Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation

Chapter 169 – Where’s Your Greed?

The Delacour estate had a weird kind of silence to it—one that tried too hard to sound elegant, like money itself was holding its breath. No chirping insects. No far-off hum of streetcars. Just trimmed hedges, floodlights on timers, and sensor-silent security meant to keep the unwanted out.

Which was funny, Lux thought, because technically, he was the unwanted.

He materialized just beside the east wing—shadow-blended boots landing quietly on manicured gravel, tucked behind the marble statue of a swan holding a harp which, frankly, felt like the result of a drunken bet between two interior designers and a Greek tragedy.

The fence loomed nearby—tall, sharp, warded. Not an issue. He wasn’t here to respect boundaries. Or obey them.

He glanced up.

There it was.

A security camera, small and glossy, fixed into the corner of the building. A little red light blinked rhythmically like it was waiting for an excuse to squeal. Perched directly on top of it, looking like the smug bastard he always was, sat Corvus in raven form—his feathers twitching with sarcasm.

”Took you long enough,” the bird cawed dryly, blinking one beady eye at him. ”I just curled up on the firewall to sleep and boom, you pull me back in to hack a collection of glorified copper snitches. Yet you are late.”

Lux arched a brow, adjusting his collar against the chill. ”I got distracted.”

Corvus fluffed his wings, unimpressed. ”Unless ’distracted’ is the name of some oil baron’s mistress, I’m logging a formal complaint with the Underworld Union.”

Lux smirked. ”No mistress. Just... an interesting mortal.”

Corvus tilted his head. ”Oh? A woman?”

”No. A poor guy.”

The raven went still for a full second, then recoiled like Lux had just coughed blood onto his feathers.

”A poor guy?” he echoed, voice raised. ”You sat down and shared coffee with a broke male mortal? You? Mister ’I only invest in chaos and cleavage’?”

Lux rolled his eyes, leaning against the cold stone wall. ”He had no greed. Not even a sliver of it.”

Corvus made a high-pitched, offended sound and ruffled his wings again like he’d been personally violated. ”You said the P word. That’s a slur in the greed demon language. Poor. Ugh.”

”Relax, I didn’t catch it.”

”I’m shocked you didn’t melt.”

Lux let the moment hang before exhaling, slow and steady. ”Yeah. Me too. But something about him... it was clean. No desperation. No angle. Just coffee, conversation, and thanks.”

”Gross.”

Corvus squinted at him, like trying to determine whether this was a breakdown or a plot twist. ”Are you... okay? Is this how you start an early mid-life crisis? You go emo and talk about ’hope’ like some Upper Realm motivational poster?”

”I gave him a fortune,” Lux continued, ignoring the sarcasm. ”Just a little. Just enough to see if it’ll change him. Corrupt him. Or if he stays the same. Honestly, I hope he stays the same.”

Corvus fluttered down and landed on the security camera again, clicking his claws dramatically. ”Eugh. You’re feeling. You sure you’re not possessed? Should I exorcise you? Where’s your greed?”

Lux gave him a lazy half-smile. ”Maybe some of their mindset rubbed off on me.”

Corvus gave him a flat look. ”Don’t say things like that. I already have nightmares where you start donating to charities and petting dogs.”

”I do pet dogs.”

”Because they’re fluffy status symbols, not because you like them.”

Lux’s smirk widened.

Corvus sighed. ”Fine. Whatever. Anyway—” he beat his wings once, hovering above Lux’s shoulder before perching on his forearm ”—here. Your toy.”

From seemingly nowhere, a sleek, dark-gloss phone dropped from Corvus’s talons into Lux’s open palm. The device gleamed faintly with anti-trace glyphs and encrypted layers embedded into the hardware itself.

”Infernal-grade encryption, wiped and firewalled. Store it. Don’t break it.”

Lux nodded once. ”Appreciated.”

Corvus gave one final huff. ”Now if you’ll excuse me—I need twelve hours of uninterrupted sulking.”

He flicked once—and vanished, dissolving into Lux’s shadow like a bird-shaped oil spill. His voice lingered inside Lux’s head, curling like digital smoke.

’I already hacked the phone for you. It’s secure. Can’t track you. Now let me sleep. No summon till morning.’

”Fine,” Lux muttered aloud. He twirled the phone once in his hand and casually tossed it into his dimensional storage, where it vanished with a soundless click of compressed reality.

Then he turned toward the fence.

Wrought-iron, warded, maybe three meters tall—cloaked in subtle illusion charms to make it seem even taller, like something out of a vampire movie. A mortal might think twice. Lux didn’t think once.

He just stepped back and jumped.

His coat flared like shadowed silk, boots landing with a quiet tap on the inner courtyard tiles. The scent here was familiar—rose gardens, expensive polish, and a touch of something artificial meant to impress guests. Like wealth had its own cologne. He exhaled once, scanning the towering building.

”System,” he said under his breath, already forming the mental link. ”Give me Naomi’s room coordinates.”

[System Active: Scanning Mansion Architecture...]

[Room Identified: Naomi Delacour – East Wing, 3rd Floor, Private Balcony Access.]

[Estimated Coordinates: 7.21m vertical / 16.8m horizontal displacement]

Lux followed the curve of the rooflines with his gaze. The east wing was distinctive—ornate balcony railings, high arch windows, and the faint flicker of firelight bleeding out through slightly drawn curtains. He tilted his head, mentally mapping the vector. A smirk pulled at his lips.

Yeah. He could guess the rest.

No need for stairs. No need for knocking.

”Teleport.”

[Skill Activated: Teleportation]

The air pulsed faintly, like the space between heartbeats stretched thin.

And then—he was there.

A shimmer of light snapped behind him as reality knitted itself back together.

The balcony was tastefully wide, surrounded by carved white railings and planters filled with sleeping flowers. Naomi sat near the edge in a white lounge chair, legs crossed, a wine glass delicately tilted in her hand.

The scent of red berries and cinnamon laced the air.

She had her phone on the other hand. Open. Chat app up. His name glowing softly at the top of the screen.