The queenâs heart skipped a beat, though she maintained a cool, indifferent expression on the surface. There was no way sheâd let him see just how pleased she was about his invitation. Letting him know she was thrilled would only make his ego soar.
And she wasnât about to let that happen.
Before agreeing, Rosvisser made sure to clarify, âSo, just to be clear, *you* asked *me* on a date, right?â
She emphasized âyouâ and âme,â clearly invested in who had the upper hand in this fake marriage.
Leon shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded emphatically. âYes, yes, it was all me.â
Rosvisser let out a satisfied little hum. âGood. That way, you canât go claiming later that I dragged you into this.â
âSure, sure. In that case, letâs get going. We can even grab some dinner.â
âAlright.â
Rosvisser had originally thought the meeting on Konstantin would last until tomorrow, which is why sheâd told Anna theyâd be home by the next evening. But thanks to Leonâs last-minute proposal, which put the power-hungry Dragon Kings on edge, theyâd wrapped up early.
It also meant sheâd get an evening with Leon to enjoy Sky City before heading home tomorrow.
After leaving Twilight Tower, the two strolled side by side through Sky Cityâs bustling streets. The evening breeze grew cool, so Leon shrugged off his coat and draped it over Rosvisserâs shoulders.
She wore a formal white suitâappropriate for the meeting but useless against the chill. Not that Dragon Kings could catch a cold, but it was still fitting for her âfake husbandâ to do such things.
As she felt the warmth still lingering on the inner lining of his coat, her lips curved slightly. âNot bad. Youâre finally showing some thoughtfulness.â
âIâm just preventing you from claiming Iâm an unfit fake husband.â
To maintain his stubborn pride, it seemed heâd go so far as to defend his worth as a âfake husband.â She huffed softly, a mix of pride and grace lacing her usual cool tone.
They continued walking, chatting about whatever came to mind.
âOh, by the way, at the start of that meeting, there was a host who introduced himself as the servant of the Twilight Towerâs master. Do you know who this master actually is?â
Leonâs years fighting dragons and his education at the Dragon Slayer Academy had given him an extensive knowledge of dragon history, but heâd never heard of this âTwilight Tower Master.â
Someone powerful enough to create a neutral city like Sky City and gather the Dragon Kings had to be significant, after all. Neutrality requires strength.
âI donât know too much,â Rosvisser admitted. âThe master is an extremely mysterious figure. Itâs said that Sky City was built by him personally, and that its creation predates even the Silver Dragon Clan.â
Leonâs eyes widened in surprise. âThat long ago? Then why would he go to the trouble of creating a neutral city for dragons to⊠retire?â
She thought for a moment, then shook her head. âIâm not sure. But I remember hearing from the elders when I was young that the story behind Sky City runs much deeper than just being a neutral city.â
âRegardless of the wars, disasters, or crises in dragon history, Sky City has maintained absolute neutrality.â
âSo⊠it could just be a legend.â
She tapped the stone beneath her heel, the sound echoing crisply.
âI quite like this city. Strolling through it with someone important⊠it has a relaxed charm.â
Rosvisser was usually so focused when discussing serious topics that she let her guard down and said more than intended.
Leon raised an eyebrow. âWait, what did you say?â
âWhat? I said itâs a neutral city with a lot of legends. Why?â
âNot that partâthe next sentence.â
âUh⊠IâŠâ
She opened her mouth, but her mind quickly caught up, and she realized what sheâd just blurted out.
Fortunately, the Silver Dragons were famous for their speed. Surely a simple slip of the tongue couldnât defeat her.
âI didnât say anything. You mustâve misheard.â
âNo, you definitely said it,â Leon insisted. âYou said that walking with someone important feels relaxing.â
Her cheeks turned pink, and she instinctively clutched his coatâs collar. âEven if I said that, what makes you think youâre the one I consider important?â
Leon took a step back and spread his hands. âWell, aside from me, do you see anyone else you know around here?â
âYouâ! Oh, forget it. I donât have time for this!â
She huffed, striding away in a mixture of irritation and embarrassment, her heels clicking sharply against the cobblestone as she walked.
Leon followed, keeping a few steps behind, his shadow blending with hers under the streetlights.
After dinner, they continued their leisurely stroll.
