Chapter 72: If There’s a Second Child?
The couple entered the room.
At first glance from the doorway, it seemed like a space with a bit of “romance”, but upon closer inspection, it was hiding even more surprises.
As soon as they stepped inside, a waft of delicate fragrance hit them like a gentle breeze. It wasn’t overpowering, but it definitely gave a whimsical sense of delight.
Then, Leon walked into the glass-walled bathroom, only to find there were no curtains to shield the view. The showerhead was positioned perfectly to spray directly onto that big bed!
The layout of the room was so simplistic that there were hardly any corners or blind spots. In other words, whatever happened in this house would be an open book to each other—bathing included.
Aside from the absurdly lavish showerhead, the bathroom also featured a tub that could fit two people (and a tail).
Not that the tub was a big deal, but the real kicker was that Isar had filled it with rose petals!
And they were arranged in the shape of a heart!
It was as if the eldest sister knew nothing, yet understood everything at the same time.
Leon didn’t dare linger in the bathroom and hurriedly stepped back out. If he stayed any longer, he might discover something even more stimulating.
At that point, it would be awkward on a whole new level—like, awkward squared!
Leaving the bathroom, Leon saw Roswiser standing by the window, expressionless as she gazed into the distance.
He walked over and stole a glance, following her line of sight but saw nothing of particular interest. It seemed like she was merely engaging in her daily “Queen daydreaming.”
After a moment of silence standing side by side, Leon finally broke the ice, “Your sister is definitely a schemer.”
Leon added, “But she’s been pretty nice to me; it’s the first time I’ve felt like I have a comrade since being captured by you.”
At this, Roswiser huffed, “I’ve known my sister for 200 years; you’ve only known her for two hours. Just wait; you won’t escape her.”
“Psh, I’m not afraid.”
Roswiser threw him a side-eye but didn’t respond further.
She turned away and walked to the wardrobe, hoping to find a nightgown for bed. Every time she stayed overnight at Isar’s, her sister would have everything prepared for her.
However, this time, when Roswiser opened the wardrobe, she froze.
It wasn’t that Isar had forgotten to prepare; it was that…
There was too much prepared!
Seeing Roswiser dazed in front of the wardrobe, Leon curiously strolled over.
And then he too was dumbfounded.
The grin on his face vanished in an instant.
The vast wardrobe was filled with all sorts of uniforms, stockings, and lingerie that were so scandalously sexy that one could feel their face burn just by looking at them;
And on the middle and lower shelves, various… little toys were laid out.
Candles, eye masks, bijoux chains, riding crops—
There were even handcuffs!
Roswiser reached out and let her slender fingers glide over each piece of lingerie before picking up a riding crop, playfully snapping it in her hand.
The sound echoed sharply in the air as she looked at Leon, a mischievous glint in her eye, “Remember what I said? You can’t escape.”
Leon stepped back in fright, eyeing the riding crop in her hand as he gulped, “You… you’re not seriously considering using those little toys, are you…?”
Roswiser shrugged, “Who knows? What if…”
As she spoke, she edged closer to Leon, shaking the riding crop, “I’m curious about trying something new?”
“Great idea! I suggest you stop thinking about it.”
Leon swiftly snatched the crop from her, tossed it back into the wardrobe, and quickly slammed the door shut.
Roswiser chuckled, “What? You’re not seriously planning to sleep in what you’re wearing, right?”
“What? You’re not planning to wear something from that wardrobe to sleep, right?” Leon shot back.
“Are you afraid I’ll drive you wild if I put it on?”
Leon smirked, rolling his eyes, “I’d handle it even if you wore a bunny suit.”
“What did you say?” Roswiser didn’t catch that.
“Nothing. I’m tired; I’m going to sleep.”
“No bed until you’ve bathed!”
Before Roswiser could finish her protest, Leon made a leap onto the bed like a fish diving into water.
But the instant he landed, he was enveloped by something soft.
Leon froze, feeling the rippling underneath.
What the…
“Is this a waterbed?!”
At that moment, an epiphany hit Leon.
If Isar could turn a Young Dragon Paradise into a sister’s hideout;
Then surely, she could convert a couple’s S&M-themed suite into a matrimonial den.
With the transparent bathroom, the petal-filled tub, the lingerie, and now a waterbed…
It was hard not to doubt what the true intention was behind their invitation.
