Rossweise decided to take a day off.
When she told Anna, the head maid was utterly shocked. Her Majesty the Queen was notorious for being a workaholic. Unless absolutely necessary, she never took time off.
Anna assumed the Queen must be unwell and inquired with concern, only to receive a simple reply: "Feeling a bit tired lately, just need some rest."
Well, it was a straightforward and flawless excuse. Anna didn't press further.
For the Queen's day off, Anna temporarily handled all affairs, big and small.
In the morning, Rossweise lay on the living room sofa in a silk nightgown. The strap slid down from her smooth shoulder, dangling precariously.
Her curvaceous figure resembled rolling hills, picturesque from every angle. One delicate hand rested lightly on her stomach, while the other pressed against her forehead with the back of her hand.
She felt tired. Unreasonably so. Despite going to bed early last night, why did she still feel so drained today?
She glanced sideways at the ice cream on the coffee table. She had thought about having some dessert to perk herself up, but unfortunately, it didn't help.
It wasn't that the chilly sensation of the ice cream failed to invigorate her; it was just that she felt nauseous whenever she ate anything, especially in the mornings and evenings.
The beauty withdrew her gaze from the ice cream and closed her eyes, recalling the various unusual occurrences of recent days.
The inexplicable weight gain—though not significant—was something women were always sensitive about.
During meals, she would inexplicably retch and feel nauseous, especially when smelling oil or meat, which worsened her gag reflex.
Her head felt dizzy, her limbs achy; even sitting up quickly from bed would cause her vision to black out momentarily, taking about ten seconds to recover.
And now, she found herself excessively drowsy.
Sighing in frustration, Rossweise rolled over on the sofa, facing its back, arms wrapped around herself, her silver tail trailing down. From behind, she resembled a sulking young girl.
In some ways, Rossweise and Leon were quite alike. They both tossed and turned when unable to figure something out, growing restless and agitated.
However, Leon mostly dealt with practical matters. As a man of action, he usually resolved difficulties swiftly. But for Rossweise, most of her troubles were internal, not easily resolved in a short time.
Though the weight gained was physical, the worries remained trapped in her mind.
After tossing and turning several times, Rossweise concluded that she was both sleepy and unable to fall asleep again. So she decided to get up, barefoot, and head to her study.
She intended to write in her diary.
Rossweise opened her diary. The latest entry detailed Muen's completion of the Dual Awakening a couple of days ago.
The queen chewed on the end of her pen, contemplating what to write today. However, since it was still morning and she hadn't even stepped outside, there wasn't much to record.
Instead, Rossweise flipped through the previous entries.
Suddenly, she realized it had been quite a while since Leon last "submitted his assignment" to her. The queen's pupils twitched, a surge of discomfort churning in her stomach.
It seems I need to create an opportunity to find fault with that dog of a man.
Since the incident with the Bunny Girl photos had been resolved, the couple's life had become harmonious, entering a stage of peaceful coexistence where they didn't interfere with each other.
But Rossweise knew this quiet facade couldn't last forever. Otherwise, Leon might forget he was her captive.
It was time to stir things up a bit.
A dragon's initiative—justifiable and reasonable.
With these thoughts, she closed her diary and changed into a long dress suitable for going out, then left the room.
She arrived at the backyard practice field, where Leon was teaching Muen some basic magic. Even from a distance, she could hear the conversation between father and daughter.
"Now, this is the advantage of lightning magic. Muen, can you repeat it?"
"Sure."
Father and daughter sat cross-legged on the grass. The young dragon girl pondered for a moment, then began speaking fluently.
"Lightning magic is a versatile type of magic. Concentrating power can deal effective damage to single targets; dispersing power can unleash wide-range attacks on groups."
"Lightning magic can also enhance one's speed, strength, and physical endurance, among other basic attributes."
"It's an all-around magic that combines offense and defense!"
Leon gave a thumbs-up. "Great! Remember, Muen, master lightning magic, and you'll be unstoppable. Got it?"
"Got it, Dad!"
"Why only teach lightning magic and not fire magic?"
A familiar voice, magnetic and tinged with laziness, came from behind. Father and daughter turned toward the sound.
