The couple stepped into the room.

Just moments ago, standing at the doorway, they thought it merely playful and “romantic,” but they hadn't expected the place to be hiding so many clever twists within.

First, as soon as they stepped inside, they were greeted by a faint and tranquil fragrance.

It wasn’t overwhelming, but it gave an oddly soothing and floaty sensation once inhaled.

Then, Leon walked into the transparent glass-panel bathroom, only to notice there was no curtain or any other means to obscure visibility.

On top of that, the showerhead was angled directly toward the massive bed in the room!

Coincidentally, the layout and furnishing of the room were minimal—there were virtually no corners or blind spots in the entire space.

In other words, no matter what one did in this room, the other person would have an unobstructed view—

Including taking a shower, of course.

Aside from the scandalously positioned showerhead, the bathroom also featured a bathtub big enough for two people (and possibly a tail).

The bathtub alone wouldn’t be a big deal.

But the provocative part was that Isa had actually scattered rose petals all over it!

Not just that, she had arranged the petals into the shape of a heart!

She either understood nothing at all—or understood absolutely everything.

Leon didn’t dare linger in the bathroom and quickly made his way out.

If he stayed any longer, who knew what other eyebrow-raising surprises he might stumble across?

At that point, it would be awkward beyond belief.

After leaving the bathroom, Leon noticed Roswitha standing by the window, gazing expressionlessly into the distance.

Leon walked over to her side, glanced at her briefly, and then followed her line of sight to see what she was looking at, only to spot absolutely nothing of note.

It seemed like she was just engaging in some routine “Queen-style daydreaming.”

After standing side by side for a while, Leon broke the silence.

“Your sister’s definitely quite the schemer,” he said. “But I’ve got to admit, she’s been nice to me. For the first time since being captured by you, I actually feel like I’ve got an ally.”

Roswitha snorted coldly at his words. “I’ve known my sister for two hundred years; you’ve known her for two hours. Just wait, you won’t escape her either.”

“Tch, I’m not scared.”

Roswitha shot him a side glance but said nothing more.

She turned away and walked toward the closet in the room, intending to see if there were any nightgowns prepared for her.

Whenever she visited Isa’s home and stayed the night, Isa always made sure to thoughtfully prepare everything Roswitha might need.

But this time, when Roswitha opened the closet, she froze.

It wasn’t that Isa had forgotten to prepare anything.

No, it was the complete opposite—she had prepared too much!

Seeing Roswitha pause in front of the closet, Leon felt curious and walked over.

And then—

He froze too.

The smile on his face evaporated instantly.

In the spacious closet, the top tier was filled with an array of uniforms, sheer black stockings, and lingerie so risqué it could make someone blush from just looking at it.

Meanwhile, the middle and lower levels were packed with all sorts of… gadgets.

Candles, blindfolds, delicate chains, leather whips—

Even handcuffs!

Roswitha reached out, her slender fingers tracing over the lingerie, then picked up a small whip on a lower shelf. She hefted it in her hand, and the whip made crisp, snapping sounds.

Looking up with amusement, Roswitha locked eyes with Leon and smirked. “See? I told you, there’s no escaping her.”

Leon took a startled step back, swallowing hard as he stared at the whip in her hand. “Y-you don’t actually plan to use these… these little toys, do you?”

Roswitha shrugged nonchalantly. “Who knows? Maybe…”

As she spoke, she edged closer to Leon, casually swinging the whip in her hand. “Maybe I want to try something new?”

“Well, that’s a terrific idea, highly recommend keeping it as just a thought!”

Leon hurriedly snatched the whip from her hand, threw it back into the closet, and swiftly closed the doors.

Roswitha chuckled mockingly. “What’s up? Are you planning to sleep in your daytime clothes?”

“What’s up? Are you planning to sleep in that stuff from the closet?” Leon fired back.

“Oh? Afraid I’ll put it on and you won’t be able to resist?”

Leon let out a dry laugh, curling his lips dismissively. “You could be in a Bunny Girl costume, and I’d still hold it together.”

“What’d you say?” Roswitha didn’t catch his words.

“Nothing. I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed.”

“No shower, no bed!”

Before Roswitha could finish her sentence, Leon dove onto the bed like a fish leaping into water.

But the instant he landed, he was enveloped by an unexpected softness.

Leon stopped in his tracks, feeling the sensation beneath him.

This texture…

“Are you serious? This is a waterbed?!”

In that moment, it all clicked for Leon.

If Isa could transform a playground for hatchlings into a guest room for sisters,

Then she could certainly turn a couples’ S&M-themed suite into a ‘married couple’s’ room.

