The sun blazed hotter in the sky, and time passed so quickly that no one seemed to notice. Nonetheless, the crowds in the city of Erantum remained undiminished.
Every side of the road was crowded with demons going about their daily activities, making the city look very lively despite the intense heat of the sun's rays.
"Mommy! Look! There's a candy stand! Wow! Look at all those candies—they look incredibly delicious!"
"Yes! I bet those candies taste amazing."
On a bustling street lined with merchants, Charlotte and Iris, dressed in beautiful white and blue gowns, excitedly exclaimed to Liliana as they spotted the candy stand on the left side of the street.
Standing behind them, Liliana, in a stunning loose red gown that couldn't hide her perfect figure, smiled at their enthusiasm and asked softly, "Do you want to try some?"
Upon hearing this, Iris and Charlotte exchanged glances, their golden eyes sparkling with happiness.
"Yes! I want some, Mommy!" Iris replied excitedly, unable to hide her desire.
"I want some too, Mommy," Charlotte added in a calm tone, though the joy on her round, adorable face was unmistakable.
Liliana smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, let's go buy those candies."
Since their purpose for going to the capital was to have fun, Liliana did not hold back or forbid them from trying anything they wanted. As long as it wasn't dangerous, she was pleased to buy them candy and other treats.
After all, it was rare for her to have this much free time to enjoy with them, given her endless workload.
"Thank you, Mommy!" Charlotte and Iris exclaimed joyfully, each holding one of Liliana's hands affectionately.
"You're welcome," Liliana replied with a gentle smile that never left her lips.
Not long after, the three strolled leisurely towards the candy stand that Iris and Charlotte had pointed out.
As they made their way to the candy stand, Liliana couldn't help but notice the bustling crowd around her, causing her to smile with pride and nod slightly.
As the Demon Emperor, Liliana felt profound satisfaction in seeing the people she protected thrive and prosper. It reinforced her belief that her efforts were not in vain.
Of course, Liliana knew that not all of her people were as prosperous as they appeared, especially those in hardship, like those living in the border towns of the Desert of Chaos.
Due to the ongoing war, they were undoubtedly the most affected, a responsibility she, as the Demon Emperor, felt duty-bound to address.
After a while, Liliana, Iris, and Charlotte finally arrived at the candy stand and discovered that it was attended by a middle-aged woman with a warm smile.
"Excuse me. I'd like to buy some candy for my daughters," Liliana greeted the woman gently, setting aside her usual authoritative demeanor.
Despite being the Demon Emperor and ruler of the entire Demon race, she never felt the need to assert her status during casual strolls like this.
In addition to her aversion to displaying her status to earn respect from her people, she also sought to avoid formality so as not to disrupt her leisure time like this.
Upon hearing Liliana's greeting, the middle-aged woman, who was busy restocking the candies, was slightly taken aback.
When she turned to look, she was even more surprised to see Liliana, who was extraordinarily beautiful and charming, prompting a smile to spread across her lips.
"What an extraordinarily beautiful woman," the middle-aged woman praised before adding in a joking tone, "Just now, I was thinking you were a goddess who descended from the sky, young lady."
Since Liliana always used disguise magic whenever she went out for a walk, the middle-aged woman naturally did not recognize her as the Demon Emperor.
Moreover, since ascending the throne as the Demon Emperor, Liliana has rarely appeared in public, resulting in many of her people being unfamiliar with her true appearance.
Liliana smiled warmly after hearing the middle-aged woman's praise and replied, "Thank you very much for your kind words."
Despite frequently hearing compliments about her beauty and occasionally feeling bored by them, she certainly did not reject them.
The middle-aged woman smiled and nodded, then asked, "How many candies would you like to buy, young lady?"
Liliana didn't answer immediately. Instead, she bent down slightly and picked up Charlotte and Iris.
"Charlotte, Iris, which candy do you like?" Liliana asked.
Both Charlotte and Iris stared at the array of candies before them, almost drooling with anticipation. Even Charlotte, who is typically calm and graceful, couldn't contain her excitement at the sight of these delicious treats.
"I want this one and that one, Mommy," Iris exclaimed, pointing excitedly at two spiral-shaped lollipops.
"I want one like Iris too," Charlotte added, overwhelmed by the wide selection of candies and unable to resist choosing the same flavor as Iris.
Liliana nodded and was about to speak when she noticed the middle-aged woman frozen like a statue, her eyes widening as she stared at Charlotte and Iris.
Seeing this, Liliana frowned slightly and asked in a doubtful tone, "Ma'am? What's wrong with you? Why are you looking at my two daughters like that?"
Charlotte and Iris, noticing the middle-aged woman's surprised gaze on them, also became curious.
