Book 3: Chapter 121 (2) |
Roswitha said that with the dragon race’s fierce lineage, keeping fluffy little animals was beneath their dignity.
Later, she quietly grumbled to Leon, wondering which ancestor came up with this *face-saving, suffering-inducing* rule.
Cats are so fun—why can’t we keep cats?!
This queen is over two hundred years old and only touched a cat for the first time today!
*So wronged!*
“Then let’s buy one to take back later,” Leon said.
Roswitha blinked, then shook her head, “No need. There are already three little kittens and one big dumb dog waiting for me to take care of at home.”
Leon froze, pointing at his nose,
The queen smiled and shook her head, “Nope.”
Leon rolled his eyes.
Roswitha covered her mouth, chuckling, then glanced at the shopping bag in his hand,
“Just buying these recording stones? That’s not enough, is it?”
To use the resonance of recording stones at the Thousand Lantern Festival, these alone wouldn’t suffice.
“Yeah, we need to buy more. But we can’t buy from the same shop, or it’ll raise suspicion.”
Roswitha nodded in understanding, “Got it. Shall we keep strolling then?”
“Sure.”
But after taking a step, Leon couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked as they walked,
“Roswitha.”
“Hm?”
“Why do I feel like you’re… really excited about this outing?”
Roswitha paused her steps, not answering right away. Instead, she smiled and countered, “Am I? Was I that obvious?”
Leon nodded, “Yeah. Since we left, you’ve urged me several times to hurry to the next place.”
The beauty lowered her eyes, nodding slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Then she looked up at the street ahead, slowly stepping forward while answering Leon,
“Ever since our daughters went to St. Hiss Academy, you’ve been alone at home.”
“I’m usually busy with work and can only occasionally sit with you to chat. On one hand, having you by my side puts me at ease; on the other, I don’t want to see you wandering the courtyard all alone.”
“Later, you kept leaving the temple, wandering around my tribe by yourself.”
“At first, I didn’t know why you liked sneaking out.”
“But one day, you told me it was because you wanted to walk the paths I’d walked and see the sights I’d seen.”
“That day, I wanted to ask you more, but you didn’t answer further.”
Leon listened, lost in thought.
When he came back to himself, he realized Roswitha had walked a few steps ahead.
He looked up, forward.
Roswitha clasped her hands behind her back, playfully turning around to walk backward,
“That question has always lingered in my heart—why did you want to walk my paths and see my sights?”
“Until today, stepping onto the land of your homeland, I think I’ve found the answer to that question.”
“To understand someone, beyond staying by their side, you need to feel their past, experience the things they’ve gone through.”
“I want to know what kind of environment shaped the you of today.”
“And even more, I want to know…”
She tilted her head slightly, squinting with a smile, a flush spreading across her face. The breeze lifted her black hair, revealing a few silver strands, like silver tassels swaying in the night,
“Where the one I love comes from.”
…
This was another purpose of Roswitha’s outing:
To understand the man she called her “husband” in a different way.
Strangely, Roswitha hadn’t always been so sentimental, nor could she grasp the romantic allure of “seeing the sights you’ve seen.”
But after spending so much time with Leon day in and day out, her heart had quietly changed.
Rather than saying the queen had grown more curious or romantic, it was more accurate to say her curiosity and romance were reserved solely for Leon.
If it were anyone else, Roswitha would probably just find them *affectedly sentimental*.
Like how her eldest sister, Isha, had hoarded so many unopened love letters—Roswitha could never understand what pivotal role a letter could play in a relationship—
Until, for a brief period, she secretly wrote in her diary almost every day, recording the little moments of her and Leon’s daily life.
Only then did she realize that what mattered wasn’t the medium of a “letter,” but the feelings in her heart when she penned those words:
Longing, contentment, happiness.
The same feelings she had now, walking the paths Leon had walked, seeing the sights he’d seen.
Roswitha didn’t want to be stubborn or *tsundere* now—she just wanted Leon to understand her subtle affection.
And Leon’s response was—
Stepping forward, taking her slightly cool hand, and interlocking their fingers.
Black and silver eyes met with longing, the breeze gently stirring the beauty’s long lashes.
“Then, I’ll take you to the next place.”
Roswitha nodded with a faint smile, “Okay.”
Since she didn’t know when she’d next visit Leon’s homeland—perhaps this was the first and last time—Roswitha expressed her heartfelt thoughts.
Thankfully, her foolish captive wasn’t always at odds with her 24/7.
When it was time to bicker, they bickered; when it was time to soften, he definitely softened.
The couple held hands, jogging slowly through the streets of the Lower District.
Leon ran ahead, arms full of shopping bags stuffed with recording stones.
Roswitha followed behind, one hand lifting her long skirt, the other tightly clasped with Leon’s.
They were like a pair of young lovers recklessly chasing freedom, weaving through the bustling streets.
…
Over the course of the day, Leon took Roswitha all around the Lower District, sticking to the safe locations marked on Rebecca’s map.
As the sun began to set, Leon and Roswitha sat on a roadside bench.