Incubus or Demon?

I had heard that incubi not only pleased their owners; some could even do housework. I had wanted one for the longest time, but I could not afford it.

A month ago, I found Raven abandoned by a dumpster. Back then, his face was deathly pale, and he was barely clinging to life. I brought him home and gave him food and water.

Raven remained very quiet, as if he did not want much contact with me.

I asked, "Do you remember where your home is? Once you've rested, I'll take you to find your owner."

"Don't have one."

"What?"

"I don't have an owner." He sounded displeased.

However, he had a name. Incubi's names were always given by their owners, so I guessed he was abandoned by his previous owner.

I kept Raven by my side, but because of his resistance, we never signed a contract.

Now, I finally understood. Despite his stubbornness, Raven was surprisingly devoted. He had never forgotten his former owner, had he?

A few days later, my suspicion was confirmed.

One weekend, I took Raven to watch the tidal bore. Before leaving, I specifically told him, "Considering you eat my food and drink, if a big wave comes, you need to protect me."

Raven made a noncommittal sound, clearly uninterested. However, after we arrived at the viewing point, he suddenly became serious.

Following Raven's line of sight, I discovered he was watching a young woman. He was staring so intently that he did not even hear me call his name.

I guessed that woman might be his former owner.

Suddenly, a large wave crashed toward us.

Raven abandoned me and rushed in front of the woman. With his nearly six-foot-three frame, he shielded her from the wave. Then, before she could see his face clearly, he silently walked away.

I had not dodged in time and was soaked through.

I asked Raven, "Do you know that woman?"

For once, Raven did not deny it.

I ended up catching a cold after that and had to lie curled up in bed, feeling miserable.

Raven seemed unaccustomed to seeing me like this and muttered, "Getting sick from a little water. Humans really are fragile."

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"Hello. We've received a report about an unregistered creature in the area. We need you to cooperate with our investigation."

I bolted upright. "Unregistered creature?"

"Yes. According to regulations, any unregistered creature must be taken away for disposal."

That meant Raven was in danger. After being abandoned by his owner, his records would have been wiped. He probably fell under the 'unregistered' category too, right?

I quickly shoved Raven into the closet.

The enforcement officers came in and looked around but found nothing. Their gaze landed on the closet.

"Can we open it for inspection?"

I blocked the closet door. "I'm sorry, but that contains my private belongings."

"This is urgent. Please cooperate."

"No. It's all underwear and things I only wear for my boyfriend."

The two officers exchanged glances.

"What if we insist on opening it?"

"Please respect my privacy. You're already being unreasonable, barging into my home in the middle of the night for an inspection. If you want to open this closet and embarrass me further, you'll have to knock me out first."

They did not dare resort to force. After discussing it briefly, they said, "Fine. You're just a young woman. You probably wouldn't be hiding any dangerous creatures anyway."

"Dangerous creatures?"

The enforcement officer hesitated, a trace of fear crossing his face. "I mean... demons."

I remembered the news I saw a few days ago, saying demons had recently been spotted. Citizens were urged to be vigilant.

After they left, Raven emerged from the closet. He looked at me with a complicated expression. "Why didn't you turn me in?"

"If I did, you probably wouldn't survive."

"Didn't you hear them? They're looking for demons."

I laughed. "They're looking for demons. What does that have to do with a little incubus like you?"

"Little... incubus?"