"To be honest… you are truly pitiful."
Leon looked at Morgan with a subtle expression.
There was something quite rare in his eyes—a mixture of sympathy and pity, as deep as the night sky. Although Morgan was different from the brave King Arthur, being a mage specialized in sorcery, that did nothing to diminish her worth.
On the contrary, considering her appearance, her absurd talent, and her bearing, the woman before him stood on the same level as Artoria Pendragon… perhaps even above.
And yet, that was precisely what made everything even more tragic.
The throne that should have been hers had been taken by Artoria, the chosen of King Uther, who, with the support of the great Mage of Flowers, Merlin, drew the sword from the stone and took on the fate of all Britain.
It wasn't hard to understand her hatred.
Living through such a story would have twisted the mind of anyone.
And it didn't stop there.
What was most cruel was that Morgan had repeatedly trained assassins and elite agents to bring down the Round Table, only to watch each and every one of them be won over by King Arthur himself.
In the end, all of them defected and became loyal knights to the very man they were meant to destroy.
Gawain, Agravain, Gareth, Mordred… legendary warriors whose strength even piqued Leon's interest in recruiting them.
Moreover, Morgan spared no effort in pursuing her goals.
She equipped each of them with divine-grade armaments—sacred swords, powerful armor, rare artifacts…
And yet, all of it ultimately strengthened her enemy.
Essentially, it was as if she had been handing everything over to Artoria for free.
Leon brought a hand to his chin, reflecting for a moment.
[If something like that had happened to me…]
He paused briefly.
[…No, that simply wouldn't happen.]
Leon shook his head with certainty.
Betrayal?
To him, that was almost impossible.
The loyalty of those around him was not something shallow—it was absolute.
He clearly remembered asking the girls under his command what they would do if they were ever captured.
Each of them had answered without hesitation.
They would do anything to prevent information about Leon from being revealed—even if it meant taking their own lives.
That was true loyalty.
Leon: "That kind of loyalty… is truly admirable. But trying to act on your own? That is absolutely forbidden."
In reality, his situation was even more absurd.
Instead of being betrayed, he often ended up converting enemies into allies.
Spies sent to infiltrate Night Raid… after a single encounter, would fervently declare their complete and absolute loyalty to him.
And in the process, they would even hand over valuable intelligence about their own organizations.
[When I think about it… it's actually quite pleasant.]
Leon smiled inwardly.
[I enjoy taking advantage of things… but being on the side that gets exploited like that? I imagine it's far from pleasant.]
His gaze returned to Morgan.
[But that also proves just how extraordinary King Arthur is.]
A perfect king—noble, just, and seemingly invincible.
And yet, a king criticized by his own people.
All for something as trivial as being a woman.
That thought made Leon recall himself.
In the past, he too had been judged.
His black hair and dark eyes were seen as demonic signs. He was treated as a cursed child of the king, someone unworthy of inheriting anything.
But unlike Artoria, who chose to hide her identity…
Leon simply didn't care about his. He moved forward and proved his worth through results.
Now, in the Kingdom of Palettia, anyone who dared insult him for that would be beaten by the very citizens themselves.
Times change—and power defines truth.
"So… Miss Morgan."
Leon rested his chin on his hand, looking at her with interest.
"Can you tell me how you intend to cooperate with me?"
"…Join me in defeating Artoria Pendragon… and allow me to rule Britain as your representative."
Morgan was direct.
During her time in Sumeru, she had already come to fully understand Leon's true nature.
He was a conqueror.
Not someone who sought merely a single kingdom… but the entire world.
Britain, in terms of resources, was poor.
Its lands were barren, with few mineral riches…
Conquering it alone would not bring significant benefits.
But that didn't matter.
Because Leon would leave nothing behind.
Every territory… every piece of land in this world would be marked by his banner.
[This man… will definitely not let Britain slip from his grasp.]
Morgan thought to herself.
[And without Avalon… Artoria will not be able to stop him.]
If that was the case, then her best choice was to stand by his side.
"With my help, conquering Britain will be much easier."
"Oh… that will depend on your performance, Miss Morgan."
Leon's lips curved slightly as he swirled the wine in his glass before drinking it in one go.
"I am not a stingy man when it comes to rewards. If you can truly deliver something like Britain to me… you will be properly rewarded."
Morgan also raised her glass.
But before she could respond, Leon leaned forward and, without warning, pulled away her veil.
"…Was that really necessary, Your Highness?"
"Yes."
The answer was simple.
"I don't like it when people hide their identity from me."
Leon spoke calmly.
He preferred to look people in the eyes when he spoke.
But beyond that… he was curious.
As the veil fell, Morgan's face was revealed to him.
She possessed a beauty capable of shaking an entire kingdom.
Leon's eyes widened slightly.
"Ah… so this is what you were hiding."
His gaze, once cold, now burned with interest, as if admiring a masterpiece.
"Someone born with such beauty should show it to the world. You've completely captured my curiosity, Morgan… why hide such a face?"
Morgan fell silent for a moment.
She was surprised.
Who would have thought that the man who radiated absolute authority just moments ago… could react like this?
"Because… this face resembles that of my detested sister too much."
She turned her head slightly, her tone filled with disgust.
"I see…"
Leon tilted his head, still observing her.
"That's a waste."
His fingers slowly intertwined.
"And that face… perfectly matches my preferences."
His eyes narrowed slightly, carrying a dangerous glint.
"So tell me, Miss Morgan…"
A smile formed on his lips.
"Have you ever considered… becoming mine?"
(End of Chapter)