Chapter 221: Intimidation – Part 1
“The Demon Troops are in a winning position right now? How is that possible?” Leon was stunned by Liliana’s words.
The war had only begun a few hours ago. How could the outcome be so decisive already?
Liliana smiled faintly, her gaze playful as she looked at the astonished Leon.
“Why are you so surprised? Isn’t this a favorable outcome?” She inquired playfully, taking a sip of her coffee.
Upon hearing this, Leon quickly composed himself and sighed softly.
“Well, isn’t it natural for me to be surprised? We’re up against humanity’s forces, and I know how strong they are,” he replied, shaking his head slightly.
Although he had helped draw up the war plan for the Demon Race and advised on how to counter humanity’s troops, he hadn’t expected such swift results.
Furthermore, he was certain that Jim, the four-eyed devil, would be the strategist for humanity’s troops. No matter how confident Leon was in his plan, he knew he couldn’t match Jim—humanity’s brightest and most cunning tactician, undefeated in battle.
So, upon hearing Liliana’s words about the Demon troops gaining the upper hand, he couldn’t feel happy. Instead, he became wary and uneasy.
“There must be a conspiracy at play.” As soon as this thought crossed his mind, his brows furrowed slightly, and he fell into deep contemplation.
Given his knowledge of Jim, Leon was convinced there was no way Jim would allow humanity’s forces to be suppressed by the Demon troops so easily.
Meanwhile, across from him, Liliana noticed Leon’s troubled expression and let out a small sigh.
She had hoped that sharing this positive news would elicit the same happiness in him, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
Shaking her head slightly, Liliana reached out and gently stroked his hand.
“You don’t need to worry, Leon. Even though the Demon troops currently have the upper hand, I’m not letting my guard down. Currently, Lyra is in the palace, taking my place to oversee the ongoing battle. If there are any unexpected developments on the battlefield, we’ll receive immediate updates. Let’s relax and set aside thoughts of the war for now,” Liliana reassured in a gentle, composed tone.
Upon hearing her words, Leon snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her with a hint of guilt.
“You’re right, Liliana. I’m sorry,” Leon said with a slight click of his tongue.
Due to concerns about the war, especially Jim’s potential conspiracy, Leon couldn’t find peace of mind, momentarily forgetting he was in the capital to enjoy time with Fiona.
Liliana simply smiled and nodded slightly upon seeing Leon, who had already recovered his composure.
Slowly rising from her seat, Liliana took one last sip of her coffee before saying lightly, “In that case, let’s return to the tavern to fetch the four little girls and then enjoy ourselves in the capital.”
Having now met Leon and Fiona, Liliana was eager to make the most of their time together and create lasting memories.
After all, given the extensive responsibilities of her role as the Demon Emperor, it was rare for her to enjoy such free time.
Furthermore, she wanted to closely monitor the development, progress, and prosperity of the capital. This way, if any issues arose that she was unaware of, she could address them promptly.
Leon smiled and nodded in agreement as he stood up slowly.
“Alright, let’s go back and explore the capital together,” he replied in a lighthearted tone tinged with excitement.
Liliana’s unexpected arrival with Charlotte and Iris in the capital didn’t anger him; instead, he felt joyous about the opportunity to spend time together.
However, as Leon approached Liliana, ready to take her hand, he noticed a shift in her expression that startled him.
“What’s wrong, Liliana?” Leon inquired, his tone tinged with puzzlement.
Liliana didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she glanced towards the tavern where they had left Charlotte, Iris, Fiona, and Stella earlier.
After a moment, she withdrew her gaze and turned to Leon with a cold smile. “Nothing. It’s just that there are some demons in the tavern who seem to be seeking death.”
Upon hearing her words, Leon raised both eyebrows in surprise, casting a narrowed-eyed glance at the tavern.
…
“Sister, you start talking to her; otherwise, this awkward situation will continue.”
At the dining table, where the situation was awkward, Iris whispered urgently to Charlotte while glancing at Stella across from her, who was eating with a shy expression.
Hearing Iris’ words, Charlotte paused thoughtfully before replying softly, “Even though I want to, I’m too shy to start a conversation with her. Why don’t you try?”
Despite usually appearing graceful and calm, Charlotte felt nervous about initiating a conversation with Stella. After all, this was the first time she had met another girl close to her age, apart from her two sisters.
Charlotte’s unexpected reply left Iris briefly stunned before she regained her composure and rolled her eyes.
“Sister, this really isn’t like you. You’re usually so brave,” Iris remarked, pouting slightly.
