BXBX NOVEL Chapter 364 Third
"Master, but how about our Madam? Aren't you worried about how troublesome it will be for her?" The blades asked rather carefully.
Leon was not offended by their inquiry, but instead, he smiled as he remembered Eli's unbothered expression while they learned about the plan of the new faction.
"Didn't she say earlier that there is no need to worry? Besides, you knew that your Madam was not an easy opponent." Leon replied, there was a proud and infatuated expression on his face as he continued, "Your Madam could even crush a person with her words alone, what more if she uses her strength and wits?"
The blades were dumbfounded as they saw Leon's love-sick expression. After all, they grew up seeing Leon come and go to the battlefield with an ever-cold expression. But now, their master was now capable of showing such a gentle and affectionate expression.
"Another thing, it would be advantageous for her if we are able to trigger the men to move earlier, because Eli will just get busier as the date of the tournament approaches. The earlier their schemes were exposed and debunked the more convenient it is for your Madam."
As Leon continued to explain everything, the blades also realized the advantages of forcing the old men to reveal their schemes prematurely. Besides, these men cannot afford to come up with another scheme as Leon will ensure that they will be busier than Eli.
"I see, master. Now we understand. We thank Master for enlightening us with your wisdom." The blades then responded and dismissed themselves.
Leon stretched his stiff body upon standing on the couch. The days seemed to have been longer in the past few weeks and he was now feeling that his body was now slowly demanding rest. And so, he immediately proceeded to the bedroom where Eli and Little Han were now dressed in their sleeping attire.
"Jiheeeheee!"
The mother and son looked so cute and adorable as they were both wearing soft white pajamas. They were giggling as they played with each other, with Eli tickling Little Han.
Their playful giggles filled the room and warmed up Leon's heart. A smile bloomed on his exhausted face as he told his heart, 'home is where these two would be…'
"Ohhh Daddi!!!!" Little Han felt Leon's presence and looked in his direction.
Leon stepped forward and saw the cute scenery which almost made him jump to the bed and act out of his usual character.
Two pairs of twinkling eyes looked at him dearly, Little Han and Eli's heads were close to each other as Little Han was actually hugging his mommy's face. Now with their cheeks touching each other, they looked at Leon who was approaching from the entrance of the bedroom door.
"You guys ended quite early," Eli remarked as freed Little Han in her embrace.
Little Han immediately scooted over his father, smiling happily. He called out to Leon with his charming gaze asking his dad for warm cuddles.
"Hmm.. aren't you going to sleep, little one?" Leon indulged his son, bruising the top of Little Han's head who was now closing his eyes like a little puppy, extremely content with his daddy's touch.
"Johann wait daddi~~~ Heee heee!" Little Han responded. Every day he has been growing so fast and his comprehension of the conversations around people was now slowly becoming more apparent.
As such, Eli and Leon became more careful about allowing Little Han to hear their conversations especially when it is about the things that were happening around the Empire.
"Alright, now Daddy is here. You should sleep now, ok? Mommy must rest early too." Leon allowed Little Han to curl up in his lap while his two little crystal blue eyes looked up at him dependently.
"Aye… Johann sweep…" The little one responded as he yawned softly, his eyes fluttering as he looked at his mom and dad before he completely closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.
"How's your day?" While Leon was continually stroking Little Han's hair gently, he put his attention to Eli who was watching the two silently.
"It's amazing, everything worked fine in the end. Now, all we have to do is to train them in the coming days." Eli smiled as she summarized the happenings in the selection event. As she narrated the happenings, Leon listened intently as he observed the excitement on Eli's face.
It was always like this when Eli talks about music, her usually assertive demeanor disappears and a child-like personality would appear. Knowing that music was Eli's true aspiration and that she was somehow able to pursue it even with so many responsibilities made him feel relieved.
At first, he was worried that Eli could no longer handle everything in her hands if she would insist on training the young ones in music. But looking at her excited eyes and the way she talked about the happenings in the academy, Leon knew Eli was genuinely happy.
"Oh, by the way, Leon. Her Highness Second Queen told me something about your childhood." As if she remembered something, Eli looked at Leon with an expression of amusement.
"Really, I'm curious, did mother divulge some embarrassing memories I had when I was a child?" Leon responded, raising his brows in vigilance.
'His mom wouldn't make it so that Eli would be disappointed in my childhood, would she?'
'Maybe she told Eli how I was a gloomy kid back then…'
"Fufufu~~ I see you are nervous." Eli immediately detected the change in Leon's calm expression and so she took the chance to tease him.
"Hmm… not really…" Leon kept an expressionless face as he tried not to look at Eli. He tried to put his attention back on the sleeping Little Han.
Eli let out a delightful chuckle, it brought her great amusement whenever she would catch Leon like this, for it was hard to catch him off guard. It was such a rare instance that she wanted to enjoy this.
The last time she saw him that embarrassed was when she first asked him to call her by her nickname, and his reaction was golden!
"Oh, well~ Her Highness Second Queen only happened to tell me a small tale about your childhood. She said that you were fascinated by her musical prowess and that you learned the violin which she plays best.
But one day, you suddenly ditched all those because you wanted to be able to play the cello. She said that she could not forget how you look like a cello that has grown a little human at the side.
Then when she asked you why you said that you could not bear to let your mother play alone without accompaniment and that you will stop being a prince and become a bard instead.
When His Majesty heard your words he chased you all over the palace and spanked your little bum because you dared to trample your identity as a prince.
However, you didn't stop insisting that you would stop being a prince but become a bard instead so you and His Majesty went on for days playing cat and mouse in the palace!
Oh, I also won't forget the fact that you tried one-up His Majesty by putting a wooden plank on your behind because you were already tired of his spanking?!"
As Eli went on and told this… glorious exploits of the young and naive Leon, the hero of the tale was getting more and more embarrassed.
The way Eli retold the story was so vivid and detailed that Leon thought that his bum was starting to throb as he remembered the pain of Emperor Valentin's discipline.
"Eli… p-please stop… and also I beg you to at least not tell this story to the blades nor Kayden… Or I will no longer lift my head to them if that happens," Leon could no longer contain his embarrassment upon meeting Eli's teasing eyes.
Eli let out another chuckle as she decided to no longer tease Leon. She instead scooted near Leon and rested her face on his, rubbing her nose gently against his.
"Yes, I won't… But more than that I am happy…" Eli looked at Leon and touched the side of his face, stroking it gently.
"I am happy to know that your childhood was not purely gloomy and dark… that you still had some normal days back then…" She continued as her hands trailed down to Leon's neck, shoulders, and chest, tracing down all the old scars his body had that were a testament to his difficult past.
"I may not be around during that time. But Leon, can we make more good memories with Little Han from today on?" Eli asked gently while her hand moved to take Leon's.
Leon was puzzled when he felt something cold wrapping around his wrist.
He looked down and saw that Eli had actually fastened a sleek platinum bracelet that was ridden with intricate patterns and runes.
The thinness and the design of the bracelet is elegant yet not overbearing, he could see that the design was specially made for him.
"Eli this…" Startled about Eli's gift, Leon looked at him with eyes widened in surprise.
"In my previous world, some couples usually celebrated the day they became lovers not once a year but every month.
We might have missed celebrating a few months, but we can start this day…" Eli looked at him with a loving gaze and affection as she continued,
"Leon, happy 3rd monthsary!"