BXBX NOVEL Chapter 177 Leon's Home
The moment Leon ran his crystal blue eyes to the cottage he had not seen for a long time, his body instantly relaxed.
That familiar couch, the rustic log walls, even the musky scent of the wood screamed home in his heart.
The biggest change he saw in the living room was the plushie playground, which would have totally ruined the rustic theme of the living room.
But to Leon\'s eyes, it was the most adorable corner of the room.
He could actually imagine his little son cutely rolling and crawling around the fenced perimeter. Just thinking about this made Leon smile like the first bloom of spring.
Kayden beside him could only helplessly shake his head with a smile. Seeing his friend like this made him feel relieved and envious at the same time.
Two of them had been friends since they were young and they both had to run for their lives for many reasons. They grew up never even thinking that they would one day feel this kind of warmth.
The warmth of loving someone, the warmth of having an offspring.
Kayden seeing his friend lost in longing and love also made him look forward to his time to experience the same too.
One day, with his own love. One day with his own family.
"Are we going to notify Little Sister Eli of your arrival?" He thoughtfully asked his friend.
"No not yet, I\'ll stay in the kitchen and prepare for dinner. I have already notified the blades to think of a way to delay Eli\'s going home. I have time to prepare for her meal." Leon quickly ran in the kitchen and rummaged with great sense of familiarity around it.
Very naturally, he tied the white frilly apron around his tall muscular body and tied a rubber band to his neck long red blood hair. Despite the stark contrast of the apron and his handsome figure, Leon\'s appearance was extremely manly and seductive.
So seductive that someone would blush like a tomato and feel her throat dry every time she would see him dressed like this in the future.
It was already late in the afternoon when they arrived, Leon smiled as he deduced that the blades were successful in stalling time for Eli to come home.
"Nice, I\'ll prepare her a good and hearty dinner!" Leon said while he carefully folded his sleeves in his muscular arms and stared at the ingredients he took form the space bag.
"Let me help you then." Kayden also wanted to give his Little Sister a nice dinner so he joined Leon in the kitchen.
Staring at the ingredients, his eyes fixed on a particular ingredient they took out and excitedly said, "For sure, she would very much like our dinner today!"
Meanwhile, Eli was already in the Farauld estate having a serious conversation with Grandpa Ben and the rest of the elders of the Farauld family.
In reality, the blades need not to think of a gimmick to stall time for Eli, because she already had the intention to have a good talk with Grandpa Ben and the rest regarding the earlier conversation she had with Alicia.
"The girl had already confessed to me prior to going to you. She was determined to explain everything to you face to face and ask for your forgiveness sincerely. So I let her be." Grandpa Ben explained.
"Well, it is no use for me to even hold a grudge at her. She had already decided to own her mistakes and live for the better. Who am I to take that right away from her? That would be cruel. Besides, I could accept it easier because she was not able to bring me real harm." Eli commented rather rationally.
"Hmm. Fair enough." Grandpa Ben nodded in approval. This little lady in front of her is magnanimous and rational. One that can forgive, yet not blindly.
"But let this be a lesson for you to realize not to trust anyone that easily, nor let your guard down because you are in a seemingly safe place." Grandma Myrna worriedly reminded her.
"Yes Grandma, this was really a lesson for me. Perhaps it was because everyone around me was able to accept me so kindly that I had forgotten how complicated the things around me were. I got a hard reality check, especially when Alicia mentioned that the Empress also had her eyes on me now…" Eli obediently listened to the elder\'s advice.
"As a matter of fact, the Empress wanted Alicia to get close to me and recruit me under her faction."
There was a deep silence in the room. Everyone couldn\'t help but bear complicated expressions on their faces upon hearing the matter about the Empress.
"We need not to think so hard about this matter." Aquila, who was once a strong knight in her prime reminded everyone.
"During the winter banquet, our dear Eli\'s identity would be announced. I estimate that the Empress, along with the aristocrats, would not be able to make a move on her that easily upon knowing that she has Father and Grandmaster Andi\'s backing."
