Rossweise understood his feelings.
After all, this concerned his faith. He must have really wanted to figure out why the human empire he once served was relentlessly pursuing him and why they were so determined to collaborate with the dragon race.
"When Grandma leaves, we'll head to the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan and drag that guy out," Rossweise promised.
Leon raised an eyebrow, his lips curling up uncontrollably, "Oh? Finally, I get to stretch my muscles a little?"
Rossweise let out a snort. It had indeed been too long since the dog of a man last had a proper fight. He was about to explode from boredom.
After exchanging a few more words, the couple tacitly moved on from the topic.
One couldn't keep their nerves and thoughts tense at all times; a break was necessary.
On the small wooden table on the balcony, Rossweise had long since prepared a bottle of red wine.
And two glasses.
Her grandmother's sudden visit and the latest intelligence she brought were certainly helpful.
But at the same time, they also placed additional stress on Rossweise beyond her usual work.
As for how the Silver Dragon Queen relieved stress, it was either through her captive or alcohol.
Her captive had just received a patch buff, meaning she couldn't touch him for now. Otherwise, she might get counter-killed.
So, Rossweise had no choice but to drown her sorrows in wine.
She sat at the wooden table, crossing her long legs. The smooth fabric of her dress slid down her delicate skin, pooling at her upper thighs. The black lace trim flickered in and out of view.
Who was the little fire lizard trying to seduce here?
Leon wasn't falling for it.
He didn't sit down. Instead, he stood across the table from Rossweise, ensuring his line of sight wouldn't 'accidentally' drift somewhere it shouldn't.
Gulp, gulp, gulp—
Rossweise poured the red wine into a glass, picked it up leisurely, and took a small sip.
The liquid trickled into her stomach, leaving a lingering aftertaste in the beauty's mouth.
With the cool evening breeze brushing past her, Rossweise spoke with an underlying meaning,
"I prepared two glasses, Leon."
The implication? Drink with this queen.
"Oh? What, one glass isn't enough for you anymore?", Leon pretended not to understand.
Rossweise rolled her eyes.
She knew it. When dealing with this dog of a man, she had to be direct. Otherwise, he'd just keep playing dumb.
"Drink with me," The Queen's command was brief, yet carried an undeniable authority.
Undeniable?
General Leon would have to deny it today.
Rebellion was his theme.
"I'm not," Leon said, "I can't hold my liquor, you know that."
Rossweise leaned forward, resting her forearm on the table, her chin lightly propped on the back of her hand. The strap of her nightgown slipped off her shoulder as she peered at Leon through the glass of her wine.
From her perspective, Leon's face had turned into a "big-headed doll."
She giggled twice, then pursed her lips, speaking in a tone that carried a hint of a pout, "Drink with me~ I'm under so much pressure."
Leon shut his eyes, unmoved.
Acting. That was all an act.
"Leon~"
'Can't hear you. The bro's gone selectively deaf.'
"Le"
'Alright, enough, mother dragon, I am about to throw up.'
"Dear Casmodeous—"
'Give it up. No matter what you call me, I'm not drinking.'
"Husband."
Hey, don't get the wrong idea! He just couldn't take it anymore—it had nothing to do with her calling him 'husband,' okay?
One sip of red wine, and the mighty General Leon was down.
Rossweise tried to keep the disgust off her face, but how could she endure this?
She knew his alcohol tolerance was low, but this low... that was rare.
"Are you even capable, you idiot..."
Leon slumped onto the table, his cheeks flushed red, his gaze unfocused—completely wasted.
Looking at his glass, there was still enough wine left in it to house two goldfish.
"I told you I can't drink... but you forced me...", Even while teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, he still found the strength to argue with Rossweise.
That was the will of a top-tier dragonslayer. Opposing dragons was in his very bones.
"Oh? Was it me who pried open your mouth and poured the wine in?", Rossweise retorted casually.
"You... you called me..."
"I called you what?"
Leon, face burning, shifted slightly, burying his head in his arm. His muffled voice came out, "You called me 'husband'... that's why I drank..."
Upon hearing this, Rossweise's eyebrows lifted in surprise. She swirled the wine in her glass and spoke slowly, "Tsk, so you admit it. Looks like I've found the one thing in this world that can make that mouth of yours go soft."
The dog's mouth was like a ginseng root. The longer it soaked in alcohol, the softer it got.
Leon kept his head down but raised a middle finger, "I will... hic—never drink with you again. Never!"
