Chapter 290: Love at First Sight
“They are Demon Generals Merlin and Reyna, Your Majesty,” the young maid replied.
Liliana’s eyebrow arched slightly at the mention of the names, a flicker of confusion crossing her beautiful, captivating face.
“Merlin and Reyna? What could they possibly want from me?” She inquired curiously, resting her chin on her right hand.
The young maid timidly shook her head. “I’m not sure, Your Majesty. They didn’t tell me why. They simply asked me to relay their request for a meeting with you.”
Liliana narrowed her eyes, took a breath, and gave a small nod.
“Very well. Take them to the parlor and have them wait for me. I’ll be there shortly,” she said calmly.
“As you command, Your Majesty,” the young maid replied, bowing respectfully.
She then bowed again to Lyra and Leon before leaving Liliana’s workspace with unsteady steps.
As the maid departed, Leon, who had been quietly observing, turned his gaze back to Liliana and gave her a knowing smile.
“Apparently, Merlin and Reyna’s arrival is connected to your troop deployment, Liliana,” Leon said casually, surprising her slightly.
“Do you mean…” Liliana was about to speak when Leon interrupted her.
“Yes, just as you guessed,” Leon chuckled, nodding as he folded his arms across his chest. “Your plans to coordinate the demon troops are well known throughout the outer palace. Everyone knows you’ve been seeking volunteers from the archdemons to bolster the forces on the battlefield.”
“Naturally, Merlin, as the First Demon General, wouldn’t pass up this opportunity. Since you didn’t choose him as one of the three generals for the war, he’ll likely want to lead the reinforcements to reclaim his pride after being overlooked for the battle in the Desert of Chaos.”
Pausing for a moment, he rubbed his chin and continued casually, “As for Reyna, her intentions are probably similar to Merlin’s. After all, each of the Demon generals has their pride, and being overlooked must have stung a bit.”
After finishing his explanation, a small smile tugged at Leon’s lips.
When he and Liliana had first agreed to deploy the Demon troops to the battlefield, he had suspected that Merlin or the other Demon generals would take action—and now his instincts had proven correct.
‘Given their arrogance, it wasn’t hard to foresee,’ Leon chuckled to himself.
Meanwhile, Lyra, who had been listening to Leon’s detailed explanation, was taken aback.
She never expected Leon to articulate the purpose of Merlin’s arrival so thoroughly in such a short time, sparking her curiosity.
“Your Majesty Leon, how—” Before Lyra could finish her question, Liliana suddenly stood up, cutting her off.
“Your analysis of this situation is remarkably astute, and I must admit, it surprises me. If you weren’t a sword hero, I would have already made you my prime minister. That way, I could relax while you handled the affairs of the entire Demon Empire,” Liliana joked, giggling as she spoke.
At her words, Leon felt the corners of his mouth twitch, and he looked at Liliana with a playful sparkle in his eyes.
“Even if I don’t become your prime minister, I’ll do everything I can to lighten your burden, Liliana,” Leon said casually but sincerely.
Leon’s blunt words caused the smile on Liliana’s lips to falter, and a blush soon blossomed on her beautiful, icy face.
“Your words are as sweet as ever, Leon,” Liliana complained, glancing to the side to hide her embarrassment.
Lyra, witnessing the affectionate and flirtatious exchange between them, could only remain helplessly silent.
“It seems I’m indeed just a light bulb here,” she whispered softly, a hint of grievance in her tone.
…
Inside the parlor, a strikingly handsome man and a beautiful woman sat quietly beside each other.
The man possessed perfect facial features, yet an air of arrogance clung to him. He had flowing gray hair that fell just below his earlobes and captivating gray-black eyes that matched his hair in beauty.
Dressed in a black battle robe, he exuded a commanding presence that made anyone who approached him feel an undeniable sense of intimidation.
Meanwhile, the woman beside him was so captivatingly beautiful that anyone who beheld her would be spellbound.
Her long black hair flowed down to her waist, accentuated by a black headband perched atop her head.
In a stunning black gown, her alluring curves were impossible to overlook.
Though she remained silent, an air of mystery surrounded her, enchanting any man who laid eyes on her and causing them to fall in love at first sight.
