Chapter 172: The Return of Lyra
Upon hearing the knock and the indifferent voice of the woman, Leon widened his eyes in disbelief.
“Lyra?” Leon muttered uncertainly.
The voice was very familiar; it belonged to Lyra, who had left the palace to undergo punishment from Liliana.
However, he remembered that Lyra was supposed to be with the Demon army, preparing for the upcoming battle against the Human troops.
So, how could she be in the palace?
Driven by doubt, Leon, still holding Fiona, swiftly rose from the bed and strode toward the door, turning the knob to open it.
*Clack!*
As he opened the door, a beautiful woman with an expressionless face, clad in a maid outfit and with long black hair, suddenly came into view—it was none other than Lyra.
“Good morning, Your Majesty Leon and Young Lady Fiona.” Lyra greeted them politely, bowing her head.
“Good morning, Lyra!” Fiona waved her small hand, a happy smile blooming on her lips.
Leon quickly recovered from his surprise and smiled at Lyra.
“Good morning, Lyra,” Leon greeted her gently, then continued with a question: “When did you return to the palace?”
“I returned last night, Your Majesty,” Lyra replied politely.
Leon nodded and was about to ask more, but paused when he noticed the food trolley behind her.
“Alright, let’s go inside first,” Leon suggested as he slowly entered the room.
Although he was curious about Lyra’s return, discussing it at the door didn’t seem appropriate.
Lyra gave a small nod and pushed the food trolley into Leon’s room.
***
Inside the room, Leon watched as Lyra skillfully arranged all the food on the table without needing any instructions, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit amazed.
Although Lyra had been sent to serve her punishment and was no longer his personal maid, she still remembered his preferred dining spot perfectly.
After a while, Lyra finished her task, and Leon guided Fiona to sit on the sofa in front of the table full of food.
“Fiona, you can start eating first because I have something to discuss with Lyra,” Leon said gently, causing Fiona to pout slightly.
“Ehh! Didn’t you say you wanted to eat breakfast with me?” Fiona asked in a dissatisfied tone, her lips pursed and her round eyes welling up, ready to cry.
Leon chuckled softly and gently rubbed her little head as he spoke: “Don’t worry, I won’t talk to Lyra for long. Afterwards, I’ll have breakfast with you, okay?”
Although Fiona was reluctant, she nodded slightly and replied in a sad tone, “Alright, but not for long, okay?”
“Okay.” Leon smiled, kissed her cheek, then slowly rose to his feet and walked towards Lyra, who was standing near his study table.
“Lyra, how are you?” Leon inquired gently as he drew nearer.
“I’m fine, Your Majesty Leon,” Lyra replied in a light tone, slightly shaking her head before continuing, “And yourself, Your Majesty?”
Leon leaned against the wall beside his study table, a smile still forming on his lips. “I’m fine, Lyra.”
Lyra blinks a few times before nodding slightly.
“By the way, Lyra, how was your punishment? Did it go well?” Leon inquired, his face showing a hint of embarrassment.
He still harbored guilt because Lyra had been punished because of him. After all, during the process of concocting the devouring poison, Lyra greatly assisted him.
Upon hearing the question, Lyra was silent for a moment before a faint smile, rarely seen, suddenly bloomed on her lips.
“I’m fine, Your Majesty; in fact, what Her Majesty the Demon Emperor gave me was not a punishment but more like a vacation,” Lyra explained calmly and lightly, without a hint of complaint, bringing a sense of relief to Leon.
Earlier, Liliana had assured him that Lyra’s punishment wasn’t severe.
Though he wasn’t certain if Liliana spoke truthfully or aimed to alleviate his guilt toward Lyra, he decided to refrain from discussing Lyra’s situation with Liliana further.
Now, with Lyra’s confirmation, he felt genuinely at ease.
Taking a small breath, Leon regarded Lyra with a gentle gaze and asked, “So, does Liliana already know that you’ve returned to the palace?”
Lyra nodded and replied, “Her Majesty is aware of my return because, truthfully, I came back under the orders of Her Majesty the Demon Emperor.”
Listening to this, Leon raised one eyebrow in surprise.
“Ordered by her?” Leon asked again, seeking confirmation.
“Yes, I was ordered by Her Majesty the Demon Emperor,” Lyra replied firmly, prompting a slight frown from Leon.
“In that case, what about the demon army that is meant to fight on humanity’s side if you’re absent?” Leon asked with uncertainty.
Today marked the official start of the war between the two sides—the Demon Race and humanity.
If Lyra, the arch-demon and main force of the Demon army, left the lineup, wouldn’t it make things difficult for the Demon army when they confronted the human troops later on?
After all, humanity’s side in this war was unusually formidable, bolstered by the presence of two of humanity’s heroes—Valen and Luna—along with the Great Mage Rain Violet and the formidable Female War General Natasya Nox, all of whom possessed terrifying power.
Moreover, standing behind them was Jim Terra, the four-eyed Devil, who had never been defeated in any battle against the Demon race.
With such a formidable lineup on humanity’s side, Leon himself was not optimistic about the Demon race’s chances of winning, despite bringing two arch-demons and three Demon generals as their main force, unless Liliana herself intervened.
“Actually, I don’t know either, Your Majesty Leon. Her Majesty the Demon Emperor simply asked me to return without giving me a reason,” Lyra replied with a flat expression, shaking her head.
Observing her demeanor, which appeared genuine, the frown on Leon’s forehead deepened, but he quickly composed himself with a breath.
“Alright, that’s fine. I’ll inquire with Liliana later,” Leon remarked in a soft and gentle tone.
“Um!” Lyra blinked and nodded.
Subsequently, they continued their conversation about various topics, mostly revolving around the impending war.
After a while, the discussion concluded, and Lyra bowed her head to excuse herself.
“In that case, I request permission to take my leave, Your Majesty Leon,” Lyra said respectfully.
Leon nodded, but then a thought occurred to him, prompting him to ask Lyra.
“By the way, is Liliana in her study or her room?” he inquired curiously.
Lyra slowly raised her head and replied, “Her Majesty the Demon Emperor is in her study, Your Majesty.”
Upon hearing her response, Leon smiled with relief and no longer detained Lyra.
“Alright, thank you,” he said gently.
“Um! You’re welcome, Your Majesty Leon,” Lyra said, bowing once more before departing with the food trolley she pushed ahead of her.
Observing her departure, Leon lowered his gaze slightly, contemplating Liliana’s intentions in summoning Lyra back to the palace.
However, just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard two little girls’ voices coming from the direction of his bedroom door.
“Fiona? Did you sneak into Daddy’s room again?”
“Fiona, this stinky girl left us!”
At the sound of the exclamation, Leon was jolted back to reality, astonishment crossing his handsome face.
“Charlotte and Iris?”
———–
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