Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation

Chapter 20 – Don’t Judge Me

He stared out over the city one last time, then straightened his posture and turned away from the ledge. His eyes burned faintly gold beneath the shadow of his lashes. The world below continued, blissfully unaware of the divine blood still clinging to his soul. And maybe that was fine. Maybe it was better that way.

He took a breath.

”I guess,” he murmured, ”what I need to think about now... is Naomi.”

A pause.

”And everyone else I’m gonna screw around with.”

The breeze carried his words away like ash off a bank ledger.

[You don’t plan to leave her, do you?]

Lux chuckled, the sound dry, edged with a bit of smoke. ”No. I’m Greed, remember? Hell would freeze over before I leave something that’s mine.”

He rolled his shoulders once, shaking off the last residue of the divine realm’s heaviness.

”But I guess now,” he added, ”I know what I should give her. Something better than a country.”

[What are we talking about? A space shuttle? A space station? A planet?]

There was an actual list loading behind the words. Of course there was.

”Power, dammit,” Lux said, grinning. ”She’ll need it. All of them will. If angels are targeting me, they’re gonna start targeting anyone attached to me too. I can’t always be there to save them.”

[Oh... oh no.]

A pause.

[Wait. You’re not talking about that skill, are you?]

Lux smirked.

[The one you’ve never used? Ever?]

He raised an eyebrow. ”Yeah.”

[But you—sir, you swore you’d never use that thing unless Hell froze over or your dad demanded grandchildren.]

”I never had a partner before,” Lux said flatly.

He made a disgusted face just thinking about it. ”My family sure as hell doesn’t need it. Both my parents are literally sin lords. They’d laugh in my face if I tried giving them backup.”

[Confirmed. They once set fire to a diplomacy summit just to ’speed up the talking.’]

”Exactly,” Lux muttered. ”They don’t need help. But Naomi?”

He paused.

”Naomi’s different.”

There was a pause between thoughts. Like his own internal judgment had to settle before speaking it aloud.

”I’ll talk to her,” he said. ”She doesn’t strike me as someone who enjoys fighting. Hell, she probably can’t. But if she’s going to stay close to me, she needs something. A layer of protection. A way to survive if I’m not around.”

[Or to kick someone’s ass if they try something stupid.]

”Exactly.”

[You sure she’ll accept?]

Lux sighed. ”Honestly? No. I hope she agrees. But I’ll ask. And if she says yes, I’ll use it.”

Another moment passed as the wind rustled his coat and whispered against the glass walls of the rooftop.

”I’ll do it after dinner,” he muttered. ”When she can think straighter.”

[Smart. Mortals make better decisions on a full stomach.]

Lux smirked slightly.

Then he vanished.

The teleport hit smooth and silent, no flash or fanfare. Just a blink—and then he was back.

Balcony. Sovereign Grand Hotel. Private suite. He appeared with one hand lazily catching the same empty champagne glass he’d left earlier. He stepped back inside like a devil returning home from work.

”Human form,” he muttered.

The transformation was instant. Horns retracted. Wings vanished in a shimmer of nothing. The tail flicked once—petulant—before dissolving back into shadow. His armor melted into the slick, tailored black-and-gold suit from earlier, the lines sharp, elegant.

He fixed the cuffs. Buttoned the jacket. Slid on the watch.

The mirror reflected exactly what he expected. Smooth jawline, sharp eyes, tousled black hair, a faint aura of temptation that shimmered like cologne for the soul.

And speaking of cologne...

He grabbed the glass bottle near the mirror, uncapped it, and sprayed once on his wrist—just enough to leave a trail of scorched cedar and gold spice hanging in the air. It hit just right. Incubus-coded perfection.

That’s when he heard the bathroom door open.

Naomi stepped out, wrapped in a soft white robe, skin still damp from the bath. Her hair clung to her shoulders in soft waves, cheeks flushed, eyes slightly drowsy from the heat. Steam rolled behind her, ghosting across the floor.

Lux blinked.

After everything he’d just done—after slaughtering rogue angels, contemplating rebellion, and running full-mind into existential dread...

She just finished her bath.

She blinked up at him, brow furrowed.

”What?”

He didn’t answer.

Didn’t need to.

His gaze said enough.

Naomi frowned. ”I know that look. Don’t judge me. Your scent’s really hard to get off, okay?”

”I said nothing,” Lux said, lips twitching.

But his eyes—his eyes were feasting.

The contrast was absurd. He, fresh from divine combat. She, fresh from skincare.

She narrowed her eyes. ”Don’t look at me like that.”

”You smell nice,” he said. ”I could screw you up again.”

Naomi turned red like someone dropped her in boiling water. ”I just bathed!”

”I know,” Lux said with a grin. ”Makes it more tempting.”

She huffed, hugging the robe tighter. ”I’m hungry.”

That stopped him.

Right. She was human.

Not a succubus. Not a sin-eater. Just a girl.

His girl.

And she needed food.

”Fair,” he said, nodding once. ”How long do you need to get ready?”

”Maybe half an hour?” she said, tugging at the sash of the robe and heading toward the paper bags.

”I’ll wait for you on the restaurant rooftop,” Lux said. ”Need to secure our spot.”

Naomi peeked over her shoulder. ”Okay.”

He leaned in, brushed a kiss to her temple, then her lips. ”I’ll see you up there.”

Naomi nodded.

Lux grabbed the black credit cards Corvus had left earlier, slipped them into his pocket. Picked up his shoes, leather polished like temptation incarnate, and slid them on with practiced ease.

One last glance in the mirror.

Perfect.

Always perfect.

He headed toward the elevator.

The moment the doors closed behind him, the ambiance shifted. The suite lights dimmed. Somewhere above, the stars still glittered. And in Lux’s chest?

A storm still brewed.

But he smiled anyway.

Tonight, at least for a while, he could pretend.

He was still on vacation.