Rossweise chuckled softly, "Then what if I call you 'husband' again? Will you drink?"
"...No!"
"You hesitated, Leon. Deep down, you actually like hearing me call you 'husband,' don't you?"
"Who... who likes it?"
Leon sat up, his face completely red. In his blurred vision, Rossweise multiplied into five... six... seven... eight... yet he still refused to back down, "You think a single 'husband' is enough to make me obey you? Impossible!"
"Oh my, oh my, you're so manly, my dear~ hus"
"...I'm seriously gonna throw up."
"Hmph, idiot," Rossweise giggled, stealing a glance at him before taking another sip from her glass.
No matter how little, alcohol had some numbing effect on the nerves.
It made people say things they wouldn't normally dare to say.
Of course, whether it was alcohol-induced babbling or a convenient excuse to express one's true thoughts...
That, no one could say for sure.
Rossweise turned her gaze back to Leon, resting her chin on her hand. Her silver eyes were like crescent moons in the night sky, shining with ambiguous light.
"Did you tell Grandma today that the two of us are madly in love?"
"Yeah."
Leon leaned against his chair, staring at the balcony tiles, "Wasn't that the plan? We're supposed to act affectionate in front of outsiders."
That was one reason. But it wasn't the only reason.
At the time, Leon hadn't realized the old lady was actually Rossweise's grandmother. He thought she was just some gossip-loving old woman.
As she kept questioning him, he started feeling a bit offended—or rather, he felt like his relationship with Rossweise was being doubted.
So, he emphasized, "My wife and I are very much in love."
And he emphasized it twice.
That was another reason.
As for whether Leon's true thoughts were what he claimed—"I only said I love my wife because I didn't like our relationship being questioned"...
Well, well, well. Who could say?
Rossweise was far too perceptive not to pick up on the subtle thoughts hidden in the dog's words.
Not to mention, he was drunk now. He was bound to let something slip.
"Right now, there's no one else here, just us."
Rossweise fixed her gaze on Leon, "Would you still say those words now?"
Leon answered without hesitation, "No. If it's just the two of us, why would I say it?"
Silence followed.
After a few seconds, realizing she hadn't responded, Leon blinked and glanced over.
Rossweise still rested her chin on her hand, staring at him with those beautiful silver eyes.
But now, there was something new in her gaze—expectation.
Ah, women—born to be creatures of hearing. Even if sweet words were false, they were still willing to listen intently.
What's more, some words of affection weren't necessarily lies.
Leon and Rossweise stared at each other, neither looking away.
After a long while, Leon's heart seemed to be touched by something. Perhaps it was the effect of the alcohol, or perhaps it was his true thoughts, surfacing slightly under the excuse of intoxication.
He opened his mouth, but before he could even make a sound, he already saw that the expectation in Rossweise's eyes had deepened a little, even carrying a hint of joy.
"I... I like..."
The last word should have been "you."
But it was too vague, as if it had merely brushed past his lips.
Rossweise could understand those four words.
But this was not what she wanted.
After Leon, emboldened by the alcohol, mustered the courage to say it, he immediately folded, lowering his head and no longer looking at Rossweise.
See? He knew it. If he kept looking at her… he'd end up seeing things he shouldn't, and saying things he shouldn't.
It was obviously just an ordinary night, and he had only taken one sip of wine...
So how did he end up surrendering so foolishly?
He felt a bit regretful.
Regretful that he had spoken what he considered to be an important sentence in such an unprepared manner;
Annoyed that he hadn't said it clearly.
Yes, Leon knew.
At the moment he uttered the last word, he had chickened out—he hadn't dared to say it straightforwardly.
It was like when the teacher n on him to stand up and answer a question in class, but he had just been lost in thought, wondering how to make the girl he liked smile after the break.
Caught off guard, he panicked, looking at the teacher, then at the girl sitting in the front row—the one he secretly admired—and panicked even more.
The teacher's question wasn't hard, and in fact, he could have answered it perfectly. That smart and adorable girl, who had a mutual fondness for him, had just helped him with similar questions before.
That was a wonderful recess, ten minutes he would never forget for the rest of his life.
In those ten minutes, he had smelled the fragrance of the girl's hair and had also learned the answer to that question.
He had promised the girl that he would never forget this question, no matter when he encountered it again, he would be able to solve it.
The girl didn't say much, just smiled at him.
Yet now, in this moment, that answer had turned into a broken symphony in his mouth—the further he went, the more it fell apart.
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