Chapter 84: Breakfast with Beauties
Breakfast with Beauties
Just as Leon and Cynthia rounded the corner of the polished marble hallway, their steps light and casual, a small figure suddenly bumped into Leon.
Thump! Leon staggered slightly, a surprised breath escaping him as a tingling jolt spread through his chest where the impact landed.
"Ouch!" came a small, feminine voice—soft and unexpectedly sweet.
Instinctively, Leon brought a hand to his chest, rubbing the spot. His brows knit in surprise, curiosity rising, as he glanced down to see who had bumped into him.
On the floor sat a small girl with brown, tousled, short hair. She had on the neat black-and-white uniform of maid—but Leon knew her at once. It was Lilyn, the head maid. Her cheeks were reddened from the crash, and she sat rubbing the side of her head with both hands, her eyes shut, a little pout on her lips as she winced adorably.
"Who placed a pillar here...?" the girl muttered dazedly, apparently not knowing what—or rather, whom—she had bumped into.
Leon’s lips quivered at her remark.
Cynthia quickly placed her hand over her mouth, best efforts to not laugh.
"A pillar, eh?" Leon spoke softly, amusement dancing in his eyes.
The maid stopped rubbing mid-sentence, her head cocked slightly as the voice reached her ears. She slowly raised her head to see the two persons standing over her—and her face turned red the moment she saw them.
"L-Lord Leon! L-Lady Cynthia?!" she stuttered, eyes wide with shock.
Her face flushed a bright red. She quickly rose to her feet, but in her agitated hurry while attempting to regain her balance, her feet turned awkwardly, and she almost fell for the second time.
For an instant, Lilyn closed her eyes tight, terror creeping at the possibility of falling again.
But before she could fall on the ground, Leon’s arms coiled around her waist, holding her firm as he gently steadied her shaking form.
"Careful," he whispered low, his voice a gentle caress along her ear.
Lilyn clamped her eyes shut, her racing heart thudding in her chest. She opened them slowly, hesitantly—and her eyes met his. Those golden eyes, so near, so gentle, drew her in.
Her breath stuck in her throat, her chest heaving with a wild, desperate rhythm.
A-Ah. Lord." she whispered, her voice shaking with a combination of shock and shyness.
Panic fluttered within her as she involuntarily attempted to pull away, but the soft firmness of his grip anchored her down.
Leon’s lips formed a soft smile as he saw her flushed face and clumsy struggle. Then gently, he placed her properly on her feet.
As Lilyn gradually edged away from his hold, she stepped a few uncertain steps back, her own movements shy and hesitant. The maid cast down her eyes, nervously twisting the apron fabric between her fingers. Her cheeks flushed deeper to an even richer red, a betrayal of the fluttering nervousness within.
As her mind reeled within her—He held me. A jolt thudded against her chest, her heart racing wildly. Lord Leon actually wrapped me in his arms.
Sideways, sweet Cynthia’s eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, a gentle laugh escaping her. In her heart, she recalled a time when she was standing in Lilyn’s shoes— taken aback and completely flummoxed by the gentle charm of Lord Leon. A soft heat flushed through her heart at the recollection.
Leon remained silent, but his own smile grew wider as his gaze caught Lilyn’s rosy face. He observed the exquisite flush spread over her cheeks, the nervous fingering of her apron strings, and experienced a deep and hidden affection rise up within him.
Cynthia’s smile faltered as she saw the poor girl visibly sink deeper into blushes before Leon’s stare. At this rate, she thought to herself, the girl would die of embarrassment. She cleared her throat softly to break the moment. "Lilyn."
The maid’s eyes flew up, wide and exposed. Her voice was no more than a whisper, shaking as she said, "Y-yes, La-Lady Cy-Cynthia?"
Cynthia’s smile relaxed. "Why are you loitering around here? Shouldn’t you be tending to your responsibilities?"
Leon did not answer, but a curious spark shone in his golden eyes. He, too, was curious about what led the agitated maid to this place.
Lilyn swallowed tightly, attempting to soothe the turbulent tempest in her chest. Her voice was gentle and tentative, each phrase laced with a slight vibration. "L-Lady Aria asked me to summon both of you for breakfast. Lady Aria, as well as Lady Syra and Lady Kyra, is already seated at the table."
She paused briefly, her eyes flickering nervously between Leon and Cynthia. A faint blush crept back into her cheeks—as if she know exactly why they’d taken so long to arrive.
"Since it’s been a while," she continued, her voice dropping lower, "Lady Aria asked me to find you. before breakfast gets cold.
Leon’s smile grew, a flash of soft amusement and something warmer in his eyes. "Ah. then we simply shouldn’t be keeping them waiting, should we?"
Cynthia smiled obediently, but inside, a soft smile curled on her mouth. We really did take our time... Her cheeks flushed with a light blush as her eyes darted to Leon, who strode ahead, unaware. No wonder Aria sent this adorable little maid to call us. 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
Leon, not noticing Cynthia’s look or her silent amusement, Leon moved forward, his gait smooth and relaxed. Cynthia trailed closely behind, but after a few paces, he slowed—then stopped altogether.
Feeling something, Leon turned slightly, his gaze focusing on Lilyn.
She stood frozen, in a trance, her large eyes far away and unseeing.
A soft smile played at Leon’s lips as he said softly, "My head maid, aren’t you joining us?"
At the sound of his voice, Lilyn’s gaze snapped back, breath hitching at the familiar, comforting tone. My head maid? The words echoed in her mind, deepening the blush on her face.
