Chapter 114: Less than One Percent and the Real Cause of Failure
“The condition is that you beg with me…”
Upon hearing this, Leon was taken aback, casting a bewildered glance at Liliana.
“Begging? You mean…” Leon trailed off, his words hesitant.
“Yes, begging,” Liliana confirmed with a subtle nod, a playful smile dancing on her lips as she glanced at Leon.
Leon:…
Leon felt a slight twitch at the corners of his mouth, sensing that Liliana might be seeking a bit of revenge for his jokingly poor rating of her dishes.
“Cough! Liliana, could we perhaps change the condition to something else?” Leon asked with a slight cough, casting Liliana a slightly embarrassed glance.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t beg, but the thought was undeniably embarrassing!
Liliana’s smile widened slightly at Leon’s words as she leaned back against the dining chair, folding her arms across her chest.
“No way,” she retorted firmly. “I want you to beg me. Only then will I reveal why you failed to create the antidote for the devouring poison,” Liliana stated with a cold snort, a triumphant smile playing on her lips.
Despite Leon’s earlier jokingly poor rating of her cooking, Liliana couldn’t shake off her annoyance and dissatisfaction with him.
She cooked today to exhibit her culinary prowess to Leon and to get together with her three daughters as well, as her schedule had been overwhelmingly occupied with preparations for the impending war in recent days.
Yet, the fact that this smelly man had the audacity to give her cooking low ratings greatly upset her.
If it weren’t for the presence of her three daughters and the slight improvement in her mood resulting from his previous praise, she would have disciplined Leon as she had done on their previous night together in the room.
Observing Liliana’s refusal to alter her condition, Leon couldn’t help but release a small sigh.
‘Alright, just begging. Who can’t do that?’ Leon muttered to himself in a determined tone, as if he had already made up his mind.
Let’s consider this an apology for his previous joke, which was indeed excessive.
Furthermore, now that Liliana held the status of his partner, a bit of banter between them as a couple was harmless, wasn’t it?
With his head slightly tilted upward and his gaze fixed on Liliana across from him, who awaited his response with anticipation, Leon cleared his throat softly, a flattering smile playing on his lips.
“Ahem! My extraordinarily beautiful and charming Demon Emperor, I beg of you, please enlighten me as to the reason for my failure in concocting an antidote to the devouring poison,” Leon implored, his tone blending admiration with pleading, eliciting a happy smile from Liliana’s lips.
Witnessing the deflation of this man who had caused her such annyoyance, Liliana couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction and pride.
‘Humph! This is payback for making this female demon emperor angry and sulking,’ Liliana snorted inwardly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Coming back to the present, Liliana nodded toward Leon and responded, “Since you’ve begged me like that, how could I possibly refuse?”
Her tone was reminiscent of an Emperor granting asylum to beggar refugees, leaving Leon feeling as though he might vomit blood.
‘Damn! I never realized this woman could be so shameless!’ Leon cursed inwardly in disbelief.
He hadn’t anticipated that Liliana could match his level of shamelessness; her audacity seemed almost identical to his own!
Did she somehow manage to acquire his skills and clandestinely learn them behind his back?
Observing Leon’s growing agitation, Liliana let out a giggle and ultimately decided to cease teasing him, sensing that further jesting might escalate his anger.
Sipping her coffee delicately, Liliana cast an indifferent yet gentle gaze at Leon.
“Leon, the reason for your failure in concocting the antidote for the devouring poison isn’t due to your lack of ability or following incorrect steps, but rather the exceptionally low probability of success,” Liliana explained gently, causing Leon, who was still grumbling, to immediately startle at her words.
He had assumed his failure stemmed from his own inadequacy or an error in the steps.
However, he hadn’t foreseen that the main obstacle was the extremely low probability of successfully concocting an antidote for the devouring poison.
Drawing a small breath to steady himself, Leon inquired once more, “What are the odds of successfully concocting an antidote from the devouring poison?”
Liliana smiled, resting her chin on her left hand as she raised one index finger.
“Ten percent?” Leon speculated, his curiosity plain to see.
Liliana shook her head and said, “Guess again.”
Leon’s brow furrowed, his tone heavy as he asked, “Only one percent?”
Once more, Liliana shook her head, releasing a small sigh: “Less than one percent.”
Leon: …
Are you kidding me?
Less than one percent?
What kind of fucking chance of success is that?
