After Roswitha left, Leon did a quick wash-up and started spending time with Muen in the room.

Sometimes he taught her to read and recognize characters, other times they continued playing their Dragon Knights game.

But a room was a room, and no matter how creative the games got, it was never as freeing as playing in the garden.

Muen got bored soon enough.

Leon wasn’t particularly good at entertaining kids, so he decided to tell Muen a story instead.

The father and daughter leaned against the headboard.

Muen snuggled into Leon’s arms as he picked up a book titled “The Little Stories for Young Dragons” and started reading to her.

“The first story: How to Kill S-Class Dangerous Beasts—The Iron-Plated Yak.”

Leon froze. When he saw the title, he couldn’t help but silently complain in his mind:

Are you kidding me? Since when did killing Dangerous Beasts become a children’s educational story?

So this is how the Dragon Clan enlightens their younglings?

This kind of material would be found in the execution manuals exclusively used by graduates of dragon-slaying academies in the human world!

Leon thought for a moment and decided this wasn’t suitable for Muen, so he moved on to the second story.

“How to Use Advanced Fire Magic to Cook Perfect Smoked Meat...”

Leon, who had once been a defeated and captured Dragon Slayer forced to babysit, let out a single phrase that best summarized his feelings:

Huh?

Advanced magic is for cooking smoked meat?

Do you have too little respect for magic or way too much respect for smoked meat?

Feeling that this little story might turn his entire understanding of magic upside down, Leon flipped to the third story.

“How the Great Dragon Clan Developed to This Day.”

This one sounded like a history-based educational story.

Although Leon remained skeptical about the so-called “great” Dragon Clan, it was still better than teaching a child how to kill Dangerous Beasts or cook smoked meat.

“The Dragon Clan has prospered to this day thanks to the efforts of generations of Dragon Kings. In this story, we introduce the tale of Crimson Flame Dragon King Constantine. Hundreds of years ago...”

As Leon read, Muen yawned midway through the story.

Leon stopped and looked down at the little girl in his arms.

The young dragoness was already dozing off, her grip on Leon’s shirt gradually loosening.

Leon placed the book aside, carefully unwrapped Muen’s small hand from his clothing, and gently tucked her in under the blanket.

For parents, having a child fall asleep was truly a blessing.

It meant Leon could finally have some personal time.

He walked to the room’s balcony and looked down at the garden below. Compared to yesterday, there seemed to be more guards stationed there today.

It must have something to do with Roswitha’s sister coming, explaining why everything was so grand.

If this were the old Leon, just hearing that two Dragon Kings were about to meet would have had his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Dragon Kings?

They might as well be two walking First-Class Merits!

Unfortunately, times had changed.

Now, forget ambushing a Dragon King—if someone asked him to ambush Muen, she’d likely just flick her tail playfully while saying, “Daddy, stop messing around. That tickles my tail.”

See?

What could he do?

All he could do was wait for his body to slowly recover, then find the right moment to act.

But judging by how often Roswitha, that damned dragoness, sought “revenge,” Leon felt it might be a long, long time before he could restore himself to full health.

Thinking of this, Leon couldn't help but grit his teeth in anger.

“Damn dragoness, I won’t give in to you!”

Even if his body was completely drained, Leon still wouldn’t stop scheming.

Last night, he had already come up with a perfect way to torment Roswitha.

He planned to use today’s opportunity—her meeting with the Red Dragon Queen—to make her experience the ultimate humiliation!

Leon sat down on a small stool on the balcony, silently waiting.

Close to noon, the gates of Silver Dragon Castle slowly opened, and Roswitha, escorted by her maids, walked toward the entrance.

Heading toward her from the opposite direction was someone Leon had never seen before—a woman, or rather, a dragoness.

This individual was dressed in red, her long hair streaming in the wind, and a crimson tail trailed behind her. Her tail was even longer than Roswitha’s.

Leon remembered dragon scholars mentioning that the length of a dragon’s tail often correlated with their age, though this applied only to dragons under five hundred years old.

Suddenly, Leon’s brain short-circuited, and his thoughts wandered to another question:

How old did the intel say Roswitha was again?

Two hundred something?

Tch—

Two hundred something and yet she looked like a human in her twenties.

One day he’d have to ask his teacher’s wife how this dragoness managed to keep herself looking so young.

Leon shook his head and refocused on the two Dragon Kings in the garden.

Roswitha hugged her elder sister Isa enthusiastically, and Isa returned the embrace warmly.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two made their way to the pavilion in the garden, seemingly preparing for a discussion.

