King Aster looked at his daughter with eyes too stunned to blink.

Eula stepped up from her seat and walked down the throne dais as every eye present here witnessed her.

She crossed her arms and walked toward Leon, now halted, standing face to face with him.

Her eyes did not leave his smug expression, and that slit gaze of his was mildly irritating for her.

There was no need for all this drama from the beginning. Leon was just unnecessarily provoking her father to get his attention on him.

And he succeeded.

Now Leon cornered him, and the king would not forget the name Leon Valentine.

'Heh, that man fell right into it…' Eula thought, smirking. As the leader commanding the kingdom's underworld organization where information travels like water, she knew all of her fathers doing. And Leon might as well.

But even so, Eula was unsure if Leon did it out of arrogance or because he had something deeper hidden beneath it. As much as she knew Leon, he was not the type to waste energy on something pointless like causing drama.

'But he indeed went ahead and made changes with Lady Veronica's scheme.'

Him provoking the king and even challenging him might look like arrogance to others here, but they were far from understanding the truth.

This boy who was once looked down on was now openly challenging royalty in their own territory.

That was not arrogance. That was him being calculating.

He was a schemer through and through.

And it might even be possible that he acted weak, helpless, or foolish in the past to gain something. That thought alone was far more frightening than she liked to admit.

Moreover, his elder sister was an even greater devil than him. Someone with enough power and influence to bend any kingdom to its knees if she wished.

'What a deadly pair of siblings…'

Eula felt a cold shiver run down her spine while thinking of a future scenario where both the siblings worked hand in hand for the same goal.

She understood now with much more clarity.

Veronica had woven the web. But Leon added his own tricks into it.

He twisted the king's logic, played on his pride, provoked him into mistakes, and then snapped his accusation in half… all of this whole wearing a smile.

It scared her how effortlessly he did it.

And it scared her even more that he enjoyed doing it.

Still, she was relieved about one thing.

He was on her side. And he might always be.

They shared the same goal, though their ways of handling it were wildly different.

With siblings like these, Eula was certain of one thing.

No one in this hall truly understood the game being played. Only she had the faintest glimpse of it.

She stared into Leon's eyes for a few long seconds.

The ministers, the king, the queen, and Rinna were all watching her back, waiting to see what she would do.

Leon said he had a witness.

There was no way he meant her.

He could not possibly expect the first princess to take his side.

Why would she do that?

Even the council members exchanged subtle glances.

Everyone here knew Eula had always shown a clear dislike toward Leon, mostly because of how he kept approaching her little sister.

And also because Leon's older brother once held a crush on her, making interactions awkward for years.

Or… perhaps it was something else.

Maybe it's her showing gratitude.

Maybe the moment he saved her and Rinna this afternoon had changed something inside her without her noticing.

No.. it can't be. Right?

Eula inhaled once and turned toward the hall.

Her voice echoed in one clean breath, steady and as hard as steel.

"I, Eula Lunovar, second princess of Liora, testify that everything Leon Valentine did today at Tiara Town was righteous, courageous, and done solely to protect our people."

"I witnessed it with my own eyes. I saw the darkness erupt, the Demon God's forceful attempt to descend, and I saw the darkness weaken the moment Leon stepped forward. If you think he is the problem, then you all did not see what I saw."

The ministers froze where they sat. The queen's lips parted in pure disbelief.

Rinna's breath caught as she stared at her sister, her fingers curling tightly around her dress, as she stared at her desperate face.

Not in her entire life had she expected Eula to step forward… especially for Leon.

Not when she herself had only recently begun to see him in a different light.

A strange mix of relief and confusion tightened her chest as she watched her elder sister defend him with such force.

Eula continued. "As for the theory that his hidden Light affinity attracted the Demon God," she said, turning her eyes directly at her father, "I reject that completely. It is baseless. It is desperate. And it insults the very truth of what he really did today."

Aster's jaw tightened. Some saw her wearing a prideful face, while other ministers gulped loudly.

Eula took one step forward, and declared resting her right hand close to her heart.

"And as the princess of Liora, I declare my full stance for Leon Valentine." There was no regret in her eyes. "Every decision he makes from now on, I will uphold. Every step he takes from now on, I will acknowledge. His actions will carry my protection and my name. If he is questioned, then I am questioned. If he is accused, then I stand beside him."

Her words struck the hall like a physical tremor right in their guts like a punch..

That wasn't what anyone here expected, not even Leon.

Leon's eyes lightly twitched at her back, 'isn't she… doing way too much.'

