CHAPTER 174: DISCUSSION AT THE MINIBAR 2

The night had settled deeply over Angel’s City, its glittering lights seeping faintly through the tall glass windows of Lux’s villa. Inside the private bar, however, the world felt smaller, warmer, as though it belonged only to the three of them. The faint clink of glasses, the faint hum of the temperature enchantments keeping the liquor perfectly preserved, and the comfortable silence of old wood shelves lined with rare bottles set the mood.

Lux sat back with his usual refined composure, silver hair gleaming under the low lighting, as if even the shadows wished to frame him well. Adam sprawled casually in the armchair across, thick arms resting against the leather, his grin unrestrained. Nero sat between them, leaning slightly forward, crimson eyes reflecting the amber of his drink as if wrestling with something.

Then came his question.

"I bet you two must have plenty of experience when it comes to women, right?"

It was as if the air itself perked up.

Lux tilted his head, his silver eyes narrowing faintly in interest. "Oh? That’s quite a sudden question, Nero."

Adam’s lips stretched into an enormous grin. "Finally! Finally, he asks!" He leaned forward, his heavy laugh echoing.

"I was wondering when you’d start being curious about these things. You’re still too stiff most of the time." He downed the rest of his whisky before slamming the glass down on the table, his expression brightening with the joy of a storyteller about to begin.

"Well then, my young friend, let me tell you about back home."

Lux sighed softly but made no move to stop him. Instead, he refilled his own glass with practiced grace, swirling the crimson liquid within like he was conducting a ritual.

Adam leaned in conspiratorially. "Back in the Ironhold—the dwarven capital, mind you—there’s a festival every year where the breweries compete. Beer, wine, whisky—you name it. Everyone’s drunk for three days straight. Now, picture me," he gestured at himself grandly, "the prince of dwarves, future heir to the forges, standing there with a mug in each hand. Do you know how many women came at me?"

He slapped his thigh, laughing uproariously. "Too many to count! Miners’ daughters, merchant girls, even the daughters of some noble smiths. All wanting to ’taste the fire of the prince.’"

Nero blinked. "...That’s what they called it?"

"Yes!" Adam’s grin widened, proud as ever. "And let me tell you, I did not disappoint."

Lux chuckled into his glass, shaking his head. "You mean you boasted loudly, drank until you nearly collapsed, and yet somehow still convinced women to follow you home. That is less about charm and more about brute force personality."

"Bah! You call it brute force, I call it natural magnetism!" Adam puffed up his chest, clearly unbothered. "And if you ask me, a man’s gotta show fire in both battle and bed."

Nero’s expression remained impassive, but the faintest twitch at the corner of his lips betrayed his amusement. "You’re shameless."

"Of course!" Adam laughed again, reaching for the bourbon this time and pouring himself another drink. "Better shameless than boring."

Lux finally set his glass down, eyes glittering with faint amusement. "I suppose it is my turn then?"

Adam groaned dramatically. "Here we go... Lux will give his perfect, elegant stories again. Probably involves music, candlelight, and moonlight sonatas."

"Not far off," Lux admitted smoothly, ignoring Adam’s jab. He leaned back, his posture effortlessly poised, the kind that naturally drew attention.

"For me, it was never about chasing. They came to me. At the Academy, in Angel’s City, even at diplomatic gatherings when I was younger. Noble daughters, aspiring mages, even a few teachers... all of them wanted to speak, to share a moment. I never needed to shout to be noticed. A smile, a polite word, and they were enchanted."

Adam gagged, rolling his eyes. "Spare me the poetry. Just say you stood there looking pretty and women fell like flies."

Lux’s lips curved into a knowing smile. "If that is how you wish to phrase it, yes. I have always been... popular. But unlike you, Adam, I don’t collect them like trophies. I prefer meaningful bonds." His voice softened slightly, though the smug undertone remained. "Even if they don’t last forever."

Nero remained silent through their exchange, listening intently. For someone like him, whose past had been nothing but gray solitude, their stories sounded like glimpses into another world.

Lux noticed his silence and, after a sip of his wine, finally asked, "But tell me, Nero... why bring this up? It is unlike you to steer conversation this way."

