Night-time
"Hah, in the end, none of these books contain any information about the poison coursing through my body," Leon muttered, closing the final book with a small sigh.
His gaze shifted to the stack of books on the table to his right, all of which he had already finished reading.
Regrettably, despite having finished all the books, they yielded absolutely nothing, leaving him feeling increasingly frustrated and annoyed.
"It seems I'll need to enlist Lyra's help once more to gather the remaining poison books from the library, though I'm uncertain if any remain," Leon whispered, laying his head down on the table in a daze.
Every passing second held immense value, and he knew he had to swiftly replenish his strength at any cost.
Furthermore, with the imminent outbreak of war looming, his hunch told him that something big awaited him.
"Should I compose a letter to Arshley seeking assistance, informing her of my survival and dire need for help?" Leon pondered deeply, his mind burdened with uncertainty.
It wasn't that Leon hadn't considered this approach before; rather, he hesitated.
If he were to write a letter or reach out to Arshley in Holy Orthodox for assistance, he feared it might be detected by Velix and the Holy Empire of Elysium behind him.
Given the Holy Elysium Empire's current state of preparation, Leon found it hard to believe that Jim, the four-eyed devi, hadn't established surveillance or deployed spies across humanity's territory or even within the Holy Orthodox itself to prevent any unforeseen incidents.
Hence, this uncertain risk led him to immediately abandon his intention.
*Knock! Knock!*
"Your Majesty Leon, I've brought your dinner. May I come in?"
With a sudden knock, Lyra's voice from behind the door abruptly snapped Leon out of his reverie.
"Dinner?" Leon murmured, surprised. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was already 7 p.m., time having slipped away from him unnoticed.
Quickly, Leon turned his gaze towards the door and replied, "Come in, Lyra. My bedroom door is unlocked."
After Leon uttered those words, the door to his room creaked open, revealing Lyra entering with a food trolley.
"Sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty Leon," Lyra said, halting her steps and bowing respectfully.
"There is no need to apologize. Just place the food on the table near the sofa," Leon replied, gesturing toward a table in the center of the room.
Lyra gave a small nod and proceeded to arrange all the food she had brought on the designated table.
After everything was arranged, Lyra looked at Leon and bowed her head respectfully once more.
"I won't disturb your dinner time, Your Majesty Leon," she said, preparing to leave.
As she raised her head and made to leave, Leon swiftly halted her.
"Wait a moment, Lyra," Leon said, prompting Lyra to halt and look at him curiously.
"Is there anything else I can assist you with, Your Majesty?" Lyra asked, puzzled.
Leon didn't immediately respond. Instead, he slowly made his way to the sofa, sinking into it with a tired sigh.
His gaze then returned to Lyra, and he smiled gently.
"Lyra, could you stay in my room for a while?" he asked.
"Hmm?" Lyra tilted her head, a question mark hovering above her.
...
Seated at her workspace chair, Liliana swiftly went through the latest document, completing it in a flash.
"Finally finished all the work for today," she muttered, placing the document on the table in a somewhat tired tone.
With the looming prospect of war likely only a day or two away, Liliana's workload increased several times over, forcing her to spend more time in her workspace than usual.
Slowly, she leaned her tired back against the chair and lazily stretched her plump body, causing her huge breasts to strain against her dress as if they were about to burst free.
As she felt herself settle into a more comfortable position, Liliana, still leaning in her chair, gently swiveled it to face the large window behind her desk, affording her a view of the night sky. seaʀᴄh thё ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"In love, huh?" Her red eyes appeared slightly dazed as she reminisced about her conversation with Leon from the previous day.
To be honest, Liliana was entirely unfamiliar with the concept of romantic love between a man and a woman.
The weight of being a Demon Emperor and the inevitable destiny that awaited her to clash with the three heroes of mankind led her to vow never to entertain the notion of love.
Yet fate seemed to be playing with her, and ultimately, she found herself entwined with Leon, the Sword Hero who stood as her eternal adversary.
"Love..." Liliana murmured, pursing her lips.
Suddenly, her typically cold and indifferent expression softened, and a flush colored her cheeks as warmth spread across them.
Feelings of embarrassment, confusion, and a myriad of emotions that she was unaccustomed to experiencing surged within her all at once.
As someone who was clueless when it came to matters of the heart, she had absolutely no idea what was happening to her at this moment.
Ever since the events of that night, whenever she thought of Leon, she found herself feeling dazed, her heart occasionally quickening its pace beyond the norm.
"What's happening to me?" Liliana murmured, pressing her palm against her chest absentmindedly.
Unfortunately, she was alone in the workspace, with no one to answer her question.