Upon hearing Liliana's voice, the middle-aged woman quickly regained her senses and pointed at Charlotte and Iris with slightly trembling hands.
"Fiona? Why have you returned to my candy stand, and where is your father? More importantly, how can there be two of you?" She asked in surprise and confusion.
As soon as they heard the woman's words, Liliana, Iris, and Charlotte widened their eyes and exchanged shocked glances with each other.
"Fiona? Ma'am, what do you mean?" Liliana inquired, her brows slightly furrowed.
The middle-aged woman rubbed her eyes as if she still couldn't believe what she was seeing. After confirming that she was not dreaming, she turned her gaze back towards Liliana with a doubtful look.
"I apologize for my rudeness, young lady. Half an hour before you arrived, there was an extraordinarily handsome man with his adorable daughter. She has shoulder-length white hair and golden eyes that bear a striking resemblance to your two daughters. Her name is Fiona Crimson," the middle-aged woman explained cautiously.
Liliana was taken aback by the middle-aged woman's explanation and exchanged surprised glances with Charlotte and Iris, who shared her astonishment.
However, before Liliana could say anything, Charlotte quickly interjected.
"Ma'am, the little girl you met is our little sister, and the handsome man with her is our daddy," Charlotte replied, her lips blooming into a beautiful and adorable smile.
The middle-aged woman was slightly stunned and glanced at Liliana, who responded with a confirming nod.
"My daughter is correct. The little girl you met is my third daughter, Fiona Crimson, and the man accompanying her is my husband." Liliana explained it with a gentle smile.
"Ah, I see..." The middle-aged woman sighed softly as she nodded.
She initially thought these two little girls were Fiona, who had suddenly multiplied, but she hadn't expected that they were her sisters.
"Young lady, you are truly blessed to have such beautiful triplet daughters," the middle-aged woman chuckled, complimenting Liliana and causing her to feel a touch of embarrassment.
"Thank you for your kind words," Liliana replied politely and calmly, though a smile blossomed on her lips, impossible to conceal.
The middle-aged woman smiled and nodded, then bundled up the candies Iris and Charlotte had chosen into a large package before handing it to them.
"Whoaah!" Charlotte and Iris exclaimed in surprise when they saw the large package, discovering there were more than ten candies, including the ones they had picked!
"Since you're Fiona's sisters, these candies are on the house for you!" the middle-aged woman said with a gentle smile, prompting Charlotte and Iris to exchange excited glances.
"Thank you, ma'am!" the two exclaimed excitedly, causing the smile on the middle-aged woman's lips to widen even further.
Contrary to Charlotte and Iris's excitement, Liliana quickly shook her head and retrieved a pouch from her gown's pocket.
"No, ma'am. You can't give away freebies like that because it will cost you. I will pay for it."
"No, young lady. You don't have to pay for it," the middle-aged woman insisted, shaking her head in refusal.
The silver coin given by Leon was more than sufficient to cover the cost of the candies at her stand, making it inappropriate for her to insist on payment from his wife.
Unfortunately, Liliana did not hear her refusal and took five gold coins from her pouch, pressing them into the middle-aged woman's hand.
"Take it," Liliana said firmly, unwilling to accept rejection.
Seeing the five gold coins in her hand, the middle-aged woman's eyes widened, but before she could speak, Liliana quickly intervened.
"I know these five gold coins are more than enough to pay for the candies you gave my daughters, but please don't refuse them," Liliana insisted in a serious tone, causing the woman to reluctantly withdraw her objection.
"Thank you, young lady! Thank you!" the middle-aged woman said in a trembling voice, still struggling to accept this fact.
The five gold coins represented an incredibly generous sum, beyond anything she had imagined possessing.
With this amount, she could be considered a wealthy demon, able to live comfortably for the rest of her life without needing to sell candy anymore!
"You're welcome," Liliana replied casually, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Then she continued, "By the way, could you tell me which direction my husband and daughter went after they bought candy from you?"
Realizing she might have the chance to meet Leon, Liliana wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by. After all, being together was better than being apart.
Upon hearing Liliana's question, the middle-aged woman hesitantly pointed southward and replied, "Half an hour ago, he went that way. But I'm not sure if you'll be able to catch up with him, young lady."
Liliana nodded slightly as she glanced in the direction indicated, then gathered Charlotte and Iris into her arms.
"It's alright. I can find him," Liliana calmly stated before turning to leave in the direction the middle-aged woman had indicated.
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"Goodbye, ma'am!"
"Goodbye!"
Charlotte and Iris smiled and waved at the middle-aged woman.
"Goodbye, you two." She smiled and waved back.
As she watched them slowly disappear from her sight, the middle-aged woman looked down at the five gold coins and one silver coin in her hand, feeling a bit dazed.
"Am I dreaming?"
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