In the dark palace hallway, illuminated only by the twin moonlights in the night sky, Fiona, clad in a light green lolita nightgown and clutching her teddy bear, walked with a sleepy expression on her round, chubby face.
"Yawn~ nyam~ nyam~" Fiona yawned softly, her small eyelids heavy, as if she might topple over at any moment.
Yet, despite her drowsiness, a sense of excitement and joy lit up her little face as she prepared for her usual routine—sneaking into her daddy's room!
"Hehe~ I wonder if Daddy will be surprised to find me sleeping on his belly in the morning," Fiona giggled, her round eyes blinking with curiosity.
She hadn't seen her daddy for five days, and the thought of surprising him in his room filled her with excitement!
"Hehehe~" Fiona continued to giggle, her head swaying side to side with happiness as she walked.
However, just as Fiona was immersed in the joy of seeing her father again, she suddenly recalled the incident from that afternoon when her pink key broke and her daddy's bedroom door remained locked, causing her expression to shift into a sullen one.
"Humph! I can't fail like I did this afternoon!" Fiona clenched her fist, determination etched on her small, chubby face.
The incident from earlier, where her pink key had broken again, left her feeling upset.
Thankfully, her sister, Charlotte, promised to fix it tomorrow and lend her the blue key! seaʀᴄh thё NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
With excitement evident in her expression, Fiona pressed on until she reached the door of Leon's room.
Without hesitation, she reached into the pocket of her nightgown, withdrawing the blue key her sister had lent her, and inserted it into the keyhole of her daddy's bedroom door.
*Click!*
As she turned the key, the sudden click of the door lock opening made her jump with joy.
"Yeay! It worked!" Fiona cheered happily, but she quickly regained her composure, immediately covering her small mouth with the palm of her hand.
"Shhh! No noise!" Fiona admonished herself, placing her index finger on her lips.
Swiftly, she retrieved the blue key, still lodged in the keyhole of the bedroom door, returned it to her nightgown pocket, and stood on tiptoe to grasp the doorknob.
*Clack!*
As the door knob turned, Fiona pushed the door open slightly and peered into the room with her small head.
Her gaze locked onto the bed, and she froze in place when she saw her daddy wasn't there.
"What? Daddy's not in bed? How is that possible?" Fiona exclaimed, her disbelief evident, as she immediately entered Leon's room.
With astonishment etched on her round face, Fiona checked once more in the direction of the bed, only to find it empty—her daddy, who should have been sleeping there, was nowhere in sight.
"Is Daddy in the bathroom?" Fiona wondered to herself, deciding to check there.
Sadly, when she reached the bathroom and peered inside, her hopeful expression instantly faded into a pout upon discovering her daddy was not there.
Undeterred, Fiona persisted in her search, scouring all sides—behind and inside the wardrobe, under the bed, on the balcony, and beneath the table—but to no avail because her daddy was simply not there!
"Wuuuu~ Daddy, where are you?" Fiona whimpered, having exhausted herself searching every corner of the room in vain.
Tears streamed down both corners of her eyes, drenching her chubby cheeks.
She had hoped to sleep peacefully on her daddy's belly tonight, just like before he secluded himself in his room for five days.
Yet, her wish was shattered once more, compounding the earlier disappointment of not being able to be with her daddy earlier in the day.
Fiona continued to whimper and cry, holding onto hope that her daddy would suddenly appear and offer her comfort.
However, after five minutes of tearful crying, with still no sign of her daddy's return, frustration instantly surged within her, prompting Fiona to cease her tears as she found it exhausting.
"Wuu~ Smelly daddy! It seems like you don't love Fiona anymore!" Fiona grumbled, her cheeks puffing up like pufferfish, tear stains still visible in the corners of her eyes.
She had already resolved in her heart that upon her daddy's return, she would sulk and wouldn't forgive him!
With a sullen and angry expression, Fiona walked over to Leon's bed, slightly stomping her feet in a sulk, and flopped down upon it.
She grabbed the blanket Leon used to wrap around her small body and snuggled into his pillow for a headrest, immersing herself in her daddy's comforting scent.
"Hehehe~" Fiona's sullen expression gradually melted away, replaced by a contented smile as she basked in her daddy's soothing and familiar aroma.
Gradually, a profound drowsiness washed over Fiona, causing her to instantly close her eyes and drift into a deep sleep.
