Chapter 84: Who Saved Leon Caesar?

The entire sitting room was unusually quiet.

Leon Caesar sat upright on the sofa, Reeta beside him, her attention occasionally drifting toward his pale face as though checking whether he was about to collapse. Although he had been discharged from intensive care, his condition was far from stable, and the exhaustion from his injuries remained evident in every movement he made.

Darian stood beside the sofa with his arms folded, his expression stern as he watched the Pei couple across from them.

Felix and Esther sat opposite their guests, neither showing the slightest intention of backing down. Unlike their reaction whenever Evan Caesar appeared, they didn’t seem particularly intimidated by Leon’s presence, despite his status as an SSS-Rank Sentinel and the eldest son of the Caesar family.

After all, Leon had never been the one they needed to impress.

"Young Master Leon, I believe there has been a misunderstanding," Felix began, forcing a polite smile. "Lumi is currently resting in her room. She has been through quite a lot recently, and we believe it would be better for her to remain at home for the time being."

Darian’s expression darkened.

"Resting?" he repeated, his tone carrying unmistakable disbelief. "Is that what you call locking someone in her own room?"

Esther’s face stiffened. "This is a private family matter. We have every right to discipline our daughter."

"Discipline her?" Reeta finally spoke, raising an eyebrow. "You mean preventing Evan Caesar’s Fated Guide from returning to his residence while he’s still unconscious?"

The room fell silent again.

Felix’s smile grew strained, but he quickly recovered.

"With all due respect, Miss Bellamy, Lumi is still our daughter. We have no intention of allowing her to do anything that might endanger her."

Leon, who had remained silent until then, slowly lifted his gaze toward Felix.

"I didn’t come here to discuss how you choose to raise your daughter," he said, his voice weak but cold enough to make the butler standing nearby lower his head. "I came to bring Lumi back with me."

He paused, his fingers tightening slightly against the armrest. "So, I’ll ask you once. Where is she?"

Felix didn’t flinch. Instead, he slowly raised his gaze and arched an eyebrow, his expression carrying a hint of displeasure at Leon’s questioning. "I don’t think you have any right to ask me that, Young Master Leon."

Darian’s expression immediately darkened, but before he could respond, Leon lifted a hand slightly to stop him.

"Is that so?" Leon asked calmly, his pale face betraying none of the irritation flickering in his eyes. "Then perhaps you can explain why your daughter has been prevented from returning to the Caesar residence, despite being Evan’s Fated Guide."

Esther’s lips tightened. "Lumi is our daughter. Naturally, we have the right to decide where she stays."

"Your daughter," Leon repeated, a faint, humourless smile appearing on his face. "Yet you speak as though her connection to Evan means nothing."

Felix’s expression stiffened, though he quickly concealed it behind a polite smile.

"Evan is still unconscious, and she is nothing more than a mere Guide to him. There is no reason for Lumi to return to his residence when she can barely take care of herself."

"That’s not for you to decide," Leon replied.

His voice remained quiet, but the atmosphere in the sitting room grew noticeably heavier.

"And a mere Guide?" Leon repeated the words slowly, his gaze fixed on Felix. "Master Pei, do you even understand the meaning behind the word ’mere’?"

Felix’s expression darkened slightly.

"I’m simply stating the facts, Young Master Leon. Surely you wouldn’t expect me to treat every Guide as someone extraordinary simply because they happen to be connected to a Caesar."

"Oh?" Leon’s lips curved into a faint, humourless smile. "Then perhaps I should consider you a mere Guide who is simply older than the others. After all, being older doesn’t automatically make you more worthy of respect, does it, Master Pei?"

Felix’s expression darkened instantly.

For a moment, he looked as though he could hardly believe what he had just heard. As the head of the Pei family, he was accustomed to receiving respect, particularly from younger generations. Yet Leon Caesar had not only dismissed his authority but had also openly questioned whether he deserved any respect at all.

"Leon Caesar!" Felix’s voice grew cold. "You may be the eldest son of the Caesar family, but this is still the Pei residence. I suggest you mind your words."

"Of course," Leon replied calmly. "And I suggest you mind your actions."

The atmosphere in the sitting room grew increasingly tense.

Darian stood beside Leon, barely concealing his satisfaction, while Reeta glanced between the two men. Despite his pale complexion and the lingering weakness from his injuries, Leon showed no intention of backing down.

"Besides, Master Pei, I believe you have overlooked something important." Leon’s gaze settled on Felix. "The daughter you keep calling useless was the one who helped save my life."

Felix froze.

Esther’s expression changed as well, and for a brief moment, neither of them seemed able to find the right words.

"Lumi?" Felix finally asked, his brows drawing together. "What does she have to do with your recovery?"

"She helped stabilize my condition when I was critically injured in the Hell Dungeon," Leon answered. "If she hadn’t been there, I might not be sitting here having this conversation with you."

"That is impossible!" Esther blurted out.

Every gaze in the sitting room turned toward her.

Esther stiffened, realizing how quickly she had reacted, but before she could explain herself, a voice suddenly rang out from the doorway.

"Young Master Leon, what are you saying?!"

Celestine suddenly rushed out, her expression filled with disbelief. She had apparently been listening from behind the wall, and the moment she heard Leon crediting Lumi for saving his life, she hurried into the room.

"I was the one who saved you!" she exclaimed, walking straight toward the sofa. "Why are you giving Lumi the credit instead? She’s never been able to do anything useful, so how could she possibly have saved you?"

Her words came out with the indignation of someone who had just been robbed of a well-deserved compliment, her attention fixed entirely on Leon as though she couldn’t bear the thought of her twin receiving recognition that should have belonged to her.

Felix and Esther exchanged a glance.

Their initial surprise gradually gave way to a more familiar expression. Celestine had always been the talented daughter they could be proud of, while Lumi was the one who had disappointed them time and time again. Surely, there had to be some misunderstanding.

Celestine, meanwhile, appeared too upset to notice the looks her parents exchanged.

"I was there too, wasn’t I?" she continued, her voice rising slightly. "Why is everyone acting as though Lumi did something extraordinary? Just because she’s Evan Caesar’s Fated Guide doesn’t mean she deserves all the attention! I am the one with healing ability!"

Darian’s brows drew together, clearly unimpressed by her outburst, while Reeta stared at Celestine as though she couldn’t decide whether to interrupt her or let her finish embarrassing herself.

Leon, however, remained remarkably calm.

"Miss Celestine Pei," he said, looking directly at her, "So, are you saying you are the one who saved me?"