Supreme Spouse System.
Chapter 270: A Carriage of Beauties [Part-2]

Chapter 270: A Carriage of Beauties [Part-2]

A Carriage of Beauties [Part-2]

Breaking it open, he unrolled the scroll and started reading. The King’s formal writing presented a concise message:

"Duke Leon. I commit my daughter to your care. Have you travel with her and safe-guard her. You are now in charge of her welfare."

Leon’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as they scanned the parchment, each refined stroke of ink drawing his attention. On first glance, it was a standard royal edict—regal in tone, stamped with the weight of the King himself. But something about it pulled at his gut. The form was proper, certainly, but the voice beneath the façade had a peculiar warmth. Not the icy, commanding force he anticipated. No, this. felt intimate.

He read the words a second time, more slowly.

That’s when it fell into place.

This wasn’t merely the King’s voice. Underneath, underneath the layers of kingly duty, there was another hand on the pen—graceful, subtle, perilously accurate.

Natasha.

Her touch was embroidered into the scroll like silk under steel, almost undetectable to outsiders but instantly recognizable to Leon. That gentle charm, the honeyed cutting masked by faultless diplomacy. The King himself could never put words together like this himself. This wasn’t simply a command—it was a cajoling, a hint masquerading as an order. And only someone such as Natasha could bend a man such as the King so subtly without him even knowing.

Leon’s lips twisted into a small smirk.

So it was done, then.

Lira must’ve approached Sona first, her desire to follow him too strong to ignore. Sona, ever perceptive, would’ve known the King would oppose it immediately—prideful as he was, unwilling to let his daughter trail after a man he both despise and feared. But Sona. she didn’t fight him directly. She took the smarter path.

She sent Natasha.

And Natasha? She danced circles around men like the King. With her elegance, her smile infused with poison, and those calculating eyes, she could turn affection into submission. The King, blindly intoxicated by infatuation, never noticed the strings being bound around his limbs. He thought himself the master, when he was actually the puppet.

Leon was already imagining it: Natasha leaning in close, voice low and sweet, her words enveloping the King’s mind like perfume—enough to make him think the choice was his own. And now, here it was, signed in his name. A decree executed not by royal will, but by a woman’s guile.

He shook his head once, silently amused.

Leon rolled the scroll into a cylinder and exhaled softly, a trace of a smile playing at the edge of his lips. There had been a silent web of politics woven underneath, and he was already anticipating the moves and pieces like game pieces on a board.

"Very well. I accept the responsibility," he said with soft finality, his voice bearing quiet authority.

Adrin responded with a deep, respectful bow. "As you’ve read, the King entrusts the Crown Princess to you. Please protect her."

A short pause followed before he added, more deliberately, "And as the letter states, Lady Tsubaki will accompany the Princess as her guardian."

Leon looked him in the eye, his expression unwavering. There was no hesitation in his voice, only a calm, firm promise. "I’ll guard her with my life. She’s safe with me."

Lira’s breath caught at the words. A soft flush crept over her cheeks, pale pink blooming on her pale skin. Her blue eyes sparkled with restraint, holding back words she couldn’t seem to find in that moment. Something coiled within her—a feeling she wasn’t expecting. She opened her mouth to say something, but Rias leaned forward with a sly smile and playfully nudged her shoulder, wordless teasing, her eyes sparkling with quiet playfulness.

Adrin backed off with polite precision. "Lady Tsubaki will be Princess Lira’s escort. And with your leave, I will return to my station."

Leon gave a brusque nod. "As you wish. Your responsibility stops here."

Tsubaki moved forward with the elegance of a veteran knight. Her black hair streamed behind her as she bowed low, eyes cast down but personality assertive. "Then from today on, I’m in your hands, my lord.

Leon’s tone softened, his natural confidence now tempered with something more intimate—a soft fire beneath the words.

"You were always that way, Tsubaki."

The stoic knight’s cheeks flush with a soft blush, though she recovers quickly.