With a small sigh, Liliana made an effort to suppress this unfamiliar feeling.
Just as she was about to stand up, her attention was unexpectedly caught by a piece of paper on her desk.
Swiftly, she picked up the paper and found herself unable to suppress a smile at its contents.
Earlier this afternoon, Fiona had sought her out to tell about of her writing lesson with Leon, leaving the little girl beaming with joy.
The paper she held contained the 26 true symbols that Fiona had written and proudly shown her.
"It looks like I have to meet Leon now to express my gratitude," Liliana thought to herself.
Considering how busy she had been in recent days, leaving her with little time for their daughters, Liliana felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward Leon for looking after them.
Naturally, Liliana was unaware that she was simply seeking a pretext to encounter Leon, regardless of whether that reason was genuine or not.
With her decision made, Liliana placed the paper back on her desk and teleported away.
*Whoosh!*
Instantly, Liliana materialized right in front of Leon's bedroom door.
As she gazed at the door ahead, Liliana felt her heart quicken once more for no discernible reason, yet she swiftly attempted to quell the sensation.
"Huft~" Liliana took a small breath, and just as she was about to raise her hand to knock on the door, suddenly, Leon's voice sounded from inside.
"Lyra, could you stay in my room for a while?"
At the sound of his voice, Liliana's eyes widened, astonishment flooding her features.
"That voice... Leon? And why did he mention Lyra? Is she inside right now?" Liliana quirked her eyebrows suspiciously as she muttered under her breath.
She hadn't anticipated that Lyra would be inside Leon's room at this moment.
"Could it be that Lyra is delivering dinner?" This thought crossed Liliana's mind, instantly relieving the tension in her eyebrows.
However, she remained somewhat puzzled as to why Leon wanted Lyra to stay for a while.
Was there something he wanted to discuss with Lyra?
Liliana fell silent for a few moments, and suddenly, an insight entered her mind.
She recalled telling Leon once that if he needed anything, he should inform Lyra.
Perhaps the reason Leon asked Lyra to stay for a while was related to this.
"Alright, I'll wait for a while," Liliana whispered silently, with no intention of eavesdropping.
After all, regardless of the reason, such actions were considered extremely rude.
With that in mind, Liliana positioned herself next to the door, closing her eyes as she patiently waited for the conversation between Leon and Lyra to conclude.
Thirty minutes later...
Liliana opened her eyes, the calm expression on her face vanishing in an instant.
"What's taking them so long? What could they be doing in there?" Liliana exclaimed impatiently, her frustration evident on her beautiful face.
Thirty minutes had passed, and there was still no sign of Lyra leaving Leon's room, which inexplicably left Liliana feeling agitated.
"Could they be up to something suspicious behind my back?" The moment this thought crossed her mind, Liliana's heart skipped a beat, a sharp pang stabbing at her chest, accompanied by a surge of anger.
Her huge, plump breasts beneath her black dress swayed up and down as she gasped for breath.
A thick red aura, resembling blood, enveloped her, causing the space around her to tremble as if it would shatter if she did not restrain herself.
Yet, gradually, this anger also began to subside as Liliana reasoned that it was likely just her assumption.
"I have to check it out," Liliana whispered coldly, her determination evident in her voice. Without further hesitation, she strode toward the door.
Pausing briefly, she closed her eyes and recited an incantation.
"Eavesdropping Magic..." Suddenly, a red light emanated from both of Liliana's ears, enhancing her hearing tenfold.
Liliana opened her eyes and took a moment to steady her breath before declaring, "Alright, I want to hear what these two are talking about."
Closing her eyes once more, the conversation between the two could suddenly be heard from inside.
Leon: "By the way, Lyra. Can you promise to keep this matter just between the two of us and not tell anyone?"
Lyra: "Yes, Your Majesty Leon. But what if Her Majesty, the Demon Emperor, discovers this?"
Leon: "Don't worry, that woman is very busy right now and can't possibly know this. So, take it easy."
Lyra: "But Your Majesty Leon..."
Leon: "Alright, don't say anything else. If Liliana finds out about this, I will take responsibility for you."
Lyra: "Then, I trust you, Your Majesty Leon."
Leon: "Good."
*Boom!*
Liliana's eyes snapped open, feeling as if a heavy boulder had crashed onto her head upon hearing the conversation between the two.
Her typically cold and indifferent expression drained of color, leaving her deathly pale, and she staggered back a few steps.
"Are they... actually playing behind my back!?"
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A/N: To compensate for the late update, I wrote more words than usual. So, please support as always! Thank you, and stay tuned!