This handsome man and beautiful woman were none other than Merlin, the First Demon General who had been soundly defeated by Leon, and Reyna, the Sixth Demon General.
At that moment, silence hung between them, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere.
After a while, Merlin, who had been quiet, broke the silence.
“Reyna, what are you doing in the inner palace? Do you intend to meet Her Majesty the Demon Emperor, Liliana?” He asked, his voice laced with indifference and arrogance.
Reyna’s expression remained unchanged at his question as she glanced at Merlin with a calm gaze.
“It’s a secret, and I won’t tell you,” she replied casually, instantly irritating Merlin.
“Is your visit connected to the reinforcements that Her Majesty, the Demon Emperor Liliana, intends to send to the battlefield?” Merlin inquired coldly, struggling to keep his annoyance at bay.
Faced with Merlin’s relentless questioning, Reyna, who had previously been indifferent, now felt a surge of irritation.
Fixing Merlin with a cold glare, Reyna crossed her arms over her big chest and retorted, “You ask too many questions, and it’s exceedingly annoying, Merlin. My reasons for visiting the inner palace to see Her Majesty the Demon Emperor are none of your business, and I’m under no obligation to answer you. So, just shut up and be quiet.”
Merlin was momentarily taken aback by her bluntness, but anger quickly flared on his pale, handsome face.
“You…” He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists in frustration.
He had asked casually, but he hadn’t anticipated that this woman would respond with such a sharp reproach, igniting his anger.
As the proud and arrogant First Demon General, he couldn’t possibly tolerate such humiliation.
After all, Reyna was only the Sixth Demon General, while he held the title of the First and Strongest Demon General. This meant that Reyna should have shown him respect instead of speaking to him so harshly!
Just as Merlin was about to teach her a lesson, the sound of several footsteps suddenly echoed from in front of them.
Merlin and Reyna instinctively turned their heads toward the source of the sound and saw Liliana approaching, accompanied by Lyra and a tall, handsome man.
Upon seeing Liliana, Merlin’s anger evaporated instantly, replaced by a clear expression of delight on his handsome face.
He quickly rose to his feet and bowed his head respectfully to Liliana.
“Good morning, Your Majesty Liliana.” Merlin greeted her respectfully, his tone laced with warmth.
Beside him, Reyna quickly rose to her feet as well and bowed her head to Liliana, mirroring Merlin’s gesture.
“Good morning, Your Majesty, the Demon Emperor Liliana,” she said with respect.
As Liliana drew closer, she stopped and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
“It’s unusual for you to come to me at this hour,” Liliana said casually as she sat down on the sofa. “What brings you here?”
While she already suspected their intentions from Leon’s analysis, she still felt it necessary to ask, pretending not to know.
Upon hearing Upon hearing Liliana’s question, Merlin raised his head with a smile, ready to respond. However, he stopped short when his gaze fell on Leon, who was standing behind Liliana alongside Lyra.
“You… How are you still here?!” Merlin gasped, his eyes widening in fear as he pointed at Leon.
The sight of him stirred painful memories of his earlier defeat on the field.
At that time, he had confidently challenged him, certain he could easily win the battle. However, he never anticipated being soundly defeated with little to no resistance!
Even when he drew his Demon sword—one of the eight sacred weapons of the Demon race—he was unable to inflict any harm or achieve victory, which dealt a significant blow to his pride.
Nonetheless, his hatred for this man did not diminish; instead, it intensified drastically.
It was this damn man who exposed his weaknesses and flaws in front of Her Majesty Liliana, ultimately ruining his reputation in her eyes.
So, seeing him still in the inner palace, standing so close to Liliana, filled him with both shock and fury!
If this damn man weren’t stronger than him, he would jump at the chance to attack him for daring to stand so close to Her Majesty Liliana—the woman he loved.
Beside him, Reyna noticed Merlin’s expression of fear mixed with anger and was momentarily taken aback. She involuntarily glanced at Leon, leaving her utterly dumbfounded.
‘So handsome! How can a man be this attractive?’ Reyna thought to herself, her eyes widening in disbelief as her heart raced.
Although she had encountered many handsome men, this one was truly extraordinary, far surpassing anyone she had ever seen!
Subconsciously, a slight blush crept onto her cheeks, and her heart, long locked away, began to stir.
“No, I want him for myself!”
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