Leon’s thoughts drifted back to a few days ago.

That was the first time he had gone to spend time with Muen.

In the corridor of the sanctuary, he encountered a little girl who looked exactly like Muen, but her expression was icy cold. She glanced at Leon briefly before running off.

Later that noon, he ran into this “cold version of Muen” again. This time, there was some interaction between them, but it was clear the conversation did not go well.

Leon initially thought he must have grown dull from sleeping for two years, or that Muen might have some sort of split personality.

But as it turned out…it was…another daughter?

“So, Muen, what you’re saying is that you have a sister?”

Muen shook her head. “Not a sister, an elder sister~”

Leon responded with a thoughtful “oh,” and immediately asked about this deeply hidden older daughter’s name, “Then what’s your sister’s name, Muen?”

“Noa~ Sister’s name is Noa~ It’s inspired by the name of the legendary hero from the Dragon Clan myths, who saved the world.”

“Noa…” Leon lowered his head, savoring the name.

He had to admit, Roswitha had a knack for naming.

The older daughter bore her great expectations, as though she wanted her to become a hero like the one in the myths.

The younger daughter’s name, inspired by the moon, implied she was the shining pearl of their family, cherished above all.

“Then, Dad, can you teach me how to write my sister’s name?” Muen asked.

“Alright, I’ll write it first, and you can follow what I write, okay?”

“Okay!”

Leon picked up a pen and, with great care, neatly wrote Noa’s full name on a blank piece of paper:

Noa·K·Melkevi

His handwriting was neat, graceful, yet carried with it a flair of individuality. It could easily be considered excellent penmanship.

Of course, it would be excellent.

Back when Leon was bedridden for three years after his master’s “smashing stone on chest” trick went wrong, all he could move were his hands and neck. He had been so bored that he started practicing his writing, and as time went on, it turned out beautifully.

“Wow~ Dad, your writing is so pretty~” Muen’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

Leon smiled. “Muen will quickly learn to write just as beautifully.”

“Mhm, then Dad, can I keep this? I want to show it to Sister tonight. She’ll love it for sure.”

“No problem. Oh, by the way, Muen, is your sister…difficult to get along with?”

Thinking back to his previous two encounters with Noa—where the little girl either ran away or gave him the cold shoulder—it seemed she wasn’t as warm and sweet as Muen.

Leon pondered.

“No, my sister’s very nice. She takes me to pick fruits, helps braid my hair, and if I cause trouble, she even takes the blame for me—er… Dad, please don’t tell Mom, but it was actually me who accidentally dirtied her dress that one time…”

The little dragon girl clung to his finger, pleading pitifully.

Leon, of course, wouldn’t snitch. He patted Muen on her head. “Don’t worry, Dad will keep your secret.”

“Thank you, Dad~”

“So, your sister Noa is actually a pretty great person, isn’t she?”

“Mhm, maybe she’s just a little shy around you since you only just met.”

Leon nodded.

If that was the case, then there was no problem.

So her cold attitude toward him was simply because they weren’t familiar yet.

Leon had initially assumed she might be a mini version of Roswitha.

Dealing with one stubborn dragoness was already exhausting; if there were a second one, Leon might have been ready to leap off the Castle on the spot.

Thankfully, it was just a false alarm.

With that thought, the devious schemes in Leon’s mind began to bubble up again.

He was already planning how to give Roswitha a proper grilling when she came tonight.

“Dad, what are you smiling about?” Muen asked.

“Huh? Nothing, nothing. Come on, Muen, let’s keep practicing your sister’s name.”

“Okay!”

Muen obediently followed Leon’s instructions, practicing the writing all afternoon.

The little dragon girl had remarkable aptitude; within just a few hours, she had learned to write the names of her dad, mom, Noa, and herself, producing neat and legible results.

That evening, after a busy day of work, Roswitha arrived at Leon’s room.

“Mother~”

The moment Muen saw Roswitha, she excitedly ran over, hugging her leg and looking up at her. “Good evening, Mother!”

Roswitha reached down to stroke Muen’s little head. “Good evening, Muen. Have you learned how to write your name yet?”

“I have! I’ve learned it, and not only that, I can write Dad’s name and yours too~”

Muen’s face radiated pride, clearly fishing for more praise.

“Hmm. Not bad,” Roswitha said.

