Roswitha led Leon to a narrow, winding path behind the Castle. Their feet stepped cautiously over the slick stone steps as they descended deeper into the mountain.

"Where are we headed?" Leon asked, walking behind her.

"You'll know when we get there."

Leon suddenly paused mid-step.

The forest, the atmosphere, this man-alone-with-a-woman situation...

It stirred up some less-than-pleasant memories for him.

Stopping in his tracks, he gulped nervously and said, "Let me tell you something, dragon lady—if you're planning to make me do that thing again where I… you know, while watching your Castle, it's not going to work. I don’t have the slightest bit of attachment to your territory."

Roswitha, walking ahead, chuckled lightly but didn’t look back. "Relax, I’m not really such an unreasonable, brutish woman. Sometimes, it’s better to let go and settle down; other times, when the occasion arises—"

She came to an abrupt halt. Before her stood a tall, imposing iron door.

"—it’s time to feel at home."

Leon also noticed the structure they had arrived at.

No signs, no guards; just a cold, forbidding iron door.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Oh, I haven’t given it a proper name. You can call it a storage room, a utility closet, or even the Queen’s treasure vault. Doesn’t matter," Roswitha said casually.

As she spoke, she raised a hand, a stream of silvery magical energy dancing at her fingertips. The energy flowed into the keyhole of the massive iron door, which then slowly began to open inward.

Roswitha stepped through. "Come in."

Leon hesitated for a moment but ultimately followed her silently.

After passing through the door and descending a few more flights of stairs, Leon came face to face with rows of neatly arranged shelves.

"These… all of these are your collection?" he asked, slightly awestruck, his mouth parting in mild amazement.

"Yes," Roswitha replied. "Anything meaningful to me, I store here."

Leon quickly darted to one of the shelves, his excitement piqued as he studied an exquisitely crafted bracelet.

Being a Dragon Slayer with a knack for identifying valuable items, he could tell at a glance just how rare and expensive this bracelet was.

If sold in the Empire, it would fetch at least several hundred thousand gold coins.

"That was a gift from my grandmother when I came of age," Roswitha explained.

Leon nodded thoughtfully before his gaze shifted to another part of the collection. His full attention was captivated by the trove of treasures before him, so much so that he didn’t notice Roswitha quietly closing the iron door behind them—and locking it.

After browsing for some time, Leon managed to rein in his "peasant-visits-the-capital" excitement and asked,

"So, why exactly did you bring me here—"

"Oh, here it is," Roswitha interrupted.

Before Leon could press further, she had risen on her toes and retrieved a box from the top of one of the shelves.

Leon moved forward to help her lift it down.

The two of them placed the box on the floor, and Roswitha exhaled gently to clear the layer of dust from its surface.

"What’s in it?" Leon asked curiously.

"As I just told you, something to help lighten your burdens for a while."

With that, Roswitha turned the box’s opening toward Leon and unlatched it.

Leon leaned in for a closer look, curiosity burning in his chest. The moment he saw what was inside, however, he was rendered utterly speechless.

His eyes widened, his mouth slack, his dark pupils reflecting the sight of something he hadn’t reunited with in over two years—

The Black Gold Chariot.

This suit of armor, forged by the Empire’s most renowned craftsmen, had once accompanied Leon through countless battles, shielding him from countless mortal dangers.

Extending a hand slowly, Leon gently ran his fingertip across the surface of the armor. The touch was familiar; its condition immaculate. It was evident that Roswitha had taken meticulous care of the armor during those two long years.

"Want to try it on?" Roswitha suggested.

"Huh?"

"What do you mean, ‘huh’? Try it on!"

"Oh... okay..."

Leon took the various pieces of the Black Gold Chariot from the box and began putting them on, one by one, with practiced ease.

Once he was fully suited up, Roswitha clasped her hands together, squinting her eyes as she smiled with a dreamy expression.

"Very dashing. As handsome as you were back then, holding up your sword and preparing to chop my head off."

"...You Dragons and your understanding of compliments and criticism—truly incomprehensible," Leon muttered.

