"Sorry for making you worry so much, Luna—no, Lulu."
Seeing the Demon Emperor before her transform into Leon, the one she had missed so deeply, Luna's eyes widened in disbelief. Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught, as if she had just witnessed the impossible.
"Y-You... Demon Emperor!? No! How is that possible!?" Luna stamred, her voice trembling with horror and fear.
She couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. The figure she had believed to be the Demon Emperor—the one who had crushed humanity's army in the last war—was actually Leon?
How could this be?
Luna's vision began to blur from the shock, and if not for the exhaustion weighing on her, she might have thought it was all a dream.
Noticing the shock on Luna's face, Leon smiled softly, letting out a quiet sigh.
"I know it's hard to believe, but I'm really Leon, your childhood friend," he said warmly.
He had thought about revealing his identity in different ways—slowly or directly—but with little ti left, he chose to be straightforward.
Luna fell silent at his words, her lips parting and closing as if there were countless things she wanted to ask or say.
Yet, for so reason, everything felt unbearably heavy. In the end, she lowered her head, saying nothing.
An uncomfortable silence settled between them, and the mont that should have been filled with laughter and happiness—like Leon had imagined—never ca.
Leon sighed softly, guilt washing over him. Deep down, he had expected Luna to react this way.
But he quickly discarded his assumptions, holding onto the hope that she must be happy for him.
Now, seeing her silent and lacking the bright smile he had hoped for, Leon finally understood how naive and selfish he had been.
"Damn… how could I be so stupid?"
Leon muttered, cursing himself.
Because of Luna's deep affection for him, he had trivialized her feelings, never considering the pain and betrayal she might be feeling.
He knew how much she worried for him, yet he had lied to her—sothing that must have hurt her deeply.
If he could turn back ti, he would have punched himself.
But he knew that regret wouldn't change anything. What mattered now was convincing Luna and apologizing sincerely.
Driven by guilt, Leon quickly opened the cell door and approached Luna.
Stopping in front of her, he crouched slowly, lowering his gaze as he held both of Luna's cold, delicate hands, his expression full of remorse.
"Luna, I know I was completely wrong. I not only lied to you, but I also disappointed you deeply. I'm truly sorry," Leon said, his voice soft yet sincere.
He gently squeezed her fingers before continuing, "There were reasons I couldn't reveal my true identity to you. For that, I'm sorry once again."
Though his words might have seed like excuses, Leon had his reasons for keeping his identity hidden.
With Jim, Rain, and Natasya around Luna, he couldn't risk them finding out he was alive. If they did—especially Jim—they would certainly beco suspicious, potentially ruining his plans for revenge.
Leon glanced at Luna, hoping to gauge her reaction. But with her head bowed, her expression remained unreadable.
Subconsciously, his heart skipped a beat, and a sense of panic began to tighten around him.
Just as he considered other ways to convince her, Luna's eyelashes fluttered ever so slightly.
Soon after, tears began to fall from the corners of Luna's eyes, streaming down her cheeks.
Suddenly, Luna threw her arms around Leon, pressing her face against his chest. She clenched her fists and weakly pounded on his chest.
"Stupid, stupid, really stupid! Why didn't you tell sooner? Don't you realize how much I worried?" She sobbed, her voice trembling with hysteria.
Leon sighed, pulling her close as he buried his face in her long hair.
"I know I was wrong. I deserve to be punished, but I'm truly sorry," he whispered, gently stroking Luna's back.
At his words, Luna's sobs grew louder. She gripped Leon's mantle tightly, silent as she let out all the pent-up emotions of the past few days.
Leon, however, didn't try to stop her. He patiently held her, continuing to soothe her with tender strokes on her back.
After what felt like a long fifteen minutes, Luna's crying gradually subsided. Yet, she still didn't let go, leaving Leon to sigh softly, feeling sowhat helpless.
"
Ahem
... Luna, can you let go? I'm starting to feel a bit claustrophobic," Leon said, his voice strained.
But instead of loosening her grip, Luna's embrace tightened even further.
"No, I won't let go. I was afraid you'd leave," Luna replied hoarsely.
Leon's presence felt like a dream to Luna. She feared that if she let go of him, he would vanish, and she would be left in the painful reality once again.
Sensing the sadness and helplessness in Luna's voice, Leon fell silent for a mont. He then raised his right hand and gently stroked Luna's head.
"You don't have to worry, Luna. I'm here, and I'll never leave you," Leon said calmly.
His gentle touch slowly eased the tension in Luna's body. It reminded her of the past, when Leon would comfort her in the sa way whenever she was sad or tired. The familiar gesture brought a deep sense of nostalgia, as if they had returned to those days.
