Her silver pupils trembled slightly. After a brief hesitation, she raised her hand, placed it on Leon's shoulder, then leaned forward and closed the distance.
The queen's soft chest pressed against his firm arm as she brought her lips close to Leon's ear, her warm breath tickling his skin.
"Leon Casmodeous... I love you."
She whispered it, her voice sultry and intoxicating, sending shivers down his spine.
Before Leon could react, Rossweise followed up by gently kissing his cheek.
She reached out, pinched his chin, and slowly turned his face toward hers. Gazing into Leon's eyes, Rossweise murmured, "I'm responding to you now."
Their eyes locked, breaths mingling. They could even hear each other's increasingly frantic heartbeats.
For two people as stubborn and tsundere as them, the phrase "I love you"—a direct hit to the heart, was nothing short of earth-shattering.
But when emotions run high, what words could possibly surpass these three simple syllables?
This response left not only Leon but even Rossweise herself at a loss.
When had this married couple ever experienced something like this?
After some thought, it seemed that bickering still suited them best.
After a long silence, Leon exhaled.
"Doesn't count."
The queen raised an eyebrow, "What doesn't count?"
"This response. Doesn't count."
'Oh-ho? This bastard is pushing his luck now?'
Rossweise immediately grabbed his ear, "Why doesn't it count? Hmm?"
"L-Let go first!"
"Give me a reasonable explanation, and then I'll consider letting go. Speak! Why doesn't count? On what grounds?"
'Damn it all! In my two hundred years of life, this was the first time the queen had ever said "I love you" to a man.'
She'd expected tears of gratitude, but instead, this little captive of hers had the audacity to get cocky.
If she didn't get a satisfactory explanation today, this wasn't over, Casmodeous.
"Because... because I said it in front of a crowd, but you're saying it with just the two of us here. How is that comparable?"
"Tch—"
Rossweise wanted to argue but found herself at a loss.
Well... he did have a point.
A public confession was far more impactful than a private one.
"Then what do you want me to do? Gather my maids and guards and say it again in front of them?"
Leon grinned,"Exactly what I had in mind."
Rossweise shoved his head away in annoyance, "Drop dead. You should be overjoyed just hearing me say those words to you. Remember, this is a one-time thing."
"Oh? A one-time thing?"
Rossweise nodded firmly, "Yes. Absolutely no next time."
"And if there is?"
Rossweise spread her hands, "Then what can we do?"
Leon blinked blankly, unsure what she meant.
But the next second, Rossweise suddenly grabbed his collar, pulling his face close until their noses almost touched.
"If there is a next time... you'll have to respond to me the same way I did to you. Understood?"
'Wow, so domineering! Such a cool CEO-type woman~'
But General Leon wasn't having it.
In one swift motion, he seized Rossweise's wrist, pinned her against the headboard, and loomed over her.
"I don't understand, Your Majesty. Care to explain in... another way?"
He inhaled the sweet fragrance of her neck, stoking the flames of desire burning hotter by the second.
———
Rossweise's wrists were pinned together above her head, held firmly against the headboard by Leon.
The peaks of her chest rose and fell with each breath. In this utterly defenseless position, Leon could indulge freely in her exquisite body.
Yet Rossweise remained calm and composed.
She arched a delicate eyebrow and asked softly,
"Dinner's almost ready. Aren't you afraid the maids will come calling?"
Truthfully, she'd already instructed Milan to inform the staff that she and Leon wouldn't be joining dinner tonight.
So even if they stripped right now and started their "battle," there was no risk of interruption.
But Rossweise just couldn't resist teasing Leon. A little foreplay before the main event wasn't so bad, was it?
If Leon backed down, she could mock him mercilessly for being too cowardly to take what was offered.
If he charged ahead, he'd have to endure the psychological pressure of potentially being "caught in the act" by the maids—
Like frantically finishing homework during morning study hall after slacking off all vacation.
But as usual, Leon's response defied her expectations.
Leaning in close, his eyes locked onto her shimmering silver ones, he replied coolly,
"Let them come. Weren't those little maids gossiping about us being in a 'post-marriage slump'? Perfect chance to prove them wrong—that we're not just not in a slump, but in fact... burning hotter than ever."
With that, Leon brushed a light kiss against the corner of Rossweise's lips.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the faint, alluring smile playing on her face.
"What are you smiling at?", Leon pinched her chin, his tone deliberately impatient and displeased.
Of course, this was all an act.
Because he knew Rossweise loved this kind of vibe.
If Leon were gentle and considerate, it would only bore her.
The wildness of the dragon race ran deep in Rossweise's blood. Playing the docile girl wasn't her style.
She craved raw, primal clashes, especially after the years she and Leon had spent as sworn enemies. Their refusal to yield back then had laid the foundation for their current... unique marital dynamic.
Though they bickered constantly in daily life, both understood exactly what the other truly desired.
"I'm laughing at you, idiot."
"Laughing at me? Hmph. Look at the situation you're in, dragoness—", As he spoke, Leon tightened his grip on her wrists.
"Ah~... Mm..."
A slight pain shot through her wrists, drawing a soft moan from Rossweise. Yet her smirk never faded.
"You're completely at my mercy, and you're still laughing at me?"
The queen's eyes shimmered with mischief as she blew a teasing breath against Leon's face, warm and sweet with the scent of her lips.
"Then go ahead. Do whatever you want to me. Or are you just... stalling?"
Rossweise narrowed her eyes, "Buying time?"
"Buying time?"
"Mhm. The sun hasn't fully set yet—technically, it's still daytime. So you don't dare do anything to me."
She grinned, "You... only have the guts to touch me after dark—ah~!"
The queen's taunt hit its mark.
The enemy unit launched its first assault.
Leon had no intention of releasing her wrists. At the same time, his knee pressed lightly against Rossweise's tail, rendering her completely helpless.
Though, if one had to nitpick, she still had that steel-plated mouth of hers.
But no matter.
Leon had ways to shut her up.
"Hah, don't think this scares me, you bashful little Casmodeous. The sun's still blazing in the sky, you wouldn't dare— Mmmph!"
A deep kiss silenced her stubborn lips.
Rossweise's scheme had succeeded.
She put up a token struggle while secretly reveling in victory.
She adored Leon's rough, dominating kisses, the way he bit her lips, forced past her teeth, and claimed her mouth.
In this moment, her world consisted solely of him.
His breath, his warmth, his touch...
He filled every part of her.
When the kiss finally broke, Rossweise's face was flushed, her silver hair clinging to her damp skin.
She let out a breathy laugh, "That... did nothing for me."
"Oh? Then let's change venues, Your Majesty."
"Wha— Hey! Where are you taking me?"
Rossweise panicked.
A mid-session location change wasn't part of her plan.
Where was this damn man carrying her?
The bathroom? The kitchen? The living room?
But they'd tried all those places before, exhausting every possible variation. In the end, they'd realized the bed was still the best, classics never go out of style.
Then, a blinding ray of sunlight cut through her thoughts.
Shielding her eyes, she realized Leon had carried her onto the balcony.
Before them stretched the blood-red hues of the setting sun.
"Leon, you—"
Before she could finish, Leon pressed her down onto the tea table.
"Your Majesty, didn't you say I wouldn't dare do anything to you in broad daylight?"
He tilted her chin up, forcing her to face the dying sun.
"Then watch closely. Before that sun disappears... I won't let you go."
The battle horn sounded.
Passion burned like wildfire.
Creak— Creak—
The tea table's legs scraped against the balcony floor.
The cups atop it clinked softly.
Rossweise's position was slightly uncomfortable, her legs were too long for the low table, forcing her to arch her waist slightly.
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