In the afternoon, the husband and wife walked side by side on the streets of the lower district.
This place was far more lively than the slums; at least on both sides of the street, various stalls and shops could be seen.
Rossweise stood on Leon's right side, her hands placed properly in front of her, wearing a dark long dress that the Lionheart Society had specially prepared for her, with Martin boots on her feet, paired with that reserved and dignified black beautiful hair, she indeed looked like a noble young lady from a prestigious family.
A beauty was still a beauty. No matter what kind of makeup she wore, or what kind of clothes she put on, the overflowing beauty could not be suppressed.
All along the way, she kept glancing around the street from time to time.
Everything here was very novel to Rossweise.
Children playing marbles beside the street, old stalls selling pinwheels, and all kinds of snacks and delicacies she had never seen.
Even some cats and dogs by the roadside could arouse her interest.
When Leon bought some image stones in a magic tool shop, he turned around and saw Rossweise squatting at the street corner again, teasing two cute cats.
He stepped over and asked, "Do dragons not have the habit of keeping pets?"
"You lived in my place for five years, did you ever see any cats or dogs or small animals like that?", Rossweise asked.
Leon thought for a moment. He indeed hadn't seen any.
And going back further in his memory, Leon remembered that animals like cats, dogs, and donkeys only appeared in the textbooks of the dragon race.
Even Luna, when she was very young, had asked Leon what a donkey was.
Rossweise said that with the fierce bloodline of the dragon race, raising these furry little animals would be beneath their status.
Later, she secretly complained to Leon, not knowing which ancestor passed down this stupid rule of saving face while suffering inside.
Cats were so fun, why couldn't they keep cats.
This queen was over two hundred years old and today was the first time she touched a cat.
So wronged.
"Then shall we buy one to take back later?", Leon said.
Rossweise blinked, then shook her head, "No need. There are already three little kittens and one big dumb dog at home waiting for me to take care of them."
Leon was stunned, reached out and pointed to the tip of his nose, "Are you calling me the big dumb dog?"
The queen smiled and shook her head, "No."
Leon rolled his eyes.
Rossweise covered her mouth and chuckled, then looked toward the shopping bag in his hand, "You only bought these image stones? That won't be enough, right?"
To use the resonance of image stones during the Thousand Lantern Festival, just these were indeed not enough.
"Mm, still need to buy more. But we can't buy them all at the same shop, or it will raise suspicion."
Rossweise understood, "Got it. Then shall we keep strolling?"
"Okay."
However, just after taking a step, Leon couldn't resist his inner curiosity, and while walking, asked, "Rossweise."
"Mm?"
"Why do I feel like you're... very excited about this outing?"
Rossweise paused her steps, did not answer immediately, but instead smiled and asked back, "Really? Did I show it that clearly?"
Leon nodded, "Yeah. Since we left the house, you've rushed me several times to hurry to the next place."
The beauty lowered her eyes and nodded gently, tucked the hair at her temple behind her ear, then looked up toward the distant street, walking slowly as she answered Leon, "Ever since the daughters went to Saint Heath Academy, you've always been alone at home."
"I'm busy with work usually, can only occasionally have you sit with me and chat. On one hand, having you by my side makes me feel at ease; on the other, I don't want to see you wandering around the courtyard all alone."
"Later, you often left the temple to wander alone in my clan."
"At first I didn't know why you liked to sneak out."
"But one day, you told me it was because you wanted to walk the paths I had walked, and see the scenery I had seen."
"That day I originally wanted to ask you more, but you didn't answer any further."
Leon was entranced listening.
When he returned to his senses, he found that Rossweise had already walked a few steps ahead.
He looked up, forward.
Rossweise had both hands behind her back, turned around playfully, walking backward, "This question always lingered in my heart. Why exactly do you want to walk the paths I walked, and see the scenery I saw?"
"Until today, standing on this land of your hometown, I might have gotten the answer to that question."
"To truly understand a person, besides staying closely together, one must also feel their past, feel the things they experienced."
"I want to know what kind of environment created the person you are now."
"Even more, I want to know..."
She tilted her head slightly, squinting with a smile, a blush spreading on her face. The breeze lifted her black long hair, revealing strands of silver, like silver-white tassels swaying in the night, "The person I love, where exactly did he come from."