Subconsciously, her eyes grew heavy, and sleepiness soon overca her, causing her to drift off in Leon's arms.
Realizing this, Leon was startled for a mont before smiling softly.
"This girl... she really hasn't changed,"
he murmured with affection.
Without hesitation, he broke the chains binding Luna's body, then gently lifted her in his arms, carrying her out of the holding cell.
...
Luna slept soundly on the bed, the pale expression on her face gone, replaced by a soft, peaceful hue that made her look serene as she rested.
After an hour, her eyelids twitched slightly before slowly opening.
The first thing she saw was the ceiling—broken and ssy. Her brow furrowed in slight confusion, and a hint of bewildernt crossed her beautiful face.
"Where am I?" Luna whispered softly as she sat up.
She scanned the room, realizing she wasn't in a detention cell but in a shabby, dilapidated place. A broken closet and so discarded furniture were scattered in the corner.
As confusion clouded her mind, a sudden mory flashed in her thoughts, making her eyes widen in disbelief.
"Wait, where's Leon?" Luna muttered, her heart racing.
She quickly searched the room, hoping to find him, but there was no sign of him. Anxiety began to take over, her breath quickening as worry gripped her.
She tightened her hold on the blanket, as though trying to steady herself against the wave of panic that washed over her.
Just then, footsteps echoed from outside, and the wooden door swung open, revealing Leon's handso figure as he entered, holding a tray with snacks and two cups of tea.
As Luna's gaze landed on him, her body gave a slight tremor, and a beautiful smile spread across her face.
"Leon..." Luna called softly, her voice betraying the excitent she couldn't quite hide.
Seeing Luna awake, Leon was briefly taken aback. A soft smile spread across his lips as he walked toward her.
"I didn't expect you to be up," he said casually, then added with a note of concern, "Do you feel uncomfortable at all?"
Luna's cheeks flushed slightly as she shook her head.
"Don't worry. I'm fine. My body feels perfectly fine," she replied softly.
Leon gave a small nod, then set the tray down on the broken nightstand beside the bed.
"By the way, I brought you so snacks and tea. Would you like so?" he asked, settling down at the edge of the bed.
Luna glanced at the snacks on the nightstand—biscuits, cookies, fruits, and a few other treats. Suddenly, hunger struck, and she rubbed her stomach, nodding toward Leon.
"Alright, I want to eat," Luna said eagerly.
Chuckling, Leon took the plate and placed it on the blanket. "Go ahead, eat," he said.
But instead of eating, Luna stayed quiet, her expression shy.
Leon was montarily confused but quickly understood what she ant.
"
Ahem!
" Leon pretended to clear his throat, picked up a cookie, and held it to her lips. "Co on, open your mouth."
Luna's face turned red, but she said nothing as she opened her mouth and eagerly ate the cookie.
She chewed with a smile, her eyes narrowing like crescent moons, as if it were the most delicious thing she'd ever tasted.
Leon smiled warmly at her adorable behavior and picked up a grape, offering it to her.
Luna ate it without breaking her gaze from Leon.
"Why do you keep staring at ? Is there sothing on my face?" Leon asked with a hint of amusent as he picked up a grape and ate it.
"There's nothing strange on your face. I'm just wondering if I'm still dreaming," Luna replied softly.
If this was truly a dream, Luna thought, she would never want to wake up and would gladly savor this happiness forever.
Hearing her words, Leon rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers against Luna's forehead.
"Ouch!"
Luna flinched and rubbed her forehead, glaring at him in annoyance.
"Why did you flick ?" she asked, clearly displeased.
Leon grinned mischievously. "To make sure you realize this isn't a dream."
Luna fell silent for a mont, then a gentle smile spread across her face.
She nodded slowly, her voice soft as she said, "You're right. This isn't a dream; it's reality."
As soon as the words left her mouth, a sense of relief washed over her, and her body slowly relaxed.
Leon handed her the teacup, which Luna took eagerly and sipped slowly.
The warm, soothing sensation of the tea slid down her throat, revitalizing her body.
Luna stared at the puddle of tea in her cup, and a sudden curiosity sparked within her.
"By the way, Leon," she slowly raised her gaze to et his, "can you tell why the Empire declared you dead? And is it true that you faced the Demon Emperor back then?"
Earlier, Leon had ntioned that he had reasons for concealing his identity on the battlefield. Now, Luna wanted to hear the explanation directly from him.
At her question, Leon's expression shifted, becoming serious. He set his teacup down on the saucer and nodded slowly.
"This is actually the perfect ti to tell you," Leon replied softly, locking eyes with Luna.
He took a deep breath before continuing, "The truth is..."
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