Chapter 328: Leona(1)
Chapter 328: Leona(1)
It wasn't Cherry, but Leona who had been reported for stalking. I didn't know who had made the report, but Leona had been apprehended by the knights and brought before me.
Seeing as they hadn't handled the punishment themselves and brought her to me instead, their intentions were clear. They likely expected me to deal with her personally.
In truth, it was a stroke of luck that Leona was the first one caught. Had it been anyone else, I would have issued a stern punishment, and Leona would have likely received something similar when her turn came.
Fortunately, Leona was an acquaintance, and more importantly, we already had an appointment. I should have reached out to her first or gone to find her myself; the fault was mine.
And so, I explained the situation to the knights. I told them she was a friend I’d made plans with but had momentarily forgotten. Since I was Xenon, she couldn't exactly approach me easily and must have been lingering nearby.
Since I spoke nothing but the truth, the knights released her. It was a mishap born of my own mistake, so it was only right that I settled it.
"I'm sorry. I should have been more attentive."
The situation was resolved, but my mistake remained. I bowed my head slightly and offered a sincere apology.
Perhaps because the knights had been a bit forceful during the arrest, Leona was massaging her shoulders despite her sturdy physique.
Her identity could have been exposed, and worse, she might have been expelled from the Academy. I had nearly committed an irreversible sin against her.
"Huh? No, no. I was a little surprised, but I'm fine. I should have just waited quietly, but I went looking for you recklessly."
Leona waved her hands dismissively at my apology, replying as if it were no big deal.
"If you're really sorry, just buy me a steak like old times. Got it?"
She certainly had a thick skin. I chuckled, looking at Leona as she cracked a joke with her signature cheerful smile.
The way her tail flicked back and forth from under her trousers suggested she truly was alright.
We were currently in my newly assigned dormitory. Unlike the standard student housing, the VIP dormitory allowed guests as long as the owner gave permission.
"I'll buy you all the steak you can eat. Shall we go now?"
"I'm okay for now. I just finished eating with my mother a moment ago."
Come to think of it, I had heard from Mari that Leona's mother had also come to the Academy and was waiting for me.
I would have to meet her mother eventually for what was essentially a formal introduction to the family. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to tie up these loose ends.
I stared at the grinning Leona for a moment before giving her a soft smile and speaking.
"How has Academy life been for you? Anything happen?"
"It's been a madhouse. As soon as the news broke that you were Xenon, that was all anyone talked about for a while."
"Anything else?"
"I've mostly just been studying, so I'm not sure. Oh! As soon as Mari arrived, people swarmed her, but they were all driven back. Her guard detail was like a fortress."
I’d heard that from Mari as well. I expected as much, but it seemed she’d had a tiring schedule for a while.
I listened to Leona's updates on her recent life before eventually clasping my hands together. After a moment of hesitation, I asked her in a cautious voice.
"......Is your mother's stance still firm?"
As everyone knew, Leona's mother wasn't particularly fond of the idea of Leona becoming my wife.
She wished for Leona's true happiness. She wanted her daughter to be led by personal feelings rather than merely following cultural traditions.
"......Yeah. It was firm before, but after you revealed your identity, she's become even more adamant."
The moment she heard my question, Leona's wagging tail went still, and her voice turned gloomy. Her perked-up ears drooped low as a bonus.
It seemed the situation, far from improving, had actually worsened. I nodded slowly.
To be honest, I thought having the massive shield of being 'Xenon' would make her mother give her blessing, but that wasn't the case.
As the third wife of the Grand Chieftain—and the only human one at that—she must have lived a quite tumultuous life.
Better to live an ordinary life than to be protected by a giant shield. That was my guess as to her reasoning.
"Hmm...... I suppose I'll have to meet her in person to know for sure."
"There's that, but my mother also said this: she asked if there's anything I can even do to help you if I become your wife."
"She said that?"
"Yeah."
When I asked in surprise, Leona nodded with a dejected expression. I crossed my arms and thought for a moment.
While it was a harsh thing for a parent to say, it was also a blunt way of forcing her to face reality.
In truth, there wasn't much Leona could do to 'help' me. At most, it was the stress relief I got from stroking her head.
However, her mother had made a mistake. Saying such a thing contradicted the very life she claimed to want for Leona.
I can use this to my advantage.
It seemed her maternal instincts had caused her to slip up. Either way, it was certain she wanted Leona to find true happiness.
In that case, I simply had to approach her with sincerity. I looked at the depressed Leona and reached out my hand.
Slide—
"......Huh?"
As I placed my hand on her head, Leona's ears pricked up, and she looked at me. I smiled gently into her golden eyes, which were so similar to my own.
Pat, pat—
"Mmm......"
As I stroked her head without a word, Leona let out a cute sound. Her two perked ears flattened to the sides to make it easier for me to pet her.
Honestly, she was definitely a lion, but being a feline, she even started making a rumbling, purring sound. To think that in the eyes of other beastkin, someone this cute and beautiful was considered 'ugly.'
For a long time, I diligently gave her all the skinship a beastkin would love—stroking her head, touching her ears, and pinching her cheeks.
For beastkin, the frequency and importance of physical contact are much higher than for other races. Felines groom their young, and canines might nip at a cheek.
