Chapter 280: Liliana’s Inquiry and the Revelation of the Truth to Her
Upon hearing her question, Leon’s smile instantly stiffened, and his heart raced.
“Damn it! How could I forget about Athena’s problems?” He cursed himself inwardly.
So engrossed in the conversation and comfort Liliana provided, he had completely forgotten about the incident with Athena earlier that afternoon, leaving him feeling a bit embarrassed.
Noticing Leon’s silence, Liliana frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with his distraction.
“Leon? Why are you daydreaming? Did you hear me?” She asked, pinching both of his cheeks in a playful yet pointed manner.
Snapping out of his reverie, Leon met Liliana’s pouty expression and felt a wave of embarrassment.
“Ahem! Sorry, Liliana. I was just daydreaming,” he said, pretending to cough.
Liliana rolled her eyes but didn’t press the issue. Instead, she asked, “Can you explain what happened this afternoon? Why did Athena kidnap you?”
In addition to the looming war in the Desert of Chaos, Leon’s kidnapping weighed heavily on her mind. Athena, whom she had trusted to genuinely seek cooperation between their two empires, had revealed a hidden agenda—taking Leon away from her!
Though she had no idea how Athena learned Leon’s identity, it didn’t matter to her in the slightest.
As the person she loved most, Leon was her balance; she would never allow anyone to hurt him, and Athena’s actions had undeniably shattered that.
Furthermore, Athena’s kidnapping of Leon within her own palace was a blatant insult to her as the Demon Emperor—a slap in the face that she found unforgivable.
Hence, her anger toward Athena had reached a boiling point, and she yearned to tear the woman apart with her own hands.
Sensing Liliana’s intense killing intent, Leon felt a surge of nerves, and his confidence to confide in her evaporated.
However, recalling his conversation with the middle-aged man, he quickly regained his composure and courage.
Taking a deep breath, he ran his fingers through Liliana’s long white hair and began, “About what happened this afternoon, actually…”
He began recounting the events that had unfolded in the parlor that afternoon, detailing everything from the significance of the black token that prompted his agreement to Athena’s request for a private conversation to how she had deceived him into losing consciousness.
When he finished, Leon sighed softly and shook his head. “So that’s what happened, Liliana. I was careless and underestimated Athena, and it led to this disaster.”
If he hadn’t let his guard down, this incident could have been avoided. But he understood that regretting it was futile; what’s done is done.
Now, his priority was to explain everything to Liliana and prepare himself for her reaction.
With this thought in mind, Leon watched Liliana’s face for her reaction. Sure enough, her once radiant smile turned cold, a murderous intent radiating from her, creating a tense atmosphere around them.
She gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and whispered in a frigid tone, “Athena, you really are a bitch! This time, you’re truly asking for trouble!”
Although she had already learned from Lyra that Athena had used a strange potion to kidnap Leon, hearing it directly from him intensified her anger and hatred toward Athena.
If Leon hadn’t been by her side, she might have ventured hundreds of kilometers away to the mountains and reduced them to dust, seeking relief from the burning rage inside her.
Seeing her like this, Leon sighed softly and tightened his embrace around her captivating, curvaceous form.
He rested his chin on her head and rubbed her smooth, white back. “This is all my fault, Liliana, and I’m truly sorry. If you’re upset, you can take your anger out on me.”
At his words, Liliana snapped out of her anger and quickly shook her head.
“No, you’re not to blame for this. It’s clear that Athena is the one with evil intentions toward you, and my own carelessness in trusting her played a part as well. So there’s no need for you to apologize, Leon,” she said firmly, meeting his gaze with a serious expression.
Despite her hatred and anger towards Athena, Liliana couldn’t bring herself to blame Leon for the kidnapping.
In this situation, Leon was undeniably the victim, and it would be unreasonable for her to blame or scold him.
On the contrary, it was her carelessness in trusting Athena so easily that warranted blame for this incident, not Leon.
Liliana’s caring words made Leon flinch slightly before a gentle smile spread across his face.
“I understand, and thank you for your concern, Liliana,” Leon said softly, rubbing her palms.
At first, he had braced himself, expecting Liliana to either blame or hate him. But he never imagined that not only would she refrain from anger or accusations, but she would also offer him comforting words, allowing him to finally sigh in relief.
Although he couldn’t predict her reaction if she discovered what had transpired between him and Athena, her current positive response reassured him that Liliana was open-minded when dealing with problems, which brought him a sense of happiness.
Liliana smiled and gave a small nod, but her eyebrows lifted slightly, as though she had just remembered something important.
She gradually loosened her embrace, then examined Leon from head to stomach with a serious expression, leaving him both surprised and curious.
“What’s wrong, Liliana? Why that expression?” Leon asked, puzzled.
Liliana stayed silent, her serious expression unwavering as she regarded Leon with narrowed eyes.
“Leon, there’s something I want to ask, and I hope you’ll be completely honest with me,” she said, her tone carrying a hint of coldness.
Leon raised his eyebrows slightly at her words but remained quiet, offering a small nod.
“Of course, Liliana. You can ask me anything,” he replied calmly.
Liliana took a small breath, placing both palms on Leon’s broad chest before asking, “When Athena kidnapped you, did she do anything to you?”
Leon’s expression shifted slightly, his body tensing for a moment. However, the stiffness was brief, and he quickly regained his composure.
Leon took a deep breath and gave a small nod. “I anticipated this question, and my coming to your room is connected to it,” he replied.
Liliana frowned slightly, confused by his words. But after a moment, her eyes widened as a bold thought crossed her mind.
“Are you saying…” she began, but Leon quickly interrupted her.
“Yes, your guess is correct, Liliana,” Leon admitted with a nod before continuing. “When Athena kidnapped me, actually…”
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