Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation-Chapter 562: Pets

She blinked. The lump in her throat surprised her. She hadn't expected to feel this… angry. Not at him. At the world he lived in. At the expectation.

"That's not fair," she muttered.

Lux smiled faintly. "You're cute when you sound like a mortal revolutionary."

"Lux."

"I know," he said, softer now. "It's not fair. But neither is Hell."

She frowned. "What if you wanted to walk away? I mean, really. Not just from your desk. But all of it. What would happen?"

"I don't know," he finally said. "I've never let myself think about it. Because every time I do, my system reminds me of the price tags."

He tilted his head toward her. "The Vaults would glitch. The contracts would destabilize. Half of Greed's sealed relics would unfreeze. And the realm's credit would crash."

She stared at him.

"You don't even have a way to rest, do you?" she asked.

He chuckled. "That's why I sleep with Sira. Or Naomi. Or Mira. Or Rava. Or whoever's willing to let me pass out with my tail still twitching. The warmth helps. The cuddling works. I get a few hours that feel like peace. But real rest?" He shook his head. "Too risky."

Ely didn't say anything for a while.

The sound of a low, rattling breath echoed in the distance. Maybe another beast. Maybe the hallway itself. Everything here smelled of ash, musk, faint brimstone, and the kind of heat that only existed inside furnaces or broken promises.

She took a step closer. Pressed a hand to his chest.

"You deserve more than that," she said.

His hand came over hers, palm warm. Solid. Possessive.

"I'll settle for less if it means the realm holds," he said. "That's the deal I made. It's not written anywhere. But it's branded here."

He tapped his chest. Just over where his heart should be.

Ely looked up at him. "What about your happiness?"

"That's a luxury," he said.

She exhaled. "Then I'll earn it for you."

His brows lifted. "That's bold."

"It's not charity. I like you," she muttered, cheeks warming. "And I don't want to watch someone I like keep fading behind spreadsheets and soul ledgers like a machine."

Lux leaned down. Pressed his forehead against hers.

"I'll warn you now," he murmured. "If you start promising me emotional investments, I might just start reinvesting in you."

"Good. I've got interest."

He laughed, but there was something glassy in his expression.

Then his arms wrapped around her waist. Slow. Tight.

The air changed slightly.

They passed through the second gate.

The temperature dropped. The smells were sharper now. Less perfume and polished incense, more iron and damp earth and something slightly acidic. Like the breath of a predator that had just eaten something warm.

Ely's brow furrowed. "Why are you holding me like that?"

Lux didn't answer immediately. He scanned the tree line with a lazy calm that didn't match the tension humming through the ground.

"This is where Eros keeps his pets," he said.

"Pets?" she repeated, unsure if she should be afraid or just confused.

"Mostly things not friendly," Lux said. "He calls them pets. I call them securities."

Ely squinted into the darkness and then saw it.

One of them.

A hulking creature crouched low between two stone pillars, covered in thick gray fur. Its front limbs were too long, and its eyes were too many. Something between a massive werewolf and a mantis, with razor-like claws and a breathing pattern that sounded more like a growl being choked.

It didn't move.

Didn't pounce.

Just watched.

And then another one slinked behind it. This one had two tails and a grin that didn't belong on anything sane.

They didn't attack.

But they didn't look away either.

Ely's pulse spiked. She swallowed hard. "They're… watching us."

"They know I'm with you," Lux said, his tone still unbothered. "Otherwise, you'd already be gone."

Ely shivered.

"They don't like mortals?"

"They don't like anyone."

She didn't answer.

Didn't need to.

Because Lux's hand tightened just slightly around her waist.

It didn't feel flirty.

Or showy.

It felt like an anchor.

Like he was saying, 'I've got you.'

And she felt it. Really felt it.

Even with the monsters. Even with the shadows. Even with the knowledge that she'd just learned her flirt-crush was one of the most powerful entities in Hell.

She didn't feel afraid.

She just… felt.

That maybe, just maybe…

She wanted to be someone he couldn't walk away from either.

Not because of economy.

Not because of duty.

But because of choice.

Because of want.

And somewhere, beyond the trees, one of the creatures growled low…

But didn't move.

They walked on. Closer now.

And Lux didn't let go.

His hand stayed firm at Ely's waist, warm through the fabric of her dress, possessive but oddly reassuring. The stone floor shifted beneath them, lightless and silent, with only the occasional echo of water dripping from above. The path narrowed, flanked by towering bone-like structures and iron thorns. A sulfuric breeze passed. Ely wrinkled her nose.

Then a low growl broke the silence.

Something massive stepped into the path ahead. Its limbs were long, too long, its body hulking and malformed. A split jaw opened sideways with rows of needle teeth. Skin like tarred muscle, spines jutting from its back.

Ely gasped.

Lux sighed. "Oh. This one has no manners."

The beast lunged.

With a flick of his fingers, Lux snapped a barrier into place. A shimmering golden shield pulsed in front of them. The beast slammed into it hard enough to shake the ground.

"I'm not in the mood," Lux muttered.

His eyes flared.

"Summon…"

A red sigil ignited in the air beside him. From it, a shadow uncoiled, a creature even larger than the attacker. Six legs. Four eyes. A snakelike body with blades for wings. Elegant, terrifying.

"Go," Lux said, brushing invisible dust from his shoulder. "Kindly get this one out of my sight."

The summoned beast hissed and launched. The two collided midair, snarling, screeching, slashing, like titans locked in a violent dance. Ely shielded her eyes from the gust. Limbs flew. Screams echoed.

They walked again.

Ely looked back. "Won't Eros be mad?"

Lux smirked. "No. He won't."

The second gate opened, and they left.

Lux snapped his fingers. His pet vanished.