Book 3: Chapter 122 |
The queen held an orange-flavored ice cream Leon had just bought her, taking small bites.
Leon sat beside her, spreading out the map, giving it a quick scan. There was one last place he wanted to take Roswitha to see.
It was in the Mid-District, also a safe location marked by Rebecca.
Leon mentally calculated the time—they could make it there and still return before dark, as Nacho had specified.
Decision made, Leon folded the map, picked up the bag full of recording stones,
“Let’s go. One last place.”
Roswitha glanced down at her ice cream, with just one bite left.
She stood up and handed the ice cream to Leon.
“This isn’t just any ice cream butt,” Roswitha said with mock seriousness.
“Then what is it…?”
“It’s the ice cream butt left by the queen.”
“…”
Only she could come up with a description like that.
Leon looked at the tiny remaining tip of the ice cream butt, marked with traces of Roswitha’s lipstick.
Since it was Her Majesty’s kind gesture, he’d *respectfully accept*.
“Alright, let’s head out.”
“Mm.”
The couple set off again, heading toward the Mid-District.
On the way, Roswitha asked,
“Where’s the last place?”
Leon thought for a moment, then replied, “A place that’s very important to me.”
*Selling a little cliffhanger*.
Roswitha didn’t press further, just quietly followed Leon.
By the time the sun had fully set, they reached the Mid-District.
It was noticeably more prosperous than the Lower District, with fancier fruits and snacks.
Leon led Roswitha through a few blocks, finally arriving at the entrance of a church.
It was late, and the church’s front courtyard gate was already closed.
But inside the courtyard, a few children were still playing on the grass.
Nearby stood two people dressed as nuns.
“This is…?”
“Kasmod Welfare Home.”
Leon pointed to an old sign on one side of the gate, engraved with the name of the welfare home he’d just mentioned,
“Over twenty years ago, I was found at the entrance of this welfare home by a nun teacher.”
Looking at the church, worn by the passage of time, Roswitha finally understood why Leon had chosen this as their final stop.
She’d said she wanted to stand in his homeland to understand him from a different perspective;
So Leon brought her to the place where he grew up.
Though he was adopted by his master at age five, Leon often returned to the welfare home to visit the teachers.
As he grew older, he’d volunteer here during holidays.
The children here loved Leon, and his *heaven-defying* knack for childcare was already evident back then.
In front of the welfare home’s gate, Leon and Roswitha held hands even tighter.
“It’s been years since I’ve been back. This place has changed so much.”
Whether it was his first return to the Empire to deal with Victor or investigating the Heart-Protecting Dragon Scale in the twenty-years-later future, Leon never had the chance to revisit the welfare home.
By his count, it had been at least five years…
At that moment, one of the nun teachers in the courtyard seemed to notice them.
The nun approached, opened the gate, and smiled politely,
“Good evening, you two. Is there anything I can help you with?”
But Leon just stared silently at the elderly nun, as if lost in a trance.
Memories surged in his mind.
Scenes from his childhood played like a slideshow before his eyes:
At the welfare home, Leon celebrated his first birthday—the day this elderly nun found him;
Fighting with a dorm mate because he said the nun teacher’s cooking was awful;
As a teenager, protecting a girl by fighting off a vicious dog barehanded and winning. Of course, afterward, it was this nun who took Leon to the hospital for wound treatment.
…
Almost every moment of his childhood memories featured this nun teacher.
If there were no master or master’s wife, there’d be no dragon-slaying Leon today;
But without this nun teacher, Leon might have frozen to death on some night twenty-five years ago.
Her name was Carolyn, Carolyn Kasmod, the only daughter of the welfare home’s former director.
In Leon’s memory, though she was older, in just these five years, she seemed to have aged over a decade.
Her hair was fully white, with clear wrinkles under her eyes.
“Sir?”
Seeing Leon not respond, the nun teacher asked again.
Leon snapped back, “Oh… we’re tourists from a neighboring country… just wandering around.”
“Is that so? Would you like to come in and look around?”
Leon shook his head, “No, no, just standing at the gate is fine.”
He deliberately lowered his voice, and with the Lionheart Society’s carefully prepared disguise, even Teacher Carolyn didn’t recognize him.
If she did, it might cause unnecessary trouble—
Just as he thought this, Carolyn asked with a hint of suspicion,
“Sir, have we… met somewhere before?”
Leon’s heart skipped a beat, quickly denying, “No, I don’t think so. This is my wife and my first time traveling to the Empire. You must have mistaken me.”
“Is that so…”
Carolyn lowered her eyes, murmuring to herself, “Then maybe I just miss that child too much…”
Leon blinked, “You mean…?”
“His name was Leon.”
At this, a warm smile spread across Carolyn’s face,
“The most outstanding child I ever taught.”
—
**Footnotes for Idioms, Slang, and Cultural References:**
- **Jiǎo róu zào zuò (矫揉造作)**
– **Pinyin**: Jiǎo róu zào zuò
– **Explanation**: Literally “affectedly sentimental,” this idiom describes someone who behaves in an overly emotional or pretentious manner. Roswitha uses it to express her past dismissal of romantic gestures, contrasting her newfound sentimentality with Leon.
- **Ào jiāo (傲娇)**
– **Pinyin**: Ào jiāo
– **Explanation**: A loanword from Japanese (*tsundere*), referring to someone who hides their true feelings behind a tough or aloof exterior, often out of pride or shyness. Roswitha consciously avoids being *tsundere* to express her genuine affection, highlighting her emotional openness.
- **Mài guānzi (卖关子)**
– **Pinyin**: Mài guānzi
– **Explanation**: Literally “selling a cliffhanger,” this phrase means deliberately building suspense or withholding key information to keep others intrigued. Leon uses it to tease Roswitha about the final destination, adding a playful tone to their journey.
- **Gōng jìng bù rú cóng mìng (恭敬不如从命)**
– **Pinyin**: Gōng jìng bù rú cóng mìng
– **Explanation**: Literally “respect is not as good as obedience,” this idiom means accepting an offer or gesture graciously rather than refusing out of politeness. Leon humorously uses it to accept Roswitha’s ice cream, emphasizing his playful compliance.
- **Jīng wéi tiān rén (惊为天人)**
– **Pinyin**: Jīng wéi tiān rén
– **Explanation**: Literally “astounding as a heavenly being,” this idiom describes something or someone extraordinarily impressive or talented. It’s used to highlight Leon’s exceptional childcare skills, foreshadowing his ability to connect with others.
—
These footnotes clarify the cultural and linguistic nuances, ensuring the translation retains the romantic, nostalgic, and emotional depth of the original text. If you have further questions or need additional analysis, let me know!