"So, Milady Liliana Crimson... Could you provide me with an explanation of what occurred last night?"
Upon hearing this, Liliana pursed her lips and fell silent for a few moments.
In fact, before she called Leon, she had prepared numerous explanations and excuses, but when he directly questioned her, she became nervous.
However, Liliana understood that she had to explain everything to Leon, as the effects of her Demon Mark would reactivate in five days.
Taking a deep breath, Liliana composed herself and turned her gaze back to Leon.
"Of course, I will explain it to you. However, before that, I'd like to ask you a question. Are you familiar with an ancient magic of our Demon race called the 'Demon Mark'?" Liliana inquired, her tone softer and calmer.
Leon was slightly startled by this question, his expression turning serious.
"Demon Mark... do you mean the ancient magic created by the second Demon Emperor, Morgan Crimson? I've read about that magic in one of the ancient books in the Holy Orthodox library, but it's merely an introduction, and there's no detailed information about it," Leon replied with a frown.
He didn't understand why Liliana was suddenly asking this question.
Could the magic of the Demon Mark have played a role in their intense battle last night?
In response to Leon's words, Liliana smiled faintly and leaned back against the chair.
"You're correct. The Demon Mark is indeed a magic created by my ancestor, Morgan Crimson. Given that it's been over 6,000 years since his time, it's only natural that there are very few records of this magic. Therefore, let me explain the Demon Mark magic first," Liliana stated briefly, pausing for a moment before continuing.
"Demon Mark Magic is a forbidden level of magic that serves the function of binding two individuals to produce formidable offspring. My ancestor, Morgan Crimson, crafted this magic with the intention of empowering his descendant, the future Demon Emperor, to confront the heroes of mankind," her gaze calm as she spoke.
"Morgan Crimson also infused this magic into his bloodline, ensuring that every subsequent Demon Emperor born in the next era would automatically activate the Demon Mark magic upon finding a life partner," she concluded, allowing Leon a moment to absorb the information.
Since she had intended to explain from the beginning, there was no need for her to hold back or conceal anything.
Leon, who listened attentively to Liliana's explanation, couldn't help but feel immensely surprised.
He hadn't anticipated that the Demon Mark's magic would be so potent and remarkable.
The effect was to fortify the bloodline... If the sorcerers of mankind were to hear about this, they would likely go into a frenzy and fervently seek to get this magic.
It was no wonder; each generation of Demon Emperors chronicled in the ancient texts grew more powerful from one era to the next.
Had Liliana not explained this to him, he wouldn't have known that the Demon Race possessed magical techniques like this.
After a moment of contemplation, Leon suddenly frowned as a thought crossed his mind.
'Wait a minute! The Demon Mark is a magic that binds the Demon Emperor and its partner... Then Liliana's partner, is it me?' Leon's eyes widened as he entertained this thought. Sёarch* The NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He was no fool and immediately understood the implied significance of Liliana's explanation.
Moreover, the two already had triplet daughters; didn't this clarify everything?
His heart raced, and as his gaze returned to Liliana, he felt a twinge of unease.
"Cough! Liliana Crimson, may I ask you a question?" Leon said, clearing his throat.
"Go ahead," Liliana replied casually and calmly.
"You mentioned that the Demon Mark is the magic that binds Demon Emperors and their partners... So, am I the partner you're bound to?" Leon asked carefully and hesitantly.
Liliana raised an eyebrow and offered a faint, cold smile at him.
"Isn't it obvious?" Her words confirmed Leon's suspicion, leaving him astonished and at a loss for words.
The Demon Emperor and the hero being a couple? If humanity were to hear about this, they would likely vehemently condemn the notion.
Anyway, in this context, the term 'couple' typically implies nothing less than a spousal relationship, doesn't it?
He, the sword hero, had unwittingly been the husband of the Demon Emperor all this time?
Just the thought of it made the corners of his mouth twitch.
Although his feelings for Liliana had softened, the idea of becoming husband and wife still felt overwhelming and too early for him.
Leon remained silent for a few moments before finally asking, "Was the reason I was able to bond and become your partner because of the incident four years ago?"
The incident four years ago marked the beginning of his connection with Liliana. Hence, it was the only explanation he could conceive.
"Indeed. The Demon Mark is activated automatically when the Demon Emperor and their partner engage in intercourse for the first time, and you were the one who took my virginity. Doesn't it all add up?" Liliana sneered coldly, casting a glance at Leon with a hint of disdain.
Recalling the incident four years ago always irked her; at that time, she was exceedingly frail due to the effects of the demon suppressant in the border town.
If only she could turn back time, she would have slapped Leon and given him a thorough beating for daring to defile this demon emperor!
Fortunately, their three daughters inherited his handsome features, boasting cute and pretty faces, which brought Liliana some solace.
At Liliana's sarcasm, Leon felt a pang of embarrassment and found himself unable to refute her.
After all, who would have anticipated that his adversary at the time would break martial arts etiquette and resort to throwing Aphrodisiac powder at him?
"Cough! Well, didn't I already apologize for that matter? I admit that I was wrong, okay?" Leon spoke with remorse and sincerity.
Seeing Leon's contrite demeanor, a proud smile graced Liliana's lips.
"Humph! You know that," she replied, her arrogance reminiscent of Iris, whom he encountered in the hallway earlier.
'Like mother, like daughter,' Leon mused to himself, feeling a sense of helplessness.
After a while, curiosity stirred in Leon's heart as he recalled Liliana's sudden change in demeanor last night, which was quite peculiar.
"By the way, Liliana Crimson... Did last night's incident have something to do with the Demon Mark? If so, why is your demeanor so different?" Leon's question caused Liliana's face to stiffen and blush instantaneously.
She still remembered how shameful her behavior had been and wished to bury the memory deep within!
Yet, with Leon bringing it up again, she felt the urge to find a hole to hide her face in!
While maintaining a facade of coldness to conceal her embarrassment, Liliana nodded slightly.
"The Demon Mark, despite its potent power, carries a significant side effect. If the Demon Emperor and their partner lack genuine affection, the Demon Mark can temporarily drive them into a state of madness, inducing uncontrollable desires..." Liliana halted her explanation, her ears turning crimson with embarrassment, finding it too awkward to continue.
Leon's eyes widened in astonishment as he absorbed her words.
'Damn it! Is there such an effect? No wonder Liliana and I lost control last night,' he thought, suppressing his surprise.
He couldn't help but marvel at Morgan Crimson's ingenuity to devise such a cunning method.
Indeed, it logically follows that if two partners are to produce powerful offspring, their relationship must also be robust and deeply connected.
"So it's like that... I see... No wonder your demeanor is so peculiar and doesn't quite match the image of the Demon Emperor," Leon remarked, trying to inject a bit of humor into the conversation.
Yet, he quickly fell silent as Liliana shot him a sharp, dagger-like glare.
He sensed that if he continued speaking, this woman might severely punch him.
"Ehem! Does the effect of the Demon Mark only occur once, or will there be sustained effects?" Leon swiftly changed the subject.
Upon hearing this, Liliana sighed and closed her eyes briefly before reopening them, fixing Leon with a serious gaze.
"As long as the two individuals bound by the Demon Mark do not love each other, this side effect will persist. As for the subsequent effects, they will manifest in five days..."