Rossweise's mood these past few days had indeed been low, but she would not show it in front of her daughters.
At the dinner table, she patiently listened to Noah and Muen's endless chattering.
Muen bragged about how good she was at hide-and-seek today, finding all the hidden maids in less than a minute.
Noah talked about the new magic she had learned.
As for the youngest daughter…
She was still in the babbling stage and could not join her sisters' conversation yet.
[Youngest Sister: Just you wait six months. I will surpass you all because my idol is Aunt Isha. Mischief level 999%]
Leon ate his dinner while keeping an eye on Rossweise's emotions.
Earlier in the backyard, he had asked if her bad mood was because of him.
Rossweise had not answered.
Usually, when she did not answer Leon's questions, it meant she tacitly agreed.
But Leon truly could not figure out where he had offended Her Majesty these past few days.
Could it be because of the banquet a few nights ago, when he had jokingly praised the "beautiful female gunner" in his old squad in front of her?
Had she been holding a grudge all this time?
Leon thought about it and felt it was unlikely.
Rossweise was not the easily jealous type. Besides, she knew him well enough to understand he was joking.
Even if the incident had upset her, she would have "taught him a lesson" that very night, making it clear he should not use the word "beautiful" in front of her.
There was no need for her to be so depressed and frustrated, bearing the weight alone.
Sigh. Still cannot figure it out.
"Dad."
Muen's voice brought Leon back to the present. He shook his head slightly and looked at his daughter.
"What is it, Muen?"
"We agreed before that after Mom had little sis, we would go to the beach~ Do you remember?"
Leon smiled. "Of course, I remember. But little sister is still too small to travel far. When she is a bit bigger, we will go to the beach, okay?"
Muen nodded obediently. "Okay~"
The little dragon girl then turned to her younger sister, using the agile tip of her tail to tease her.
Her little sister, sitting in her chair with a bib tied around her neck to keep her clothes clean, stared with wide eyes at the tip of her sister's tail. She waved her soft, tiny hands back and forth, trying to catch it but never quite succeeding.
Across the table, Rossweise rested her chin on one hand, her eyes slightly lowered, watching the scene quietly.
Leon glanced at her secretly and was surprised to see a rare, genuine smile on her face.
It was not forced; it came from the heart.
"Little sister, grow up quickly so we can all go to the beach together as a family~"
Leon had just begun to feel relieved that Rossweise was finally smiling, but when Muen said this, her smile vanished instantly.
She paused for a moment, then quickly looked away from her daughters, lowered her head, and silently continued eating the food left on her plate.
Leon noticed this immediately.
Why such a strong reaction when Muen mentioned "our family"?
By all accounts, this constructed family was something Rossweise and Leon had painstakingly built with the initial purpose of giving their daughters a complete childhood and the necessary love from both parents.
Now, Muen's strong sense of "family" and "being a family" showed they had maintained this family well. So why was Rossweise not relieved, but even… resistant? She had not been like this before.
Women are truly hard to understand, Leon sighed inwardly. Even after being "married" for so long, he still could not grasp why Rossweise would act this way.
There was no use guessing. He could only wait until she was ready to talk.
After dinner, Noah and Muen returned to their rooms, leaving the little sister in the care of Mom and Dad. The couple stood side by side in the kitchen, washing the dishes as usual. There were no words between them, but their movements were in sync.
After scrubbing the last bit of grime from the final plate, Leon handed it to Rossweise, who was responsible for rinsing. But instead of taking the plate as usual, Rossweise stood there quietly, as if struggling with something.
Leon awkwardly held the plate and tilted his head. "What is wrong?"
Rossweise closed her eyes, took a deep breath, as if she had finally made an important decision.
"Leon, go… spend some time with the girls," she said.
Leon did not quite understand. "What?"
"I said, go play with the girls. Play hide-and-seek, teach them magic, educate them, or… just hug them."
Leon grew more confused as he listened. But he did not ask further. Perhaps Rossweise just wanted some quiet time alone and was using the girls as an excuse to send him away.
Leon placed the plate next to the sink, took off his apron, dried his hands, and left the room.
As evening fell, the sun disappeared quickly, and the kitchen grew darker, emphasizing the lonely, solitary figure of the silver-haired beauty.
Drip, drip…
Water fell rhythmically from the faucet into the sink, splashing lightly.
Rossweise slowly turned her gaze to the apron Leon had just taken off. It was a blue, ordinary household apron. But he had worn it for a long time, evident from the yellowish stains.
She glanced down at her own apron, the same style but in pink. When had they bought these again…? She could not remember. She had been with Leon… for so long.
Over a year. For a dragon's long life, it was just a blink of an eye.
But Rossweise always felt this year had been very long, so long she had almost forgotten it might have an end.
After a long silence, she slowly reached out, her fingers trembling slightly, and picked up the plate Leon had left by the sink. Then she turned on the faucet and began to wash it in silence.
The icy water flowed over her fingers. She tried to grasp it, only to find she could not hold onto it. And what she could not hold onto was not just the water running through her fingers…
After nine in the evening, the sound of the door lock echoed through the house. Leon walked down the hallway and returned to the bedroom. Their youngest daughter was already fast asleep in bed, while Rossweise sat on the couch.
She was not wearing pajamas but a rather formal dress. Leon stood at the bedroom door, scratching his head.
"I… just spent some time with the girls, taught Noah a little magic, and hugged each of them before leaving."
Rossweise kept her eyes down, looking at the tips of her shoes, and nodded silently.
"So… what now?" Leon asked.
Rossweise slowly looked up at Leon. Their eyes met, and in that single glance, it was as if a thousand words were left unspoken.
Unfortunately, there was no time to say them now.
After a long moment of silence, Rossweise spoke first. "Leon, a year ago today, I met your master…"