He saw Eula glancing back and giving him a smug look, as if saying, 'Do you really think only you made some plans?'

The king rose from his throne at once.

"What is this nonsense!" His voice was thunderous.

The queen gasped, covering her mouth with both hands, as she stared at her daughter, declaring something this bold wearing a smug look on her face..

Rinna's eyes widened to the point of shaking. No one in the hall could believe what she had just done.

In royalty, taking a stance meant far more than support.

It meant trust. Absolute trust.

It meant standing before the entire kingdom and declaring:

"This person is under my protection.

This person is someone I vouch for.

And, if he falls, then I fall with him."

A king could accuse a noble of treason.

But if he accused someone who 'a royal' publicly took a stance for…

Then the king was declaring that his own blood stood on the side of a traitor.

It would mean political suicide. It would cause royal instability.

And this would mean that Aster himself was dividing his own house.

Eula glared directly at her father.

"My words are absolute," she said. "And I accept every consequence that comes with them."

Aster's mouth hung open, seamlessly like a dog waiting for someone to throw a bone at him.

Leon understood immediately why she did it. She wanted the entire kingdom to see that a Light user was standing beside her.

'Damn this girl is playing her own game.' Leon inwardly chuckled looking at her. But even so, it was mutually beneficial.

Leon would have the royal support of someone every citizen respected. And in return, she would gain the backing of a Light user, something that would boost her standing in the internal political battlefield.

Aster on the other hand felt his fury spike to the point where a vein almost snapped on his neck He felt betrayed again by one of his own.

This girl, his second daughter. She was walking the same path as the first.

Charlotte once revolted against him too. And now Eula was doing the same.

But he could not do anything now.

If he had known she would dare something like this, he would never have allowed her presence here today.

A stance taken in front of a wide council, and the queen present as witness, was not something that could be brushed aside later as a simple mistake.

And he could not force her either.

He remembered forcing Charlotte in the past. And that decision came back to bite him a thousand folds.

He could not repeat the same mistake.

'This is not what I want.' Aster gritted his teeth. 'This is not how it is supposed to turn out.'

His eyes wandered to every minister who had supported his words earlier. All of them wore the same stunned expression, unable to even look him directly in the eye.

'Useless!' His gaze shifted sharply toward the brat with golden eyes.

'It is all because of you.' Aster's hands clenched so hard his nails dug into his palm. 'You did this. Why could you not just beg like before.'

Why could the boy not let him eat him alive like he once did. Why did he stand so tall now? Why was he so infuriatingly similar to Veronica?!

It was the same feeling, that same irritation, that same pressure in his chest whenever he faced her.

'I will ruin you.' He declared it in his mind with full hatred.

Before his thoughts could spiral any further, he inhaled sharply, forced his expression to relax, and sank back into his seat. His fingers were pressed against his forehead.

The ministers stared at him, all pale and waiting, unsure of what their king would say next.

"…Very well." He finally said.

Everyone stiffened at those two words alone.

Aster's jaw clenched as he continued, each syllable he spoke bit him out like venom he was swallowing instead of spitting it out.

"For today… I will let this accusation rest."

A murmur rippled through the council, a wave of disbelief and restrained relief in everyone's face.

The queen lowered her shaking hands, and Rinna too exhaled shakily, unable to keep up with the speed of everything unfolding.

Aster's gaze then shifted, coldly toward Eula.

"But Eula Lunovar," he said, his voice dropping into a tone with authority. "Understand the weight of what you have just done."

"You have declared that if he is accused, then you are accused. If he is questioned, then you are questioned."

"You have placed your name, your status, and your future on the same line as his." He continued.

Aster leaned forward slightly.

"If he turns out to be what the reports warn about this boy," he said, "if there is even a shadow of truth in these suspicions… then I will not be able to protect you."

Eula did not avert her gaze. "That is fine by me."

That was her only reply to it.

Aster's teeth clicked together in barely contained rage at her attitude. She was always like this, always following her dead sister, trying to achieve what she couldn't.

Leon, who stood behind her, let out a quiet exhale.

'This girl… really went all in.'

Aster finally leaned back into his throne.

"This council," he said slowly, "is adjourned."

And with that, the Royal Council Circle ended.

— — —

After the meeting, the king said nothing and walked out immediately.

The queen, however, asked Leon to stay in the castle for the night, she informed that his room was already prepared, and quarters for his maids were arranged as well.

Leon had no reason to refuse, and it was late night, so he accepted politely.

