Chapter 276: Putting the Two Little Girls to Bed and Miranda’s Unexpected Call
Inside the room, Leon lay on the bed with Charlotte curled up on his right and Fiona resting on his stomach like a spoiled kitten.
“Daddy, can you tell us why you weren’t at the palace this afternoon? And… is it true what Mommy said—that Empress Athena kidnapped you?” Charlotte asked, her curiosity clear, though the worry behind her adorable expression was impossible to miss.
Leon, caught off guard by the question, felt a flicker of surprise. But he didn’t let it show, keeping the calm smile on his lips.
“What are you talking about? How could I possibly be kidnapped by Empress Athena?” Leon chuckled, gently stroking Fiona’s soft, chubby cheeks, reminiscent of a fluffy bun.
Feeling her daddy’s gentle caress, Fiona giggled and nuzzled her face into his palm, showing her affection like a spoiled kitten.
Charlotte pouted at Leon’s dismissive reply, her expression deepening with jealousy as she watched him pamper Fiona.
“Hmph! You can’t hide anything from me, Daddy,” she said, her small lips slightly pursed. “Mommy was very clear, and I know I didn’t mishear. So, you need to explain it to me now.”
Of all her sisters, she understood her daddy’s nature best, especially his tendency to hide any problems from them.
Certainly, at just three years old, she realized that she couldn’t help her daddy. Yet, she still wanted to offer him some support so he wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by his problems.
Her words left Leon stunned as he regarded his little daughter, who displayed a maturity beyond her years, with a careful gaze.
Among his three daughters, Charlotte was the most unique and distinct from Iris and Fiona. It wasn’t favoritism; rather, Charlotte possessed qualities that the other two lacked—maturity and wisdom.
These traits made her remarkable, as it was unusual for a girl her age to embody such qualities.
At times, he even wondered if there might be another soul within Charlotte’s body or if she could be a reincarnator like him.
After all, he was a reincarnator himself, so it wasn’t impossible that Charlotte could be one too.
However, that remained just a speculation, and he wasn’t certain of it himself.
Snapping out of his reverie, Leon reached out and gently patted Charlotte’s head with affection.
“As I mentioned before, I wasn’t kidnapped by Empress Athena, so there’s no need to dwell on it,” Leon said briefly, not intending to elaborate further.
Despite his admiration for Charlotte’s maturity, he couldn’t bring himself to reveal the truth to her. Not only was it extremely embarrassing, but it was also unnecessary for her to know.
Charlotte bit her lower lip, dissatisfaction evident on her chubby face. She opened her mouth to speak but ultimately closed it again.
Though Charlotte felt annoyed that her daddy wouldn’t explain, she knew that trying to force him would be in vain.
Moreover, her love for him made it impossible to disobey any words or commands he uttered.
With a sigh, Charlotte pursed her lips and said, “Alright, I won’t say anything more, Daddy.”
Leon nodded in satisfaction at her response and couldn’t resist planting a kiss on her forehead.
“Since it’s getting late, you should rest and go to sleep. I’ll be right here by your side until you do,” Leon said, looking at Charlotte next to him and Fiona sprawled across his belly.
Charlotte simply nodded in response, while Fiona pouted slightly, looking at Leon with a troubled expression.
“Daddy, I can’t sleep if you don’t tell me a bedtime story,” Fiona said, her round eyes slightly watery.
Leon felt the corners of his mouth twitch as he looked at her in bewilderment.
“Since when can’t you fall asleep without a bedtime story?” He asked, gently pinching her right cheek.
As he pinched her cheek, two tears escaped the corners of her round eyes, and she gazed up at him with a pitiful expression.
“Since earlier,” Fiona replied in an innocent, sad tone.
Leon: “…”
He had always thought of Fiona as an innocent and naive little girl, but he never expected her to make a joke like this.
Taking a small breath, Leon turned his gaze to Charlotte, intending to ask her to persuade Fiona. However, he was taken aback by the sight of Charlotte’s round eyes, filled with anticipation and excitement, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor.
In that moment, he remembered Charlotte’s fondness for listening to fairy tales, leaving him momentarily speechless before he finally sighed helplessly.
