The couple stayed up late for several nights in a row. Finally, they had a grasp of each other's good and bad points.
Their average score on the practice tests rose above 80. If they performed as usual on the real one, their family assessment should be fine.
To be honest, Rossweise wasn't one to burn the midnight oil too often. Her body's natural clock urged her to sleep after midnight. But the reason she pushed through, besides it being "for her daughters, no matter how hard or tired," was also because…
…hearing about Leon's past "embarrassing stories" was just too entertaining.
A human's short twenty-year life could be both fascinating and profoundly strange. When she looked at her own life, spanning over two hundred years as a dragon, almost every day since childhood had been monotonous, especially after becoming the Silver Dragon Queen. But at some point, a little fun had seeped into her boring life.
Did it start when her daughters were born?
Or did it start from when… Leon woke up?
[Author's Note — Yo! Miss Tsundere is finally softening up!]
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Well, it had nothing to do with tomorrow's test. Rossweise shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it.
After several late nights, they had finally reviewed all the family test questions from recent years. They knew each other a little better now.
The evening before they had to leave for the academy, the couple sat on opposite ends of the sofa. Leon looked completely drained. Rossweise wore a deeply serious expression.
The room was silent except for the steady tick-tock of a grandfather clock. Moonlight streamed through the window, carrying a faint, cool breeze. Leon pulled his clothes tighter.
He rubbed his cold nose and glanced at Rossweise. She sat quietly, one hand holding her forehead, a slight frown on her face. Beyond tiredness, she was clearly under great pressure.
It was understandable. This was about whether Noah got into St. Heath Academy.
Leon opened his mouth, wanting to say something to show concern, but the words stuck in his throat.
After sitting a while longer, Leon said, "If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my room."
But before he could stand, Rossweise said, "Wait."
"What is it?"
Rossweise closed her eyes and asked gently, "You've worked hard these last few days."
"Well…it's okay. I'm used to it."
"Are you tired?"
Leon shrugged slightly."A bit."
Rossweise made a soft sound. Then she raised her hand and pointed to the bathroom in her room. "Go take a shower. Relax."
Leon blinked."A shower… in your room?"
"Yeah."
"No, I don't want to. I'm not used to showering in other people's rooms."
"Especially in the mother dragon's room."
Rossweise rested her head on one hand, her beautiful brows slightly furrowed. She sounded impatient as she urged, "Hurry up. After you're done, you can go back."
Leon got up reluctantly and walked quietly into the bathroom. He took off his clothes, turned on the hot water, and let the warm spray flow gently over his head.
Leon leaned one hand against the cold tiles. He couldn't understand why the dragoness was acting so strangely.
Making him shower here for no clear reason made him feel uncomfortable and unsafe.
Click—
The bathroom light instantly went out. Leon's heart jumped. He quickly turned off the water. In the dark, a faint purple light flickered.
"Dragon mark? Hiss— This is bad!"
She really was the big mother dragon scratching at the door—she was definitely up to no good.
Leon fumbled in the dark for his clothes. But before he could put them on, the bathroom door swung open. Light from the living room outlined a tall, slender figure.
Her chest also glowed with a purple light. The figure stepped inside, her fair, jade-like feet touching the bathroom tiles.
"Rossweise…?"
Click—
She closed the door, and the light vanished again. Leon could only guess her location from the faint dragon mark and her footsteps. The glow came closer and finally stopped right in front of him.
"Once the dragon marks connect, you can't get away," Rossweise whispered in the darkness.
Leon swallowed nervously. "So, what's the reason this time?"
"Reason? I haven't thought of one yet. I'll think of one after we're done."
With that, she didn't let him ask more. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her dragon mark pressed against his hot chest. Her long, flexible tail instinctively wrapped around his waist.
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In the darkness, the sound of water gradually grew louder. The sound of skin against tile was clear.
It was hard to tell how much time had passed. Leon lay in the bathtub, his already weak body feeling drained once more. Rossweise lay across from him, staring blankly at the water's surface.
After a long silence, the mother dragon spoke softly, "I understand."
Leon let his head fall back against the tub and looked at the ceiling. He said hopelessly, "You understand nothing."
"I understand the reason for this time."
"Your Majesty, I'm listening."
"I was under too much pressure."
