Leon didn't know what expression to wear as the little girl clung to his leg, calling him "Daddy." He desperately wanted to say, "Sweetie, you can't just call anyone 'Daddy' like that." Perhaps she had mistaken him for someone else? Confusion and a spark of fear twisted inside him, as if his entire world had been flipped upside down.
Once he had steadied his breathing, Leon knelt down again. He held Muen's small shoulders gently and asked, "Little one, I just woke up and my mind is fuzzy. Are you sure you have the right person?"
Muen shook her head firmly, her unique silver-and-black hair swaying. "No, Mother comes here every day to see if Daddy has woken up." Her voice held the absolute certainty of a child.
"I see. Muen, do you know what time Mommy usually comes to check on me?" Leon asked, keeping his tone light.
Muen, who didn't fully grasp telling time yet, pointed a chubby finger at the wall clock. "When the small hand is on the ten and the big hand is on the twelve."
Leon understood. Rossweise came at ten o'clock. He glanced at the clock; it was 9:50. He had only ten minutes.
Before he could ask another question, Muen grabbed his hand. She tugged him toward the door, her excitement palpable.
"Let's go find Mother! She'll be so happy you're awake!" Muen said, her eyes shining with joy.
Leon forced a smile, but internally he was reeling. Ten minutes until he faced his greatest enemy. This woman, who had no love for him, was now the mother of his child. His eyes darted to the large bed. A thought flashed through his mind: Should he pretend to still be unconscious? It might buy him precious time to plan.
He made a decision. In one fluid motion, he leaped back onto the bed like a fish returning to water. He lay flat on his back and closed his eyes tightly.
Muen was bewildered. Why was her daddy, who had just been awake, lying down again? She ran to the bedside, her bare feet pattering on the floor. "Daddy, aren't you coming to see Mother?" she asked, her wide eyes full of confusion.
"Shh," Leon whispered. "When your mother comes in, you have to tell her I'm still asleep."
Muen scratched her head, utterly lost. "Why? Mother really, really wants you to wake up!" She tilted her head, causing the silver streak in her hair to shift.
"Well... because Daddy wants to surprise Mommy. You understand surprises, don't you?" Leon said, trying to sound conspiratorial and fun.
"Surprise!" Muen's eyes lit up instantly. The silver tuft of hair on her head and the small, delicate dragon tail behind her swayed with glee.
"Yes, a surprise. So, Muen, do you want to help Mommy have a happy surprise?"
"Yes!"
"Then when Mommy comes in, you have to act like you don't know anything, okay?"
"Okay! Muen will listen to Daddy~" She beamed, placing her complete trust in him.
It seemed Leon had a natural way with children. A warm, unfamiliar feeling stirred in his chest, but he quickly suppressed it. This was about survival.
With that, Leon closed his eyes. He lay perfectly still, mimicking his previous comatose state.
Almost exactly ten minutes later, the door opened. The sharp, precise click of high heels echoed on the floor, growing closer.
Rossweise was every inch the Silver Dragon Queen. Even with his eyes shut, Leon could feel her powerful aura filling the room, a wave of regal authority and grace.
"Muen," Rossweise said.
"I'm here, Mother!" Muen replied, her tone a little too cheerful.
Rossweise raised a delicate silver eyebrow. "Why do you seem so excited today?" Her voice was calm, but held a razor's edge.
Muen hesitated for a split second. She shook her head vigorously. "No, Muen is not excited."
Rossweise's dragon-like pupils shifted slightly. She studied her daughter's face. It was the picture of innocence, but it was hiding something. The little girl's answer was overly serious, which was suspicious in itself.
Dragons only wagged their tails unconsciously when they were extremely happy or excited. Typically, like Rossweise herself, they let their tails rest languidly on the ground.
Rossweise didn't press her daughter further. Instead, her gaze drifted to the "sleeping" Leon on the bed. She calculated the days; this man had been unconscious for two full years now.
Her tone remained even. "Very well. You may go play outside."
Muen cast one last, furtive glance at her pretending father before skipping happily out of the room.
Rossweise glided to the bedside and sat down gracefully. She laid her magnificent silver tail on the covers and observed the "unconscious" man. Then, she let out a soft, knowing chuckle.
Leon heard the laugh clearly. What did it mean? Had he given himself away?
Impossible. His performance was flawless, wasn't it?
The hand hidden at his side curled into a fist involuntarily.
He knew exactly what he had done to Rossweise two years ago. This dragon queen must despise him to her core. The only reason she hadn't killed him in his sleep was surely so she could torture him slowly once he awoke.
Leon would not make it easy for her. If his ruse failed, he would fight her head-on.
Rossweise slipped off her high heels. They hit the floor with a definitive click. Next came the soft whisper of her silk dress brushing against the bedsheets. The sound made Leon's skin prickle with nervous anticipation.