âBy the way, why did you want to stay for a date tonight?â she asked.
While she was pleased about the date, she couldnât shake the feeling that Leon had some ulterior motive.
Leon blinked, thinking that the real reason was hard to admit.
With the girls home for summer, his days were spent training Noa in magic in the mornings and helping Moon and Aurora with their studies in the afternoons. He and Rosvisser barely had alone time except at the dinner table or when they retired to their room.
Even though the âassignmentsâ hadnât lessened, the physical⊠interactions had remained purely surface-level.
He just wanted time alone with Rosvisserâno one else, no work, no worries about Konstantin or the rest of the Dragon Kings. He just wanted to be here with the one who mattered most.
And tonight in Sky City gave them a rare chance for just that.
Back in reality, Leon shrugged, pretending to be casual. âI noticed youâve been under a lot of stress lately, so I thought itâd be nice to get out and relax a bit.â
After a moment, he added, âAnna can handle the work, and the girls are taken care of, so thereâs no rush to head back.â
The first half of his explanation didnât affect Rosvisser much, but the mention of their daughters reminded her.
Since the girls had been on break, she and Leon hadnât had a momentâs peace. Theyâd been constantly busy.
The queen connected the dots quickly: her husband wanted some alone time.
She gave him a faint smile. âAlright, then. Letâs relax a bit.â
She understood his true feelings but didnât call him out.
Partly to spare the pride of a stubborn man.
And⊠partly because she, too, wanted a bit of alone time with her husband.
But with the night growing late, it was time to find a place to sleep. Neither of them was keen on wandering the streets until morning, so they headed to a nearby hotel.
As they entered, Rosvisser remembered Ishaâs earlier comment back at the meeting: âHome and a hotel have totally different feels~â
**That meddling red dragon**, she fumed. She didnât even have experience in romance, yet here she was, spouting lines like a pro. Is that what they mean by âthose who canât, teachâ?
Rosvisser shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was just a hotel stay; nothing more.
They approached the front desk.
âWelcome! We have rooms with queen beds, water beds, and several themed suites. What type would you prefer?â The receptionist asked cheerfully.
The moment they heard âwater bedsâ and âthemed suites,â both Leon and Rosvisser felt an uncomfortable twitch and instinctively swallowed.
They exchanged a glance, then said in unison, âTwo rooms!â
The receptionist blinked, momentarily thrown off. In her years of experience, she wouldâve pegged them as a coupleâor perhaps even a married couple with children.
So why the two rooms?
She watched as they shared another brief look before quickly averting their eyes.
Leonâs internal monologue: *Iâve already crossed a line suggesting the date. If we stay in the same room, sheâll think sheâs won this game. Not happening!*
Rosvisserâs internal monologue: *Two rooms is my test to see if heâll go the extra mile. But if he wants two rooms as well, fine! No way am I letting him into mine!*
The receptionist scratched her head. âUh, alright. Two rooms, then. Iââ
âHang on, I need to use the restroom,â Leon interjected.
âCertainly, itâs just down the hall to the left.â
The recent meal might have disagreed with him, so clutching his stomach, Leon rushed toward the restroom.
Watching his retreating figure, Rosvisserâs silver eyes gleamed as she turned back to the receptionist. âMiss, can I make a special request?â
âOf course. What is it?â
âWhen he comes back, please tell him that only one room is available, a queen bed.â
The receptionist blinked, mildly perplexed.
Rosvisser smirked. âYou donât get it? Thatâs fine. Marry a âstubborn as dragon scalesâ fake husband, and you will.â
She said she didnât want him in her room. She never said she wouldnât go into his.
Not long after, Leon returned to the front desk. Rosvisser shot the receptionist a discreet glance, who immediately caught on.
âIâm very sorry, sir! We only have one queen room left,â the receptionist said, throwing herself into her performance.
Leonâs eyes widened in exaggerated disappointment. âOnly one room? Seriously?â
Rosvisser feigned her own
dismay. âWhat a pity.â
Leon sighed. âItâs late now; other hotels might not have rooms either.â
Rosvisser nodded. âLooks like weâll just have to settle for it.â
Together, they sighed melodramatically. âAh, what a shame.â
The receptionist stifled a laugh, muttering to herself, âA pair of true actors, these two.â