Chapter 217: Deceiving Fiona, and Calling Uncle
“I’ll give you a name—Stella.”
Upon hearing the name, the little girl widened her eyes and looked at Leon with a dazed expression, softly asking, “Stella?”
Leon nodded and smiled gently, gazing into her uniquely beautiful eyes.
“Yes, Stella,” he replied softly, crouching down beside her once more. In a calm tone, he continued, “Stella means ‘Star.’ It complements your unique and beautiful eye color, resembling the twinkling stars in the night sky. How does it sound? Do you like the name?”
As soon as the little girl heard Leon’s explanation, her cute, slightly dirty face turned as red as a ripe tomato.
Throughout her life, no demon has ever praised her strange eyes. Even her own parents had abandoned her, believing her unusual eye color would bring disaster to them and their neighborhood.
As a result, she sometimes hated her eyes, thinking they were the cause of her horrible and difficult life.
But ever since meeting Leon and Fiona, who showed no disgust and even praised her eyes, she has started to feel more confident and happy.
And now, after hearing the beautiful name inspired by her eye color, tears of overwhelming happiness welled up in her eyes.
With a nod of encouragement, the little girl looked at Leon gratefully and replied excitedly, “I really like it! Of course I like it a lot, sir!”
Today, she was no longer a nameless little girl. She had a beautiful name—Stella!
“Hehehe~ Stella…” The new name brought a smile to her face, and a little giggle escaped her lips.
Leon watched her happiness and couldn’t help but smile and chuckle softly.
‘What a very innocent little girl,’ Leon whispered to himself.
Being born without a name given by her parents had been an inner torture for her, and Leon couldn’t fathom how difficult it must have been.
After all, a name is not only a newborn’s first identity in this world but also a symbol of recognition from parents for their child.
With a slight shake of his head, Leon sighed quietly as he returned to his seat and sat down.
As he settled into his seat, Fiona’s admiring gaze caught his attention, bringing a faint smile to his lips.
“Why are you looking at me like that, Fiona? Admiring me for persuading her?” Leon asked calmly, with a hint of hidden pride in his tone.
Upon hearing this, Fiona’s round, golden eyes sparkled as she nodded eagerly, resembling a small chick. In a low but excited voice, she replied, “Yes, Daddy! I’m really amazed! You’re so great for persuading big sister Stella!”
From the beginning, Fiona had witnessed firsthand how stubborn Stella was in rejecting her daddy’s offer, making her doubt if her daddy would succeed.
However, her daddy hadn’t given up at all and had managed to win her over with just a few stories, leaving Fiona feeling utterly amazed!
Fiona’s praise left Leon feeling a bit embarrassed, as what he had done could be considered manipulative and deceitful.
Nevertheless, he remained indifferent, maintaining his calm and composed demeanor.
“Well, thank you for the compliment, my dear,” Leon said with a slight chuckle, gently pinching her chubby cheeks.
Fiona narrowed her eyes into crescents, clearly enjoying the interaction Leon was having with her.
“By the way, Daddy. I have something to ask you.” Fiona looked at Leon with a gaze that hinted at uncertainty, as if she were recalling something important.
Raising one eyebrow, Leon took a sip of the tea he had ordered moments before and replied casually, “Of course, Fiona. Feel free to ask me anything.”
Fiona paused for a moment, pursing her small lips, before finally asking in a soft tone, “Daddy, is the story you told big sister Stella true?”
Upon hearing this question, Leon promptly choked on his tea, coughing to clear his throat.
“Ahem! Ahem!” Leon hastily grabbed a tissue to wipe his lips, then looked at Fiona with astonishment. “Why are you asking this, Fiona?”
With her round, chubby face showing hesitation, Fiona replied in a confused tone, “When you were confined to your room for five days, big sister Charlotte talked about your past, Daddy. She said that you were born into a troubled family where your parents hated you and always ignored you.”
“However, I’ve never heard about you being abandoned and having to scavenge for leftovers in the trash to survive, like you told Sister Stella.”
After she finished expressing her doubts, she looked at Leon with her two round golden eyes, brimming with curiosity, causing the corners of Leon’s mouth to twitch instantly.
