Chapter 85: I Want to Soak in the Hot Springs with You!
One evening, the backyard of Flowing Cloud Valley had just wrapped up an outdoor barbecue party. Now, it was time for the firework show that Leon’s family had been eagerly waiting for.
They found a nice spot on a stone step and sat quietly, anticipating the show to begin. Leon had his camera and the little bear that Roswiser had given him during the day at his side. He crossed his legs, let his arms hang loosely, and looked up at the night sky.
The moon was bright, and the stars sparse; it was indeed a perfect night for fireworks.
“Hey, hey! It’s starting over there! Sister, let’s hurry!” Moon hopped off the stone step, grabbing Noia’s hand and darting off.
Leon watched his daughters’ lively little figures, unable to suppress a proud grin. Just as he was about to pick up the camera to capture this beautiful moment, his hands kept groping around, but he couldn’t feel the camera anywhere.
Panic surged inside Leon. He glanced back. The camera had already made itself comfortable in Roswiser’s hands.
Click—
Roswiser captured a shot of the girls’ retreating backs, then nodded satisfactorily at the magical projection of the camera.
Leon immediately tensed up, feigning nonchalance as he moved closer to Roswiser. “Um… how about I take the pictures? You go play with the girls.”
Without lifting her eyes from the camera, Roswiser fiddled with it. “No need, I want to see what you’ve taken today and how it turned out.”
“Ah, I… I think they’re all, um, really good. Let’s wait until we’re home to check them out.”
“Let’s take a look now. We can delete the ones you don’t like.”
Roswiser started flipping through the photos Leon had taken today.
Leon’s heart raced with adrenaline. The urgency felt somewhat like that moment when you’ve partied all summer and realize you haven’t touched your homework while your teacher starts checking it one by one. Soon she’ll be on to you!
But there was one key difference: a student wouldn’t dare to drag down their teacher with them;
Leon definitely would.
Worst case scenario, he gets grilled for a bit. Then who knows, maybe he could turn the tables!
But these photos were his trump card; better keep them hidden if he could.
Leon gulped. Roswiser had just flipped to the ones taken in the afternoon on the pedestrian street.
The next ones were from this morning.
Then… oh no, there were the bunny girl photos!
Those empty summer homework assignments—no, wait—his potential counterattack against Roswiser were now morphing into blades that might stab him right back!
Think, Casmod, think!
What would Master do in this situation?
Oh, right! Even if Master was mischief-prone, he wouldn’t take bunny girl photos with Mistress, so channeling him wouldn’t help much.
Leon bit his lip, glancing left and right, then picked up a candy he bought earlier.
“Want some?”
Roswiser, still glued to the camera’s magical projection, slightly opened her mouth, “Ah~”
Leon was speechless and ended up feeding her a piece of candy.
Roswiser, with a candy in her mouth making one side bulge, looked kind of cute—but this wasn’t the time to admire the mother dragon’s cuteness!
If he didn’t stop her soon, she would see the even more “adorable” bunny girls!
“Hey, Leon, what’s up with this photo—”
“Exactly what you see!” Leon puffed out his chest bravely, prepared to face the music.
Roswiser blinked, cracking her candy, “Isn’t it just a little off in composition…? Why the big reaction?”
“Uh… huh?”
Roswiser pointed at one photo on the camera, “Look, my face is practically in it.”
Leon cleared his throat awkwardly, “Well, that’s probably because you’re so tall.”
Roswiser didn’t press further, “Oh, fine then.”
Muttering to herself, she continued flipping through the photos.
That last photo was already at the entrance of the pedestrian street around noon.
In that very moment, this camera determined how the next seven-day vacation would unfold.
Would it be fireworks and chaos, or peace and quiet? Who could say?
“Why are you so close to me?”
Roswiser suddenly asked, still not looking up.
Leon quickly shrank back, “N-no, I wasn’t!”
“Come here.”
“What for?”
“Just come over.”
Leon sheepishly shuffled closer.
Roswiser raised the camera, aimed it at herself and Leon, then tilted her head towards him, and pressed the button.
Afterward, she checked the preview on the magical projection. “Hmm, not bad. This way, the girls won’t ask why we didn’t take a picture together.”
Leon: “Your Majesty, you really do think ahead!”
And if you flipped back a few pages, you’d see a lot more than just this one couple photo!
After taking the picture, Roswiser handed the camera back to Leon. “I’m off to find the girls. You keep working hard and take more photos for us.”
“Happy to oblige, my wife!”
Roswiser shot him an eye roll and didn’t bother with him anymore, striding towards the firework show.
Leon sighed with relief.
“Phew, the revolutionary outcomes are safe for now.”
He looked down at the camera in his hands, the screen still displaying the couple photo Roswiser had just taken with him.
In the photo, they faced the camera, Roswiser slightly leaning against Leon, playfully making a peace sign.
She hadn’t even chosen a special angle, and the photo turned out like a couple that had been in love for years.
Leon rubbed his forehead, muttering, “Over two hundred years old and still making peace signs—so childish!”
At that moment, he completely forgot how many peace signs he made in the bunny girl photos with Roswiser.
Leon raised the camera again, continuing to take pictures of the three girls not far away.
Fireworks exploded in the sky, dazzling and vibrant.
After a while, Moon returned, sitting next to Leon.
“What’s up, Moon?” Leon asked.
