Chapter 1022: Do Not Let Access Become Betrayal
Chapter 1022 – Do Not Let Access Become Betrayal
Cyrinne watched all of this with increasing disbelief.
This was treason.
This was a room containing secrets that could destroy Kaelmor’s throne.
And somehow, they were arguing about stupid things.
Cyrinne’s mind struggled for a moment.
Then adapted.
Perhaps this was why Lux’s mansion felt different.
Danger did not disappear here.
It just sat at the table and got interrupted by ridiculous affection.
Lux looked at Gula with mock severity. "Pull your dress back up."
Gula obeyed immediately, still smiling. Her eyes widened with victorious hunger.
Lux turned back to Cyrinne. "Anything else to say?"
Cyrinne sat still for a moment.
For once, she did not answer immediately.
Her gaze drifted across the dining room again.
Then she looked back at Lux. "No," she said. "That’s all."
Lux watched her carefully.
Cyrinne gave him a small smile. "But yes, you surprised me, Prince Lux."
Lux leaned back with that lazy, almost careless attitude, as if they had only been discussing weather instead of foundational treason. "I surprise everyone."
Cyrinne stood.
The movement was smooth, elegant, deliberate. She adjusted one sleeve, lifted her chin, and returned fully to the image of an Envy princess candidate and definitely not someone who had been caught staring at a half-dressed Greed prince five times in one dinner.
"I will excuse myself, then."
Gula looked up. "Already?"
Cyrinne glanced at her. "Unlike you, I cannot survive by eating Lux’s pantry and calling it diplomacy."
Gula looked betrayed.
Cyrinne started toward the door. Before she could fully leave, Lux spoke again. "I hope for your cooperation, Miss Envy."
She stopped.
Lux’s voice remained laid-back, almost teasing. His posture did not change. One arm rested against the chair, coffee near his hand, robe still making him look like a scandal with excellent finances.
But his eyes were different.
Sharp.
Measuring.
"I mean now," he added. "And in the future."
Cyrinne slowly turned her head.
Lux smiled faintly. "I hope we get along well."
For a breath, they only looked at each other.
Greed and Envy.
Two houses that had smiled across tables for centuries while hiding knives under every agreement.
Cyrinne’s expression softened by a fraction. "I hope the same, Mr. Greed."
The title came with amusement. And caution. "Both houses need to survive."
Lux’s smile sharpened. "That we do."
Cyrinne gave him one last look, and for once, she did not seem to care that she was looking too long. Then she turned and walked away.
Lyra moved immediately. "This way, Lady Cyrinne."
Cyrinne followed her without argument.
The door closed behind them.
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Then Lux’s gaze shifted slowly toward Gula.
Gula had already reached for another dessert.
She felt his stare.
Her hand froze one inch from the plate.
Lux tilted his head. "So..."
Gula looked at him with enormous eyes.
Lux’s voice was calm. "Can we cooperate with her?"
The question sounded harsh.
Too direct after Cyrinne had just offered him an old secret, risked herself by coming, accepted his brand, and exposed Envy’s connection to something older than the seven sins.
But Lux had his reasons.
He always did.
That was the curse of him.
He could be soft. He could smile at his harem with warmth. He could let Lullaby bonk him unconscious for his own health and pretend it was beneath his dignity.
But when it came to houses, politics, and survival, Lux did not allow warmth to make decisions alone.
Wrath was impatient. Rude. Violent. Predictably explosive. But Wrath was not usually disloyal once bonds were recognized. Their loyalty was ugly, loud, and sometimes involved breaking tables, but it existed.
Pride had its own rules. Pride could be unbearable, vain, competitive, and allergic to humiliation, but loyalty became reputation. Once Pride publicly stood beside you, betrayal damaged their own image. For Pride, faithfulness could become a crown.
Gluttony was simple in a terrifying way.
Feed them.
Respect their appetite.
Do not threaten their table.
Gluttony would lean toward whoever satisfied them best, but that also made them readable. Gula herself was dangerous, yes, but she was not complicated in the same poisoned way Envy was complicated. She liked food, comfort, and those who treated her as more than an eating disaster.
Sloth was perhaps the safest among the seven sins. They avoided conflict. They slept through half of politics and somehow survived the other half through inertia and terrifying hidden depth. Sloth rarely betrayed because betrayal required effort, and loyalty, once comfortable, was easier.
Lust was his grandfather’s house.
Complicated, seductive, indulgent, manipulative in silk rather than steel, but blood mattered there. Seraphyne’s lineage mattered. Lux knew Lust’s games because some of them lived in his own bones.
But Envy? Envy was different.
Envy smiled while counting what you had.
Envy admired first, then wanted.
Envy wanted first, then resented.
Resented first, then justified.
It was a house of mirrors, and every mirror could hide a dagger behind the reflection. Betrayal was not an accident there. It was often considered education.
Lux had dealt with Envy House too many times.
Too many polite words that became traps.
Too many agreements that grew teeth after signing.
Too many smiling nobles who offered help with one hand while selling his weakness with the other.
Even though he had saved Cyrinne once, he could not simply believe her.
He wanted to. He wanted this to be different.
Gula slowly put her spoon down. For once, she did not answer with food in her mouth. "We can," she said.
Lux watched her.
"Don’t worry," Gula added. "I know her."
Sira crossed her arms. "Knowing someone from Envy does not always help."
Gula nodded. "True. But Cyrinne is not Vira."
"That is a low bar."
"Very low," Gula agreed. "But important."
Lux leaned back slightly.
Gula continued, voice more serious now. "Cyrinne was forced to survive under Vira. That kind of thing makes people sharp, but it also makes them hate chains. She won’t rush back to Kaelmor’s side unless he offers her something bigger than freedom."
Naomi’s gaze softened thoughtfully. "And would he?"
Gula’s answer came after a pause. "Yes."
The room went quiet.
Gula looked at Lux. "That is why you need a proper connection to Envy House."
Lux did not answer immediately.
Because she was right.
He hated that she was right while still having cream at the corner of her mouth "I do," Lux said at last.
Sira watched him closely.
Lux’s fingers traced the rim of his coffee cup. "And really..." His voice grew quieter. "I hope this time we can get along well."
He meant it.
That was the worst part.
Not as a CFO.
He meant it personally too.
Because before this, Envy House had always made him hold something back.
A trust.
Every time he dealt with them, some old instinct inside him reached for locks. Hidden clauses. Backup contracts. Blackmail files. Escape routes. He never relaxed with Envy.
Never.
Even now, after Cyrinne had accepted his brand and revealed the legendary demon, he could still feel that instinct.
Hold back.
Watch.
Do not let access become betrayal.
Lux swallowed.
Then looked toward the closed door where Cyrinne had left.
But maybe, just maybe, Cyrinne Karess had come here because some part of her still remembered admiration before it became poison.