivian, are you okay, or…?"
Vivian's arms only tightened more, and before he could react, her fingers slid into his bangs, combing through his soft hair as she whispered into his ear—
"You weren't always like this… you used to be fun, James. But ever since the whole inheritance thing happened, ever since you got tricked out of the company… you haven't—"
James didn't let her finish.
With a deep breath, he summoned all his strength and stood up with ease.
『Wait… huh? How'd I do that…?』
Somehow, despite Vivian latching onto him like a backpack, he was able to rise completely upright.
Vivian's brows nearly popped off her forehead.
She instinctively gripped his back muscles for balance, but the moment her delicate fingers dug into the firm ridges of his unexpectedly solid physique, a sudden shock shot through her body.
She gasped.
Then, slowly, her wide eyes trailed up to meet his.
"Wow…"
She breathed, almost in awe.
"Since when were you this… built?"
James blinked. "What?"
Vivian absentmindedly pressed her palms against his back to really explore the steel-like firmness beneath his shirt.
"You were never like this before. I remember you being scrawny… we used to make fun of you for it."
She squeezed again.
Then again.
And suddenly… she found herself enjoying it.
On the other hand, James was too stunned to speak.
His eyes became half-lidded as he sighed—
"You're joking, right? I'm not ripped at a—"
Pop.
Before he could finish, Vivian had already unbuttoned his shirt with a weirdly crazy look in her eyes.
James froze.
She was still wrapped around his waist as her flat stomach pressed firmly against his.
His mind completely short-circuited.
"V-, Vivian?!"
But just as quickly as she did it, Vivian's eyes widened, and a deep red spread across her cheeks.
"What the—"
She instantly unwrapped her legs and jumped down from him, then scurried backward like she had just touched something scalding hot. She covered her mouth with both hands as her cute face turned completely flustered.
Her wide, trembling eyes scanned James's exposed chest, and a sense of sheer confusion overtook her.
This… made no sense.
James was never the gym type. Sure, he'd been in Germany for a few years, but… there was no way he built this kind of physique in that time.
And besides…
They had already slept together at least ten times since he came back to the United States.
She knew what his body looked and FELT like.
It wasn't like this.
Her hands slightly trembled as she clenched them.
『What…?』
Vivian's eyes slowly traveled back up to his face, and that was when she noticed something even more bizarre.
He didn't look the same.
It was subtle… but the James standing before her wasn't the James from a few days ago.
There was something different about him—something she couldn't quite explain, but it made her heart race. It wasn't just the fact that he was her childhood crush; this time, the attraction felt different. It wasn't sentimental—it was because he looked incredibly sexy, and that made no sense to her.
She had always been drawn to James, but never because of his looks or wealth. She already had both in abundance. But now, for some reason, he looked different—almost dangerously handsome, like he had unlocked a new level of charm she hadn't noticed before.
Her breath hitched.
Noticing her strange reaction, James took a step forward.
"Vivian?"
Vivian stumbled backward without thinking and nearly lost her balance.
James instinctively tried to reach for her.
"Are you alri—"
"STOP!"
Her voice sharply cut through the air as she threw up a hand — as if he were some kind of virus.
James halted, confused.
"Uh… Did I do something wrong?"
Vivian stammered like a confused teenage girl—
"N-, No… No. Yes. No—no, you didn't, it's just that I— I don't know if… or how…"
Her words faltered.
Her mind, however, raced.
All she could think about was the way his muscles felt under her touch.
How solid his back was.
How effortlessly he stood up with her attached to him like she weighed nothing.
A shiver crawled down her spine.
Her luscious thighs pressed together involuntarily, and she bit her lower lip while her hands rubbed the side of her arm as she shyly looked away.
This is wrong.
She was engaged.
She shouldn't be thinking about another man like this.
And yet…
It was James—a new and improved version!
Vivian shut her eyes and let out a long, exhausted sigh.
Meanwhile, hidden within a nearby shrub, a man dressed in all black quietly lowered his camera.
The entire encounter — from the fall to Vivian shamelessly feeling up James's muscles — had been recorded in full.
With a smirk, the man clicked his phone screen.
"That should be enough."
Without another sound, he turned and slipped away into the darkness of the forest.
—
As for James…
He was still trying to process everything.
His gaze dropped to his own chest.
Vivian was right.
He did have muscles now.
With a bewildered look, he unbuttoned his shirt a little more and stared down at his toned physique.
"Whoa… since when?"
He was certain he wasn't like this before.
Just a few days ago, Alfred had even told him to start working out so he could wear casual corporate attire instead of full suits to hide his lanky frame.
James tilted his head, utterly baffled.
And then—
A voice echoed in his mind.
[Due to the host becoming a Supreme Demon Lord, you have developed physical characteristics surpassing basic demons. Your physique is now comparable to that of a Hell Lord.]
[Would you like to further enhance your appearance?]
James stiffened.
Then, very slowly, his brow twitched.
"… Eh?"
That voice again… but this time James wouldn't ignore it.