Chapter 93: Leon Realizing His Mistake and the Mysterious Black Box
“What? Punished!?”
Leon was utterly dumbfounded; he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
‘Punished? Lyra was punished by Liliana? How is that even possible?’
Frowning, Leon sensed that something was amiss.
With a swift adjustment of his stance, he fixed his gaze on Celine, his expression serious.
“You—no, Celine, can you explain why Lyra might have been punished? Or did something happen beforehand?” Leon’s tone was hurried and urgent.
Under the weight of Leon’s intense scrutiny and insistence, Celine felt a wave of nervousness and fear wash over her.
She opened and closed her mouth, as if attempting to explain, but her nervousness rendered her speechless.
Observing her struggle, Leon abruptly realized the intimidating effect of his demeanor.
Taking a deep breath, he composed himself and regarded her with a gentler gaze.
“I apologize for frightening you, but could you please explain why Lyra was punished?” Leon’s tone softened considerably as he posed the question once more.
Celine nibbled on her lower lip, a mix of embarrassment and relief evident in her expression as she looked at Leon.
“Um… Your Majesty Leon, I’m not entirely certain of the exact reason why Lady Lyra was punished by Her Majesty the Demon Emperor,” Celine replied timidly. She continued, “But, from what I overheard from another maid, it appears that Lady Lyra may have angered Her Majesty the Demon Emperor in some way.”
Leon was startled, raising one eyebrow in confusion.
“What? Made Liliana angry? How could Lyra…” Before Leon could continue, his entire body froze as the memory of last night flooded his mind.
Recalling the events of the last night, he remembered being candid with Liliana about the recovery of his powers and the poison—the devouring poison within his body.
He also explained that everything, from the books on poisons to the three forbidden tomes, as well as the ingredients required to concoct the antidote, had been provided with assistance from Lyra!
Given the severe punishment he endured at Liliana’s hands last night, leaving both his waists sore, wasn’t it only appropriate that Lyra, her loyal subordinate, also faced consequences for concealing everything from her?
Moreover, Lyra had procured the three forbidden books without seeking permission from Liliana, despite her high status as an archdemon!
‘F***! So, isn’t Lyra’s punishment my fault?’ Leon was stunned into silence as he contemplated the situation.
After all, it seemed improbable that Liliana would punish Lyra without a reason other than him disclosing everything to her last night!
‘Oops! I was the one who asked her to keep this secret, but I ended up revealing it?’ Leon felt overwhelming guilt towards Lyra, coupled with a deep sense of shame.
In hindsight, his actions amounted to betraying Lyra, didn’t they?
‘I must apologize to Lyra and implore Liliana not to punish her,’ Leon muttered to himself with determination.
Immediately, Leon snapped out of his reverie and turned to Celine, inquiring, “Can you tell me where Lyra is now?”
“Um… I’m sorry, Your Majesty Leon, but since Lady Lyra is being punished, she’s not in the palace right now,” Celine explained, her tone tinged with nervousness.
“Not in the palace?” Leon furrowed his brow, pressing further, “Then, where is Liliana? Is she in her workspace?”
“Her Majesty the Demon Emperor is in her workspace, Your Majesty Leon, but she instructed me not to let anyone disturb her,” Celine replied nervously, stealing glances at Leon.
At this point, the furrows on Leon’s brow deepened, and his handsome face grew sullen.
He recognized that Liliana’s instruction was intended to dissuade him from seeking leniency for Lyra’s punishment.
Liliana must have been aware of this, purposely showing him the directive.
“Hah~” Leon sighed, guilt washing over him as he rubbed his forehead.
After all, he was the one who indirectly caused Lyra’s punishment, and failing to act would be akin to shirking his responsibility.
Without Lyra’s assistance, Leon himself doubted whether he could have advanced to this stage in the process of recovering his powers.
Observing Leon’s face, filled with a myriad of emotions, Celine pursed her lips and forced herself to stare boldly at him.
“Your Majesty Leon… um… actually, you don’t have to worry about Lady Lyra, because I’m certain that Her Majesty the Demon Emperor won’t administer a severe punishment,” Celine said nervously, yet with an undercurrent of confidence.
As a maid stationed in the inner palace, she understood firsthand the closeness between the two.
Thus, she attempted to alleviate Leon’s concern.
Upon hearing her words and witnessing her confident demeanor, Leon was momentarily taken aback, exhaling a small sigh.
In truth, he harbored a similar confidence himself, but given that the situation stemmed from his actions, he couldn’t simply allow Lyra to face punishment.
However, despite his reluctance, Leon understood that Liliana had already reached a decision, and it was not his place to oppose or voice discontent with her judgment.
‘I’ll apologize to Lyra later, once her punishment is over,’ Leon resolved, firm in his decision.
Gradually regaining his composure, Leon turned to Celine and offered a gentle smile, saying, “Thank you, Celine.”
“Ah… um… you’re welcome, Your Majesty Leon,” Celine replied, her face flushing with embarrassment.
Leon smiled, observing her shyness, and found it quite endearing.
Then, Leon’s gaze involuntarily shifted to the food trolley behind Celine.
“Did you bring breakfast for me?” Leon asked casually.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I brought breakfast for you,” Celine replied, subtly moving aside to reveal the spread of food on the trolley.
Leon nodded and turned to enter the room, remarking, “Alright, let’s bring it in. By the way, I’m already hungry.”
Celine nodded in acknowledgment. Carrying the food trolley behind her, she followed Leon into his room.
“You can place the food on that table,” Leon directed, gesturing towards the table near the sofa, his customary dining spot in the room.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Celine responded eagerly.
She pulled the food trolley closer to the table and began arranging the food with care.
This was her first time serving Leon, and she felt a nervous flutter within her.
After a few minutes, she finished arranging the food and let out a sigh of relief.
“Is it done?” Leon’s soft inquiry reached her ears.
“Done, Your Majesty,” Celine responded with a happy smile.
Leon returned the smile and nodded appreciatively, saying, “Thank you.”
Celine’s smile widened at Leon’s gratitude, feeling a rush of happiness at his acknowledgment.
However, her smile quickly froze as she remembered something very important.
“Oops, I forgot something!” Celine’s eyes widened slightly as the realization dawned on her.
Hastily, she returned to the food trolley she was carrying, checked the bottom space, and opened it.
Reaching in, she retrieved a rather large black box and approached Leon, presenting it to him.
“Your Majesty, I apologize for the oversight. I forgot to inform you that Her Majesty the Demon Emperor left this with me to give to you,” Celine explained as she presented the sizable black box to Leon.
Leon accepted the box, feeling a touch of surprise as he examined it.
“What is this box, and what does it contain?” Leon scanned the sides with curiosity.
“I don’t know, Your Majesty,” Celine replied with a shake of her head.
Leon nodded slightly, his curiosity piqued.
With caution, he opened the box slightly, and in an instant, his eyes widened in shock at its contents.
“These are…”
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