Space magic was one thing, but accidentally traveling to the future… That couldn't be achieved with space magic alone, could it?
"Wait, wait, I have a lot of questions."
Rossweise said, "The future Little Light developed reversal magic and sent you back to the present. Everything you just did was the key to changing the future, right?"
Leon nodded.
"Then after the change, won't the 'reality' where our future daughters exist disappear?"
"No, it will still exist."
Leon thought for a moment and explained, "To put it simply, if Little Light wears glasses because she's nearsighted, then starting now, I supervise her study habits so she grows up healthy and stress-free. Then the future Little Light won't be nearsighted. The reality related to 'future Little Light being nearsighted' will change accordingly."
Rossweise digested Leon's explanation. "Ah… So, whether you disappear into the space-time rift or return from the future, it won't create another 'worldline'?"
"Mm. Little Light explained that the worldline, or rather time, flows in one direction. Changing any point in the past won't create a branch; the change will affect the future."
Rossweise's eyes shifted slightly, and she nodded thoughtfully. "So, the daughters who helped you return from the future won't disappear, and everything we do now will affect their future."
"Exactly."
Leon said, "In other words, as long as we maintain this happy fake family and keep everything as beautiful as before, then our daughters in the future will have the same happiness."
Hearing this, the queen froze for a moment, then a trace of displeasure flashed across her face as she muttered, "Hmph, 'fake'…"
"What did you say?" Leon didn't hear clearly.
"Nothing."
Rossweise picked up her cup, took a sip, and then said, "I understand now. So, if we live well now, our daughters in the future will live well too, right?"
"Mm. Actually, that's a very interesting point."
Leon said, "We in the present don't need to worry too much about the future. Because as long as we take each step well now, the future will await us in the best possible way, won't it?"
Rossweise raised an eyebrow. "Oh, speaking so eloquently. It seems your dragon-slaying skills weren't the only thing that improved this month. Your cultural education has advanced a lot too."
Leon was slightly surprised. "Did you just openly praise me? It seems your mouth has gotten sweeter too."
The queen snorted, reached out to gently pinch Leon's chin, then leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Well~ since my mouth is so sweet, don't you want to… taste it?"
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"Mother Dragon, are you trying to use your charms on this general again?"
Heh heh…
Such petty tricks, let me tell you, today I will—
voluntarily fall for them!
Leon grabbed Rossweise's wrist, pulling her into his embrace and letting her sit sideways on his lap.
Oh no, it wasn't that Leon let her sit there; she took the opportunity and actively sat down herself.
Rossweise wrapped her arms around Leon's neck, her nose lightly brushing against his, her soft lips occasionally grazing his skin, teasing him with their proximity.
This charm tactic, someone was getting more and more skilled at using it.
"Why haven't you kissed me yet? Hmm? My big hero," Rossweise whispered, her voice full of ambiguity and tenderness.
"It's been too long."
"What… has been too long?"
"Six months. Too long."
Rossweise blinked. "So?"
"So I forgot how to kiss you."
"…"
Can you even forget that?
This primal instinct carved into your genes, can you forget it?
Why don't you just forget your own head in the future too?
You, you, you, you're just making excuses. Don't think this queen can't see through you.
Fine, not making the first move?
Then we'll have to review the "game of push and pull" as a couple.
"Oh dear, what a shame. I've forgotten how to kiss too. This is such a difficult situation," Rossweise cooed.
Leon looked at her sitting on his lap, then at how her arms were wrapped around his neck.
And that flirtatious gaze and ambiguous tone—
"Your series of smooth moves, no matter how I look at it, doesn't seem like you've forgotten, does it?"
"Sorry, hubby, this is like how I only perform in key matches," she said with a grin.
"What do you mean?"
"I only perform in key matches, and I only forget key things. Ah~ look at me, I'm so silly," Rossweise said with a playful expression.
"…"
Rossweise leaned forward, pressing her chest gently against Leon's.
"What should we do, hubby?~ Hubby, say something~"
Leon's eyelids twitched slightly.
Don't press, Mother Dragon.
I just ate; I'm about to get motion sickness from all this spice!
The couple continued their game of push and pull, neither willing to give in to the impulsive desires that had built up over the past six months.
They could have just gone for it directly, and everyone would have been happy…
But each push and pull impacted their respective family roles, and they couldn't just decide recklessly.
Their black and silver eyes reflected each other's faces as they drew closer, their breaths mingling, and they could even hear each other's heartbeats quicken.
Six months apart, the longing in their hearts had surpassed the level of "absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Swish—swish—
Her silver tail brushed against the floor, then slowly coiled around Leon's ankle, climbing upward and lightly wrapping around his calf.
The agile tip of her tail slipped into his pant leg, teasing the back of his knee.
It was a delicate, ticklish sensation, incredibly sensitive.
Leon inhaled the familiar, pleasant scent of her body and finally decided to surrender willingly.
He gently lifted Rossweise's delicate face and kissed her lips.
Their lips met and parted repeatedly, as if savoring each other's taste.
