18 Two
Let’s show off some love, shall we?
In the evening, Leon was in Roswiser’s study, flipping through an ancient document.
He hoped to find some clues about Primordial Magic in it.
Most of the time, though, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. For now, this was the only method he had to grasp any insight into Primordial Magic.
After a while, footsteps were heard at the door, and Roswiser strolled in wearing dragon-wing slippers.
Having just bathed, her silver hair hung damply behind her, and her smooth, pale arms still radiated warmth, glistening with droplets.
The dragon pattern on her chest rose and fell with her breath, creating a display that would lead anyone’s imagination astray.
She wafted a delightful rose fragrance around the room.
Leon caught a whiff of the floral scent but didn’t look up. “Your Majesty’s got quite the taste, bathing in rose petals.”
Roswiser approached the desk, stood on her tiptoes, and lightly perched her backside on its edge, the nightgown accentuating her curves, her silver eyes casting down towards Leon.
“I initially wanted to invite you to join me, but when I thought about how hard you’re working to find clues about Primordial Magic for your loving wife, I just couldn’t bear to disturb you.”
Leon closed the book and finally looked up at Roswiser. “It’s not too late for an invitation now.”
As he spoke, he casually rested his large hand on her thigh.
Roswiser raised an eyebrow and slowly extended her own hand.
Leon thought the Mother Dragon would respond to his flirtation, but instead, she just playfully flicked his hand with a little “snap!” before saying, “Don’t touch me. The Queen’s body isn’t something you can just grab at!”
Leon chuckled as he withdrew his hand. “I get it, Your Majesty, no touching through clothes.”
Roswiser scoffed, using her tail to gently swat his cheek. “Don’t say such weird things. It’s not like our daily life is scandalous or anything.”
Leon shrugged. “But you just said you wanted to invite me to bathe together. Isn’t that scandalous?”
“I’m a woman; when a woman says it’s okay, a man has to say no.”
“That’s not being a woman, Mother Dragon. That’s double standards.”
“What’s wrong with a woman being a bit double standard? I still gave you kids!”
“You make it sound like you could raise them by yourself without me.”
“Our noble dragon race can give birth on its own, you know!”
The couple exchanged playful banter, and as usual, Roswiser managed to outtalk Leon until he was left speechless.
One was seated, cradling ancient texts, while the other leaned against the desk, arms crossed, with droplets still beading in her hair.
They shared a gaze, one high and one low, and burst into laughter simultaneously.
Leon set the ancient document down on the table, then reached out and grabbed Roswiser’s wrist, pulling her over.
Roswiser feigned a little reluctance but ultimately settled comfortably against his leg.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, playing with her damp silver locks, curious, “Where did you learn all these bizarre ideas?”
“Just some leftovers I stumbled upon while researching foreign cultures.”
Roswiser leaned luxuriously against his solid and powerful form, swinging her legs playfully, her slippers dangling dangerously.
“Well, it may not be deep stuff, but it sounds quite enjoyable as a girl.”
Of course, the queen who’d lived for over two hundred years wasn’t going to be fooled by random junk wisdom.
She just thought it was a bit of fun; using it to annoy her faux husband might yield some interesting results.
And as it turned out, Roswiser was indeed spot on.
With decades of training, even General Leon couldn’t stand against this punch.
Leon chuckled and then got down to business. “By the way, what do you think about Noia’s classmate?”
“What about it?”
“I don’t really understand dragon socializing, so from your perspective, it’s all good with this friend of Noia’s, right?”
Roswiser blinked her beautiful silver eyes and nodded. “Yeah, nothing wrong.”
“Doesn’t involve any… dragon diplomacy or anything, does it?”
“Well, that depends on where Helena comes from. If she’s from a tribe known for sparking conflicts, I’d advise Noia to be a little cautious, but I wouldn’t force her to cut ties.”
Roswiser hooked her arm around his, her thumb brushing his cheek as she continued, “Friends are hers to choose, and no one should make decisions for her, right?”
“Oh, you’re quite open-minded.” Leon praised.
“Learned it from you.”
Roswiser gently poked him in the chest. “For my daughter to grow healthily, respecting her is a must.”
Leon smirked. “Then why don’t you show me that respect?”
“Why should I respect a prisoner?”
“Okay, okay, you’ve got me there. I haven’t seen a prisoner treated like this before!”
As he spoke, he tested her weight, feeling how solid she was, then hugged her a bit tighter.
Roswiser let out a soft huff. “Well, you’re seeing how we Melkway treat our captives.”
After a few more jokes, the conversation circled back to Noia and Helena.
“Honestly, I’m glad Noia has a friend like Helena.”
Roswiser remarked, “That girl seems quite sensible, and her every move radiates good upbringing. She must come from an extraordinary background. Being a few years older than Noia, she should be able to look after her emotionally.”
That last remark hit the spot.
Leon nodded in agreement. “Finding emotional support for that stubborn little mule is no easy feat.”
“Exactly. So, we shouldn’t interfere with our daughter’s friendship.”
Roswiser noted, “She has the ability to distinguish right from wrong, knowing who to befriend and who to keep at a distance.”
“Yeah, but…”
Roswiser raised an eyebrow. “But what?”
“I think Moon seems a bit… odd? At dinner, she deliberately made Noia cut her steak, and then out of the blue, she gave Noia a kiss.”
Leon pondered, “Sisterly affection shouldn’t start right at the dinner table, should it? Isn’t that a rush?”
Roswiser recalled Moon’s behavior at dinner and agreed it was a bit unusual.
“Kids’ emotions… it’s normal not to fully grasp what they’re thinking.”
Roswiser commented, “Maybe it’s because Noia suddenly brought home a new friend, and she’s feeling a bit off?”
“Are you saying Moon might dislike Helena?”
“Not dislike, really. Moon is a good kid; she rarely has such antagonistic feelings.”
Roswiser reassured, “She should adapt after getting to know her.”
“Yeah, I suppose.”
“Speaking of sisterly bonds… actually, I plan to take the kids to visit my sister this weekend.”
Roswiser glanced at a family photo on the desk, a long-ago capture of her with Isar.
“Recently, the Empire and Rave sent quite a few people to the outer edges of the Red Dragon territory to prevent my sister from supporting me, and she’s been in constant battle.”
Roswiser continued, “Now that the crisis has eased, I’ve been wanting to find time to check in on her.”
“Alright… let’s plan for next week then,” Leon said.
Roswiser nodded, but her gaze remained fixated on the photo.
Noticing a hint of melancholy in his wife, Leon’s heart stirred, and he scooped up the beauty in his arms and headed toward the study door.
Roswiser was surprised, instinctively holding onto Leon tighter.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Going to bed,” Leon said, leaving the study for the bedroom.
“I can walk on my own; let me down.”
While she said that, Roswiser showed no signs of struggle and simply let Leon carry her.
He understood her little whims and smiled gently, “How could I let Her Majesty walk back to the bedroom? I’ll just help, since I’m a prisoner.”
Roswiser shot him a playful glare, suppressing the urge to smile, and said nothing more.
As the night deepened, they exchanged goodnights and embraced as they drifted off to sleep.
XX
March began beautifully, but for me, it started with back pain and a fever, feeling like I was about to keel over.
I’ll head to the hospital tomorrow, hoping to recover soon for updated posts; thanks for your understanding!
