Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation

They climbed the bedposts, spilled across the ceiling, and twisted around the chandelier until its candles burned crimson. An ancient ward flashed in protest.

Then another.

Then a third.

Somewhere in the mansion, a priceless portrait tilted sideways.

Lux would have cared about the property damage under normal circumstances.

These were not normal circumstances.

His Lust had finally stopped asking permission from his Greed. The two instincts moved together now, fierce and unguarded, leaving him wonderfully, catastrophically present.

He had spent so long calculating consequences that surrendering to a moment felt almost rebellious.

Lilith seemed determined to encourage the rebellion.

She drew him closer, her laughter turning soft and breathless. He kissed her temple, her cheek, the corner of her mouth, and then her lips again, lingering until neither seemed particularly interested in remembering what they had been about to say.

The room filled with rustling sheets, uneven breaths, and the occasional delighted laugh.

Lux pressed his forehead to hers, his smile sharp and thoroughly ruined.

Lilith smiled back with the unmistakable satisfaction of a woman who had successfully invited chaos into her home.

Outside, the silver-leafed garden trembled beneath a sudden gust of infernal power.

Inside, the chandelier finally surrendered.

It went dark.

Neither of them noticed.

The hours slipped away.

Eventually, even the ancient mansion seemed to accept that its mistress had returned with a particularly troublesome guest.

The wards stopped protesting.

The shadows settled.

And somewhere downstairs, a servant quietly added bedroom repairs to tomorrow’s household accounts.

Lux had absolutely no interest in reviewing the invoice.

Six hours later, Lux opened his eyes.

The bedroom was quiet. Violet light filtered through the curtains, painting the sheets and the polished floor in shades of twilight. Lilith slept beside him, her black hair scattered across the pillows, one arm resting possessively over his waist.

He looked at her.

Six hours.

Well.

That was certainly one way to conduct a thorough partnership assessment.

His system remained suspiciously silent.

Lux carefully slipped out from beneath Lilith’s arm, retrieved his trousers, and made his way toward the adjoining sitting room.

His mind was back.

His Greed was back.

His executive instincts were back.

And all three demanded caffeine.

He found a beautiful silver tea service.

An assortment of dried flowers.

Several bottles of wine that probably predated the invention of accounting.

No coffee.

Lux opened another cabinet.

Nothing.

A third.

Still nothing.

He stared into the empty cupboard. “This is a hostile working environment.”

He checked the shelves again, just in case the universe had reconsidered.

It hadn’t.

Fine.

He could survive without coffee.

Probably.

Lux approached the tall window and pulled the curtains aside.

Then stopped.

Beyond the glass stretched a garden of silver-leafed trees, black flowers, and winding paths illuminated by floating blue-white lights. Above them hung a vast violet sky.

No sun.

No familiar infernal constellations.

And beyond the garden’s distant boundary, there was something that made his expression change.

Nothing.

Not darkness.

Not empty space.

An endless, shimmering expanse that seemed to fold back into itself.

Lux pressed his palm against the window.

His senses extended outward.

He searched for Hell’s familiar infernal currents.

Nothing.

The Light Realm’s holy resonance?

Also nothing.

The Mortal Realm’s comparatively fragile dimensional structure?

Absolutely not.

He blinked. “Wait.” He looked around. “Where are we?”

“Somewhere quiet.” Lilith’s sleepy voice came from behind him.

Lux turned.

She had awakened and was sitting up in bed, entirely unconcerned about the absence of clothing. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the ancient markings along her collarbone glimmered faintly.

She stretched with the lazy satisfaction of a cat that had conquered an empire and decided it wasn’t worth getting out of bed for.

“My personal dimension,” she explained.

Lux stared at her. “Your personal dimension?”

He looked outside again. Then back at her. “You own a dimension.”

“I made it.”

Of course.

Normal people bought vacation homes.

Ancient goddesses apparently purchased nothing because they could manufacture the entire concept of real estate.

Lux rubbed his forehead.

“Why?”

Lilith’s expression became profoundly weary. “Peace.” She sighed. “Do you have any idea how exhausting demons are? They wanted advice. Constantly. How to govern their territories. How to settle disputes. How to organize armies. How to build roads. How to negotiate with enemies.”

She counted on her fingers, growing increasingly offended. “One demon asked me whether he should marry his rival’s daughter or conquer her father’s kingdom.”

“What did you tell him?”

“To ask the daughter.”

Lux nodded. “Sound advice.”

“He came back three days later asking what to do because she rejected him.”

“And?”

“I told him to leave her alone.”

“Excellent.”

“He asked whether that was a military strategy.”

Lux closed his eyes.

Oh, Hell.

Lilith threw up her hands.

“They came to me like I was their therapist, their advisor, their mother, and their personal crisis-management department!” Her horns glimmered. “And they never paid me!”

Lux placed a hand over his heart. “That,” he said solemnly, “is unforgivable.”

“I know!”

“Consultation without compensation?”

“Exactly!”

“Centuries of unpaid professional services?”

“Millennia!”

Lux shook his head. “Barbarians.”

Lilith pointed at him triumphantly. “See? You understand!”

“I understand perfectly. You should have introduced a retainer.”

She stared at him. Then laughed. “Oh, I like you.”

“An understandable reaction.”

He returned his attention to the window.

“So you built an entire dimension because Hell wouldn’t stop asking you questions?”

“I was tired. And bored. I wanted somewhere nobody could reach me unless I allowed it.”

Lux considered that.

A self-contained dimensional refuge.

Independent of Hell’s established authority.

Protected by ancient magic.

With a garden.

And no coffee.

An otherwise excellent investment.

“So,” he said, “Kaelmor can’t detect you here?”

“He shouldn’t be able to.”

“Shouldn’t?”

Lilith tilted her head. “Nothing is impossible, Little Greed. But he would have to find this dimension before he could begin searching inside it.”

Lux nodded slowly.

That was reassuring.

Mostly.

Lilith watched him for a moment.

Then her smile turned sly.

“What? You want to take me to your mansion in the Mortal Realm?”

Lux looked at her. “I do.”

Her smile softened.

He continued, “But your power…”

“Indeed.” She glanced toward the window. “My presence would be a problem.”

A problem.

Lux imagined an ancient goddess walking into his mansion and accidentally turning the surrounding countryside into a historical landmark.

His insurance premiums would achieve divinity.

Lilith slipped out of bed and approached him, utterly at ease. “I’ll leave my real body here,” she said. “And create a form that can move around the Mortal Realm.”

Lux raised an eyebrow. “A projection?”

“Something more substantial. It will carry my consciousness and a carefully limited portion of my power.”

“And your actual body stays safe?”

“Yes.”

He considered the implications.

Then smiled.

“Wonderful. Then our relocation plan is officially viable.”

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Thank you for the Magic Castle, Bry35!

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