CHAPTER 459: REDEMPTION DOESN’T PAY DIVIDENDS

Chapter 459 – Redemption Doesn’t Pay Dividends

He looked at himself in the mirror. Naked. Raw. Horns gleaming. Skin littered with heat and history. Eyes that had seen too much, wanted more, and never apologized.

"Greed," he said quietly.

It wasn’t a curse.

It was a crown.

He smirked at his reflection. "Redemption doesn’t pay dividends."

He turned away from the mirror, strode into his room without even bothering to dress fully, just dragging on black slacks and leaving the rest bare.

If Celestaria wanted him... she’d get this.

Sin incarnate. With sarcasm and scars.

Because Sira was right.

He was the only Greed-born in his line.

Crown prince of indulgence.

Sin’s favorite strategist.

And no goddess—not even the kindest—could ever make that holy.

Lux ran a hand through his hair, letting the remaining droplets flick off his fingers. Steam still curled around the edge of the bathroom mirror behind him, clinging to his back like a half-hearted memory. He didn’t bother wiping it off. Let it fog. Let it blur. That whole scene with Sira—it was already seared into his brain, like a brand between sin and sentiment.

He stepped into his room, still towel-damp but calm. Not exactly relaxed, but functional. Dressed in his usual after-hours ensemble. A loose dark shirt half-unbuttoned, drawstring pants, bare feet sliding against polished stone floors.

Lux didn’t teleport.

Didn’t shadowstep.

Didn’t call for a portal.

He just walked.

Mortal pace.

Barefoot, like some sinner priest doing penance through polished marble.

He paused in the hallway just long enough to grab one of the temple’s chilled night teas—hibiscus, cinnamon, and something infernal that tickled the throat with a faint heat. Took a sip. Winced. Forgot it was hot. Kept drinking anyway.

And then he was at her door.

Rava.

The door creaked just slightly as it opened, a small luxury design flaw that annoyed her and pleased him. Not everything needed to be silent.

"You’re watching TV?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as his eyes flicked to the large screen mounted on her wall.

"Yeah." Rava didn’t look away from it. Her voice was smooth as ink. "I want to see if the Avariels make an announcement about Ariel."

Lux blinked. Walked in. "Didn’t expect that from you."

"They’re traditionalist, not stupid. Ariel is... not just a daughter. She’s a symbol now. One they abandoned." Rava leaned against the plush edge of the settee, long legs crossed, remote in hand. "They should make it public. But knowing them, they’re probably arguing over which shade of regret looks best on a press release."

Lux gave a breathy huff. "True." He dropped beside her, the couch dipping under his weight. "And?"

"Nothing yet." Rava tilted her head, eyes catching the light like polished obsidian. "But I got other news." Rava smirked. "The Delmars are auctioning their most valuable pearls."

That made him pause. "Wait. What?"

"Mm." Rava muted the TV and looked at him fully now. "I triple-checked. Their private vault. Pearl class artifacts. Being listed. They never do that. Not unless they’re desperate." She leaned in a little, conspiratorial. "Rumor says one of the Delmar heirs—young, flashy, entitled—fell for a foreign model. Stunning woman. Not a siren. Something rare. She rejected him."

Lux narrowed his eyes. "So... the auction is his tantrum?"

"Pretty much. He’s trying to show her he’s so rich, so powerful, that he can throw away miracles just to impress her."

Lux sat back. "So the classic ’drown her in diamonds until she drowns in you’ strategy."

Rava lifted her glass of wine. "Mortals love it."

He chuckled. "Demons too. I mean—look at me."

"I do," she said dryly, her gaze gliding down his chest and stopping somewhere around the V of his shirt. "Frequently."

Lux took another sip of his tea. "And yeah... it works. Half the mortals and demons who flirt with me? It’s for my money. Or the title. Or the promise of being spoiled by a Prince of Greed. They think being loved by me means unlimited pleasure."

"Isn’t it?"

Lux tilted his head. "It is. But not the way they think. I don’t just spoil with gold." He paused, lips curving into something colder, older. "I spoil with attention. With obsession. With memory."

Rava looked at him in that quiet way she always did when he got too honest. Not pitying. Not smitten. Just understanding. Which, somehow, was worse.

"You know what’s ironic?" Lux said, swirling the tea idly. "Sira’s worried I’m gonna turn holy. I like being me."

"You don’t like it," Rava said softly. "You thrive in it."

He blinked, and for a second, the mask cracked just a little.

Rava went on. "You think love is a deal. Not because you’re shallow, but because you understand value. Everything costs. Even affection. Especially affection."

He leaned back, silent for a beat. Then said, "That’s why I like you, Rava. You know the market rate for emotion."

She smiled faintly. "That’s why you like me?"

"Well," Lux murmured, eyes darkening just a little as he glanced sideways at her, "your legs help."

She kicked his shin lightly. "Ass."

He caught her ankle midair, thumb grazing the curve of her foot like it was made of silk and secrets. "Not denying it."

They sat there in comfortable quiet for a bit, the muted flicker of the TV playing reruns of old news debates. Nothing urgent. Nothing official.

"Do you think the model will give in?" Lux asked after a while.

"She might." Rava sipped her wine again. "Not because of the money. But because she’ll want to see what a man like that does with heartbreak when he realizes even wealth isn’t enough."

Lux hummed. "So basically... she wants to break him for sport."

"Wouldn’t you?"

"Fair." He stretched, muscles shifting beneath the shirt as if the fabric annoyed him. "You know what’s worse? I understand the guy. Trying to buy a feeling you’ll never get naturally. Trying to brute-force admiration."

Rava watched him. "You ever done that?"

Lux smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "No. I don’t have to."

She leaned in slightly, her voice velvet. "So what do you do when someone doesn’t love you?"