The next morning, Roswitha, with the assistance of the maids, donned the formal attire of the Dragon Clan—a style she rarely wore.

A silver crown, a long gown, dangling earrings, a necklace, and bracelets.

Even the makeup required two hours of meticulous effort from the maids.

In the Dragon Clan, meetings between kings were always treated with great importance.

Firstly, because each Dragon King had their own territory to safeguard, and any frivolous movement, if leaked, could provide an opportunity for invasion by foreign clans.

Secondly, the Dragon Clan lived exceptionally long lives. With lifespans extending over millennia, they had countless opportunities to meet and didn’t need to “visit relatives” as often as humans did.

It had been a long time since Roswitha had seen her sister, Isa.

Their last meeting was more than a year ago, on the day Muen was born.

To be frank, Roswitha wasn’t too keen on letting Isa meet Leon and Muen.

Her sister was an incredibly intelligent individual. While it might be possible to deceive her temporarily, there was no way to conceal the truth forever.

The more contact they had, the more likely she would slip up.

Although Dragon Queens of Roswitha and Isa’s caliber didn’t often meet, when it became unavoidable, proper precautions had to be taken.

Roswitha definitely didn’t want the secret—her union with a human, and even more so, the fact that she had a daughter—to spread.

If such news were to leak, it would undoubtedly be an explosive and earth-shattering revelation for the entire Dragon Clan.

In their love of gossip, the Dragon Clan was no different from the human beings.

“Sigh...”

Roswitha closed her eyes, pressing the errant thoughts out of her mind.

She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror, examining herself.

Indeed, she looked more composed and sharp than usual.

Roswitha had never been particularly sensitive to "beauty," including her own.

This lack of sensitivity was also why she rarely acknowledged others' exceptional appearances.

Throughout her life, she had probably only ever praised her sister Isa’s beauty—and as for everyone else, or rather, the other male dragons?

Roswitha wouldn’t even spare them a glance.

As she thought about this, a thought unexpectedly tugged at her memory.

“A resolute and rugged man—those scars are the perfect touch for that face.”

This was what she had said to Leon two years ago, right after she defeated him.

At the time, Leon was barely alive, and Roswitha believed he had lost all ability to resist.

And yet...

The next thing she knew, out of nowhere, a baby was born.

In hindsight, despite Roswitha’s lack of sensitivity to what she deemed as "beauty" or "handsomeness," she had still chosen to compliment her adversary's appearance...

Hiss—

That was indeed rather absurd.

“Hmph, just the victor mocking the loser,” Roswitha reassured herself inwardly.

“All ready, Your Majesty. You can proceed to the Castle to await Her Majesty Isa,” said Anna, the head maid.

“Understood. I’ll swing by to check on Muen first.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

At a leisurely pace, Roswitha made her way to Leon and Muen’s room.

For once, she took the time to knock gently on the door.

Soon, the sound of hurried little footsteps echoed from inside the room.

It could only be Muen.

Muen stood on her tiptoes, stretching to reach the doorknob. With a gentle twist, the door unlocked.

“Good morning, Mother!”

“Good morning, Muen.”

“Mother, you look so beautiful today~ Daddy, come quick! Mother looks absolutely stunning!”

Leon, sprawled across the bed in a starfish-like pose, didn’t react at all to Muen’s excited calls to admire her mother’s appearance.

Seriously.

His identity versus Roswitha’s identity?

No matter how “beautiful” she dressed, it wouldn’t change who she really was.

Only the pursuit of his Dragon Slayer ambitions was real!

Click-clack. Familiar high-heeled footsteps echoed as Roswitha, holding Muen’s hand, entered the bedroom.

“I’ve gone out of my way to dress up today, Leon. Are you really not going to get up and at least take a look?”

Female dragon, watch your tone and attitude.

When Muen isn’t around, you’d rather make me suffer in every way possible.

And now you try this innocent, injured act?

Do you think I’ll fall for it?

Childish.

Though internally scoffing at her, Leon reluctantly sat up.

Unlike Roswitha, Muen was indeed innocent, and Leon felt obliged to help maintain this façade of a "family" for her sake.

