Chapter 129: Visiting Leon's Room and Liliana's Concerns
The next morning...
Inside the dining room, Liliana, Charlotte, Iris, and Fiona sat together, their faces glowing with happiness.
Liliana, dressed in a black nightgown and adorned with a pink apron, settled into the dining chair on the right. Her typically beautiful but cold countenance softened, imbuing her with an unusual warmth.
Her long white hair, usually straight, was fashioned into a bun to the right, adding to her air of chilly yet mature elegance.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, Iris, and Fiona remained clad in their lolita nightgowns, seated in a row directly opposite Liliana, their adorable faces even more animated than usual.
Of course, the cheerful atmosphere of the morning couldn't be separated from Liliana's promise to her three daughters the day before.
After Liliana had decided to accompany them, she didn't just make empty promises; she actually spent the entire day with them.
This morning, instead of heading straight to her workspace as usual, she chose to prepare breakfast for her three daughters.
With government affairs settled for the time being and the impending war matter perfectly under control, thanks to Leon's assistance during their discussion in her workspace, Liliana saw no reason to waste time and chose to spend it with her daughters instead.
"By the way, how are you all this morning? Did you three sleep well last night?" Liliana asked gently as she picked up a perfectly stir-fried piece of forest beef and savored it.
Upon Liliana's inquiry, the three little girls, each in the midst of a bite with buns in their mouths, immediately brightened, their eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Gulp~ I slept well!" Fiona exclaimed, swallowing her food eagerly and raising her small right hand excitedly to answer first.
"Gulp~ Um! Me too," Iris responded calmly, though a hidden vigor sparkled behind her composed expression.
"Gulp~ Me too, Mommy," Charlotte chimed in gracefully, a faint smile gracing her small lips.
Observing her three babies, each responding with their own unique nature, Liliana couldn't help but chuckle softly, casting a gentle gaze upon them.
"Well, I'm glad you all slept well," Liliana said lightly, continuing, "By the way, after breakfast this morning, I won't be able to accompany you for a while."
Charlotte, Iris, and Fiona's expressions instantly froze, their faces reflecting sadness as they looked at Liliana.
"Ehh!? Didn't you promise to play with us today too?" Fiona protested, her cheeks puffed and lips pursed, her tone tinged with a mixture of sadness and anger at her mother's words.
After all, her mother had promised to spend time with them, which made Fiona deeply disappointed upon hearing otherwise.
Iris and Charlotte, seated beside Fiona, didn't voice their grievances but mirrored her expression of sadness and disappointment as they looked at Liliana.
Upon hearing Fiona's words and noticing the disappointment in Charlotte and Iris' eyes, Liliana chuckled.
Without addressing Fiona's question directly, she reached for a loaf of bread, dipped it into the white milk, and fed it to Fiona.
"Hap! Nyam-Nyam~" Fiona opens her little mouth and gobbles it up in one mouthful. Her sullen expression instantly receded, replaced by a sweet smile as the flavors of bread and milk mingled in her mouth.
Liliana repeated the gesture with another loaf of bread, offering it to Iris and Charlotte. Their disappointed expressions vanished, replaced by sweet smiles blossoming on their lips.
Observing her three smiling babies, devoid of the earlier disappointment, Liliana savored another stir-fried piece of meat before explaining, "The reason I can't stay with you after breakfast isn't because I'm going to work, but rather to deliver breakfast to your daddy's room and check on his condition."
Listening to her explanation, the three simultaneously widened their eyes in disbelief, all fixing their gazes on their mother.
"To Daddy's room?" Fiona blinked excitedly, her eyes wide with anticipation.
"Yes, darling, to Daddy's room," Liliana replied softly, her tone casual yet comforting.
"Wow! Mommy, can I come with you?" Fiona clasped her small palms together, her eyes filled with expectation.
For five days, she hadn't seen her father, and his absence was disrupting her sleep. After all, her most comfortable spot was nestled against her father's belly, and not being able to rest there was torturous.
Iris and Charlotte's eyes lit up with excitement as soon as Fiona made her remark.
