CHAPTER 444: CAN A GODDESS FALL IN LOVE WITH A DEVIL?

Chapter 444 – Can a Goddess Fall in Love with a Devil?

She stared. "Lux."

"What? Organized lust is still organization."

Her sigh was half genuine, half exasperated laugh. "You’re impossible."

"Correct," he said brightly. "Okay fine—truth version: I wanted to be rich. But I’m already rich. I’m Greed-born. Comes with the bloodline perks."

She sipped her tea again, but the edge in her shoulders had softened.

Just a bit.

Lux studied her for a second longer.

She was hiding something.

He felt it. Saw it. The way her gaze lingered too long. The way her fingers tapped too precisely against the porcelain. The way she’d never said no when he joked about her missing him.

He filed it away.

Like he always did.

Instead, he stood and brushed the crumbs off his robe.

"Thanks for the milk. And the cookies. Tell your assistant they need more vanilla in the frosting."

She looked up at him.

"You’re leaving?"

"Unless you want me to stay."

That hung in the air.

Just for a moment.

Lux’s voice had dropped lower—half teasing, half something else. The kind of tone that made most mortals sign away a lifetime without realizing it.

Celestaria’s eyes lingered on him from behind her cup. Steam curled from her tea, and for a second, it looked like she was hiding behind the fog rather than sipping it.

Then she set the cup down quietly.

"Stay," she said.

Lux blinked, turning halfway. "...What?"

She leaned back, one hand under her chin. "You haven’t told me when you’re going to invite us to your housewarming party. Goddess edition."

He chuckled softly. "Ah. That."

"Yes, that," Celestaria said, crossing one leg over the other, the faintest hint of a smirk curling her lips. "You moved into that mortal mansion a few days ago, didn’t you?"

"Well," he said, adjusting his robe collar.

Her brows arched. "And the house members?"

He tilted his head. "Selective."

Celestaria rolled her eyes. "Selective. Translation: full of demons, women, and a Pride daughter who can’t stop flirting with your sins."

"Ah," he said with a grin. "Yeah, Sira is my harem now, so..."

"I see," she muttered, sipping her tea again. "The last summit she attended, she spent thirty minutes insulting the Seraphim choir for their lack of hips."

"She wasn’t wrong," Lux said under his breath.

Celestaria shot him a look that was half glare, half suppressed laughter.

He walked back toward the table, leaning against the edge, arms crossed. "Tomorrow then," he said. "Housewarming. I’ll send an invite through the email. Time, coordinates, everything."

Her head tilted slightly, curious. "Tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Why not?"

She gave him that patient goddess stare again, then smiled faintly. "Fine. But tell me—will all your little companions be there?"

"Most likely," Lux said. "Sira and Lullaby for sure. And there are Mira, Rava and Naomi."

Celestaria leaned forward slightly. "I don’t mind Lullaby," she said with a small sigh. "She’s... peaceful. Every time I see her, she’s asleep. It’s almost refreshing."

Lux laughed. "She’s Sloth’s daughter. That is her definition of productivity."

Celestaria’s expression softened for a second—like the mention of Lullaby made her remember something pleasant. Then her lips tightened again.

"But Sira..." she muttered, her tone changing. "That girl gets under my skin. She always has."

Lux smiled knowingly. "Well, she is a Pride."

"She sees you as a toy," Celestaria said sharply. "A glittering distraction she can bend until you crack."

Lux’s grin didn’t falter. If anything, it deepened. "I can’t deny that. But I also know something she doesn’t."

"And what’s that?"

"That under all that arrogance," he said softly, "she loves me. Desperately. The kind of love that terrifies her. She’ll never admit it. Pride doesn’t allow real confessions. But it’s there. Every glance, every bite, every jealous quip."

Celestaria’s gaze flickered. Something in it shifted—an echo of the same vulnerability he’d just described.

She stood. Slowly. Her aura shimmered around her like a faint veil of light, brushing against the white marble floor. Then she walked toward him, deliberate steps muffled by the divine hum that always surrounded her.

When she stopped in front of him, they were too close for comfort—close enough for him to smell her perfume.

"Can a devil feel love?" she asked quietly.

Lux looked at her, half-smiling. "Can a goddess fall in love with a devil?"

She didn’t answer.

Her eyes searched his face, moving from his mouth to his gaze, then away again like she wasn’t ready for what she’d find.

"Only a devil," she said finally, voice barely above a whisper, "who does charity not for PR."

Lux chuckled, low and warm. "So, I passed your test?"

"Barely," she said, but her smile betrayed her tone.

He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping lower. "Then you admit it."

"Admit what?"

"That you care."

Her breath caught, just for a second. The faintest flicker of gold shimmered at her throat where her pulse quickened.

Then she stepped back. Controlled again. Composed.

"I know you’re tired, Lux," she said, and this time her voice carried no edge. "You hide it well, but I see it. You wanted a real vacation. Instead, you got chaos, bounty wars, political traps, and prideful women who can’t keep their hands off you."

He laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, something like that."

"You look exhausted."

"I’m good at it," he said. "It’s a Hell CFO skill—smile through collapse."

"Lux." Her tone sharpened. "Be serious."

He sighed. For once, the grin faded. "Yeah, I’m tired," he said quietly. "But it’s not something I can blame on anyone. I know where the problem lies."

Celestaria watched him carefully. "Where?"

He met her gaze. "Me."

That hit her harder than she expected.

"I made too many alliances," he continued. "Promised too many things. Played every side until there wasn’t one left that didn’t hate me or want a piece of me. It’s not the demons, or the angels, or even the damn politics. It’s me. I built this web and walked right into it."

He chuckled softly after saying it, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Then he looked up, grinning again, trying to soften the mood. "But hey. I’m not here to dump my problems on a goddess. I’ve got therapy vouchers for that, but I know it’s not a real therapy."