Chapter 56: Liliana’s Unwillingness to Admit and the Growing Warmth Between Them
“Jealous?” Liliana widened her eyes in surprise, as if she had just misheard what he said.
Is she, the formidable Demon Emperor, truly feeling jealous!?
Even if the heavens themselves crumbled, how could such an emotion possibly touch her?
“What are you—” As she tried to refute Leon’s words, her voice caught in her throat.
The denial she wanted to express seemed unable to escape her lips as she began to reflect on the uncomfortable feeling that enveloped her earlier.
‘No… Am I really jealous? Is that uncomfortable feeling actually jealousy?’ Liliana asked herself in disbelief and doubt.
Jealousy was an emotion that was entirely unfamiliar to her. Throughout her life, she had never once experienced such a feeling.
As the leader of the Demon Race and the Demon Emperor, standing over millions of creatures, Liliana had always believed herself immune to such emotions.
Yet, could it be possible? Was Leon’s claim true—that she had succumbed to jealousy?
For the first time in her life, Liliana found herself engulfed in a haze of confusion.
However, she swiftly regained her composure, steadying her emotions with practiced ease.
With an air of nonchalance, she fixed her gaze on Leon.
“Jealous? Humph! How absurd! Are you daft?” Liliana’s cold sneer was accompanied by a smug smile, adorning her enticing lips.
Despite a nagging sense of truth in Leon’s words, her arrogance remained an impenetrable barrier to acknowledgment.
Observing her reaction, Leon could only roll his eyes in exasperation, his inner thoughts filled with grumbling dissatisfaction.
To be honest, witnessing Liliana’s arrogance and refusal to acknowledge her jealousy, Leon felt an overwhelming urge to rise and confront her directly, pointing accusingly at her nose while exclaiming, ‘Damn you, woman! Can’t you simply be honest and shed that infuriating, haughty facade?’
However, he swiftly suppressed his urge, fearing Liliana’s potential retaliation—getting punched.
After all, in his current state, he was no stronger than a mere chick before her.
‘Patience… It’s never too late for a man to exact his revenge, even after a decade. When my strength returns, I’ll show this woman just how formidable this handsome sword hero can be,’ Leon muttered to himself as he continued to chant a calming spell.
After a while, Leon cast a lazy glance at Liliana and nodded.
“Well, well, Her Majesty the Demon Emperor is a formidable and invincible woman. It’s inconceivable that she’d stoop to jealousy, right?” Leon’s careless retort widened Liliana’s already arrogant smile even further.
“Humph! Of course you do,” Liliana retorted, crossing her arms over her huge, proud chest.
Leon found himself too weary to continue discussing the topic, unable to bear the sight of Liliana’s exceedingly vexing and haughty countenance.
Slowly adjusting his sitting position, Leon reached into his pants pocket.
“Liliana,” he called out, extracting a piece of paper from his pocket and extending it toward her. “Here’s the information on the two heroes you inquired about last night. Take it,” he continued.
Upon hearing this, Liliana’s smug expression swiftly morphed into one of shock and disbelief as she noticed the piece of paper in his hand.
“You… What did you say? Information about the two heroes of mankind? Are you serious?” Liliana redirected her gaze from the paper to Leon, her tone tinged with surprise.
Last night, just before the side-effect reaction of the Demon Mark on her chest caused her to lose consciousness, she had indeed sought Leon’s assistance in documenting information about the other two heroes of mankind for the upcoming war.
Although Leon had agreed to her request last night, Liliana harbored doubts about whether he would follow through.
After all, as a hero himself, it seemed improbable that he would assist her, the Demon Emperor, against the Holy Empire of Elysium forces, didn’t it?
Due to her hesitation, she refrained from prying or holding high expectations.
However, she hadn’t anticipated that Leon would indeed take the initiative to compile this information for her.
In response to Liliana’s question, Leon offered a slight smile and nodded.
“Of course, I’m serious. Would I have gone to the trouble of writing this for you otherwise?” Leon replied in a jesting tone.
Liliana was taken aback by this response, poised to reply, but Leon quickly raised his hand to interrupt her.
“Don’t worry about it. I made a promise to you last night, and I intend to keep it,” Leon reassured her in a soothing tone.
Crossing his legs, he continued, “Besides, you’re well aware of how the imperial palace betrayed me and framed me, right? They even spread news of my demise across the entire empire. Hence, this war they’ve declared is clearly aimed at providing justification for my demise, all to crush the Demon race for their own sinister motives.”
“For this reason, naturally, I won’t allow them to prevail in this war rife with deceit,” Leon declared with a sigh, halting his explanation.
While his explanation resonated with logic, there were certain sentiments he chose not to express to Liliana, one of which was the profound debt he owed her.
The incident from four years ago still burdened him with overwhelming guilt.
After all, the act of rape back then was unforgivable, regardless of the justification.
However, he was too ashamed to confess it, resorting instead to finding another excuse to provide a plausible explanation.
Liliana bit her lower lip and cast a complicated glance at Leon upon hearing his explanation.
A myriad of emotions began to stir within her, causing her heart to race uncontrollably.
Aware that persisting with her inquiries might come across as hypocritical, Liliana let out a slow sigh.
“You won’t come to regret this, will you?” Subconsciously, a soft smile graced her lips as she accepted the piece of paper from Leon’s hand.
“Of course not,” Leon replied with a chuckle, instantly warming the atmosphere between them.
“Thank you, Leon Kru—No, Leon,” Liliana said softly, opting for a more intimate nickname.
Leon nodded in response before glancing at the clock, which already showed afternoon.
‘Oops! I got carried away talking to Liliana and completely forgot about those two little girls!’ Leon exclaimed inwardly, realizing he had nearly overlooked Charlotte and Fiona, who were sound asleep in his room.
He fretted over the possibility of those girls searching for him upon waking.
Swiftly, he rose from his seat and cast a fleeting glance at Liliana.
“Well, I suppose we should wrap up our conversation now that I’ve left Charlotte and Fiona sleeping in my room. They’re likely already awake and searching for me,” Leon said with a slight smile, his thoughts drifting to his two little girls.
Liliana nodded in agreement as she glanced at the vast pile of documents scattered across her desk, letting out a helpless sigh.
“Alright, I also need to finish my work soon. And forgive me for leaving the care of those two little girls to you,” Liliana said softly, her voice carrying a hint of apology.
She recognized that her recent busyness had led to neglecting her daughters too much.
Leon naturally understood her situation and harbored no ill feelings about it.
“Don’t worry about it. Taking care of them is part of my duty anyway,” Leon shrugged nonchalantly in reply.
“Thank you, Leon,” Liliana’s expression softened as she conveyed her gratitude with a sincere smile.
“You’re welcome,” Leon responded as he turned toward the door and took a few steps out.
However, after a few strides, he halted and glanced back at Liliana behind him, a sly smile suddenly blooming on his lips.
“By the way, regarding the matter of the Demon Mark, if you have a moment, feel free to visit my room. I’ll gladly enlighten you on the intricacies of love. After all, I happen to be quite experienced in that area, hahaha!” Leon quipped with a playful laugh.
Without waiting for Liliana’s response, he strode out of the room, leaving Liliana, whose smile faded upon hearing his words.
Subconscious, her fists clenched tightly, and blue veins bulged on her forehead.
With gritted teeth and her eyes blazing with hatred towards the direction of Leon’s departure, she exclaimed, “Leon… You scoundrel!”
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