"Wow, the rogue actually suggested going on a date voluntarily."

Truly an unparalleled kind of Rare behavior.

The queen felt a spark of joy in her heart but still maintained an appearance of calmness on the surface.

*Are you kidding me? I’m not that eager to go on a date with him, so why should I act all happy about it?*

*Besides, if that jerk knows that I’m all giddy just because of a date, won’t his tail wag straight up to the heavens? (If he had one)*

Moreover, before the official date, Roswitha had to solemnly clarify:

"This time, you’re the one who asked me out, right?"

She emphasized the words "you" and "me."

It seemed Her Majesty still cared very much about who was taking the initiative in this so-called fake marriage.

Leon, with his hands in his pockets, nodded repeatedly. "Yeah, yeah, it was me; I’m the one."

Roswitha let out a smug hum. "Fine then. At least you won’t have the excuse later to say it was me pestering you for a date."

"Tsk. Now that we’re clear, let’s get moving. We can even grab some dinner."

"Sure."

Roswitha had initially thought that the meeting regarding Constantine would drag on until the next day, which was why she told Anna she’d be back by tomorrow night at the latest.

Unexpectedly, it wrapped up in just a day.

Chances were, Leon’s final proposal put enough pressure on those geezers who wanted to claim Primordial Power for themselves, making the lengthy discussion unnecessary.

As a result, Roswitha and Leon could take this opportunity to relax for the evening in Sky City before returning home on time the next day.

Leaving Twilight Tower, the two walked side by side down the bustling streets of Sky City.

The night breeze was comfortably cool, and Leon took off his jacket, draping it around Roswitha’s shoulders.

Because of the meeting, she was dressed in a formal white suit—a look that was neither warm nor windproof. An evening stroll like this could easily make her catch a chill—

Though, to be fair, catching a cold was practically impossible given her Dragon Queen's constitution. Still, as her faux husband, Leon felt obligated to at least maintain appearances.

Roswitha wrapped herself in Leon’s jacket, feeling the residual warmth on its lining. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

"Not bad. This time, you were quite considerate."

"I just don’t want to give you any ammunition to claim I’m an unqualified fake husband."

These days, it seemed even the qualifications of a "fake husband" were worth arguing about in the name of pride. Truly, General Leon was a man willing to use any means necessary to achieve his goals.

"Hmph."

A small scoff. It carried a tinge of playful arrogance, yet retained Roswitha’s signature cool intonation.

The "couple" continued their walk, their conversation effortlessly jumping from one random topic to another.

"Oh yeah, during the secret meeting earlier, there was a host. He mentioned being a servant of the Master of Twilight Tower. Do you know anything about this so-called Tower Master?"

Leon, who had spent years on the battlefield in the Dragon Slayer Army and attended numerous courses on Dragon Clan history at Dragon Slayer Academy, had never once heard of this Twilight Tower Master.

But for someone capable of establishing a completely neutral city like Sky City and gathering so many Dragon Kings and Queens for a secret meeting, the Tower Master couldn’t possibly be a simple figure.

After all, being neutral required sufficient power to back it up.

If you’re just a small potato, who would care about your neutrality?

"Not much," Roswitha replied. "The Tower Master is a very mysterious figure. It’s said that Sky City was built single-handedly by him. As for when it was created... it predates even the existence of the Silver Dragon Clan."

Leon’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow, that far back? So, did they establish Sky City as a neutral haven for the Dragon Clan just so we’d have a place to relax and retire?"

Roswitha thought for a moment but ultimately shook her head. "I’m not sure. All I know is what the elders in my clan mentioned when I was a child: The purpose of Sky City goes far beyond being a mere neutral city."

"Over the millennia, regardless of the internal wars within the Dragon Clan or natural disasters, Sky City has always maintained its absolute neutrality."

"So… it’s probably just some sort of folklore."

She lightly tapped the stone pavement beneath her heels, creating clear, crisp sounds.

"I quite like this city. Taking a walk here with someone important... It feels really relaxing."

