Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation-Chapter 623: The Forgotten One

Chapter 623 – The Forgotten One

"She’s a royal Envy too. Just like you," Lux cut in.

The air shifted.

It was subtle, but every demon worth their title felt it. A pressure change. Like the room itself paused to listen.

Lux’s gaze stayed calm as he looked past Vira, directly at the quiet woman behind her. "She’s got your house’s older blood magic echo. Not yours. Your grandmother’s. The forgotten one." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Vira’s smile froze for a fraction of a second.

Just a fraction.

Then she laughed softly, tilting her head with practiced elegance. "You’re thinking too highly of her."

Lux hummed. "Am I?"

He stepped away from Vira, casually sipping his wine, and let his gaze drift back to the quiet woman behind her. Cyrinne flinched slightly under the attention, like she was used to avoiding it. But Lux didn’t stop.

His eyes slid down her figure slowly. Not lewdly. Calculated. The way a master jeweler might examine an uncut gem. Or how a predator circled a rare prey that had wandered into the wrong clearing.

And that’s exactly what he did.

He began to walk around her.

Silent.

Measured.

Predatory.

Each step slow and precise, his presence wrapping around her like tension in the air before a storm. The way his eyes grazed over her arms, her throat, her posture, the frayed edge of the spellwork stitched into the seams of her dress. He noticed everything.

And she could feel it.

Every breath caught in her chest. Her magic trembled beneath her skin, caught between instincts... run, hide, or reach out. She didn’t move. Couldn’t.

Lux stopped just behind her.

"Hold still," he said, voice quiet, like it wasn’t a request.

She obeyed.

He raised his hand, fingers tracing the faint shimmer at the nape of her neck where the glamour began to falter under his proximity.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, the familiar golden overlay shimmered to life in his vision.

[Wealth Scan Actived]

[Subject: Cyrinne Karess]

[Class: Royal Demon]

[Sin: Envy]

[Net Worth: 700 Soul Credits]

[Fortune Index: 2%]

[Potential Fortune: 98%]

[Status: Suppressed Royal Envy]

[Condition: Cursed – Binding via Forbidden Spells]

[Investment Field: None]

Lux stared.

Not in surprise.

In disbelief.

"...That’s the worst net worth I’ve ever seen," he muttered under his breath.

Vira heard it.

Of course she did.

She smiled wider, lips curling with delicate satisfaction. "See? She’s no one."

Cyrinne’s shoulders tensed. Her fingers curled into the fabric of her dress. She lowered her head, eyes fixed on the marble floor like it might swallow her whole.

And that alone made Lux’s jaw tighten.

An Envy royal lowering her gaze.

That was wrong.

That was fundamentally wrong.

Lux stepped forward.

Not toward Vira.

Toward Cyrinne.

Vira stiffened. "Lord Vaelthorn—"

"She is," Lux said calmly.

He stopped directly in front of Cyrinne. Close enough that she could smell him. The faint trace of wine. The deeper note of sin and power. Something warm. Something overwhelming.

She froze.

Lux lifted a hand and gently took her chin between his fingers, tilting her face up.

"Look at me," he said quietly.

Cyrinne’s breath caught.

Her eyes met his.

And for a moment, she felt like she was going to explode.

This was Lux Vaelthorn.

The name alone carried weight in Envy. A living ledger. A walking vault. The demon who bent markets and broke ancient powers. The one everyone whispered about but never fully understood.

And he was looking at her.

Really looking.

Her heart thumped so hard it hurt. Her magic stirred, frantic and confused, scraping against the bindings that wrapped her soul like chains.

Lux leaned in slightly.

Not enough to kiss.

Just enough to make her gasp.

"You should act more like Envy than anything," he murmured near her ear, voice low, intimate, dangerous. "Or you’ll keep living like this."

Her eyes widened.

Before she could respond, he whispered again, words so quiet only she could hear them.

"The Envy Vault. Look for the reversed cursed tablet. Free yourself."

Her breath stuttered.

She didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

But something inside her shifted.

Vira saw the proximity. Saw the angle. Saw Lux’s head near Cyrinne’s.

And in her eyes, it looked like something else entirely.

Her smile sharpened.

She reached out and shoved Cyrinne back a step, just enough to break the moment.

"Careful," Vira said sweetly, sliding herself between them. "Royal demons like you shouldn’t get too close to her." She looked at Cyrinne cynically. "Or you will be tainted."

Lux straightened slowly, his hand dropping back to his side.

His expression was polite.

Professional.

Cold.

"Is that concern," he asked, "or ownership?"

Vira laughed lightly, the sound practiced and airy. "Oh, concern, of course. She’s fragile. Easily confused. I wouldn’t want her to misunderstand your intentions."

Lux exhaled through his nose, a soft almost-laugh, and tilted his head with a glint of something more diplomatic than sincere. "You know what? You’re absolutely right."

Vira blinked.

That wasn’t the reaction she expected.

"I wouldn’t want to give the wrong impression," Lux added smoothly, voice shifting into something cooler, measured, casual, back into his lobbyist tone. "The last thing I want is for House Karess to feel insulted because I spent a little too much time indulging my curiosity."

Vira’s tension eased. He watched her shoulders drop by less than a centimeter, her expression settling into that sweet smile she wore like a second skin.

She bought it.

Of course she did.

Lux had spent his life mastering this tone. The one that made people underestimate him, trust him, let their masks down just enough. When he wore this expression, mild, amused, just a bit apologetic, people gave him things they didn’t even realize were valuable.

He flicked his eyes over to Cyrinne again, who had dropped her gaze once more. She looked small again. Diminished. Exactly how Vira wanted her.

Which meant Lux needed to play the long game.

Because if he defended Cyrinne too much now, Vira would bury her when he was gone. She’d humiliate her behind closed doors, isolate her, punish her for being seen, for being valued.

So instead, Lux smiled.

Cool. Dismissive.

Professional.