Splash—
Leon suddenly sat up. "If you're under pressure, then be under pressure. Why transfer it to me?"
Rossweise gathered her scattered thoughts and regained her usual cool expression. "There are two main ways to deal with pressure. One is to transfer it to someone else. The other is to release it. Now I've transferred the pressure to you, and I've released it. It's perfect. Besides~"
The Queen slowly lifted her slender arm, making ripples in the water. "You told me before about all the championships you won. Well, now add one more for 'handling pressure.' What's the problem?"
"You—"
"Didn't you come to me with that same attitude a few days ago?"
Leon gritted his teeth. "I need a word stronger than 'frustrating' to describe you, mother dragon."
"I'll give you two words:'moderate relaxation' and 'balance,'" Rossweise said, stretching her lovely body. "Anyway, I feel comfortable now. Thank you, Leon."
After the "rain," the air felt fresh. The pressure from all the "studying" was temporarily gone.
"So, dear dragon slayer, are you staying to keep helping me relax? Or are you going to dry off and go back to sleep?"
The answer was the sound of someone hurrying out of the water, accompanied by the words, "You wait for me, mother dragon."
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The next morning, in front of the temple courtyard.
"Mom, why does he look like he didn't sleep at all last night?"
Noah looked at Leon, who seemed completely drained—no, he was completely drained—and asked.
Rossweise was clear-headed and refreshed, her face glowing. She took a deep, greedy breath of the fresh morning air and stretched lazily.
"Mom doesn't know either. Leon, did you not sleep well last night?"
'Don't you fucking know in your heart whether I slept well or not?' Leon muttered through gritted teeth.
Rossweise waved her hand. "Alright, alright. Pull yourself together. Today we're going with Noah to take the test."
Rossweise spread her wings and transformed into a giant dragon. Leon slapped his face, forcing himself to wake up a little.
The father and daughter climbed onto Rossweise's back one after the other. The silver dragon flapped her wings and soared into the sky. They hadn't brought Muen along this time, as it wasn't a fun trip.
Muen had obediently agreed to stay home and wait for Dad, Mom, and her sister to return. The three of them set off for St. Heath Academy without worries. The academy was in the very heart of the dragons' territory, a supremely safe place.
Even if all the other races united and managed to destroy one dragon city in a day, it would take them a year and a half to reach the gates of St. Heath Academy.
Though the dragon race had split into hundreds of small clans long ago, when it came to places like Sky City and St. Heath Academy, they would still unite to fight off any external threat. The flight from the Silver Dragon Temple to the academy would take a few hours.
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After they had been flying for some time, Leon started to recover from his drained state. He looked at Noah, who was sitting in front of him. Her face was as cool as usual, but she radiated a clear sense of worry and nervousness.
Leon chose his words carefully. He wanted to offer his eldest daughter some last-minute mental preparation. He understood Noah's personality. She was a high achiever who expected much from herself. So, he framed himself and Rossweise as being on the same level as her.
He didn't say, "Mom and Dad are your strongest protectors." Instead, he said, "Mom and Dad will try their best right along with you."
This feeling of being seen was what Noah needed. Her reaction showed that Leon's pep talk worked.
A brief look of surprise and happiness flashed across her cool little face. It vanished quickly, but inside, she was touched. Father and daughter sat facing each other, legs crossed.
Leon raised his right hand and made a gentle fist. "I don't know if you understand this cheering gesture, but—Dad wants to try it."
Saying that, Leon stretched out his arm, holding his fist in the space between them.
Noah blinked. She looked at Leon's gesture, then down at her own small hand. She hesitated for a moment, then clenched her right hand, mimicking Leon's movement, and stretched out her arm.
Two fists, one big and one small, gently bumped together.
Leon smiled with his eyes. "You can definitely do it, Noah."
Maybe even Noah didn't notice, but her tail swayed behind her twice unconsciously. She lowered her head slightly and softened her voice. "Thank you—"
It seemed she wanted to add something after "thank you." Perhaps a name or a title.
But in the end, she didn't. Just those two words: thank you. Leon didn't push his daughter to say more. It was enough that she had taken his words to heart.
Lowering his arm, Leon stretched lazily. Then he leaned back and lay down on the back of Rossweise, who was in her huge dragon form.
After letting her put all her pressure on him last night, it was his turn to get a long, deep sleep.