Chapter 912: Do You Believe in Yourself?
Chapter 912 – Do You Believe in Yourself?
The sincerity hit harder than flirting somehow.
Ariel swallowed slowly. "I feel calmer."
Lux hummed softly.
Then leaned slightly closer toward the pool.
"Good."
That single word did unreasonable things to her nervous system.
Ariel floated closer before realizing she was doing it.
Then froze.
Lux noticed immediately.
His eyes warmed slightly with amusement.
"You know," he murmured, "you don’t have to act scared around me."
"I’m not scared."
"You swam away because I mentioned you staring at me."
"Self-preservation."
Lux laughed again.
Then slowly dipped his fingers into the pool water beside her.
The cool ripples spread across her skin immediately.
Ariel’s breath caught softly.
Because now he was close.
Very close.
Close enough she could see the sleepy softness still lingering in his eyes.
Close enough to notice tiny fang marks on his lower lip from last night.
Close enough to smell him properly again.
Lux let his wet fingers trail lightly along the edge of one shimmering scale on her tail.
Ariel shivered instantly.
"Oh," Lux murmured quietly. "Sensitive there too?"
Ariel’s brain stopped functioning.
Because his voice changed again.
Lower.
Rougher.
Morning warmth slowly turning back into seduction.
And the terrifying part?
She wanted it.
Badly.
Lux’s fingers traced another slow line against her tail beneath the water.
Not invasive.
Not grabbing.
Just touching.
Like he was fascinated.
Ariel’s chest tightened painfully.
Lux always sounded most dangerous when he stopped trying to sound seductive at all.
Because then he sounded honest.
And honesty from someone like Lux Vaelthorn felt more intimate than sex ever could.
Ariel floated there quietly while his fingers continued tracing lazy patterns across the shimmering scales of her tail beneath the water.
Warm fingertips.
Cool water.
Morning sunlight.
And those eyes looking at her like she was something worth studying carefully instead of fixing.
That alone made her chest ache.
Then Lux moved.
Without warning, the incubus slipped fully into the pool.
Ariel blinked immediately.
Because yeah.
That looked weird.
Not bad weird.
Just surreal.
Lux entering water with massive black wings still attached to his back felt like watching some divine painting come alive incorrectly. The wings darkened instantly beneath the water, sleek and heavy now, spreading behind him like shadows dissolving into ink.
His tail moved smoothly beneath the surface too.
And somehow, he still swam elegantly.
Ariel stared openly for a second.
"You look misplaced," she admitted.
Lux floated lazily closer toward her. "That’s rude."
"You’re literally a demon bird fish man hybrid."
"First of all," he said calmly, "rude again."
Ariel laughed softly despite herself.
"And second?"
"I prefer ’visionary species design.’"
"That sounds fake."
"Most luxury branding is."
Even in a pool naked at dawn this man still sounded like a CFO.
Lux drifted closer slowly through the water until they floated only a short distance apart now.
The pool reflected soft golden light across his wet skin and wings while droplets slid down sharp muscle and infernal markings.
Unfortunately wet Lux might somehow be hotter than dry Lux.
Ariel hated that discovery immediately.
Lux noticed her staring again.
Naturally.
But instead of teasing her this time, he just smiled faintly.
Then spoke softly.
"I saw you talking with Yue last night."
Ariel blinked slightly.
Right.
That.
She nodded slowly.
"I did."
Lux leaned back against the edge of the pool comfortably, one arm stretched behind him while his wings floated strangely beneath the water like living darkness.
"What did she say?"
Ariel hesitated slightly.
"Not much."
Lux gave her a look immediately.
The look.
The one that clearly said ’I negotiate contracts professionally. Don’t lie badly.’
Ariel sighed.
"...Okay. More than not much."
"There we go."
"She just..." Ariel looked down at the water quietly. "She told me I needed to heal for myself."
Lux stayed quiet.
Listening.
Not interrupting.
"I almost left last night," Ariel admitted softly. "But she stopped me."
The incubus tilted his head slightly.
"Why did you want to leave?"
Ariel swallowed slowly.
Then laughed weakly under her breath.
"The party was boring?"
Lux’s smile deepened faintly.
Ariel immediately shook her head.
"No. Not boring."
Then quieter, "Just... you know."
Lux waited patiently.
"Confidence problems," she admitted. "Mine."
The words felt ugly coming out loud.
Ariel looked away toward the rippling water instead of at him.
"And I kept wondering if..." Her voice weakened slightly. "If I could really be with you."
Silence.
The morning felt softer suddenly.
The mansion quiet around them except for distant sleeping noises somewhere inside and the gentle sound of water shifting around their bodies.
"Like the others," Ariel finished quietly.
Lux watched her carefully.
Not pitying.
Just focused.
"And what did Yue say?"
Ariel smiled faintly despite herself.
"She said I need confidence for myself first."
Lux hummed softly.
"That sounds like Yue."
"She also said my time would come."
The incubus nodded once slowly.
"Do you believe her?"
Ariel answered immediately.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
Because somehow, ancient dragons sounded impossible to doubt when they spoke calmly like that.
Lux drifted slightly closer again.
"Then... Do you believe in yourself?"
Ariel froze.
The question hit differently.
Not sharp.
Not cruel.
Just direct.
And somehow that made it harder.
Because Lux wasn’t asking whether she believed him.
Or Yue.
Or fate.
He was asking whether she believed herself.
Ariel looked into his eyes slowly.
Lux always looked too attentive when conversations became real. Like he stripped layers away just by listening carefully enough.
Ariel opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Then looked away briefly with a weak laugh.
"That’s harder."
Lux smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
No fake reassurance.
No immediate "you should."
Just understanding.
And somehow that made her chest loosen slightly.
Ariel floated closer unconsciously again until their knees brushed lightly beneath the water.
The contact sent warmth up her spine instantly.
Lux noticed.
But he didn’t push.
Didn’t tease.
He just let the contact stay there naturally.
Ariel stared down at the water quietly.
"I want to," she admitted softly.
Lux stayed silent.
"I really want to believe in myself again."
The confession hurt more than expected.
Because it sounded small.
Fragile.
