The time rewound to this morning.

Leon found Anna.

"Good morning, Your Highness."

Leon held two drinks in his hands and handed one of them to Anna. "Good morning, Anna."

Anna took the drink with both hands but didn’t show any intention of drinking it. Instead, she smiled and replied, "Thank you, Your Highness. Is there something you need from me?"

"Ah, it’s nothing important. I just wanted to ask if there are any interesting places around the Castle? Or places Roswitha likes to visit. I’d like to stroll around and clear my head."

Anna nodded. "There are some, Your Highness. I can assign someone to guide you."

"Oh, no need for that. Just give me a list and a map, and I’ll go by myself."

Anna thought for a moment. "Sure, no problem."

A moment later, Anna marked some spots on the map. "These are places Her Majesty the Queen frequents."

"Great, thanks, Anna."

"You’re welcome, Your Highness."

With the map in hand, Leon headed to the back mountain of the Castle.

He had been awake for just over a month and was usually confined in the nursery by Roswitha, so he hadn’t had a chance to go out and explore.

His range of activity was limited to a triangle of the nursery, the backyard garden, and the training ground.

Finally, Roswitha had overplayed her hand and knocked herself out.

Leon decided to use this opportunity to carefully brew his grand revenge plan.

He wanted Roswitha to know that in this world, those with a thirst for revenge weren’t limited to the Dragon Clan alone.

As the saying goes, even a cornered rat will bite.

Let alone Leon, who was a cunning rat skilled at endurance and setting traps.

Following the markings on the map, Leon first arrived at a cherry blossom forest.

The area had high terrain with scattered, aged cherry blossom trees—each thick and lush.

Leon walked around to survey the area before stopping beneath one of the cherry trees. He then turned and looked down at the Silver Dragon Castle below.

Standing here, Leon could take in the entire Silver Dragon Castle.

The ancient and majestic castle, its expansive front and back courtyards, and the surrounding Castle’s defensive measures were all clearly visible.

Leon could even spot the route he had led his forces on during his attack on the Silver Dragon Castle two years ago.

Now, the checkpoints along that route were far more fortified compared to other locations.

It seems that dragon of a queen had learned her lesson.

Back then, Leon had spent considerable time identifying the weakest point in Silver Dragon Castle’s defenses for his assault.

Had it not been for a traitor backstabbing him, Leon might have truly toppled that dragon queen.

"Ah, it’s no use basking in old glories," he sighed.

A failure is a failure—there’s no disputing that.

But as the saying goes, blessings often come in disguises. Leon was now contributing in his own way to the grand cause of slaying dragons.

To put it succinctly—working around the obstacles for a greater goal.

Hey, who could restrain the Silver Dragon Queen without any bloodshed? In the long histories of both human and dragonkind, this was undoubtedly a first.

Even Roswitha had recently remarked with brutal accuracy about Leon’s current predicament:

"Congratulations. You’re now a legend—making special credits by fathering two minor credits with a dragon!"

Leon shook his head, dismissing such thoughts, and returned his attention to reality.

He approached the tree, raised an arm, leaned slightly forward, and pressed his hands against the sturdy trunk.

Then he turned his head slightly; from this angle, he could once again view the entire Silver Dragon Castle.

"Perfect. The angle and pose are just right."

Satisfied, Leon eagerly moved on to the next location.

After winding through various paths, Leon arrived at a mountain cave.

The cave bore no traces of having been a wild animal’s den, making it an ideal place for the two of them to focus on some intimate activities.

Except...

Leon crouched down, pinched some dirt between his fingers, and examined it.

"A bit hard. It might hurt her knees. Also—"

"Hello!"

"Echo~~ Echoooo~~~"

The cave immediately echoed crisply.

"The echo’s way too loud. It’ll ruin the mood. This spot won’t do."

With that, Leon marked an X over the cave on the map.

Next, he headed to a mountain stream meandering down toward the valley below.

Leon laid down by the riverbank.

The cool water flowed rapidly just below his head.

The area was wide open, free of trees and dense foliage. At night, lying on this riverside, one could gaze at the entirety of the starlit sky.

