When Leon turned his attention to his wife with long, water-blue hair, he couldn't help but squint his eyes. This woman's presence and aura were very strong.
And this feeling was familiar.
[Haha ~ Sylphine found a woman with the temperament of a queen.]
[In addition, she has very good talents.]
Fighting talent, torture talent, and ice-attribute magic talent.
"Esdeath, right? Why do you want to join me? Tell me your reason."
"Because I heard that you killed a dragon and tamed another. When I heard about it, I thought I had to see you for myself to understand how powerful you really are."
Esdeath said without humility.
Although she was very polite and used honorifics when she spoke, it still made people feel that she was being aggressive.
Especially those icy eyes, which seemed to freeze everything — like a conquering queen.
Esdeath was not from this kingdom.
She was born on a scarcely populated and inhospitable border in the far north, where ice and snow remain all year round, and where many dangerous monsters roam.
Moreover, since childhood, the concept that the strong devour the weak had been instilled in her. She was only interested in the truly strong.
However, her tribe was destroyed by a class-level monster a few years ago, so Esdeath left her hometown and came to this kingdom while traveling.
Although she lacked common sense because it was her first time traveling, and encountered many problems due to her beauty, she was very strong — very strong — and overcame all problems and difficulties.
It was then that Esdeath heard of someone who had performed the feats of Dragon Slayer and Dragon Tamer. She was interested only in battles and strong men, and immediately wanted to meet Leon.
"I see. Now that you've seen me, are you interested in working for me?"
Leon asked with a smile. There was no doubt that the woman in front of him was a rare talent. He wanted to conquer her no matter what.
So what if she was very strong?
There was still a queen lying in his room now, unable to get up.
"Yes, Your Highness. If you really have the strength to defeat even a dragon, then I'm willing to follow a strong man like you... That was my original plan."
Esdeath's tone rose in the second half of the sentence, and her blue eyes locked onto Leon's as if she wanted to devour him.
Leon couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
"Original plan? And now?"
"Yes. When I first saw you, my purpose changed. Your Highness Leon... Please, marry me!!"
"???"
The whole place fell silent.
Wasn't she just a war goddess who worshipped strength above all else? Why was she suddenly proposing marriage? Was this the famous love at first sight? Am I really that attractive to women?
But Esdeath's words were like tossing a match into a barrel of gunpowder. Except for Noelle, Jean, Asuna, and Alice, who had just arrived today, everyone else was shocked.
All the other girls in the castle looked at her with hostility, especially the girls of Night Raid, who admired and loved Leon to the extreme.
Their expressions seemed to say, "Where did this courage come from? She really dared to have such impure thoughts about our beloved Lord... and even wants to marry Midnight-sama like that..."
Euphilia and Anis's expressions instantly became serious. They looked at Esdeath with wary eyes.
"... That's a very dominating and direct confession. Haha ~ This is the first time I've heard such a proposal. Although I'm confident in my charm, can you tell me why you fell in love with me?"
Leon found the situation very amusing.
Esdeath nodded and replied eloquently.
"Your Highness perfectly matches my preferences. I fell in love at first sight when I saw you."
Then she explained her ideal standards:
Strong and courageous — able to fight beside her and protect her.
The dragon that Leon defeated, which could be considered an absolute symbol of power, was beyond Esdeath's expectations.
Gentle and attentive — someone who treats her with affection and respect.
Loyal and reliable — someone who will stay by her side, no matter what happens.
Younger than her.
And someone with a pure smile.
After listening, Leon's expression turned a little strange. He looked at Euphilia and the others with some uncertainty and asked curiously:
"Well, let's not talk about the first part... but do I really have a pure smile?"
Leon asked uncertainly. He was already an experienced man — the term 'pure' didn't seem to fit anymore. Was his smile really that innocent?
However, what he didn't expect was that Euphilia, Anis, Sylphine, and the other girls all nodded affirmatively, indicating it was true.
Sometimes, one may not see it in themselves.
Leon had two extreme sides — terrifying and cold as a demon toward his enemies, but as kind and bright as the sun toward his people.
A certain vampire girl once said she had something to say about that. Her prince, without a doubt, had a pure smile, and from a certain perspective, he was an extremely pure person.
"Ahh ~ Alright."
Leon hadn't expected to be so unanimously recognized. Well, what could he say?
Esdeath's blue eyes remained fixed on Leon. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him. Leon was simply the ideal partner of her dreams.
Powerful.
Great ideals.
Immaculate cruelty.
Pure character.
She had never fallen in love before, but just looking at Leon made her heart beat wildly. He was a man who stirred her desire to conquer more than anything.
So Esdeath couldn't help but speak.
"I really want to conquer you!"
"Interesting words, Esdeath..."
Leon narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing an arrogant, suggestive smile. He stood up from the couch and walked straight toward her.
Esdeath widened her eyes. She was taller — women develop faster, and her legs were long — so she stood louder than Leon.
But for some reason, at that moment, looking at Leon, she had the impression that she was smaller than him.
"Conquer me? Don't be so arrogant, Esdeath. I'm the one who will conquer everything."
Leon held her chin and made her look him in the eyes.
"Since you believe in the law of the jungle, then let's follow that law. You can marry me if you really want to — but before that, let me show you who's on top."
"That's exactly what I want. You really are the one I like, Your Highness."
Esdeath also showed a belligerent look, not caring about Leon's status — and that was exactly what he wanted.
Leon was very interested in this dominant woman.
He wanted a queen who was supreme in strength — but who would still submit to him.
And the best way to ensure that... was to defeat her first!
(End of Chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