The next morning, Rossweise stood on the balcony, gazing toward the temple's backyard. The sisters, Noah and Muen, were playing in the snow with the maids, their faces radiant with innocent joy. Meanwhile, the queen, confined indoors, could only watch in silence.
Sigh.
In the past, when others had dragged her out to play in the snow, she had refused with disdain. Now that she actually wanted to play, she couldn't even step beyond the temple gates.
Damn it, it was all Leon Cosmodeous's fault. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be pregnant; if she weren't pregnant, she wouldn't be confined to the temple by the head maid during this beautiful winter, "nurturing the heir."
Rossweise thought indignantly that once she was free, she would definitely build a snowman named Leon, pile it high, give it a good kick, and then stomp it to pieces!
Ah, just imagining it was satisfying.
Rossweise closed her eyes and pictured the scene, instantly feeling a bit better. But speaking of Leon, she hadn't seen him all morning. Where had he gone, and what devious tricks was he scheming now?
Just as she was lost in thought, there was a noise at the door. The footsteps sounded mixed, suggesting at least three people.
Rossweise walked toward the door, and sure enough, besides Leon and Anna, there was another member of the maid corps. Her name was Milan, also a gentle and considerate girl.
Before Rossweise could ask what they were up to, she saw Anna approaching with a registration form, her expression tinged with self-reproach.
"Your Majesty, it turns out you've always wanted to do yoga. It was my oversight for not considering your needs," Anna said.
Rossweise blinked in surprise. "When did I ever say I wanted to do yoga?"
"Huh? Your Majesty doesn't remember? When you and the prince went to Sky City recently, didn't you sign up for a prenatal yoga class?"
Anna handed over the yoga class registration form.
"I checked the registration date, and it seems you signed up when you were just two months pregnant, Your Majesty."
"Ah… yes… but this—"
"It seems the prince wasn't wrong after all. Couples really do understand each other best."
Anna's tone carried a hint of envy mixed with the helplessness of a maid. No matter how concerned or worried she was about Her Majesty, it couldn't compare to the closeness between Her Majesty and her partner.
Rossweise narrowed her eyes slightly, pondering Anna's remark about the prince not being wrong. What nonsense was that man spouting now?
She glanced sideways at Leon, the Dragon Slayer, who stood with his arms crossed, wearing a nonchalant expression as if enjoying the show.
Alright, Cosmodeous, so this is your game? Well, tonight I'll make sure that foul mouth of yours stays shut!
"After Your Majesty began nurturing the heir, all major affairs of the Silver Dragon Clan were delegated to me," Anna continued.
"The prince mentioned to me this morning that Your Majesty might worry about me being overburdened, which is why you didn't bring up the yoga practice. However, Your Majesty, no matter how busy I am, I would never neglect your needs. You can always share them with me."
"When the prince told me about the yoga practice today, I immediately thought of Milan. Before joining the maid corps, she had many years of yoga experience and can perfectly meet Your Majesty's needs."
"The journey to Sky City is not short, especially in the cold winter. Anna believes that learning at home could also be a good option."
In some of the more private matters, Anna certainly didn't understand Her Majesty as well as Leon, her so-called "husband."
However, when it came to executing tasks, she was meticulous and left no room for criticism. That was why she stood out among the excellent maids and became the head maid.
The maid named Milan also stepped forward, kneeling and bowing in a standard curtsy. "It is Milan's honor to learn yoga with Your Majesty."
"So, Your Majesty, what do you think?" Anna asked.
What do I think? Do I even need to think? Even with my knee, I can guess this is all a scheme orchestrated by that dog of a man, Leon, just to mess with me.
Of course, Rossweise also understood Leon's motive for teasing her. It must be because she had been bossing him around and tormenting him lately under the guise of pregnancy, and he wanted to get back at her.
But Leon had his limits. Ordinary revenge tactics couldn't be used on a pregnant woman, so he came up with this move that allowed him to advance or retreat as needed.
Advancing, he could spin it as "I'm doing this for your own good, my dear wife!" Retreating, he could say, "Oh no, my dear wife, you misunderstand my love for you!"
Just endure this cohabitation, one day at a time.
At first, Rossweise had intended to refuse Anna's suggestion. But then she realized that if she rejected this yoga instruction, her life of "nurturing the heir" would devolve into nothing but "eat, sleep, repeat."
Being so idle would definitely lead to weight gain. Rossweise recalled the awkward joke her weight had played on her right after giving birth to Noah and Muen.
Even though the maids thought the slightly plumper queen was perfectly charming—even more so than before she conceived the two little princesses—it was only because the extra weight wasn't on them, so they naturally didn't mind. It had taken her a lot of effort to regain her current figure after pregnancy.
Rossweise didn't want to go through that again. So… this time, she would just play along with Leon. Practice yoga and maintain her figure!
"Alright, thank you for your hard work, Anna," Rossweise said.
"Not at all, Your Majesty. Feel free to let me know if you have any needs in the future," Anna replied.
"Alright, I will," Rossweise nodded.
"I won't disturb Your Majesty and the prince any longer. Milan, you arrange the class time with Her Majesty and ensure there are no mistakes," Anna instructed.
"Yes, Head Maid," Milan nodded.
With her instructions given, Anna left with a sense of relief. Leon, having achieved his goal, obediently sat to the side, becoming a mere spectator.
Rossweise shot him a glare, but with others present, she refrained from banter. It might even be misinterpreted by Milan as flirting. She would wait until they were alone to interrogate her captive.
Rossweise shifted her gaze to Milan beside her. "Shall we start now?" she asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Milan replied.
With that, Milan went to the door and returned carrying two yoga mats—one black and one blue.
"Prepared quite thoroughly," Rossweise remarked as Milan laid out the yoga mats. She then looked up with a smile and asked, "Your Majesty, which color do you prefer?"
"Black," she replied decisively. She did indeed like black. Leon knew that too. During the compatibility exercises for Noah's entrance test at St. Heath Academy, they had looked at each other's hair colors and said "silver" and "black." Of course, that didn't mean anything—at least, that's what Leon and Rossweise had always told themselves.
After choosing the mats, Milan inquired further, "Your Majesty, do you have any tight, breathable pants?"
"Oh, yes, I'll change into them." Rossweise opened her wardrobe and retrieved a sports tank top and yoga-appropriate pants.
Once changed, she tied her silver hair into a ponytail, letting it sway behind her head. Her enticing long legs were hugged by the snug pants, drawing attention, and the slightly protruding pregnant belly didn't detract from her overall beauty. Her curves were still evident, accentuated by the outfit.
Unlike her athletic appearance during training for the school sports festival, this version of Rossweise exuded a bit more sensuality. Leon silently observed.
Usually, he could nitpick various flaws and imperfections, but when it came to her figure and appearance, he had nothing to say. In this regard, the couple was quite similar. After all, Rossweise had once remarked upon seeing Leon in the dungeon, "What a handsome man."
Case closed. It seemed both spouses were shallow when it came to looks. Leon averted his gaze, looking elsewhere. He wasn't keen on dwelling too much on Rossweise's virtues.
The yoga class began.
Leon secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, you have something to keep you occupied. No more bothering me~