Even the chance of stepping on sh*t while walking alone is higher than three percent, okay?
With Liliana disclosing that the chance of crafting an antidote from the devouring poison was below one percent, Leon visibly deflated, as though all hope had been extinguished.
Observing Leon’s despondent expression, Liliana regarded him with a gentle gaze.
“Don’t lose hope, Leon. I believe in you. If you run out of ingredients, just let me know, and I’ll prepare them for you,” Liliana said gently and soothingly, prompting Leon to slowly regain his composure.
“Thank you, Liliana,” Leon responded, his gratitude evident.
Despite Liliana’s status as the Demon Emperor, Leon couldn’t help but acknowledge her kindness and thoughtfulness, which deeply moved him.
If it weren’t for the fact that it’s still early in the morning, he would have eagerly taken her to their room to engage in discussions about life’s philosophy together.
In response to Leon’s gratitude, Liliana simply nodded as she continued to eat her grapes.
“By the way, do you need my assistance in concocting an antidote for the devouring poison?” Liliana’s offer stunned Leon upon hearing it.
With a swift motion, Leon shook his head, firmly declining, “No need for that, Liliana. You’re already occupied with the impending war, and if I were to ask for your assistance in concocting an antidote for the devouring poison as well, it would be rather embarrassing for me.”
While he acknowledges being shameless on occasion, it doesn’t imply he’ll act recklessly and brainlessly.
Liliana had already offered him so much help, and if he still asked her to assist in concocting an antidote from the devouring poison, he felt undeserving of being a handsome and brave hero.
Upon hearing Leon’s eloquent response, Liliana regarded him with admiration.
Her earlier question had been a subtle test to gauge Leon’s resolve.
If he had requested her assistance, Liliana would have undoubtedly aided him, despite her disappointment in Leon’s tendency to easily become discouraged.
However, his resolute refusal brought her a sense of happiness and appreciation for him.
As a formidable Demon Emperor, she harbored no wish for her partner to lack resolve, and Leon had undoubtedly proved himself worthy.
Truly, his title of sword hero was not merely an honorific; it was a testament to his prowess and unwavering determination.
“Even though you say that, if you truly need my help to concoct an antidote for the devouring poison, just let me know, okay?” Liliana spoke, her tone indifferent yet gentle, accompanied by a charming smile directed at Leon.
“Of course,” Leon replied, accepting her offer without hesitation.
Although the success rate of concocting an antidote for the devouring poison was below one percent, Leon was not inclined to concede defeat easily.
If he failed to regain his strength, what about seeking revenge on Velix and his subordinates for their betrayal, as they had stabbed him in the back?
Furthermore, what about preventing the upcoming great war and honoring his promise to himself to protect his three daughters?
Could these dilemmas truly be dismissed solely due to the low success rate of concocting the antidote for the devouring poison? Certainly not!
Unless he wished to surrender and await his demise in a sea of regret, a path often trodden by those lacking determination and resolve.
Taking a sip of his coffee, Leon closed his eyes to center his thoughts.
Observing Leon’s efforts to calm himself, Liliana remained silent, munching on the dry biscuits she had placed on the dining table earlier, careful not to disturb him.
The lack of communication between them lends a quiet, cozy, and calm atmosphere to their surroundings.
However, the tranquil atmosphere was abruptly disrupted when a crow, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, flew into the dining room through the open window.
*Coak! Coak!*
The sound of its cawing snapped Leon out of his reverie, and he stared at the crow in confusion.
‘A crow?’ Leon blinked curiously, observing as the crow flew towards Liliana, who also frowned slightly as it approached.
Perched on the dining table, the crow bowed its head toward Liliana.
“Is this your crow, Liliana?” Leon finally voiced his confusion.
Liliana shook her head and explained, “No, it isn’t. This crow serves as a communication tool for us demons, primarily transmitting vital news from the outer palace to the inner palace.
Upon hearing this, Leon gave a small nod, entirely new to the fact that the Demon race had such a unique method of communication, which only fueled his curiosity further.
As Liliana pointed her palm toward the crow, a black magic circle suddenly materialized above its head.
*Whoohs!*
The black magic circle gleamed brightly for a few moments before a black letter, embellished with golden patterns, materialized on its head.
Liliana narrowed her eyes, slowly unfurled the letter, and began to read.
After a moment, her initially indifferent and calm expression stiffened before transforming into one of cold determination.
“They’ve already begun…”
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