From the see-through bathroom and rose petal-filled bathtub to the lingerie and multitude of props, and now this waterbed…

It was hard not to question Isa’s true intentions in inviting them over.

Leon suddenly remembered the look Isa had given him and Roswitha when she closed the door earlier.

That gaze…

It was as though she were locking two endangered creatures inside a habitat, waiting for them to mate, reproduce, and revive their kind.

Leon bolted upright on the waterbed, staring blankly at Roswitha.

Clearly, Roswitha had also begun to realize her cunning sister’s ploy.

They hadn’t even reached bedtime yet, and already so much ‘setup’ had been prepared.

Roswitha couldn’t dare imagine what other surprises might await when they actually went to sleep.

Yet the external circumstances weren’t even the worst of it.

The real danger lay in themselves.

In the past, whenever they shared a bed, it was out of necessity.

But now, simply lying in bed together with no specific reason—it was something they’d never done before.

They had always stuck to separate sleeping arrangements.

How could anyone possibly fall asleep under these conditions?

And then… what if Leon hogged the blanket? Kicked her in his sleep? Mistook her for a teddy bear and hugged her all night?

Any of these would surely be the end of her!

While Roswitha’s mind raced with worries, Leon was faring no better.

There's a saying that serving a ruler is like walking on thin ice. However, if he were forced to share a bed with this dragoness, he'd prefer to face the perils of thin ice every single night!

All things considered, their relationship was profoundly peculiar.

They had done what shouldn’t have been done yet avoided doing what should’ve been done.

And as a result, they’d ended up in this awkward situation—where their children were running around, yet they were still shy as if experiencing first love.

Wait—

Children?

The couple exchanged a glance and came to a tacit agreement.

But Leon seized the moment and made the first move. “Our daughters must miss me—I’m going to spend time with them.”

Roswitha didn’t object.

As long as it meant not sharing a bed with him, she didn’t care what excuse he used.

Leon stepped out of the room and headed for the sisters’ room, where he knocked on the door.

Light footsteps quickly approached from inside.

Muen opened the door.

“Daddy!”

“Muen, still awake?”

“Nope, Isa Aunty’s playing with me and Big Sis!”

Leon froze briefly at her words.

Isa’s here too?

Why would she be here?

Could it be… she’d anticipated Leon or Roswitha might use the children as an excuse to sleep apart?

The suspicion lingered as Leon picked up Muen and stepped inside the sisters’ room.

Sure enough, Isa sat on the carpet with Noa, playing some sort of puzzle game.

“Noa’s so smart! Tell Aunt Isa, who do you take after for being this clever—your dad or your mom?” Isa teased, pinching Noa’s chubby cheeks as she showered her with praise.

“Aunt.” Noa answered.

“Oh my, little Noa knows just what to say. Aunt’s going to smother you with kisses now!”

With that, Isa gave Noa’s face an exaggerated nuzzle.

Ah, the sweet baby dragon’s milky scent—absolutely delightful!

“Sis, what are you playing?”

Leon seamlessly joined their activity, holding Muen as he sat cross-legged on the floor.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Isa deflected instead of answering his question.

“Ah, I… I thought I’d accompany my daughters. They might have trouble falling asleep in a new place.” Leon improvised his excuse.

“They’re fine—they’re such well-behaved girls. Right, Noa?”

“Mm.”

“See? Noa said yes, so there’s no problem at all!”

“You don’t know Noa like I do. She answers ‘mm’ to almost everything. Don’t you, Noa?”

Noa: “No.”

Leon: …

I’m your father. I’ve been raising you for two months. You’ve known this aunty for two hours, and this is how loyal you are?

“So, as long as I’m here with the little ones, everything’s fine. You should go back and enjoy your ‘couples’ time with Roswitha.”

That was her real objective, wasn’t it?

In Leon’s arms, Muen wagged her tiny tail and chimed in, “Daddy and Mommy sleeping together~ Yay~”

Leon flicked the tuft of hair on her head. “Kids shouldn’t say such things.”

“Ugh…”

“Muen, come to Aunty!” Isa beckoned with a wave of her hand.

Without hesitation, Muen leapt from Leon’s arms straight into Isa’s.

Isa now sat smiling like a true doting aunty, one kid in each arm.

“Alright, you should get going. Don’t keep Roswitha waiting too long.”

She really was kicking him out.

Leon was out of excuses.

Defeated, he rose to his feet, muttering, “Enjoy yourselves,” before heading back to the couples’ suite.

Roswitha was lounging on the waterbed, leaning against the headboard. She had changed into a relatively normal nightgown, although the hem was a bit short, which she covered with a throw pillow on her lap.