Myra left first for her quarter, and Leon didn't need to guess where she was heading.

She would go straight to Veronica, to tell her everything that happened tonight.

Leon was guided through the hallway by his butler.

He followed silently, replaying each council member's face in his mind.

He had memorized them all. And among them, he noticed a familiar one:

Ayaka Rudward, Seventh head of the Twilight Order codenamed Sumire. He had not expected to see her in that royal circle.

She was a high ranking noble.

'Eula really has her roots everywhere.'

The butler stopped before a large door and bowed.

"This will be your room for the night, Young master Leon. If you find anything lacking, please inform me and I will prepare it immediately."

Leon replied with a simple nod. "Alright. Tell others to rest as well."

The butler opened the door, bowed once more, and left quietly.

Leon stepped inside.

The room was tidy, warm, and humongous. It was lit by several lanterns on the wall. It even had a huge balcony shielded by a sliding glass door.

"Neat." Leon nodded. Now that's the luxury he had missed so much.

'What a night.'

He removed his cloak and hung it neatly, letting out a slow exhale, slumming on a sofa as he glanced at the moonlight shining through the window.

He unbuttoned his collars and tried to loosen his neck ribbon.

"Hm? Shit it stuck." He tried to untie, but the ribbon was tightened, "fuck this thing, I will just cut it off."

"Pffff…"

A quiet chuckle slipped from Leon's left.

His eyes twitched, he knew that voice.

He turned his head and met ocean-blue eyes staring right back at him.

Leon exhaled softly and said with a tease.

"…Princess, it is midnight. If you wander into any guy's room this late, then this guy might overthink it."

Eula stopped snickering.

She was seated beside him on the same sofa, only a small distance between them, gazing lazily at the moon beyond the balcony. Leon didn't bother questioning how she got in. He didn't need to.

This wasn't the first time she had slipped into his room like it was nothing.

Eula leaned her back fully on the sofa and placed both her legs on the table like a boss, her voice carrying the same teasing edge Leon used on her.

"Overthink? And what exactly is this 'guy' supposed to overthink?"

Leon smirked. "Oh my. Princess, you know… and I know… that you know."

He tugged lightly at the ribbon around his neck, which was still stuck.

"Anyway," he said, "how did I do today?"

Eula turned her head toward him.

"You overdid the arrogance part. Also, congratulations. More than half the council hates you now."

"Only half?" Leon replied. "Not bad, I suppose. I am used to a whole kingdom hating me. This much is invisible."

Eula moved closer and reached out with both hands to Leon. She grasped the ribbon around his collar.

Leon didn't move as her fingers brushed against his skin.

"After today," she said calmly, untying it with slow, precise motions, "you won't be receiving the same hate from the kingdom."

"I'm not a hero," Leon whispered.

"No one is asking you to be," she replied.

The ribbon loosened. Her fingers paused near his jaw, brushing once against his cheek.

Then, after a brief silence, Eula spoke again.

"Leon. Do you remember the last time we spoke about my elder sister?"

Leon's voice softened. "I remember it like yesterday."

Eula's hands stopped completely.

"She died in a demon rampage," she said quietly. "Inside this very castle. In her own room, protecting me."

Her voice trembled at the edges.

It was anger, frustration. It was a kind of pain that had fermented into something sharp and cold in her.

Leon didn't interrupt her, and listened carefully.

Eula held the ribbon in her hands and continued, "I took that stance for you today because I want something in return."

Leon already knew this wasn't about the throne.

This was something deeper inside her, which she was suppressing all this time. Something she had buried for years.

"Ask me anything," Leon said.

Eula looked at him. For the first time that night, there was no smugness in her expression.

She was not wearing her usual mask.

"Then, can you give me your trust?" She demanded.

Leon nodded once. "Mhm."

Her shoulders relaxed. Her hand remained at his neck, feeling the warmth of his breath against her palm.

"Then listen carefully," she whispered. "I'm telling you something only I know. Something no one else in this entire kingdom has ever heard."

Leon's attention sharpened instantly.

And with a steady, unwavering voice, Eula spoke the truth she had carried alone all these years.

"My father killed my sister."

.

.

[A/N: This was one heck of a chapter. Believe me or not, this chapter is my 3rd time re-write. Anyways Support with Golden tickets, and Power Stones, and may be some super gifts(joking). I am moving the plot in every chapter, and honestly, I am having fun writing long chapters than before. The Vol 02 is about to end at this point. Thanks for the support. And please do point out if I did any mistakes.]

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