noveldrama
Vol. 3 Ch. 18
Vol. 3 Ch. 18
Late in the evening, Leon sat in Rosvisser’s study, flipping through an ancient document.
He hoped to find some clues about Primordial Magic within its pages.
Most of the time, he didn’t find much, but right now, this painstaking method of sifting through information was his only way of understanding Primordial Magic.
Soon, the sound of footsteps came from the doorway. Rosvisser walked in, her feet snug in dragon-wing slippers.
She had just finished her bath, her long silver hair still damp and cascading down her back. Her smooth, pale arms still glistened with heat and small droplets of water.
The dragon mark on her chest rose and fell with her breath, and the soft curves pressed together in a way that stirred one's imagination.
A pleasant scent of roses lingered around her.
Leon sniffed the air but didn’t lift his head. “Your Majesty, how refined—bathing in rose petals.”
Rosvisser approached the desk, stood on her tiptoes, and lightly perched her hips on the edge. Her nightgown hugged her rounded figure, and her silver eyes fell to Leon.
“I was going to invite you to join me, but then I thought, since you're so devoted to finding clues about Primordial Magic for your loving wife, I shouldn’t disturb you.”
Leon closed the book and finally looked up at her. “It’s not too late for that invitation.”
As he spoke, his large hand gently rested on her thigh.
Rosvisser raised an eyebrow and slowly extended her hand.
Leon thought she was responding to his flirtation, but instead, she flicked his hand with a sharp *smack*, her expression turning playful as she said, “Don’t touch me. Do you think you can just touch the queen’s body whenever you want?”
Leon withdrew his hand with a chuckle. “I get it, Your Majesty. No touching over the clothes, right?”
Rosvisser clicked her tongue and swatted his cheek lightly with her tail. “Stop saying weird things, as if our everyday life is shameless.”
Leon shrugged. “You were the one who just mentioned inviting me to bathe with you. Isn’t that shameless?”
“I’m a woman. Women can say things like that; men can’t.”
“That’s not being a woman, you’re a dragon. And that’s a double standard.”
“So what if it is? I gave you children, didn’t I?”
“As if you could’ve had them without me.”
“We dragons are perfectly capable of having children on our own, thank you very much.”
As usual, the two of them bantered back and forth, trading sharp remarks. After a few exchanges, Rosvisser had Leon stumped.
Leon sat back in his chair, holding the ancient text, while Rosvisser leaned against the desk, arms crossed, her hair still dotted with water.
For a moment, they stared at each other—one high, one low—before both burst out laughing.
Leon placed the book on the desk and reached out, grabbing Rosvisser’s wrist to pull her closer.
She playfully resisted for a moment but soon gave in, resting comfortably on his lap.
With one arm wrapped around her waist, Leon toyed with her damp silver hair and asked, “Where did you learn all these quirky ideas?”
“Picked up some rubbish while studying foreign cultures.”
Rosvisser leaned against his strong, muscular body, her legs swinging casually, her toes barely holding onto her slippers.
“Well, it might not be high-class philosophy, but as a woman, it does feel good to say.”
The two-hundred-year-old queen wasn’t the kind to fall for such nonsense, of course. She just thought it was fun to use it to annoy her pretend husband, and it worked every time.
Even General Leon couldn’t withstand this kind of teasing.
Leon chuckled and shifted the conversation to something more serious. “By the way, what do you think of Noa’s friend?”
“What about her?”
“Well… I don’t really understand dragon social customs, so from your perspective, there’s nothing unusual about Noa’s friend, right?”
Rosvisser blinked her beautiful silver eyes before nodding. “No, nothing unusual.”
“No diplomatic issues between dragon clans or anything like that?”
“That depends on which clan Helena belongs to. If she’s from a tribe known for starting conflicts, I’d tell Noa to be cautious, but I wouldn’t force her to end the friendship.”
Rosvisser wrapped her arm around Leon’s, her thumb gently brushing his cheek. “Friends are her own choice. No one else can decide that for her.”
“You’re pretty open-minded,” Leon complimented.
“I learned it from you.”
Rosvisser poked Leon’s chest. “The key to raising a healthy daughter is respecting her choices.”
Leon smiled. “So, how come I don’t see you respecting me like that?”
“Why would I respect a prisoner?”
“Alright, alright. Prisoner, huh? I’ve never seen a prisoner treated like this.”
He bounced his leg slightly, feeling the weight of her body, before pulling her closer.
Rosvisser let out a soft hum. “Well, now you have. This is how we Melkveys treat our prisoners.”
After a few more playful remarks, the topic returned to Noa and Helena.
“Honestly, I’m glad Noa made a friend like Helena.”
Rosvisser added, “That girl seems well-mannered, and she clearly comes from a distinguished family. She’s also older than Noa, so she can help her emotionally and take care of her.”
That last point hit the mark.
Leon nodded in agreement. “With Noa’s stubborn and quiet personality, it’s not easy for her to find someone she can lean on emotionally.”
“Exactly. So, we definitely shouldn’t interfere with this friendship.”
Rosvisser continued, “Noa knows how to judge people. She knows who she can trust and who she should keep at arm’s length.”
“True, but…”
Rosvisser raised an eyebrow. “But what?”
“Well, I noticed Moon was acting a bit strange… During dinner, she purposely asked Noa to cut her steak, and then she kissed her. It’s been a while since she did that.”
Leon mused, “Aren’t sisterly bonds usually something that happens later, when they’re alone in their room? Why was she so eager during dinner?”
Rosvisser also recalled Moon’s behavior. “It’s normal for kids to be unpredictable.”
She added, “Maybe Moon just felt a little out of place with Noa bringing home a new friend?”
“You think Moon dislikes Helena?”
“‘Dislike’ is too strong a word. Moon is a good kid; she rarely has such negative feelings.”
Rosvisser said thoughtfully, “Once she gets used to Helena, I’m sure things will be fine.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Speaking of sisterly bonds... I was actually planning to take the girls to visit my sister this weekend.”
Rosvisser’s gaze fell on a photograph on the desk—a picture of her and Isha from long ago.
“Recently, the Empire and Lavie sent troops to the outskirts of the Red Dragon’s territory to prevent my sister from supporting me. She’s been fighting day and night.”
Rosvisser’s voice softened, “Now that the crisis has passed, I’ve been meaning to take some time to visit her.”
“Then let’s go next week,” Leon suggested.
Rosvisser nodded, but her eyes remained fixed on the photo.
Sensing her slight melancholy, Leon’s expression softened. Without a word, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her toward the door.
Rosvisser instinctively tightened her grip on his arm. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you to bed,” Leon replied, heading for the bedroom.
“I can walk by myself. Put me down.”
She said the words, but made no effort to struggle, allowing Leon to carry her.
Leon, understanding her thoughts, just smiled faintly. “How could I let Her Majesty walk herself to the bedroom? I’m just a humble prisoner here to assist.”
Rosvisser rolled her eyes at him, suppressing a smile. She said nothing more.
As the night deepened, the two exchanged a quiet goodnight and fell asleep in each other’s arms.