Chapter 37: But I still really like him
When Rosvitha returned to the Silver Dragon Temple after patrolling the border, it was already past seven in the evening.
Upon hearing the news of her grandmother’s return, Rosvitha hurriedly went to the guest room upstairs without even eating dinner.
Anna said, “Your Majesty, you don’t need to be in such a hurry.”
Rosvitha stopped in her tracks and asked why.
Anna smiled and said, “Because His Highness has been accompanying the old lady all this time.”
Rosvitha took in a sharp breath and immediately changed her pace from “quick steps” to “running”, rushing up the stairs in the blink of an eye, leaving the maid alone in the messy hallway.
“What’s going on? His Highness is so eloquent, he must have been able to charm the old lady, right? Then why does Your Majesty still look so worried?” Rosvitha thought to herself.
“Ah, I don’t get it. After all, it’s His Majesty’s family affair,” Anna said, not pursuing further and instead arranging for a few maids to prepare some supper.
“His Majesty hasn’t had dinner. After meeting the old lady later, he’ll probably eat something,” she added.
Meanwhile, on the third floor of the temple, Rosvitha, in a manner unbefitting of a queen, lifted her skirts and hurried through the corridor to the guest room.
Standing at the door, she closed her eyes and focused on adjusting her slightly chaotic and rapid breathing, as well as her slightly excited and nervous mood.
Excited, because her grandmother, whom she hadn’t seen in fifty years, was coming to visit her; nervous, because she worried that the man might say something wrong and arouse her grandmother’s suspicion.
Her grandmother, the one she shared with Isabella, was indeed a shrewd old woman.
Let’s just say that the combined level of their cunning could match the old lady’s.
And Leon?
Whether it’s Rosvitha or Isabella, either of them could match General Lei in a verbal spar. If this old lady really wanted to probe Leon, I’m afraid she could extract the name of the donkey in Leon’s family within an hour. That’s Leon’s background! Even Rosvitha doesn’t know what that donkey’s name is!
As her breathing gradually steadied and her mindset adjusted, Rosvitha shook her head to clear away the cluttered thoughts. Then, she slowly opened her eyes and gently knocked on the door.
“Come in,” came the voice, causing Rosvitha to pause.
It was her grandmother’s voice.
She smoothed her skirt, biting her lip, still a bit nervous. Although her grandmother’s tone sounded calm and gentle, not like she had discovered Leon’s human identity, Rosvitha dared not let her guard down.
She slowly pressed down the door handle, pushed the door inward, and then stepped inside. Passing through the hallway, she entered the living room where a familiar face sat on the sofa.
Seeing her granddaughter return, her grandmother slowly stood up, a kind smile on her face as she looked at Rosvitha. “Long time no see, little Rose.”
Rosvitha’s eyes shimmered with tears, but she wore the same smile on her lips, hastening forward to open her arms and embrace her grandmother. “Long time no see, Grandma.”
The two of them embraced, completely ignoring the presence of another person in the living room.
Leon Casmode sat on another sofa, silently watching the mother dragon and her grandmother embrace.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to General Lei—
Why not take this opportunity to slip away?
It wasn’t that Leon was afraid of “meeting the parents”, it was just that the whole process of meeting the parents was a bit soul-crushing.
So, for the next hour, even though the old lady’s demeanor was kind and the questions she asked were all about trivial family matters, Leon still felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, with a knot in his throat. He had never felt an hour drag on so long, nor had he ever longed for Rosvitha to come home so much.
Because the sooner she came home, the sooner Leon could slip away. As for the reason for slipping away, any excuse would do. Feeling dizzy, stomach ache, cooking dinner, taking care of the children… he could pick one randomly!
After a brief struggle, Leon finally decided to make his move. He opened his mouth, intending to say he was going to put the daughters to bed. But before he could speak, he saw the grandmother and Rosvitha finish their embrace and turn their heads towards him.
Leon panicked.
Oh no, if he didn’t slip away now, he might not get another chance!