After a brief, teasing prelude, they deepened the kiss, engaging in a more profound exchange.
They had both lied.
The six months apart hadn't made them forget how to kiss each other; on the contrary,
Because the separation had been so long, their desire for each other had only grown stronger. During the kiss, they were even more intoxicated, unable to stop.
As the kiss deepened, Leon's hand slowly traveled downward from Rossweise's face.
It brushed over her pale, swan-like neck, then past her slender collarbones, lingering briefly on her soft curves, adding some intensity to their long-awaited reunion.
Next, he moved toward Rossweise's abdomen.
However, as his fingers grazed her ribcage, her body suddenly jolted, and she involuntarily let out a soft groan.
Leon panicked and immediately stopped. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"
"No…"
Rossweise furrowed her brows slightly. "It's from the battle… After fighting for so long, of course, there are some injuries."
She gently touched her lower ribs and forced a smile. "I think I got hit by a rock when I transformed a few days ago… Ugh… it still hasn't healed."
Seeing her in pain, it didn't look like an injury from a few days ago—it seemed more like it had just happened yesterday.
Leon quickly helped Rossweise sit on a nearby chair, letting her catch her breath.
"Was it because the girls were here that you held it in just now?" Leon asked as he checked her injury.
"Mm…"
He lifted Rossweise's shirt, his fingers unintentionally brushing against her warm, delicate skin, smooth and tender.
But there were many injuries.
It seemed the past six months had been very difficult for her.
Leon frowned and gently pressed on her ribcage, asking if it hurt.
Rossweise adjusted her shirt and said softly, "It's fine. With the dragon clan's self-healing ability, even without treatment, this injury will heal in a few days."
"But it will hurt for a while, right?"
Leon finished her sentence, then lowered her shirt. "I'll go get some painkillers from Shirley later."
Rossweise didn't try to tough it out and nodded. "Okay. So… should we go back to our room?"
"Mm."
Rossweise held her ribcage and slowly stood up.
Just as she was about to turn and walk away, she noticed Leon was still sitting in the chair.
"Didn't you finish eating?" Rossweise asked.
"It's not that…" He touched his thigh, his expression slightly dark.
Rossweise noticed his small movement and asked with concern, "Is your leg injured?"
Leon shook his head. "It seems the battle just now was my limit… I've accumulated a lot of magic power, plus the Nine Hells Gate. After dealing with those Dragon Kings, I can barely walk now."
If it were the old Leon, facing four Dragon Kings would have been a fierce battle.
And though the recent fight seemed like he easily wiped out the Dragon Kings, the short-term magic consumption and the side effects of the Nine Hells Gate on his body became evident after the battle ended.
The queen paused, then shook her head with a bitter smile. She walked over to Leon and helped him up. "I understand. You didn't want the girls to worry, so you've been holding it in."
Leon smiled helplessly and let Rossweise support him.
The couple leaned against each other, each with an arm around the other's waist, supporting one another as they left the dining room and slowly walked down the hallway.
"But if I had more magic power, I wouldn't have to struggle so much to walk," Leon said. "But what I used just now… must be the storage limit of the dragon marks. If I tried to gather more, the dragon marks wouldn't absorb the magic power anymore, and it would all be taken by that unknown 'thing' inside my body."
Rossweise's thoughts stirred, and she pressed her lips together. "I actually… have a way to help you store more magic power."
Leon turned to look at her. "What way?"
The queen gave a mysterious smile. "Do you want to know?"
Seeing that mischievous expression, Leon felt a flutter of unease.
He swallowed nervously, stammering, "It's not some weird method, is it…?"
"No, no, no, don't worry, it's not~ weird~ at all~," Rossweise said. "Once my injury heals, we'll give it a try."
"Oh… wait?! What do you mean 'we,' not 'I'?!"
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.
A day later, they still didn't know what Rossweise meant by the method to store more magic power for Leon. She only said that she was injured and it wasn't the right time for "strenuous activity."
So, they would wait until both their wounds had healed before discussing it further.
Leon carefully pondered her words.
"Strenuous activity… No matter how I think about it, it doesn't sound like a good thing…"
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.
In the front courtyard of the Silver Dragon Temple, Leon sat under a pavilion, gazing at the bright blue sky, not a cloud in sight.
He took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, then closed his eyes, trying to empty his mind.
His body was still in a very fatigued and weak state. Even the simplest task of gathering magic power caused an intense burning sensation in the magical circuits within his body.
And this was just a symptom of excessive magic consumption.
The side effects of the Nine Hells Gate were also tormenting him, with aching bones and muscles.
These side effects couldn't be alleviated by medicine; they could only fade away gradually, bit by bit.
Leon estimated it would take at least ten days to half a month to recover.
Truthfully, he rarely overexerted himself in battle as he had yesterday.
But it was clear that those Dragon Kings were determined to kill him. If he had held back even a little, he wouldn't be here now, reflecting on life in the mother dragon's courtyard.
He would have already been resurrected in a match with Old Constantine.
However, after this battle, Leon suspected the Empire would not choose to confront him directly again.