Nero swirled the last of his whisky in his glass, crimson eyes lowering. "Because... I don’t know much about this side of life." He paused, searching for the words. "For me, everything has always been training, surviving, trying to understand myself. Until now, I never cared about women or relationships. But lately... things feel different. My world doesn’t feel so empty anymore. And I thought—maybe I should try to understand."

His words hung in the air, sincere and heavy.

Adam’s grin faded, replaced with a look of genuine curiosity. Lux, too, leaned forward slightly, his silver gaze softening.

"...Ah," Adam said slowly, scratching the back of his head. "So that’s what this is about."

Lux tilted his glass toward Nero, voice calm but carrying weight. "There’s no shame in it. Experience comes when it must. You needn’t force it, Nero. But..."

He smirked faintly. "Asking us may not be the wisest choice. Adam will corrupt you, and I might bore you."

Adam barked a laugh again. "Oi! Don’t listen to him. Take my advice—be bold, be fiery, and never hesitate. Women love confidence!"

Lux sighed softly, amused. "And yet, a quiet sincerity often leaves a deeper impression. Not everything needs to be a conquest."

Their words clashed, lighthearted yet full of truth in their own way. Nero listened, his impassive expression unchanged, but deep inside he felt a warmth bloom. To sit here, to share drinks, to speak of things he had never dared to before—this was new. This was what it meant to have companions.

It was then Nero dropped a bomb.

"Then I’ll do it. I’m thinking of pursuing Khione. I... like her. A bit."

The words fell like a stone into still water. For a heartbeat, silence reigned, the air itself holding its breath.

Crash!

The sharp sound of glass shattering on the floor broke the moment like a thunderclap. Adam had dropped his drink. His mouth hung open so wide you could have shoved a whole egg into it and it would fit perfectly. His eyes bulged in sheer disbelief.

Lux, by contrast, didn’t move as dramatically. His brows lifted, his silver eyes sharpening with intrigue. He wore the expression of someone who had half expected this revelation, yet was still taken aback by the sheer boldness of it.

"...What did you just say?" Adam demanded, needing to confirm he hadn’t misheard.

"I said I’m thinking of pursuing Khione,"

Nero repeated calmly, his tone steady, crimson eyes locked onto the two of them. There was no hesitation, no faltering. His gaze carried the weight of someone who meant every word.

Lux leaned back slightly, swirling the amber whisky in his glass.

"Oh? So you’ve chosen the biggest, hardest fish in the pond, Nero. Interesting choice." His lips curved faintly, but his tone carried both amusement and respect.

"Why her? With the smallest twist of effort, you could have secured the princess instead. Elreth clearly has a spark of interest in you."

Adam found his voice again, though his shock hadn’t faded.

"Hah! Little Nero aiming for the impossible, are you?" He barked a laugh, though it sounded more like disbelief than mockery. He ran a hand through his thick hair, shaking his head. "Khione of all people..."

Both Lux and Adam knew her better than most. They had grown up alongside her, witnessing firsthand the wall of frost she had built around her heart. The Ice Queen—beautiful, terrifying, untouchable. Unlike the others among the Seven Families, who had varying degrees of experience with romance, Khione had none. A complete, thorough, impenetrable fortress when it came to matters of the heart. Many had tried, noble sons and geniuses alike. All of them had been frozen out without mercy.

Even Adam himself had tried once, back in his reckless youth, and failed so spectacularly he’d sworn never to mention it again. Lux had tested those waters too, albeit with more elegance, but the result had been the same—absolute rejection. In fact, the unspoken consensus among the Seven Families was that Khione would never marry at all. She was too rigid, too distant, too bound by her icy pride to ever let someone close enough.

And yet, here sat Nero. Calmly, seriously, declaring that he would pursue her.

The natural reaction should have been to laugh in his face, to tell him he was walking into certain heartbreak, just like all the others before him. But strangely, neither Lux nor Adam could bring themselves to say it. Perhaps it was because Nero wasn’t like the others. Since the day he had entered the academy, he had done nothing but shatter expectations. The boy everyone dismissed had awakened the Law of Fire, stood against impossible odds, and carved his name into their respect. Time and again, he had proven capable of the unthinkable.

So instead of ridicule, another thought ran through both their minds at the same time.

Maybe... Nero might actually be able to pull this off.