Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation

Chapter 644 – Reputation Warfare

Lux stood there. Smile soft.

But inside?

He was thinking about the imposter again.

A man using his face. His name. To sleep around. To ruin women. To tear through families and reputations while Lux took the fall.

And yeah, that wasn’t just identity theft.

That was reputation warfare.

Which, to a demon of Greed and Lust?

That was damn personal.

His smile faded.

He exhaled through his nose, slow.

His fingers twitched once like they wanted to summon a system window. Run diagnostics. Launch a contract trace. Pull financial records. But not yet. Not here. Not in this moment.

Behind him, the butler cleared his throat politely.

Lux glanced over.

The old man smiled faintly. ”You like her, don’t you, Mr. Vaelthorn?”

Lux tilted his head slightly. ”Like her as what?”

The butler blinked.

Lux’s voice dropped into something smoother. Calmer. A little too calm. ”I’m a businessman. ’Like’ is a vague word. Especially between me and her.”

The butler didn’t budge. ”Because you found her on the street? Saved her from the Delacours. Brought her back to the Avariel estate. Protected her?”

Lux was silent.

He looked at the walls for a second. Then the stained glass. Then the gilded coral sconces. Anywhere but the man’s eyes.

”Maybe,” he said eventually, flashing a smile.

It wasn’t a real smile.

Because no. That wasn’t the case. Not really.

He couldn’t say it out loud. Not to the butler. Not to anyone. Maybe not even to himself. Because Lullaby, sweet, sleepy, terrifyingly powerful Lullaby, had bent Ariel’s mind during the worst of her breakdown. Gently. Carefully. She hadn’t erased anything. Just... softened it. Rewound some emotional damage. Put in a mental anchor to keep her from spiraling.

That anchor?

Was Lux.

He knew from the start. That Lullaby’d made him the center of her safety. The one she could cling to when the memories got too heavy. That was why he was always careful with her. Why he watched his words, his distance, his tone. Because when Ariel looked at him like he was the only shore she hadn’t been tossed away from... he couldn’t tell if it was her feelings. Or just the magic.

He still wondered.

”Ariel’s a good girl,” he said quietly. ”She’s innocent. Naïve. She holds a lot of scars. From the past.”

He looked down at his own hands. Still steady. Still capable of building empires and ruining kingdoms. Of taking everything from someone with a smile. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

”Do you think that kind of girl matches a guy like me?”

The butler paused. His voice was softer this time. ”Are you referring to your reputation, sir?”

Lux nodded. ”Yes.”

”But,” the butler said gently, ”other than the rumors about this... imposter... your reputation here is clean. You’re new in this city. Most people speak of you with respect.”

Lux gave a quiet chuckle. ”Believe me. I have enemies. A lot more than you’d think.”

He looked at the butler again. His eyes weren’t glowing right now. But the weight behind them? Heavy.

”I don’t want her getting hurt because of me,” Lux said. ”She’s already hurt. I didn’t save her just to hand her more wounds.”

The butler went silent.

Then, after a moment, he said, ”Then I suppose the man I saw earlier today really was an imposter.”

Lux blinked. ”What do you mean?”

”I passed someone this morning,” the butler said, voice careful. ”When I went to the city market with some of the staff. I saw... you. Or someone who looked like you. Open cap luxury car. Lipstick stains on his neck and shirt. Sunglasses on. Hair disheveled. A woman laughing in the passenger seat.”

Lux’s brow twitched.

”I looked straight at him,” the butler continued. ”And he looked at me. Smirked. Then said something like—” the man’s nose wrinkled ”—’You reek poor. Know your place.’”

Lux blinked.

Then he nodded. Slowly. Repeatedly.

”...So he also likes rage baiting on the street.”

”Yes, sir.”

Lux’s jaw clenched. ”I swear I’m going to drown this guy in cease and desist paperwork.”

”He was convincing,” the butler added. ”At least to people who don’t know you well. Same hair. Same walk. But... not the same eyes.”

Lux tilted his head.

The butler smiled faintly. ”You might look polished, Mr. Vaelthorn. But your eyes are always calculating. Watching. Building something. That man? His eyes were empty. Like he only wanted to burn things.”

Lux stared.

Then, surprisingly, he smiled again.

”...Thanks. I do both.”

”You’re welcome, sir.”

They both looked up as soft footsteps echoed from the other end of the hall.

Ariel was returning.

She wore the dress.

Soft periwinkle silk. Off-shoulder. Flowing down her legs with whispery layers like seafoam. It hugged her just enough at the waist, and swayed when she walked like it was made to dance with her every breath. Her hair had been quickly tied back into a loose bun, but a few strands still framed her face.

She looked like a storybook dream.

Lux didn’t breathe for a second.

Her eyes sparkled when she saw him. ”Does it look okay?”

He exhaled. ”You look...”

She tilted her head.

”...Like every Delacour bastard who ever hurt you regret existing.”

She laughed. ”That’s not very romantic.”

”Yeah, but it’s satisfying.”

She walked over, slowly now, smoothing the dress over her hips. ”Thank you, Lux.”

He leaned in. Brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

”Always,” he said softly. ”I got your back, remember?”

She blushed. ”That’s possessive.”

He smiled. ”You like it.”

”...Yeah.”

Her voice barely left her lips, like she was trying to hide how much she meant it. Like admitting it out loud might make the moment too real. Too warm. Too dangerous. Because she did like it. The possessiveness. The way he said mine like it wasn’t just a word, it was a promise. A cage. A crown. A safety net.

She leaned into him again, arms still wrapped around his waist, her cheek pressing against his chest. Lux could feel her heartbeat through the silk. Fast. Hopeful. Steadying itself in his presence like he was the rhythm her system had been missing.