Chapter 65 – Misbehaving
He didn’t move, didn’t pull away.
He just kept looking at her—like he already knew what her answer would be, and was just giving her the grace to say it out loud.
"B-But..." Rava stammered.
Her voice cracked, her breath short, her eyes wide.
Inside her head? Spiral.
Full kraken-spiral.
Because oh, she knew what this meant.
He’d asked her, gently, but the implication was all there.
Private suite. Just the two of them.
Tentacles already misbehaving.
His voice whispering straight into her bloodstream.
And she wanted to say yes.
But some part of her—some stupid old ghost—was still clinging to fear.
’What if it’s a trick? What if it’s like before?’
She’d grown up believing love was a lie.
That marriage was a contract.
That men only wanted two things: her name or her money.
And this—this?
Wasn’t love.
Wasn’t marriage.
It was something else.
Something heat-drenched and slow-burning, laced in gold and laced in danger.
It wasn’t fake.
And it wasn’t safe.
’Wait,’ she thought to herself. ’This isn’t marriage.’
It was just now.
Her rules.
His teasing.
Her choice.
And wasn’t she the one who said, "You hesitate, you lose"?
She turned, breath catching—just about to speak.
But then he leaned in, voice low and dark like velvet sin.
"I don’t mind doing it here either," he whispered, lips brushing near her ear, "if you want."
She froze.
"If you don’t mind the driver," he added, "losing focus and possibly crashing."
Her eyes snapped up—straight to the rearview mirror.
The driver?
Glancing.
Again.
Eyes darting to the back like he was trying not to see something and failing every two seconds.
He coughed. Twice.
Rava turned back slowly, cheeks burning.
"...Fine," she muttered, clearing her throat. "I guess I prefer a private place, then."
Lux smirked. "Very well."
And just like that, he leaned back again. Sat straight. Composed.
As if he hadn’t just threatened her with temptation in the form of backseat seduction.
Rava, meanwhile, practically combusted in her seat.
Her heart pounded so hard she swore it echoed in her eardrums. Her tentacles squirmed in embarrassment, curling back as if apologizing for their entire existence.
She kept her eyes glued to the window now.
But her mind?
Somewhere else.
Somewhere on silk sheets and whispered names and demon fingers tracing down her spine...
’Focus, Rava.’
The car pulled into the Sovereign Grand’s private entrance.
A doorman opened the door without hesitation.
Lux stepped out first, picking up his shopping bags like they were feathers. Balanced perfectly. Effortlessly. One hand only. Of course.
She stepped out after him, bouquet still in hand.
The sunlight hit her face, and she realized her skin was warm all over.
He led her toward the elevator without a word. Smooth stride, calm posture—like this was the most normal thing in the world.
Just a casual hotel walk after your kraken date groped you with emotional tentacles and half-accepted an invite to your private suite.
He pressed the button. Elevator dinged.
They stepped in.
Silence.
Tension.
The moment the doors slid closed, Lux exhaled lightly and said.
"If you want something, just ask."
He paused.
"Preferably expensive things. They’re easier for me to get."
She blinked. "...Of course they are."
The doors opened to his floor.
They walked toward his suite.
He scanned his room with a lazy wave of his hand. No keys. Just energy signature. The door clicked open, revealing a clean, sleek modern space. Dim lighting. Deep matte grays and gold accents. Windows that overlooked the city like they were judging it.
Rava stepped in slowly, taking it all in.
The silence was thick.
Her heart still loud.
He dropped his bags by the entry console.
Then slipped off his coat and draped it over the chair.
And that was when she noticed it.
He had... no suitcase.
No luggage.
No duffel bag.
She tilted her head. "...You didn’t bring a suitcase?"
Lux turned. "Nope."
She narrowed her eyes. "Why not?"
"I left it in Hell."
Rava frowned. "I’m sorry—what?"
"No suitcase," he said simply. "Didn’t need one."
"What do you mean you left it in Hell—"
And then—
The air shifted.
Not like wind.
Not like breeze.
But like reality inhaled.
[System Alert: Celestial Rift Detected]
[Scanning...]
[Status: Non-hostile Entity Incoming – High Purity Signature]
[Name: CLASSIFIED.]
Lux’s body tensed.
Just a fraction.
A small, shimmering rift opened right in front of the bedroom door.
It glowed golden—like someone ripped a slit into reality and the sun leaked through.
Rava gasped, stumbling back one step.
Her bouquet dropped.
Then—
A figure stepped through.
Golden dress.
Bare feet.
Shimmering blonde hair that moved like it was being touched by invisible sunrays.
Eyes brighter than the sky.
Lips curved with divine calm.
Skin kissed by eternity and carved by grace.
And a clipboard.
She held a damn clipboard.
With glitter ink.
Even Lux blinked. "...Solara?"
He stepped back.
"What are you doing here?"
The goddess of the sun smiled, impossibly radiant.
"Delivering your therapy coupons and dry-cleaning compensation package," she said, her voice like morning light.
"...Personally?"
She held out a small glowing box and a folded golden robe with tags still attached.
"Yes," she said, perfectly calm. "And to see for myself if Hell’s CFO actually takes his vacation seriously."
Rava’s mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
Lux just stared.
Because this?
Was a bit much.
His eye twitched—just a bit—because the golden robe still had divine embroidery that said: "Bless This Mess." And the glowing box hummed like it contained either angelic healing elixirs or a holy time bomb. Honestly, both were plausible.
And yet—this was not the weirdest part of his week. Not even close.
"...Thanks," Lux muttered, taking the folded robes with one hand and the box with the other like they were a room service platter. He flicked his wrist.
Dimensional shadows uncoiled from under his sleeve like polite ink tendrils, his Inventory manifesting in a smooth ripple of static-black velvet, swallowing the gifts whole with a whisper of magic.
[Items Received:]
[Divine Robe (Bless This Mess) [+20 Radiance, -5 Intimidation]
[Celestial Elixir x5 [Restores 100% Health. Removes All Curses. Smells like sanctified mint.]
[Sun-Kissed Apology Bundle [Bound. Cannot be re-gifted. Sorry.]
[Therapy coupons x3]
[Stored in Inventory.]
Solara’s glow dimmed slightly now that the mission was complete, but her gaze didn’t waver. She studied him, head tilted, sunbeam lashes catching light.
"I see you looking well," she said gently. "I thought you were wounded. Or dying."