MTLNOVEL Chapter 242: Not Disposable
Lucaris' eyes narrowed further. "Negotiations?"
"Of course." Lux took a small step forward, not enough to close the gap entirely, but enough to signal he wasn't intimidated by the horns, the aura, or the killing intent. "You're a father. I respect that. But I think you're looking at this the wrong way."
Sira, clearly enjoying herself, leaned around Lux's shoulder just to smirk at her father. "He's not wrong."
Lucaris shot her a look sharp enough to cut stone, but she only grinned wider.
Lux continued, his tone taking on that velvet-smooth cadence he used when closing deals. "You see, I'm not some nameless drifter sniffing around your bloodline." His gaze locked with Lucaris' in a steady, unblinking challenge. "And your daughter seems to think I'm worth her time."
Lucaris barked a short laugh—not friendly, not warm, but edged like broken glass. "Worth her time? Boy, you have no idea what you're playing with."
"I think I do," Lux said, letting just enough steel into his voice to make it clear he wasn't bluffing. "And I think you're missing something important—Pride doesn't give her time to just anyone. If I'm standing here now, it's because she chose me."
"That's not debatable," Sira murmured, still behind him, clearly enjoying watching the two of them circle like predators.
Lucaris' aura flared brighter, the temperature in the room spiking. "Chosen or not, I don't care. You've overstepped, Vaelthorn."
Lux smiled faintly, tilting his head. "And yet… you're still talking to me instead of tearing me apart. Which means you haven't decided I'm disposable."
For a split second, there was something in Lucaris' eyes—recognition, maybe, that Lux wasn't going to cower or backpedal. And that's when the shift happened.
Lucaris straightened, his voice dropping into something almost playful, though the danger in it didn't fade. "You know… you're reminding me of someone."
Lux arched a brow. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"Oh, it's not," Lucaris said with a flash of teeth. "But it is… interesting."
Sira's nails dragged lightly down Lux's arm, the faint sting pulling his attention back to her for a moment. "He's not going to kill you," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "Not yet."
Lux chuckled under his breath. "Good to know." Then, to Lucaris, "So. Do we skip the part where you try to scare me off, or do we make a show of it? I've got time either way."
Lucaris stepped forward finally, closing the space between them until they were only a couple feet apart. His height and the sheer weight of his presence made the room feel smaller, more claustrophobic, but Lux didn't yield an inch.
The Pride Lord's voice was low, smooth, and threaded with that dangerous charm. "Tell me, Vaelthorn… if I gave you one chance to convince me why you should keep breathing, what would you say?"
Lux's smirk widened just slightly. "Simple. I make her happy. And I'm not afraid of you."
The air between them thickened again, two predators locked in the kind of stand-off that could break into violence or laughter with equal ease.
Sira looked between them like she was watching the best play in Hell's theater district. "You two should really just skip to breakfast," she said. "Or bed. Either way, stop pretending you're not enjoying this."
Lucaris' gaze flicked to her, then back to Lux. "Enjoying this? Maybe." His horns caught the light, the sharp ridges gleaming. "But don't think for a second this is over."
Lux inclined his head slightly. "Wouldn't dream of it, my Lord."
They stood like that a beat longer—two immovable forces testing the edges of what counted as respect—before Lucaris finally, finally stepped back. Not in retreat, but in the deliberate, calculated way of someone deciding the game wasn't worth ending yet.
And Lux let him. He didn't ease his stance, didn't drop his gaze. If anything, he leaned just slightly into the silence, letting it breathe, letting Lucaris see that he wasn't desperate to fill it with excuses.
The Pride Lord's shadow still stretched long over the floor, the air between them thrumming with residual magic. The scent of scorched ozone lingered faintly, mixing with the musk of sweat, sex, and the faint trace of Sira's perfume clinging to Lux's skin.
Lucaris spoke first, his tone measured but edged. "You think this is a game you can win?"
Lux's mouth curved, slow and deliberate. "Not a game. An opportunity. And you know better than anyone that Pride and Greed make a dangerous combination when they work together."
Lucaris' eyes narrowed, but there was a flicker there—interest, maybe. Or at least, the faintest admission that Lux had struck a chord. "And why," he said, pacing a slow half-circle, "would I want Greed tangled up in my family?"
"Because it's already tangled," Lux replied without hesitation. "Your daughter made the choice. I didn't drag her here, I didn't coerce her. She wanted this. Which means you already have someone in your bloodline who sees the value in what I bring."
Sira hummed approvingly from behind him, still close enough that her fingers brushed his lower back like a proof she was listening.
Lux kept his voice calm, almost conversational. "Pride thrives on presentation. On power being seen. Greed thrives on leverage. On power being held. Together, we don't just keep what we have—we take what no one else thinks can be taken."
Lucaris' lip twitched—maybe the beginning of a smirk, maybe just the barest restraint on his temper. "You're suggesting an alliance."
"I'm stating one's already started," Lux said plainly. "All I'm offering is to make it official. You get someone who will treat your daughter as more than a trophy. I get someone who understands that the real fun is in building something everyone else thinks is impossible."
The Pride Lord stopped pacing, eyes locked on Lux's like he was weighing not just the words, but the man saying them. "And you think I'll just agree?"
"No," Lux admitted. "But I think you know the value of securing an advantage before someone else does. And right now? I'm an advantage you can't buy, can't intimidate, and can't replace."