A moment later, her gentle, floral scent washed over him, brushing against his face. The fragrance was familiar to Leon; it was the last thing he had smelled before passing out in the dungeon. Back then, it had been masked by wine, but now it was pure and distinct—like wildflowers with an undertone of something untamed.
Why was she getting so close?
Was she planning to kill him quietly?
Heh, clever dragon, Leon thought. If she made a loud scene, Muen might hear. No child should be traumatized by the sight of blood.
Leon stayed perfectly still, waiting to see what she would do. Rossweise slowly reached out with her index finger and thumb. She moved toward Leon's nose.
Then—she pinched his nostrils shut.
"Oh, I forgot about the mouth," she murmured, as if to herself.
She used her other hand to cover his mouth. But this wasn't a suffocating kill-hold. Leon could feel she wasn't applying full pressure, merely making it difficult to breathe. If she wanted him dead, she would have cut off his air completely.
It seemed Rossweise was testing him. Leon focused all his will on holding his breath. If he could endure this, he could find a way to escape later.
The seconds stretched agonizingly. Rossweise was infinitely patient. She knelt beside him, a serene statue depriving him of air.
Leon held firm, not a flicker of movement betraying him.
"My, you can hold your breath for a long time," Rossweise remarked, her tone playful and teasing.
A flicker of pride rose in Leon's chest. But then, a wave of warmth hit his ear.
Rossweise had leaned in close, her lips right beside Leon's ear. She blew a soft, warm stream of air directly into it. The air traveled into his ear canal and down his neck under his collar, creating a tingling, tickling sensation that made it incredibly hard to stay still.
Simultaneously, her warm breath carried a faint, sweet scent from her mouth.
Leon thought, You... you're using this to test me, Mother Dragon?
Hah! How childish!
But this wasn't the extent of Rossweise's tricks. When the blowing failed, she parted her lips slightly and gently nibbled on his earlobe.
There was a slight pain, but it was overshadowed by the intense, intimate sensation of a beautiful woman being so close. Leon clenched his hidden fist even tighter.
Now, the fist wasn't for fighting back. It was to suppress his body's involuntary reactions. A heat was rising in him, a traitorous response he fought against with every fiber of his being.
Leon thought, You little wicked dragon, you think these games can fool the Empire's top dragon slayer?
Hah! Double childish!
"Hey, stop pretending. It's already standing," Rossweise stated flatly.
"You're talking nonsense! What's standing? I don't feel any—" Leon blurted out without thinking.
An awkward, heavy silence descended upon the room.
Rossweise knelt to the side, her eyes narrowed into a smug, victorious smile. "You see? It's standing."
A dead silence hung between them for two full seconds. Leon then sprang up from the bed as if electrocuted. He raised his fists into a fighting stance. "Since you've seen through me, I have nothing more to say. Come on, if you want to kill me or cut me to pieces, do it. But I won't go down without a fight."
Rossweise calmly smoothed her hair. She completely ignored his combative posture. "Don't you have anything else to say? Like an apology for your attack two years ago?"
"Do you think I wanted that? Humans and dragons are natural enemies. Our kinds cannot mix. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't touch you," Leon declared, his voice firm, though a sliver of regret for his actions lurked deep within. He loathed what he had done, even in revenge.
Hearing this, Rossweise's eyebrow arched sharply. "So, you're saying that touching me is tantamount to torture for you?"
"Of course."
"Heh. Leon Cosmodeous."
Rossweise's dragon eyes suddenly turned icy and sharp, a clear sign of an impending dragon's assault. Her tail twitched, coiling like a spring.
Leon felt the weakness in his body after two years of inactivity, but his spirit was ready for a final stand. He braced to counterattack. But in that instant, Rossweise's tail shot out, wrapping around his ankle with lightning speed. With a powerful yank, she pulled his legs out from under him, sending him tumbling back onto the bed.
Leon tried to rise, but Rossweise was faster. She stood in one fluid motion and stepped forward, placing one smooth, bare foot squarely on his chest, pinning him down.
"I am here for my revenge, Leon Cosmodeous. For what you did to me two years ago, I will repay you now!" Her voice was strong, burning with fiery intent. But her eyes held a complex mix of anger and something else—perhaps a flicker of amusement, or something deeper and more unreadable.
Leon felt the pressure of her foot, not crushing but undeniably firm. His heart hammered against his ribs, a chaotic drum of dread, confusion, and a strange, unwelcome thrill. What form would this "repayment" take? He wondered if death was imminent, or a fate far more complicated. The air in the room crackled with tension, thick and stormy. Deep down, Leon felt a peculiar magnetism toward the woman holding him down, a pull he violently rejected. This was his enemy, the mother of his child, and now his undeniable captor. What would happen next? He steeled himself, bracing for the storm.