Chapter 107: Fiona's Fear and Invitation to Breakfast Together
Chapter 107: Fiona's Fear and Invitation to Breakfast Together
In the morning...
*Boom!*
A deafening explosion reverberated through Leon's room, causing the walls to tremble slightly.
Simultaneously, billowing black smoke engulfed the space, shrouding the room in darkness.
"Cough! Cough!" Leon gasped as he inhaled the choking black smoke filling his room, then hastily dashed to open the window.
*Whoosh!*
Gradually, the thick smoke billowed out, yielding to the refreshing embrace of the cool morning air.
Meanwhile, near the open window, Leon drew in the morning air in deep, ragged breaths, as if he had just sprinted a marathon.
After a moment of growing ease, Leon released a small sigh.
Gazing at his alchemical furnace, still emitting wisps of black smoke, Leon felt a subtle twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"Damn it... Even after the tenth attempt, it's still a failure?" Leon cursed silently, feeling a surge of frustration wash over him as he sighed helplessly.
Last night marked an initial endeavor to concoct an antidote for the devouring poison, and it ended in dismal failure.
Explosions and billowing black smoke inundated his entire room, leaving Leon, previously brimming with confidence and having also uttered the clichéd words of a main character, utterly dumbfounded and unable to comprehend his failure.
In that instant, a surge of realization jolted him, prompting the notion that he might have overlooked a crucial stage in the antidote's making, leading to his failure.
Driven by this insight, he made another attempt, only to meet with the same disappointing outcome—failure.
Third attempt...
Fourth attempt...
And so it continued until the tenth try—each ending in failure!
"Damn it! Did my failure stem from the clichéd words of the protagonist I uttered at that time?" Leon grumbled inwardly, growing increasingly frustrated.
He was confident that he had meticulously followed the formula for crafting the antidote to the devouring poison as outlined in the forbidden book penned by Jared Crimson.
So where had he erred?
The more Leon pondered, the deeper his confusion grew, culminating in a small, resigned sigh escaping his lips.
"All my experiments failed, and I haven't slept since last night," Leon lamented inwardly.
With a slow stride, he approached his desk, his gaze fixating on the inky substance within the alchemy furnace, his temples throbbing with frustration.
His initial confidence had taken a serious blow, leading him to question his own abilities.
Just as he was poised to embark on his eleventh attempt, a sudden knock interrupted him at the door.
*Knock! Knock!*
"Daddy~ Open the door~"
The sound of knocking, accompanied by Fiona's voice, instantly startled Leon.
"Huh? Fiona?" Leon was taken aback, glancing at the clock, which read 8 a.m., the usual time his little girls came to his room.
"Wait a minute," Leon replied in a rather loud tone, quickly rearranging the alchemy furnace on the table.
He didn't want his little girls to witness the chaos in his room, as it would be both unnecessary and challenging to explain.
After five minutes of tidying up, Leon rushed to the door and opened it.
Immediately, the figure of Fiona in a white lolita nightgown entered Leon's field of vision, eliciting an instant smile from him.
"Good morning, Fiona," Leon greeted her tenderly, his affection evident in his tone.
"Good morning, Daddy~" Fiona replied, her smile radiating warmth as she opened her arms toward him.
At first, Leon was slightly puzzled by her gesture, but upon catching sight of her hopeful gaze, he quickly understood.
With a soft chuckle, Leon gently bent down and embraced her warmly.
Smiling, he inquired, "What's on your mind this morning? It's not often you ask for such a big hug. Is everything okay?"
Fiona hugged Leon's neck tightly, her face nestled against his shoulder.
"It's okay, Daddy. It's just that I feel like since Sister Charlotte and Sister Iris came along, you haven't loved me as much," Fiona expressed sadly.
Leon was taken aback by her complaint, then smiled gently.
"Do you feel my love for you has diminished now that your two sisters are with us?" Leon asked gently as he lifted her into his arms and entered his room.
"It's not like that," Fiona replied, shaking her head slightly as she loosened her arms from around Leon's neck.
With a slightly sad and sullen expression on her round, chubby face, she continued, "I'm scared that you'll push me aside and stop loving me."
After uttering those words, tears welled up in both of her round, golden eyes, lending her a particularly endearing appearance.
Listening to her litany of complaints, Leon could only release a small sigh.
Initially, Leon had believed Fiona wouldn't harbor any grievances, given her strong attachment to him and the abundant affection she received from him.
