Leon could not quite understand her sudden shyness. "We have seen each other completely bare so many times. Why are you so hesitant now?"
"This is different!"
"Alright, alright, different. Then, if I may, Your Majesty, please lift your skirt so I can check if there is a Dragon Mark on your abdomen."
Even though it was her request, why did it sound so strange when he said it? The dignified Silver Dragon Queen, having to lift her skirt to let someone inspect her abdomen… It was so embarrassing!
Rossweise bit her lip, her face flushed, as she slowly lifted the hem of her dress. Her smooth, pale thighs were gradually exposed, the black lace trim of her undergarments peeking out from beneath the fabric. Higher still, her soft, flat stomach was revealed, but there was no mark.
Leon shook his head. "Nothing. It seems it appeared somewhere else."
Rossweise dropped her skirt and checked her arms, shoulders, and thighs, even glancing at her tail, but found nothing. She scratched her head, troubled. "Where could it have gone…"
Leon raised his hand, motioning for her to turn around. She obliged. He inspected the back of her neck and along her spine, but found nothing.
"Oh no, do not tell me it appeared on your…?"
"It did not!"
Barefoot, Rossweise hurried down the stairs. "I will go find a mirror and check for myself!"
Watching her flustered retreat, Leon shook his head with a wry smile. He stood up, put on his clothes, and followed her.
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One after another, they returned to their bedroom. When Leon opened the door, he saw Rossweise sitting on the edge of the bed, her expression utterly defeated.
He walked over. "What is wrong? Your face tells me the mark did not end up where I thought."
Rossweise, her face burning, lowered her head. Her hands were clasped between her knees as she whispered, "It is… on my lower back."
Upon hearing that, General Leon's face also reddened slightly.
"Quite the tease, Your Majesty. Let me have a look!"
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Rossweise quickly shielded her lower back and dove under the blankets, pulling the covers up to her mouth. Only her nose peeked out to breathe. The movement was smooth, as if practiced countless times.
Leon watched with great interest. "What is the matter? I just want to look."
The Queen shrank beneath the blankets. "You… you do not understand the situation we are in."
"What do you mean?"
"Now that we both have two Dragon Marks, the… sensation will be transmitted at double the intensity," Rossweise explained. "Before, we would need to kiss or be intimate to trigger a reaction. But now… you might just look at a certain part of my body and… want to do that."
Leon thought carefully, then shrugged. "Do I seem like the kind of man who is ruled by his base instincts?"
"I cannot speak for other things, but when it comes to this, you are that man!"
"Injustice, Your Majesty! I swear I will just look." Leon held up three fingers. "I promise, just one look."
Seeing his earnest expression, Rossweise bit her lip, torn. Though they knew every inch of each other's bodies, deliberately exposing such a sensitive spot was too embarrassing! She had nearly died of shame lifting her skirt in the temple. Now, she was to show him the most sensitive part of her lower back…
She struggled internally before finally saying, "Fine. But you absolutely cannot touch. Understood?"
"Okay."
Rossweise took a deep breath, as if steeling herself. Then she sat up in bed, tucked her tail away, and knelt in a duck-like position with her back to Leon, slowly lifting the back of her skirt.
Her round buttocks were wrapped in black lace, and just above, in the delicate dip of her lower back, was the new Dragon Mark. It moved subtly with her breathing, alluring and cute. However, the mark did not stop there. A small portion extended down the groove of her tailbone, disappearing beneath the lace.
Leon stroked his chin. "Your Dragon Mark sure knows how to pick a spot."
"Have you looked enough, you jerk?" Rossweise said, her face red.
"Let your tail out. I want to see if the mark changes position," Leon said.
Relieved he was not just trying to pinch her tail again, Rossweise obediently released it. A part of the mark remained on her lower back, but another part shifted with the change in her body's structure, extending down below the base of her tail. When her tail hung normally, this part would remain hidden.
"It is beneath the base of your tail," Leon confirmed.
Rossweise sighed in relief. "That is not so bad. At least it is not in a… weird place."
