"Mu En doesn't want anything. Mu En just wants—"
The little Dragon girl's next words came to an abrupt stop.
She actually knew that, with her mother's personality, no amount of acting cute would work. It might even make her mother impatient or angry.
Even if Losweiser got angry, she would not hit or scold Mu En. Still, Mu En did not want Mommy to always be troubled by negative emotions.
She drooped, thought for a moment, then said, "Mu En doesn't want tasty food or fun toys. If Mu En doesn't follow you two, then you have to agree to one request from Mu En."
Losweiser nodded. "Mm. What request?"
"This!"
The little Dragon girl said excitedly, then pulled the two hands she held—one on each side—together.
When Leon's and Losweiser's fingertips touched, it was as though an electric current ran from their fingers and instantly spread through their bodies.
The Dragon Slayer's hand had weathered countless hardships and was covered in scars;
The Silver Dragon Queen's hand was delicate and boneless, fair and slender.
Yet one thing they shared was that their fingertips were both slightly cold at that moment.
That was because they were too nervous.
Mu En held the backs of their hands. Only after confirming that they had truly clasped each other's hands did she happily let go.
"Alright~ Daddy and Mother must keep holding hands like this as you walk together~"
Losweiser could barely keep a straight face.
In her two hundred years of life, let alone holding someone else's hand, even getting as close to Leon as she had just now had taken all her courage—and it had been her first time.
She truly hated having the opposite sex near her. Any male dragon who came within three meters of her was either a corpse or about to become one.
So... holding hands like this... was really rather—
Unexpected.
Leon was also having a hard time with this, but his feelings were not nearly as complicated as Losweiser's.
He simply wanted to know:
He had bitten dragon hooves before, so what did dragon claws taste like?
The unlucky couple had yet to come to terms with the fact that their first time holding hands was with someone from another race.
Meanwhile, after Mu En ran off, she hid behind a tree and secretly watched them.
Seeing Daddy and Mother holding hands, Mu En secretly giggled.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you, Mu En?"
"Ah—!"
Noa had appeared behind Mu En at some point. She crossed her arms and put on an adult-like air, imitating Losweiser.
"Big Sister, you scared me to death!" Mu En said coquettishly, clutching her chest.
"Hmph. What's so interesting about holding hands?"
"It is interesting, it is!"
Noa stepped forward and pinched the baby fat on her little sister's cheek. "You really did it on purpose."
"Waaah~ Mu En was wrong. Mu En won't dare do it again. Big Sister, let go, let go~"
The two little ones laughed and played as they left. Before going, Mu En still could not help glancing in that direction.
She pouted. "Daddy, honestly. Mu En has to teach him even how to hold hands. Tch—he doesn't know how to take the initiative at all!"
Noa followed her sister's gaze and silently thought,
It would be nice if things could stay like this forever.
Tomorrow would be the start of a new month. Please spare some monthly tickets to support me! The more monthly tickets there are, the more chapters I'll release. Please, this is really important to me!
Sleeping with the Dragon Queen;
Having children with the Dragon Queen;
Taking a walk with the Dragon Queen;
And now, holding hands with the Dragon Queen.
If this were an age of advanced information networks, exposing everything Leon had done would send him to the gallows regardless of his intentions.
After Mu En left, neither of them let go of the other's hand.
But once the awkward atmosphere climbed to its peak, it did not feel quite so awkward anymore.
As the saying went, those with bare feet were not afraid of those wearing shoes.
Things had already come to this. How much more awkward could it get?
Besides, once they started holding hands, the dragons watching nearby were too busy shipping the couple and quietly cheering to gossip about whether Your Majesty and Your Majesty's husband had only just met.
Leon blushed and cleared his throat twice. He was still holding her hand, but his face had practically turned toward the other side of the planet.
"Well... if you don't want to hold hands, you can let go."
Losweiser lowered her eyes. Her exquisite face was as red as if it had been covered by fiery clouds. "N-No, it's fine. Let's just keep holding hands, so people don't talk."
"Oh. Alright."
Leon swallowed and glanced twice at Losweiser.