However, he hadn't anticipated that this little girl harbored fears as well.
Gently, Leon wiped away her tears and offered her a reassuring smile.
"You're overthinking, Fiona," Leon said softly, then added, "You're my cutest, sweetest little girl, and the one I love the most. How could I ever cast you aside or stop loving you?"
At Leon's words, Fiona's tears ceased instantly, replaced by an excited gleam in her eyes.
"Really?" she asked, her voice tinged with both hesitation and hope.
"Absolutely," Leon affirmed with a chuckle, gently planting a kiss on her soft, chubby cheeks.
"Hehehe~" Fiona giggled joyfully at his response, a radiant smile spreading across her lips.
Leon could only smile at how easily Fiona was reassured.
With Charlotte or Iris, it might have been a bit more challenging, given their exceptional emotional maturity at such tender ages.
Suddenly, his gaze wandered around the room, and he realized that Fiona was the only one who had come to visit.
Inevitably, curiosity piqued, and he looked back at Fiona in his arms.
"By the way, where are your two sisters? Are they still asleep?" Leon inquired.
Upon hearing this, Fiona instantly snapped out of her funk and replied, "Sister Charlotte and Sister Iris are in the dining room having breakfast with Mom."
"Ha? Breakfast with Liliana?" Leon asked in surprise.
"Mm-hmm! Oh, Daddy, I forgot to tell you. I actually came to your room to invite you to join us for breakfast in the dining room," Fiona replied innocently.
Leon arched an eyebrow in surprise at her revelation.
No wonder Celine hadn't come to his room to prepare his breakfast; Liliana had apparently arranged for him to join her and their three daughters in the dining room.
Furthermore, it was the first time Liliana had invited him to share breakfast together, which brought him a small sense of happiness.
'Oh! By the way, I can ask Liliana about my failure to make an antidote for the devouring poison and seek her help,' Leon muttered with a beaming face.
Snapping out of his reverie, Leon nodded and smiled at Fiona.
"Alright, but I need to take a shower first. Could you wait for a while in bed?" Leon said it gently.
"Okay~" Fiona replied with a happy smile on her little face.
Afterward, Leon placed Fiona on his bed and headed straight to the bathroom.
Having stayed up all night due to his repeated failed attempts to create an antidote to the devouring poison, Leon felt his body was a bit sweaty and sticky.
As Fiona watched her daddy head to the bathroom, she gleefully sprawled out on Leon's bed, rolling around with joy.
Feeling a bit fatigued, she eventually laid on her back on the pillow, infused with Leon's comforting scent.
"Daddy's scent is so comforting..." Subconsciously, her eyes drifted closed, and enveloped in the comforting aroma of Leon, Fiona slipped into a deep sleep.
Ten minutes later...
"Ah~ So fresh!" Leon exclaimed happily as he emerged from the bathroom.
Feeling refreshed by the cleanliness and fragrance of his body, he approached the bed, only to be surprised to find Fiona fast asleep on it.
"This little girl..." Leon chuckled helplessly, then walked over to her.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Leon gently poked Fiona's chubby cheek.
"Fiona, wake up," Leon called out softly, continuing to prod her cheeks tenderly.
Feeling the touch on her cheek and hearing Leon's voice, Fiona, who had been deeply asleep, slowly opened her eyes.
"Hmm~ Daddy?" Fiona slowly sat up, rubbing her eyelids.
Seeing her stir, Leon smiled and asked, "Why did you fall asleep?"
At Leon's question, Fiona immediately snapped fully awake.
"Oh! Did I fall asleep?" Fiona was slightly startled, looking at Leon in confusion.
Leon chuckled and lifted her into his arms, replying, "Otherwise?
Fiona blinks her eyes a few times before pursing her lips.
"I think I fell asleep without even realizing it. Daddy's scent on the bed made me so comfortable," she admitted in a slightly regretful tone.
Leon, of course, didn't get angry. Instead, he rubbed her head affectionately.
"Well, don't worry about that," Leon assured her before proceeding to ask, "By the way, do you know where the dining room is?"
Although he had already memorized most of the palace, its enormous size meant there were still rooms he hadn't explored, and the dining room was one of them.
"Of course!" Fiona replied excitedly.
"Alright, you lead the way," Leon said with a light tone.
Soon, the father, with his daughter in his arms, walked out of the bedroom and headed towards the dining room.