Not long after the successful negotiation between humans and dragons, the centuries-long war finally came to an official end.
Though Leon still had lingering thoughts about the mysterious "Shadow," he decided to cherish and enjoy the peaceful days that had arrived, however brief they might prove to be. For now, he consciously chose to set aside all worries, conspiracies, and impending chaos.
After all, the great general was now back to his "forced retirement" as a stay-at-home father.
"Not that I chose retirement," he mused to himself with a wry grin, "it's more like being forcibly 'laid off.'" Once the Empire's most formidable dragon slayer, he was now technically "unemployed"—the Empire was gone, and the war was over. What role was left for a professional soldier of a kingdom that no longer existed?
But as he looked around the serene Silver Dragon Temple, a deeper truth settled in his heart. "What could be more important than this?" This peace, this family, was the very thing he had fought for all along.
While he couldn't exactly laze about all day—his duties as the Silver Dragon Prince saw to that—Leon found himself locked in daily battles of a different sort... this time, with Rossweise instead of rival dragons.
The "legendary" war between humans and dragons, as history books would likely record it:
- Fierce, unyielding battles, with both sides locked in brutal combat for over a hundred years, finally concluding after extensive losses on both sides.
The real "human-dragon war," as Leon experienced it in his daily life:
- "You'd better be prepared to get your 'homework' done twice tonight, or you won't be getting any sleep!" Rossweise had ordered him that morning.
It turned out that the phrase "idle hands are the devil's playground" applied as much to dragons as it did to humans—especially to a two-hundred-year-old dragon queen in her prime, married to a man whose legendary stamina was finally being tested in peacetime.
At dinner, Rossweise's appetite seemed minimal. After finishing a few delicate bites, she rose gracefully, walked behind Leon's chair, and placed her soft hands on his shoulders, leaning down to whisper into his ear,
"Don't play with the girls too late. Come back to our room early."
Everyone in the dragon clan knew that long-mated pairs shared a unique sense of "understanding." Between them, all kinds of coded language had developed over time.
For instance, in this case, "Don't play too late with the girls" very clearly meant... I want you with me tonight, and I have plans.
Leon paused mid-bite, glancing sideways at her elegant hand resting on his shoulder. He was still mentally recovering from the previous night's... negotiations, and the queen looked ready for a rematch. Tonight, if things "kicked off" as energetically as last time, Leon knew he'd be starting at a distinct disadvantage.
"Um... well, I need to help Noah practice her advanced magic tonight, right?" he offered, grasping for the first reasonable excuse.
"No need, Dad. I want to practice channeling the crystal's energy on my own tonight," the ever-diligent Noah replied. She planned to train in elemental magic using the Night Spirit Crystal she'd won, so she politely but firmly declined her father's offer.
"Then... I still need to play the 'Dragon Knight' game with Muen tomorrow," Leon tried again, turning to his second daughter.
"Daddy, you just told Muen yesterday that we shouldn't play violent games like 'Dragon Knight' anymore, and Muen always listens to you!" Little Muen declared proudly. She didn't fully understand that the great war was over, but she knew she should obey her father's new rules for peacetime.
"Uh... well... Aurora—" he began, a note of desperation creeping in as he turned to his youngest.
"If I refuse Dad's request, it seems like tonight will be more fun, right?" Aurora interjected, not quite understanding the adults' games, but sensing from her father's reaction that rejecting him might mean something interesting was happening elsewhere.
Seeing his "three lifelines" slip away one by one, Leon watched helplessly as Rossweise leaned close again, her voice a low, sultry whisper that promised both threat and reward,
"Trust me, my little lion, tonight you'll see exactly what you want."
With that, Rossweise gently patted Leon's cheek and, after bidding a warm goodnight to the girls, left the dining room with a purposeful, hip-swaying stride in her heels.
Having wavered between "rest tonight" and "recover for tomorrow" all evening, Leon immediately changed his mind after hearing her words. She knew exactly what motivated him, and he knew that she knew. It was no secret to anyone in the family what Leon wanted most when presented with one of his wife's... incentives.
So—
"Alright then, Noah, you focus on your magic practice; Muen, you think up some wonderful new games; and Aurora, don't feel any pressure about refusing your dad tonight. And most importantly," he announced, standing up so fast his chair scraped back, "none of you come looking for me tonight!"
The young dragons watched, bemused, as their father practically dashed out of the dining room, his speed so great it almost seemed he had abandoned the use of magic altogether.
