Prime Minister Leon

Lance remained as calm as ever. He walked indifferently to the edge of the large bed, picked up one of the cushions, and tossed it to the center.
"Half for each, no crossing the line. Any objections?"
Someone quickly shook their head. "None."
Outside the door, a maid's voice could be heard, inviting them to tonight's welcome banquet hosted by the Chancellor. Someone called out that they understood and would be punctual, then turned and flopped onto the soft bed, refusing to get up.
"Everywhere we go, there's a welcome party. If you all love welcoming guests so much, can't you just grab a bag at the wind's edge and catch it yourselves?! Must you cruelly torment an innocent girl's waist like this?" someone muttered, hugging a pillow.
Lance, sitting at the other end of the bed, looked at his flat, well-toned waist with a helpless tone. "Actually, there's flesh on my waist too, but it's muscle." As he spoke, he patted his abdomen as if showing off. "Eight-pack abs—would you like a tour?"
Someone looked at Lance with disdain. "Only eight? Not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth. At least give me a whole roast chicken to eat."
Lance, wearing a wicked grin, lay on the bed, their heads nearly touching. "Are you sure you prefer the whole thing?"
In an instant, someone's mind conjured countless wicked and not-so-wicked, dirty and innocent, serious and unserious meanings related to "the whole thing," and was promptly blocked by their own vivid imagination, leaving them blushing and coughing dryly.
Lance watched with satisfaction as someone struggled to respond, then rose from the bed in the posture of a victorious champion, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it.
Someone had the desire to retort but lacked the strength to speak, so could only glare at Lance with murderous intent a thousand times over.
Ever since the ball at Qilin Pass Gorge, the scale of banter between Lance and someone had grown ever more outrageous...
When night fell, the feasts always began.
Someone grumbled endlessly—no more late-night snacks, damn it, mother wants to lose weight—and clutched their increasingly constricted waist, struggling to adapt to breathing.

Chancellor Leon thoughtfully arranged a carriage for Lance and someone, bringing them to the Chancellor's residence in almost uninterrupted comfort.
Someone linked arms with Lance as they stepped from the carriage, walked into the banquet hall with a shy face, and followed Leon like a lantern, meeting every important official in the imperial city.
It proved true: everyone loves a gentle and demure woman. After making the rounds, the considerate and serene someone left an excellent impression on all the gentlemen present. At least, during their free time, Lance and someone kept hearing admiring whispers: "So beautiful."
Someone looked at Lance with pride. "This is what personal charm means."
Lance shrugged dismissively. "In White Tower, a country famed for its martial strength, finding a woman who appears gentle and elegant is no easy task."
Someone raised an eyebrow at Lance, feeling their temper slowly rise.
"Besides, clothing makes the man. If you wore that old gray robe every day, I guarantee no one here would give you a second glance." Ignoring someone's anger, Lance kept rambling.
"Oh really," someone retorted bitterly, "But in a country where combat prowess and muscularity are the ultimate standards of beauty, Lance, with only a pitiful bit of muscle, does seem a bit lacking." Seeing Lance unable to respond, someone wore a consoling smile. "But don't lose hope—after all, there's a lid for every pot. Sure, some like strong men, but the delicate, willowy type is popular too."
Just wait till I find a real top to conquer you, you tsundere queen! someone snickered wickedly inside.
If only possible, Lance would gladly demonstrate to this wickedly grinning woman what strength truly meant, but alas, the setting wasn't right, so he could only sulk and grind his teeth in a corner.
Leon appeared just in time, rescuing the pair shrouded in dark moods.
"Miss Someone, Mr. Liang Yin, I wonder if you are satisfied with my welcome banquet?"
The question jolted the two quarrelsome youngsters back to their senses. They quickly composed themselves, resumed their 'loving couple' act, and nodded with smiles.
"That's good. If anything is lacking, please let me know." Having delivered the obligatory pleasantries, Leon lingered, seemingly pondering something.

Someone and Lance knew the real issue was coming, so they braced themselves for what was next.
"So, your first stop in White Tower was Acacia, wasn't it?" Leon went straight to the point.
Someone and Lance could only nod. There was no denying it—unless they hiked all the way from the northernmost edge of Starfall Continent, which would have been a fatal journey.
"Then, may I ask who hosted you in Acacia?" Leon inquired.
Someone immediately sensed something was off—clearly, he was trying to probe about his own son. If memory served, Leon's son Bud had just taken up his post in Acacia, but hadn't even gotten close to power before playing with fire and...
Tsk tsk, someone inwardly shed a tear of sympathy. Not many people fail at wooing to the point of losing their lives, but unfortunately, Bud was one of those unlucky few...
Lance obviously knew what Leon was fishing for, so he responded, "As Chancellor, you surely know better than we do, sir."
Leon lowered his head, embarrassed. "Forgive me. To be honest, my son is currently in charge of Acacia. He's inexperienced and may have unwittingly offended you both. If so, I beg your pardon on his behalf." With that, Leon offered a courteous salute.
Lance swiftly helped Leon up. "Chancellor, you are too kind. All our hosts along the way have shown us great care, especially Lord Bud of Acacia. His hospitality and courtesy left a deep impression. He is a model for me and Someone to learn from."
Someone listened with a smile as Lance spun his tale. If Bud's enthusiasm for chasing women could be called hospitality, and being polite to beauties he hadn't yet offended could be called courtesy, then Bud truly deserved those praises. Moreover, Acacia's secrecy was impeccable—Leon still hadn't heard of Bud's demise. Still, after so many days without news, did Leon truly have no suspicions?