At this time, the only person who would come to the practice field looking for him was probably Rossweise.
Her Majesty the Queen had a habit of chatting and bickering with her captive after a long day of work, it was one of her ways to relieve stress.
Of course, if mere chatting didn't work, Rossweise would resort to a deeper form of communication with Leon.
The sound of footsteps faded, and a slender silver tail appeared in Leon's peripheral vision.
He didn't look directly at it, instead gazing at the distant sunset and teasingly remarking with a double meaning, "Oh, I was wondering who it was. Turns out Her Majesty has returned. Do you still remember that you have a husband?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Leon heard a puzzled, "Hm?"
'Ha, dumb dragon! You went out without telling me, so today, I'll just throw a little tantrum at you.'
"It's fine, I know Her Majesty is a busy person. If I got mad over something this trivial, I'd seem immature."
"..."
"Speechless now, Your Majesty? Want to apologize, Your Majesty?"
"..."
"Then you'd better think carefully about how to phrase your apology—I might not accept it."
"..."
"Why aren't you saying anything? At least say something, mother dragon."
"Hello."
Upon hearing the voice, the smug smile on Leon's face instantly froze, then gradually faded away.
'This voice… so unfamiliar. It isn't Rossweise's!'
He quickly stood up and looked toward the owner of the voice.
It was an older woman, seemingly around fifty years old. But despite her age, it was clear that in her younger years, she had been a striking beauty.
Her tail was not actually silver, as Leon had assumed from the corner of his eye, but a pale pinkish-white. It had merely appeared silver due to the reflection of the sunset.
The woman was dressed in a simple long dress, standing with elegance, her gaze calm and indifferent as she looked at Leon.
Leon awkwardly scratched his head, pursed his lips, and hesitantly said, "Uh… sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
The woman smiled gently, "From the tone of your words just now, it sounded like you were complaining to a lover."
'Lover?'
Leon pondered.
'Lover?'
'Who's a lover?'
'Who are you calling a lover?'
'That mother dragon and I are not lovers at all (we are husband and wife).'
Even though he denied it fiercely in his mind, in front of a stranger, Leon had to keep up the act.
"I was just saying whatever came to mind… Oh, by the way, may I ask who you are?"
The woman was a complete stranger, at least, Leon had never seen her before.
But since she could come and go freely in the Silver Dragon Sanctuary's practice field, she was likely an acquaintance of Rossweise or a relative of one of the maids.
Rossweise wasn't a particularly strict employer. The maids' family members were allowed to visit the Silver Dragon Sanctuary, but only after work hours.
Leon had witnessed such visits a few times before.
Just like back in the days when he was in closed training at the Dragon Slaying Academy, and his master's wife would visit him, bringing food, clothes, hugging him, chatting, it was all very heartwarming.
So Leon guessed that this woman was probably a maid's relative.
The woman's eyes flickered slightly as she pondered for a moment before replying, "I have a family member working here. I came to see her."
'Oh, as expected, a maid's relative.'
"Mm, but there are still about thirty minutes until the maids finish work. You'll have to wait a bit."
As a kind and friendly prince, this was the persona Rossweise had assigned to Leon, it was his duty to take care of the employees' families.
Coincidentally, Leon had spent the entire afternoon studying the Nine Hells' second gate and had nothing to do. Keeping the old woman company for a chat would be a good way to pass the time.
And, of course, he was also waiting for that mother dragon to return home.
The woman nodded, "Alright, then I'll trouble you to keep this old lady company for a chat."
"No problem."
"Just now, I heard you repeatedly addressing 'Her Majesty' in a very natural and casual manner. Ordinary clansmen wouldn't dare to do that, so… I suppose you must be the Silver Dragon Queen's husband?"
Leon blinked, momentarily at a loss for words.
It wasn't that he was surprised she could recognize his identity. Rather, it was that even after recognizing him, she still spoke to him with such an unreserved and calm attitude.
Even the head maid, Anna, always addressed him as 'Your Highness' with great respect.
'Has this woman seen too much of the world, so that a prince doesn't seem like a big deal to her?'