Quickly, she gathered herself and stammered, "I-I’m sorry, my Lord! After you!" Her voice trembled, cheeks burning fiercely.
Leon laughed quietly, nodded, and began walking.
From beside him, Cynthia’s soft whisper floated over, "Always teasing the poor girls."
He didn’t say anything—just favored her with an amused, side-glance smile.
Cynthia picked up on that smile and simply shook her head with a fond sigh.
The three of them proceeded down the hallway to the dining room, Lilyn lagging behind, still reeling from the event.
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Upon entering the grand dining room, Leon slid open the doors of dining room with ease. A warm breeze met them, filled with the welcoming scent of baked bread and sweet fruit.
Leon caught sight of sunlight streaming through the high windows, illuminating the room with a soft golden glow that rested over the gleaming wooden table. A new arrangement of bread, ripe fruit, and hot tea rested enticingly in front of them.
Aria sat on the left side of the table—elegant as ever in her white-and-purple dress, her long purple locks spilling down over her shoulders. Her violet gaze rose to greet theirs.
Right across from her on the right, side by side, were the twin sisters. Syra had shiny golden robes, and Kyra had dark forest green robes. They had the same green hair flowing down their backsides, and they automatically locked their emerald eyes on Leon and Cynthia.
Cynthia braced herself a little under the critical eyes of the three women, their glares unflinching and piercing. She could sense the gravity of their silent judgment weighing upon her, tightening her shoulders.
But Leon walked into the room with his typical easy confidence, already flashing a wide smile as he went to stand at the head of the table. He fell into his chair as if it were the most natural thing in the world, the heat of his eyes filling the room instantly.
"Good morning, my beauties," he said, his voice friendly and teasing.
Aria smiled back as naturally, her eyes sparkling. "Good morning, darling."
Syra and Kyra shared a swift glance, their cheeks turning a pale pink. The instant he referred to them as "my beauties" and cast that brilliant smile at them, both of them felt a leap of shyness.
They spoke almost in complete harmony, their heads bowing slightly in a shy curtsy. "G-Good morning, Lord..." they breathed softly, their voices barely audible.
Leon’s smile grew, obviously relishing the moment. There was an easy, affectionate hum in the room that made it seem full of life as the morning progressed.
But Cynthia, still abashed from the earlier stare of the three women, lingered uncertainly at the door. Her gaze sank to the floor, and a delicate flush crept gradually across her cheeks.
Leon swung around to face her, his golden eyes aglow with interest. A sly, amused smile pulled at his lips as he lifted an eyebrow in a teasing gesture.
Aria and the twins turned to look, their eyes focusing on Cynthia’s blushing, demure form
Aria laughed softly, a warm flush rising to her own cheeks as she recalled how she, too, had flushed thus after her initial night with Leon.
Syra and Kyra looked at each other inquiringly. Cynthia.? they silently wondered. Always calm, always on top of things... Cynthia blushing like this.
"Calm Cynthia.flustered?" Syra whispered, her eyes wide with wonder.
Kyra nodded softly in agreement, equally surprised.
Aria’s lips twitched into a gentle smile as she heard the twins’ soft muttering. Then, in a gentle voice, she spoke, "Cynthia," and patted the seat beside her. "Come on, let’s eat breakfast.
Cynthia came out of her trance and paused, then nodded awkwardly and stepped aside. "Y-Yes, Lady Aria," she whispered, her cheeks still flushed pink.
As Cynthia took her seat next to her, she looked up at Aria with a small, thankful smile.
"Th-thank you... for inviting me to sit with you," she whispered, her voice a trifle shaky.
Aria smiled at her softly, a knowing smile. She extended a brief touch, running a hand over Cynthia’s arm in silent reassurance before gently shaking her head and releasing a light laugh from her lips.
"No more of that formality, dear," she replied, her tone teasing but warm. "And don’t address me as ’Lady’ either."
Cynthia stared at her, taken aback, confusion flashing in her eyes.
Aria’s smile grew even wider. "You’re my husband’s wife now—just call me Sister Aria."
Cynthia’s lips parted slightly, words stuck in her throat. After a moment, she nodded shyly.
"S-Sister... Aria," she whispered, still flushing.
"Much better," Aria grinned, violet eyes sparkling with mischief.
And then she leaned in just a tiny bit, her tone dropping to a mischievous murmur. "Tell me, did you have fun yesterday? With my darling?
Cynthia’s eyes widened. The flush on her face deepened at once, bursting like wildfire across her cheeks.
At the table across from her, Kyra hastily faced away, cheeks aglow, clearly embarrassed. Next to her, Syra couldn’t help but grin, eyes sparkling with mirth at her sister’s embarrassment—and Cynthia’s.
Leon, however, remained silent. He just kept on savoring the juicy fruit on his plate, completely serene, though his eyes would dart up every now and again to monitor the scene with quiet amusement.
"I-I... y." Cynthia stuttered, utterly flummoxed, her voice nothing more than a whisper.
Aria’s gentle laughter chimed through the air, intercepting Cynthia mid-sentence.
"I’ll take that as a yes," she teased, her eyes sparkling with delight as Cynthia’s blush deepened still further.
Suddenly, Syra leaned slightly forward, her emerald eyes glinting with mischief as she turned her attention to Leon. Her voice was soft, but carried a bold edge, wrapped in a sly smile.
"Lord..." she said in a sweet voice, stretching it out just long enough to catch Kyra’s eye in alarm and send Cynthia and Aria shifting their attention away from her.