Tomorrow was the weekend, and she wouldn't even have to see Rean's face. At least, that's what she thought.
Leona didn't even knock when she got home. She marched straight in and hugged her grandmother so hard it nearly counted as a surprise attack. Countess Anin Everheart, the first woman to ever become head of the family, took it like a champion and laughed it off.
When asked about her first day on the job, Leona immediately complained that it was exhausting and that way too much had happened for a single day. The countess only laughed harder. Of course it was tiring. Defending the nation wasn't exactly a desk job.
Then Leona noticed her grandmother was wide awake, even though the sun hadn't fully set yet. When she asked why, the answer came out with sparkling eyes and zero shame. Episode fifteen of her favorite romance drama was being released that day. She'd been waiting for it so badly she couldn't sleep.
Leona immediately recognized the show. It was the one everyone had been obsessed with lately, where operas were recorded into magic orbs and delivered straight to people's homes.
Right on cue, a smiling attendant named Hugo showed up to announce that the episode had arrived. That was all the invitation Leona needed. She sat down with her grandmother, ready to witness whatever chaos episode fifteen had prepared.
Before long, both of them were completely absorbed. The story had reached that stage where no one knew who the heroine's child's father was. Even though there were only three candidates.
As Leona watched, she started to realize why people loved this stuff so much. It was messy, dramatic and oddly addictive. It even crossed her mind that maybe the gods watched humans the same way, snacks in hand, judging every bad decision.
At one point, one of the male leads did something so ridiculous that Leona thought that even Rean wouldn't go around kicking people like that. Her grandmother just smiled and reminded her that it was only a show, and not to take trash men seriously. Then she added, very seriously, that Leona should never involve herself with men like that in real life.
That was when another voice joined in from behind, saying that trash or not, all men were the same. It was her mother, Isolda, first female magistrate and also the first divorced woman.
Leona knew the drama on the screen was messy, but compared to her own family history, it barely scratched the surface. Her mother had sued her cheating husband and completely destroyed him in court. Her grandmother had stayed loyal to her late husband, fought off side branch nobles like starving hyenas, and rose to become the first female head of the family.
As for Leona's father, he was memorable in the worst way. A wannabe actor whose only real asset was his face. He insulted better actors, flirted with anything that moved, and somehow thought the world owed him applause. A total disaster. Leona still couldn't understand how her mother ever fell for him. Maybe it had something to do with her getting pregnant.
Seeing Leona's expression darken, her mother gently reassured her that none of it was her fault. It was her mistake, not Leona's. Her grandmother chimed in, saying the real issue was her daughter's weakness for pretty faces, something she'd warned her about plenty of times. Her mother touched Leona's cheek and added that giving birth to her was still the best decision she'd ever made.
That stuck with Leona. She wondered if she'd ever feel the same way if she had a child of her own. Then reality kicked in. At the moment, the chances of that happening were basically non-existent. She couldn't even begin to picture herself as a mother, let alone having a child with Rean.
Once the sun was fully up, Leona headed straight into the already noisy market and made a beeline for the blacksmith shop. The moment she stepped inside, the familiar clerk Pearl greeted her like she'd been waiting all morning.
When Leona said she was there to buy a weapon, Pearl joked that she must have finally saved up enough. Leona smiled and said not really. She'd just gotten a little bonus recently. What she didn't say out loud was that she also hadn't forgotten her deal with Rean. With that in mind, she confidently ordered a super rare SSS rank dagger set.
Leona wandered around the shop, eyes sharp, already thinking that if she was spending Rean's money, she might as well look properly. That was when she accidentally bumped into Silian.
Silian immediately panicked like a cornered animal, until someone scolded him for being rude. That was when the man beside him introduced himself as Dex Tristan and casually offered a handshake. He said they were colleagues now, so there was no need to be stiff.
Leona noticed right away that his grip was a little too strong, but she let it slide. When she asked if the two knew each other, Dex admitted they had only met yesterday. The dungeon incident had thrown them together, and somehow they'd grown close fast.
He then asked if Leona was all right after what happened in the dungeon. She quickly said she was fine. When asked what they were doing at the shop, Dex glanced at the collar nearby before answering. He explained that he was helping Silian pick out a weapon. He also casually admitted that he was a necromancer. According to him, they had to leave the beastkin village in a hurry, and Silian had forgotten his weapon in the chaos.
Silian, clearly trusting him, happily added that Dex had promised to buy him a new weapon, give him money, and even share food with him. He said it all with sparkling eyes, like he'd just found the nicest person in the world.
Leona didn't comment, but she definitely noticed Dex's earlier glance at the collar. Something didn't sit right.
Perfect timing saved her from digging deeper. Pearl called her over and presented the dagger set she'd ordered. When it came time to pay, Dex suddenly offered to cover the cost as a sign of friendship. Without missing a beat, Leona cheerfully said to charge it to the Grand Duchy.
That was when Dex asked if she and Rean were dating. Leona denied it so fast it almost sounded like a reflex.
Once outside, Dex offered to treat both Silian and Leona to a meal, since she'd helped with choosing a weapon. Like a pair of simple-minded kids promised free food, Leona and Silian both brightened immediately.
That was when they noticed murmurs spreading through the street. It didn't take much guessing to figure out that the emperor was about to arrive for an inspection. Leona suggested taking a shortcut through a nearby alley to avoid the crowd.
They didn't even make it two steps before a small boy suddenly jumped into Leona's arms, clinging to her and crying while calling her mom.
The little boy had silver hair and ocean blue eyes. Way too familiar. While trying to calm the kid down, she briefly wondered if the angel and the gods had done something insane again and turned Rean into a child.
Still confused, Dex asked how a kid she'd never met could look exactly like Rean, and even wondered out loud if this was actually her child. Leona denied it over and over, but when she looked down, the boy smiled at her so sweetly that it nearly broke her concentration. Little Rean looked like an angel in her eyes.
There was no time to stand around. Leona told the boy to hold on tight and declared that she was heading straight to the Holy See. If the gods or the angel were involved, she was getting answers in person.
Dex and Silian didn't hesitate to follow. Silian went along without thinking much about it, while Dex quietly noted that whatever this situation was, it might be useful someday.
As they rushed, Leona kept insisting that the boy was probably Rean's cousin or nephew. Dex pointed out that House Clanford barely had any heirs. Aside from the Grand Duke, Rean was basically it. That was news to Leona, who avoided social gatherings like plague zones. It also hit her then that she barely knew anything about Rean at all.
They were forced to stop when they reached the exact area where the emperor's inspection was taking place. With no other option, Leona jumped straight onto the rooftops, the boy still in her arms. Her red hair made her impossible to miss. Dex followed on his summoned creature, while Silian ran after them at his own pace.
Below, people stared. Reporters went wild. A red-haired woman carrying a silver-haired child was already strange enough, but silver hair meant only one thing to them. House Clanford. When they realized the trio was heading toward the Holy See, pens practically caught fire. By the time Leona disappeared from sight, the juiciest gossip of the day had already written itself.