Chapter 222: Is Qlipoth an S&M Enthusiast?
"How did you guess it was me?"
Leon asked the question with a lazy, amused drawl, his fingers gently threading through the soft, pale blonde strands of the woman resting against his chest.
Cocolia lay completely boneless in his embrace. Earlier, she had fully intended to use the surging, cosmic might of her newly promoted status as an Emanator of Preservation to finally "take charge" of their dynamic. She had wanted to pin him down, to assert her dominance. Naturally, Leon had flipped the script with effortless grace, thoroughly suppressing her rebellion until she was a trembling, breathless mess.
The gap in their strength remained a vast, unbridgeable chasm.
"Because I know..." Cocolia murmured, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. A faint, alluring crimson flushed her cheeks, and her eyes shimmered with absolute, unwavering trust. "...you will definitely protect us."
Ever since the broadcasted fragments of her publicly questioning the Path of Preservation were left circulating across the interstellar network, she understood one fundamental truth—Leon would never sit idly by and let her face the consequences alone. If he hadn't intended to intervene, he would have simply wiped those recordings from existence entirely.
This was the depth of her trust in him.
She just hadn't expected his method of intervention to involve Qlipoth... the very Aeon she had once worshipped with all her heart, only to bitterly denounce.
The exact moment she felt the heavy, suffocating weight of Qlipoth's gaze fall upon her, whatever lingering reverence she held for the Amber Lord shattered completely. In stark contrast, her devotion to Leon deepened into something bordering on religious fervor.
As for why Qlipoth had looked at her, or exactly what strings Leon had pulled to command the attention of a god... she didn't know, nor did she care to investigate the mechanics of it.
She only knew that her lover was shielding her from the storm.
That was more than enough. This intoxicating feeling of being so fiercely cherished fascinated her, making her want to strip away every defense and offer him her entire being.
"Whew... what on earth is going on..."
Miles away, having finally seen off Topaz and Giovanni, Bronya slumped back into the plush leather chair of her office. She let out a soft, exhausted sigh, raising a hand to rub at her throbbing temples.
Across the long mahogany table, Pela was carefully reorganizing a stack of scattered report files. The crisp rustling of paper echoed through the room, making the heavy silence feel exceptionally deep.
"It really is... unbelievable. Was the Amber Lord always this kind of character?" Pela muttered, pushing her round glasses up the bridge of her nose as she complained inwardly.
To cast a divine gaze upon someone immediately after being harshly questioned and criticized... if this were a trope in one of her romance novels, it would undoubtedly be classified as pure masochism.
Naturally, Pela kept that particular joke locked safely inside her own head. She could never be as boldly outspoken as Lady Cocolia.
"What kind of character?" Seele blinked, leaning against the wall as she casually twirled her massive scythe. The sharp blade caught the dim office light. "I don't know about all that, but it really is magical. I feel like my muscles are buzzing. I've become way stronger."
Seele was a warrior through and through—Bronya's sharpest blade and sturdiest shield. Complex philosophical thinking and political maneuvering were best left to Bronya and Pela; such things simply didn't suit her straightforward nature.
Truthfully, if that IPC executive, Leverett, had actually ordered his corporate lackeys to make a move earlier, Seele would have instantly stepped into the fray, scythe swinging. She might not have the fondest feelings for Cocolia, but ultimately, the woman was Bronya's mother. Bronya would never have stood by and watched Cocolia be taken away in chains, which meant Seele wouldn't have either.
"I was thinking..." Bronya spoke softly, breaking the brief silence. Her gaze drifted toward the grand window, staring out over the snow-swept cityscape as if she could pierce through the towering architecture and see straight into her mother's private residence. "...could this entire matter be related to Leon?"
"Huh? How is that possible? That's the Amber Lord we're talking about..." Seele chuckled, walking over to Bronya's side and giving her shoulder a reassuring pat. "No matter how ridiculously powerful Leon is, he can't just snap his fingers and make an Aeon listen to him, right?"
Pela nodded in agreement, tapping a stack of papers against the desk to align them. "Instead of believing something that extreme, it's far more likely that Lady Cocolia's fierce will to protect you at that exact moment gained the Amber Lord's recognition."
"Then were the wills of all four of us... recognized?" Bronya rubbed her brow, the crease between her eyes deepening.
Although her logical mind screamed that this hypothesis was absurd, a quiet, persistent intuition kept pointing her thoughts directly toward Leon's smiling face.
Perhaps it was just her imagination running wild under stress.
"Look at this, the whole situation has already exploded across the entire network."
Pela tapped a few keys, pulling up the main terminal interface. She projected a massive holographic light screen into the center of the room. The sheer volume of scrolling text and rapid-fire discussions moving across the display almost crashed the page.
Among the top ten interstellar trending topics across the cosmos, more than half were directly related to the incident in Belobog.