Roswitha’s voice remained calm and focused as she discussed the topic. But she accidentally revealed her innermost thoughts without realizing it.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "What did you just say?"

"Hm? I said this city is very neutral, but there are many myths surrounding it. What's the matter?"

"Not that sentence. The one after it."

"Huh? I—"

Roswitha opened her mouth, but her brain caught up first, instantly realizing she’d let something slip.

Good thing members of the Silver Dragon Clan were known for their lightning-fast reflexes—if she could react to attacks at the speed of light, surely she could handle changing the subject just as quickly.

"What did I say? I didn’t say anything."

"You did. You absolutely did."

Leon was resolute. "You said, ‘Taking a walk here with someone important feels very relaxing.’"

A trace of red tinged her fair cheeks, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around the jacket’s lapel. She retorted,

"Even if I did say that, how can you be sure that by ‘someone important,’ I meant you?"

Leon took half a step back and spread his hands.

"Besides me, is there anyone else you’re close to here?"

"You—! Ugh, forget it! I’m not wasting my breath on you!"

With that, she turned on her heel, her high heels clicking against the pavement as she stomped away in an almost embarrassed huff.

Leon followed behind her, neither too far nor too close, his strides falling into sync with the shadow her figure cast under the streetlights.

---

Later that evening, after dinner, the couple continued strolling to help digest their meal.

"By the way, why did you decide to ask me out on a date?"

Though she was delighted that the annoying man had taken the initiative to propose a date, it didn’t rule out the possibility that he had ulterior motives.

It was still better to clarify.

Leon blinked, internally debating. The real reason, after all, was a little embarrassing.

Lately, with the kids on their summer break, they’d been glued to him at home. Mornings were spent teaching Noa magic, and afternoons were dedicated to preparing Muen and Aurora for the next school term.

At the end of each day, the only time he had alone with Roswitha was during meals and after turning in for the night.

While their "homework sessions" hadn't decreased in frequency, the more intimate side of bonding had been restricted to surface-level interactions.

What Leon really wanted, deep down, was to spend quality time alone with Roswitha. Just the two of them.

No mountains of work documents, no old adversaries like Constantine scheming in the wings—just time spent with the person he might have increasingly come to care about.

As Roswitha had mentioned earlier, this kind of peace felt... relaxing.

Sky City presented the perfect opportunity for such moments of solitude between them.

That was why he suggested staying for a date.

Though Leon wasn’t ready to admit it just yet, the truth was undeniable: Roswitha's presence meant more to him than he cared to acknowledge. He wanted to be with her—forever.

Back in the present, Leon shrugged nonchalantly, masking his thoughts.

"I figured you’ve been under a lot of stress lately, so I thought we could take this chance to unwind."

He paused and added, "Anyway, Anna’s handling your workload, and the kids are being looked after. There’s no rush to go back."

Roswitha’s heart remained unmoved while hearing the first part of his explanation.

But when he casually brought up the kids, she couldn’t help but connect the dots.

Ever since summer vacation started, she and Leon hadn’t had much idle time to themselves—they’d been caught up in endless to-dos and responsibilities.

This trip was a rare escape, even if initially tied to the Dragon Kings and Queens meeting.

Couple that with Leon’s sudden suggestion for a date…

After some deliberation, Roswitha’s heart stirred, and she came to a conclusion:

A certain married man just wanted to spend time alone with his wife.

Ahh. It’s no wonder Isa had always been a staunch advocate of her "anti-marriage" philosophy. It turned out, tying the knot wasn’t all it was cracked up to be—the lack of freedom was real.

Roswitha offered a faint yet knowing smile.

"Alright then," she said softly, "Let’s make the most of tonight and really unwind."

Knowing what Leon was truly thinking, she chose not to call him out.

For one, she wanted to protect the pride of this occasionally teenage-minded man.

And two...

A certain married woman also wanted some quality alone time with her husband.

But as night fell, their stroll came to an end—neither of them had the habit of wandering around late into the evening. So their next priority became finding a place to sleep.

At last, they arrived at a hotel.