Leon suddenly recalled the look Isar had given him and Roswiser when she closed the door.
As if she were…
As if she were locking up two endangered animals, waiting for them to mate and produce heirs, thereby revitalizing their lineage.
Leon sat bolt upright on the waterbed, gazing blankly at Roswiser.
Clearly, Roswiser had also started to realize the true intentions of her scheming sister.
This was still far from bedtime, and yet, so many distractions had already been thrown into the mix.
Roswiser could barely think straight about how much more exhilarating it might get once they were supposed to sleep.
And the worst part wasn’t even these external factors.
The worst part was them—Roswiser and Leon themselves.
Previously, they had to sleep together out of necessity.
But now, lying side by side in this manner with no particular goal? That had never happened before.
They had always slept separately.
How could anyone sleep soundly like this?
Not to mention… what if this guy tried to steal the covers?! Or kicked her in his sleep?! Or worse, treated her like a teddy bear and wrapped his arms around her?!
That could very well cost Roswiser her life!
Roswiser was a bundle of nerves, and Leon wasn’t faring much better.
They say being with a king is like being with a tiger, but if he had to sleep with this Mother Dragon, he’d rather snuggle up to a tiger!
Because, fundamentally, their relationship was delicate.
They hadn’t done what they were supposed to do and had done all the wrong things,
Leading to this scenario of “having kids running around, but still shy like it’s their first love”.
Wait—
Kids!
The couple exchanged glances and immediately clicked.
Seizing the opportunity, Leon jumped in first, “The daughters must be missing me! I’m going to go play with them.”
Roswiser didn’t argue against him.
As long as she didn’t have to sleep on the same bed as him tonight, he could say anything he wanted.
Leon walked out of the room and knocked on the door to the sister’s room.
It didn’t take long before the sound of small footsteps came rushing to answer.
The door opened, revealing Moon.
“Dad!”
“Still awake, Moon?”
“Not yet! Aunt Isar is here playing with me and Sister~”
Hearing this, Leon was taken aback.
Isar was there too?
Why was she here?
Could it be… she anticipated that one of them would use the excuse of babysitting to avoid sleeping together?
With that thought, Leon scooped up Moon and entered the sister’s room.
Sure enough, on the carpet, Isar was cuddling Noia while they built some kind of educational blocks together.
“Noia, you really are smart! Are you more like your dad or your mom?” Isar praised, pinching Noia’s little face with generosity.
“Like… Auntie,” Noia replied.
“Oh, Little Noia really knows how to flatter! Come here and let Auntie give you a kiss~”
With that, Isar pecked Noia’s cheek with a loud smack.
Ah, the delightful smell of a little dragon—too wonderful!
“Sister, what are you all playing?” Leon naturally joined the trio’s playtime.
He sat down cross-legged, still holding Moon.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Isar asked instead of answering.
“Uh, I… wanted to accompany the girls, worried they’d have trouble sleeping in a strange bed,” Leon fabricated an excuse.
“They won’t! They’re good kids—never have issues with new beds, right, Noia~”
“Yep.”
“See? Noia agrees! So it’s fine!”
“Sister, you might not understand Noia. Most of the time, she just answers with ‘Yep’ to any questions, right, Noia?”
Noia: “Nope.”
Leon: …
I’m your dad; I’ve known you for two months, and you’ve known her for just two hours, and you’re already on her side?!
“So it’s good enough that I’m here with the girls! You should head back and enjoy a nice romantic evening with Little Luo.”
This was clearly your true intention, wasn’t it, big sis?
Moon wagged her little tail in Leon’s arms, “Daddy and Mommy will sleep together! So nice~”
Leon patted her messy hair, “Little kids shouldn’t talk about things like that.”
“Mm…”
“Moon, come over to Auntie~” Isar beckoned to Moon.
Moon immediately abandoned her dad and ran to Isar.
Isar cradled them both, a true doting aunt look on her face.
“Alright, off you go! Don’t let Little Luo wait too long!”
That was basically the eviction notice.
Leon felt like he had no way to continue lingering there.
So he stood up and said, “You all have fun,” before returning to the earlier couple’s suite.
Roswiser lay on the waterbed, leaning against the headboard, already wearing a relatively normal nightgown, though its hem was still a bit short, so she covered her legs with a pillow.