"Not bad. This one’s a keeper."

He marked a check on the map for the stream, just as he had done for the cherry blossom forest earlier.

Leon spent the entire day surveying the terrain around Silver Dragon Castle.

For a fleeting moment, he felt as if he had returned to his days two years ago as the leader of a dragon-slaying squad.

Back then, every infiltration mission involved meticulously planning the attack and retreat routes, weighing all the pros and cons.

That solid foundation laid during that time was now proving its worth today—but in more unconventional ways.

This time, that dragon queen was going down for sure!

By the time Leon’s reconnaissance concluded, night had already fallen.

The lights of Silver Dragon Castle glowed brightly in the valley below.

At night, the Castle presented a softer, more soothing appearance than it did during the day.

Leon took a moment to admire the sight but didn’t linger. He quickened his pace toward the sanctuary’s backyard.

When he returned to the backyard, he found it bustling with activity.

The maids were gathered together, seemingly...

Having a bonfire party!

Leon, curious, strode over enthusiastically. Upon closer inspection, it turned out they weren’t celebrating at all.

It looked more like they were holding a memorial service for someone.

At the forefront stood two small figures, unmistakably his daughters.

"What kind of bizarre make-believe game is this..." he muttered under his breath, jogging toward them.

As Leon approached, he noticed the maids were laughing and crying at the same time.

Growing even more baffled, Leon continued forward to his daughters.

They were chanting something like, "We’re offering you steak. Please come back and see us."

Then, keeping low, he sidled up beside Noa, noticing she was holding a wooden box and was about to throw it into the fire.

When it came to his daughters, Leon always abided by the principle: trust first, question later. If he didn’t understand what they were doing, it didn’t matter—his job was to participate wholeheartedly.

So—

"Whom are you worshiping? Count me in!"

"When I was your age, your grandfather taught me how to play the suona. Do you know the suona? It’s a mysterious wind instrument from the East, often used during funerals. Want me to show off a little for you?"

"The princesses’ filial piety moves the heavens! His Highness, the prince, is back from the dead!"

Leon’s expression darkened. He turned toward the speaker. "Who’s being so impolite? I’m perfectly alive! How could I ‘come back’?"

After speaking, he turned his gaze to Noa and Muen.

The two little ones looked utterly shocked and dumbfounded. It was as if...

As if they really had just seen Leon rise from the dead.

Leon leaned back slightly, a sinking feeling creeping into his chest.

He glanced toward a table behind the bonfire, upon which a photograph was carelessly placed.

And the person in the photo... looked uncomfortably familiar.

"Forgive me for asking—what exactly are you two...?"

My dear daughters, if this entire ceremony is for me, isn’t this just a bit too extreme?

"Daddy!"

Muen dropped the steak she was holding and flung herself into Leon’s arms.

Naturally, Leon opened his arms wide to catch his youngest daughter.

"Daddy! Waaaaa~ Muen thought you didn’t want Muen anymore~"

"What nonsense is this? How could Daddy ever not want you?"

"But Muen and I searched everywhere for you and couldn’t find you. I thought you—"

Leon comforted Muen while explaining gently, "Ah, I went for a walk on the back mountain today and lost track of time. That’s why I’m back so late."

Hearing this, Noa’s eyes welled up slightly, a lump rising in her throat.

Holding the wooden box tightly, she lowered her head without saying a word.

So I… wronged him?

Seeing Noa’s expression, Leon glanced at the maids around him.

With so many people present, it wasn’t the time to have a heart-to-heart with his elder daughter.

He decided to save it for later.

Patting Muen on the head, Leon noticed the steak in her hand.

"Muen, why’d you bring a steak out here?"

Muen sniffled and sobbed, her shoulders trembling as she cried uncontrollably. "Th-this was an offering to Daddy."

"An... offering."

Muen nodded vigorously. "Sister said when someone leaves, the food becomes an offering."

Leon rubbed his face in exasperation. "All right then..."

"But Daddy."

"Yes?"

"Now that you’re back… can Muen eat your offering?"