The little dragon girl snuggled up, resting her head on Leon’s lap, covering her waist with her tail. “Moon’s tired from playing. Moon wants to rest.”
Leon chuckled and threw off his jacket, draping it over Moon. “Alright.”
He looked up and saw Roswiser and Noia frolicking together, both holding little firework sticks. Noia even had one wedged in her tail.
Seeing this scene, Leon couldn’t help but remark, “Two usually so serious people really know how to have fun!”
Moon, nestled in his lap, shrank a bit and said softly, “Sister has to go to school, and Mama is busy working. They rarely get to play together like this. Dad, you guys finally got this seven-day trip reward, so Moon wants Sister and Mama to spend more time together.”
Leon froze, somewhat surprised. So this little one didn’t just come back because she was tired; she was hoping to give Noia and Roswiser more quality time together.
He smiled appreciatively, pinching Moon’s ear. “You’re growing up, Moon.”
But Moon shook her head.
“Moon hasn’t grown up, and doesn’t know what growing up is. Moon just wants Sister to be happy and for Mama and Dad to be happy too. Hmm…”
A warm feeling flooded Leon’s heart.
He gently stroked his daughter’s cheek, marveling at how, despite Moon and Noia being worlds apart in personality, they still loved this family in their own ways.
Loving each other, and loving Mama and Dad too.
“Moon, you’re truly growing up—”
“Hmm… zzz…”
Leon lowered his head, noticing Moon had fallen asleep on his lap.
Oh, so “tired from playing” was a huge part of it, huh?
Leon chuckled softly, turning the camera to capture Moon’s adorable, peaceful sleeping face.
Moments later, Roswiser returned with Noia.
By the look on Noia’s little face, she too seemed a bit tired.
“Is she asleep?” Roswiser whispered.
Leon gently lifted Moon, “Yeah, shall we head back?”
Roswiser nodded, taking Noia’s hand.
But after a moment of thought, she squatted down. “Mama can hold you too, okay?”
Noia’s face brightened, her fatigue replaced with a smile, “Okay!”
Roswiser picked up Noia, following Leon as they left the backyard.
The couple tucked the sisters into their room.
“Rest well, I’ll take good care of Moon,” Noia’s voice came forth, tinged with weariness.
Roswiser patted her head, “Okay, but you need to rest too. Don’t stay up late.”
“Okay, goodnight, Mama.”
After a moment, Noia turned to the door, looking at Leon, “Goodnight, Dad.”
Leon grinned and waved, “Goodnight.”
After exchanging their goodnights, the couple returned to their own room.
Leon changed into his slippers, stretching as he walked towards the bedroom.
“Ah~ what a fulfilling day~”
With that thought, he flopped on the soft hotel bed.
Roswiser approached the bed, kicking his leg playfully, “So, are you sleeping with me tonight?”
Leon nearly jumped up, “N-no, I… I’m going to soak in the hot springs for a bit.”
“How long?” Roswiser asked.
Leon shrugged, “About an hour, why? You wanna soak too?”
“Hmm. You go first; I’m in no rush.”
“Alright.”
Whenever the couple had to share a room, they often took a “one step at a time, delay if we can” approach.
By the time they both finished soaking, two hours would pass without a hitch!
As for how to face each other afterward…
They’d cross that bridge when they came to it.
Leon took off his shirt, only wearing the swimsuit Roswiser had bought for him, then stealthily grabbed his camera before heading to the hot springs at the back of the room.
The warm water enveloped him, washing away the fatigue and weariness of the day.
Leon closed his eyes, leaning against the hot spring wall, stretching out his arms and letting out a long breath, savoring this rare bit of relaxation.
However, less than ten minutes into his comfort, he heard the sliding door creak open behind him.
In the next instant, a pair of high heels appeared in his peripheral vision.
Leon’s heart raced. Surely this mother dragon didn’t mean to go back on her word…
“Where’s the camera?” Roswiser asked.
Leon froze for a moment, “The… camera? What do you need it for?”
“The grand finale of the firework show is about to start. Since I’m here doing nothing, I thought I’d go downstairs to take some pictures. Where’s the camera? Oh, it’s right here.”
“Wait a second!—”
But it was too late; Roswiser had already bent down to grab the camera that Leon had just placed beside the hot spring.
“What’s wrong?” Roswiser asked.
Leon pressed his lips together, stumbling over his words, unable to say anything.
Seeing Leon silent, Roswiser shrugged. “If you’re not going to talk, I’m leaving.”
With that, she turned to head for the door.
But just then, there was a loud splash—
“Let’s soak in the hot springs together!”
Roswiser paused, her back to Leon for several seconds before she slowly turned to face him.
“What did you say?”
Leon’s face burned bright red. “I said… cough, cough… let’s soak in the hot springs together.”
He absolutely could not let this mother dragon take the camera away; otherwise, his hard-won revolutionary achievement would fall into enemy hands!
Compared to losing his revolutionary efforts, what’s soaking in the hot springs?
So the couple locked eyes, the fireworks bursting in the night sky, the splendid light overshadowing someone’s reddening profile.
Roswiser stared at Leon’s bare upper body, water droplets gliding down his muscular form, tracing over his scarred skin.
She swallowed, then calmly replied, “You said it; I’ll go change.”
xx
Something big is coming!
(P.S. Photo sh**t is also in the works!)
