The captain of the knights led them toward the audience hall. A huge wooden doorway with intricate patterns carved on every inch of it stood closed before their eyes.

The captain informed the guards stationed at the door, and with his signal, the door opened without any noise.

Leon and Myra stood right at the entrance, as the captain instructed.

"Please be respectful to His Majesty." He wholeheartedly requested.

Leon looked at him and smiled so politely that it made the captain's spine jolt.

"Do not worry. I will be in my utmost respectful manner."

"Huh?"

Ignoring the captain, Leon took out his specs and wore them again. The scene in front of his eyes cleared.

A long stretched hallway opened before him. On both sides, six high-end cushioned chairs were arranged, leading toward an even higher throne at the end of the room. The inside was well lit by crystal flares hanging from the ceiling.

The first thing Leon's eyes fell on was the person seated on the throne. His ocean blue eyes did not even meet Leon's when he entered. His overflowing blonde hair and the red stone crown with gold rims over his head clearly told of his identity.

King Aster Lunovar. The current king of Liora Kingdom.

It was the second time Leon had seen the king in person after he transmigrated, the first time being during Rinna's birthday banquet.

Leon's gaze moved slightly. Beside the king, on the podium, four seats were arranged. One belonged to the queen.

Queen Jeena Lunovar, with her unparalleled beauty, striking white hair, and sharp brown eyes. For some reason, her gaze was fixed directly on Leon as he entered. Her eyes looked at him warmly, as if genuinely welcoming him with a blissful smile.

'Wow.' Leon's thought got lost for a second, before he changed his focus.

Of the remaining three seats, one was empty.

The other two were occupied by Rinna and Eula.

'So the empty seat belongs to the prince huh…'

Leon didn't even see him even on Rinna's birthday.

Rinna stared at Leon with a somewhat confused expression, but still for some reason she lightly raised his head to wave at him.

Leon's eyes twitched, 'the hell is she doing?'

On the other hand Eula looked at him with an unreadable face. Leon only gave her once a look, but she didn't react in return.

He recalled Veronica instructing Eula of what her role was in all of this.

'I can't believe the king would pull this move,' Leon clicked his tongue, 'but I am even more surprised that Veronica was able to read his moves with such ease.'

Surely she must have had experience, but still it was impressive. The king was unaware that he was being played by her hands right now.

Further down, the six seats on each side of the hall held the twelve ministers. Two of those seats were empty as well.

One belonged to his father.

The other… belonged to the head of the Nightson Dukedom, Raizen Nightson.

The King's Royal Council Circle was formed from twelve high-class nobles of the Liora Kingdom, each possessing enough strength, wealth, and influence to shake the entire kingdom if they wished.

Along with Myra, Leon strolled inside, and stopped at the center of the hall.

Clearly, Leon being a Light Affinity user was no joke. Even if the king had Ethan, another user of Light, Leon's value would never be overshadowed.

That was exactly what Veronica told him.

Under her current strategy, Leon would become a person of national importance, receiving the same privileges the kingdom offered Ethan.

Upon entering fully, the king's eyes finally shifted to him. Those blue eyes scanned Leon from head to toe.

He tried to appear uninterested, as if Leon's presence barely mattered, but Leon knew it was all an act.

Standing before the royal family, Leon did not feel suffocated at all.

He had visited this place in the game before, although not in reality.

Even so, the atmosphere felt way too familiar to him.

Just like the king was acting bratty, Leon acted like an actual brat in return.

He did not bow his head in front of him even once.

"Tsk. As rumored, the third son is a leech," one of the ministers whispered. "Showing disrespect to His Highness."

"Young master…" Myra muttered, her voice reached his ears.

Her tone was almost pleading, as if telling him that he was indeed being disrespectful.

'Really?' Leon glanced at Myra awkwardly. 'Am I though? I... guess I am.'

Leon behaved this way because of what Layla had told him. Even though he never believed anything until he saw it himself, her words held a certain weight. Something in the way she spoke hinted at truth hidden beneath some old wounds.

So, Leon decided to play along with that, but right now he should at least to some extent greet the royals.

Afterall it's basic courtesy.

Leon took one single step forward. He placed one hand on his chest and bowed slightly, then lifted his head with a clean smile.

But instead of greeting the king or queen, he turned his face calmly toward the two princesses.

His voice carried through the silent hall.

"I greet the two princesses of Liora. You both looked as beautiful as the moon outside."

Dead silence.

"Eh?" Rinna let out a strange disbelief sound, her hand buckled up to a fist at her skirt, as he clenched them. A light pink appeared on her cheeks.

Eula's mouth hung open, she looked at Leon with a stunned expression as well.

But her unreadable gaze shifted slightly, as if she did not expect him to aim the greeting at them first. Leon glanced at her, and saw Eula sighing rubbing her forehead.

The ministers whispered among themselves.

"Did he just…?!"

Leech, he's being a leech again, and trying to flirt with the third princess, even though she had rejected him many times.

But before things escalated, Leon smirked and bowed again and directed his greeting to the queen this time.

"I greet the Queen of Liora." He paused slightly. "I must say… your reputation for elegance was not exaggerated."

Leon lifted his head afterward, meeting their gazes directly.

The Queen brought her fingertips near her lips and let out a soft, delighted breath.

"Oh my, I am flattered." The queen said delightfully.

Leon returned to his place and glanced at Myra.

The look she was giving him was… something he did not want to describe. It felt like she was silently asking him what exactly he thought he was doing.

Leon, however, wanted the king to explode. He expected him to fall right into the bait. But instead, King Aster remained calm.

To everyone's surprise, he stayed completely composed.

'He is suppressing it,' Leon thought.

Leon tried to fill the king's mind with as much agitation as possible. His goal was simple. He wanted to push the king toward a state where his emotions would control him rather than the other way around. If the king fell into anger, he would become predictable.

Leon had read enough about human behavior to understand this.

When someone held back anger for too long, their mind became easier to manipulate. Their decision-making weakened, and they reacted more impulsively.

Once frustration took hold, even the smallest provocation could guide their actions. That was the psychological effect Leon wanted to create.

He wanted the king to be irritated by him. He wanted him off balance. He wanted control.

Because people driven by anger were the easiest to read.

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[A/N: Weekly goal, 600 PS for 3 extra chapters!]

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