Dong dong dong—

“Daddy, Mommy, wake up! The sun is shining on your butts and tails already!”

Dong dong dong—

Muen was already standing at the door, knocking repeatedly.

But there was no answer from inside.

The little dragon girl scratched her head and looked at Noa in confusion. “Big Sister, what’s going on... Could they still be asleep?”

Noa crossed her arms, rubbed her chin, and furrowed her brow in thought. “Judging by their pattern of one of them getting worn out every so often, whose turn would it be this time?”

Muen thought for a moment and said, “Last time, it was when you were being taken to school. Daddy said he stayed up late the night before doing homework, so he was all tired out.”

Noa nodded, analyzing with logic and reason. “Then this time, it should be Mommy’s turn.”

Muen squished her cheeks together. “But even if it’s Mommy’s turn to not get out of bed, where’s Daddy?! Daddy isn’t here either! Big Sister, are we going to have to offer up sacrifices for Daddy again? If we do, I want steak this time.”

Noa raised her hand, gently pressing down her sister’s wrist, then naturally clasped her little hand.

“It’s fine. Even if they both refuse to get up, I can still take Muen out to play.”

“Really, Big Sister?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

“Yay~”

Hand in hand, the two little dragon girls skipped out of the castle.

Meanwhile, inside the suite, quite some time passed before Leon finally woke up groggily.

His brain started up slowly, and then the soreness in his limbs began to kick in.

But Leon was already used to this kind of feeling.

Sitting up slowly, he rubbed his temples as the memories of the previous night gradually surfaced in his mind.

“Tsk... They really managed to overdo it together. Looks like the ‘no-lighting-up’ challenge ended in failure.”

He turned to look at the figure beside him—Roswitha’s long, slender body curled gracefully as she lay on her side, seemingly sleeping quite comfortably.

But the marks on her neck and chest—those hickeys—stood as undeniable proof that she’d been even more comfortable last night.

Gazing at Roswitha’s sleeping face, his eyes fell to her lips, and Leon couldn’t help but blush.

Last night... he and Roswitha shared their first kiss in the truest sense of the word—discounting the time during the Blood Enchantment.

Thinking back to the reckless kisses they indulged in last night... Leon really wanted to slap himself.

Why on earth had he suggested something as silly as the “no-lighting-up” challenge?

Now look what had happened—things got out of hand, they went too far, and now it was awkward.

In his journal, *Diary of a Captive Life*, alongside chapters like “Sleeping with a Dragon” and “Having Kids with a Dragon,” he now had to add “Kissing a Dragon.”

But then again, a married couple whose kids were already running around shouldn’t have only just shared their first kiss the night before...

That wasn’t just awkward—it was absurdly surreal.

Leon rested in bed for a while longer before gently pulling the covers aside and getting up.

He went to the bathroom, quickly washed up, and stood before the mirror, looking at the Dragon Mark on his chest.

The Dragon Mark had calmed down, showing no signs of instability.

Leon let out a quiet sigh of relief, muttering, “You’ve really caused me a headache.”

When he walked out of the bathroom, Roswitha was already dressed and sitting at the vanity, brushing her hair.

Leon paused for a second before softly closing the bathroom door.

Neither of them spoke first.

Roswitha quietly combed her hair and applied makeup, while Leon went to the bedside and opened the suitcase to retrieve a change of clothes.

By the time Leon finished dressing, Roswitha had finished her grooming as well.

The two of them glanced at each other simultaneously, only to quickly look away.

Apparently, last night’s impulsive kiss had left an impression on Roswitha, too.

She didn’t tease Leon, nor did she pretend as if nothing had happened. Her flustered and awkward demeanor mirrored Leon’s—it was genuine.

Last night, she had finally kissed this *Dragon Slayer*.

Wait.

Finally?

Why did that make it sound like she *wanted* to kiss Leon?

It’s all the Dragon Mark’s fault!

Leon ruffled his hair awkwardly. “Shall we... look for Noa and Muen and take a walk?”

Roswitha licked her lips slightly, lowering her head to stare at her shoes as she nervously rubbed her fingertips together. “Mm, okay.”

The couple headed to their daughters’ room to knock, but no one answered.

“Did they go out to play on their own?” Leon asked. “It’s already past ten in the morning.”

“Probably. Let’s go look around.”

“Okay.”

Neither of them was particularly worried about the girls facing danger. Noa was with Muen, after all, and this was an elite vacation haven. There wouldn’t be child smugglers or any similar threats.

Stepping outside the castle, they were greeted by bright sunlight and a scene as fresh and lovely as the day before.

A few squirrels darted by Roswitha’s feet, leading her gaze to where they had come from. Not far away, Muen was standing on some stairs, holding a camera and seemingly taking pictures of a couple.

Noa stood beside her, watching over her sister. They appeared to be perfectly safe.

Leon and Roswitha exchanged a look, nodded to each other, and walked over.

“Noa, Muen,” Leon called out to his daughters.

The two little ones turned their heads at the sound, and Muen waved her camera cheerfully. “Good morning, Daddy Mommy~ Muen is taking pictures for Aunt Yuna and Uncle Zai~”

Yuna... Zai...

Leon’s gaze shifted to the Dragon Clan couple before them. That must be who Muen was referring to.

The pair looked polite and poised, exuding an air of elegance.

Well, no surprises there. Almost everyone vacationing in the Floating Clouds Valley was of that caliber.

Approaching them, Roswitha extended a hand and introduced herself.