Noticing her damp hair, she must have just finished bathing.
The thin, sheer nightgown clung to her alluring curves, making hearts race.
The Queen crossed her arms as if anticipating Leon’s “defeated” return.
“Fifteen minutes. You didn’t even last fifteen minutes before coming back,” Roswiser remarked.
“Your sister was there; she turned Noia and Moon against me. They wouldn’t help me at all!” Leon defended.
Roswiser chuckled lightly, “Hmph, you go on about how the girls love you the most. Pray tell, what do they love about you? Keeping a distance?”
Leon shrugged, “If you had as much time to mock me as you did, why didn’t you just try for yourself?”
“Fine, I’ll try! The girls definitely won’t treat me like that.”
Leon leaned down and gestured dramatically, “Please, by all means!”
Roswiser stormed out the door—
But turned right back around.
It hadn’t even been thirty seconds.
Smack—smack—smack—
Leon leisurely clapped, mockingly mimicking Roswiser’s earlier tone, “The girls definitely won’t treat me like that~~~”
Roswiser attempted to explain, “I… I can’t go find them wearing this!”
“Why not just change into something normal?”
“Can’t! I already bathed!”
Leon facepalmed, diving straight for the core of the issue, “So how are we sleeping tonight?”
Roswiser scanned around the room and realized that besides the waterbed, the only other place to lie down was the bathtub.
Leon caught on to that fact as well.
And thus came the epic question.
“Who’s sleeping in the bathtub?” The couple exchanged looks, speaking in unison.
After a brief stare-off, Roswiser proclaimed, “You should sleep.”
“I sleep? Please, the bathtub is full of water! After one night in there, you’ll find a handsome floating corpse the next day.”
“Then wouldn’t you just drain the water first and lay down afterward?”
Leon blinked, dawning realization setting in, “Oh, you make a fair point.”
Roswiser silently facepalmed, “Idiot…”
Once arrangements were finally made, Roswiser and Leon each dashed toward their respective “nests” for the night.
Having never experienced a waterbed with romantic undertones, Roswiser felt a bit stiff lying down and hurriedly covered up with the blankets.
Leaning against the headboard, she watched as Leon walked into the glass bathroom, mooching around the tub.
Moments later, Leon emerged from the bathroom, a peculiar sense of futility painted across his face.
Roswiser scrutinized him, “What’s the matter?”
“Your big sister sealed the bathtub’s drain.”
Roswiser: ?
“If she could foresee us potentially sleeping separately, then she could definitely anticipate something else, like one person sleeping on the bed and the other in the bathtub.”
Leon elaborated, “So she preemptively sealed the tub.”
Leon prided himself on being quite calculative; after all, no one reaches the level of top Dragon Slayer without being sharp-minded.
But he never imagined his fate would be so completely manipulated by Roswiser’s sister.
The two of them were like hamsters on a rolling treadmill—no matter how hard they tried to escape, they were stuck.
Roswiser felt equally helpless, “My sister is getting smarter by the day…”
Leon threw up his arms, “So what do we do now?”
Roswiser glanced at the two-meter by three-meter giant waterbed, and then at the reluctant Dragon Slayer without anywhere else to sleep.
After a mental brainstorming session, she tightened her grip on the blanket, bit her lip, and whispered, “Come up and sleep.”
“Where?”
“On the bed.”
“With you?”
Roswiser couldn’t bear to look, “Um… with me.”
Leon’s mischievous side stirred again; he repeated incredulously,
“You want me to sleep… with you… on the same bed?!”
“Sleep or not? If you don’t, forget about sleeping tonight; we can play with those toys in the wardrobe until we drop. What do you say?”
Leon dove onto the bed in a frenzy.
But he was promptly kicked off by Roswiser.
“Go wash up first. After you’re done, then you can get in bed.”
Leon pouted and headed to the bathroom.
Before stripping down, he leaned against the door, scratching his head, “You’re not going to peek, right?”
“Who would want to watch you, idiot!”
Roswiser immediately shielded her eyes with a pillow.
Seconds later, the sound of running water emerged.
Roswiser didn’t dare relax her guard; she continued blocking her view with the pillow.
The Silver Dragon Queen kept her word!—
Wait.