Thinking back to how gently she had discussed whether they should stand closer together, then looking at her current shy, maiden-like appearance, Leon could not help asking,
"You seem especially... docile today."
When it came to a Dragon Queen, Leon would only use the word "gentle" in his wildest private thoughts.
If he had to say it aloud, "docile" was more appropriate.
"Do I?"
"You do."
Losweiser's pupils shifted slightly, as though she were calculating something.
But the expression flashed across her face in an instant. She quickly put on a stern expression and returned to her usual cold, serious demeanor.
"It seems I've already tamed you, Dragon Slayer. Now that I'm getting along with you properly, you're the one who can't adapt."
Mm, much better.
That was the taste of it!
Leon also put on airs, preparing to trade a few barbs with Losweiser.
"Hah. What adaptation? It's just a tiger bullied by dogs after leaving the mountains."
Losweiser raised an eyebrow and involuntarily tightened her grip on Leon's hand. "Wrong. It's a tiger bullied by a dragon after leaving the mountains—"
She deliberately drew out the ending.
Its academic name was "arousing the reader's interest";
In plain terms, "I'm not telling you, so hurry up and die of curiosity."
In short, a cliffhanger.
Leon immediately turned his head. "By a dragon?"
"Ridden by a dragon."
"Damn it."
Leon rolled his eyes and instinctively shook his hand, only to realize he was still holding Losweiser's.
Their fingers were interlaced, making it genuinely difficult to shake free.
But that unconscious shake made them feel the sensation of holding hands even more clearly.
Their palms faced each other, and the warmth could not escape through the gaps between their fingers. It drifted back and forth between their skin, steadily raising the temperature between their hands.
Soon, a thin layer of sweat formed on their palms, making the feeling of skin against skin even more delicate.
Their walking movements tugged at their hands, causing their palms to rub against each other intentionally or otherwise.
It was tingling and numb, making their hearts itch.
"There's a bench up ahead. Let's sit for a while," Losweiser said.
"Mm."
The two walked over to the bench and, taking advantage of sitting down, tacitly withdrew their hands.
"Phew~"
The instant they each pulled back their hands, they simultaneously let out sighs of relief.
Yet they immediately felt how empty their palms had become.
That warmth also vanished from their palms in an instant.
It was a little cold.
But Leon did not take the initiative to hold Losweiser's hand again.
He leaned against the back of the bench and tilted his head slightly upward, enjoying the warmth of the noon sunlight on his body.
People with weak bodies really should get more sun. It felt comfortable and relaxing.
Perhaps it could also temporarily make him forget the loneliness of being far from home.
Losweiser sat perfectly straight. It was a habit she had always had: chest up, stomach in, maintaining dignity at all times, even while seated.
She glanced sideways at Leon, whose eyes were half-closed as he enjoyed the pleasant moment. After thinking for a while, she asked,
"Do you miss home?"
"Mm."
Leon did not answer very seriously. He simply made a nasal sound of agreement.
Though his attitude was somewhat perfunctory, his feelings were genuine.
He really did miss home.
Losweiser's pupils trembled faintly as she asked again, "Your parents—"
"I grew up in an orphanage. I never met my father or mother. My master and his wife adopted me."
"Oh... then we're kind of alike."
"You're an orphan too?"
That was a little hard to take, like he was insulting her.
But Leon was straightforward and had not thought much about it.
Fortunately, Losweiser did not really understand the logic behind human insults. She merely shook her head and answered seriously,
"No, I mean I never met my father or mother either. My sister and I were raised by our grandmother."
As she said this, she lowered her head slightly, finally willing to alter her dignified, elegant sitting posture.
Leon opened his eyes slightly and secretly studied her.
The proud Queen looked somewhat lonely at that moment.
Leon closed his eyes again. He had no intention of sympathizing with her and merely teased her as usual.
"Oh, no wonder."
Losweiser looked at him. "No wonder what?"
"No wonder you're so bad at being a mom."
"How am I bad at being a mom—at being a mother?"
"See? Whenever Mu En and the others aren't around, you insist on using the word 'mother.'"
Before you continue