Chapter 416: His Choice
His Choice
The final of the platters had been removed, and the smell of roasted meats and honey bread still hung in the air. The large dining hall was subdued, though the heat of the meal hung on the air. Plates were bare, cups half-empty, but faces were radiant—smiling, laughing in small clusters of conversation.
Leon leaned back in his chair, golden eyes scanning the table. His wives and escorts shimmered in the pale morning light. Rias relaxed into her palm, scarlet eyes shining as she murmured something wicked to Syra, who almost gagged on her tea with laughter. Aria and Cynthia were sharing tranquil but teasing comments, their poise unruffled by the mayhem. Kyra attempted, with scant success, to scold her sister for pilfering food previously, receiving only another teasing smile.
Lira sat next to her mother, her silver hair a mirror to Sona’s, their laughter muted and intimate. Tsubaki maintained a straight posture but her lips curled ever so slightly as Chloe chattered to her about the rolls. Nova, quiet but unyielding, observed them all with piercing green eyes, her serene presence like a soft rhythm beneath the noise.
Mia and Cassidy, alongside each other, appeared softer than they had in days. Mia blushed at a mere comment, while Cassidy’s poise oozed the self-assurance of a woman who knew she was where she belonged.
Leon allowed himself to take it in. The hum of murmurs, the glint of smiles, the heat of togetherness—beauty. And it belonged to him.
But beauty tended to come at a cost, and in his own mind, he recognized he was going to have to shatter it.
He leaned over a little and coughed, purposefully, low, sharp enough to cut through the din.
The table quieted. Conversations were left dangling mid-sentence, laughter dying in silence. Dozens of faces turned his way.
He smiled weakly, raising his eyes from one face he loved to another. "Listen, all of you," he said quietly, but with a hint of authority. "There is something I have to say to you."
Sona raised her head, blue eyes contracting with curiosity. "What is it, husband?"
Leon allowed the silence to hang just a beat before releasing the words like a stone into quiet water.
"Today," he announced, "I’ll be traveling to Vellore. Alonely. I want all of you to stay here—both of you."
There was complete silence. Smiles disappeared, replaced by wide eyes, furrowed brows, and instant unease. The warmth of just now chilled into leaden air.
"You’re going... alone?" Aria’s purple eyes narrowed. Her tone was calm, but running beneath it was a strand of alarm. "Why not with us?"
Leon’s smile grew wider, though it never really reached his eyes. "Because if I go by myself, the mission will be quick. Efficient. No risk to anyone else."
A quick gasp escaped Nova, her green eyes pinching like blades. "Leon," she said slowly, irritation tinging her voice, "are you trying to tell us we’re a hassle to you?
The words cut deeper than steel. The women froze around the table, eyes flicking to him—pointed, accusative, near-pained.
Leon breathed out and shook his head, holding up a hand as though to calm them. "No. Not ever." His voice gentled, laced with earnestness. "You are my support—never my weakness. But precisely because of that."
Kyra, always the solemn one, leaned forward, her unblinking green eyes. "Then why prohibit us from standing with you?
Leon’s golden eyes clouded with the burden of what he bore. "Because I have no idea what ambushes await. If I have all of you along and things go wrong... I wouldn’t just lose the fight. I would lose everything. I would lose one of you. And that..." His voice cracked just a little, then hardened with steel. "That’s something I couldn’t bear."
There was silence in the hall for a second. The force of his words bore down on them all, hard and irrevocable.
"Daddy~!" Rias interrupted the hush, her scarlet eyes bright with rebellion, her voice close to begging. "That’s not fair! You can’t just make this decision by yourself—"
Leon stood up from his chair smoothly, raising his hand in a soft command. His eyes roved the table, steady, uncompromising.
"No more arguments," he instructed, his tone definitive. "That’s my choice. If somebody attempts to disobey me, I’ll walk away without saying a word, without warning, when you think least about it. Would you want that?"
The resultant silence was oppressive, punctuated only by little sighs. The women cast their eyes down, anger seething but unspoken.
At last, Sona relieved the tension, speaking softly but firmly. "Then at least summon me to your side. If you must leave, let me be your shadow." She sat up slightly, her silver hair glinting as her eyes fastened on his.
Leon’s face relaxed, a small smile pulling at his lips. "You’re the one I’d call before anyone else. But I want all my wives under one roof—not spread out. If trouble comes, I want you all together."
Across the table, Natasha pushed back her chair and rose. Her black eyes sparkled as she laid her hand against her heart. "Then. what about me?" she whispered.
Leon shifted toward her, eyes golden and steady. "You will accompany me."
Natasha blinked, shocked, lips parting a little. "Me?"
"Yes," Leon replied abruptly. "You are familiar with the shortcuts, the entrance and exit routes of Vellore. I require your assistance."
Her eyes widened, then grew soft with pride. She nodded once, smiling faintly. "Then... I accept. Thank you for inviting me, my lord."
Thank me when I get back," Leon stated, his voice teasing but affectionate.
Across the table, Nova’s sharp voice pierced once more. She folded her arms, green eyes narrowing. "Convenient, isn’t it? Borrowing her, when she’s not your wife."
The air tensed once more, but Leon merely smiled at her cautiously. "Nova. it’s not about titles. She’s better acquainted with the terrain than anyone. It’s strategy, nothing more.
The women looked at one another, the tension gradually lessening though not quite dissipating. Reluctant nods followed one by one, though the apprehension did not drop from their faces.
"Fine," Cynthia murmured, putting down her cup. "But you return. All of you."
"Without so much as a scratch," Syra added, though her teasing tone could not conceal the anxiety in her eyes.
Leon straightened, his golden eyes flashing with quiet confidence. "I’ll return without even a hair out of place."
A weak laugh rippled around the table, easing the tension at last. Still, their eyes lingered on him, memorizing his face, as if to hold it close until he came back.
Leon’s eyes relaxed once more as he gazed at each of them—at their loveliness, their resilience, their obdurate love of him. Their smiles, though now thin, still held warmth.
He took it in deeply, searing it into memory.
For this was the vision that would sustain him through whatever lay ahead in Vellore.
And with that, his master scheme commenced.