In the Melkvey household, it was a tradition to do a thorough family cleaning before the end of the long holiday.
This summer break was no exceptionâespecially after Leon had nearly turned the nursery into a bare concrete shell.
A proper deep clean was more necessary than ever.
Although the general still hadnât figured out exactly what his precious daughterâs special ability was, since his wife had declared that a cleaning was happening, he had to set aside a few hours to participate.
If he didnât take part, Rosvisser would invite him to join her in something later that would be even more exhausting than cleaning.
Counting Xiaoxue, the seven members of the family got fully geared up. After dividing tasks, they got to work.
Leon teamed up with Rosvisser, Noa with Moon; Xiaoxue and Aurora with Muse. Noa and Moon were in charge of cleaning the room where their elder sister usually stayed. Xiaoxue and Muse were assigned to clean their parentsâ bedroom...
Because Aurora said that whenever she wanted some strange magical tool, she always managed to find one in her parentsâ room.
So far, their unexpected haul included, but was not limited to: the mysterious Samurai Magpie spirit pistol, a replica of the Black Gold Chariotâs breastplate, and a top-grade anti-pure-black blindfold.
As for Auroraâs latest inventions, they hadnât been progressing well, so she thought she might as well see if she could dig up some parts from her parentsâ room.
The husband-and-wife team was assigned to the hardest-hit areaâthe nursery.
âI suddenly rememberedâyesterday you asked me if Muse would be our last baby.â
During a break in the cleaning, Leon brought it up. Rosvisser had her silver hair pinned up under a dust cap, holding a vacuum in one hand, a mask covering her face, and only a pair of beautiful silver eyes visible.
Hearing Leonâs question, she swept dust from the wall with a duster and replied:
âMm, what about it?â
âI said she wouldnât be the last.â
âOh. And you agree?â
Leon thought sheâd pause to consider, but to his surprise, she answered almost instantly:
âOf course I agree.â
Leon blinked in surprise, silver eyes widening.
âI thought you might think we already had too many kids.â
âDragons live so longâweâve got plenty of time to have kids and raise them.â
âEh, I just worryââ
She deliberately drew out the syllables, clearly teasing. Leon took the bait.
âWorry about what?â
Rosvisser chuckled under her breath, still not turning around, continuing to clean as she said:
âWorry that certain peopleâs stamina might not hold up, and weâll have to start cutting back on our âdaily marital interactions.â Who knows if a few years from now youâll need to pop a Dragon Power pill before getting started.â
âYouâyouâyouâwho are you teasing like that?â
Leonâs face instantly flushed bright red. He reached out and gave Rosvisserâs butt a smack.
Rosvisser whipped around, silver eyes glaring and fangs showing.
âYouâve got some nerve, hitting my butt?!â
Leon grinned, baring his teeth. âIâve smacked it plenty during our âmarital interactions.â Whyâs it suddenly off-limits now?â
Rosvisser shot him a look.
âThe only one doing any butt-smacking is me. You donât get to hit mine.â
âPrisoner.â
She bit down on the word âprisonerâ hard, enunciating each syllable.
Even after more than ten years of marriage, she still hadnât forgotten the way heâd been back thenâah, it could make her cry to think of it.
Leon smiled and let the banter drop, returning to the earlier topic.
âSo when are we giving the girls a new little sister or brother?â
âI donât know. At the very least, we need to wait until Muse grows up a bit more.â
âMm, I think so too.â
âSoâhave you figured out Museâs ability yet?â
âNot yet.â
âCome on, are you even capable, big guy?â
âIf youâre so capable, you do it.â
âEhh~â
Bickering as they cleaned, they didnât even notice the time passing until it was midday.
Leon was standing on a chair to clean a high corner. Rosvisser stood below, holding the ladder steady. Checking the time, she looked up and said:
âLetâs take a break. Clean up a bit, weâll have lunch, and continue in the afternoon.â
âAlright.â
âCareful coming down.â
âI know, I know.â
Leon stepped down from the ladder bit by bit. Once he was on the floor, he set the duster aside, then removed his mask and apron.
Rosvisser brushed the dust off his shoulder... But suddenly, her movements froze.
