Chapter 49: I Want to Be a Scientist
Your Majesty showed some mercy in the dead of night and finally allowed Leon back into the bedroom.
The couple had their usual playful scuffle on the bed before finally falling asleep—just some innocent horseplay, nothing more, don’t overthink it!
The next morning, Leon lazily woke up.
Lo and behold, Roswiser was nowhere to be found. He reached out to feel her side of the quilt.
Estimating the remaining warmth… it must be around 7:40 AM.
Leon got up and looked at the wall clock just to confirm.
Yup, 7:40 exactly.
Only a true genius like General Leon would use the temperature of his bedmate’s blanket to figure out when to get out of bed. It seems impressive but really, it’s just utterly pointless, honestly.
But hey, who doesn’t have their quirky little habits?
He threw off the covers, got dressed, and hopped out of bed.
Suddenly, his nose began annoying him with an unbearable itch.
“Achoo—”
One sneeze?
His Master once said that a single sneeze means someone is missing you right at that moment.
Hmm~ It’s definitely Your Majesty! Even buried under piles of work, she still takes the time to miss me. Looks like the confession is up for grabs, Leon thought smugly.
But then—
“Achoo!”
A second sneeze.
His Master said that two sneezes mean someone is scolding you.
Gulp—could it be that Mother Dragon? Is she cursing me just for thinking about her? Well, you can forget about me confessing to you!
Just when Leon thought that was the end of it—
“Achoo!”
A third sneeze.
One sneeze means someone misses you, two means someone’s scolding you, so what does three mean?
His Master would probably say, what the heck are you wasting time pondering three sneezes for? It means you’ve caught a cold! Get some medicine!
Leon rubbed his itchy nose; it certainly felt stuffy, a sure sign of a cold coming on.
“The Nine Gates of Hell couldn’t toughen me up enough to prevent a cold, could it…”
Must be because he was locked out on the balcony last night by Roswiser for a while, and then finally returned to the bedroom in the dead of night. A bit of a chill, that’s all.
Not a problem though.
These little sniffles? Leon the General wouldn’t even need medicine for those—he could just tough it out.
After getting dressed and freshened up, he headed to the practice area in the backyard.
His daughters were also there.
Noia was at the practice area teaching Moon some basic magic.
She had recently taken a short break and after playing with Moon for several days straight, her self-control finally failed her. But not wanting to leave her little sister hanging, she decided to brush up on her own magic while passing it on to Moon.
A win-win situation.
Leon didn’t interrupt and quietly sat down on a bench next to the practice area.
The morning sun was warm and the gentle breeze felt nice on his face.
But Leon’s nose still itched a bit and his head felt slightly off.
He shrugged it off and continued watching his two daughters practice magic.
Soon, he heard footsteps approaching.
Leon turned to see Little Light.
His youngest daughter had snuck out from the Holy Temple again, with two maids rushing after her in a flurry.
This scene brought back memories of Roswiser during her pregnancy with Little Light in that winter.
Anna had been worried about the Queen’s health and told her not to run around in the freezing cold.
But Roswiser, in her typical stubborn fashion, defied Anna at every turn, leading to a prolonged game of wits.
Now, it seemed little daughter had inherited her mother’s penchant for disobedience.
Always slipping away quietly, is she?
“Daddy~”
No father could resist such a sweet call of “daddy.”
Leon scooped up Little Light and waved to the two maids, signaling that he’d take it from here.
The maids halted, curtsied slightly, and departed.
Leon placed Little Light on his lap, pinching her chubby little cheeks, “What are you doing sneaking out again? Have you finished the book Mom got you a few days ago?”
Unlike other young dragons who run wild at four or five months old like a destructo-husky, Little Light preferred quietly reading books instead.
Any book would do.
History, novels, science—if it’s a book, she’d read it.
She’d even look up any unfamiliar characters in the dictionary—
And yes, dictionaries were one of her favorite kinds of books.
When it came to absorbing new knowledge, Little Light was an independent kid.
Just a while ago, during a chat in the practice area, she mentioned she was developing her own study methods.
“Yup, I’ve read them all!”
Little Light nodded, her big, pretty pink eyes staring up at her dad. “Daddy, do you have more books?”
If there are two things in the Silver Dragon Temple that never run out, it’s the couple’s stubbornness and a ridiculous amount of books.
Before becoming Queen, Roswiser was a bona fide bookworm and even now, amidst her busy schedule, she still finds time to sneak in a classic every now and then, showing just how much she loves books.
Leon was thrilled that his little girl had such a strong thirst for knowledge and was happy to help her find more books.
But before that, he had a few questions for Little Light.
“Little Light, why do you love reading so much?”
When she first showed interest in reading, Leon didn’t pry too deeply. He let her absorb knowledge from different books as she pleased.
Now that he was sure that she genuinely enjoyed reading, he was curious about what motivated her.
Understanding the reasons behind Little Light’s love for reading would help him support her in finding what’s best for her in the future.
Little Light blinked, thought for a bit, and replied,
“Because reading is really easy~”
Leon raised an eyebrow, “Easy?”
“Yup! I think reading is way easier than the magic my big sisters are studying,” she said, “I’ve told Daddy before, I don’t think I’ll ever be as hardworking as my big sister or have the same talent as my second sister, so reading is an easy way for me to catch up.”
Catch up.
That’s a concept even Noia never discussed with Leon.
Catching up means she recognizes her own shortcomings and wants to make up for them in some way.
It sounds easy, but not many can actually pull it off.
Yet here she is at just five months old.
Sweetheart, doesn’t your thinking seem a bit too advanced for your age?
“Well, what does Little Light think your shortcomings are right now?” Leon asked.
“Hmmm… a lot! Like I don’t know enough characters!”
Leon paused and then couldn’t help but laugh.
Alright then, it seems like Little Light hasn’t fully grasped the concept of “catching up” yet, so he dropped the matter.
Holding his daughter, he gently squeezed her soft little hand and asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“What do I want to be?”
“Exactly! What job do you want to have, what field would you want to work in? A warrior on the battlefield or a strategist aiding the lords?”
Little Light’s eyes sparkled as she pondered for a moment before responding earnestly,
“I want… to be a scholar. Or maybe, a scientist.”
