Chapter 281: Where Laughter Waited
Where Laughter Waited
The corridor stretched wide and regal, the heart of Moonwalker Mansion, wrapped in the soft golden breath of lanternlight embedded along the walls—like stars that had been tamed, one by one.Marble tiles gleamed beneath his feet, catching each movement in slow, rippling reflections—warm, alive, like water remembering touch.Pillars stood tall along either side, old and carved deep with legacy—etched symbols of power, not just of nobility, but of the man who walked this house as its spine.
The silence felt holy.Unshaken. Waiting.
And then—Tap... tap... tap...The stillness broke.
Slow. Intentional. Each step a quiet echo. Not heavy, but weighted. Not tired. Commanding.
Duke Leon Moonwalker walked alone, the lantern glow slipping along the lines of his body like it remembered him.That sharp, soaked black hair clung to his neck and shoulders, still damp—fresh from the bath.No grand robes now. No shining armor. Just a plain white shirt, soft and undone at the collar, sticking to the subtle strength of his chest like it wanted to hold on.The top buttons were open, casually—enough to bare a glimpse of collarbone and the path of a droplet sliding lazy over his skin.Black cotton trousers, loose but well-shaped, moved with each stride like shadows learning how to follow him.
He looked composed, but something in his eyes betrayed the stillness.Those golden irises—always sharp—looked distant now. Thoughtful. Pulled away.A storm behind the shine.
After Ronan left his chambers, Leon hadn’t moved for a while.He’d just stood there—quiet, still, breathing in a kind of silence that didn’t ease anything.Ronan’s words weren’t sharp, but they lingered, like a taste left behind on the tongue. Something you couldn’t quite name, but it made your chest feel tight anyway.It wasn’t just about unrest in the city. It was deeper. Like something had begun to wake in the dark—something old, unseen, and watching.
That’s when he’d reached out—through the Lover’s Seal.A single thread of thought.And she answered, soft as breath over water.
["Leon... is something wrong?"]Her voice was quiet, but it hit him hard.
He smiled then—not that she could see it, but he knew she’d feel it anyway.["Nothing serious,"] he’d said. Carefully. Nudging the conversation away before it could turn sharp.She didn’t press. But she knew.And then the link faded, like smoke.Gone.
He’d taken a long bath after that. No thoughts. No talking.Just warm water falling over him, following the lines of his body like fingers tracing a memory.Steam rising. Breathing space.It helped... a little.
Now, clean and dry and back in motion, he walked the mansion once more.He looked the part. He moved with intent.But the thoughts?They didn’t listen.
And then—he stopped.He’d reached the doors. The ones leading to the dining hall.And everything in him... just went still.
From inside came a laugh.Soft. Bright. Unfiltered. Feminine.Another followed it.And something in those sounds—light and real and warm—broke through the grey cloud in his chest like sunlight slicing through fog.
He paused. Didn’t move yet.His hand hovered at the doorknob, fingers brushing against the wood, but he didn’t open it.Not right away.
He tilted his head. Listening.
The laughter kept going—rising, falling, teasing.Voices tangled with it, soft and playful.It was real. Unforced. That kind of laughter that only shows up when people are safe. Happy. Close.
He leaned in slightly. Just enough to peek through the thin crack between the doors.
And what he saw—It stunned him.
The dining hall was glowing.
Alive.
Full.
Warm.
His breath caught in his throat.
All that quiet weight in his chest? That storm brewing behind his gaze?It didn’t vanish. But it loosened. Just a little.
The grand table pulsed with light and life—his wives all around it, bathed in a glow that wasn’t just candlelight. It was them.Their voices wrapped around each other like a melody, playful and full of affection, like stardust had settled in the air.
Each woman had her own radiance.Their outfits weren’t flashy—just comfortable, soft, flowing in ways that matched their eyes. Tops and pants that hugged just enough to remind anyone watching that beauty didn’t need to try hard to command the room.
And the maids?They were dressed in their usual uniforms—the sinful kind. Tailored close, sensual by design, built to tease without apology.But none of it felt artificial. It wasn’t forced.This was just them. Proud. Beautiful.His.
Rias was mid-laugh, flipping her crimson hair like it was part of the joke. Her eyes shimmered—full of that bold, delicious mischief that only she could carry.Mia sat across from her, wine glass in hand, the rare softness in her smile making her almost unrecognizable from her usual cold fire. Syra must’ve said something—whatever it was, it worked.
Lira leaned forward with a sly smirk, silver hair gleaming like moonlight, her tone just cheeky enough to make the nearby women laugh with flushed cheeks.Aria, ever composed, had her wine glass lifted with elegance, lips tugged into a knowing smirk that gave her away. She was enjoying every second.Cynthia sipped slow, calm, her smile faint but real, like a secret blooming at the edge of her mouth.
Syra and Kyra were locked in one of their little twin fits, laughing in sync, their green hair bouncing with each breath.They were chaos—playful, affectionate, electric.
Even Tsubaki, the ever-composed knight, couldn’t help herself.She tried to keep her spine straight, but the way her lips curled, just slightly, betrayed her.She was happy.
The maids—Fey, Rui, Mona, Mira, and Lena—stood with grace, curves outlined, eyes gleaming with gentle warmth as they watched the joy spill across the table.They weren’t just watching. They were part of it.
At the far end, Chloe and Lilyn stood together, hands folded, faces dusted with pink.Still shy. But not distant.They glowed too—not from embarrassment, but from something else.Something softer. Something warm.
And in that instant—Something inside Leon cracked.Not in pain.In release.
The weight he’d carried from Ronan’s words, that lingering storm—it melted. Just a bit.His shoulders eased.His breath came out slow. Quiet.
And then... he smiled.
Not a practiced one.Not the kind you give to reassure.
A real one.
The kind that’s just there because it needed to be.
For the first time that night, duty let go of him.
He stepped forward. His fingers brushed the edge of the door... and he pushed it open.
The laughter didn’t stop.
It shifted.
Every head turned. Every eye found him.And just like that, the room got brighter.
"Daddy, you took your time~," Rias called, voice dripping with mischief, one brow arched, her eyes practically glowing.
"Finally decided to join us?" Cynthia added, resting her cheek on her hand, gaze dragging slowly over him like a touch she hadn’t given yet.
Lira gave a quiet laugh. Musical. Dangerous. "Maybe Darling was admiring himself again in the mirror."
That got chuckles. Sighs. Teasing glances.Even the maids were smiling, glancing between each other like schoolgirls with secrets.
Syra leaned toward him, all grins and sweetness, "You do look kinda perfect right now, hubby."
Tsubaki cleared her throat—still trying to hold onto her knightly calm.But her eyes were warm."Welcome back, Husband," she said, soft.
Kyra narrowed her eyes, playful accusation in her tone. "You really took too long. Where were you?"
Leon could only smile.He was surrounded.And honestly, he didn’t want to escape.
He laughed—low and quiet, a sound like warmth cracking through frost.
His golden eyes were tired beneath the surface, but not broken.
"Just catching up with Ronan," he said, voice even, soft.
The five maids stepped forward together, graceful as wind, their eyes shining.
"Master, dinner is ready. Please come sit before it gets cold," they said in unison, sweet and urging.
Chloe and Lilyn followed, a step behind. Blushing.Chloe’s voice came out barely audible. "W-Welcome, Master..."
Leon’s smile deepened.
"Thank you, my dear maids," he said, with a slight nod, and walked past them into the hall.
Most of the women accepted his answer without a second thought.
Except one.