Her damp hair suggested she’d just taken a shower.

The thin, gauzy fabric of her nightgown clung to her alluring curves, undeniably provocative.

Hands crossed over her chest, she exuded an air of inevitability, clearly anticipating Leon’s eventual, miserable return.

“Fifteen minutes. You couldn’t even last fifteen minutes without coming back,” Roswitha remarked.

"Your sister was there too. She completely turned Noa and Muen against me. They didn’t even say one word in my defense," Leon argued.

Roswitha chuckled lightly. "Heh, and you claim your daughters adore you the most? What exactly do they love about you? The fact that you stay far away from them?"

Leon spread his hands. "Instead of ridiculing me, why don’t you give it a try yourself?"

"Fine, I will. The girls would never treat me the way they treat you."

Leon bent down and extended his arm, making a "please, go ahead" gesture.

Roswitha strode out the door—

And returned just as quickly.

The entire ordeal didn’t even last thirty seconds.

Clap—clap—clap—

Leon gave an exaggerated slow clap, mimicking Roswitha’s earlier tone in a mocking sing-song, "The girls would never treat me like this~~~"

"I—I, ugh, how do you expect me to go talk to them dressed like this?" Roswitha stammered, trying to explain.

"Then why not change into normal clothes to go see them?"

"I can’t. I already took a bath."

Leon sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Alright, let’s just cut to the chase—where are we sleeping tonight?"

Roswitha scanned the room with her eyes. Aside from the waterbed, the only other place anyone could possibly lie down was the bathtub.

Leon clearly noticed as well.

And so, the question arose.

"Who’s sleeping in the bathtub?" The couple simultaneously turned their gaze on each other, speaking in unison.

After a brief staredown, Roswitha declared, "You are."

"Me? Come on, that bathtub’s full of water! If I spend the night in there, by morning you’d be looking at a very handsome and very drowned corpse."

"Can’t you just drain the water first and lie down?" she retorted.

Leon blinked in realization, as though a light bulb had gone off. "Oh, that’s actually a good point."

Roswitha pressed her hand to her forehead, muttering, "Idiot…"

With the arrangements now made, Roswitha and Leon each headed to their respective "nests" for the night.

Roswitha had never tried something as novelty-driven and sensual as a waterbed before, so she lay stiffly upon it at first, quickly pulling the quilt over herself for comfort.

Leaning against the headboard, she glanced toward Leon, who was now in the glass-walled bathroom, pacing around the bathtub and fiddling with it.

Moments later, Leon emerged from the bathroom with an expression of utter defeat on his face.

Roswitha studied him. "What’s wrong?"

"Your oldest sister sealed the bathtub drain."

Roswitha: ?

"She must’ve figured we’d end up needing to sleep separately," Leon explained. "And if she could predict that, predicting us splitting up into bed and bathtub is child’s play."

"So, she blocked the bathtub in advance," Leon concluded.

He had always thought of himself as cunning and resourceful—how else could he have risen to the rank of top-tier Dragon Slayer? A quick wit was absolutely essential.

But today, Leon realized he had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by one of Roswitha’s family members.

He and Roswitha were like two hamsters stuck on a treadmill, running endlessly without any way off.

Roswitha felt equally frustrated and helpless. "My sister's way too crafty for her own good…"

Leon threw up his arms. "So, what now?"

Roswitha’s gaze shifted to the massive waterbed, which was more than spacious enough for both of them. Then she looked again at the displaced Dragon Slayer with nowhere else to sleep.

After some intense inner deliberation, she clenched the edge of her quilt, bit down on her lip, and softly murmured, "Come up here."

"Come where?"

"The bed."

"With you?"

Roswitha averted her eyes. "Mm… with me."

Leon’s mischievous mind began to whirl, and he obnoxiously repeated her invitation, breaking it into deliberate, exaggerated pieces.

"You—want me—to sleep—in the same bed as you?"

"Are you coming or not? If not, you might as well resign yourself to staying up all night. Or maybe we could go through every toy in the wardrobe one by one. How does that sound?" she threatened.

Leon wasted no time diving onto the bed headfirst.

Only to be promptly kicked back off by Roswitha.

"Go take a shower first. Don’t get on the bed until you’re clean," she ordered.

Leon muttered under his breath before heading for the bathroom, giving his backside a dismissive pat.

Before taking off his clothes, he lingered at the bathroom door, scratching his head. "You’re not gonna peek, are you?"

"Who would want to peek at you, you idiot!" Roswitha barked, slapping a pillow over her eyes.

Seconds later, the sound of running water filled the air.

The entire time, Roswitha stubbornly held the pillow over her eyes, refusing to let her guard down.