A tall, elegant woman in a long dress stood there. Her silver hair and the hem of her skirt gently swayed in the breeze, revealing fair, slender legs and delicate ankles. Even without formal attire, she exuded a cold, proud, and noble aura.
Muen's eyes lit up with joy. "Mom! Anna said you were resting today, so Dad and I didn't disturb you."
Rossweise smiled as she approached, taking a seat beside them. She glanced at Leon beside her, then shifted slightly away.
"Why are you resting today, Mom? Are you sick?" Muen asked with concern.
"No, dear, don't worry. Mommy's just a little tired, but I'll be back to work as usual tomorrow," Rossweise said, pinching her daughter's nose affectionately.
"Oh, okay. As long as Mommy's not sick," the young dragon girl said, relieved.
"I heard Dad was teaching you lightning magic, is that right?" Rossweise asked.
"Yeah, Mom, let me tell you, lightning magic is amazing! Dad's really skilled at it!" Muen exclaimed enthusiastically, offering praise while Leon knew it was his time to shine.
He straightened his chest, cleared his throat, and brushed off his presence. "Muen, show your mom what you can do."
"Sure thing, Dad!"
The queen was puzzled, unsure what antics this father-daughter duo were up to. She watched as Muen stood up, slightly bent her knees, and extended her palms.
In an instant, blue electrical sparks flickered in her palms. Soon, two lightning balls formed in Muen's hands.
Rossweise's pupils trembled slightly, showing surprise. "It's only been two days since awakening, and you're already able to manipulate the form of magical energy?"
Although the spherical shape was the most basic form of energy manipulation, this learning speed… it was comparable to Noah's.
Muen dispersed the lightning balls and sat back next to her mother, wearing a hopeful expression as if waiting for praise. "Yeah, Mom, am I amazing?"
Rossweise reached out and patted her daughter's head, genuinely impressed.
"Yes, you're very impressive. Really, really impressive. So… what about fire magic? Have you learned anything about it?"
Leon's inherent element was lightning, but that didn't mean he only knew lightning magic. After studying magic for over a decade, if he still only knew one element, he needed to catch up.
"Oh… no, Dad hasn't taught me yet," Muen replied truthfully.
Rossweise's mind stirred, realizing the opportunity to find fault had arrived. She turned her head, squinting at Leon.
"Why only teach lightning magic and not fire magic? Is it because you can't do it, dear?"
The mention of "dear" sent a shiver down Leon's spine. Hearing Rossweise call him "dear" outside the bedroom gave him a feeling akin to the grim reaper calling names from a death list—whoever was called had to go.
However, Leon couldn't entirely blame Rossweise for picking on him. After all, he really hadn't taught Muen fire magic yet.
Moreover, these past few days, he had been secretly instilling the idea in his daughter's mind that "lightning magic is the best magic in the world, and fire magic can only make things slightly warmer."
Though not exactly that exaggerated, the idea was essentially the same.
This led to Muen not actively seeking to learn fire magic. Leon had thought that since the Mother Dragon was busy with work, she wouldn't have time to check Muen's progress. He never expected his little scheme to be exposed on the third day.
Leon rubbed his nose and explained, "It's all about gradual progress. Whether it's lightning or fire, both magics are equally strong, so it doesn't matter which one we teach first."
Equally strong? Why did she feel this guy couldn't even say "equally strong" convincingly?
So Rossweise asked skeptically, "Is that so?"
"It is—"
"No, Dad, that's not what you told me yesterday," Muen tilted her head, blinking her adorable big eyes.
"What do you mean it's not? Dad just—" Leon tried to stop his well-intentioned daughter from betraying him.
But it was too late.
"You shut up. Muen, what did Dad say yesterday?" Rossweise looked at Muen.
Muen counted on her fingers, listing the "crimes" of fire magic.
"Dad said the method of using fire magic is too simplistic."
"It's easy to learn, so there's no sense of accomplishment."
"Only dumb dragons focus on fire magic, and it's not as practical as lightning magic—"
"Um… Mom, why do you look like you want to eat Dad?"