In the evening, Isa prepared a guest room for the little dragon girls, then led the couple to another room.

As soon as the door opened, a faint, lingering fragrance wafted outward.

Leon and Roswitha stood at the entrance, looking at in the room's furnishings:

a soft and spacious waterbed, a bathtub filled with rose petals despite being unable to drain, and a cupboard seemingly stuffed with various little tools.

It was like a replay of a classic scene.

"Big Sis... did you set up this room exactly like you did last time?" Roswitha asked.

The first time Roswitha brought Leon to Isa's home for a visit, her dear elder sister had gone all out, transforming the room into some kind of love hotel suite.

And now, just after the dust of war had settled, her sister was at it again.

Next time, maybe they should bring along a simple tent or something, Roswitha thought to herself.

"I didn't do anything," Isa said casually.

"Then why does it look like this?"

"After you left last time, I just... never touched the room again. Even during the heaviest fighting, this room stayed exactly the same."

Isa crossed her arms, a triumphant smile playing on her face. "Judging by your reaction last time, it seemed like you were fairly satisfied with the room's amenities, so I left it as it was."

"......"

The couple exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes, they read the same word: "speechless."

Though their relationship had grown a lot closer since their last visit—sharing a bed no longer limited to "just holding hands" and the like—the peculiar waterbed was still a tad too much for them.

Not to mention the various "SM accessories" stashed in the nearby cupboard.

In a word, the whole room gave Leon and Roswitha a feeling that could be described with just a word: suggestive.

Suggestive of flirtations. Suggestive of anticipations. Suggestive of all the stuff between men and women.

"Well then, here's wishing you two a lovely night. Sweet dreams~"

Isa, who had somehow retreated to the doorway, cheerfully said her goodnights as she gently closed the door.

Roswitha opened her mouth as if to say something, but the decisive *click* of the shutting door stopped her short.

Turning back toward the room, she saw Leon already walked to the edge of the waterbed.

He pressed down on the bed lightly, causing the mattress to ripple with a *blorp blorp* sound.

"Not bad. About the same as last time."

"Oh? Sounds like the events from our last time sharing this bed left quite an impression on you," Roswitha teased with a smile.

"Of course."

Roswitha blinked, startled by how straightforward his answer was this time. She hadn't expected the usually stubborn Leon to respond so willingly.

But as it turned out, years of sparring in verbal battles with Leon still couldn't prepare her for his next comment.

"I mean, the way you freaked out and dove into my arms over a spider. That memory will last me a lifetime."

Roswitha: ......

Ignoring the fiery glare from his dragoness wife, Leon lifted his gaze to the ceiling above the waterbed.

This time, there didn't seem to be any sneaky mechanisms hidden there.

He still remembered how, during their departure last time, he had placed a fake spider near the bedroom door to "avenge" Roswitha's reaction.

It must have spooked Isa as intended, which might explain why she'd spared them any childish tricks this time around.

Not that he'd ever admit it to Roswitha.

If she misunderstood his actions as overly "protective," it would spell his doom.

What protector? Certainly not me!

Satisfied there were no traps, Leon opened the nearby cupboard.

The moment he unlatched the door, a wave of... *SM* energy hit him square in the face:

A small whip, some low-temperature wax, handcuffs, red ropes, and a certain spherical object...

"Your sister really knows a lot..." Leon couldn't help but marvel. "Is it just me, or does the inventory seem even larger this time?"

Roswitha stepped forward and glanced at the array of "toys."

"Probably because she has read some bizarre books again lately," she said.

"Oh, so your Dragon Clan publishes such books?" Leon teased.

"Excuse me, what do you mean *our* Dragon Clan? Don't humans write those too?"

"Ha ha. Of course, we do."

Indeed, it seemed there was no species immune to the allure of spicing things up.

"Well then, my dear wife—tonight, will you enjoy the whip or the candle?" Leon held up the whip in one hand and the low-temp wax in the other, his gaze resting on Roswitha.