Though unspoken, their thoughts echoed Fiona's, and they looked at Liliana with pleading eyes.
However, when Fiona made her request, Liliana promptly shook her head. "No, you can't come."
"Ehhh!? Why can't we visit him!?" This time, it wasn't just Fiona who expressed her complaint, but also Iris and Charlotte beside her.
Witnessing their astonished expressions, Liliana couldn't resist a soft laugh, and a small smile graced her lips.
"I'm not forbidding you from seeing your father, but he's confined himself to his room for the past five days. I need to check on his health first. Once I'm sure he's okay, then you can visit him. Understand?" Liliana explained gently, ensuring her words were light enough for the three to comprehend.
Upon hearing this, the three finally understood their mother's intentions.
They exchanged glances before turning back to Liliana, small smiles forming on their lips as they responded simultaneously, "Alright~ We'll listen to you!"
Liliana smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's finish your breakfast."
"Um!" The three nodded eagerly, resembling little chicks as they quickly devoured the breakfast spread on the dining table.
...
In the palace hallway, Liliana, now clad in her elegant black gown, pushed a trolley laden with delicious food prepared for Leon.
Considering her esteemed position as the great Demon Emperor, it was highly inappropriate for her to perform the mundane task of delivering food, typically assigned to maids.
Ideally, Liliana should have asked a maid like Celine to deliver the food to Leon's room.
However, Liliana didn't concern herself with such matters; instead, a sense of joy lay hidden behind her indifferent expression.
Truth be told, it wasn't only her three daughters who yearned to see Leon; Liliana herself longed to lay eyes on him.
After five days without him, she found herself longing for his presence for the first time.
Hence, the true reason she didn't allow her three daughters to accompany her wasn't solely the one she had stated in the dining room; it was because she yearned to be the first to reunite with Leon!
Though this might appear selfish and childish, Liliana didn't dwell on it and resolved to make it up to her daughters by spending more time with them in the future.
Continuing down the hallway with the food trolley, Liliana reached the door to Leon's room.
After setting aside the trolley, Liliana lightly and gently knocked on Leon's bedroom door.
*Knock!*
"Leon, it's me, Liliana; can you open the door?" Liliana's soft call echoed as she patiently waited at the door, casting a contemplative glance at her surroundings.
She was well aware that Leon's self-imposed confinement stemmed from his desperate need to cure the devouring poison within him.
Naturally, she was fully supportive of his decision and had even offered her assistance at the time.
However, Leon flatly refused, insisting that she address the matter of the Demon troops directly instead of assisting him in concocting an antidote for the devouring poison.
"I don't know if he managed to concoct it or not..." Liliana sighed lightly, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
With a success rate below one percent, it could be deemed nearly impossible to succeed.
Even with her assistance, the probability would only increase to three percent, which was not a significant improvement.
Yet, she refrained from voicing her concerns, not wanting to dampen Leon's determination and spirit.
Snapping out of her reverie, Liliana's expression immediately turned to a frown as she realized there was no response from inside Leon's room after her earlier call.
"Why isn't he answering my call?" Could he still be asleep?" Liliana pursed her lips, pondering silently.
Swiftly, she redirected her gaze to the door and knocked on it once more.
"Leon? Can you hear me?" Liliana knocked on the door once more, her voice carrying more urgency this time.
Unfortunately, as before, no response echoed from inside, leaving Liliana with an inexplicable sense of unease.
"Could something be wrong in there?" With this thought racing through her mind, Liliana swiftly opened her palm, summoning a red light that materialized into a black key.
She hoped that her suspicion was merely conjecture and that nothing untoward had befallen Leon, as she feared.
With determination, she aimed the key at the keyhole and turned it.
*Clack!*
As soon as the lock clicked open, Liliana swiftly pushed the door ajar, her eyes widening in astonishment as she caught sight of the interior of Leon's room.
"This... What on earth is happening!?"
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A/N: Ehem! Future chapters will likely include more battle scenes, as Leon's powers are expected to return soon in a few chapters.
By the way, thank you all for your support! Your encouragement truly motivates me.
That's all for now! Thank you, and stay tuned for more!
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