Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation

”THAT’S MY BOY!” Asmo roared with pride.

The mirror in Eros’s hand flared brighter as the Lord of Lust leaned closer to the surface, eyes gleaming like he was inspecting a masterpiece that had finally turned out right. The glow from the infernal connection washed over the ruined dining room, catching on spilled wine, cracked plates, and the soft rise and fall of three exhausted bodies strewn like artfully discarded silk.

Asmo’s grin widened. ”Anyway,” he said, voice dropping into something far more amused than thunderous. ”I see your marks on them now.”

Lux huffed and scrubbed a hand through his already wrecked hair. ”Yeah. Hard to miss.”

Asmo chuckled. ”So tell me, grandson. What is it? Alliance? Or love?”

The word hung in the air like incense.

Eros, who had been basking in his success like a peacock in a perfume shop, snapped his fingers immediately. ”Love. Obviously.”

Lux turned his head slowly toward him. ”Both.”

Eros froze mid-smug.

”Huhhhh,” Eros said eloquently, tilting his head like a confused cat. ”No. No, no, no. Just make it love.”

Lux blinked. ”That is not how reality works.”

”Sure it is,” Eros insisted, gesturing vaguely around the room. ”Love is pure. Alliance is transactional. Alliance means you want something from them. Love is just wanting them.”

Lux stared at him.

Deadpanned.

”Look who’s talking.”

Eros stiffened. ”Excuse you?”

Lux didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. His tone alone carried the weight of a demon who had survived three hours of concentrated Lust family nonsense and was now fully immune to embarrassment.

”Remind me,” Lux said calmly, ”who was the one whining at me to bring Lullaby here so you could wake up your long-sleep lover.”

Eros opened his mouth.

Closed it.

”…Opsss.”

Asmo burst out laughing, the sound booming through the mirror and rattling the already abused chandelier. ”Oh that’s good. That’s very good.”

Eros rubbed the back of his neck, trying to recover his composure. ”Okay, look. Context matters.”

Lux raised a brow. ”Oh, I am listening.”

”I needed you,” Eros said quickly. ”Because you have Lullaby in your mansion.”

Lux nodded. ”Correct.”

”And because,” Eros continued, words speeding up, ”you’re weirdly good at convincing ancient beings to wake up without starting wars.”

Lux nodded again. ”Still correct.”

”And yes,” Eros admitted, lifting both hands in surrender, ”I may have demanded something in return.”

Lux leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. ”You demanded something from my girl with me as the connection.”

Eros winced. ”When you say it like that, it sounds bad.”

”It is bad.”

Asmo wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. ”This family never disappoints.”

Eros sighed dramatically. ”Alright. Fine. Guilty. But I did it for love.”

Lux snorted. ”You did it for convenience.”

Eros pointed at him. ”And you do things for balance sheets. We all have flaws.”

Asmo nodded sagely. ”That’s true. Lust does things for pleasure. Greed does things for leverage. Love pretends it’s not doing either.”

Lux glanced toward the table where Ely lay half-awake, silver hair spread across dark wood, breathing slow and deep. Lullaby was curled nearby, face peaceful, fingers twitching like she was still chasing warmth even in sleep. Sira had one leg draped possessively over the edge of a chair, eyes closed but posture alert, like she could wake and bite at a moment’s notice.

Lux’s expression softened, just slightly.

”It’s still both,” he said quietly. ”Alliance gives protection. Love gives meaning. I’m not stupid enough to abandon one for the other.”

Asmo studied him for a moment, pride easing into something warmer. ”You really are your father’s son,” he said. ”But with better impulse control.”

”Low bar,” Lux muttered.

Eros laughed and leaned against the table, careful not to disturb anyone. ”You know, for someone who pretends he’s all numbers and strategy, you looked pretty unhinged earlier.”

Lux sighed. ”You spiked the room.”

Eros grinned. ”Just a little.”

”A little?” Lux shot back. ”I almost died.”

Asmo clapped again. ”Music to my ears.”

Lux glared at the mirror. ”You encouraged this.”

”Of course I did,” Asmo said cheerfully. ”You’ve been hiding behind contracts and market influence for centuries. About time you remembered what Lust actually feels like.”

”I remember just fine,” Lux said. ”I just budget it.”

Eros burst out laughing. ”He budgets pleasure. I love you.”

”Please don’t.”

Asmo leaned closer again. ”Still,” he said, tone turning conspiratorial, ”seeing those marks on them. And on you. That wasn’t just indulgence. That was bonding.”

Lux didn’t deny it.

Eros tilted his head. ”You really marked them, didn’t you?”

Lux exhaled. ”They marked me too. Different types.”

Eros glanced at Lux’s shoulder, the faint crescent of a bite already darkening. ”Fair trade.”

Asmo hummed thoughtfully. ”You know what this means.”

Lux narrowed his eyes. ”If you say paperwork, I’m hanging up.”

”No,” Asmo said. ”It means you’re overdue.”

”For?”

”A proper introduction,” Asmo replied. ”To the rest of Lust.”

Eros’s eyes lit up. ”Oh. Oh yes.”

Lux groaned. ”No.”

”Oh yes,” Eros said, already excited. ”You can’t just awaken like that and not make an appearance.”

Asmo smiled broadly. ”I’m hosting a Lust gala.”

Lux closed his eyes. ”Of course you are.”

”Grand event,” Asmo continued. ”Ancient demons. Modern sinners. Old money. New indulgence. The works.”

Eros clasped his hands together. ”Dress code is scandalous elegance.”

Lux opened one eye. ”That’s not a dress code.”

”That’s a promise,” Eros said.

Asmo nodded. ”I want you there, Lux. Not as the CFO of Greed. Not as a negotiator. As my grandson. As Lust.”

Lux looked around the ruined dining room. At the mess. At the women resting in the aftermath of something undeniably real. At the scent still clinging to his skin, warmer and heavier than the Lust Palace ever managed.

He exhaled slowly.

”…Fine.”

Eros gasped dramatically. ”He said yes!”

”As long as you don’t spike the air again,” Lux added.

Eros grinned. ”No promises.”

Asmo laughed, satisfied. ”Good. I’ll send the invitation.”

The mirror dimmed as the connection began to fade.

”Rest up, kiddo,” Asmo said warmly. ”You’re going to need the stamina.”

The light vanished.

Silence settled back over Eros’s dining room, broken only by soft breathing and the faint creak of damaged furniture.

Lux leaned back in his chair and muttered, ”I really need a vacation.”

Lullaby stirred slightly and murmured, ”You’re already on one…”

Lux glanced down at her and sighed.

”…Yeah.”