Leon slowly opened his eyes. Before him lay a beauty, sleeping on her side, her breathing in sync with his, so close he could reach out and touch her.
The morning sunlight spilled onto Rossweise's silver hair, making it look like pure, untouched snow. It felt almost wrong to disturb her.
Her eyes were gently closed, her eyelashes long and delicate. The usual sharpness was gone from her face, replaced by a look of incredible relaxation and contentment.
Looking at her, Leon reached out in a daze. His fingertips gently brushed her cheek, and a slight smile touched his lips without him realizing. But the next moment, his smile froze. He suddenly realized this cosy morning scene didn't belong to him!
His fingers lingered near her chin. He lifted the strands of hair beside it, revealing her neck. On that fair, swan-like skin were red kiss marks everywhere.
Seeing this, Leon swallowed hard. Lifting the covers a little more, he saw that Rossweise's shoulders, chest, and thighs were also covered in marks. It was even more intense than the night with the Dragon Power pill.
Looking down at his own body, he saw many red marks and scratches. His limbs felt weak, and his muscles ached. These marks and sensations brought back fragments of memory from the night before. He couldn't recall everything clearly, only vague impressions of Rossweise calling him a little dog, and him responding eagerly.
He had been very proactive last night, almost like an impatient new husband. Rossweise must have been thoroughly pleased. She had successfully made Leon willingly abandon his pride as a dragon slayer and lose himself in passion with her, a mother dragon.
For Leon, this was another limit broken, another shameful experience.
Thinking this, Leon bit his lower lip in frustration. He clenched his fist, threw off the covers, and got out of bed, making as much noise as possible, hoping to wake Rossweise. But the mother dragon seemed to be in a deep sleep.
Even with all the commotion, she showed no sign of waking.
"Sleeping this deeply is rare for you. Aren't you usually very disciplined?" Leon mumbled as he got dressed.
He grumbled while putting on his clothes. Looking at the messy room, he hesitated for a moment. Then he picked up a broom and started to clean. He did this not because Rossweise liked things tidy, but because he was worried his daughters might come over later. If they saw the messy scene, they would surely ask questions.
It would stain the purity of their innocent minds!
They weren't allowed to understand these things! They were too young!
The thought made him burn with embarrassment.
So, Leon cleaned from top to bottom. The sofa and the bed were the worst. They were extremely messy, stained with unknown liquids. These definitely needed cleaning. It would be too annoying to look at otherwise.
When it was time to change the sheets, Leon poked Rossweise's hip with the broom handle. "Hey, stop pretending to sleep. Get up, I need to change the sheets."
But Rossweise didn't respond at all. Not even a grunt of protest. She just lay there peacefully.
Leon frowned, sensing something was wrong. He put down the broom, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently pushed her shoulder.
"Rossweise? Hey, wake up. Stop pretending."
Still no response.
Leon's eyes narrowed. He immediately reached out to check her breathing, then held her wrist to feel her pulse.
Everything seemed normal. If Rossweise was unconscious and wouldn't wake up, could it be because of the Blood Enchantment?
Leon thought it was very likely. Back in school, the academy had taught similar courses.
You could often guess the outcome based on the spell's power and the condition of both the caster and the target.
Leon had used a similar principle before, using precise control of lightning magic to break down the Dragon Power pill's remnants. He looked at Rossweise's sleeping face and chuckled.
"You said the Blood Enchantment wouldn't affect you, foolish dragon," Leon remarked. He bent down and gently patted her cheek. "It looks like your plan backfired."
He had faced many setbacks himself. From trying to sneak away right after waking up, to fighting a fully powered Dragon King with a nearly broken body. Every attempt had ended in predictable disaster. Now, it was Rossweise's turn.
Even though he felt some satisfaction at her misfortune, Leon couldn't ignore the fact that she might be unconscious for a long time. Based on his own experience, he guessed a healthy Dragon King's body would probably be out for about a week.
A week… Leon thought as he got off the bed. He walked to the balcony and looked out toward the distant mountains, in the direction of the Empire.
There was no denying it. Rossweise's sudden coma was a perfect chance for Leon to escape. But he wasn't as reckless as he had been months ago. His body was recovering, but he had new injuries from yesterday's spar and the night with the mother dragon. Reaching human territory in a week sounded good, but it wasn't certain he could make it.
Also, Leon knew nothing about the Empire's current state. He had left two years ago. He still didn't fully understand who had betrayed him back then. Returning could mean a grand welcome, or it could mean walking into a trap. Considering his safety, staying at the Silver Dragon Temple to recover seemed the wisest choice.
His daughters were the most important reason. Muen would be heartbroken. Noah, who seemed distant, secretly longed for family warmth. Leon's love for his daughters was in his blood. It wouldn't change, no matter what. So, for himself, for his daughters, and for the chance to get back at the mother dragon later, Leon chose to stay.
He walked back to the bedroom and sat on the bed, looking at Rossweise. His gaze shifted. It was no longer the look of a false husband, but that of a dragon slayer watching over a dragon king awaiting her fate.
"In the minutes and seconds to come, I will be by your side, Rossweise," Leon declared. "You always liked an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Well, this time, I will give you what you want."
For a dragon slayer, a dragon was the ultimate prize. He wasn't afraid. He was ready for the final battle!
Who says staying in the Silver Dragon Temple doesn't make you a hero? Leon thought.