Leon looked at her in confusion.
âWhatâs wrong?â
Rosvisser didnât answer. Her silver eyes had shrunk to pinpoints, fixed in fear on his shoulder.
Leon followed her gazeâon his shoulder was... a spider.
âA spider... oh hell, Iâm screwed.â
Only belatedly did he react...
By the time Leon processed it, a piercing scream was already drilling into his eardrums.
âAh!!ââ
Rosvisser had leapt back five meters, silver eyes wide, dragon wings spread, dragonfire in her hands, the corners of her eyes showing faint silver scales.
When dragons were emotionally agitated, they instinctively manifested partial draconic traits.
âCalm down, calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down!!!â
âThis room... this room...â
Rosvisser muttered, dragonfire blazing in her hands. Leon quickly stepped back from her and grabbed the spider off his shoulder.
âThis room definitely canât keep it.â
âNo, no, Iâve already got it. See?â
As he spoke, Leon summoned thunder magic into his hand. In the blink of an eye, the spider met its end.
He then flung it out the window and followed up with a Thunder Wolf Breaker blast for good measure.
His wifeâs natural enemyâhe couldnât treat it with anything less than the force heâd use on a Dragon King.
Seeing the spider turn to ash and drift away, Rosvisserâs emotions eased.
She released her draconic traits and exhaled in reliefâonly for her knees to give way.
Thankfully, Leon caught her before she fell.
At that moment, several guards appeared outside the nursery window, seemingly out of nowhere.
The daughters and maids rushed in, asking in panic:
âMom, Dad, what happened?â
âWere you attacked, Your Majesty, Your Highness?â
Leon awkwardly raised his hands.
âNo... nothing. I just nearly fell off the ladder, and it startled your mom, †NĐŸvĐ”â ight †(Read more on our source) so she screamed.â
Moon patted her chest. âScared me to death. I thought someone was trying to hurt you.â
âNo, no, go get lunch ready in the dining hall. Your dad and I will be right there. Milan, take your people downstairs too.â
âYes, Your Highness.â
Everyone began filing out.
Except Noa.
âBig Sis, why arenât you leaving?â Aurora asked.
Noa tilted her chin and frowned in thought.
âDad, youâre a battle-hardened warrior. Youâre not going to fall from a ladder under five meters. And Mom, a queen whoâs seen countless crises, being startled into screaming at the first moment... ...Does that make sense?â
âUh...â
Leon didnât want anyone to know that Rosvisser was afraid of spiders. Rosvisser didnât either. It wasnât that there was anything shameful about itâeveryone had little secrets. No need for the whole world to know.
âForget it, Big Sis. Itâs not like this is the first secret theyâve kept from us. Iâm used to it. Letâs go, time to eat.â
Aurora pulled Noa away.
The couple both breathed easier.
Once Rosvisser was completely calm, Leon couldnât help teasing:
âAll these years and youâre still afraid of spiders.â
âYouâd better take this secret to your grave with me. When weâre buried together,â Rosvisser said seriously.
Leon smiled wryly and nodded. âAlright, alright. But I have to sayâyour scream just nowââ
âWhat about it?â
âNothing... just that it almost shattered the glass.â
Rosvisser flicked his butt with her tail.
âDonât exaggerate.â
âHeh, itâs the first time Iâve heard you that loud. You didnât even scream like that back at your sisterâs place all those years ago.â
â...â
The queen snorted, turning her head away.
âSaying it almost shattered the glassâseriously, youâre impossible.â
Crossing her arms, Rosvisser started toward the door.
âCome on, letâs eat.â
But after a few steps, she noticed Leon hadnât followed. Turning back, she saw him still standing there.
âWhatâs wrong?â
Leon didnât answer right away. He slowly turned to look at the nursery windowâs glass.
In it, he saw a faint reflection of himself.
â...A scream... shattering glass...â
Leon muttered, as if realizing something.
Rosvisser walked over curiously. âWhat are you looking at?â
After a brief silence, Leon turned toward her againâand this time, his eyes were full of excitement and joy.
âWife, I think... I know Museâs elemental attribute and special ability.â