Chapter 909 – Be Beautiful for Yourself

The words hit strangely hard.

Not cruel.

That was the problem.

If Yue had mocked her, Ariel could’ve defended herself easier.

But the dragon sounded calm.

Certain.

Ancient.

Like she was simply stating weather.

Ariel looked away slowly.

The music from the lounge drifted through the mansion softly. Laughter. Teasing.

Ariel’s chest tightened again.

"Me?" she whispered quietly.

Yue nodded once.

"Yes."

The dragon leaned casually against the pillar beside her, wine glass resting loosely in elegant fingers while her eyes stayed fixed on Ariel carefully.

"You aren’t strong enough yet to stand for yourself."

Ariel flinched slightly.

Not visibly.

But Yue noticed anyway.

Ancient dragons probably noticed everything.

"You feel useless," Yue continued calmly. "You lack confidence. That’s what’s making you suffer like this."

Ariel hated how accurate that sounded.

Because yes.

That was exactly it.

Not jealousy.

Not only jealousy anyway.

Fear.

Fear that she wasn’t enough.

Fear that Lux would eventually realize she was still broken in places she couldn’t hide forever.

Fear that she’d become another responsibility for him instead of someone who could stand beside him properly.

Ariel wrapped her arms around herself tighter.

"But I don’t want to be like this," she admitted quietly.

The confession came out more vulnerable than intended.

Yue looked at her for a few silent seconds.

Then sighed softly.

"How do I change myself?" Ariel asked.

The question sounded pathetic out loud.

But Yue didn’t laugh.

Didn’t pity her either.

The dragon simply stared toward the lounge where Lux now sat half surrounded by women while somehow still maintaining the composure of a king lounging in his court.

"You need time for yourself," Yue said calmly.

Ariel blinked.

"That’s it?"

Yue smiled faintly.

"Everything has the right time."

The dragon tilted her wine glass slightly.

"Even flowers bloom at the proper season."

The words settled strangely warm inside Ariel’s chest.

"You..." Yue continued softly. "This simply isn’t your time yet."

Ariel swallowed slowly.

Not your time yet.

Somehow that sounded gentler than failure.

Yue looked at her again.

"Be beautiful for yourself first."

Ariel stared down at the polished floor quietly while the mansion lights painted soft reflections across the marble.

Be beautiful for yourself.

Not for Lux.

Not for approval.

Not for validation.

For herself.

That sounded difficult.

Ariel laughed weakly under her breath.

"I think I understand."

And maybe she did.

At least a little.

Because deep down she knew Lux never actually demanded perfection from anyone here.

The pressure mostly came from herself.

From the fear of not deserving what he gave so easily.

Ariel exhaled slowly.

Then glanced back toward the lounge again.

"...So," Ariel whispered quietly. "I guess this party really isn’t for me."

The sentence hurt more than expected.

Because part of her wanted it to be.

Wanted to walk over there and let herself be wanted too.

But before she could step away... A hand caught her wrist gently.

Ariel blinked in surprise.

Yue held her lightly.

"No."

Ariel looked at her.

The dragon’s expression remained calm.

"He welcomed you."

Ariel’s chest tightened slightly.

"The girls invited you," Yue continued. "We all want you here."

Something warm and painful twisted behind Ariel’s ribs.

Yue’s grip loosened slightly but didn’t disappear.

"At the very least," the dragon said softly, "we want you to see how this works."

Ariel frowned faintly.

"How what works?"

Yue’s lips curved faintly upward.

"This."

She gestured lightly toward the chaos.

"The teasing. The affection. The way Lux interacts with everyone."

Ariel looked toward the couch again automatically.

Lux was currently being force-fed another dumpling.

Somehow he still looked hot doing it.

It was genuinely unfair.

Yue chuckled softly beside her.

"Don’t worry so much."

Easy for an ancient dragon to say.

Ariel hesitated.

"I guess."

"That’s better."

Then Yue’s expression shifted slightly.

More amused now.

"Besides," she murmured, "we should join them teasing him."

Ariel blinked.

"What?"

Yue took another sip of wine casually.

"They said Lux rarely agrees to something like this."

That immediately caught Ariel’s attention.

"Really?"

Yue nodded.

"He usually takes control."

Ariel looked back toward the lounge again.

And suddenly, she noticed it too.

Lux wasn’t dominating the room right now.

He wasn’t controlling every interaction.

He was letting them play with him.

Letting himself be teased.

Fed.

Seduced.

And somehow that vulnerability from someone normally so composed made him even more attractive.

No wonder everyone looked addicted.

Yue’s eyes narrowed slightly with amusement.

"But tonight," the dragon continued, "he’s allowing us to seduce him instead."

Ariel swallowed hard.

The idea alone made her stomach flutter strangely.

Lux allowing vulnerability felt intimate in ways she couldn’t explain.

Because it meant trust.

And maybe...

Maybe that was the point of all this.

Not just lust.

Trust.

Ariel watched Lux laugh again as Mira shoved another dumpling toward his mouth dramatically.

Then suddenly, Lux’s eyes flicked toward the pillar.

Toward them.

Straight toward Ariel.

Her breath caught instantly.

Even across the room that gaze felt overwhelming.

Lux stilled for half a second.

Then slowly smiled when he spotted her standing there.

Not smug.

Not seductive.

Warm.

Welcoming.

Like he’d been aware of her presence the entire time and simply waited for her to approach when ready.

The realization nearly shattered her composure instantly.

Yue noticed too.

"Told you."

Ariel looked away quickly before her face betrayed too much.

"He noticed..."

"He always notices."

That somehow made things worse.

Ariel’s heart hammered painfully against her ribs now.

Because Lux wasn’t staring at her like she was a burden.

Or a fling.

Or something temporary.

He looked happy she was there.

That stupidly simple realization made her chest ache.

Yue gently nudged her shoulder.

"Come on."

Ariel hesitated.

Then slowly, started walking with her toward the lounge.

Each step made her pulse climb higher.

The mansion felt warmer near the couches. Rich amber lighting. Soft music. The scent of wine, perfume, infernal pheromones, and food mixing together into something strangely intimate.

The girls immediately noticed them approaching.

Naomi smiled first.

"There she is."

Mira gasped dramatically. "The mermaid returns."

Sira immediately pointed at Lux. "See? Your emotional support fish came back."

Lux looked deeply offended. "That nickname feels illegal."

Ariel laughed despite herself.

Small.

Soft.

But real.

And Lux noticed that too.

His eyes stayed on her while his smile slowly deepened.

Dangerous mistake.

Because now Ariel’s heart was doing extremely irresponsible things again.

Then Lux leaned back into the couch lazily and spread one arm dramatically.

"Well," he murmured smoothly, "come closer then."

There it was again.

That confidence.

That warmth.

That dangerous invitation that somehow never sounded forced.

Ariel froze for half a heartbeat.

Then Yue gently pushed her forward with the most unhelpful ancient dragon smile imaginable.

"Go on," Yue whispered near her ear. "Let him make bad decisions."