Although the announcement of Faraulds and Forgeworns taking in Eli would put a lot of pressure on them against those who are interested in Eli\'s inventor identity, it was also a way to protect her and Little Han for a considerable amount of time.
They live in a society where talents such as inventing could be easily killed because of the suppression of people with power.
So Eli being part of the two biggest authorities in the Empire is also a form of protection against those who wanted to take advantage of her abilities, while she builds her reputation for Little Han\'s future.
"Uhn, there\'s no need to be worried. What we really need to prepare for now is the winter banquet! We have to let everyone know that we are taking in Eli genuinely, not just for formality! We have to show them how important she is in our Farauld Family!" Grandpa Ben reminded everyone excitedly.
Hearing this also lightened up the mood of everyone.
"As for those sneaky Vanderfords, I\'ve sent them a little \'gift\' to make them go home happily! Bahahahaha!" Grandpa Ben laughed heartily upon remembering his little prank.
Grandma Myrna could only helplessly shake her head, while Bramwell, Janine and Aquila could only wear stiff faces. Eli on the other hand was clueless about the \'gift\' Grandpa Ben was talking about.
Eli and the Elders talked for a while, before letting her and Little Han go home to the cottage. Strangely, the elders didn\'t insist that she take dinner in the estate as they usually do.
They just asked her to return safely and rest early.
The sky was already dark orange when she managed to step in the teleportation array connected to her little home.
"Ayee!!!!" Hugging the excited Little Han in her arms she traveled to the teleportation array, mentally calculating how much time she had to spend in making dinner before she could prepare for sleep.
Appearing from the teleportation array what first assaulted her nose was a very familiar fragrance that she was not able to catch even a whiff for almost a year already.
"Aye!!! Ayeee!!!!" Little Han wiggled excitedly in her arms as soon as they materialized in the cottage living room.
It is as if he was excited about something that was in their little house.
"Ayee!!!!" He continued to wiggle his body up and down, his chubby arms wiggling with joy as he bared his two little milk teeths so adorably.
"Shhhh son calm down.." Eli tried to calm the excited Little Han down, she immediately paid attention to the active Little Han, afraid that she could not hold his weight and let him fall due to his extreme excitement.
"Let me hold him for you." Suddenly, a familiar magnetic voice rang behind her.
The voice was so familiar to Eli because she heard of this voice almost every night in the past few days. Now it sounded so amazingly near her.
"Kya!!!!" It was Little Han who first saw the man behind his mommy and exclaimed in excitement.
His crystal eyes shined like jewels while he proudly showcased his two little milk teeth towards the man behind! "Kyaaa! Ayeeee!!!"
Eli immediately turned around upon hearing the voice and saw the man whom she had been longing to come home in the past few months.
"Leon!" She called out softly under her surprised breath. Seeing him, she couldn\'t stop her eyes from moistening. Tears were already threatening to fall.
She looked at Leon as if the time paused.
Although he had already stayed in the Riverfort for a considerable amount of time, she could still find traces of the harsh environment he lived in the past few months.
His previously fair skin was slightly tanned, yet it didn\'t even lessened his charm, not even a bit.
He is still tall and muscular, however, there were signs of battle in his strong pair of hands who was now used in lovingly holding their little one.
His weight visibly reduced, Eli could just imagine what kind of hardships he experienced in the far ends of the Empire.
Knowing this, Eli couldn\'t help but tremble in heartbreak. For the sake of her and Little Han\'s safety, He spent countless nights under the stars in the open wilderness and raided countless hideouts.
Her shaking hands subconsciously reached out to Leon who was already carrying Little Han in his arms.
She reached out to feel his warmth.
She reached out to make him feel that he was already safe in her seemingly frail arms.
"You are finally home…" She mumbled under her tears.
Leon smiled sweetly while looking at the woman who was a head shorter than him, hugging him with trembling arms.
He could feel his heart leap up in the sky as he saw her way of showing affection.
He secured Little Han on one of his arms and used the other to secure Eli in his embrace.
"Hmnn I\'m home." He softly uttered as he gently kissed the top of Eli\'s head, calmly allowing his nose to get a whiff of her scent.