54 A Glimpse of the Past
“Today, this Queen is in a good mood.”
“So?”
“You are allowed to accompany me on a border inspection.”
“Mother Dragon, if you want to go on a date with me, just say so! No need to beat around the bush.”
Roswiser had swapped her usual long dress for a neat pair of trousers today, and those long legs, usually hidden away, were now accentuated by the fitted pants, showing off her curves in a rather alluring way.
Of course, she probably didn’t intend to dress so provocatively; it was just a case of “I look good no matter what I wear.”
Listening to Dog Man bluster about, Roswiser shot him a glance, “What date? Dream on! Anna, some maids, and guards are coming along too.”
Oh, so it turns out this border inspection isn’t a secret rendezvous after all.
Leon shrugged, “Then you all go ahead. What do you need me for?”
“As the Prince of the Silver Dragons, you should at least make your presence felt, right?”
“I don’t think so. I’m staying home to take care of the kids.”
“A real man born between heaven and earth can’t just stay home with the kids every day!” Roswiser continued to try and persuade him.
But as the saying goes, “Once bitten, twice shy,” Leon was basically immune to Roswiser’s provocations by now.
He still had a relaxed tone, “I’m planning on staying home with the kids today.”
Leon thought he had made his position clear enough for Roswiser to give up on dragging him along.
But to his surprise, this Mother Dragon was unusually patient today.
“But you’ve been cooped up at home for a long time! You should go outside for some fresh air,” Roswiser said. “Last time you caught a cold, it was probably because you stayed home too long and didn’t exercise.”
It was all fine until she brought up the cold; that set off Leon.
“The last cold was because you locked me out on the balcony until late at night!”
“Whose fault is it that your mouth was so annoying? I don’t care; you absolutely have to go out today.”
Oh come on, now she was just being unreasonable.
If the Mother Dragon had gently persuaded him, Leon might have bit the b*llet and gone along with her.
But with this tone, this attitude, it was clear she was ordering him around!
A little Evil Dragon? Talk about turning the world upside down!
Leon plopped down on the sofa in the living room, making himself comfortable, “Not going.”
And just like that, the couple was at an impasse.
Roswiser opened her mouth to “intimidate” Leon again, but just as the words were about to spill out, she quickly changed her tune,
“Okay, just think of it as going to keep me company.”
Leon paused at that.
‘Just think of it as keeping me company.’
Ohhh~~~
So all that talk about “the Prince of Silver Dragons making his presence known” and “the cold was due to cooping up at home” was just a cover for “keeping me company.”
Very clever, just as I expected from you, Silver Dragon Queen—
Never say what you mean, awkwardly tsundere.
Leon smirked,
“Well, since you put it that way, I’ll go. But don’t get the wrong idea; I just suddenly realized that I should indeed make my presence known to your people.”
Oh ho, fitting my stereotype of you, Casmod—
You’re only soft when you’re dealt a nice hand; stubborn as iron otherwise.
But it didn’t matter; Roswiser was too lazy to call him out on it.
Calling him out would only bring her a moment’s satisfaction;
Not calling him out and continuing to let him act tough would bring her long-term enjoyment.
Once the couple finished getting ready, they set out for the border of their territory with Anna and some maids and guards in tow.
Roswiser did monthly border inspections as part of her routine work.
In theory, a tribe’s territory is so vast that as the king, she shouldn’t need to do this every month.
She could easily delegate it to trusted subordinates.
It’s like how a company’s chairman wouldn’t go chat with the old guards at the security booth every month about how many delivery guys they’ve chased off or how many illegally parked shared bikes have been removed.
That’s just unrealistic.
But Roswiser was a top-tier workaholic who insisted on doing everything herself.
Of course, Leon had already gotten used to her workaholic nature; it didn’t surprise him anymore.
What truly impressed him was how she managed to balance work with family.
Whether it was their three daughters or him, her fake husband, Roswiser handled everything with ease.
She never let work stress spill into the family.
Leon had never seen her come home from work stressed out, grumpy, and ignoring everyone.
Talking about it is easy, but doing it is tough.
No one can guarantee that they won’t let stress and emotions take over, right?
Yet Roswiser did just that.
Ah, what a wonderful woman, and she’s my wife.
Truly a conundrum (fight the smile).
“Let’s start here.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The feeling of descent snapped Leon back to reality.
A couple of silver dragons gracefully landed, their legs touching down on lush grass, while in the distance lay a forest— the very edge of the Silver Dragon territory.
He jumped off Roswiser’s back, and the dragons transformed back into human form.
Roswiser walked up beside him, and they stepped forward side by side, with Anna leading the maids and guards on either side.
They crossed the grass and entered the woods.
Not far into the woods, Leon quickly sensed the hidden scouts among the towering trees.
There were quite a few of them; it was clear that after Constantine’s attack last time, Roswiser had beefed up the manpower.
Leon surveyed the area closely and then lowered his voice, “There are about 27 scouts in this area, right?”
Roswiser raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, “Yes! I didn’t think you’d catch them all. Looks like we need to add more personnel.”
“Just adding more personnel won’t help much. It’s better to focus on camouflage strategies.”
Leon had plenty of say on this matter.
It was like a legendary thief turned into an expert at catching thieves.
So Roswiser took Leon’s advice seriously, “Got it.”
The couple spoke in hushed tones; Leon wouldn’t point out her minor mistakes in front of her.
Outside, one must show due respect to the Queen, after all.
About two hours later, the group was about to leave the forest.
Going forward would take them out of Silver Dragon territory.
At the forest’s edge, Leon spotted Constantine’s dragon head.
It was hanging between two giant trees, swaying gently in the cold wind.
Half a year had passed, and the scales and horns of the dragon head had fallen away, leaving only a dull horn that looked like it could snap if pushed lightly.
Leon approached the massive head, assessing it with a blank expression.
After a long moment, he snorted softly and murmured, “Aligning with the Empire was your greatest mistake, Constantine.”
Roswiser walked up beside him, glanced at the dragon head, and then at him,
“What? Reminiscing about your glorious days here?”
She too lowered her voice, ensuring Anna and the others wouldn’t overhear.
Leon smirked, “A foe of this level doesn’t warrant my nostalgia.”
“Oh? What kind of opponent would be worth your nostalgia?”
Leon turned his gaze from Constantine’s head and locked eyes with Roswiser.
The couple shared a meaningful glance.
But what originally felt like a romantic moment was abruptly crushed by the Queen herself.
“Hmph, a mere little captive thought he could hang my head at your doorstep?”
Leon rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Of course, I’m not confessing to you!
Just you wait! I’ll never confess, even until the end of time and the world’s end, you silly dragon.
After paying respects to Old Constantine, the group reached the border of their territory.
Going further, the environment grew harsher, with sandstorms and desolate wasteland.
“There’s nothing unusual here; let’s check the next location,” Roswiser said.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The group turned to leave.
But Leon stayed behind.
After Roswiser walked a few steps, she realized Leon hadn’t followed and turned to look, “What’s wrong?”
Leon slowly squatted down, staring intently at the boundary between the grassland and the sandy desert ahead.
The line was distinct, as if it had been cut cleanly with a kn*fe.
“This dividing line is way too neat…”
Leon pondered for a moment, then stood up and, turning his back to Roswiser, said, “We should increase the number of patrols in this area.”
Roswiser’s eyes flickered slightly before she nodded, “Okay.”
Leon stood on that crisp divider, gazing out at the swirling sands in the distance, squinting slightly,
“Something about this feels ominously familiar…”
xx
Big trouble is coming!
