Chapter 806 – Someone Needs to Learn How to Lean on Others

Sira stared at him for a second.

Then laughed again, this time sharper, more impressed.

"Of course you did."

Of course.

Because this?

This was Lux.

Moving pieces.

Setting the board.

Building networks.

Even while dealing with emotions he didn’t have time to process.

"Now I just need Wrath and Gluttony," Lux said.

The words came out calm. Controlled. Like everything else he said.

But internally?

Yeah... that hit different.

Because that wasn’t just a checklist anymore.

That was... almost done.

Sira shifted slightly on his lap, one leg crossing over the other as if she had all the time in the world. Which, knowing her? She did. Pride didn’t rush.

"Wrath is kinda already there," she said casually.

Lux blinked.

"...What?"

That pulled him out of his head immediately.

"I thought Lord Varakan didn’t..." he trailed off, brows pulling together.

Didn’t like him.

Didn’t trust him.

Didn’t care.

Wrath wasn’t exactly the type to shake hands and build alliances over tea.

Sira smirked, tilting her head slightly.

"Oh, he won’t say that out loud, Lux."

Of course he wouldn’t.

"You know how he is," she added, almost amused. "Prideful. Violent. Emotionally constipated."

Lux snorted under his breath.

"...Accurate."

"But~" she dragged the word slightly, enjoying the moment, "he said all that to my dad."

Lux stilled.

That... was different.

"Wait," he said, eyes narrowing just slightly. "He said it to Pride?"

Sira nodded.

"Well, he didn’t say it nicely," she added. "It was more like... ’that Greed brat isn’t weak, don’t underestimate him.’"

Lux blinked.

Then leaned back slightly.

"...That’s basically a compliment."

"In Wrath language?" Sira shrugged. "That’s a love confession."

Lux huffed a laugh, shaking his head slightly.

That was insane.

And yet, it made sense.

Varakan respected strength.

Not charm.

Not manipulation.

Not strategy.

Strength.

And Lux had shown that.

Not directly.

But enough.

"And," Sira continued, watching his reaction carefully, "he decided to help Pride."

That one landed harder.

Lux’s eyes widened slightly.

"You’re serious."

Sira nodded again, this time without teasing.

"I don’t joke about war positioning."

Right.

Of course she didn’t.

Lux leaned back deeper into the chair, one hand coming up to press lightly against his temple.

So...

Wrath wasn’t neutral.

Wrath was... leaning.

And leaning toward Pride?

Which was leaning toward him?

That meant...

"...Six," Lux muttered.

Sira smiled faintly.

"Six."

The number hung in the air.

Heavy.

Significant.

Because that changed everything.

That meant the only one left was...

"Gluttony."

Lux exhaled slowly.

Sira tilted her head slightly.

"That one... might already be in progress."

Lux glanced at her.

"...What do you mean?"

"Lullaby," she said simply.

Ah.

That made sense.

"She’s talking to them right now," Sira added. "Dream world."

Lux’s gaze drifted slightly, processing that.

Of course, she didn’t ask.

She just... acted.

"I see," he murmured.

A pause.

Sira leaned in slightly, her tone shifting again.

"And Ely’s been busy too."

Lux frowned.

"...What?"

"Crystals. Potions," Sira said, almost casually.

Lux’s brows pulled together more. "Why?" He actually sounded confused. "I didn’t say anything."

That was the part that bothered him.

He didn’t ask.

He didn’t tell.

He didn’t signal.

So why?

Sira just looked at him.

Really looked.

Then sighed softly.

"You don’t have to."

Lux blinked.

"That’s the problem," she added.

A beat.

"They already know."

That... made him pause.

Not strategically.

Not analytically.

Just.

Pause.

"Rava and Naomi also have a plan," Sira continued.

Lux turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing.

"...Why?"

And there it was.

The question that sounded simple.

But wasn’t.

Sira didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, her hand moved, slowly, deliberately, resting against his chest, right over his heart.

Not teasing.

Not seductive.

Just... there.

"Because," she said softly, "someone needs to learn how to lean on others."

Lux didn’t respond.

"And especially," she added, her gaze sharpening just slightly, "his own harem."

That word hit differently.

Not in a possessive way.

Not in a playful way.

Just...

Real.

Before he could react, she leaned in and kissed him.

Hard.

Not gentle.

Not hesitant.

It wasn’t about teasing.

It wasn’t about seduction.

It was...

Grounding.

Like water in a desert.

Like something real in the middle of too many calculations.

Lux didn’t move at first.

Then his hand came up, instinctively, gripping her waist slightly tighter as the kiss held.

For a moment, his mind went quiet.

No calculations.

Just...

This.

When they pulled back, the air felt different.

Quieter.

Closer.

Sira didn’t move far.

Her forehead almost brushed his as she spoke again.

"Why don’t you lean on us more, Lux?"

That question...

That one didn’t have a clean answer.

Lux opened his mouth slightly.

Then closed it.

His thoughts tangled for once, not because they were complex, but because they weren’t structured.

"I..." he started.

Then stopped.

Because saying it out loud made it real.

"I’m trying," he said finally.

It sounded weaker than he wanted.

More honest than he intended.

Sira didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t mock.

Didn’t push.

She just watched.

"But I’m used to doing everything alone," he continued, quieter now.

That part?

That part was ingrained.

Built.

Refined.

Survival.

"And I..."

He paused again.

This time longer.

Then...

"I don’t want to make you guys feel like this is transactional."

There it was.

The real problem.

"Like I’m using you."

The words sat between them.

Heavy.

Ugly.

Honest.

Because that was what Greed did.

That was what he did.

Measured.

Calculated.

Leveraged.

Even feelings.

Even people.

Sira huffed softly.

Not annoyed.

Not angry.

Just exasperated.

"You still have that problem?"

Lux closed his eyes briefly.

"...Yes."

Because no matter how much he changed...

That part of him stayed.

The part that questioned motives.

That measured value.

That wondered...

’If I lean on them... am I just using them?’

His hand loosened slightly at her waist.

Not pulling away.

Just... uncertain.

Sira saw it.

Of course she did.

She always saw the cracks.

"There it is again," she murmured softly.

Her fingers slid up from his chest to his collar, slow, deliberate, tracing the line of fabric like she was mapping him out piece by piece.

"That hesitation."