Glance of the Amber Lord, Visible to Mortals
"Oh my god, is this what an Aeon's glance looks like? It's completely exaggerated! This has to be the first time an Aeon's gaze has been recorded in full HD!"
Cocolia Watched by Qlipoth
"It's so strange. Usually, an Aeon's glance happens deep within the Abyss of the Path, and ordinary mortals can't perceive it at all. Why was it so incredibly ostentatious this time?"
Will You Be Watched if You Curse Preservation?
"No, wait, don't you guys realize the implication here? Cocolia was among those the Preservation Aeon Qlipoth glanced at! Cocolia literally cursed the Preservation and Qlipoth on camera! Does that mean cursing the Preservation is the secret cheat code to attract the Amber Lord's attention?"
"If the poster above has a death wish, feel free to go try it yourself. Let us know how the IPC handles you."
Duplicitous Believers of Preservation
"Compared to the idea of Qlipoth rewarding blasphemy, I'm much more willing to believe that although Cocolia cursed the Amber Lord with her mouth, she remains a firm, unyielding believer in the Preservation in her heart. How else do you explain the blessing?"
Cocolia: Harsh Words, Soft Heart
"Duplicitous? A tsundere Supreme Guardian? That's way too cute. This kind of gap moe... this is exactly the kind of mature woman I like most. Step on me, Lady Cocolia!"
Vindicating Lady Cocolia
"Speaking of which, didn't the IPC try to slander Lady Cocolia earlier? She is clearly so steadfast in her faith that even the Aeon stepped in to defend her."
Something even Leon might not have fully anticipated was the bizarre direction public opinion took. Because of this miraculous intervention, a massive portion of the galaxy had convinced themselves that Cocolia was simply a duplicitous, harsh-tongued believer who secretly held the Preservation dear to her heart. They believed this hidden devotion was exactly why she received Qlipoth's gaze.
Overnight, this misunderstanding gained Cocolia an astronomical following of devoted fans across the interstellar network.
It wasn't entirely surprising; Cocolia's regal appearance, commanding presence, and stunning figure were already universally striking. The only real "black mark" on her public record had been her blatant questioning of the Preservation.
But now, Qlipoth's dramatic glance seemed to completely "set the record straight" for her in the eyes of the public.
The masses had no idea that Cocolia had already been elevated to the rank of an Emanator. However, the newly minted image of a "harsh-tongued but soft-hearted big sister" perfectly combined with the label of a "secretly steadfast follower of the Path of Preservation." It was an irresistible character archetype that naturally attracted legions of admirers.
In the broader interstellar community, true followers of the Preservation were always treated with the utmost respect and trust.
"Look at this. So many people across the stars have fallen madly in love with you."
Leon scanned the scrolling comments on his own projected light screen, a teasing smile playing on his lips as he looked down at Cocolia resting in his arms.
His fingers unconsciously twined around a lock of her golden hair, his warm breath brushing rhythmically against the sensitive shell of her ear.
"Everything Cocolia possesses was given by you." She didn't even glance at the holographic screen. Instead, she looked up at Leon, her golden eyes swimming with deep, intoxicating attachment. "I only want you."
Especially when she breathed in that clean, uniquely reassuring scent radiating from his skin, she couldn't help but lean in closer, burying her face against his neck and taking a deep, greedy breath.
"Don't start trying to stir up trouble again. You don't even have the strength to lift your arms right now."
Leon looked at the majestic Supreme Guardian who was currently melting into a puddle in his embrace, rubbing her head with dry amusement.
He seriously wondered if her recent ascension to an Emanator had inflated her ego, making her overconfident enough to repeatedly challenge his stamina.
The result, naturally... was her total, exhausting defeat.
A deep, rosy flush crept up the tips of Cocolia's ears. She bit her lower lip, a flicker of sheer embarrassment breaking through her usual regal composure.
She had actually lost again, and so thoroughly at that.
Of course, the physical defeat wasn't what bothered her; what truly frustrated her was the realization that, even with her new cosmic power, she still seemed entirely unable to satisfy his monstrous appetite to his heart's content.
This made her feel somewhat inadequate, an unbearable sensation for a woman of her pride.
"Don't overthink it. Just close your eyes and get some rest first," Leon said, letting out a light, soothing laugh.
He raised his free hand and gave it a gentle, sweeping wave.
Instantly, a subtle ripple of energy washed through the apartment. The chaotic aftermath of their intense "battle" across the bedroom, the living room, the kitchen counters, the balcony, and the bathroom... all traces were quietly and magically restored to their original, pristine state, looking as clean as if nothing had ever happened.
Feeling the comforting warmth radiating from his chest, Cocolia finally allowed her heavy eyelids to flutter shut, slipping into a deep, peaceful sleep safely secured within his arms.
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