Tilting her head slightly, Roswitha arched a brow. "Enjoy? Please, if we’re using any of these, it’s *me* who’ll be using them on *you*."

"Why should you get to decide?" General Leon shot back, clearly displeased.

"Because I’m *the queen.*"

"......So?"

"The queens and a whip—seems perfectly natural, don’t you think?"

Leon’s lips twisted in an exaggerated pout, almost reaching the ceiling.

He tossed the whip and wax back into the cupboard and slammed it shut.

"Fine. Then *nobody's* playing."

The queen smiled knowingly. "Suit yourself. I don’t need a whip to ‘discipline’ you, anyway."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? With what, then—Damn it. What the hell?!"

Before he could finish, her silvery tail lashed out and smacked against his rear.

The beautiful dragoness tilted her head slightly, her half-lidded eyes filled with playful mischief.

"With your favorite *tail,* of course, my husband~"

Leon glared at her, reaching out in retaliation to grab her tail tip.

Roswitha hadn’t expected his counterstrike, and as soon as her sensitive tail was pinched, her knees buckled, her body leaning helplessly against Leon's chest.

"Speaking of tails, my little dragon queen—why don't we take a look at that *Dragon Mark* hidden back here?”

Roswitha pushed weakly at Leon's chest, but the hold on her tail sealed her fate. The more she struggled, the more it looked like she was flirting.

Her cheeks flushed red, and in a soft, coquettish voice, she finally relented:

"Alright, alright, stop teasing me already... We're at my sister’s house. Wait until we get home, okay?"

Despite their mutual hunger for one another, the couple understood the rules of propriety.

Whatever Isa had "prepared" was irrelevant—doing anything inappropriate in a relative’s home was out of the question.

Even if it was very clear Isa had set all this up just to enjoy the show.

With a sigh, Leon released Roswitha’s tail.

"Alright. Let’s just take a bath and call it a night?"

"Mm."

They stepped into the bathroom, pleasantly surprised to find this time the tub wasn’t permanently sealed—it could actually be drained and refilled.

However, the floating rose petals still felt a bit much.

"Last time, you mentioned wanting to share a rose petal bath," Leon remarked. "Looks like your sister’s telepathy is improving; she’s got us covered."

Roswitha reached out, rolled up a sleeve, and stirred the water with her fingers, gently brushing the petals aside.

"The temperature is perfect. But if you’re planning to get in with me, I have one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"When we get back home, I get to use the whip."

"...Keep dreaming."

Leon waved dismissively and left the bathroom.

While their methods of play were known to be creative, baths were typically kept separate—for the simple reason that shared baths often devolved into... other things.

Once Leon left, Roswitha chuckled softly. She drew the curtain, preparing to undress for her bath.

But before she could undo the laces of her dress, something caught her attention.

The once-still surface of the water began to ripple gently.

Frowning slightly, she leaned closer to study the waves.

Sure enough, the ripples spread outward in concentric circles from the tub’s center, pushing the petals to the edges.

"What's the matter..."

Before she could finish her thought, a reverberating *BOOM* echoed from outside the Red Dragon Sanctum.

The water in the tub vibrated violently in response.

The very next second, Leon burst into the bathroom, speaking at lightning speed.

"Are you okay?!"

"I’m fine. What about outside?"

Leon shook his head. "Not sure yet. Let’s check on the girls first."

"Alright."

The couple quickly made their way to Noa’s room.

The young dragon girls had also been startled awake by the thunderous crash.

Noa held Muen protectively in her arms, while Leon bent down to scoop up Aurora.

"What’s happening, Papa?" Noa asked.

"I don’t know yet. But it probably isn’t good."

Leon strode over to the window and peered outside.

Bright flames erupted skyward just beyond the sanctum walls, illuminating the night.

Within the inferno, an immense shadow began to emerge.

A deep red glow reflected in Leon’s eyes, and he soon discerned the figure’s face—or rather, its head.

"Constantine..."