Wheat Manor. Parlor.
Leon had settled into an armchair in the corner, arms crossed, watching the whole scene with the patient expression of a man who'd seen this coming.
Over by the fireplace, Demeter, Jeanne, Rose, and the other girls had gathered on the plush carpet, snacking on fruit and chatting as if he wasn't in the room.
He let them have it. They deserved their moment.
"Cute," he said to himself. "Let's see how long this lasts."
Jeanne caught the comment from across the room and shot him a look. Leon raised his glass of wine in a silent toast.
Her ears turned pink. She pretended she hadn't seen it.
Watching Leon not squirm the way they'd expected, Jeanne and Rose exchanged a look, a tiny spark of frustration passing between them.
"Come now, girls." Lady Demeter's smile was warm, her words barbed. "Following that scoundrel around, you must have had it rough. Try these fruits. I grew them myself. You certainly won't find anything this good at his place."
She flicked a provocative glance at the man in the corner and pressed ripe, juicy fruit into each girl's hands.
Leon: "..."
...
The Magic Stone clock ticked on and on.
A full hour passed.
Only after Demeter and the girls had talked themselves out did the goddess finally "notice" the man still lounging in the corner.
"Hmph, that's what you get for being such a scumbag. Serves you right."
Persephone was descending from the second floor with a tray. She glided past Leon, swept a look over his relaxed posture, and dropped the remark without breaking stride.
Leon turned toward the sound. Persephone leaned against the second-floor railing, amused.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, our great Lord Leon." She dragged out every syllable. "Still breathing after a room full of women? Impressive."
"I pick my battles."
"Do you."
He gave her a lazy salute with his glass. Persephone rolled her eyes and kept walking.
Leon watched her go. She was a top-tier Lv. 3 adventurer, one Great Feat from advancing further. Demeter Familia captain. She outranked him in strength and in standing.
Didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the view.
The glasses are a nice touch.
Several gazes locked onto him at once. He met every one of them without flinching.
"What?"
"Hmph, scumbag." Several cold snorts sounded almost in unison.
"Call me what you want, ladies. You're still sitting in this parlor with me."
Persephone folded her arms, a frosty smile on her lips. "Heh. You've ruined this many women and that's still not enough? Now you want to come after me?"
"I'm Lv. 2 and you're Lv. 3, Captain." Leon grinned. "I know my place. For now."
"For now?"
"For now."
Persephone's eyebrow twitched. Before she could come up with a response...
Salvation arrived.
The guard from the front gate knocked and entered, addressing Lady Demeter respectfully. "Lady Demeter, Lady Astraea of the Astraea Familia has arrived with her Familia members."
Demeter's brow arched. She gave Leon one last loaded glance and nodded. "At the gate? Show them in." Her lips curved and she toyed idly with a strand of hair. "It's been a while since I've seen Astraea. I've missed her."
"Yes, my lady."
The guard walked out, doing his best not to crack a smile.
Leon caught the twitch in the man's cheek on the way out. One more second and the poker face would have broken. He shrugged it off. His reputation preceded him in Wheat Manor, and he'd stopped caring about that a long time ago.
Forget the rank-and-file. Even Captain Persephone and the other officers were furious.
Still... Leon, magnanimous as he was, decided to forgive the ladies their little attitudes, on account of them all being easy on the eyes.
...
Footsteps echoed from the corridor, growing closer. Soon, a beautiful goddess and a group of sharp, confident young women appeared at the far end of the hallway.
"It's been too long, Astraea!" Demeter beamed as she stepped forward, pulling the goddess with the chestnut hair falling to her waist into a warm embrace.
Behind Astraea, her Familia members peered curiously around the parlor, whispering among themselves.
"We meet again, Leon Hart."
In her signature wine-red kimono, Kaguya half-covered her lips with one long sleeve, her narrow eyes smiling as she greeted Leon. He raised his glass to her in return.
Demeter, still arm-in-arm with Astraea, seemed to sense something. Her gaze traveled between Kaguya and Leon, and a loaded smile spread across her face.
"Astraea, this girl of yours... she knows Leon well?"
"Hm? They're acquainted?" Astraea blinked, her clear voice carrying a faint edge of amusement. "I certainly never heard anything about that."
Leon: "..."
Behind that gentle smile, Astraea's eyes held something sharp. He knew that look. Demeter wore it about five minutes ago.
Ah. So that's the play.
Business meeting my ass. This is an ambush.
Leon took a long sip of his wine. Whatever was coming, he wasn't going to make it easier for them.