Chapter 242: 241 Consider It

Is this the Princess's bedroom?

Under the maid's guidance, after being led into the Princess's bedroom, Leon couldn't help but glance around, despite finding it slightly impolite.

Unlike the gilded, ostentatious room of some freckled prince—where everything screamed exorbitant value—the Princess's bedroom was less a bedroom and more another office.

A massive desk, flanked by bookshelves crammed with all manner of documents, occupied nearly forty percent of the space; beside the desk stood a large drawing board covered in dozens of handwritten notes and reminders in ink.

Inside the metal filing cabinet beside it, stacks of documents bearing seals and signatures piled high, while at the bottom lay half-a-person-tall stacks of blank paper and numerous unopened ink bottles, two of which had apparently been spilled, staining a large patch of the wool rug black.

This woman is a complete workaholic…

Seeing the crumpled nightgown draped over the chair and the thick quilt on the bed—clearly slept in but left unmade, piled in a messy heap—Leon blinked, feeling a small crack form in his impression of the Princess.

The newspaper image of composed, elegant, beautiful Princess Veronica… in private… was actually a bit messy. Hmm. Several uncleaned coffee cups sat on the desk, clearly left for days, the remaining coffee hardened inside them.

"This… please don't misunderstand."

Seeing Leon staring at the coffee cups, the maid quickly spoke to explain for the Princess:

"There are too many important items in Princess Veronica's bedroom, so we're generally not allowed to enter—because we can't be trusted to tidy up. She handles everything herself."

"But this recent trip was sudden, and a lot of work piled up. When she returned, she was overwhelmed, so things look messy now. Normally, she's a very tidy person."

Yes, the trip.

The Princess's sudden "disappearance" over the past few days, after being altered by the Demon God's Brain and the Illusion Jar, had become a secret, impromptu visit.

Aside from the Princess herself and Joshua—who had been beaten three times in succession due to the Princess's memory lapse—no one knew what had truly happened.

No unrest, no signs—just silent, seamless rewriting of the memories of tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of people. This was truly terrifying…

"I see…"

After nodding to the maid, Leon sighed at the terrifying power of the Illusion Jar and asked:

"Where is Princess Veronica?"

"The Princess is changing clothes in the inner room."

The maid replied:

"You arrived a bit late—the Princess was wearing her nightgown and couldn't receive guests, so…"

"Not because she couldn't receive guests. She just took a short nap, sweated a bit, and wanted to change clothes."

With soft footsteps, the door to the inner room opened, and the Princess stepped out in a fitted nightgown, smiling at Leon:

"Besides, given our relationship, you're hardly a guest."

"You're teasing me…"

…

After the maid voluntarily withdrew and closed the bedroom door, Leon noticed a faint glimpse of pale, smooth skin at the Princess's neckline. He awkwardly turned his head slightly, then spoke up:

"Your Highness, I've recovered the memories I lost during that time, so…"

"Call me Veronica."

Correcting Leon's address, the Princess took his hand and led him to the balcony, sitting beside him on the sofa by the bed, then smiled sweetly:

"So you're here to ask about the wedding date?"

"Uh… actually, I came to apologize…"

Unconsciously shifting away from the warm body beside him, Leon took a deep breath, the gentle scent of iris filling his senses as he said earnestly:

"Princess Veronica, during that time, I had no memory of the events, so I didn't understand the context. But now I remember. I'm sorry—I proposed to you back then, but it wasn't sincere."

After briefly explaining his relationship with the Lyon family, and how he'd proposed to the Princess to escape the title of Duke of Lionheart and force the Lyon family to appoint someone else, Leon said with sincere expression:

"Princess Veronica, you are undoubtedly an exceptional woman. But this entire matter was merely a coincidence. I have no intention of marrying. Please reconsider our engagement."

"Alright."

After listening carefully to Leon's words, the Princess, though gently rejected, showed neither surprise nor anger. She nodded with a smile and asked:

"I'm willing to reconsider. But could you please not rush to leave? Sit here with me and consider it together?"

"…."

Ah… when I said reconsider, I meant let's just drop it entirely—not that I want you to seriously consider it…

Seeing the Princess deliberately misinterpret him, Leon opened his mouth to protest—but found no valid excuse to refuse, and gave a slight nod.

"Good. Since you agree, let's first consider why you're rejecting this marriage."

As if discussing someone else's wedding, Princess Veronica winked at Leon and smiled:

"First, I'm confident in my appearance and figure, so it's certainly not because I'm ugly or unattractive to you, right?"

Hearing this, Leon instinctively glanced at her.

The Princess's sapphire nightgown was cut with dignified propriety: a modest V-neckline, no daring designs, a highly conservative garment that could even be worn outside without issue.

But… for certain people, no matter how modest the clothing, its design must yield to the wearer's presence.

As the Princess lounged lazily against the sofa back, the nightgown's gentle V-neck was forcibly stretched by her extraordinary curves, dipping lower at the edge due to the snug fit, creating an astonishing contrast.

Just as the soft fabric finally smoothed the extreme difference, guiding the curve gently to her waist, a full, round moon abruptly rose—unreasonably, irresistibly.

Though the moon quickly sank into the soft sofa, never fully revealed, what peeked through the fabric's concealment—the lush, mature, elegant contours—still sent a shiver through Leon.

"You are indeed beautiful, but this is complicated—it's not simply…"

"Mr. Leon."

Gently calling his name, she naturally interrupted his resistance, her tone playfully reproachful:

"We're not debating. I accepted your request to reconsider—and invited you to join me in seriously considering our future. So please don't interrupt me, alright?"

"Alright…"

"Then let's continue."

Having seized control of the conversation, Princess Veronica smiled slyly and asked:

"Since you admit my charm—and even find yourself drawn to me—do you resist marrying me because my personality is unpleasant?"

"No, but…"

"Good. Not disliking me is enough."

Again seizing the lead, the Princess smiled brightly:

"If it's not my appearance, is it my status? The troubles that might come with marrying me? Or… do you think I agreed to your proposal not because I'm interested in you, but because I want the value behind the Lyon family?"

"…."

All of these… are somewhat true…

Hearing the Princess voice these concerns directly, Leon exhaled in relief and nodded slightly, acknowledging her assessment.

…

Even ignoring his status as a transmigrator, the gap between him and Princess Veronica was unimaginable. Their utterly different social classes and life experiences created a chasm in understanding—hardly any shared topics, not even enough to be close friends, let alone partners.

Beyond that, their "work natures" were completely incompatible.

He, as a Cleaner, faced the Cleaners' lethal mortality rate—anyone marrying him was perpetually teetering on widowhood. And judging by her bedroom, she was a workaholic—the kind who treated her home as a second office.

If they truly paired up, even if they had common ground, they'd inevitably spend little time together. And her status as Princess meant endless complications. Seeing her relationship with Joshua, if he got entangled in royal power struggles, he'd face countless headaches.

Most importantly, she agreed to his proposal solely because of the Lyon family's value and the political support the Duke of Lionheart could offer—nothing to do with Leon himself. She wanted the Duke of Lionheart, not Leon Lyon.

If he were merely an old noble, she'd be an ideal marriage partner. But he had no desire to seize power through noble status, nor did he want his life with Anna and the others upended. No matter how perfect she seemed now, she was not the right woman for him.

"I understand."

Studying Leon's eyes, the Princess vaguely guessed part of his thoughts, paused thoughtfully, then nodded:

"I think I know why you don't want to marry me. I understand your reasoning… but I have one final question."

Looking into Leon's eyes, the Princess sat up straight, her voice soft:

"If I'm not your ideal wife, could you tell me—what is your ideal wife like?"