“Um…” Leon stood up, preparing to make an excuse.
“Leon, sit down, let’s continue chatting,” but before he could start his excuse, the grandmother mercilessly interrupted his incantation.
“Uh, well…”
“Leon, Grandma asked you to sit, so just sit,” Rosvitha added, adding fuel to the fire, “Haven’t you already spent quite some time with Grandma? Why are you still nervous?”
Leon glanced at Rosvitha, his eyes flickering slightly, then shifted his gaze to Rosvitha’s right hand. She was discreetly pinching her skirt, and her tail behind her was slightly curled up. It was a small gesture she only made when she was nervous, and Leon knew her very well.
“Damn it, I’m sweating buckets, and they’re accusing me of being nervous! Dragons are such tattletales!”
Leon fumed inwardly. But since both the grandmother and granddaughter insisted he stay, he reluctantly sat back down.
The grandmother and Rosvitha took their seats as well. Rosvitha sat beside her grandmother, holding her hand, her face and eyes betraying her hidden longing. Leon rarely saw Rosvitha so openly display her emotions.
“It’s been three years since you got married, little Rose, why didn’t you tell me?” the grandmother patted her granddaughter’s hand and glanced at Leon.
Rosvitha blushed, nodding slightly. “I was just about to write to you when you came back.”
The grandmother reached out and gently touched Rosvitha’s nose. “Why are you being shy?”
Leon couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his eye. Grandma, your granddaughter isn’t blushing because she’s shy. She’s blushing because she’s lying!
If you hadn’t come back, she probably wouldn’t have told you even after thirty years of marriage.
Of course, I wouldn’t have said anything either. After all, a romance between a human and a dragon is too taboo for most people to accept. Leon scratched his temple, turned his head away, and pretended to be dead.
Meanwhile, Rosvitha smoothly transitioned the conversation to Leon, subtly probing her grandmother to see if Leon had let anything slip.
“Oh, by the way, Grandma, you shouldn’t mind Leon’s background, right?”
“Background… I don’t mind,” the grandmother replied, eyeing Leon who was playing dead beside her. She sized up the young man, “He’s handsome and capable, just born at the wrong time.”
It sounds like the grandmother hasn’t realized Leon’s human identity. But when she praised Leon like that, Rosvitha couldn’t help but feel surprised.
After all, the grandmother wasn’t one to casually compliment others. People who earned her approval were either top dragon kings or had profound academic accomplishments.
And that dog of a man was neither—though he had slaughtered many top dragon kings, which could, in a way, meet the grandmother’s standards for praise.
“But—” just a simple ‘but’ made Rosvitha’s heart drop again.
“But I didn’t expect you, little Rose, to like this kind of personality in a man,” the grandmother’s tone was one of surprise, and the term ‘this kind of personality’ wasn’t meant negatively.
Hearing the grandmother’s words, Rosvitha finally breathed a sigh of relief. She raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smiled as she looked at Leon.
“Leon, well, he can be stubborn and a bit childish at times,” she began, “He often speaks contrary to me deliberately, and sometimes he’s awkward, making it hard to tell if he’s speaking the truth or not.”
“He’s quite secretive, but he’s also reserved, doesn’t like to communicate much, likes to show off, and has a bit of a personal hero complex…”
Rosvitha listed Leon’s “sins” as if reciting a grocery list, getting more and more enthusiastic, almost to the point of stripping Leon of his underwear.
Meanwhile, Leon on the side felt increasingly uneasy as he listened.
Hiss—Mother dragon, are you using this opportunity to pick on my faults?!
Fine, since I have so many flaws, then you—
“But I still really like him.”
The queen rested her chin on her hand, gazing at Leon. The blush on her cheeks hadn’t faded, and in her silver eyes, there flickered an ambiguous light.
Leon stared back at her, his eyes blinking in confusion, a warm feeling flooding his heart.
Was she really just using this opportunity to complain about Leon’s little flaws, or…
Was it all just for that last sentence she said?
Dang it. That must be Rosvitha’s true feelings!