“Alright, I’ll tell you a bedtime story, but you have to promise to go to sleep afterwards. Do you understand?” Leon inquired, glancing at the two with a calm expression.
Charlotte and Fiona beamed with delight, nodding in unison like eager chicks.
“Alright!” they replied excitedly, settling into their best positions.
Smiling with satisfaction, Leon cleared his throat and began, “Ahem! In ancient times…”
*Five minutes later…*
“After that…” Before Leon could finish, he found that Charlotte and Fiona had both fallen asleep without him even noticing, prompting a soft chuckle from him.
“They must be really sleepy,” Leon whispered, gently rubbing their chubby faces.
He had known from the beginning that the two were sleepy and exhausted. However, out of concern for his absence from the palace since noon, they had postponed their sleep, waiting for his return.
Touched by their thoughtfulness, Leon felt a surge of emotion and cherished his daughters even more.
Snapping out of his reverie, he withdrew his hands from their faces and carefully moved Fiona, who was asleep on his belly, to Charlotte’s right side, taking care not to wake her.
“Umm~ Daddy~ Don’t leave me~” Fiona murmured in her sleep, her small eyebrows furrowing slightly as if she sensed Leon’s absence.
Surprised, Leon quickly patted her head gently and whispered softly in her ear, “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”
As if she could hear him, the previously restless Fiona slowly regained her composure, a small smile blooming on her lips.
Seeing this, Leon smiled warmly as he pulled the blanket over their small bodies.
Once he finished, he carefully got off the bed and stretched his stiff muscles, muttering, “Damn, I’m exhausted today.”
Today’s unexpected incident, where Athena came to the palace to kidnap him, had left him mentally and physically exhausted.
Although his hero power had returned, it made no difference; he was so drained that he longed to sleep beside his two daughters.
However, knowing that Liliana was waiting for him in her room to discuss the details of Athena’s kidnapping, he knew he couldn’t afford to sleep and leave her waiting any longer.
Shaking his head slightly, Leon slowly walked toward the bathroom to clean off the stickiness from the intense activity with Athena earlier.
After five minutes, he emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed and clean.
Nodding in satisfaction, Leon was about to leave the room when a voice suddenly echoed in his mind, startling him.
“Master!”
At the sound of the familiar voice, Leon froze, his eyes widening slightly.
“Miranda?” he asked, surprised.
“Yes, Master, it’s me,” Miranda replied, her tone surprisingly cheerful.
Leon paused for a moment, his eyebrows slowly furrowing in confusion.
“Miranda? Where have you been?” Leon asked, his tone laced with mild frustration. He let out a slow sigh before adding, “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours, but you never responded. Were you in trouble?”
Earlier, while he was on the cliff, he had called for Miranda repeatedly without success, and she hadn’t replied at all.
Even on his way back to the inner palace, he attempted to reach out to her again, but the result was the same, leaving him feeling a bit worried.
Upon hearing Leon’s words, Miranda instantly fell silent, leaving him puzzled.
With his brows increasingly furrowed, Leon stepped out of the room and called out hesitantly, “Miranda, did you hear me?”
Just as he was trying to understand what had happened to her, Miranda’s voice suddenly resonated in his mind.
“Master, what do you mean?” She asked, catching him off guard.
Before he could express his confusion, Miranda abruptly cut in, “Master, do you realize I’ve been trying to reach you since this afternoon? I sensed the presence of the black token that should belong to the dragon ancestor and wanted to inquire about it, but you didn’t respond to my calls at all.”
“I even manifested in my spirit form and waved my hand in front of your face repeatedly, yet you didn’t react, as if you couldn’t see me at all.”
After a brief pause, she added, “Master, what exactly happened during my absence?”
———–
A/N: Ahem! I sincerely apologize for the inconsistent update schedule. I’ve been quite busy with lectures and work as we approach the end of the month. Additionally, I’m preparing several chapters for a mass release, which has affected my regular posting.
I appreciate your understanding, and I will be improving the release schedule starting tomorrow with at least one chapter each day.
That’s all I wanted to share—thank you for your support!
Don’t forget to stay tuned!
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