Chapter 282: Laughter, Peace... and the Echo of Danger
Laughter, Peace... and the Echo of Danger
Most of the women didn’t question him. They just nodded—taking his easy answer at face value.
Except one.
Aria tilted her head, just a little. Her violet eyes narrowed, not harsh, but sharp with curiosity. That kind of curiosity that came from knowing a man too well to miss the tremble behind the calm. Her voice stayed soft—warm, even—but there was something in it. Something that knew more than it asked.
"Darling," she said, smooth as ever, "by the way... why did Ronan ask to speak with you alone, hmm?"
She wasn’t accusing him. Not even close. It wasn’t suspicion in her voice—just that quiet edge only a woman who’s studied every breath her man takes could wield. She wasn’t demanding answers. She was watching.
Waiting.
And he flinched.
Not much. Just a tiny slip in the mask. But enough.
The smile faltered. Just for a second. But Aria saw it.
Cynthia’s calm gaze shifted—barely, but it did.
Kyra’s sharp eyes thinned, narrowing like a blade.
Even Tsubaki, who rarely moved unless necessary, tensed—just slightly, just enough.
No one spoke. But the silence around him changed shape.
Leon felt it. All of it. That invisible net of attention.
Still, he kept the smile. Drew in a slow breath and tucked the slip away.
"Nothing serious," he said, voice smooth like glass over stone. "Just the usual. War updates. Supplies. Routine talk."
Aria let out a soft little hum. Not buying it, but not pushing. She knew him. If he didn’t speak, there was a reason—and she wouldn’t force it.
"Hmm... understandable," she murmured, offering a smile that said she’d let it slide... for now.
Rias cut through the tension with her usual sunshine, lips curling. "Alright then~ But enough talking. Come sit, Daddy."
Just like that, the warmth rushed back in.
Lira pouted, dramatically tossing her hair. "Now that our lord’s finally remembered we exist—can we eat already? I’m literally dying here!"
Leon laughed. That easy, boyish sound that broke whatever was left of the tension. "Alright, alright," he said, making his way to the head of the table—the seat that belonged to him alone.
As he sat down, his eyes drifted toward the maids still standing along the wall. Poised. Graceful. Waiting.
"Fey. Rui. Mona. Lena. Mira... Chloe... Lilyn," he called softly, each name like a whisper that brushed their skin.
They all straightened at once, like strings pulled tight.
Brief glances flicked between them—nervous, unsure. And then Lilyn, the quietest of the seven, finally answered, her voice low and careful. "Yes, my lord?"
Leon’s golden gaze softened, warm enough to melt winter. "Why are you still standing?" he asked gently. "Come. Sit with us."
They froze.
It was only a moment—but it was there. A breath caught in their throats.
Color bloomed on Chloe’s face, red as a petal in spring. Lilyn looked down, hands fidgeting, unsure.
Fey, ever the voice for the others, stepped forward with a hesitant stammer. "W-We’re honored, my lord... but please. Eat first. This is your dinner. We’ll take ours after."
But Leon didn’t let her finish.
Not with anger. Just with that smile—that smile that didn’t leave room for doubt, only warmth. "Why later?" he asked, voice light but sure. "Eat with us now." He glanced to the women beside him. "Right, girls?"
Rias grinned, resting her chin on her hand. "Yes. Daddy’s right. Come on."
"Don’t be shy," Mia added, eyes twinkling black as onyx.
Kyra gave a slow nod. "You’re part of the family now. This is natural."
Cynthia’s tone was calm as still water, but final. "There’s no reason to stand when everyone else is seated."
Lira let out a wicked giggle. "Come, before we tease you into joining."
Syra’s eyes gleamed with trouble as she looked at Chloe and Lilyn. "Let’s see if you two can even eat with darling watching."
Lira leaned in, mischief thick in her tone. "I’m seriously curious if the new girls can chew without blushing themselves breathless."
The five maids glanced at each other—Mira, Mona, Rui, Lena, Fey—then toward the newest among them.
They had eaten with Leon before. On the road. During travels. But this was different. This was his home. His table. And this time, he’d asked them personally.
Chloe’s heart slammed against her ribs like it was trying to escape. Lilyn’s breath shivered in her throat. But together—still blushing—they stepped forward and slid into seats at the far end of the table. Perched like birds on a branch that felt too delicate for their weight.
It was quiet. Warm. The kind of atmosphere that hummed soft and safe. No one judged them. No one stared too long. Still, their hands trembled as they reached for the silverware.
Leon said nothing.
But when his eyes found them—just once—and he smiled...
Everything calmed.
And then, like a slow unveiling, each of his wives leaned forward, lifting the lids from the platters across the long table. Steam curled into the air like silk, carrying the scent of roasted pheasant, cumin-glazed vegetables, fresh white bread still hot, and delicate rice kissed with fruit glaze that shimmered in the candlelight.
Each woman served him herself.
"Here, darling," Aria whispered, graceful hands offering him a bowl.
"Eat this first, Leon," Rias purred, placing meat on his plate with care.
"Here. Your favorite," Lira smiled, pouring his wine.
Syra scooped salad with a playful flick of her wrist. "Eat up, handsome."
Leon took it all in—each offering, each gesture—with soft nods and a low, grateful voice. "Thank you."
Only when his plate was full did the others begin serving themselves. Dishes moved from hand to hand, colors mixing, plates becoming tiny works of art.
And with them, conversation bloomed.
Soft, teasing, close.
Rias cracked a joke that made Mia squeal with laughter. Syra leaned in, firing back with a tease of her own. Lira joined the chaos with a grin, throwing out a flirt that even made Cynthia smirk. Kyra raised an eyebrow, dry but amused. Tsubaki tried to stay formal, but a small laugh broke through.
Even the maids—Fey, Mira, Mona, Rui, Lena—began to relax. Chloe and Lilyn, too. Their lips twitched with hesitant smiles. Shoulders lowered. Fingers stopped trembling.
No court politics. No titles.
Just warmth.
Just laughter.
Leon, too—he let himself breathe. Really breathe. Goblet in hand, body leaned back, golden eyes reflecting firelight and wine.
And for the first time in days, he smiled without weight.
He was surrounded by them. His women. His home.
The quiet ache he’d carried—the one he hadn’t spoken of—melted under the heat of this moment.
He was home.
But the warmth didn’t hold forever.
Not completely.
Far from the mansion’s soft glow, tucked in the gut of Silver City, there was a place the light didn’t reach.
An alley.
Narrow. Crooked. Forgotten.
The kind of place even rats avoided, where the shadows were too still, too deep.
Where silence didn’t feel empty—it felt... wrong.
The air was holding its breath.
Then—
trmmmble—
The ground shivered.
Not a quake. A pulse. Like something stirring beneath the stone, quiet and slow.
Air shifted. Energy gathered.
Something... moved.
A flicker. Barely there.
Then— BOOM.
Not loud. Not enough to wake the sleeping city.
But it was there.
A muffled explosion.
Too focused to be an accident.
Too intentional to be ignored.
Something buried deep had started to rise.