Lias stood frozen on the spot, feeling an overwhelming sense of oppression from the woman before her.
“You… What do you mean?”
Lias pressed her right hand against her bracelet. If she fought with her full strength now, the demonic aura within her would no longer be suppressed.
That would definitely bring trouble for Leon.
However, the pressure from the woman in front of her was simply too intense. She could even sense a faint hostility within those pale blue eyes.
“I know you’re a demon, but I’m not interested in you. Leon just asked me to look after you for a while.”
The Dragoness spoke coldly.
When the other party mentioned Leon, Lias gradually lowered her guard. Of course, she was also well aware that with this woman’s strength, if she really wanted to attack, it would be all too easy.
She felt that even if she underwent a third bloodline breakthrough, she might not be able to defeat this woman.
But compared to her own safety, there was something she clearly cared about more.
“How is Leon…?”
Lias looked at the woman before her, a little anxious.
“He’s doing just fine.” The Dragoness’ blue eyes fell upon Lias’ right eye, the one with a black pupil, and she said indifferently, “By comparison, you should be more worried about your own condition right now.”
“Me?”
Lias tilted her head. “I’m fine, really.”
“Fine? You mean your self-harming every day?”
The Dragoness’ eyes were full of indifference, effortlessly revealing the secret Lias had been hiding all this time.
“I…” Lias looked nervous, biting her thin lip. She pleaded softly, “Could you… not tell him…”
The Dragoness was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: “Every time the demons become stronger, they must undergo a bloodline breakthrough. The higher the bloodline, the harder the breakthrough. You’ve inherited the Demon King’s bloodline, so the difficulty is already extremely high.
Now you’re repeatedly lowering the amount of mana in your body. The bloodline barrier inside you will only become more solid. If you try to break through again, it’ll be even harder—and you might even lose your life.”
Listening to the woman’s words, Lias fell silent. She bit her lip and stubbornly looked away. “Not yet… I promised him I’d wait for him to come back…”
“Have you forgotten your hatred?” The Dragoness’ expression was cold. “Have you forgotten how your mother exchanged her life for yours back then?”
“I haven’t… It’s just—he saved me. At least… let me repay him for saving my life, right.”
Lias tried to defend herself.
The Dragoness looked at the woman’s face, her gaze flickering, but she said nothing in the end.
She didn’t expose the self-deceiving lie. The look in Lias’ eyes was clearly full of attachment to Leon.
She had already made that man her safe haven in this world. Once she had tasted warmth, how could she bear to leave?
Once you have someone to rely on, who could bear to let go?
The Dragoness remained silent, a hint of reminiscence flickering in her eyes.
She was no different.
“You won’t be able to hide it from him for long.”
With those words, she vanished from the residence, leaving only the girl staring blankly at the doorway.
Just like before.
Night slowly blanketed the sky, with only the silvery moonlight shining down.
Lias lifted her gaze to look at the bright moon in the sky.
Tonight’s moon is so beautiful.
On the other side.
Leon had already begun his work compiling textbooks in the royal palace. With his current reputation, he was naturally the main force behind the textbook project, and those assisting him were mostly familiar faces from the Association.
Who would have thought that this once obscure young man would, after all these years, become a Master of Potionology?
“Teacher Leon, about the principles of interaction between potion materials…”
A young man pointed to something in the book and said, “It doesn’t seem quite the same as what you mentioned before.”
This boy was a disciple Leon had accepted in the Association—clever enough.
Leon glanced at the spot the boy indicated and, after just a glance, said plainly, “That part’s wrong.”
No lengthy explanations—just concise and direct.
The boy didn’t hesitate at all, immediately picking up his pen to make the correction, placing his full trust in his teacher’s judgment.
Scenes like this played out again and again. People continually brought ancient, yellowed tomes to Leon’s desk, seeking his guidance.
Compiling the textbook was dull work. Everyone hoped to leave their mark in it, but the final say rested solely with Leon.
His job was to sift through everyone’s suggestions and pick the most suitable ones as the draft for the textbook.
This naturally caused his workload to skyrocket.
Because potionology was still in its infancy, most of the materials were gathered from ancient books—the information within, some true, some false—all needing his judgment.
Even though the other Elders of the Potion Association helped share the load, Leon was still extremely busy.
After settling the young man’s question, Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, greeted those nearby, and walked out of the room.
Night had deepened. The cool night breeze brushed past, and the moonlight poured down like water, easing some of the fatigue from his brows.
“Is Mr. Leon tired? Would you like to rest for a while? My room is very close by.”
A gentle, graceful voice came from his side.
Leon paused, but didn’t turn around. His tone carried a trace of helplessness: “Thank you for your concern, Your Sixth Princess, but I’m fine.”
The Sixth Princess did not leave. Instead, she walked to his side, raised her head, and gazed up at the moon with him.
Seeing this, Leon silently cursed his luck. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have come out for some fresh air tonight.
It seemed the Sixth Princess had received a command from His Majesty to look after him.
The intention to match them was obvious. What was more troublesome, the Sixth Princess didn’t seem to mind at all, which gave Leon a headache.
“Why does Mr. Leon always avoid me?”
The Sixth Princess asked softly. The moonlight reflected on her delicate profile. “Did I do something wrong?”
Leon paused, a little helpless. “No, I just… am not very good at interacting with women.”
“Is it because I’m not pretty enough?”
The Sixth Princess turned to look at Leon, her eyes unblinking.
“How could that be… Your Highness, you’re very beautiful.”
Leon felt his scalp tingle under her stare. He awkwardly rubbed his right eye.
“So is it because… you already have someone in your heart?”
The young lady’s gaze was probing.
Leon was taken aback, then thought of a certain red-haired little cat demon. His expression softened and he answered gently, “Yes.”
“Is she beautiful?”
“Very beautiful.”
“Prettier than me?”
“Mm.”
Leon didn’t even hesitate.
“A woman who catches Mr. Leon’s eye must be a wonderful person.”
The girl’s gaze dimmed a bit, and her tone carried a hint of barely noticeable disappointment.
“I’m not as amazing as you think. But she really is a wonderful girl.”
A faint smile touched Leon’s lips.
Noticing his expression, the Sixth Princess seemed a little lost.
It seemed that woman held a very high place in Leon’s heart. She had rarely seen the master of potionology show such an expression.
“Are you going back to be with her tomorrow?”
“Mm.”
Looking at the extraordinary and handsome young man beside her, the Sixth Princess couldn’t help but feel curious about that unknown woman.
“Can you tell me… how you two met?”
“I can, but…” Leon hesitated a little. “Let’s save it for next time, when there’s more time.”
He didn’t really want to get involved with the Sixth Princess, but he couldn’t be too rude either.
“It’s a promise then.”
The Sixth Princess didn’t seem to notice the hint of distance in his words. She just smiled, nodded, and turned to leave.
Only then did Leon let out a small breath of relief. He looked up once more at the bright moon in the sky.
He couldn’t help but think of how, in his previous life, the moon always symbolized reunion.
It truly fit the occasion now.
Tomorrow, he’d be able to see his little cat demon again. He wondered how she was doing at home all by herself.