The Queen of Silver Dragons was resolute!—

Wait a minute.

He’s my captive. Why does he think he gets to dictate terms? Haven’t I seen every inch of his body already?

The choice is mine. If I want to look, I’ll look!

But… forget it.

There’s really nothing worth seeing. I got tired of it ages ago!

It’s not that I’m afraid…

Caught between an angelic and devilish version of herself arguing on her shoulders, Roswitha eventually just buried her head under the quilt.

Several minutes later, the water stopped, and soon after, the waterbed dipped and wobbled slightly. A clean, refreshing fragrance from Leon’s shower crept under the quilt.

That must mean he’s climbed into the bed.

Roswitha peeked out cautiously.

She glanced sideways at Leon, relieved to see that the bed was wide enough to leave a sizable distance between them.

This, perhaps, was the one thing Isa failed to account for.

Isa must have assumed that providing an oversized waterbed would give the couple room to "hash things out."

In reality, it only allowed them to establish an even clearer boundary—far apart where neither could touch the other.

The night deepened, and the entirety of the Red Dragon Castle fell into silence.

For once, the hapless couple lay side by side on the same bed in rare mutual wakefulness.

Although it was late, both their eyes remained wide open, fixed blankly on the ceiling.

Judging by their breathing, they could tell neither had fallen asleep.

But it had already been two hours since they lay down.

Leon began to feel that if things went on this way, two more hours might pass just as sleeplessly.

So, he decided to break the tension with some idle chat. "Hey."

"What?"

"Where’s your tail?"

"Why?"

"I don’t know. I didn’t see your tail when you got into bed."

"I retracted it," Roswitha replied. "Members of the Dragon Clan naturally pull their tails back when lying down or sleeping."

Leon responded with an understanding "Oh," thought for a moment, and then asked again, "But what if you forget? Would you end up lying on it?"

Roswitha rolled her eyes. "Do you forget to breathe when you’re sleeping?"

"Ah, fair point…"

"Mm-hmm."

And with that bit of dragon trivia covered, their conversation lapsed into silence once more.

The room grew exceptionally quiet, so silent that they could only hear each other’s breathing and heartbeat.

Roswitha pulled the quilt snugly over herself.

Leon, however, didn’t dare fully burrow into the covers. He left over half of his body hanging out.

Because underneath the quilt was far too warm—and much of that warmth came from Roswitha's body heat.

Besides, in the cramped intimacy of the quilt, even the slightest movement risked brushing against her arm or… other parts.

Dare he make a move? Not a chance.

Beside him, Roswitha tried to shift to her side for a more comfortable position.

But the waterbed immediately rippled beneath her, accompanied by suggestive, sloshing sounds.

Frustrated, Roswitha gave up on turning over, resigning herself to lying flat.

The two of them continued listening to each other’s breathing and heartbeat. Another half hour passed.

Finally, Leon threw off the quilt and hopped out of the bed.

Startled by the movement, Roswitha sat up. "Where are you going?"

"Can’t sleep. I’m going for a walk."

Leon dressed and left their room.

As he passed the sisters’ room, he pressed his ear to the door but heard nothing. Noa and Muen were presumably sound asleep.

Leon sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets as he headed upstairs.

He decided to head to the rooftop for some air and to clear his mind.

Once he reached the rooftop of the Castle, Leon realized he wasn’t the only one struggling to sleep that night.

A crimson figure stood by the railing, gazing at the distant mountains. A small table nearby held a bottle of red wine.

Leon walked over and stood beside Isa. "What are you doing up so late, sis?"

Isa glanced at him briefly before casting her gaze back to the forested hills. "I had a feeling one of you wouldn’t be able to sleep either."

"Honestly, who could sleep in that room? Not exactly a haven for rest, is it?" Leon joked dryly.

Isa chuckled, covering her mouth lightly. "What, you don’t like it? I prepared it just for the two of you."

Leon smiled faintly, saying nothing.

He glanced at the small table and noticed there were two wine glasses prepared.

It seemed Isa had even anticipated their "rooftop talk."

"Drink with me?" Isa offered.

"Sure."

Isa picked up one of the glasses and handed it to Leon as she poured wine into both.

They clinked glasses lightly, each taking a small sip of the rich, aromatic liquid.

"I thought for sure the one wandering up here would’ve been Roswitha," Isa mused. "I even prepared her favorite wine."

Leon chuckled. "Want me to go call her? She’s not asleep yet either."

Isa shot him a playful glare, amused. "No need. Instead, help me with something."

"Alright."

The two walked over to the side, where Isa nudged a cardboard box forward with her foot.