You've likely heard of grooming, but nipping a cheek might seem strange; however, it carries a special meaning.
It is a sign of trust, signifying 'I will never harm you.' You might have seen a large dog take a small animal's head into its mouth for a moment before immediately letting go.
Slide—
"Mm?"
Then, something surprising happened. In the middle of my petting, Leona's swaying tail wrapped around my arm.
If what I mentioned before was a sign of affection shared among 'family,' this was strictly something reserved for a 'partner.'
Allowing someone to touch the tail, or using that tail to wrap around the other person's body—I couldn't help but be startled.
Leona truly liked me. The fact that her tail moved on its own even while she was lost in the sensation of my touch made it certain.
"Purr. Rumble. Purr."
Did she even realize what she was doing? Leona pushed her head further toward me as if asking for more.
As she leaned in more and more, she eventually stood up and sidled closer to me.
My bewilderment was brief; when she sat on my lap and leaned her body against mine, I hugged her without a word.
"Ahem. Ahem."
As the display of affection between Leona and me continued, Adelia cleared her throat and quietly excused herself.
The fact that she felt the need to cough was likely a silent signal to keep things within reasonable bounds.
I let out a bitter smile but didn't stop the skinship. I didn't know if she had been starved for affection all this time, but she seemed even more clingy than before.
Well, her stress must be incredible.
There probably weren't many opportunities for her to show her true self like this. I knew from experience how it felt to walk a tightrope while hiding one's identity.
At least now I could reveal my identity freely without needing to balance anything, but Leona couldn't.
I pondered this point, and when a good idea struck me, I spoke up.
"Leona."
"Purr. Rumble."
"Leona?"
"Purr. Hmm?"
Leona, who had been rubbing her face against my chest with an adorable expression, looked up at my call.
Her twitching ears gave me an urge to touch them, but I barely managed to suppress it. How could she be this addictive?
"Isn't it hard, going around hiding your identity?"
"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't."
"Then, should I help you?"
"What?"
Leona's eyes went wide at the offer of help. I felt the grip of the tail wrapped around my arm loosen.
Facing Leona, who looked more puzzled than flustered, I spoke quietly.
"I can help you so that you can stand tall without needing to hide who you are."
"How...... exactly?"
"You know Caind from the Xenon Biography, right?"
"It would be weird if I didn't."
Caind was the younger brother of Wrath and Satan, the figure who broke the nation's stale traditions to become the new Grand Chieftain.
A beastkin who was born with a weak body but used a brilliant mind to bring political stability to the nation.
"If I say that you were the motif for Caind, wouldn't everyone accept it?"
People already firmly believed that Lilith was modeled after Cecile and Elisha after Arwen.
Because of this, readers were constantly wondering who the motifs for the other characters were.
Of course, this had led to some annoying incidents with imposters, but Cardinal Kate's efforts had cleared them all out.
So, if I spread the word that Leona was the motif for Caind, she wouldn't need to hide her identity anymore.
Leona seemed to think deeply about my suggestion for a moment before tilting her head and answering.
"I'm not really feeling it."
"You're not?"
"Yeah. Then it feels like I'm just relying on your help."
I didn't understand for a second, but I could accept it once I considered Leona's personality.
As evidenced by her enrolling in the Academy while hiding her identity, Leona was quite independent and proactive.
Furthermore, unlike the way she acted cute now, she was quite fierce and cynical toward others. This showed she had strong pride.
"It could also get mixed up in the politics my mother hates so much. Zinai is the Grand Chieftain now, but it's not like there's zero internal dissatisfaction. It means the Animus side could try to use me. And if I'm the motif for Caind on top of that? What do you think would happen?"
"Hmm...... You definitely have a point. I wasn't thinking clearly. It's better to put that idea on hold."
"Good call. And it's not even that uncomfortable right now. If I hadn't met you, the stress would have piled up more. I like things much better the way they are now."
With those words, Leona hugged me tightly. Perhaps because of the immense strength unique to beastkin, the pressure she exerted was on another level.
I didn't push her away, responding instead by stroking her head once more. Leona let out a contented sound.
Lick—
To top it off, she even started licking my neck with her tongue. It seemed her instincts had overtaken her reason, and she had begun grooming me.
If I hadn't had experience with this, I would have been startled out of my wits. But since I now knew Leona's behavioral patterns to some extent, I stayed still.
It didn't feel bad, and who would dislike being groomed by a beautiful woman who liked them? I didn't find it dirty at all.
"Leona."
"Lick. Yeah?"
"Would it be okay if I met your mother tomorrow?"
Only one hurdle remained: Leona's mother. I had to emerge victorious in a battle of words with her to truly win Leona.
Originally, I had accepted her reluctantly due to the unique beastkin culture, but that feeling had completely vanished.
Who could refuse such a cute and lovely pet—no, woman? If she were to leave me, it would leave a massive scar on my heart.
"It's fine, but can we eat steak before that?"
"......"
"I'm already hungry."
"Didn't you say you just ate with your mother?"
When I asked in disbelief, Leona gave an awkward laugh and offered a ridiculous excuse.
"I have a separate stomach for steak......"
"......"
"Hehe."
The growling lion was nowhere to be found; only a cat chirping for food remained.