Chapter 14: A World Where Only Leon Gets Hurt
This trip to the seaside could basically be called a perfect ending.
Everyone in the Melkway family came away with something.
Little Light gained proficiency in her ‘Uppercut’;
Moon unlocked the ‘Parents Kissing Screen Not for Kids’ achievement;
Noia also regained her confidence in the family, and in her parents’ relationship.
Even Roswiser got a whole night of exhilarating ‘Emergency Drainage’—and boy, was she filled to the brim, ready to burst!
As for why this trip was only “basically” perfect and not “completely” perfect, well, that’s thanks to General Leon.
Little Light’s uppercut proficiency came at his expense;
Moon unlocking that kissing screen came with Leon getting a kick from Roswiser;
Noia’s confidence was built on her dear old dad’s ‘sacrifice of the waist.’
And as for Roswiser? No need to elaborate; only Leon and his poor kidneys know the pain that came with that exhilarating ‘Emergency Night.’
Only Leon Casmod got hurt in this world!
But even so, when everything was finally cleaned up, Leon stood at the hotel’s open door, gazing at his fake wife and real daughter, his heart swelled with warmth and contentment.
After all, the laughter, playful banter, and shared memories between family members are precious treasures that no small troubles could ever erase—after all, he was used to these troubles. If anything, he could just bulk up on Dragon Strength or something.
Then he could give that Mother Dragon a taste of her own medicine!
Speaking of Dragon Strength, the first try at concocting it didn’t go exactly as planned. Leon’s body recovered wonderfully that night, but he became a bit… unhinged, losing all control.
It seemed he needed to refine it a bit more, Leon thought to himself.
With his magic reserves low and the Mother Dragon having developed a new play with Dragon Patterns, Leon could only get crafty with his gear.
Otherwise, three months from now, when he entered the cave to exchange information sporting a face that looked like it had been squeezed dry, that old codger and sharp-tongued loli would mock him unmercifully.
Leaving the holiday area, they returned to the Silver Dragon’s territory at dusk.
They strolled along, enjoying the scenery as a wrap-up to their little trip.
Leon achieved his initial purpose for this seaside jaunt: to ease his eldest daughter’s worries, proving with his and Roswiser’s actions that they loved this family and each other.
He figured that, in daily life, Roswiser and he were always at odds.
When he said one thing, that Mother Dragon had to say two;
If he went west, she’d insist on heading east.
After all, their couple’s life mantra was ‘If you’re uncomfortable, then I’m comfortable.’
But in front of their daughters, they always played the loving couple role splendidly.
This unspoken harmony seemed innate, as if it was etched in their bones. Initially, they would rehearse beforehand to ensure no affectionate gestures would be spotted by their daughters.
But over time, this mismatched couple no longer needed any rehearsal; just stepping on stage was fine. A single glance was enough to know what the other was thinking and what needed to happen next.
Such is the self-cultivation of seasoned performers.
Roswiser occasionally lamented that life as a dragon was like acting—all about the skills—
“What?”
Feelings?
What feelings?
She and that Dog Man had no feelings at all.
This seamless cooperation was purely a result of spending time together—uh, no, no, no—that’s not it… it’s…
Practice makes perfect!
Yes, yes, practice makes perfect.
“Mom.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“Not at all, why do you ask?”
“Your wings look a little… red.” Moon, perched on the back of the silver dragon, pointed out the dragonwing at an angle.
Hearing this, Leon and Noia both turned their attention to Roswiser’s dragonwing.
It was indeed a bit red.
“Ah… it’s nothing, probably just the angle of the sunlight.”
Their daughters weren’t old enough to transform into dragon form yet, so they didn’t know that emotional fluctuations in dragon form could manifest in wing colors—similar to how humans blush on their faces.
But Leon, having dealt with dragons for many years, certainly knew of this physiological phenomenon.
In his military days, every time he fought against the Dragon Kings, those kings would unleash their rage in dragon form just before being defeated.
No matter their original color, their wings would turn a shade of crimson.
But those kings turned red because they couldn’t handle General Leon’s onslaught;
So why was Roswiser turning red right now when she hadn’t broken down…?
Leon scratched his head, grumbling silently—women’s thoughts are really hard to decipher.
Entering the Silver Dragon’s territory, they quickly returned to the Holy Temple.
The Queen’s family came back, and the temporarily jobless maids hurried to the courtyard to welcome them.
Anna took a bag from Leon with the dirty laundry from their vacation, immediately passing it to a nearby maid to wash.
Of course, that bag didn’t include Roswiser’s swimsuit used for ‘emergency purposes.’
Because that night, their exuberance led to some ‘high-nutrition’ materials finding their way onto the swimsuit, so Roswiser thought it’d be best if she washed it herself—or made the captive Casmod do it.
On top of that, the Silver Dragon Queen presented a conservative workaholic image in front of her maids; even though she was married, she maintained a respectful relationship with His Royal Highness, occasionally showing affection, but always within limits.
It gave everyone the impression that this couple was loving but not overly familiar.
If her subordinates found out that the Queen had a side no one knew—well, Roswiser would be opening the door to social d*ath right at home!
After the handover, Anna led the royal family to the dining room where the chefs had already prepared a welcome-back feast.
At the dinner table, the two chattiest daughters animatedly discussed their seaside adventure;
As for the one who can’t talk? She was left to eat in solitude.
Meanwhile, Leon and Roswiser took their time with their meal, occasionally glancing at their daughters.
Out of nowhere, they’d catch each other’s eye.
And then quickly look away.
It was like they both thought, ‘Locking eyes with you brings bad luck for eight generations!’
But before long, they’d inexplicably and perfectly end up meeting each other’s gazes again.
Sigh…
Oh well, oh well.
They couldn’t escape this twisted fate; all they could do was submit.
After dinner, spending some time with their daughters, Leon took Little Light and Roswiser back to their room.
“Once Little Light is a bit older, she can start sleeping in the baby room by herself.”
Once inside, Roswiser said this as she kicked off her high heels and eagerly slipped on her comfy dragon-wing slippers, stretching luxuriously.
Leon paused for a moment.
Yikes…
Was that double entendre I just heard?
Once Little Light sleeps in the baby room, wouldn’t that leave just him and Roswiser here again?
Could she continue with her wickedness then?!
Leon felt a chill run down his spine and swallowed hard, quickly dropping that line of conversation.
He tucked Little Light into bed, soothing her to sleep.
As he gazed at his daughter’s peaceful sleeping face, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
Oh, so this is what raising a child feels like—simply marvelous!
He reached out, gently stroking Little Light’s chubby face, so soft and smooth; the touch was fantastic.
But regrettably, he hadn’t witnessed Noia and Moon’s baby phases. They must’ve been adorably cute too.
Speaking of Noia…
Since the eldest daughter’s emotional burdens seemed to be lifted for now, Leon had to get back to business.
In three months, he’d be heading to the mountain gorge cave to swap intel with his Master.
He tucked Little Light in snugly, then sat on the bed’s edge, glancing at Roswiser.
She had changed into her nightgown and was lounging on the sofa, reviewing the work logs that Anna had just delivered.
“Roswiser, I have a question I’d like your thoughts on.”
The Queen put down the work log, resting her chin on one hand, looking up at Leon. “Hmm, go ahead, what’s the question?”
“Don’t you think it was a bit… convenient that Constantine attacked right when you were about to give birth…?”
xx
Looks like the outcome of this cute war is set (sad).
But please, do send those little free hearts my way; I want to see just how far Leon can go, and where the limits on updates are, thank you!
