Chapter 1081: Face-to-Face Meeting With Leona

"Concubine Isabella, I have news from the battlefield."

Orion appeared beside Isabella, who was busy with her work.

Isabella turned toward him and nodded.

"Go on."

"The forces led by Princess Elina, Princess Freya, and Young Lady Evalyn have successfully defeated the rebel forces, which were aided by tens of thousands of Valtanir troops. They are now on their way home. However..."

His words suddenly trailed off.

Isabella raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Just tell me everything. I won’t get angry."

Orion’s expression grew complicated. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"According to Cassiopeia, Draco has betrayed us. It turns out he was a spy for the Holy Empire of Valtanir and nearly turned the tide of battle. Fortunately, Cassiopeia acted quickly and killed him."

As he said the words killed him, his voice trembled slightly.

Draco had been his friend. They had been quite close.

However, he had never imagined that Draco was a traitor sent by the Holy Empire of Valtanir to infiltrate the imperial government.

Isabella’s expression changed as she heard the news.

"Draco betrayed us?"

She was shaken. Her eyes widened, and her heart pounded.

Draco was one of the Seven Constellation Mages. He was close to His Majesty Ragan and one of the people the emperor trusted most.

She never thought he would betray them.

"That’s right," Orion replied firmly. "What do you think, my Lady? What should we do with his body?"

No matter why Draco had betrayed them, he was still a Celestial Mage. Even in death, his body was worth a lot.

Isabella stayed silent for a few seconds before finally speaking.

"Bring his body back and preserve it. We’ll wait for His Majesty Ragan’s decision."

Whether Draco’s body would eventually be used for experiments was not something Isabella could decide on her own.

That was Ragan’s prerogative.

Orion nodded. He had been thinking the same thing.

"Are there any other reports?"

"None for the time being," Orion replied.

Suddenly, he remembered something, and his expression turned serious.

"Oh, right. Concubine Isabella, there’s something I forgot to mention. The situation on the northern border seems to be getting increasingly tense. We need to send more troops. I’m worried..."

His voice trailed off, but Isabella understood what he meant.

"Send Hydra to the border as a precaution. We’ll have to wait for Freya to mobilize more troops to the northern region."

"As you command!" Orion replied respectfully.

Whoosh!

His body turned into smoke and vanished from sight.

...

"Please come in."

The female staff member opened the door for her.

Leona stepped inside and found herself in a spacious, somewhat luxurious office.

A table stood in the middle of the room, with two sofas on either side.

The desk and chair were placed in front of the window, where sunlight streamed in and fell on the back of whoever was sitting there.

Then, Leona realized something.

"Where’s Miss Shion?" she asked.

"She’s in a meeting," the staff member replied politely. "Please have a seat. I’ll prepare some tea and snacks for you while you wait."

Leona said nothing. She walked over to the sofa in the middle of the room and sat down on the left side.

The staff member prepared some tea, then placed a plate of dry cookies and a few other snacks on the table.

After setting everything down, she said, "I have to get back to work, Young Lady Leona. Please wait here until Miss Shion finishes her meeting."

"All right. Thank you."

The staff member smiled before turning and leaving without another word, leaving Leona alone in the office.

Leona took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

She looked around the room carefully, feeling impressed by its luxurious interior.

"This room is quite functional. The layout isn’t haphazard either."

Four rows of bookshelves lined the right side of the room, while a small tea station was set up on the left.

There was also a door in the middle of the back wall. Most likely, it led to a bedroom.

In her previous life, she’d also had a sleeping area in her office. And she wasn’t the only one. Most leaders of large companies had one.

After all, being a leader often meant having to stay at the office, no matter the circumstances.

Suddenly, Leona heard footsteps outside. The door slowly opened, revealing a beautiful woman wearing a gray formal dress.

"M-Miss Shion?" Leona called out.

Shion looked surprised, then smiled and nodded.

"Did I keep you waiting long?"

Leona stood up and shook her head.

"Not long. Just a few minutes."

"I see. Thank goodness."

Shion walked over and sat down across from her.

"Have a seat."

Leona nodded and sat back down.

"I’m sorry I couldn’t greet you earlier. I had a meeting with the executives."

"It’s okay. I understand."

Leona smiled.

In her previous life, she’d attended plenty of meetings herself, so she knew how exhausting they could be.

"Have you had lunch yet?"

"I have—"

Before Leona could finish her sentence, her stomach suddenly rumbled.

Her face flushed as she hurriedly covered her stomach.

"Pfft!" Shion chuckled before standing up. "Come with me. Let’s grab something to eat first."

***

Dragon’s Tear Restaurant...

Shion had reserved a VVIP room on the upper floor.

"Order whatever you want," Shion said, handing the menu to Leona.

Leona took it and opened it. When she saw the list of dishes, her eyes widened in surprise.

’Wait a minute. Why do these dishes look so much like the ones on Earth?’

Stir-fried beef, stir-fried long beans, grilled fish, mashed potatoes, and various other dishes all looked very familiar.

Leona’s heart began to pound, and a cold sweat formed on her forehead.

"What’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"

Shion’s concerned voice snapped Leona out of her thoughts.

"Ah! N-No, it’s nothing like that. I’m just curious why these dishes have such unfamiliar names," Leona replied sheepishly, scratching her head.

"I see." Shion chuckled softly. "Well, that makes sense. A lot of people aren’t familiar with these dishes yet. After all, they were only added to the menu a few years ago. My master came up with them himself."

Hearing that, Leona fell silent.

’Master? Could that be the owner of the Blue Moon Trading House?’ she wondered to herself.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn’t ask any more questions. She’d find out the truth eventually, anyway.

Leona picked some mashed potatoes, grilled fish, and a few other side dishes.

She was curious... Could the chef’s cooking here be as delicious as the food on Earth?

After Leona finished ordering, Shion placed her own order. She then called a server over to bring their food.

The room fell silent again.

Shion sipped her tea with her eyes closed.

Leona did the same, but she found it difficult to hide her awkwardness.

A few minutes later, Shion finally spoke.

"Do you know why I called you to the capital?"

Leona nodded.

"The owner of Blue Moon wants to meet with me, right?"

Shion smiled.

"That’s right. But first, I want to ask you something."

Her expression grew serious.

"Is there something you’re hiding, Leona? Something no one else knows about?"