He’s my captive; who does he think he is to make demands? I’ve seen him from head to toe!
The power is mine; if I want to look, I look!
Eh… on second thought, maybe not.
There’s nothing special to see; I’ve been there and done that!
It’s not that I’m scared!
Two little Roswisers—one dark, one light—chattered endlessly in her mind, so Roswiser buried her head under the blankets.
Minutes later, the sound of water ceased, and soon the waterbed trembled as the pleasant scent of bath products wafted over.
He must have climbed back on.
Roswiser cautiously peeked out from under the blankets.
Glancing sideways at Leon, she was relieved the waterbed was large enough to keep a good distance between them.
That was perhaps the one thing Isar had underestimated.
She thought preparing a giant waterbed would be enough for this couple to indulge, but really, it just made it easier to draw a line—a barrier that neither could cross.
As night deepened, the entire Red Dragon Holy Temple fell into a hush.
The unusual couple lay wide awake, unquestioningly aware of each other, both staring intently at the ceiling.
If their breathing patterns were anything to go by, they both knew the other hadn’t fallen asleep.
Yet, it had already been two hours since they laid down.
Leon sensed that if they kept this up, they wouldn’t fall asleep for another two hours.
So, he attempted to break the silence to alleviate the delicate atmosphere between them, “Hey.”
“What?”
“Where’s your tail?”
“Why?”
“Just asking. I didn’t see your tail when we were lying on the bed.”
“I tucked it away.” Roswiser replied, “Dragons automatically retract their tails when lying down or sleeping.”
Leon gave a thoughtful “oh” before pausing and asking, “What if you forget? Wouldn’t it get crushed?”
Roswiser rolled her eyes, giving him an exasperated look, “Do you forget to breathe when you sleep?”
“Is that so…”
“Yep.”
Well, there went the little science chat.
They lapsed into silence again.
The room was eerily quiet, only the sound of their breathing and heartbeats filling the space.
Roswiser tucked the blanket around herself;
Meanwhile, Leon didn’t dare fully dive under the covers, leaving a good portion of his side exposed.
Because the blanket was just too cozy, and much of that warmth stemmed from Roswiser’s body heat.
And in such an intimate and confined space, even a slight movement could result in their arms—or other body parts—colliding.
Could Leon move? Nope!
Next to him, Roswiser tried to shift into a more comfortable sleeping position.
But the instant she moved, the waterbed began to undulate and let out a soft sloshy sound.
Helplessly, Roswiser abandoned the idea of turning and instead lay still.
Listening to one another’s heartbeats and breathing, half an hour passed.
Suddenly, Leon threw off the blanket, leaped off the waterbed.
Roswiser startled awake at the noise and asked, “Where are you going?”
“Can’t sleep; going for a walk.”
Leon got dressed and exited the room.
Passing the sister’s room, he pressed against the door, listening in. There was no sound, so the sisters were probably asleep.
Leon sighed, hands stuffed in his pockets, and headed up the stairs.
He wanted to get to the rooftop for some fresh air—clear his head.
When he reached the rooftop of the Holy Temple, Leon found it wasn’t just him struggling to catch some Zs tonight.
A red figure leaned against the railing, gazing off into the mountain forest, alongside a small table that held a bottle of red wine.
Leon strolled over and stood beside Isar, “Can’t sleep so late, huh, sis?”
Isar cast a glance at Leon before returning her gaze to the distance, “Yeah, because I felt at least one of you two wouldn’t be able to sleep.”
“Not many folks can catch sleep in that room,” Leon teased.
Isar chuckled behind her hand, “Oh? Don’t like it? I specially prepared that for you two.”
Leon smiled but said nothing.
He turned back to eye the little table, discovering two wine glasses prepared on it.
Looks like Isar had even planned for this rooftop chat.
“Want a drink?” Isar offered.
“Sure.”
Isar picked up a glass, handing one to Leon, filling both cups with wine.
They gently clinked their glasses before taking a sip of the rich wine.
“I thought the one to come up here for air would be Little Luo,” Isar noted, “This is her favorite drink.”
Leon chuckled, “Should I go back and fetch her? She still hasn’t gone to sleep.”
Isar rolled her eyes playfully, “No need for that. Come, help me with something.”
“Sure.”