“Humph…writing names is so hard! But I learned it all in just one afternoon!”

Roswitha’s rather stingy compliment left Muen craving more.

Sitting on the floor by the bed, Leon chimed in lazily, “Muen worked really hard today. You should praise her more.”

Roswitha glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, inexplicably sensing that Leon was brimming with…

a peculiar sense of smugness?

She looked back down at Muen.

Her daughter gazed up with her sparkling eyes, practically begging her to say, “Mommy thinks you’re amazing.”

Roswitha crouched down, resting her hands on Muen’s tiny shoulders, and smiled as she said,

“Yes, Muen is really impressive. As a reward, I’ll cook your favorite steak for dinner tonight. How does that sound?”

“Yay~ Mom’s steak is the best!”

“Tch, and here I thought you were traditional,” Leon teased.

“And why are you just sitting there, lazing around, Leon?” Roswitha shot back.

Leon shrugged. “You asked me to teach your daughter to write her name. Now that I’ve done it, why shouldn’t I sit back and relax?”

“Just because you say she’s learned it doesn’t mean I’ll take your word for it. Muen, come here and write it for me to see.”

“Okay~”

Muen climbed onto a chair, grabbed a blank sheet of paper and a pen, and carefully started writing the three names.

Roswitha stood by silently, observing.

Her daughter’s handwriting was delicate and tidy; for a child, it was already impressive.

It seemed this man, Leon, did have some talent for teaching children after all.

Seeing this, Leon craned his neck to take a look before standing and walking over.

Now, he and Roswitha stood on either side of Muen, a sight that unwittingly gave the semblance of a married couple.

Though, of course, Leon hadn’t approached with any intention of playing house with Roswitha.

“All done!”

The three names were neatly written.

Roswitha nodded in satisfaction. “Very good, Muen. Now—”

“Wait, Muen, isn’t there one name missing?” Leon suppressed the grin tugging at his lips and feigned puzzlement.

“Huh? Oh~ That’s right!”

At Leon’s words, Roswitha’s smiling face instantly went cold.

She turned to give Leon a sharp look, only to find him grinning smugly back at her.

“Since we’re writing everyone’s names, we should include everyone to make it complete, right, Muen?”

“Dad’s absolutely right!”

“Then hurry and write Sister Noa’s name too.”

“Okay!”

As she watched this father-daughter duo trading lines back and forth, Roswitha narrowed her eyes. “So…‘Noa.’ Muen told you, didn’t she?”

Leon had been waiting for this moment. Seizing the chance, he nodded quickly. “Of course. I must say, I’ve failed as a father. It’s been a whole week since I woke up, and I only just learned my eldest daughter’s name.”

Roswitha stayed silent. She had a pretty good idea what Leon would say next, so she simply watched his little performance.

“And not only that, Roswitha.”

“Hmm?”

“For you, I feel nothing but guilt.”

Roswitha suppressed a smile. “Why guilt?”

Leon struck a dramatic pose, acting as though he were overcome with emotion. “Giving birth is already hard enough, yet you bore not one but two daughters for me. You’ve endured so much.”

“Ah, when I return to the Empire, I’ll make sure your name is recorded in our family’s genealogy, Roswitha!”

If he was going to provoke her, he wasn’t going to hold back.

Whatever the consequences, he might as well go all out.

Roswitha remained silent, her icy gaze fixed on him. Leon guessed she must’ve been just about to lose her composure.

Sensing he had the upper hand, Leon pressed on. “Speaking of which, Roswitha, you’ve gone so long without mentioning this. Could it be that you’re so amazed by my exceptional physical talents and abilities that you forgot?”

How could she have forgotten something so important?

Leon’s implication, of course, was that she had deliberately hidden it from him out of guilt.

Yet Roswitha’s expression remained unchanged as she responded flatly, “It’s all for your own good, Leon.”

“For my own good?”

“Yes.”

“But I’m doing perfectly fine—more than fine, in fact! I have two lovely daughters now; what could be wrong? So when can I officially meet Noa?”

Roswitha raised an eyebrow. “You’re in such a hurry?”

“Well, of course! Meeting my daughter is a big deal!”

Roswitha chuckled softly. “Very well. Just don’t regret it.”

Regret?

Hah, what a joke, you naive dragoness.

Bring it on; introduce my eldest daughter already!