Walking through the hotel’s large doors, Roswitha suddenly recalled something Isa had joked about earlier at the Twilight Tower meeting:

"Hey now, the vibe in a hotel is a *lot* different from the one back home~."

That damn red dragon! She’d never even been in a relationship, yet her ability to spout flirty remarks was unmatched.

Was this the legendary "military strategist who never fights on the front lines?"

Roswitha shook her head, banishing those useless thoughts.

It’s just a hotel, she told herself. Nothing more, nothing less. There’s no need for overthinking or imagining nonsense.

The two of them walked up to the front desk together.

"Good evening. We have single king bedrooms, waterbeds, and various themed suites available. May I ask what type of room you two would like?" the receptionist asked with enthusiasm.

Upon hearing "waterbed" and "themed suites," the couple both flinched as if experiencing PTSD.

After swallowing nervously in unison, they responded—once again, in perfect sync:

"Two rooms!"

The receptionist froze for a moment, clearly baffled.

In her years of experience, she had no doubt the pair before her were a couple—perhaps even husband and wife. Or, they probably already had kids!

But why would they choose two separate rooms while out for an apparent "romantic getaway?"

The receptionist watched as the two stole a quick glance at one another, only to avert their eyes just as quickly.

Inside Leon's mind: *I’ve already pushed past my limit by suggesting this date. Absolutely no way am I sharing a room tonight—this mother dragon would definitely think she’s got me wrapped around her claw!*

Inside Roswitha's mind: *I said two rooms to test him, to see if he could be just a bit more proactive. But now you’re suggesting the same? Alright then! Two rooms it is! Don’t even think about knocking on my door tonight!*

The waiter scratched her temple. "Ah, alright, two rooms would work as well, I—"

"Hold on, I need to use the restroom," Leon suddenly said.

"Sure, the restroom is to the left, all the way at the end."

It seemed like something had been off with the food earlier. Clutching his stomach, Leon quickly headed for the restroom.

Roswitha watched his retreating figure. Once he disappeared around the corner, her silver eyes flickered slightly before she turned to the waiter.

"Miss, I’d like to discuss something with you."

"Go ahead," the waiter replied.

"In a moment, could you tell him that there are no rooms available except for one with a king-sized bed?"

"..."

"Not willing? I’ll pay extra."

"No need, no need. It’s just... I don’t really understand you two."

Don't understand?

Good. That’s exactly the point.

Once you’ve married a fake husband as stubborn as a piece of dragon scale, you’ll get it.

What?

You’re asking how the queen just declared she wouldn’t let Leon step into her room?

She did say that! But she didn’t say she wouldn’t go into Leon’s room.

Perfectly reasonable.

In no time, Leon returned to the front desk.

Roswitha shot the waiter a look.

The waiter immediately caught on and said, "I’m so sorry, sir, but we—"

"Ow! Hang on, I... I suddenly don’t feel well either. Bathroom, gotta go!" Roswitha clutched her stomach and hurried toward the restroom.

Now it was Roswitha’s turn to be watched. Leon stared after her retreating back.

Once he confirmed that Roswitha had entered the restroom, he leaned over the front desk with a conspiratorial air, lowering his voice.

"I’d like to discuss something with you, miss."

The waiter blinked. "Let me guess, sir. You’re going to ask me to say there’s only one room left, right?"

"Wow! Smart! Are you a worm living in my gut or something?"

Not exactly, but your wife beat you to the punch, the waitress silently griped.

When Roswitha returned, the waitress put on a theatrical performance, lamenting with dramatic flair, "I’m so sorry, but we only have one king-sized room left!"

Upon hearing this, General Leon immediately reacted with exaggerated regret, exclaiming, "What? Only one room left?"

Roswitha, not to be outdone, responded with equal dismay, "Exactly, how could it be so unlucky?"

Leon: "But it’s so late now, and other hotels probably don’t have vacancies either."

Roswitha: "Looks like we’ll have to make do and stay here, then."

Leon & Roswitha: "Ahh, what a helpless situation."

Waitress: "You two are *such* drama king and queen."