Chapter 208: Concern and Fear of Punishment
Leon let out a small sigh and shook his head. Walking past the little girl, Leon bent down, picked up the pouch, examined it briefly, and then slipped it into his robe pocket.
Honestly, he didn’t care about the gold coins inside. As he had mentioned before, he was extremely rich, and these coins were as meaningless to him as the silver ones he had given to the middle-aged woman at the candy stand earlier.
His initial reason for searching his pouch stemmed from curiosity about the little girl with heterochromia who had managed to steal it while he was off guard.
However, he hadn’t anticipated that there would be two weak demons daring to provoke him repeatedly and frighten Fiona, prompting him to send them to face the Yama King.
Furthermore, judging by the little girl’s panicked and frightened expression towards the two burly men and their possession of his pouch, he deduced that they were indeed evil demons.
Therefore, he didn’t feel too guilty about killing them; in fact, he felt they deserved it.
Rubbing Fiona’s head, Leon’s expression softened instantly as he gently reassured her, “Alright, Fiona, you don’t have to be afraid anymore. Those two men are gone.”
Upon hearing this, Fiona, still hiding her face in Leon’s arms, couldn’t help but loosen her embrace slightly and peer around, confirming that her daddy’s words were indeed true.
“Wow! They really disappeared, Daddy!” Fiona exclaimed in amazement, her two round golden eyes sparkling with wonder.
Seeing those two scary men with their intimidating faces had frightened her. Now, after witnessing their disappearance, she felt incredibly relieved and exhilarated!
However, curiosity got the better of her as she looked at Leon with a questioning expression. “By the way, Daddy, where did they go?”
Leon smiled at the curiosity on her cute, round face and gently pinched her cheeks. With a slight chuckle, he replied, “Since those two dared to scare my little girl, they received their punishment and ran away when I confronted them.”
Fiona’s round, golden eyes twinkled like stars as she heard Leon’s words, and she clapped her hands excitedly.
“Wow, Daddy, you’re so strong!” Fiona exclaimed, hugging Leon’s neck with a joyful smile on her lips.
Leon’s words, which seemed to protect and defend her, were incredibly meaningful to her, an innocent three-year-old girl. Moreover, these words came from Leon, her father, and the man she loved most dearly!
Returning her embrace with a gentle smile, Leon softly patted her small back, saying nothing more.
Meanwhile, the little girl, who had overheard the conversation between Leon and Fiona, couldn’t help but nervously open her closed eyes.
As she turned her gaze forward, her eyes widened in astonishment to find that the two scary, burly men who had been chasing her earlier were no longer there!
“How could that be…” she muttered in disbelief, staring at Leon, who stood a few meters ahead with a puzzled expression on her face.
The two burly men who had chased her earlier were formidable figures, tall and imposing in stature. However, just moments after she closed her eyes, they vanished without a trace, as if they had never been there at all, leaving her unable to believe that nothing had happened to them.
“Did this man do it?” The little girl silently pondered, wearing a doubtful expression on her pale face.
She couldn’t imagine anyone else capable of such an action, as there was no one else present besides him, the little girl in his arms, and herself.
“Since those two bothersome burly men are gone, now is the time for us to discuss our business, right, little girl who stole my pouch?”
As her thoughts wandered, Leon’s voice suddenly rang in her ears, snapping her out of her reverie and sending her into a panic.
Lifting her gaze to meet his playful stare, the little girl’s body trembled uncontrollably.
“I-I’m truly sorry, sir. I-I didn’t mean to steal your pouch, but I was so hungry that I had no choice,” she stammered, fear evident on her dirty, pale face.
“If you want to punish me for what I did, please do it now. You can kick me, hit me, or anything else, but please don’t take me to the detention center because I don’t want to go there,” she continued, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at Leon with a pleading gaze, looking utterly pitiful.
Despite her parents abandoning her at the age of four, she had managed to survive alone for two years by scavenging for leftover food in the trash bin.
Still, as difficult as her life was, it was better than the prospect of being detained in the notorious and terrifying Demon Race detention center, where captured demons rarely saw another day.
Although she knew that being beaten or kicked would cause her little body a lot of pain that wouldn’t heal for a whole month, she was certain she could endure it. After all, such cruel treatment was a daily occurrence in her life.
As soon as Leon heard her words, the playful expression on his face instantly froze, replaced by a shocked expression he couldn’t shake.
“You…” Leon stammered, unable to find words in response.
Initially, he had only wanted to joke around with the little girl and hadn’t intended to punish her for stealing his pouch.
However, her unexpected response made him suddenly feel like a bully.
“Little girl, are you certain about what you’re saying? Aren’t you afraid that I might actually hit or kick you?” Leon asked again, his tone and expression serious, as if seeking confirmation of her words.
The little girl nodded quickly and extended her two small, scarred hands, which were dirty with various patches, while saying in a sad tone, “You can hit me, sir, but please promise not to send me to the detention center, okay? In return, I promise never to steal again. Can you grant my request?”
After saying this, she lowered her gaze, tears welling up in her eyes, yet she fought to keep them from falling.
Witnessing this, Fiona, nestled in Leon’s arms, felt deeply saddened. With tears suddenly welling in her eyes, Fiona looked at Leon and pleaded in a hoarse voice, “Daddy, please don’t punish this big sister. Even though she stole your pouch, can you forgive her?”
Despite her initial anger towards this big sister for stealing her daddy’s pouch, seeing her sad and helpless expression stirred such sadness in Fiona that she felt like crying without realizing it.
Witnessing Fiona’s tearful face, Leon let out a small sigh as he gently wiped away her tears and reassured her, “Alright, don’t worry. I won’t punish this little girl.”
Even without Fiona asking, he had no intention of punishing her.
Relief washed over Fiona’s round, chubby face upon hearing his words, prompting a small chuckle from Leon.
Turning his attention back to the little girl, Leon smiled kindly and approached her, causing her to startle and timidly close her eyes.
She knew that any punishment would leave her body bruised, but she believed she could endure it, just as she had before.
Just as Leon’s footsteps halted right in front of her and the threat of a blow hung in the air, a large, warm hand suddenly gently stroked her head.
Simultaneously, a soft, comforting voice, warm like a bell, whispered in her ear, “There’s no need to worry or be afraid; I have no intention of hitting you.”
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