Chapter 25: Heart-wrenching Honesty and Cosplay
"Daddy! Is it done?" Fiona, who was nearly asleep, immediately became excited upon hearing Leon's exclamation.
Lyra, who had also been observing Leon's work, glanced at him with curious eyes.
"Of course! It's done, and you'll be the first to try it," Leon chuckled, gently rubbing Fiona's head.
"Really? Then, please put it on me, Daddy!" Fiona exclaimed, springing up and down with joy.
Her chubby face radiated excitement, eagerly anticipating the costume Leon had crafted.
"Alright, come over here." Leon retrieved the white robe he had designed and draped it over Fiona's petite frame.
Then, he took a half-face mask made of cardboard and placed it gently over Fiona's face.
Once everything was set, Leon stepped back for a moment, admiring his handiwork on Fiona with a nod of satisfaction, his expression quickly transforming into a broad smile.
"Hahaha! That's it; you're a perfect fit!" Leon clapped his hands, bursting into laughter.
A white robe and a half-face mask—indeed, Leon had crafted a simple costume resembling his sword hero outfit for Fiona.
Because Fiona's face bore a striking resemblance to his own, the idea had struck Leon suddenly, and he hadn't anticipated the result to turn out so perfectly!
If there were a camera in this world, he wouldn't hesitate to capture hundreds of photos of his little girl, much like the cosplayers in his former world.
Listening to Leon's joyful laughter, although Fiona didn't comprehend why her daddy was so delighted to see her in this costume, she still felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.
"Hehehe~" Fiona giggled, her face flushed with embarrassment as she playfully shook her white robe, adding to her already adorable appearance.
Meanwhile, Lyra, fixated on Fiona, was instantly taken aback.
Despite her usually stoic expression, she felt her defenses almost crumbling in the face of Fiona's charm and new appearance.
"This... is this the sword hero?" She exclaimed inwardly, instantly recalling Leon, who stood beside her.
Inevitably, she glanced at Leon with a flicker in both eyes, lost in deep thought.
*Clap!*
Leon clapped his hands, rousing Lyra and Fiona from their reveries.
"Alright, now that the costumes are done, let's begin the game!" Leon's gentle smile turned playful as he glanced at Fiona.
Fiona's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she eagerly latched onto Leon's thighs.
"Play? Then let's start the game, Daddy!" Her little, round face flushed with excitement as she spoke.
Leon chuckled and lifted her gently into his arms, saying, "Certainly. But first, you must understand the game and its rules."
Upon hearing this, a question mark seemed to appear over Fiona's head as she blinked her eyes curiously.
"What's the name of the game, Daddy?" she asked innocently.
She was filled with such curiosity about the game that her daddy had gone through the effort of making her a robe and mask costume like this.
Leon smiled mysteriously, rubbing his chin as if pondering, until a name suddenly came to mind.
"The name of this game is Sword Hero versus Demon Emperor!"
Leon's declaration caused Lyra to nearly choke on her own saliva, her gaze shifting to him in amazement.
'Sword Hero versus Demon Emperor!? Your Majesty Leon is very brave! If Her Majesty the Demon Emperor is here, wouldn't this be akin to suicide?' she murmured doubtfully while looking right and left as if afraid that Liliana would suddenly be around.
On the other hand, Fiona, upon hearing Leon's words, blinked her eyes innocently.
"Sword hero? Daddy, isn't a sword hero usually a villain?" Fiona asked hesitantly, casting a puzzled look at Leon.
Fiona's words caught Leon off guard, nearly causing him to choke on his own saliva, reminiscent of Lyra's earlier reaction.
"Cough! You little girl, why would you think that?" Leon coughed, his mouth twitching violently at the corners as he asked.
"Mommy told me that the sword hero is a villain who always ruins her schemes. I also heard that he's a pervert, cruel, and, most importantly, very ugly." Fiona blurted out every thought without hesitation, unaware that Leon's body was already trembling.