———
This was another purpose of Rossweise's trip: To understand, in another way, the man in front of her whom she called "husband."
Strangely, Rossweise wasn't such a sentimental person before, nor could she feel the romantic sentiment in things like "seeing the scenery you saw."
But after spending so much time day and night with Leon, her heart had quietly changed.
However, rather than saying the queen became more curious or romantic, it would be better to say that she was only curious about Leon, and the romance was limited to Leon only.
If it were someone else, Rossweise would probably think that person was just being pretentious.
Just like her eldest sister Ysa's home used to hoard many unopened love letters, Rossweise completely couldn't understand what key role a letter could play in a relationship Until she, during a certain short period of time, secretly wrote a diary almost every day, recording the bits and pieces of her days with Leon.
Only then did she understand, the important thing wasn't the letter as a medium, but the feelings in her heart when she wrote down those words: Longing, fulfillment, happiness.
Just like what she felt now, walking on the paths Leon once walked, seeing the scenery he once saw.
At this moment, Rossweise didn't want to act tough or be tsundere anymore. She only wanted Leon to understand this subtle affection of hers.
And Leon's response was, stepping forward, holding her slightly cool hand, interlocking fingers.
Black and silver eyes looking forward, the breeze gently blowing the beauty's long eyelashes.
"Then, I'll take you to the next place."
Rossweise smiled softly and nodded, "Okay."
Because she didn't know when she'd come to Leon's hometown again, perhaps this was the first, and also the last time, Rossweise expressed the thoughts in her heart.
Fortunately, her dumb prisoner wasn't disagreeing with her twenty-four hours a day.
They quarreled when needed, and when it was time to soften, he definitely softened.
The couple held hands and jogged along the streets of the lower district.
Leon ran ahead, holding a shopping bag full of image stones;
Rossweise was behind, one hand lifting her long skirt, the other tightly clasped with Leon's.
They looked like a young couple running toward freedom no matter what, weaving through the marketplace streets.
———
The whole day, Leon took Rossweise all around the lower district. Of course, only through the safe spots marked on the map by Rebecca.
When the sun was about to set, Leon and Rossweise sat on a bench by the road.
The queen held the orange-flavored ice cream Leon had just bought for her, eating it in small bites.
Leon sat beside her, spread out the map, skimmed through it, and found that there was only one place left he wanted to take Rossweise to.
It was in the middle district, also a safe place marked by Rebecca.
Leon calculated the time in his head. If they headed there now, they could definitely return before nightfall, as Nacho said.
After making the decision, Leon put away the map, picked up the bag full of image stones, "Let's go. We're heading to the last place."
Rossweise looked down at the ice cream in her hand, there was just one last bite left.
She stood up and handed the ice cream to Leon.
"Oh, you eat the creamy top of the ice cream, I can only eat the ice cream butt," Leon smiled as he took it.
"This is not an ordinary ice cream butt," Rossweise said solemnly.
"Then what is it?"
"It is the ice cream butt left over by the queen."
"..."
She really could come up with that kind of description.
Leon looked at the last tip of the ice cream butt. There were still traces of Rossweise's lipstick on it.
Since it was Her Majesty's kind gesture, he'd better accept it gratefully.
"All right, let's set off."
"Mm."
The couple set off again, walking toward the middle district.
On the way, Rossweise asked, "What is the last place?"
Leon thought for a bit, then replied, "A place that's very important to me."
He kept a little mystery.
Rossweise didn't ask further, just continued silently following Leon.
By the time the sun had completely set, they had arrived in the middle district.
This place was obviously more prosperous than the lower district earlier, with fruit and snacks of higher quality.
Leon took Rossweise through several blocks and finally arrived at the entrance of a church.
By now, the sky was dark, and the gate of the church courtyard was already closed.
But there were still a few children playing on the lawn in the yard.
Beside them stood two people dressed as nuns.
"This is?"
"Casmodeous Welfare Home."
Leon pointed to the old sign on one side of the gate, on which was written the name of the welfare home he had just mentioned,
"More than twenty years ago, I was picked up at the gate of this welfare home by a nun teacher."
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