Chapter 257: Liliana’s Hidden Ability
Inside the spacious, lavishly decorated parlor, Liliana and Leon sat side by side on the sofa, with snacks and tea arranged on the table before them.
Across from them, Athena sat back with a nonchalant, elegant demeanor, her legs gracefully crossed as she occasionally glanced at Leon beside Liliana.
“So, what cooperation plan did you want to discuss, Athena?” Liliana inquired calmly, sipping her tea.
Athena pulled her furtive gaze away from Leon, adopting an indifferent expression as she turned her attention to Liliana.
“The cooperation plan I want to discuss involves achieving peace between our two races and establishing a true alliance between our empires,” Athena replied seriously, sipping the tea from the table.
Upon hearing this, Liliana’s eyebrows lifted slightly, betraying a hint of surprise she couldn’t conceal.
Honestly, she still had lingering doubts about Athena’s true motives for proposing this cooperation plan.
Her skepticism stemmed from Athena’s unusual persistence in visiting her palace, despite her firm refusals.
Moreover, the Dragon Empire and the Demon Empire had not formed any mutual cooperation in thousands of years, which only deepened her suspicion.
However, Athena’s serious response momentarily eased her doubts, allowing her to feel a bit more at ease.
“In that case, let’s move forward with the plan,” Liliana said, her indifferent tone softening slightly.
Recognizing Athena’s genuine intent to establish true cooperation between the two races and empires, she didn’t hesitate to accept.
Beside Liliana, Leon was momentarily stunned by Athena’s seriousness but quickly regained his composure.
Despite his poor impression of Athena due to their shameful past, Leon knew her well.
As the world’s most powerful dragon, Athena held a deep sense of pride and unwavering integrity, always staying true to her word.
Realizing this, Leon felt a twinge of embarrassment for having doubted her.
‘Damn, I really am terrible,’ he muttered to himself, guilt washing over him.
His negative perception of Athena had made him forget her identity as a proud and formidable dragon.
Across from Leon, Athena silently observed the change in his expression, a faint smile playing at her lips.
Subsequently, Athena and Liliana engaged in serious discussions about the cooperation plan, setting aside their personal animosity as they faced each other as leaders of the Demon and Dragon races.
Their discussion covered various areas, including defense, economy, and other aspects of mutual cooperation.
They also agreed to formalize their alliance with a document bound by ancient magic to ensure its commitment.
Leon, observing the process, remained silent and refrained from interfering.
The cooperation being discussed was between the Demon and Dragon races, and as a human, Leon felt it was inappropriate to interject in their conversations.
However, Liliana and Athena did not disregard him. Aware of Leon’s extensive knowledge, they occasionally sought his input on matters where they needed guidance.
As their discussion on cooperation deepened, two hours passed unnoticed.
“By the way, Liliana, I have a question,” Athena said nonchalantly. “Do you know where Leon Kruger is?”
Her question surprised both Leon and Liliana, prompting them to exchange a quick, furtive glance.
Liliana swiftly composed herself, taking a sip of her now-cold tea before asking, “Why do you want to know?”
Athena smiled faintly, crossing her long, alluring legs as she replied casually, “As I mentioned yesterday, Leon and I share a deeply special bond. We are married, with our bodies and souls intertwined by the thread of fate, inseparable by anyone in this world.”
Liliana’s anger flared violently at Athena’s shameless words.
Leon was the man she loved, and she couldn’t tolerate Athena speaking of him so flippantly.
Beside Liliana, Leon’s mouth twitched involuntarily at Athena’s bold proclamation.
He hadn’t anticipated such brazen and shameless words from her, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Athena sensed Liliana’s anger but remained indifferent.
With a smile, she occasionally glanced at Leon beside Liliana and continued, “A few days ago, I sent some of my dragon troops to the Holy Empire of Elysium to search for him, but they found no trace of him.”
“I’ve also broadened the search to the entire Holy Orthodox region and around the Desert of Chaos, yet his whereabouts remain unknown, which is quite frustrating for me.”
Athena paused briefly, taking a small breath and adopting a look of helplessness as she continued, “Therefore, my visit to your palace is not only to discuss the cooperation plan between our empires but also to inquire about Leon’s whereabouts.”
“You fought with him and were the last to see him. Can you tell me where he is?”
Liliana narrowed her eyes, her vigilance evident.
She had initially dismissed her suspicions about Athena, but now she realizes Athena had another motive for her visit.
‘Of course, this woman can’t just let Leon go,’ Liliana thought, a trace of jealousy in her voice.
As Leon’s partner, she had no intention of revealing the truth—that Leon was actually beside her.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Liliana met Athena’s gaze with calm indifference.
“I don’t know where Leon Kruger is,” she said calmly. “During our battle in the Desert of Chaos, I launched a decisive attack, but he easily deflected it. He then used a strange technique and vanished from my sight. Since then, I haven’t seen him and have no idea where he might be.”
After finishing her explanation, she sipped her tea with a composed expression, as though her words were the absolute truth.
Beside her, Leon was both astonished and impressed by Liliana’s ability to lie with such composure.
‘I didn’t realize Liliana was so adept at deception,’ he thought, taking a deep breath. ‘She’s far more clever and eloquent than I expected.’
Liliana’s usual serious and cold demeanor made her seem unlikely to be skilled at deception.
However, her calm and eloquent lie shattered that assumption, making Leon realize he should never judge a book by its cover.
Meanwhile, Athena, hearing Liliana’s explanation, appeared slightly taken aback before adopting a doubtful expression.
“Are you certain you haven’t seen him since then?” She asked, her tone laden with skepticism.
Liliana nodded with a small sigh. “Yes, I haven’t seen him since that time.”
Athena fell silent for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
“Well, thank you for your explanation,” Athena said with a helpless expression.
Liliana was surprised and looked at Athena with a puzzled expression.
She had anticipated that Athena would question her sincerity and cast doubt on her words.
Instead, the unexpected response left her both astonished and confused.
“Do you actually believe me, Athena?” Liliana asked hesitantly.
Athena raised an eyebrow slightly and replied with a nonchalant tone, “Of course, I believe you, Liliana. I’m sure you wouldn’t lie to me, right?”
Liliana’s surprise quickly faded, replaced by a faint smile that appeared on her lips.
“Of course, I wouldn’t lie to you,” Liliana said, patting her huge chest as if to reassure Athena.
Leon, watching beside her, nearly laughed at Liliana’s confident display. If he hadn’t witnessed her in person, he might have been convinced by her words.
Athena simply nodded without further comment, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips—one that neither Leon nor Liliana noticed.
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