Roswitha had mentioned last night that her sister came to discuss some internal Dragon Clan affairs.

It seemed like a serious conversation.

Leon’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk. “I’ve kept you waiting, Your Majesty.”

He closed his eyes slowly, raised his right hand, and gently placed it over the Dragon Mark on his chest.

Meanwhile, in the pavilion, Roswitha and Isa were seated across from each other.

Isa looked around at the nearby guards and said, “Leave us. I’d like to chat privately with my sister.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The guards departed, leaving only the two dragonesses in the pavilion.

Isa straightened her posture, kept her eyes on the retreating guards, and after ensuring they were out of earshot, suddenly pounced toward her sister. Throwing an arm over Roswitha’s shoulder, she affectionately teased her.

“I’ve missed you so much, my dear little sister! It’s been a whole year, and you’re looking so radiant!”

“Really…? I guess I’m doing okay.”

“I heard that a harmonious married life does wonders for a woman’s complexion. Rosi, could it be that your secretive and frail husband... has woken up?” Isa grinned shamelessly, pressing her for gossip.

When Isa smiled, her tiny sharp tooth peeked out, making her look playful and adorable—a far cry from her dignified position as the Red Dragon Queen.

This mischievous demeanor made her appear nothing like the two-hundred-year-old leader of the Dragon Clan.

In contrast, Roswitha, though much younger, behaved far more reserved and mature.

But as sisters who had grown up together, they were more than tolerant of each other’s quirks.

“What secretive husband? Sister, stop making fun of me...”

Roswitha tidied her hair and shook her head. “He’s awake. Recently, he’s been taking Muen to the back mountains to train. He’ll return in a few days.”

“Really? What a pity. I’d hoped to meet your little princess, too.”

Isa sighed before continuing,

“But seriously, Rosa, why did you even marry such an obscure Dragon King? He doesn’t even show his tail.”

“Um… everyone has their preferences, I guess. He’s low-key and introverted—not the type to pick fights with other male dragons and cause trouble for me.”

Even as she said this, Roswitha knew full well how far from the truth it was.

Introverted, low-key?

What the hell!

Leon couldn’t embody those characteristics less if he tried.

Give that man a sword, and he’d be more likely to chop Roswitha down first chance he got.

And as for avoiding fights with other male dragons? He’d probably kill a few on the way to chopping Roswitha.

“Well, it’s your private life; I can’t meddle in that. Anyway, let’s wrap up the small talk. I came to discuss something about the Crimson Flame Dragon King. He—”

“Hiss...!”

Suddenly, Roswitha frowned, her hands clutching her chest involuntarily as she shifted uncomfortably.

Isa leaned forward in concern. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling ill?”

“No, it’s nothing. Please, continue,” Roswitha said, forcing a strained smile while suppressing the strange feeling surging inside her.

But inside, she was seething with rage, knowing exactly what was happening.

She should’ve known that when Leon asked last night, “Is meeting your sister important?” he had ulterior motives.

She’d even made him solemnly swear to stay inside and behave.

For a moment, she naively thought that was enough to keep Leon in check.

But of all the things she didn’t anticipate, it was Leon using the Dragon Mark she had placed on him...

“When one of the marked individuals begins to ‘long for’ the other, the Dragon Mark reacts.”

The so-called longing is, of course, not just longing.

It also includes... lust.

“That damned Dragon Slayer… he really has no bottom line, does he?”

Roswitha desperately tried to suppress her body’s reaction, forcing herself to stay calm on the surface.

Isa, seeing no further signs of discomfort, continued speaking.

“The Crimson Flame Dragon King Constantine is planning to expand his territory. He—”

Whatever Isa said next fell on deaf ears.

Roswitha wasn’t listening at all. Before Leon, she had zero romantic experience, let alone dealing with a Dragon Mark situation.

She had no idea that such a mark could evoke such an intense resonance.

Her tail began curling involuntarily, her thighs tightened slightly, and she kept biting her lips and swallowing hard.

"Konstant—Rosi, are you really okay? Your face is all red," Isa asked with concern.

As frivolous as she usually was, when it came to her sister's health, Isa was genuinely worried.

Roswitha forced a smile. "N-no, I'm fine. Oh, just wait for me a bit, sis, I need to take care of something. It'll take... about twenty minutes."

"Alright, go ahead. Do you want me to go with you?"

"No need, sis."

"Alright."

Roswitha stood up, suppressing the heat and impulse coursing through her body, and stepped toward the sanctuary.