Chapter 622 – Two Envy
Lux blinked.
Now that was surprising.
He turned his head slowly, scanning the crowd. Wine glass still in hand. Smile still polite.
Well. That’s rare," he muttered under his breath.
He looked again.
His eyes scanned left to right, through the smoke, through the glimring gowns, past the political predators and costic illusions.
And then he saw her.
Tall. Confident. Arrogant.
Dressed in Envy’s colors, deep erald with subtle obsidian shimr. Skin pale like porcelain, lips painted dark wine. Her posture scread royalty, her expression sharp and smug. The kind of expression that reminded him of Sira on a bad day. Maybe a six out of ten on the pride scale.
Vira Karess.
And she was walking toward him.
No. Strutting.
His system chid again.
[Clarification: Signal Not from Primary Visual Target]
[Redirecting...]
[Target: Located – Position: Behind Vira Karess]
Lux frowned.
"Wait..." he muttered. "Behind her?"
He leaned a little, eyes scanning just beyond the approaching heiress.
And there...
There she was.
Hiding behind the taller woman. Almost swallowed by the grandeur. Wearing a modest silver and green dress that looked out of place here, too simple, too real. Her posture was hunched, like she wasn’t used to standing in heels, and her eyes were wide with that careful, quiet kind of alertness that belonged more to prey than predator.
Lux stared.
His brows pulled together. "That’s not just so assistant..."
But then it was too late.
Because the front heiress, now smiling like she’d just won a ga she barely played, was already in front of him.
"Lord Vaelthorn," she purred, voice smooth like oiled silk. "Still as radiant as ever."
Lux didn’t return the smile.
He didn’t need to.
"Princess Vira Karess," he said smoothly, gaze steady. "Envy’s favorite storm in a bottle."
Her smirk widened, clearly pleased he rembered. "So you do recall ."
"Hard to forget," Lux replied. "We’ve crossed paths a few tis. Fiscal tribunal. The Infernal Ethics Summit. That cursed masquerade where soone spiked the bloodwine."
"Oh, right," she laughed. "I nearly made you sign a debt rger during a slow dance."
"You did make sign it," Lux corrected. "I just restructured it afterward so your house paid triple in ten years."
Her eyes glittered. "And yet, you still danced with ."
"I was cornered."
"You didn’t complain."
"I filed a tax penalty the next morning."
She laughed again, louder this ti, like she was performing it for the crowd behind her. Her posture oozed confidence, the kind born of endless validation and never being told "no."
Lux’s smile flattened into sothing more distant. Polite. Professional.
Because Vira Karess wasn’t just so overpainted noble looking for an opening.
She was the princess of Envy. Second in line. And just narcissistic enough to think she could flirt her way into his trust, steal so of his secrets, and flip them into power for her court.
And yeah, he’d dealt with her kind before.
Many tis.
She leaned closer, one gloved hand brushing his arm.
"I was starting to think you wouldn’t show," she said. "The court’s been buzzing. So even whispered you’d finally collapsed under all that pressure."
Lux sipped his wine calmly. "Not my style."
"Mm. No," she said, eyes trailing the bite marks still faint on his collarbone. "I can see that now."
Her gaze lingered. Too long. Not with real desire, but with calculation. That heavy Envy stare, asuring not just what she saw, but what she could take.
Lux didn’t blink.
He just smiled. Cold. Distant.
"Tell ," he said, voice calm, "do you always open conversations by reminding people of death rumors?"
Vira grinned. "Only the resilient ones."
He gave a short nod, already slipping back into CFO mode.
Default setting: polished. Polite. Impenetrable.
Because with Vira?
Anything less would be weakness. And with Envy?
Weakness was currency.
"So, Lady Karess," he said. "You’re here to celebrate the Lust-Envy accord?"
"Of course," she said, stepping closer. "Though I admit, my personal interest was more in seeing you."
He gave her nothing.
Just a blink. A half-smirk.
She leaned forward. "You’ve made quite the noise lately. The economy stirs when you’re gone, and trembles when you return. You should teach how you do it."
"Hard work," Lux said flatly.
"Hmm. Hard. I do like that word."
Lux didn’t answer.
He glanced behind her.
The girl... no, the woman... still stood there. Still small, still silent. Still trying to vanish behind Vira’s sharp hips and sharper aura.
Lux frowned.
"Lady Karess," he said suddenly.
Vira blinked, caught off guard by his sudden tone shift.
He nodded subtly toward the girl behind her. "Who’s that?"
She paused.
Then smiled again. This one colder. "Oh. Her? She’s no one."
Lux’s eyes narrowed. "No one?"
"Yes. My... assistant. Steward. I brought her for errands. You understand how inefficient underlings can be. I prefer ones who don’t talk much."
The girl stiffened slightly behind her.
Lux sipped his wine.
Then smiled.
But it was not a nice smile.
"Hm. That’s weird."
Vira’s brow lifted. "Weird?"
"Yeah. Because she’s clearly royal," Lux said casually, voice light but cutting. "And last I checked, I don’t usually mistake assistants for suppressed bloodlines."
Vira’s face twitched, just for a second.
Lux took a step forward. Closer. Not to her.
But to the girl behind her.
"I’m guessing you forgot," he said softly, "that I have a sight for value. I see what people are worth. Not the fake titles or court masks. But the real stuff. Deep down."
The girl looked up. Her eyes t his for the first ti.
And Lux...
Yeah.
He felt it.
That sa click in the chest. The sa echo his system whispered when it found a match. It wasn’t loud. Not dramatic. Just... soft. Familiar.
She flinched under his gaze but didn’t look away.
Good.
"What’s your na?" he asked.
Vira laughed tightly. "She doesn’t speak in court."
"I didn’t ask you," Lux said without looking at her.
The girl opened her mouth. Hesitated.
"My na is..." Her voice was soft. Barely above a whisper. "C-Cyrinne."
Lux smiled.
This ti, real.
"Cyrinne," he repeated. "Pretty na. Rare."
"She’s just a companion-in-training," Vira said quickly. "My House takes in orphans sotis. It’s part of our charity program. She’s from—"
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