Trading herself for her parents' safety felt worth it to Fleur. With her looks, even the most hopelessly dense guy in front of her should have—
"No." Leonard refused without hesitation. "I've got better-looking targets."
Wouldn't little Claudia be far prettier than Fleur once she grew up? Why would he take a risk like this just to pick up a girlfriend?
Fleur's beauty had that naturally seductive edge to it, sure, but Claudia's pure, innocent charm was even more dangerously captivating. And besides, there was something especially appealing about the sweet little girl he'd raised himself.
He actually thought she wasn't pretty enough.
Whether Leonard meant it that way or not, to Fleur it sounded like a direct insult.
All her shyness and uncertainty shattered in an instant, leaving only humiliation and anger.
The first time she'd ever offered herself, she'd been rejected, and for the reason that she wasn't as pretty as someone else.
She had never once heard anyone say another girl was prettier than her. Fleur couldn't swallow that.
"What's your name?" Her voice still carried a faint sob.
"Me? I'm Leonard William. Why? Planning to get revenge later if you know my name?" Leonard asked, tone casual—so casual that Fleur abruptly realized she had no right to throw a tantrum.
Here, she wasn't a princess adored by everyone. She was someone who needed help. She needed someone to save her parents.
And the only person who could do that was the boy in front of her, the one who didn't care about her looks.
If he didn't care about her looks, then pouting and getting angry were useless. He simply wouldn't react.
If she wanted his help, she had to offer something real—something he actually wanted.
"No, I don't want revenge… Just tell me. What do you want as payment?" Fleur demanded through clenched teeth.
Fleur had always been the center of attention, surrounded by admiration. This was the first time she'd ever been rejected by a boy so completely. The crushing defeat mixed with shame made her want to bury her head in the sand.
"What do I want…" Leonard thought for a moment. "I remember you said you came here looking for magical plants…"
The Delacour family's plan had been to vacation with their father and search for magical plants at the same time. That meant Mr. Delacour probably worked with magical plants…
At that moment, Gabrielle, who had been hiding in Fleur's arms, peeked out.
"Big brother, do you want magical plants?" she asked sweetly. "If you can save Daddy, he'll definitely thank you with very rare magical plants."
"Oh?" Leonard laughed. "This little girl's sharp."
He'd only mentioned their reason for coming, and she'd immediately understood what he was getting at.
"Alright, then. I want magical plants. And I'm warning you now, I'm going to want a lot."
"Don't worry, big brother!" Gabrielle nodded seriously. "Daddy has a huge greenhouse with lots of magical plants. You're so amazing, big brother. You'll definitely save Mum and Dad!"
Leonard chuckled. "Smart and sweet-talking, too. Unlike someone who can't get to the point no matter how long she tries."
As he spoke, he tapped Fleur lightly. Veins jumped on Fleur's smooth forehead as she ground her teeth.
"Alright. Since we've got a deal, we'll go save them. First we deal with that Third Senator."
Leonard walked over to Moen. Where Fleur and Gabrielle couldn't see, a black hole opened in his hand.
A seed dropped into his palm, shaped like a tiny cabbage—an unassuming seed with a vicious bite.
"Here. Put this in your mouth and swallow it," Leonard ordered, placing it into Moen's hand.
Moen could tell the ordinary-looking seed was nothing good, but under the Imperius Curse he couldn't refuse. He stuffed it into his mouth and forced it down, face turning white.
The next second, his eyes bulged, veins bursting red across the whites. A thin line of blood seeped from his mouth and nose as the pain hit, and a horrific scream tore from his throat.
Fleur and Gabrielle jolted in fright. They clung tightly to each other, trembling as they watched Moen collapse to his knees and convulse.
Compared to them, Leonard stood there coldly, watching like a demon unmoved by a mortal's suffering—when the suffering was plainly his doing.
What was happening? What had that boy made him swallow? Why was the reaction so extreme?
Moen wanted to know the same. His stomach felt like it was burning, and something seemed to writhe inside him, somewhere between his abdomen and chest.
It felt like he'd swallowed a violently corrosive poison.
The pain was so intense he wanted to slit his own throat with the dagger and end it.
But Leonard wouldn't allow that. He watched Moen impassively and issued a clear order forbidding suicide.
Agony raked through Moen's nerves. His limbs spasmed; saliva mixed with blood and vomit splattered onto the grass.
After who knew how long, the pain finally eased. Moen collapsed on the ground, gasping.
Leonard looked down at him coldly.
"Get up. Take the dagger. Find a way to get close to the Third Senator. I need you to do whatever it takes to approach him, and then stab him through with it."
"...Y-yes...!" Moen gritted out through clenched teeth. Fighting the soreness from his twitching muscles, he forced himself upright and pulled himself together, trying to look normal.
Soon, he hid the dagger and retraced his steps, suppressing his discomfort as he went. His mind churned: what had he swallowed? Could he still be saved?
Maybe Essence of Dittany would help?
The Imperius Curse could control his actions, but as long as there was no conflict with Leonard's orders, his survival instinct didn't disappear. He would still try to protect himself whenever he could.
Leonard watched Moen's stride gradually return to something steady, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile with no warmth.
Moen was already dead.
He looked fine on the outside, but in reality his stomach—and half his liver—had been devoured and absorbed, turned into nourishment for that seed's growth.
Leonard had wondered before whether the advantage of Rapid Growth and the innate talent [Plant Resilience] was really just the ability to plant temporary vegetation anywhere.
Of course it wasn't.
It meant his plants could use almost anything as nourishment.
Including the human body.
With Rapid Growth accelerating the process, that kind of feeding could be sped up by tens of times, even a hundred times.
Every one of Leonard's plants could eat people.