As they walked to one side, Isar kicked a box that had rolled over.
Leon recognized it: inside were the love letters Roswiser had discarded in the past.
Isar gathered some wood, piled it together, then raised her hand and shot a small flame from her palm, igniting the wood.
She squatted down, pulled out a letter from the box, and tossed it into the fire.
“More than a year ago, Little Luo suddenly started writing to me often,” Isar said suddenly.
Leon squatted beside her, carefully throwing in more letters.
“She mentioned marrying a low-key Dragon King—an undercover marriage—and that she was expecting his child.”
“I wished her well in the letters, but she didn’t seem very happy. There was an underlying sense of… deep sorrow in her words. I know my sister best.”
Leon quietly regarded the flames, their flickers reflecting in his dark eyes.
Thoughts stirred within him, recalling how he had used the bl**d Curse to get Roswiser pregnant, then had passed out directly after.
Going through pregnancy alone, with the child being that of an archenemy… she must have felt like time stretched on endlessly.
“She frequently wrote about how you were unwell and always needed a long sleep. During her pregnancy, only the maids looked after her, even during the days when Moon and Noia were born.”
Isar said blandly, “You should know that twins cause much more difficulty than a typical single pregnancy, both in carrying and delivering.”
Leon understatedly “uh-huh’d” in agreement.
Isar’s words triggered a realization in him; now the reason Roswiser seemed perpetually downcast made sense.
In addition to handling the tribe’s affairs and dealing with tasks that wore her out;
She also had an “unexpected” family to care for.
There was no doubt that she loved her children, but hidden behind that love was two years’ worth of isolation and loneliness.
Without a companion and no one to confide in, she could only vent her frustrations through letters to her one and only sister.
“I thought at the time that she had married someone she didn’t like.”
Isar shared, “Someone less clever than her, an irresponsible, grumpy dragon who was a bit greasy and volatile.”
As she said this, she glanced at Leon.
Leon ran a hand through his hair, “Do I look like that kind of dragon, sis?”
I’m not even a dragon! How’s that for miraculous?
“Of course not. And after this evening’s brief interaction, I’m even more convinced that Little Luo married the right person; she truly likes you.”
Isar was indeed a perceptive person, and Leon had to concede that point.
But the part where “she really likes you” was something Leon couldn’t quite accept.
He scratched his face, stammering, “Sis, how do you define ‘likes’…”
“Indeed, her manner of interacting with you is notably different than with everyone else. When you’re together, you’re both relaxed and at ease; you balance being a couple and maintaining a friendship at the same time.”
But what if we were merely archenemies…?
“Little Luo isn’t particularly adept at expressing her feelings. I’ve never seen anyone make her let down her guard like this. You’re the second one, Leon.”
Leon was taken aback, “And who was the first?”
“Duh, that would be me!” Isar pointed proudly at herself.
“…Well, fair enough.”
Isar burned the last letter she had in hand,
“In any case, I’m not bringing this up to apply any pressure on you. I just want you to take good care of my sister. She has just gone through two of the loneliest years, but she has so many years still to come. You need to be with her every step of the way.”
Isar raised her gaze to Leon, “You are a man of responsibility; you know what you must do to reassure me, right?”
Leon felt a subtle tremor in his pupils as a flicker of fire ignited within his gaze.
To accompany her through every step of the way…
For a lifetime.
But us…
In his hand, he still held the last love letter, unconsciously tightening his grip on its corner.
Noticing Leon’s silence, Isar frowned, “What’s wrong? You don’t—”
“I will, sis.”
Leon slowly folded the last letter neatly and tossed it into the fire.
The paper burned brightly, ashes swirling away.
“I will take care of Roswiser; I promise.”
Isar’s brow unfurled, “Hmph, kid, you better mean it.”
Leon stood up, punching his chest, “Really, I didn’t take good care of her during the first pregnancy. If there’s a second one…”
I’ll be like a hen guarding her egg.
Isar chuckled at his antics, “Alright, alright! Enough of the showboating. Go on back; don’t keep Little Luo waiting!”
Leon nodded, turning to head toward the rooftop stairs.
“Hey, wait a second.” Isar suddenly called out.
“What else is it, sis?”
“Don’t hold back tonight. That room has excellent soundproofing.”
Leon: Thanks for the heads-up!
