Chapter 174: Mexico City
... Mexico City, 5pm ...
"My queen, it is my pleasure to meet you again."
Damian’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the man before him. A Mexican with a thick mustache and a painfully corny sense of fashion stood there with several buttons of his shirt undone, exposing a patch of chest hair. Yet despite the ridiculous appearance, there was an undeniable confidence in the way he carried himself. Every movement had flair, every gesture laced with a kind of swagger that naturally drew attention.
Compared to himself, the man was inferior in every measurable way.
Yet it seemed he was completely unaware of that gap.
That was the only reason he dared to flirt with his wife in his presence.
The only thing holding Damian back from striking him down on the spot was the stench clinging to the man’s body. It was thick, unmistakable. Demonic. They were not speaking to a human, but to a demon inhabiting one.
"Don’t be silly, Lith. Shouldn’t you be paying respect to your prince first?" Racheal slipped her hand into Damian’s arm, brushing off Lith’s display with a soft giggle and leaving him hanging mid-gesture.
Lith, who had been kneeling with his hands outstretched, immediately withdrew them. The color drained from his face as realization struck. His eyes flickered with shock as they shifted toward the man beside her, only to meet a pair of threatening purple eyes burning beneath the shadow of a face cap.
’This is him? The man who killed Duke Haborym?!’
Lith was not ignorant of Damian’s achievements. The entire underworld had been stirred by that single act. But he had never expected the man standing before him, so calm, so unreadable, to be that same individual. Especially when he could not sense even a trace of demonic force from him.
"My—"
"Get up."
Damian cut him off, his voice cold and sharp, carrying a weight that made refusal impossible.
Without hesitation, Lith rose to his feet. His head remained lowered, his body trembling slightly under the pressure, drawing curious glances from passersby.
Racheal placed her hands gently against Damian’s chest, trying to ease the tension.
"It’s alright. He’s an Incubus. It’s in his nature to be a bit flirty and dramatic."
Damian paid her no mind. His gaze remained fixed on Lith. The burning intensity in his eyes slowly dimmed, but the coldness in his expression did not fade. The matter was not forgotten, only postponed.
He would deal with it later.
"Get us out of here first," Damian ordered.
Lith nodded quickly and hurried toward a red SUV parked nearby. He pulled the back door open and gestured respectfully for them to enter.
Once inside the vehicle, Damian removed his face cap and mask. He brushed his hair back and pulled out his phone, his attention shifting to his inbox.
A picture from Hazel.
Ruby and Clara stood side by side, each holding a surfboard, their expressions bright with excitement. The tension in his chest eased almost instantly, and a faint smile formed on his lips.
"They are having lots of fun without us," Racheal said softly from the side.
Damian allowed the smile to linger for a moment before shaking his head.
"We are about to make a deal worth over half a billion, and there is a good chance we will be wiping out a cult," he replied calmly. "I think we will have the most fun in these two days."
Racheal nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Lith slipped into the driver’s seat and glanced at Damian through the rearview mirror. This was the human who had shaken the underworld to its core, the man who had killed Duke Haborym just months after inheriting his power.
Whether Damian realized it or not, he had already become something of a legend. A rising figure that many watched closely. Several dukes had already withdrawn their support from their previous candidates, shifting their attention toward him in anticipation of what he might become.
They believed he could be the next demon lord.
Not just another ruler, but one capable of changing the declining fate of the demon race.
Yet along with that belief came curiosity.
A dangerous curiosity.
They wanted to know how he had achieved such a feat. Was it raw power, overwhelming and absolute, or was it something else entirely?
The underworld buzzed with speculation.
Lith was no different.
’He is more vicious than Master Lin Qui... that much I can tell.’
A faint shiver ran through him as his eyes lingered on Damian’s reflection. There was something unsettling about the emptiness in those eyes. Something that did not align with the image of a newly risen prince.
He quickly tore his gaze away and focused on the road.
The engine hummed softly as the vehicle came to life, gliding forward into the streets of the city.
"What about Loth?" Racheal suddenly asked.
Damian raised a brow. "Loth?"
His gaze shifted toward the driver, whose name was already Lith, and confusion crept into his expression.
"Don’t worry, baby, it’s his twin sister. A succubus like me. They have been under my service for over a thousand years now."
Damian nodded slowly, but the confusion did not leave his face. The idea of demons having twins still felt strange to him. Perhaps it was his human bias, but that had always seemed like something reserved for mortals, not beings like them.
"She’s delivering your costumes to your suite as we speak," Lith added.
"Costume?" Damian turned to Racheal, who responded with a soft giggle as she leaned into his arm. "Is this part of your plan?"
Racheal nodded without hesitation, her smile carrying a quiet pride. If the Prince of Greed was already curious about the identity of the one behind the sale, then she might as well take advantage of that curiosity and use it to stir something deeper. Discord among siblings was never a bad start.
"Of course. I’ll explain everything when we get to the hotel," she replied.
Damian gave a small nod and turned his attention to the tinted window, watching the blurred cityscape slide past in silence. Meanwhile, Lith kept stealing glances through the rearview mirror.
Racheal had always been reserved around Lin Qui, composed and almost withdrawn, but now she carried herself differently. There was a confidence in her posture, a lightness in her expression, something far more open than before.
Lith’s grip on the wheel tightened slightly.
Who the hell was this human?