Chapter 724 – I Recalculated
He felt sothing tighten faintly in his chest.
"But," she added, voice lowering, "I also know you have a lot of enemies. Infernal and celestial."
Her hand slid from his shoulder to his chest again.
"That’s what makes worried."
Lux went silent.
For a rare mont, he didn’t have a smooth line ready.
Damn her.
She read him too easily.
He thought he could distract her with teasing. With skin. With heat.
But Naomi didn’t bite the bait.
She went straight for the balance sheet of his soul.
He exhaled slowly.
He felt a curse rising in his mind.
Because she wasn’t wrong.
And because part of him didn’t want to let her see that.
He had planned to give her hints. Two sentences. Half a confession. Keep it light.
But she cornered him gently without even raising her voice.
He leaned back slightly, gaze drifting toward the window.
"I’m hungry," he said finally.
Naomi blinked.
"What?"
"Can we talk while we’re eating?" he asked calmly. "I need sothing light. I already drank too much wine and champagne."
Her brows narrowed.
"Now you’re asking for snacks."
"Yes."
She stared at him for a second.
Then sighed softly.
"I’ll have Lyra bring it up. I told her to prepare sothing light when you ca ho."
He glanced at her.
"You expected ."
"I always do."
The way she said it made sothing ache quietly inside him.
"Thanks," he said.
She slipped off the bed and walked toward the door, bare feet silent against the floor.
Lux sat up slowly, dragging a hand through his damp hair.
The room still slled faintly of steam and her perfu. His skin felt warm, but his thoughts were cooling into sothing heavier.
He didn’t like this part.
The part where she forced him to articulate risk.
He preferred passion to politics.
Monts later Naomi returned with Lyra.
Lyra pushed a polished trolley into the room, wheels rolling softly over the carpet. The scent reached Lux before the food did.
Light broth.
Stead vegetables.
Grilled white fish with lemon.
Thin slices of toasted bread.
A small bowl of fruit.
Herbal tea.
The herbal tea made him pause.
It slled almost like the Celestial realm.
Clean. Bright. Sharp.
Lyra bowed slightly.
"If you need more, just call , my lord."
Lux nodded.
"Yeah. I will."
Lyra left quietly.
Naomi closed the door and returned to sit beside him on the edge of the low table. Not across from him.
Beside him.
Close.
He sat down and began eating without ceremony.
The fish was delicate. Soft. Easy on the stomach. The lemon cut through the faint bitterness of wine residue in his mouth.
He took a slow sip of the herbal tea.
It burned gently down his throat.
He didn’t look at her when he started speaking.
"I got trapped in another limbo," he said casually.
Naomi froze.
"With the Guardian of Balance."
Her fingers tightened slightly on her own cup.
"And," he added lightly, "got into another fight with an Arc Seraph."
She turned to him slowly.
"...Like a real fight?"
He huffed faintly.
"Not an argunt."
Her voice dropped.
"A battle?"
He nodded once.
Quiet.
Calm.
"Don’t tell Sira or Lullaby," he added quickly. "They’ll lose their minds."
Naomi stared at him.
For a long second she didn’t breathe.
"You fought an Arc Seraph," she repeated.
"Yes."
Her hands were steady.
Her voice wasn’t.
"Did you get hurt?"
"Nothing permanent."
"That’s not what I asked."
He glanced at her.
There it was.
That look.
Fear.
"Lux."
"I recalculated."
"Stop saying recalculated like this is quarterly revenue."
He almost smiled.
"Habit."
She reached for him.
Her fingers slid over his arm, up to his shoulder.
"Were you alone? I an... when you fought the Arc Seraph."
"No," he corrected casually. "I had Vizreel."
Her brows pulled together. "The Guardian of Balance? That’s his na?"
"Archon Vizreel," he said with mild pride. "And don’t look at like that. We’re practically coworkers."
"You got trapped in limbo with a cosmic balance deity and you’re calling him a coworker."
"He complains less than most celestial board mbers."
Naomi stared at him.
"...You always do this."
"Do what?"
"Minimize."
He took another bite of fish, chewing thoughtfully.
"He was there," Lux continued more seriously, though the corner of his mouth still curved slightly. "Vaeloryn escalated. Vizreel and I handled it."
Naomi froze.
"Handled it?"
"Handled as in he swung radiant authority at my face and I didn’t let him. We cracked his core instead."
Her breath caught. Naomi’s fingers tightened around his.
"You’re saying this so casually."
"Because I’m still here."
She exhaled slowly.
"And Vizreel?"
Lux’s expression softened just slightly.
"He’s fine. Annoyingly composed. He even lectured about language control. I called him ’forever virgin boy’."
She couldn’t help it. She laughed.
Lux smirked.
"We balance each other."
She narrowed her eyes.
"That wasn’t even subtle."
He shrugged.
"It’s accurate."
The heaviness in the room lightened just a little.
Naomi studied him again.
"But Lux... that’s still an Arc Seraph."
"Arch-Luminary," he corrected automatically.
She swatted his arm.
"This is not a terminology debate."
He smiled faintly.
"We weren’t overwheld."
"Were you injured?"
He paused.
"Minor divine burn. Vizreel patched it before brought into the interrogation room."
Her eyes flickered to his chest instinctively.
He caught that.
His smirk deepened.
"Do you want to inspect for scorch marks too?"
She flushed slightly.
"I’m serious."
"So am I."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Vaeloryn overestimated radiant superiority."
"That sounds like you’re proud."
"I am."
Naomi exhaled slowly.
"You’re impossible."
"And alive."
She leaned closer to him, studying his face.
"You’re not scared."
"No."
"You should be."
He tilted his head slightly.
"I’m cautious. That’s different."
She glared at him, but the tension had softened.
"I care that you keep stepping into cosmic fights like it’s portfolio diversification."
"It is," he replied calmly.
She sighed.
"Lux."
He set the fork down.
"I win," he repeated.
"That’s not the point."
"It is."
"No."
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