CHAPTER 107: NO TIP

Chapter 107 – No Tip

She looked up again.

Lux was still staring out the window. His eyes flicked between people, rooftops, light patterns on the ground, and the occasional floating sigils that broadcasted community messages—nothing urgent, just announcements about temple hours or tonight’s harp meditation event.

Selena opened her mouth to say something.

Anything.

She wasn’t sure what exactly—it could’ve been a question, a statement, maybe even an invitation. Something honest, maybe. Something stupid. Something human. But just as the words brushed the tip of her tongue—

The server returned.

Holding two trays.

With practiced elegance, she set their meals down—each plate an aesthetic masterpiece.

The lotus-braised pearl tofu shimmered faintly with golden glaze, paired with vibrant steamed greens and what looked like perfectly carved moonroot slices.

Lux’s water sparkled like it had opinions about hydration. Selena’s tea let off a fragrant mist that somehow calmed the air around them.

"Please enjoy," the server said warmly and bowed.

Lux offered a smile. "Thank you."

Then he looked down at his plate.

"This... looks really good," he muttered. "Alright, let’s try this."

He took his fork—yes, fork, the divine realm apparently didn’t believe in sporks—and speared a piece of tofu. It cut easily, almost too easily, like the thing had been marinated in forgiveness and cooked in harmony.

He brought it to his mouth, chewed once—

Frowned.

Not in disgust. Not in confusion.

Just... surprise.

The taste was new.

Soft. Subtle. Not aggressively flavored, not dull either. No spice. No bite. But it wasn’t bland. It was flavorful—but in the way that felt like it had nothing to prove. Like it didn’t need to scream to be good.

It didn’t slam into his senses like underworld food, which was always a chaotic mix of boldness, meat, and challenge. It didn’t spark like mortal food, full of sugar, grease, and emotional regret.

This?

This food tasted like calm.

Lux blinked. "Huh."

Selena leaned forward slightly. "You like it?"

He nodded slowly. "Surprisingly, yes. It doesn’t try to kill me." He poked the tofu again and added, "So yeah. It’s nice."

She exhaled just a bit—barely visible, but definitely a breath she’d been holding.

Lux took another bite. Then another.

By the third, he wasn’t questioning the food anymore.

He was just eating.

Selena sipped her tea and lowered her gaze. Her hands rested gently in her lap. The words she had been about to say were still right there—heavy in her chest, light in her throat—but they never left.

She didn’t interrupt the moment. Not now. He looked so... content.

Lux, the literal CFO of Greed, the walking embodiment of sin-slick charm and dark-laced sarcasm, was quietly chewing tofu in a celestial restaurant and somehow not rolling his eyes.

His face relaxed. The tension in his jaw—gone.

Selena’s heart beat a little harder than it should’ve.

She tried not to notice.

But she did.

He was different here.

Maybe not changed, but softened.

Like all the layers peeled back—no underworld meetings, no fake smiles, no infernal auras coiling around him. Just Lux. Relaxed. Disarmed.

He finished his plate. Every last bite. The tofu. The roots. Even the decorative leaf—he stared at it for a second, then ate it too.

He leaned back in the chair and exhaled, his fingers tracing the edge of his now-empty water glass, posture loose, robe hanging just right. That rare kind of post-lunch peace where you weren’t bloated, weren’t sleepy—just... satisfied.

"That was... genuinely good," he said, glancing at the window again before turning back to her. "I get it now. Why this is your favorite place."

His tone was casual, but real. No charm spell, no smoke and mirrors. Just honest appreciation.

And then—his expression shifted. Slightly.

A lazy grin curled at the corner of his lips, eyes flicking toward her with a spark of something playful. Dangerous in that quiet, familiar Lux way.

"To be honest," he said, voice dipping just a note lower, "it’s better than Celestaria’s therapy session."

He leaned in a bit.

Not much.

Just enough that the distance between them felt intentional.

"Please," he added, his smirk growing naughtier, "don’t report it to her."

The words weren’t even scandalous. But the way he said them? The warm breath. The amused gleam in his eyes. The slow lean across the table. It was like he had pressed a hidden switch inside her chest.

Selena blinked, lips parting just slightly before she recovered.

"That sounds like something I should report," she said, raising an eyebrow with carefully composed neutrality. "Especially since you’re slandering a divine official."

"I didn’t slander," Lux whispered with mock innocence. "I just said lunch with you was better. Healthier. Easier to digest."

"You’re incorrigible."

"And yet," he said, eyes dropping briefly to her lips before lifting again, "I still get invited to lunch."

She stared at him for a beat. Measured. Weighing.

But he wasn’t pushing. Not really.

His body language was relaxed. His smile was warm. His words were laced with flirtation, yes—but light. Soft. Barely skating over the line of proper.

He knew where he was. Who she was.

What kind of realm this was.

He didn’t reach for her hand. Didn’t crowd the space. He just looked at her like she mattered. Like her reactions were worth reading.

It was subtle seduction. The kind that didn’t grab you—it waited. Gave space.

And that?

That was the most dangerous kind of all.

A quiet moment passed between them before the server returned once more—this time with a glowing receipt slate. She placed it gently on the table.

Lux reached for it.

Selena moved at the same time.

"Nope," she said, grabbing it first.

"Hey—" Lux started.

"This lunch," she said smoothly, "is on me."

Lux released his grip.

The server took the slate and nodded. "You’re all set. Have a peaceful day."

She bowed again and left.

Lux glanced toward the corner of the table. "Wait. What about the tip?"

Selena shook her head. "There’s no tip."

He blinked. "No tip? But... Can I give more?"