‘Damn… How do I answer this question?’ Leon muttered to himself, swallowing hard.
He never expected Fiona to ask such a question, leaving him utterly bewildered and unsure of how to respond.
A few days before confining himself in his bedroom to concoct an antidote for the devouring poison, he had confided his past life experiences to Charlotte in private.
He did this to soothe Charlotte, who was jealous of Fiona and believed that he loved her more than himself.
However, he had not anticipated that Charlotte would disclose this to Fiona, leaving him uncertain about how to explain everything now.
After a moment, Leon swiftly regained his composure, clearing his throat slightly before speaking. “Ahem! Actually, what I told Charlotte wasn’t the whole story—just bits and pieces. The story I told Stella was a part I hadn’t mentioned.”
“Is that really how it is, Daddy?” Fiona pursed her lips in uncertainty.
Maintaining his calm demeanor, Leon took a sip of his tea, then replied with a gentle smile, “Of course, Fiona. It’s the truth, and I’m not lying to you.”
Though he felt guilty for deceiving his daughter, Leon saw no other choice. If he revealed the truth, wouldn’t Stella catch him in a lie?
Fiona fell silent, her lips still pursed. It wasn’t that she distrusted her daddy, but her sister’s version of events contradicted his, leaving her uncertain and eager to discover the truth.
Just as she prepared to inquire further, Leon deftly speared a potato slice with his fork, popping it into his mouth before asking with a faint smile, “How does it taste? Is it good?”
Chewing on the potato, Fiona’s eyes suddenly lit up, her previous sullen expression vanishing quickly.
“Wow! This is really good! Nyam~” Fiona exclaimed as she continued to chew and then swallowed the potato.
Leon sighed in relief and handed her the plate of potatoes. “If you like it that much, have some more.”
“Um!” Fiona nodded enthusiastically, enjoying each potato with a persistent smile.
Amused by how easily she was persuaded, Leon chuckled softly and then turned his gaze toward Stella.
“By the way, Stella, since you’ve decided to come with me, you can use a more casual nickname for me,” Leon said casually as he continued eating.
“A more casual nickname for you?” Stella asked, gazing at Leon with curiosity.
Nodding his head, Leon took a bite of roast beef and explained, “You’ve been calling me ‘sir,’ which sounds a bit formal. Let’s switch to something more familiar and casual.”
Stella quickly grasped Leon’s intention and nodded with a touch of enthusiasm. “So, what should I call you?”
Leon didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
The age gap between him and Stella was sixteen years; he was twenty-two, and she was six. Though this might seem significant, in a fantasy world filled with long-lived creatures like dragons, it didn’t feel too vast.
After a moment of thought, Leon smiled and nodded slightly. “You can call me uncle.”
Stella blinks her beautiful eyes before nodding, a lovely smile blooming on her lips.
“Very well, sir! From now on, I’ll call you uncle!” Stella exclaimed, her innocent face glowing with excitement, eliciting a smile from Leon at her joy.
Initially, he had considered having Stella call him “Brother” instead of “Uncle,” as he felt too young to be addressed as “Uncle” by a six-year-old girl.
However, given that he already had three daughters, each three years old, Leon quickly discarded the idea and decided “Uncle” was more fitting.
‘Time really flies,’ Leon murmured to himself with a slight sigh.
Sometimes, the thought of having three daughters at such a young age felt like a dream, which often made him chuckle.
Snapping out of his reverie, Leon looked back at Stella and smiled gently.
“Well then, let’s finish our lunch quickly so we can go buy you some clothes,” Leon said lightly, noticing Stella’s rather dull and dirty appearance.
Since he had promised to fulfill all her needs, he couldn’t possibly let her remain in this unkempt condition.
Stella accepted Leon’s offer with a nod and a smile that never left her lips.
“Okay, uncle!”
Leon acknowledged her with a nod and resumed his lunch with Fiona and Stella.
However, just as they were enjoying their quiet lunch, the sound of footsteps and whispering among the demons caught Leon’s attention.
Curious, he began to turn around to see what was happening, but his movement abruptly froze when a beautiful and charming woman’s voice rang in his ears.
“My dear Leon, it seems you’re enjoying lunch without me.”
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