But Leon didn't really mind how others spoke to him.
After all, his title of 'prince' was fake to begin with, and he had no lofty airs.
Besides, she was an elder, so he didn't dwell on it.
"Mm, how embarrassing. I mistook you for Rossweise and said a lot of embarrassing things."
The corners of the woman's lips lifted slightly, "It's alright. But since you can speak so naturally with her, it means… you and the Silver Dragon Queen have a very good relationship, don't you?"
"..."
'Auntie, you're too old to be asking gossip questions like this, aren't you?'
"Young man, why do you look so troubled? Did I say something wrong? Or is your relationship with the Silver Dragon Queen actually very bad?"
Hearing this, Leon quickly waved his hands in denial, "No, no, Rossweise and I… our relationship… is very good. Yes, very good."
He had to maintain the image of a loving couple in front of outsiders.
Even if she was just a maid's relative, who knew if she might mention it to others later?
If rumors spread that the Queen and the Prince were just putting on a facade, then all the effort Leon and Rossweise had spent over the past year building up their image as a loving couple would be ruined.
"Is that so?", The woman seemed doubtful.
Leon swallowed, "Y-Yes. We even have three children already, so of course our relationship is great."
The woman raised an eyebrow, "You already… have three children?"
'Good grief, Auntie, are you from another planet?'
Everyone in the Silver Dragon Clan knew that the Queen and the Prince had been married for three years and produced three children.
This birth rate was legendary among the dragon clans.
'Yet you haven't heard of it?'
"It seems I've missed a lot of important things," the woman murmured to herself.
"Mm? So you weren't in the Silver Dragon Clan before?"
"Yes, I was away handling some matters in a far-off place and only recently returned."
The woman smiled, "So, do you and the Queen plan to have more children?"
"Uh…"
She continued smiling warmly, "You just used the three children as proof of your good relationship with the Queen. By that logic, the more children, the better the relationship, right? So… will you have more?"
'Auntie, that's enough!'
'Don't think you can ask such outrageous questions just because you're older.'
Leon took a deep breath and answered seriously, "That is a private matter between my wife and me. It's not convenient to share with outsiders."
The woman squinted slightly at him, then chuckled, "Alright, it was rude of me to pry. My apologies, Prince. I just wanted to confirm your relationship with Little Rose."
Leon sighed internally.
Just then, something clicked in his mind.
He turned stiffly to the woman, gulped nervously, and asked, "You… what did you just call her?"
"Little Rose."
The woman replied naturally, "That's what our family calls her."
———
When Rossweise finished patrolling the border and returned to the Silver Dragon Sanctuary, it was already past seven in the evening.
Upon hearing the news that her grandmother had returned, Rossweise didn't even eat dinner and hurried straight to the guest room upstairs.
Anna said, "Your Majesty, you don't have to be in such a rush."
Rossweise stopped in her tracks and asked why.
Anna smiled and said, "Because His Highness the Prince has been accompanying the old lady all this time."
Rossweise took a sharp breath, instantly changing from a "quick walk" to a "light jog," and in the blink of an eye, she dashed up the stairs.
She left the head maid standing alone in the corridor, bewildered.
What was going on? His Highness the Prince was so good with words—he would surely have the old lady delighted, right?
Then why did Her Majesty still look so nervous?
Ah, she couldn't figure it out. But since it was Her Majesty's family matter, Anna didn't press further. Instead, she turned to instruct a few maids to prepare some late-night snacks.
Her Majesty hadn't eaten dinner, so after meeting with the old lady, she would probably eat something.
Meanwhile, on the third floor of the Sanctuary, Rossweise, abandoning all queenly poise, lifted her skirt and hurriedly ran through the corridor, arriving at the guest room.
She stood at the door, closed her eyes, and focused on steadying her slightly disordered and rapid breathing, as well as her mix of excitement and nervousness.
Excitement, because she was finally seeing her grandmother again after fifty years.
Nervousness, because she feared that stupid man might have said something wrong and aroused her grandmother's suspicion.
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