TL Note:
Hey guys!
I apologize for the lack of updates lately đ The past few days weâve been on a tough road trip â almost 2,500 km. Iâm back now and getting back into my usual routine starting tomorrow!
Thanks for your understanding.
Yours Santos â€ïž
***
Evening. The bathroom.
Steam coiled thickly in the air, veiling the two tightly entwined bodies in a haze of mist and water.
Rosvisserâs silver hair, dampened by the water, clung to her delicate back. His broad hands encircled her slender waist, his fingers gliding slowly up and down the smooth line of her spine.
Water cascaded down the walls at an angle. As the flow waned, he gently pressed her against the wallâhis body shielding her back from the cold surface.
His chiseled, handsome face moved close through the curtain of the overhead shower, lips trailing heat as they kissed her gently.
Droplets fell from her long lashes. Her eyes, shimmering in the misty light, blurred by the heat and haze. Water traced down from the corner of her lips as they kissed.
Soon enough, she was completely immersed in Leonâs embrace and kisses.
After every intense union, they always bathed together to wash away exhaustion, and to savor the lingering warmth left on each otherâs bodies.
The couple clung to each other, taking their time in the aftermath, kissing and caressing without the urgency of reignited desire. They were indulging in a tender, post-passion descent.
But sometimes... the descent failed.
Suddenly, the dragon marks on Leonâs chest and arms lit up.
And thenâ
That silky, slender, ever-so-slightly cool silver tail of hers began winding its way slowly up his thigh like a serpentine water spiritâcoiling, teasing, climbing.
"Ah!â"
The tip of her tail grazed his sensitive spot. His body reacted instantly.
"Rosvisser..." he breathed.
The queen raised her eyes, lips brushing against his Adamâs apple as she murmured softly:
"Let me use my tail... one more time... donât move... Yeah, donât move... good boy, my little lion."
Black and silver tails coiled together.
While suppressing the heat gradually building again between them, they remained in place, playing and teasing with a dangerous sort of intimacy.
Neither looked down at the battlefield below.
They simply stood like that, on the precipice of their next climax...
One of the perks of marrying a female dragon: they always found the most unexpected ways to free up their hands... to get things done with their tails.
Leonâs arms tightened around her.
Rosvisser knewâit was time.
She picked up the pace slightly, resting her face in the crook of his neck, feeling his heartbeat racing harder and harder, whispering breathy murmurs in time with the rhythm.
Before long, a burst of warmth surged between her thighsâmingling with the water from the shower and sliding down her long, beautiful legs.
A sly smile curled at Rosvisserâs lips. Her tail unwrapped from Leon.
"Dessert after dinner. Like it?"
Leon rested his forehead on her shoulder, both hands still holding her narrow waist.
"Youâre impossible, Rosvisser..."
"Mhm. Alrightârinse off, and get to bed."
After drying off, they each slipped under the covers from opposite sides of the large bed.
Though it was already past midnight, neither of them was sleepy.
Their bodies were fatigued from the fierce lovemaking, but their minds remained wide awake.
They lay side by side, staring up at the ceiling.
"Howâs the competition going?" Rosvisser asked softly.
"Iâve been home ten hours, and youâre only now asking about that...?"
"For almost half of those ten hours we were busyâ"
"Itâs going smoothly." Leon quickly cut her off, saving her from finishing what was clearly about to be an indecent comment.
After a pause, he added:
"The second round was a real-life simulation. The kids participated too."
Rosvisserâs interest was instantly piqued. She rolled onto her side, propped her head on one hand, and looked at him.
"And? What was the challenge?"
"The academy was evaluating whether we showed responsibility toward students. Me, your sister, and Claudia all passed. The other three royal dragons didnât."
Rosvisser blinked.
"My sister and Claudia-senpai were there too?"
"Yeah. Because of the confidentiality clause on the invitation, I only found out they were part of it after I arrived."
Leon continued:
"Your sister joined to avoid a blind date. Claudia was sent by her fatherâto build connections or whatever."
"A blind date?" Rosvisser looked exasperated. "When was my sister getting set up on blind dates?"
"Before Vida and Cecilia left home, of course."
Leon rolled his eyes and bit intoâsomething.
"I donât know if sheâll get â§ NĐŸvĐ”Iight â§ (Original source) away with it, though. I think there was even a royal candidate among her suitors. What was his name... oh, the Cloud Dragon King, Beren or somethingâ"
At the name Beren, Rosvisser instantly rolled her eyes.
"Tch. My cousin? That guy's been publicly slandering my sister for years. Then he had the nerve to come asking me for gossip? I cursed him out and sent him packing."
"Yeah, your sister told me about that legendary moment. Babe, you really are the best."
Leon gave her a big thumbs-up.
Rosvisser tugged his hand, and they naturally laced their fingers together.
"And the third round?" she asked.
"Itâs a judgment test. We were told to obtain five Emerald Dragonâs Tears."
Rosvisser was visibly surprised.
"Wow. Five Emerald Dragonâs Tears... the academy sure isnât shy about asking."
After a moment of thought, she asked again:
"Youâre not all gloomy now because you went bankrupt trying to get them, are you?"
Leon nodded.
"Got them all from Constantine."
"...You two didnât fight?"
"Why would we?"
"Thatâs five whole Emerald Dragonâs Tears!"
Rosvisser said:
"The Silver Dragons have been rising in status these past years. Even counting the Tears gifted by allied clans, weâve only got nine total. Constantineâs stock wouldnât be more than six or seven. And he gave you that many just like that?"
Leon shook his head.
"I donât know. I said I needed them, and he just handed them over."
Then he muttered bitterly:
"The way he said it... tch. Maybe thatâs what âbro loyaltyâ looks like. Still, the academy did say theyâll return all the Tears after the test. Honestly though, I do feel a bit guilty about taking something so valuable from Constantine..."
Rosvisser narrowed her eyes suspiciously and looked at Leon.
"You really feel guilty?"
"...Nah, not really. Heh."
After a playful exchange, Rosvisser remembered something else.
"Right, Liliâs squad finally reported back."
Not long ago, Rosvisser had sent Sherryâs team to the temple under the protection of Apollo.
Now, theyâd finally returned with concrete information.
"What did they find?" Leon sat up, eager to hear the results of their investigation into the descendants of Apollo.
Rosvisser leaned against the headboard, frowning slightly.
"Sherry said in her letter... somethingâs off about them."
"Off? What do you mean?"
"Think about it. Normally, descendants of great deitiesâlike how Primeval Dragon King Noah revere Tiamat, or how Hera of the Golden Thunder Clan honored the universe's ruler. Even the humans worship the Dawn God... They all revere their creators with deep respect."
Rosvisserâs brows knitted further.
"But the Apollo line... they donât seem to view their heritage as something to be proud of."
"In fact, there are factions within the clan that have started outright rejecting the name Apollo."
"Sherryâs still digging for more, but we should have clearer answers soon."
Leon lay there, staring at the ceiling, silently processing what sheâd just said.
"Rejecting their own identity... why would they do that?"