Charlotte felt a little embarrassed by Iris’s words, but she didn’t mind too much and continued eating with a calm expression.
Neither of them spoke again, making the atmosphere at the table even more awkward.
Finally unable to bear the silence, Iris whispered to Charlotte once again, “Why don’t we ask Fiona to start a conversation with her and have her introduce herself to us?”
Listening to Iris’ suggestion, Charlotte’s eyes lit up slightly. She nodded in agreement while chewing her food and swallowing.
“Alright,” Charlotte replied briefly.
Turning her gaze towards Fiona, who was eating heartily beside her, Charlotte whispered, “Fiona, could you introduce Stella to us? Iris would like to get to know her.”
Fiona was slightly surprised, and she looked at Charlotte curiously before nodding vigorously.
Directing her gaze towards Stella, Fiona smiled innocently and said, “Sister Stella, my second sister, Iris, would like to get to know you.”
As a kind little sister, she naturally wanted Stella and her two sisters to get along and become close, especially since they would be living together in the palace.
The thought of having a new friend in the palace made a silly smile form on her face, making her look absolutely adorable.
Meanwhile, Iris, who was eating, couldn’t help but choke upon hearing Fiona’s unexpected words.
Staring at Charlotte, who was giggling at her, Iris puffed up her cheeks and protested irritably, “Sister, you’re really quite sneaky.”
She didn’t expect Charlotte to slyly use her name as an excuse to get to know Stella, which left her feeling slightly embarrassed and upset.
“Pfft! I’m sorry.” Charlotte gently patted Iris’ head, still chuckling.
“Humph!” Iris snorted in annoyance and turned away, pretending to ignore her.
On the other hand, upon hearing Fiona’s words, Stella was taken aback and shyly glanced at Iris and Charlotte before nervously meeting Fiona’s excited gaze.
Her face, slightly smudged with dirt, flushed red as she turned her gaze back to Charlotte and Iris, nervously clenching her palms together.
“Um… Hello, my name is Stella,” she greeted shyly, lowering her head slightly. In a nervous tone, she continued, “I know it might be late, but I’d still like to greet you both.”
After she finished speaking, she nervously bit her lower lip while bowing her head.
This was her first introduction since Leon had given her the name, which made her feel extremely shy and nervous.
Charlotte and Iris exchanged surprised glances before sharing a smile with each other.
“Hello, Stella. Let me introduce myself; I’m Charlotte, the oldest of us three,” Charlotte said with a smile. “Since Fiona mentioned you’re older than us by three years, you can call me Charlotte. Would it be alright if I called you Sister Stella?”
“Hello, Stella. I’m Iris, the second oldest,” Iris added, her expression nonchalant yet with a gentle smile. “You can call me by my name, and I’ll refer to you as Sister Stella too. How does that sound?”
Upon hearing their introductions, Stella’s nervousness quickly melted away, replaced by a sense of relief.
Initially, she thought they might be difficult to approach due to their mature attitudes that seemed beyond their years. However, it turned out that her assumption was completely wrong—they were actually very friendly.
Raising her gaze, Stella looked up at them with a sweet smile on her lips.
“Of course! You can call me whatever you want, Charlotte and Iris!” Stella replied eagerly, nodding.
They exchanged smiles, instantly dispelling the awkwardness and warming the atmosphere.
Afterwards, they proceeded to enjoy their lunch while engaging in lively conversation.
Naturally, their conversation centered on Stella, particularly focusing on the alley incident where she narrowly avoided being kidnapped by two burly demons.
“Sister Stella, did you see how Daddy saved you from those two evil demons?” Charlotte asked with curiosity, her words punctuated by bites of food.
Stella shook her head and replied softly, “I didn’t see anything. Uncle Leon asked me to close my eyes, so I couldn’t witness how those two burly demons disappeared.”
The memory of Leon saving her remained vivid in her mind. Even though she had closed her eyes at the time, it was the first moment she truly felt protected, which brought an involuntary smile to her lips.
Charlotte simply nodded without saying anything more. However, the curiosity remained evident in her round and adorable face.
“By the way, Fiona told me that Daddy shared his life experiences with you. Can you tell us about it?” Iris, beside Charlotte, asked with an expression as curious as Charlotte’s.
Stella swallowed the food in her mouth, nodding slightly as she prepared to speak. However, their conversation was abruptly interrupted by approaching footsteps and the deep voices of men.
“Hey there, adorable little girls. Are you all alone here?”
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