Chapter 23: Ice Queen and a Velvet Curtain
The heavy brass handle of the parlor door violently rattled and sent a paralyzing shockwave of pure terror straight into Elara’s heart.
Her beautiful amber eyes went as wide as dinner plates as the suffocating reality of their situation crashed down upon her.
She was a respected senior staff member straddling a newly promoted attendant in a restricted noble guest room in the middle of the day. If Beatrice caught them in this highly compromising position they would both be dragged to the courtyard and executed before the sun even began to set.
Leon felt her body instantly go rigid against his lap. He did not panic. His mind remained remarkably clear as the familiar crystal bell chimed in his skull and illuminated the dim room with a bright pink glow.
[Quest Completed Successfully!]
[Your emotional stability remains perfectly intact and you will not weep like a toddler.]
[Distributing Rewards: +10 Strength, Skill ’Enhanced Stamina’ Acquired, 120 Shameless Points.]
A sudden explosive surge of dense muscular power flooded into his chest and instantly elevated his total Strength to a monstrous fifty points.
A refreshing wave of cooling energy washed through his veins as the Enhanced Stamina skill permanently etched itself into his physical form.
He felt like he could sprint across the entire estate grounds while carrying a boulder without breaking a single sweat.
He mentally acknowledged the massive power increase and immediately focused on the very real threat waiting outside the door.
"Leon!" Beatrice called out again with her voice carrying a dangerous edge of icy impatience. "I know you are in there because one of the junior maids saw you enter. Unlock this door right now."
Elara began to breathe harder while desperately trying to scramble off his lap. Her trembling hands fumbled blindly with her wrinkled skirt as she practically hyperventilated in pure panic.
Leon smoothly wrapped his incredibly strong arms around her waist and lifted her entirely off his lap with effortless grace.
His fifty points of Strength made the woman feel lighter than a feather. He quickly carried her toward the massive red velvet curtains hanging heavily over the grand windows and gently pushed her behind the thick fabric.
"Do not make a single sound," Leon whispered deeply directly into her ear while pressing his body close to hers for just a fraction of a second. "I will handle the Head Maid."
Elara nodded frantically while covering her mouth with both hands to muffle her erratic breathing.
She was pressed tightly against the cool glass of the window with the heavy velvet curtain perfectly concealing her from view.
Leon quickly turned around and utilized his thirty five Agility points to rapidly smooth out the wrinkles in his tailored black tunic.
He took a steadying breath to calm his racing heart and casually strolled over to the heavy mahogany door. He slid the brass deadbolt back with a loud click and pulled the door open to reveal the fiercely strict Aura Knight waiting in the hallway.
Beatrice looked incredibly intimidating in her pristine black and white uniform.
The ambient temperature in the corridor had visibly dropped several degrees simply due to her highly agitated mood and a faint mist of cold air hovered around her leather boots.
Her icy blue eyes immediately narrowed into suspicious slits as they scanned his face and took in the dimly lit parlor behind him.
"Would you care to explain why you locked yourself inside a vacant guest parlor during your shift?" Beatrice demanded sharply while aggressively stepping past him and marching directly into the room.
Leon casually closed the door behind her and utilized his passive Lie Detector skill to read the swirling colorful aura radiating from her body.
Beneath her cold professional anger there was a volatile mixture of intense curiosity and lingering flustered heat.
She was actively searching for a reason to punish him simply because his magnetic presence was causing her structured mind to unravel.
"I apologize for the delay Lady Beatrice," Leon replied smoothly while heavily relying on his forty five Charisma points to project an aura of effortless innocence. "I noticed a significant amount of dust accumulating on the upper window fixtures. I locked the door to ensure the heavy drafts from the hallway did not blow the dirt onto the expensive velvet furniture."
Beatrice stopped in the center of the parlor and slowly crossed her arms over her chest.
She aggressively surveyed the room with her sharp gaze meticulously searching for any sign of deception. Her eyes slowly drifted toward the massive red velvet curtains hanging by the window.
Leon felt a massive spike of adrenaline flood his system because Elara was hiding less than ten feet away from the dangerous Ice Queen.
If Beatrice decided to pull the curtains back the tyrannical Head Cook would be exposed in all her rumpled flustered glory.
[DING!]
[Emergency Distraction Quest Issued: A Bold Diversion]
[Context: The Ice Queen is highly suspicious and dangerously close to uncovering your prize. You must draw her undivided attention back to yourself using the sheer magnetic gravity of your shamelessness.]
[Objective: Step into her personal space, gently brush a nonexistent speck of dust off her pristine collar, and compliment her perfume.]
[Reward: 40 Shameless Points.]
[Failure Penalty: You will begin to uncontrolably scream "check there" while pointing at the hiding spot of the Head Cook.]
Leon did not waste a single second.
He boldly stepped forward and effortlessly glided right into Beatrice’s personal space completely invading the invisible boundary she always demanded.
Beatrice flinched slightly as his tall handsome frame suddenly loomed over her. She prepared to summon her frost magic to push him away but her defensive instincts violently short circuited when he slowly raised his right hand.
Leon gently brushed his fingers against the crisp white fabric of her collar directly over her collarbone. The highly intimate contact sent a microscopic jolt of heat directly through her uniform.
"You have a very lovely scent Lady Beatrice," Leon murmured in a deep resonant whisper while locking his Piercing Gaze onto her widened blue eyes. "Is that winter mint and crushed pine?"
Beatrice completely froze exactly where she stood.
Her mind failed to process the audacity of his action.
The faint pink blush that constantly threatened to ruin her strict reputation violently exploded across her pale cheeks and spread all the way down her neck.
Her passive Lie Detector aura practically blinded Leon with a massive surge of flustered heat and confusing attraction.
"You are stepping over the line again Leon," Beatrice stammered softly while taking a highly erratic step backward to escape his intoxicating proximity.
She completely forgot about the velvet curtains and the imaginary dust as she desperately tried to manually lower her racing heart rate.
"I am merely making an observation," Leon offered with a completely unapologetic smirk.
"Just follow me to the grand library this instant," Beatrice commanded fiercely while pointing a trembling finger toward the hallway. "The patriarchal ledger is missing and I need your eyes to help me find it."
She quickly spun on her heel and practically fled out of the parlor to escape the suffocating romantic tension.
Leon cast a highly satisfied glance toward the velvet curtains knowing Elara had just listened to the entire scandalous exchange. He had successfully saved her life while simultaneously asserting his hold over another powerful woman.
He casually strolled out of the room and closed the door leaving the tyrannical Head Cook trapped in the dark with her own highly frustrated and overwhelming desires.
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