CHAPTER 32: SUGAR MOMMY

"I-I’m not saying this to sound rude or anything," Vanessa quickly continued, "I just want to know the reason you went out of your way to come here. We have the Holy Guild that’s owned by the Saintess, and even the Wolf Guild owned by an S-rank Awakener, Supreme Man."

Lucius nearly flinched as he heard the last name.

’Who the hell calls themselves Supreme Man?’

It was impossible not to think it.

He’d seen dumb nicknames in his life, especially online. But this? This was peak.

It sat in the same tier as a middle-school gamer tagging himself "xXDarkSlayerXx."

Except this guy wasn’t just some kid yelling into a mic — he was an S-rank.

The fact people actually said his title with a straight face made Lucius want to crawl out of his own skin.

’Besides I think I know why he wasn’t mentioned in the original story.’ He thought, he was too cringe for the storyline.

He forced his lips not to twitch. This wasn’t the moment to laugh, even if the name was killing him inside.

Vanessa wasn’t mocking him; she was genuinely confused.

And she had every right to be. Grimmaw Guild wasn’t even in the top twenty when it came to ranking powerhouses.

They’d been reaching out to candidates for months, trying to rebuild relevance, but one rejection after another piled up.

It had turned into public humiliation.

Screenshots of their invites went viral. Memes of them begging circulated with captions like "Please bro, we need this win."

And yet, Lucius had walked in willingly.

"Like I said over text," he replied, tone casual but firm, "I don’t typically like the New Age of Awakeners."

The air shifted.

Emilia, curled in the back seat with her phone half-raised, lowered it slightly.

Luna, who had been content to keep quiet, moved her chin just enough to signal attention.

Lucius leaned forward, resting his chin against his palm, elbow braced against the car door.

"Everything is good right now. It’s a new age, and yes, we’re meant to evolve. But somewhere along the way we’ve lost what it truly means to be Awakened. Do you know why Awakeners existed in the first place?"

Vanessa opened her mouth but stopped, hesitant. She shook her head slightly, unsure if he wanted her answer or if it was rhetorical.

"To protect," he said simply. "To shield those who couldn’t awaken. To stand between ordinary people and the things waiting to devour them."

His words weren’t loud, but they carried weight, as if the car itself wanted to sit still for them.

Of course he was pulling her words right out of her mouth, this was what she told the Protagonist later.

Emilia’s chest tightened.

She knew him as the entertainer, the quick-witted trash-talker who had thousands cheering in his chat.

But hearing him speak like this reminded her of yesterday when he had tried to protect civilian lives despite being rushed by countless Bounty hunters.

"I know it sounds like some grand speech," Lucius said, letting his gaze fall back to the window. "But that’s all it is. I just want to bring back what being Awakened used to mean. And besides..."

He let the last words slip, almost too soft to catch.

"I liked seeing you on TV."

Vanessa’s grip on the wheel nearly faltered.

The words burned into her ears, dragging color up her neck into her cheeks before she could smother it.

She pressed her lips together, eyes fixed forward, afraid that even a glance at him would betray her reaction.

She was Vanessa, A-rank Awakener, leader of Grimmaw. She wasn’t supposed to blush at a line that simple.

"...Oh. I understand." She fought to keep her voice neutral.

Lucius didn’t push.

He leaned back, satisfied with her reaction, eyes closing as if to rest.

The car settled into silence.

Emilia bit the inside of her cheek, torn between wanting to scream "That was so corny!" and wanting to melt into the seat.

What if he was still mad about earlier?

What if he made sure to make her life a living hell?

Her fingers tightened on her skirt.

’Please don’t cancel me. Please don’t hate me.’

Luna, ever the one to cut through the air, finally broke it.

"So," she asked, flat as stone, "where are we staying?"

Vanessa cleared her throat. "Oh, we’re here."

Relief laced her tone as she guided the wheel.

The car turned into a wide, private drive. Twin gates of iron parted smoothly at her ID scan, revealing a sprawling estate beyond.

The road curved past trimmed hedges, glowing lamps, and a fountain that gleamed under sunlight.

Lucius opened his eyes, and even he had to pause.

The mansion was massive. A fusion of old-world grandeur and modern sharpness. Arched stone entrances rose alongside steel-framed glass walls.

Warm lights bled out of towering windows, giving the entire structure a golden heart against the morning sun.

Inside the garage, Vanessa parked with practiced ease.

"I couldn’t find any reservations that I thought were fitting," she admitted as she switched off the engine. "So I hope you don’t mind staying with us. There are countless guest rooms."

Lucius’s expression twitched. It was subtle — just the faintest shift of lips, an eyebrow quirk. If you didn’t know him, you’d miss it.

But inside?

’WHOO! SHE’S A SUGAR MOMMY ALRIGHT!’

The thought rang loud, hysterical.

She was rich. Of course she was rich.

An A-rank Awakener’s paychecks alone stacked like skyscrapers, not to mention endorsements and side deals.

She probably had more zeros in her account than he could imagine.

He forced a calm smile, rubbing his cheek as though hiding a yawn. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness," he said, smooth as silk.

But inside, his head was still screaming.

’Mansion? Guest rooms? I could live here like a king! Forget sleeping on creaky beds in rented apartments — this is it. This is destiny. Praise the algorithm, boys, we made it.’

Vanessa stepped out of the car first, boots clicking lightly against the polished garage floor.

Lucius followed, hands slipping into his pockets, his gaze casually trailing over the expensive vehicles parked in neat rows.

Emilia hurried out after them, while Elara was visibly impressed, Luna on the other hand walked with the same composed indifference as if mansions were a dime a dozen even though this was the first time she was seeing such an expensive place.

Vanessa turned to face him.

The sun traced her features as she brought down her hoodie, her beautiful red hair revealed to him.

"I have the contract inside," she said, eyes locking with his. The blush that had plagued her was gone.

There was no hesitation in her voice, no room for doubt.

She was the guild master again, all business. "Shall we?"

Lucius let the silence stretch just long enough for his smirk to settle.

He tipped his head slightly, eyes gleaming.

"We shall."