Leon instantly recognized it—it contained all of Roswitha’s discarded love letters.

Isa fetched a few wooden logs, stacking them into a pile. She then raised her hand, releasing a small flame from her palm that quickly ignited the wood.

Crouching down, Isa picked a random letter from the box and tossed it into the fire.

"A little over a year ago, Roswitha suddenly started writing me letters more frequently," Isa remarked.

Leon crouched down as well, methodically adding letters to the flames.

"She told me she married a low-profile Dragon King in secret and was even having his child."

"I congratulated her in my reply, but something about her words felt... off. There was a melancholy I couldn’t quite ignore. My little sister—no one knows her better than I do."

Leon stared quietly at the fire, its flickering glow reflected in his dark eyes.

His thoughts stirred, recalling the time he had used the Blood Enchantment to make Roswitha pregnant, only to pass out afterward.

Spending pregnancy alone, and carrying the child of her sworn enemy... she must have felt like every day stretched into eternity back then.

“She always mentioned in her letters that your health wasn’t great, that you often needed to sleep for a very long time. Even during her pregnancy, it was only the maids who took care of her, including the days Muen and Noa were born.”

Isa said indifferently, “You should know, right? Twins—whether during pregnancy or childbirth—are much harder to handle than a single child.”

Leon murmured a soft acknowledgment.

Isa’s words gave Leon a nudge, reminding him of something. He probably knew now why Roswitha always seemed so melancholic and somber.

Aside from handling the clan’s numerous affairs and the resulting physical and mental exhaustion—

She also had to take care of a family that had come into her life so abruptly.

There was no doubt she loved her children dearly, but behind that love was two years of profound loneliness and solitude.

No one to share her days with, no one to confide in. All she could do was pour her heart out in letters to her one and only sister to ease her sorrow and burden.

“At the time, I thought she had married someone she didn’t even like,” Isa remarked. “I thought she’d ended up with some idiot who wasn’t as smart as her—a greasy, bad-tempered dragon with no sense of responsibility and no love for kids.”

As she spoke, her gaze landed on Leon.

Leon scratched his head awkwardly. “Sis, do I really seem like that kind of dragon to you?”

Sis, I’m not even a dragon to begin with—how’s that for strange?

“Of course you’re not, and after our brief interaction tonight, I’m even more certain that my Rosie married the right person. She really likes you.”

Leon conceded that Isa was, without a doubt, a sharp person.

But that statement—“She really likes you”—was not something Leon could readily agree with.

Scratching his cheek, he stammered, “Sis, what makes you say that...?”

“Well, for one, her behavior around you is completely different from how she interacts with everyone else. When she’s with you, she’s so at ease, so comfortable. Not only are you two husband and wife, but you’ve also managed to be like friends at the same time.”

Still... isn’t it possible that we’re just lifelong rivals?

“Roswitha isn’t particularly good at expressing her emotions, but I’ve never seen her let down her guard and open up to anyone the way she does with you. You’re the second.”

Leon froze. “Who was the first?”

“Duh, me,” Isa said smugly, pointing to herself.

“...Alright then.”

Isa burned the last love letter in her hand.

“Anyway, telling you all of this isn’t to pressure you. I just want you to take good care of my sister. She just went through the loneliest two years of her life, and there are plenty more two-year spans in the future. You need to be by her side through them all.”

Isa raised her eyes to meet Leon’s. “You’re a man with a sense of responsibility. You know what you need to do to set my mind at ease, don’t you?”

Leon’s pupils quivered slightly, a spark of fire igniting in his gaze.

Be there for her through it all...

For a lifetime.

But we...

Leon still held the last love letter in his hand, unconsciously tightening his grip on one corner of the envelope.

Seeing him remain silent, Isa frowned slightly. “What, you’re not going to—”

“I will, Sis.”

Leon folded the last love letter carefully and threw it into the fire.

The paper burned, its ashes drifting away.

“I’ll take good care of Roswitha. I promise.”

Isa’s furrowed brow relaxed. “Hmph, kid, you better mean it.”

Leon stood up, thumped his chest, and said, “Seriously, I wasn't able to take care of her during the first pregnancy. If there's a second one, I swear I'll be by my wife and child's side no matter what.”

That is, if there even is a “second pregnancy.”

Isa chuckled at his words. “Alright, alright. Stop showing off. Go on now—don’t keep Rosie waiting.”

Leon nodded, turning toward the staircase leading down from the rooftop.

“Hey, hang on!” Isa suddenly called out.

“Anything else, Sis?”

“Just don’t hold back tonight. That room has excellent soundproofing.”

Leon: Wow, very thoughtful of you—thanks so much!