Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation

Selena groaned and buried her face in her hands.

Solara muttered something about "This is outrageous."

Lux just smiled and stood up too, straightening his suit like a man closing a deal.

"I appreciate the concern," he said gently. "Really. I do. But trust me—I'm not being toyed with."

He looked at all three in turn.

"I'm not a plaything. Not Sira's. Not anyone's. I'm the one who writes contracts. The one who decides the rate, the terms, and the penalties."

His voice cooled.

"She came to me. I offered the bond. She accepted. That's all."

"But…" Selena said, looking up, voice softer now, vulnerable. "What if she hurts you?"

Lux smiled. "Then she pays interest."

A beat.

Then, with a little wink—

"And maybe you three can offer… collateral?"

That did it.

The room exploded.

Not with violence.

But with feminine fury and embarrassment and divine chaos.

Solara threw a pillow at him.

Selena muttered his name like it was a curse.

Celestaria finally turned on her heel and stormed toward the balcony, but Lux caught the faint tremble in her voice when she whispered—

"I won't lose to a Pride."

Lux blinked.

Then laughed.

And somewhere, deep inside, he actually felt a flicker of something warm.

Not from Sira.

But from them.

From the goddesses who worried about him.

Wanted him.

Imagined him.

He looked at them—their flushed faces, their downcast lashes, the strange cocktail of guilt and interest burning just beneath their divine auras. The Moon, the Sun, and the Silent Star. All watching him like he was a dangerous, beautiful puzzle they weren't sure if they should solve or lock away.

And because he was Lux Vaelthorn, he couldn't help himself.

His incubus instincts stirred like heat blooming beneath velvet.

He smirked and let it coat his words.

"Anyway," he drawled, voice low, smooth, sinful, "I still have 'the contracts' open."

Three pairs of goddess eyes locked onto him instantly.

"I mean…" he tilted his head, stepping toward them with a lazy charm, "if any of you want to apply, I'm always happy to discuss terms. Flexible benefits. And trust me—I could guarantee 100% satisfaction. Just tell me what you want—what style, what fantasy, what clothes, what kind of play. I can do both: dom or sub. I can be your daddy devil or your good demon boy, whichever you prefer… though," his smirk deepened, "I admit— I like to play dom, though."

Solara made a choking noise.

Selena narrowed her eyes like she was trying not to blush.

Celestaria actually muttered a warning spell under her breath to stop her aura from spiking.

But Lux didn't push further.

Because then—he exhaled.

And his smile faded just a little.

The teasing fell away, like gold leaf peeled back from something more human underneath.

"I'm joking," Lux added softly. "Kind of."

His smirk lingered for a beat longer—then slipped, replaced by something quieter. Gentler. The kind of truth people like him didn't often admit out loud.

He let out a breath.

"Rather than sleeping around," he said, voice low but steady, "I think what I want now is connection."

That made Selena blink.

She tilted her head slightly, brows lifting in quiet disbelief. "That fancy word came from you?"

Lux chuckled. A low, self-deprecating sound. "Yeah. Shocking, I know."

He turned and strolled toward the balcony.

Cool celestial air met him like a sigh.

The crisp wind carried the distant sounds of high-altitude bells and sacred fountains humming in the gardens far below.

He rested his hands on the railing. Cold, smooth marble under his fingers.

The scent of high-altitude ozone mixed with the faint perfume of heaven's breath—roses that never died, jasmine that only bloomed at twilight, ambrosia trees and something sweet that reminded him of softer nights.

He looked out. Let the silence stretch just a little longer.

"Rava and Naomi brought it up this morning," he said, finally. "They didn't say it outright. But I could feel it. In the way they looked at me. Talked to me."

He paused.

"They weren't calculating. They weren't looking for power or gain. They weren't trying to prove anything. They just… wanted to be there. With me. Not for my rank. Not for what I could give them. Just…"

He hesitated.

"…Me."

There was something in his voice now.

Something raw.

A softness rarely seen.

"I'm used to deals," he said. "I understand work. Wealth. Sex. Hell—I understand how to love coins better than people. But that?"

He chuckled to himself. Shook his head.

"That kind of wanting? It's strange. It's not greedy. It's… warm."

The air stilled.

He wasn't seducing anymore.

He was just… Lux.

Stripped of the show.

Bare beneath the suit and swagger.

"And Sira…" he added, his voice still quiet. "She told me she wanted to learn about it. That kind of thing. Connection. Bond. I didn't expect her to say that. She's Pride. But she said it."

He looked down at his hands.

"We're both from the infernal realm. We're not raised to understand this kind of thing. Love? Real affection? It's not something you grow up trusting in Hell."

His fingers curled over the cold marble.

"I was taught to count value. Negotiate feelings. Barter with affection. Measure lust in returns."

He laughed, bitter this time. "And now I'm standing here, talking like some lovesick mortal, wondering why I feel like something's missing."

Behind him, Solara stood slowly.

Selena's brows pulled together, a quiet sadness creeping into her moonlit eyes.

Celestaria didn't move. But her gaze never left him.

"I guess…" Lux said, "…I want something that doesn't feel like a contract."

He turned, leaning his back against the railing, arms folding.

"I want connections. Real ones. Not leverage. Not political convenience. Not trophy wives or infernal alliances. I want to know what it feels like when someone looks at me and doesn't see a calculator in a suit."

He paused. The smirk flickered back—soft this time. Human.

"It sounds pathetic, I know."

"No, it doesn't," Selena said immediately, her voice gentle.

Lux gave her a wry smile. "Come on. I'm a devil. A son of Greed. Saying this kind of stuff out loud feels like I'm giving a sermon on humility."