Every innocent word she uttered felt like a spear piercing into Leon's heart, especially the words 'pervert' and 'ugly', which struck at his deepest taboos!
'Damn it! Is this how my reputation as the sword hero is perceived in Fiona's mind!? Wouldn't it be dangerous if it were discovered that I am the sword hero myself!?' Leon exclaimed, his voice filled with concern and apprehension.
He hadn't anticipated that his image would be so distorted, with all these negative traits attributed to him!
Liliana's figure inevitably flashed into his mind, causing him to grit his teeth.
'Liliana, I'll be ready to fight you again, damn it!'
Leon's breath caught in his throat, his breathing becoming irregular as if he were desperately holding back his mounting anger.
Sensing Leon's distress, Fiona, nestled in his embrace, immediately became concerned and gently placed her two small palms on his cheeks.
"Daddy, why is your face so red? Are you okay?" Fiona's concerned words instantly quelled Leon's anger, and a sense of calmness washed over his heart.
His breathing and thoughts also instantly regained their calmness as he closed his eyes.
He quickly grasped that Liliana's negative influence on Fiona arose from her role as the Demon Emperor, naturally breeding animosity toward him—the hero who repeatedly vanquished her demon army.
Moreover, at that time, Liliana was unaware that he, the hero, was the father of her three daughters.
Observing Liliana's attitude during this brief interaction, he understood that if Liliana were to discover his identity as the father of their three daughters early on, she would certainly refrain from saying anything negative about him to them.
Most likely, she cursed him for defeating her Demon army, harboring intense hatred in her heart.
Now, the crucial task was not to blame Liliana, but to cultivate a positive image and enhance Fiona's perception of the Sword Hero!
Otherwise, wouldn't his true identity as a legendary sword hero, if discovered later, lead Fiona to look at him with disdain?
Furthermore, there were his other two little daughters whom he had yet to meet, which only heightened his anxiety!
Swiftly, he regained his composure and flashed a confident smile while saying, "It's alright; it seems there's been a misunderstanding, my dear Fiona."
Fiona appeared slightly puzzled, her golden eyes peering curiously from behind the half-face mask.
"Misunderstanding?" she asked, her voice tinged with doubt.
"That's right, a misunderstanding! The sword hero is actually handsome, kind, and strong! So, today I will show you just how amazing a sword hero can be!" Leon declared it firmly and resolutely.
After uttering those words, he suddenly lifted Fiona to perch on his neck, instantly surprising her.
"Wow! Daddy, it's so high!" Fiona exclaimed happily as she perched on Leon's neck, standing at approximately 192 cm tall.
Leon chuckled and picked up the cardboard sword he had prepared earlier.
"Alright! Since I'm going to teach you how great a Sword Hero is, you'll now get to experience what it's like to be a real Sword Hero," Leon declared, handing the cardboard sword to Fiona.
Taking the cardboard sword from Leon, Fiona became flustered once again and swung it back and forth.
"Wow! This is so cool!" She exclaimed happily, continuing to swing the cardboard sword in her hand, which brought a crooked smile to Leon's lips.
'Hehehe! This method is quite effective!' Leon laughed inwardly.
He hadn't anticipated Fiona becoming so interested that he sensed her negative perception of the Sword Hero's image would soon turn positive shortly!
Then he glanced at Lyra, who had been silently observing their conversation, and gave her a sudden wink as if signaling something to her.
However, Lyra, who did not comprehend the meaning behind Leon's wink, was left only with doubt and astonishment.
'What does His Majesty Leon mean?' Lyra asked herself inwardly, filled with confusion.
Before she could grasp Leon's intentions, his excited voice echoed in her ears, surprising her.
"Step forth and wield your Zenith Holy Sword, Sword Hero Fiona! Together, we shall vanquish Lyra, the mightiest demon, and bring peace to the world!"
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A/N: Dear handsome reader, I'm sorry because it seems like I can't update 2 chapters at once today. The recent bad weather has left me feeling unwell. If conditions improve tomorrow, I will make sure to fulfill my promise. Thank you for your understanding!
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