Aurora blinked, then chuckled to herself, "What a childish adult."
Noah looked at her younger sister in surprise. "You think adults can be childish too?"
"Of course!"
"How do you figure?"
"I never had any guilt about refusing Dad in the first place!" Aurora said with pride, flicking her tail triumphantly.
"Oh... that's what you meant," Noah said, a slight smile touching her lips. With that, she climbed off her chair. "I'm heading to the practice room, and I might be late. Don't wait up for me."
"Okay, sis~" Muen called after her, watching her leave.
But Aurora narrowed her eyes, watching her eldest sister's back until she disappeared around the corner. A thoughtful look crossed her face.
"Hey, Aurora, let's think of a new game together!" Muen suggested, eager for entertainment.
Aurora thought for a moment and then replied with a sly grin, "No need to think, sis—I know exactly what game we're playing tonight."
.
.
.
Leon returned to their chambers and entered the bedroom, finding Rossweise already lying on the bed. She was wrapped up snugly in the silken covers, only her upper half visible from the knees up.
"Rossweise, what's going on here?" he asked, playing along with the scene.
"I'm not feeling well," she murmured, attempting a weak, frail tone that she was notoriously bad at mimicking.
"But you were full of energy just five minutes ago in the dining hall," he countered, stepping closer.
"Well, now I'm sick! Come here and feel my forehead—it's burning up," she insisted, her voice a dramatic whisper.
Leon's playful expression faded, replaced by genuine concern. He walked quickly to the bed, crouched beside her, and pressed a firm hand to her forehead.
"It doesn't seem hot at all," he reported, puzzled.
"I didn't say it was my forehead that was hot," she clarified, her eyes glinting with mischief.
"Then what—?"
Before he could finish, Rossweise's hand slipped out from under the covers, resting gently on the back of his.
Leon glanced down, and his gaze was instantly captivated.
Her hands were always beautiful—slender, delicate, and graceful. He'd grown used to seeing them that way. But this time, there was something different: a new piece of decoration on her wrist.
It looked like a bracelet, but much more intricate and delicate than her usual jewelry.
Before Leon could fully process her intention, she gently tugged his hand, guiding it further under the covers.
A wave of warmth enveloped Leon's hand, but this heat didn't feel like a feverish temperature—it was warmer, more comforting, and somehow deeply inviting.
"What's this, Mother Dragon?" he asked, a smile returning to his lips. "I thought you promised me something good to see. But pretending to be sick...?"
Rossweise bit her lip, a playful, challenging gleam in her eye. "Don't be hasty. Keep going... a little further..." she coaxed.
She guided Leon's hand deeper under the blanket.
Suddenly, his fingers brushed against an unusual texture.
Given the location, it seemed his hand had found her thigh. But Leon was intimately familiar with the feel of her skin—smooth, soft, flawless. This was different.
The sensation was more like a thin, incredibly fine layer of silk, clinging perfectly to her thigh, allowing him to feel the heat of her skin and the firm muscle beneath through the sheer fabric.
"Tell me," she whispered, her voice husky. "What are you touching?"
"Um... your tights?" he ventured, his own voice growing a bit rough.
Rossweise rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "Let me give you a hint—it's a type of stocking."
"Stocking?" Leon licked his suddenly dry lips, his mind finally catching up as he realized what he was feeling. "Could it be... black stockings?"
Rossweise's eyes sparkled, her smile becoming deeply seductive. "Correct, my little lion, correct."
With that, she slowly pulled the blanket up a bit more, revealing what it had concealed.
First, she revealed her delicate, beautifully shaped feet, her toes wiggling slightly beneath the sheer black stockings, a sight both charming and intensely enticing.
Then, her rounded ankles, slender calves, and perfectly toned thighs came into view, all sheathed in the sheer black fabric. Her pale skin peeked through the tight weave, the fabric enhancing the elegant curves of her legs like a master's artwork.
The blanket stopped its ascent just above her upper thighs, maintaining the tantalizing mystery.
Rossweise reached out, gently lifting Leon's chin to force him to meet her gaze, her own eyes dark with promise.
"If you want to see more," she murmured, her voice a low, thrilling vibration, "you'll have to agree to my condition."
"What is it?" he asked, his breath catching.
Her lips parted in a sultry, knowing smile, her eyes holding his, deep and entrancing.
"Until the sun rises..." she whispered, drawing out each word, "...don't~ you~ dare~ stop~ even once."