Regardless, he couldn’t hide the satisfaction on his face as he admired himself in the Black Gold Chariot.

His old companion was just as majestic as it had been in its prime!

But then—

His attention was suddenly drawn to a small, subtle flaw in the chest plate.

"What happened here? The Black Gold Chariot has self-repairing enchantments. Two years should’ve been more than enough time for it to fully restore itself," Leon said, frowning.

Roswitha shook her head. "Not sure. Could’ve gotten bumped or scratched inadvertently."

"Is that so..."

Leon brushed over the imperfection with his fingers. Fortunately, it wasn’t large, barely noticeable unless scrutinized.

He chuckled sheepishly, looking like a boy delighted with a new toy. "Thanks, Roswitha. I didn’t realize you had such a sentimental side."

"Thanks?"

"Yeah. Thank—"

Leon’s words were cut short in an instant, his smile freezing on his face.

Because in that moment, the aura emanating from the dragon standing before him had undergone a complete transformation.

The softness, elegance, and poise—all of it vanished the instant he looked into her eyes.

The silver in Roswitha’s dragon pupils shimmered with pink heart-shaped hues. Beneath her garments, faint glimmers of the Dragon Mark began to shine ominously.

The queen curled her lips into a slightly twisted smile and stepped toward Leon, one deliberate stride at a time.

"A thank-you isn’t enough, Dragon Slayer—not by words alone," she purred.

Leon immediately sensed danger.

He knew it! This whole day, her unusual kindness had felt off.

And now her true nature was finally coming to the surface.

But Leon was no longer the timid pawn she could control so easily. Not now. Not after all he'd learned.

"Dragon Lady," he warned firmly, "before you go crazy, let me remind you—the Black Gold Chariot is enchanted. It enhances all my stats while I’m wearing it. So now, I’m not necessarily at a disadvantage against you."

With the armor on his side, Leon felt emboldened, standing a little taller.

Yet Roswitha merely smirked, undeterred. Her advance didn’t falter.

"Two years… I’ve spent two years carefully maintaining this armor. Did you really think I wouldn’t make… a few tweaks?"

Leon froze. "W-What…"

Raising her hand, Roswitha snapped her fingers with a graceful flick.

Snap!

In an instant, the Black Gold Chariot grew unbearably heavy, pinning Leon to the ground under its weight.

At the same time, a distinct mark began forming on the chest plate—a Dragon Mark.

Leon’s chest burned painfully.

This reaction from the Dragon Mark, far more intense than usual, made him break into a cold sweat.

Kneeling before him, Roswitha gently tilted Leon’s chin upward with the tip of her tail.

"Two Dragon Marks," she whispered with a sultry grin. "Double the thrill. My dear Dragon Slayer, can you handle it?"

"R-Roswitha!"

With a loud clang, Roswitha flipped the immobilized Leon onto his back and straddled him atop the now-useless armor.

"Did you really think I’d forget what you said to me three days ago?" she teased, her voice dripping with faux sweetness. "I’ve faked being a perfect little angel all day, and you actually bought it."

Her laugh was low and mocking. "So? How was my performance? Pretty convincing, wasn’t it?"

Leon’s pupils trembled. "All the things you said today were lies? You don’t really have parents you’ve never met? MuenNoa doesn’t call you ‘Mom’? And... holding hands..."

As someone who was no stranger to being a “Dragon Knight,” Leon could stomach much in their volatile dynamic.

But the deceit? The betrayal? That hit deeper.

"No. Not those things. Those were true," Roswitha clarified with a mischievous lilt. "But they don’t change the fact that right now, this very moment, I’m going to do exactly what I want to you, Leon."

She slowly tugged down the neckline of her top, allowing the shimmering glow of her Dragon Mark to fully surface.

"Do you remember your words to me three days ago?" she purred.

"Something about how I… enjoy conquest?"

"Well then—"

She leaned forward, grinning darkly.

"Allow me to show you what true conquest looks like."

"Ready yourself, my dear husband~"