As the party started making ready to get on board, Leon swept his eyes over his increasing retinue. His wives were all standing waiting—Rias, Aria, Cynthia, Syra, Kyra—each radiating poise and strength. Mia, always quietly dedicated, hovered near as ever. Now Lira had come aboard, and Tsubaki, her knightly protector. And of course. the maids.

Fey, Rui, Mira, Lena, and Mona—five dutiful maids assigned from the palace for his upkeep, but who had long since decided to be with him more than anything. When they insisted on joining him during the preparations, Leon hesitated at first. But with one thought, he sent a silent message to Sona using their Lover’s Seal.

The response was prompt—Sona would see to it. And see to it she did. From the moment on, the five alluring maids belonged to him to command.

They had begged with rapt devotion to serve him on this journey. Their fidelity, utility, and undeniable beauty rendered refusal futile. In the end, he permitted them to accompany him. He hadn’t the heart to deny them.

His escort, once an official travel party, now looked like something entirely different—a procession of gorgeous women, loyal to him, loving him, and dedicated to a purpose.

Leon smiled warmly, eyes crinkling, voice deep with laughter. He opened his arms slightly as he spoke to them.

"Well then, my princesses and lovelies. Let’s take our seats."

Laughter erupted from the group—soft, warm, loving. They nodded and started climbing into the huge royal carriage, one at a time.

Rias went in first, brazenly. Mia went in next, serene but shining. Lira got in with a lovely whirl of her skirt, her smile still on her lips. Aria and Cynthia followed, poised as ever. Syra and Kyra went in in tandem, sharing a mischievous look. Fey, Rui, Mira, Lena, and Mona each went in in flowing succession, curvy bodies swaying. Last to go in was Tsubaki, whose every motion was restrained but irresistibly seductive.

The king’s carriage, wide and opulent, had been constructed to shelter royalty—able to seat up to twenty in comfort. Cushioned seats ran along its interior, spell-insulated glass cooled the air, and magical suspension made the ride smooth no matter what the terrain was like.

Leon faced around to Commander Adrin, extending his hand.

"Take care of yourself, Commander."

Adrin gripped it tightly, inclining his head respectfully. "And you as well, my lord. May the moon grant your journey peace and solace."

Leon nodded again, casting one final look around him. But just as he turned to enter the carriage, an inexplicable, fleeting feeling caressed the back of his neck—like a whisper of chilly wind slinking down under his collar.

He halted in mid-step, instinctively stopped.

Something—and perhaps someone—was observing.

His eyes turned toward the treeline at the far side of the courtyard. The sensation was too sharp to deny, too familiar to be coincidence.

And then he spotted her.

Sitting high above, half-concealed among the dense boughs of a massive tree, stood solitary figure. A shadow within the leaves. Still. Watching.

Natasha.

Her dark hair sparkled with the morning sunlight, blowing freely in the wind. She leant with easy elegance on a strong branch, her arms folded over her chest, her gaze fixed on his. There was a slight, knowing smile to her lips—distant, playful, intimate all at once.

From a distance, Leon sensed the gentle movement of her mouth as she silently bid him goodbye.

"Take care, my lord. We’ll meet again soon."

She raised her hand in a lazy wave, casual and confident.

Leon’s lips curved in return, a soft, subtle smile shared between shadows and sunlight. Their eyes met in silent understanding, a wordless promise passing between them.

Then, without hesitation, he turned and stepped into the carriage.

The door shut with a soft thud behind him, sealing him in its quiet luxury.

Outside, Captain Black remounted his horse at the head of the convoy, his armor-hardened body standing straight and stiff as a rod. Next to him, Adrin vaulted onto his own mount, falling into place with easy practice as the escort preparing to leave.

The caravan came to life.

Silver-clad guards stood in ranks along both sides of the avenue, creating a perfect column as the royal carriage started its slow, deliberate roll down the avenue. Wheels groaned softly against the stones as the procession moved out through Moonspire’s main gate.

Above them, the sun at last climbed into full, coloring the sky with gold and sending long shadows down the road ahead.

And thus set out Leon to return to Silver City—with power at his fingertips, passion within his soul, and fate slowly unfolding beside him.