Chapter 276

"Olivia... come here."

The moment Fruela loosened the rope from the woman’s wrists, she rushed forward and pulled her daughter into her arms. The two clung to each other, trembling, their sobs breaking softly in the cold air.

Leon turned away, his voice calm and even. "Let’s go."

He started walking out of the alley, his boots scraping lightly over the snow-coated stones. Fruela wiped her hands on her cloak and followed immediately, silent as ever.

But before they reached the street, a voice called after them.

"S-Sir... please, wait!"

Leon paused mid-step and turned slightly, his expression unreadable. "Hmm?"

The woman stood a few paces behind him, still holding her daughter close. Her eyes were red from crying, but she forced herself to speak clearly. "Sir... do you live around here?"

Leon regarded her quietly. "No. I live outside the kingdom."

Her breath trembled. "I... I can’t thank you enough for saving our lives. Please—come to our home for a warm meal. I insist it as a thank you. Please, don’t say no." She bowed deeply, the motion awkward with the child in her arms.

Seeing her, the little girl mirrored the movement, bending her head respectfully.

Leon looked at them with confused expressions.

"Well," he said after a moment, "I have some time to spare—and I haven’t eaten breakfast yet. I suppose I can stop for a quick meal."

The woman straightened, relief spreading across her tired face. "T-Thank you, sir."

"Fruela," Leon said evenly, "go to the wagon station. You should find Gerald there. Return with him to the dungeon. I’ll be back soon."

"As you command, Master." Fruela bowed her head once and vanished from sight in a whisper of displaced air.

Leon gestured lightly toward the mouth of the alley. "Let’s go."

They stepped out together, leaving behind the narrow shadows and the two dead bodies.

Through the Streets...

The woman walked beside Leon, carrying her daughter carefully against her chest. "Thank you again for saving us, sir," she said, her voice soft but sincere. "If you hadn’t arrived when you did, I... I can’t imagine what those men would have done to my child."

Leon glanced at her, expression still neutral. "Your daughter can’t speak?"

The woman nodded faintly. "Yes. She was born unable to speak or hear." She gave a small, tired smile and brushed a few flakes of snow from the girl’s hair. "But she’s strong. Always has been."

"What’s your name?" Leon asked as they turned a corner.

"Ah—yes. I’m Dira. Sorry, I should have introduced myself earlier."

Leon inclined his head slightly. "Say, how did you end up in that alley ?"

Dira sighed, shifting the child’s weight on her shoulder. "We were out buying a few things from the market. On our way home, I noticed a man following us. I tried to ignore it, but when I looked back, he was already trying to close the distance between us.

I picked Olivia up and started walking faster, but just as we passed that alley, someone grabbed us from inside. After that..." She stopped herself, shaking her head.

"I see," Leon said quietly.

They continued in silence. The snow muffled every sound; even the kingdom seemed to move more slowly under the warm lights of street poles. After nearly ten minutes of walking, Dira stopped in front of a narrow wooden house at the edge of a small lane.

The house was small, leaning slightly to one side, its roof patched with mismatched planks and a sheet of worn cloth. Two of the windows were cracked, and a thin draft hissed through the gaps. The structure looked exhausted but still standing.

"I... I know it looks bad," Dira said quickly, embarrassed. "But we’re poor, and paying the kingdom’s taxes leaves us almost nothing. We make do."

She reached through the broken window, unlatched the door from the inside, and pushed it open with a creak.

Leon stepped through first. His eyes moved slowly over the single-room interior—faded curtains, a chipped table, a few wooden chairs, and the faint scent of herbs that failed to mask the cold dampness. "Wow," he murmured under his breath, not mocking, simply observing.

"Please, take a seat, sir. I’ll prepare a meal right away." Dira hurried into the small kitchen corner, gathering what ingredients she could. The sound of clinking pots and kindling fire filled the quiet space.

"Call me, Leon." Leon spoke as he sat at the table, resting Nyxter against his chair. Across from him, Olivia had climbed up onto the opposite seat. The child sat with folded hands, staring at him intently—curious, cautious.

Leon met her gaze and, after a brief pause, he activated his skill.

[Description:

Olivia possesses a rare and unique class. Though she cannot hear or speak, when she activates her aura she perceives the presence of all entities within a one-kilometer radius. She can see their emotional signatures and sense their intent.

If mastered, she may even manipulate these auras—striking directly at the soul of an opponent.]

Leon leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing with quiet intrigue. ’She has tremendous potential. If raised properly, she could become powerful—dangerous, even.

But when she awakens that power, if she can’t control it... it’ll destroy her from the inside out.

Sensing the feelings of every person standing in a one kilometre radius will destroy her mind.

If she survived through all that, she is going to have a great future.’ A faint smirk touched his lips at the thought.

From the kitchen came Dira’s voice.

Leon turned his head toward the kitchen’s doorway and asked, "So... where is your husband, Dira?"

Dira laughed once, short and bitter. "Ran away with some stupid slut who used to live in the neighborhood, three years ago. I don’t care anymore about him. The only good thing he ever gave me was Olivia."

"I see," Leon murmured, gaze shifting back to the girl. She had slipped down from the chair and was now sitting cross-legged on the floor, playing quietly with a small set of carved wooden toys.

Dira spoke again from the kitchen, a hint of teasing in her tone. "What about you, sir Leon ? That pretty girl back in the alley, was she your girlfriend ?"

Leon’s response was steady. "No. She’s just a friend. I’m not interested in young girls."

"I see," Dira said, half amused. "That’s a new one. Most men I’ve met are interested in nothing but youth—women barely of legal age, or worse, ones younger still.

My husband also ran away with a 16 year old slut. If you don’t mind asking me, what kind of girls do you like, sir Leon ?"

As soon as Leon heard this, a thought entered inside his mind and a perverted smile appeared over his face.

Leon slowly stood up from his chair and activated his skill.

"Remis..."

After activating his skill, Leon entered inside the kitchen with a smile on his face.

As soon as he looked at Dira, he noticed that her figure was hided by the thick coat that she was wearing.

She had a fair face, a little pointy red nose from the cold and she also had a cute smile.

’Well... She is a gamble, I can either get very lucky or I can just fuck an average milf and get out.’ He thought with a smile.

"I like a little older women. Ones who have kids mostly." Leon spoke as he looked at Dira.

As soon as Dira heard this she turned to look at Leon with a smile, "Oh my... That’s an interesting choice you have."

Dira started stirring the vegetables in the pot as she didn’t understand the meaning of Leon’s words.

"I like women with a big ass and huge boobs..." Leon spoke with a perverted smile as he walked closer to Dira and placed his hand over her hand.

As soon as he touched her hand, a wave of arousal ran through Dira’s whole body and she felt something in between her thighs for the first time in 32 years.

"I-I-I-I... S-See..." She replied in a stammering voice as her face turned completely red while staring into Leon’s eyes.

"Looks like that coat of yours is getting you hot from the insides... Why don’t you remove it ?" Leon asked with a smile as he slowly slipped his hand under her soft hand.

"Y-Yes... I-I should." Dira replied as she used her other hand to open the buttons of her court while staring at Leon’s face in a trace.

As soon as she opened the coat, a wide smile appeared over Leon’s face.

’Jackpot.’

The tight bodice beneath was a masterpiece of obscene restraint. It strained brutally against the massive swell of her breasts. the fabric stretched so tight he could see every faint blue vein beneath the pale skin.

Her nipples hard as pebbles and desperately erect pushed against the material, begging to be sucked on.