A few days passed after the photo session. The date for Noah's entrance test was drawing near.
In just one month, Leon had reviewed all the key points from St. Heath Academy's past exam papers with her. Noah was a remarkably quick learner, grasping every concept he taught her.
For these final days, he decided his daughter should relax and not push herself. A good balance between work and rest was crucial.
.
.
.
That evening, Leon was eating dinner alone in the nursery. Rossweise had been unusually quiet and calm lately, only seeking him out when absolutely necessary.
Leon had assumed the "Dragon Power" incident wouldn't be forgotten so easily. Surprisingly, days had passed without the dragoness mentioning it once.
Perhaps, that night, aided by the Dragon Power, he had managed to satisfy her enough to let the matter drop.
He finished his meal and, after a short rest, resumed his basic physical training—push-ups, sit-ups, and squat jumps. He was breathing heavily, but he felt stronger than he had in days.
The lock clicked, and Rossweise entered. She hadn't visited for two days. Why was she here tonight?
"Hey. Exercising," she stated, walking over to stand beside him.
When Leon ignored her, she stepped closer. As he lay back from a sit-up, she placed her foot on his chest.
Leon looked at her, then tilted his head to gaze at her slender ankle. "Either move your foot, or let me take another bite of it."
"I need to talk to you," Rossweise said, removing her foot.
"I'm not going," Leon tried to refuse.
"No? Then you should consider the consequences."
"…Fine. I'll go," Leon conceded.
"Meet me in my room at nine o'clock."
.
.
.
After the dragoness left, Leon sighed in resignation. He should have known. Rossweise held a grudge too well for the "Dragon Power" incident to be truly over.
When would this hardship end? He glanced at the wall clock. He had half an hour to kill.
After a moment's thought, he decided to take a shower. Rossweise had commented on his sweat earlier. He didn't need to give her another reason to complain.
Thirty minutes later, clean and in fresh clothes, Leon stood outside Rossweise's door and knocked.
"Come in. It's unlocked," her voice called out immediately.
Leon hesitated for a second, then pushed the door open. If he remembered correctly, this was his first time inside Rossweise's private chambers.
The living room was simple and plain, devoid of lavish decoration, following a minimalist style.
He ventured further in, past the kitchen and living area, toward the master bedroom.
The bedroom door was open, but Rossweise wasn't inside. His eyes caught the teddy bear he'd won for her in Sky City a few days ago, sitting prominently on her bed.
Leon was mildly surprised. He recalled her saying clearly she had no interest in such toys. Yet, there it was, placed right by her bedside.
"I really can't understand women," he muttered to himself. He returned to the living room and sat on the sofa.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Rossweise was probably showering. This only confirmed his suspicions.
"If I don't lose at least a hundred grams tonight, I probably won't be leaving this room."
He took deep, calming breaths. About ten minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and Rossweise emerged wearing a simple, strappy nightgown. The dragon mark on her chest was partially visible. Her wet silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a light steam rose from her smooth, evenly toned legs.
She walked past him barefoot, drying her hair with a towel.
"You're on time.Oh, you took a shower too," she noted.
Leon watched the line of wet footprints she left on the floor. He blinked and remained silent.
Rossweise poured a glass of water and handed it to him.
"Have some water first.I'm going to finish drying my hair."
Leon took the glass silently and drank a little.
.
.
.
A short while later, Rossweise returned to the living room, her hair dry. She stood in front of Leon with her hands on her hips.
"Alright, shall we start? Where do you want to do it? In the living room, or on the balcony?"
Leon was shocked. "On the balcony… isn't that a bit too public?"
"Tch, what's there to be shy about? Fine, we'll do it in the living room. It's the same anywhere," she replied.
With that, she walked around the coffee table and sat down right next to him. Leon took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and leaned back into the sofa cushions.
He honestly felt like punching himself. Maybe when he opened his eyes, Rossweise would have finished by herself. But after a long moment, nothing happened. He heard her speak softly beside him, "What are you doing?"
Leon opened his eyes and sat up straight. "Ah? You don't need that… thing?"
Rossweise chuckled. She looked at him with a deeply amused expression. "Hmm? Which thing is that?"
Leon swallowed awkwardly, utterly lost for words.
Then, Rossweise pulled a thick stack of test papers out from under the coffee table.
"St. Heath Academy is very strict when evaluating families. They have special questionnaires to test how well family members know each other. We should use these last few days to familiarize ourselves with them. Otherwise, we might not be able to answer the questions during Noah's entrance assessment."
She glanced at Leon. She tapped the cover of the test papers with her finger, savoring his confused and embarrassed expression.
"Rossweise, you really—"
This dragon had deliberately led him on,all just for this moment of awkwardness!
Rossweise narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice laced with mockery and disdain.
"Mr. Cosmodeous, you seem very disappointed~ But maybe tonight isn't the right time. We can try another day."