Upon hearing the maid''s voice, Liliana was slightly startled but quickly regained herposure, adopting a nonchnt expression.
"Lyra, since Athena has arrived, I must go greet her with Leon right away," Liliana said calmly, then added, "Please prepare some tea for us in the parlor."
Lyra nodded and bowed respectfully. "Yes, Your Majesty. Leave it to me."
Liliana smiled without saying more and began walking towards the door. Suddenly, she paused as something crossed her mind.
"By the way, Lyra, I nearly forgot," Liliana said, turning back. "I need you to keep Fiona, Charlotte, Iris, and Ste in their rooms and ensure they don''t leave while Athena is in the pce. Can you handle that?"
Lyra was startled and confused by the request, but she quicklyposed herself and nodded, replying in a t tone, "I can, Your Majesty. Don''t worry, I will look after the three youngdies and young Lady Ste in their rooms while Empress Athena is in the pce."
Though deeply puzzled and curious about the reason behind the request, she refrained from asking questions.
To her, fulfilling the Demon Emperor''s orders was an absolute duty, and she didn''t need to know the reasons behind them.
Liliana was well aware of Lyra''s curiosity, but she had no intention of offering an exnation.
The rtionship between Leon and Athena wasplicated and delicate, and exining it would take considerable time.
Moreover, it involved Leon''s embarrassing past secrets, which she preferred to keep from anyone else, including Lyra.
Satisfied, Liliana nodded, turned gracefully, and walked out of the room, leaving Lyra alone.
As she watched Liliana leave, Lyra blinked thoughtfully.
...
Meanwhile...
In the grand hall, an extraordinarily handsome man stood before arge mirror, a faint smile ying on his lips.
His features were strikingly perfect, with sword-sharp eyebrows and a sculpted jawline that seemed to have been carved by the gods themselves.
He wore an elegant ck mantle robe, its night-colored fabricplementing his regal demeanor.
His pale white hair and violet eyes, gleaming like sapphire gems, could captivate any woman at a single nce.
This man was none other than our protagonist, the most handsome man in the world—Leon Kruger!
"Tsk tsk! I never expected Liliana to choose such perfect clothes for me," Leon muttered with a faint smile, admiring his reflection in the mirror. "With my current appearance, even being called the most handsome man in the history of this world seems like an understatement."
To prepare for Athena''s imminent arrival, both he and Liliana had to dress appropriately and elegantly.
Although Athena''s visit wasn''t officially sanctioned—she had not received Liliana''s permission—she was still a dragon empress of the Dragon Empire, holding high status. Her arrival was a significant event, representing the face of the Dragon Empire.
Thus, despite Liliana''s reluctance and frustration with Athena''sck of politeness, they still had to give her a proper wee.
"By the way, I''m curious about Liliana''s suspicions," Leon mused silently, rubbing his chin with a thoughtful expression. "Is Athena''s visit intended to establish cooperation between our empires, or does it serve another purpose, as Liliana suggestedst night?" Chapter Enjoy:
If Athena''s visit was solely to discuss cooperation, he would remain calm and rxed. However, if her purpose was more personal, he would need to prepare a response to reject her.
The war in the Desert of Chaos had been ongoing for over two weeks, and he sensed it might soon reach its climax.
Moreover, Jim had already begun taking actions and devising strategies unknown to him, which only reinforced his intuition.
Therefore, he needed to go there tomorrow and end the 7,000-year war.
Leon took a deep breath, his indifferent expression gradually turning stern.
"Well, I can only hope that Athena''s visit is for cooperation between the empires and not for me," he whispered inwardly.
With a small sigh, he turned to leave but was startled by the appearance of an extraordinarily beautiful woman in an exquisite ck gown.
Upon seeing the woman, Leon''s surprise quickly faded, giving way to a gentle smile.
"Liliana, you''ve truly surprised me," Leon said with a chuckle as he approached her.
He looked at Liliana in her stunning gown and couldn''t help but praise her: "You look absolutely breathtaking, Liliana. It''s no exaggeration to say you''re the most beautiful woman in the world."
Liliana''s gown was a ck off-shoulder dress with an A-line skirt, entuating her cold and aloof demeanor perfectly.
Leon''s praise naturally delighted Liliana, but she controlled her excitement and maintained aposed expression.
"Thank you for thepliment, Leon. You look handsome in your mantle robe, too," Liliana said softly, smoothing his slightly crooked cor.
When she finished, she looked at him with a faint smile and continued in a teasing tone, "With your appearance, I can only imagine how many women would be captivated. Can you?"
Liliana''s sudden remark left Leon surprised and puzzled, as he couldn''t quite understand why she would say such a thing. However, since she wasplimenting him, he couldn''t very well refuse.
"Ahem! Thank you for thepliment," Leon said, coughing slightly and smiling with a touch of pride. "I do feel more handsome than usual, and I''m sure any woman would be charmed."
As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden chill filled the air, startling him.
He instinctively nced at Liliana and saw her watching him with a cold gaze and a cynical smile, which left him feeling confused.
"Liliana, why are you looking at me like that?" Leon asked hesitantly.
Liliana had justplimented him on his appearance, which he had epted with gratitude. So why was she now giving him a cold stare, as if she were angry?
Liliana didn''t answer but merely snorted coldly and looked away, making Leon''s mouth twitch in response.
Despite his extensive reading in the greatest libraries, he could never grasp theplexities of women''s nature.
''The old saying holds true: understanding women is moreplex than unraveling the secrets of the universe,'' Leon thought with a sigh.
Before he could address the situation, Liliana regained herposure and said, "Athena has arrived. Let''s wee her."
Leon''s expression shifted to seriousness as he nodded and replied, "Okay."
...
In the vast inner pce courtyard, a stunning red carriage, drawn by two enormous dragons, descended slowly and came to a halt.
The sight of the carriage left the few maids and guards present in awe, unable to conceal their astonishment.
None dared approach, however, as the dragons'' formidable aura was too overpowering.
*ck!*
Momentster, the door on the right side of the carriage opened, revealing an extraordinarily beautiful woman with red hair in a striking red gown.
Surveying her surroundings, she shed an exquisitely charming smile, her lips lingering in a seductive lick.
"My dear Leon, you can never escape me," she said with a yful tone.
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A/N: I apologize for not updating yesterday. Unfortunately, a friend made a joke by deleting four drafts of my chapter, which forced me to rewrite everything from scratch. It was quite frustrating, but it was something I had to deal with.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support!