"Zzzzzz~ nyam~ nyam~ nyam~"
...
Meanwhile...
"So, can you explain everything now?"
Sitting on a white garden bench, Leon looked at Miranda, seated opposite him, and inquired with a calm and relaxed expression, no longer showing the vigilance he had before.
After their brief contact earlier, Leon sensed no ulterior motives or ill intentions from her, reassuring him that Miranda indeed meant no harm.
Upon hearing Leon's question, Miranda smiled slightly and, instead of answering, posed an unexpected question.
"Would you like some tea or coffee?"
The corners of Leon's mouth twitched slightly at her question, but he didn't complain and answered lightly, "Coffee."
"Coffee? Alright," Miranda said with a smile as she snapped her fingers.
*Snap*
Suddenly, two cups of black coffee appeared on the table in front of them, causing Leon to look at Miranda in surprise.
"How did you create something out of thin air?" Leon asked, curiosity clearly etched on his face.
Miranda smiled faintly and replied proudly, "Certainly, it's because we are currently within my domain, granting me the ability to create something as I will."
Leon's eyebrows shot up in surprise. This was the first time he had encountered such an ability, one that defied his understanding of common sense.
The power to create at will... Wasn't that an ability reserved for the gods?
Suddenly, Leon's mind drifted to the famous legend of the moon's name, Miranda, a tale believed by all.
In the legend, Miranda was known as the goddess of darkness, and the woman before him asserted that the moon Miranda was named after her.
So, could this woman truly be the goddess of darkness mentioned in the legend?
As this realization dawned on him, coupled with her recent demonstration of creating something out of nothing, Leon involuntarily drew a deep breath, casting a somewhat frightened glance at Miranda.
Just moments ago, he had been rude to her, and now he feared she might curse or punish him.
After all, despite his prowess as a hero, wouldn't he appear as insignificant as an ant before a goddess figure?
With a hesitant and fearful expression, Leon swallowed hard and asked, "Um... Miranda, are you a goddess?"
Upon hearing Leon's sudden question, Miranda looked at him in surprise before bursting into laughter.
"Pfft! Goddess? How could you even think of such a thing?" Miranda asked incredulously, shaking her head and wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.
Observing Miranda's laughter, which seemed to mock him, Leon felt a twinge of embarrassment, but he dared not protest. Instead, he cleared his throat and explained, "Ahem! The reason I inquired about it is because the Miranda moon in the night sky is said to be named after the goddess of darkness."
"Though I initially dismissed the idea, witnessing your recent abilities made me reconsider. So, I must ask again, Are you truly a goddess?" Leon cautiously reiterated his question.
Miranda chuckled slightly and shook her head as she replied, "You're mistaken. I'm not the goddess you believe me to be."
Listening intently to her words, Leon let out an immediate sigh of relief.
If Miranda were truly a goddess, Leon would apologize without hesitation at this moment.
Fortunately, his fears were unfounded, allowing him to relax slightly.
Taking a deep breath, Leon turned his gaze back to Miranda with a slightly frowning expression and asked in an urgent tone, "So, who are you exactly, and what's your reason for summoning me here?"
He had asked this question numerous times before, but Miranda's silence left him slightly annoyed.
Moreover, he was genuinely eager to leave this place, complete his transcendence, and swiftly meet up with Liliana, who was likely worrying about him right now.
Observing Leon's sudden expression of frustration and anger, Miranda discerned that he was reaching the limit of his patience.
With a graceful smile on her lips, Miranda rose to her feet and regarded Leon with gentle eyes before once again bowing her head towards him.
"I apologize for the delay in answering your question. Honestly, the reason I did so wasn't to tease you, but to express the longing of 7,000 years awaiting your appearance," Miranda admitted.
Leon, taken aback by her words, felt a mixture of surprise and confusion wash over him.
Yet, before Leon could articulate his thoughts, Miranda promptly interrupted him, reintroducing herself once again.
"Forgive me for not introducing myself thoroughly to you," she said in a gentle tone and continued, "My name is Miranda. The embodiment of the spirit of the Great Sword of Chaos, also known as the goddess of darkness, brings darkness to the entire world."
Miranda paused and raised her head towards Leon with a smile, continuing, "It is a pleasure to meet you, my new master, the fated one~"