"By 'weird place,' you mean your butt?"
"Shut up! Do you have some obsession with my butt?"
"I have an obsession with your entire body, Your Majesty."
"Go die, you perv! So oily!"
Do married men just become more shameless? Rossweise brooded. She let her skirt fall and lay back under the covers. "I will deal with you another day. Go to sleep."
"Oh? You still dare to sleep in the same bed with me now?"
"Why would I not?"
"You said the Dragon Marks react more easily now. What if I accidentally brush your hand, and you suddenly feel the urge to… attack me?"
Rossweise rolled her eyes dramatically. "Do not flatter yourself. Even if you hold my hand all night, I would not have any thoughts about you."
"Alright then, since you insist, I will reluctantly continue sleeping with you," Leon said, feigning reluctance.
"If you do not want to, you can sleep in the courtyard."
Leon grinned, changed into his pajamas, and crawled into bed. Then, beneath the blanket, he found her hand and intertwined their fingers.
He paused. "It does not feel… particularly special. How about you?"
"I feel nothing either. I just feel like sleeping."
"Heh, a year of living together and you already feel nothing?"
Rossweise glanced at him. "There are only two kinds of people who can sleep together without feeling anything."
"What two kinds?"
"Pure friendship and old married couples."
"Oh wow, Your Majesty! Three years of marriage and we are already an old couple?" Leon teased.
"Idiot, I meant pure friendship."
"Whatever you say—"
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Their banter abruptly ended.
Leon felt his heart skip a beat. After that, his breathing quickened, his body temperature rising. He noticed Rossweise's fingers twitching in his grasp. She felt it too.
Their hands had suddenly become incredibly sensitive. The simple act of holding hands now flooded their minds with suggestive thoughts. Rossweise had always loved the feeling of Leon's hand, and now that sensation was magnified by sheer imagination.
She clenched the bedsheets with her other hand, trying to suppress the agitation. "Leon… Leon…"
"Do not say my name…"
When she reached the height of pleasure, she always called his name. Now, even saying it casually sounded… seductive.
"It is not… Leon, I feel like… something is off."
Leon glanced at her. "What is wrong, Mother Dragon? Were you not just saying we could hold hands all night without a problem?"
Rossweise licked her dry lips and tried to pull her hand free. But Leon's large palm held hers firmly, and the sensation was so good… She did not have to do anything—just his holding her hand gave her an exquisite sense of pleasure. Though they were treading dangerously close to losing control, the feeling was too intoxicating. After a brief struggle, she gave up.
Leon felt the same surge.
"Hey, mother dragon… do you… smell that?"
"Smell what?"
"You smell so good…"
"What?"
Leon shifted closer, wrapping his arms around her waist beneath the covers. "Rossweise, you smell amazing."
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The effect of the double dragon marks shattered their sanity.
No method or position could satisfy their desire for each other. Once was not enough. Twice was not enough. Three times was not enough. They needed more. Even as the sheets grew damp, even as the sky began to lighten, even as their bodies reached utter exhaustion… they needed one more time.
It was less like a mark and more like a drug—an addictive poison. Once touched, they could not stop.
Rossweise closed her eyes, her mouth slightly open, but no sound came out. She had no strength left; her body had succumbed to extreme fatigue hours ago. Yet she continued to accept Leon, constantly pushing her Dragon Queen body to match his assaults.
Another round of ecstasy passed. The couple had lost count.
A feeling of swelling overwhelmed her. Rossweise clenched her legs, lying on her side, her body trembling uncontrollably. "Leon… I am so tired."
Leon lay facing her, gently smoothing the sweat-dampened hair from her forehead. "Let us stop here, Rossweise… this is too much."
Rossweise smiled weakly. "You said that three hours ago. But the moment I touched you, you… pounced."
Leon gave a bitter smile. "Then do not touch me."
Exhaustion washed over the queen, and she gave a soft laugh, resting her forehead lightly on Leon's broad shoulder, finding a sense of security after her weariness.
"How can I not touch you, idiot?"