Chapter 15 – Angelic Entities
Lux slowly pinched the bridge of his nose. "I meant a bank account, you hyper-capitalist feather duster. Not the whole institution."
"In my defense," Corvus croaked, sounding almost offended, "you did not say the word 'account.' I assumed you were being ambitious."
"I was being casual."
"And yet here we are. You're welcome."
Lux stared at the bird. Naomi, still clutching the sheets, whispered, "You… own a bank now?"
He exhaled. "Apparently."
Corvus gave a proud caw and hopped closer. "Technically, just a controlling interest. You don't need to do anything, unless you feel like rewriting interest rates. It's a pretty healthy bank, all things considered. No debt. Offshore holding. Solid reputation among mortal politicians."
Lux let his fingers drag down his face. "Right. So… I'm not expected to, like… show up in the meetings and all?"
Corvus flapped lazily. "Absolutely not. I bought out the board of directors and installed a competent program that connects to your system. Just sign stuff if you get bored. It's mostly passive income unless you get attacked by angel investors."
"Fantastic," Lux muttered. "Truly. I take one vacation, and suddenly I'm a finance god."
"Wasn't that your birthright anyway?"
"Shut up."
Naomi was still staring. "So the bird… is real?"
Lux turned to her, trying not to look like this was normal.
"He's… Corvus. My familiar. Technically a cursed raven. Sentient. Hacker. Hates bureaucracy. Has a thing for glitter fonts and stealing vault access codes. Don't worry, he's harmless."
"I once blackmailed a Heaven accountant using emoji," Corvus added proudly.
Naomi gave him a horrified look.
Lux waved it off. "Point is, he's mine. You're safe. He's just… dramatic."
"You're one to talk," Corvus muttered.
Lux turned back toward him. "Anything else?"
"Nope. Mansion keys. Cards. Legal ID, new papers, and I even got you a secret bunker in case of divine incursions."
Naomi blinked. "Divine what?"
Corvus didn't answer. He just flapped his wings once and vanished in a gust of glitter-black feathers, smoke curling upward and dispersing as quickly as he came.
"…Was that normal?" Naomi asked, still frozen in bed.
Lux walked over to the cards, picking one up between his fingers. It was warm. "Define normal," he said.
She narrowed her eyes. "Lux."
"He's a good bird," he said, shrugging with a grin. "A weird bird. But good."
Naomi sighed into the pillow. "Fine. Whatever. I'm too tired to argue with magical tax birds…"
Lux raised an eyebrow. "Tired, huh?"
"…but still kinda mentally spiraling, yes," she added.
"Okay. But before you go spiraling too hard," he said, leaning forward just slightly, "how about dinner? You have reversed them for me, right?"
Naomi blinked.
Then blinked again.
Her entire soul left her body.
"Oh no," she whispered.
Lux gave her the laziest, cockiest grin imaginable. "Naomi…"
"Oh no no no—"
"Did you forget the reservation?" he drawled, utterly delighted.
"I forgot!" she groaned, practically diving off the bed in a flurry of limbs and tangled sheets.
Lux caught her.
One smooth step forward, arms out, and she fell right into his chest. His arms locked gently around her waist with casual strength, like this was muscle memory. Like this was his. The smell of her still clung to his skin—sweet, post-sin warmth mixed with high-end lotion and something distinctly Naomi. His grin stayed put.
"Relax," he murmured near her ear. "I'll handle it."
She blinked up at him.
"You just need to prepare yourself and take a bath," he continued, brushing a strand of hair from her face with a featherlight touch. "Human females usually need more… prep time, right?"
Naomi scowled—half offended, half flustered. "Lux—"
He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, grinning. "You know I'm right."
She pouted.
"Wait…" He leaned on her. "Thinking again… I don't think you need to bathe." He smirked. "I like you smelling like me."
There was a long pause.
"NOPE. I'm bathing." She stumbled backward with a huff, snatching a nearby robe and throwing it over her shoulders, and ran to the bathroom.
Lux chuckled, slow and satisfied, and turned away—finally letting his focus drift back to the room.
Time to suit up.
[You have activated your human form]
His horns faded first. His tail recoiled in a flick and melted into shadow. Finally, his wings folded inward, before collapsing into his back with a muted hum, leaving not even a scar.
Now he looked fully mortal again.
Devastatingly mortal.
He moved toward the paper bags, curiosity flickering. What kind of outfit had Naomi picked?
First out, the shirt.
Black. Soft. With a slight sheen. Subtle gold threads lined the collar, only catching the light at certain angles. Casual, yet elegant. Relaxed, yet commanding. The kind of shirt that said, 'Yes, I own this room. And probably the building too.'
Next came the slacks—tailored dark, snug at the waist, tapered at the ankle. Soft, sharp, and undeniably expensive.
Naomi's touch was all over it. He hadn't even told her his measurements, but everything fit like she'd been dressing devils since birth.
He buttoned the shirt slowly, deliberately leaving the top two undone. Loose collar. Easy power. Then came the coat—deep navy, understated but bold, with faint silver patterns stitched into the lining like a secret only money could afford.
Yeah.
She had style.
Lux smirked at the mirror.
"Not bad," he muttered to himself. "She dresses me better than I do."
There was no tie. Of course. It was just a casual dinner.
And honestly? He didn't miss them. Not on vacation.
As he reached for his watch, something shifted.
The room.
The air.
[System Notification: Celestial Presence Detected]
[Angelic Entities Approaching]
[Distance: 100 Meters… 90 Meters…]
[Trajectory: Direct Path Toward Current Suite]
[You need to be careful, sir. Those guys are the real deal!]
Lux's fingers froze just above the watch face.
His reflection in the mirror stopped smiling.
Lux's entire posture shifted.
Relaxed, once. Now? Straight-backed. Sharp. Focused.
Predator mode.
Lux closed his eyes for half a second. Just one breath. One flicker of stillness.
Then he muttered under his breath, voice low and cold.
"…What do they want now?"