However, when faced with the Elven race's cunning approach, Leon didn't feel the slightest bit of anger.
He understood that they sought to align themselves with him to secure their prosperity—and that was entirely reasonable.
After all, who wouldn't want to ensure a prosperous future for themselves and their descendants?
Besides, the Elves' actions hadn't hard or betrayed him in any way. So, Leon saw no reason to take offense at the Elven elders.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Leon glanced at Zelda, who sat before him looking anxious and uneasy.
"Don't worry about it," he said gently. "I'm not upset with you or your elders. As for the prophecy, let's set it aside for now. It's too soon to talk about sothing like that. We've only just t and gotten to know each other. It wouldn't be right to make such decisions so hastily."
His words expressed neither agreent nor denial. He didn't ntion that the prophecy made by the fifth Elf Queen might have been a fabrication to tie him to the Elven race.
There was no need to bring it up—it would only offend Zelda and the entire Elven people.
After all, the one who made the prophecy was Zelda's ancestor, a forr Elf Queen.
And how could he possibly tell Zelda that her own ancestor had lied?
Listening to his words, Zelda felt a bit more at ease. In truth, she had been nervous and completely unprepared for this situation.
If not for the elders' insistence, she would never have dared to co to Leon's room this late at night—let alone risk making him uncomfortable or disgusted by her presence.
"It's late, and it's not appropriate for you to stay in my room," Leon said with a yawn. "Go back to your room. We'll talk about this tomorrow."
Even though he had slept from noon until night, fatigue still clung to him. His body was accustod to the natural rhythm of ti, making him sleepy once night fell.
Zelda, however, didn't move. She remained seated, her face filled with sha and guilt as she looked at Leon.
"I'm sorry, Leon. To be honest… I ca here with the elders. If I return now, they'll think that you and I…"
Her voice trailed off, but Leon imdiately understood what she ant.
Since the elders had witnessed Zelda entering his room, it was likely they were still standing guard outside.
If she left now, they would surely question her—and that would only lead to unnecessary conflict.
It was already late, and getting into argunts or offering lengthy explanations would be nothing but a hassle.
He sighed softly and glanced at his bed. "Alright, I get it. You can sleep in the bed tonight. I'll sleep on the floor."
"What? How could I allow that?" Zelda looked startled and shook her head. "You're a guest of our race. It would be disrespectful to let you sleep on the floor."
"Then what do you suggest?" Leon replied dryly. "Are we going to share the bed?"
The sudden question made Zelda freeze in place. Her face turned bright red, the blush only adding to her charm.
She lowered her gaze and replied in a voice barely above a whisper, "That's not what I ant… I'll sleep on the floor instead."
Leon rolled his eyes and flatly refused. "That's even more out of the question. You're the Elf Queen—the leader of all elves. If I let you sleep on the floor, they might actually beat up."
"T-That's not true! They would never do that!" Zelda protested with a serious look on her face.
"Pufft!" Leon couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "Alright, alright. I was just joking. Don't take it so seriously."
Zelda fell silent, realizing he'd only been teasing. Embarrassnt and mild irritation flickered across her face as she turned her head away.
For a mont, Leon had the urge to pinch her cheeks—but he quickly pushed the thought aside.
"Ahem," he coughed lightly, then climbed onto the bed. "Let's just sleep. It's late. Don't worry, I swear I won't try anything."
He grabbed a bolster pillow and placed it down the middle of the bed. "This will be our divider. You stay on your side, and I'll stay on mine."
Fortunately, the bed was wide and spacious—one of the main reasons Leon felt confident they could share it without any issues.
Besides, Leon wasn't the type to toss and turn in his sleep. He was confident that his body would stay exactly where it was until morning.
Zelda, too, was far from childish. She knew this was the only reasonable way for them to spend the night without issues.
She wasn't going to argue or act petulantly like so impulsive eighteen-year-old.
She was hundreds of years old—closer to a grandmother or even great-grandmother by human standards.
Her mind was certainly more mature. Still, despite her age and wisdom, this was the first ti in her long life that she'd ever shared a bed with a man.
It was only natural to feel nervous and embarrassed.
With cheeks faintly flushed, Zelda quietly climbed onto the bed and lay on her right side, just beside the bolster pillow acting as a divider.
Leon gave her a small smile. "I'm turning off the light."
He reached out and tapped a small magic circle beside him. The overhead light gradually dimd, casting the room into gentle darkness.
The only light that remained ca from the twin moons outside, their pale glow shining through the window and open curtains.
Within monts, silence fell over the room.
Zelda shut her eyes, trying to sleep—but it was difficult.
A man lay beside her. And while she trusted Leon, her instincts and caution made it hard to relax.
"Can't sleep, Zelda?"
Leon's gentle voice broke the silence. When she turned her head, she saw him looking at her with a soft, reassuring smile.
Her face grew warr as she gave a small nod. "Yeah… I can't sleep."
"Sa here," Leon murmured with a quiet sigh.
At first, Leon thought he wouldn't feel nervous sharing a bed with Zelda.
After all, they weren't doing anything intimate—it wasn't like they were an actual couple.
Besides, he was already used to being around Liliana, Athena, Arshley, and Luna—each of them stunning in their own right. He believed himself immune to such temptations.
But as it turned out, sleeping peacefully was harder than he expected.
It was enough proof that no matter how much he tried to keep himself in check... at the end of the day, he was still a man.
"To pass the ti... could you tell about the outside world, Leon? I've always wanted to hear about it."
Zelda's green eyes shimred with quiet longing.
Leon smiled and gave a small nod. "Of course."
And so he began to talk—about the vast lands beyond the forest, about humans, the demon race, and the dragons.
He spoke of the three heroes, the long war between humankind and the Demon Empire, and countless other stories.
Ti slipped by unnoticed. As he continued, his ears eventually caught the sound of slow, steady breathing beside him.
"Tsk… she finally fell asleep," he muttered with a quiet chuckle.
Leon looked up at the moonlight streaming through the window, then let his eyes drift closed.
"Maybe… It's ti I slept too."
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