Sitting upright, Leon glanced at the silver-haired beauty before him.

For a fleeting moment, a glimmer of light danced in his otherwise dead eyes.

Roswitha had exchanged her usual loose-fitting, casual attire for a formal gown.

The hemline was layered with grace, and her accessories were diverse yet not excessive.

Her silver hair was tied into an elegant updo, revealing her slender, swan-like neck and perfectly straight collarbones.

The fitted gown accentuated her figure like it was tailored specifically for her.

Her chest rose and fell modestly, wrapped in snug fabric.

No gaudy excess, nor barren flatness to speak of.

“Daddy.”

“Daddy?”

“Daddy, you’re staring at Mommy all starry-eyed!”

Muen’s voice brought Leon back to reality.

He shook his head and was about to retort with a dismissive “it’s just okay.”

But, to be fair, at this moment, Roswitha was undeniably stunning—truly one of the most beautiful women to ever grace this earth.

“Mmm... you look nice.” In the end, Leon gave his evaluation.

It was simple and concise, much like the countless compliments Roswitha had heard in the past.

“Nice,” “beautiful,” “stunning beauty”—

All the same, repetitive words.

Roswitha responded with a faint smile, mentally placing Leon in the same category as those who had once flattered her.

“Mmhmm.”

With that, she turned to leave.

“Hey, wait a second.”

Leon suddenly called after her.

Half-turning her head, Roswitha asked, “What is it?”

Leon leaped from the bed in one agile motion, approached her, and took hold of her arm, leading her to the mirror.

Under Roswitha’s slightly surprised gaze, Leon raised his hand and carefully tucked a loose strand of her silver hair behind her ear.

Then, he adjusted the angle of the silver crown atop her head.

“When walking, don’t turn your head freely. Try to rotate using your waist instead. Otherwise, the crown might tilt,” Leon instructed.

Roswitha’s pupils quivered slightly. A strange, complicated feeling welled up inside her.

Those who had once flattered her? Not one of them had ever paid such close, meticulous attention to her.

Yet just moments ago, she had equated this infuriating man to all of them...

“The neckline of your gown dips a bit too low. Could you... uh...”

Leon gestured hesitantly toward the front of her chest but didn’t dare touch her to adjust it himself.

“I understand.”

Roswitha adjusted the neckline of her gown herself. “How’s this?”

Leon nodded. “Looks good now.”

With a soft chuckle, Roswitha quipped, “Who would’ve thought you had an eye for detail? How many women exactly have you helped tidy up their clothes?”

“When I was a kid, I once nailed horseshoes on my master’s farm donkey. So yeah, I’m pretty skilled.”

“......”

“Daddy, what’s a donkey?” Muen tugged at Leon’s sleeve, her wide eyes filled with curiosity.

Leon glanced down at the little dragon girl. “A donkey is kind of like a dragon. Two ears and a tail. When upset, it makes loud noises.”

“Really~?”

“Really.”

“Alright, Leon, focus on looking after Muen. Don’t forget what I told you yesterday.”

Unwilling to listen to any more of Leon’s nonsense, Roswitha turned and headed for the door.

“Goodbye, Mother~ I’ll be a good girl and listen to Daddy!”

“Mhm.”

Roswitha exited the room.

Muen impatiently tugged Leon back to the bed, climbed onto his lap, and made herself comfortable.

Leon wanted to hold her properly, but typically, one would support a child at their back or waist.

Muen, however, had a tail growing from her spine, leaving Leon unsure where to place his hands.

In the end, he opted to cradle her back gently.

“Daddy Daddy, what exactly is a donkey?”

“Ehhhh, it’s a very stubborn creature.”

“Stubborn... what does that mean?”

“Exactly like your mother.”

“Ohhh~~~ Mommy is a stubborn donkey!”

The little dragon instantly caught on. Leon was elated. “Exactly, Mommy’s a stubborn donkey! Say it again, Muen.”

“Mommy’s a stubborn donkey!”

“Yep, yep, spot on, perfect!”

“Daddy’s a stubborn donkey too! And Muen is a little stubborn donkey!”

“......Sweetheart, you sure are quick to pick things up.”