“Hello, you two. We’re the parents of these two little ones. I’m Roswitha Melkevi, and this is my husband, Leon.”

Yuna shook her hand warmly, smiling as she replied,

“I’m Yuna, and this is my husband, Zai. We’re on our honeymoon. The scenery here is so beautiful that we wanted a few photos together, and these two adorable kids happened to be passing by, so we asked for their help.”

As Yuna finished speaking, Muen bounced down the steps, holding up the camera to show Leon and Roswitha the photos she had just taken.

“Daddy Mommy, look! How did Muen do?”

“Aunt Yuna is right. Our little Muen is the best photographer!” Yuna crouched down and affectionately ruffled her hair.

Leon examined the magical projection of the preview photos. Though the lighting wasn’t perfect, the composition was surprisingly decent.

Considering Muen probably hadn’t used a camera much before, what she’d done was already impressive.

“Aunt Yuna is absolutely right. Muen did an excellent job,” Leon said, bending slightly to support himself on one knee and using his other hand to pinch Muen’s chubby cheek.

Excited, Muen ran off to show Noa the pictures next.

She was met with her sister’s praise just as she hoped.

The two girls began enthusiastically photographing the scenery.

Watching them, Yuna gestured toward a nearby bench. “Why don’t we sit down and chat?”

“Alright.”

The four adults took a seat.

“Originally, my husband and I had planned to visit the Azure Waves Coast first, but then we heard rumors of occasional disputes among Dragon Clan factions on that route. To avoid trouble, we decided to come to the Floating Clouds Valley instead,” Yuna explained.

“Dragon Clan disputes?” Roswitha asked.

“Yeah, it seems to be Constantine’s clan. A little while back, there were reports of him planning territorial expansions by annexing smaller Dragon Clan factions.”

Roswitha had indeed heard Isa mention this before.

She hadn’t expected Constantine to move so quickly.

Absorbing smaller, weaker clans was a common method for the Dragon Clan to expand their territories.

Incidentally, she had concocted a “backstory” for Leon along those lines—claiming he came from a dissolved clan and had married into her Silver Dragon Clan when she took an interest in him.

Yuna waved a hand dismissively. “But enough about us. Let’s hear about your little darlings. My husband and I have been thinking about having a baby, but we’re so unsure about it. Roswitha, how did you and your husband decide to take that step?”

The Dragon Clan was a remarkably “pure-hearted” species.

For most people, refraining from premarital intimacy would already count as chaste.

But for the Dragon Clan, it went further—they refrained from intimacy even before deciding on procreation.

This aversion wasn’t out of modesty but necessity. Their biology guaranteed pregnancy from the very first coupling, with no way to undo it afterward.

Many Dragon Clan opted for self-reproduction in cocoon form, just to avoid an “oops” moment.

Of course, this was why Leon had been so confident back then, after using the Blood Enchantment, in declaring, “Our child is already taking root in your womb.”

So, for honeymooners like Yuna and Zai, grappling with the complexities of having a child was perfectly natural.

Unfortunately... while their desire for advice might be admirable, they’d picked the wrong role models.

After all, though these two “seasoned parents” sitting before them now had not one but *two* kids—

Wasn’t it entirely possible that they’d only shared their first kiss *last night*?

“How we decided to have kids...”

Roswitha felt as though she were sitting on needles, memories she’d rather forget suddenly replaying in her head.

Pressing her lips together, she carefully chose her words. “Well, er... my husband said he really wanted to be a dad at the time, and so... I didn’t think too much about it and agreed.”

High-level rephrasing: “I didn’t think too much about it.”

Low-level rephrasing: “I was enchanted and didn’t have any time to think.”

Leon quietly covered his face.

As odd as it sounded, it seemed accurate enough. He really couldn’t argue with the explanation.

“Things like this happen naturally. There’s no need to force yourself—or your partner—and don’t let it scare you. Just go with the flow,” Leon added quickly, picking up where Roswitha had left off.

Roswitha also let out a sigh of relief.

Yuna and her husband nodded thoughtfully.

It was evident that Yuna loved children.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been calling Muen "little darling" over and over just now.

All one could do was offer blessings and wish for the two to have children of their own soon.

After a bit of chatting, Zai brought up one of his concerns,

"Actually, Yuna and I have been together for many years, and only after thoroughly understanding one another did we decide to get married. However, sometimes she's a bit too domineering. She's aware of this flaw too, and before marriage, we often fought about it."

Zai looked toward Leon. "Mr. Leon, may I ask if you have any tips for handling situations like this?"

Leon sat straight and upright, his expression serious. "Mr. Zai, I'm sorry, but my wife Roswitha is what you'd call the gentle and delicate type. Though she's tall and has a cold appearance, she actually likes to act cute and coquettish. So, unfortunately, I can't really help you with this problem."

This time, it was Roswitha's turn to cover her face.

Oh, fine, fine—I’m gentle and delicate. I act cute and coquettish. I don't argue with him.

A flash of disappointment crossed Zai's eyes. "Oh, I see..."

"But," Leon continued earnestly,

"No matter how strong-willed a woman might be, she will always have moments when her softer side shows. During those moments, no matter what kind of person you are normally, you must step forward and resolutely support your wife. I believe... that's what it means to be a responsible man."

Roswitha silently looked at Leon. His words made her recall the day Noa had gotten into trouble and she had been called in by the school.

When that member of the Blazing Dragon Clan was about to berate her and Noa to her face, Leon had stepped forward. Just as he'd mentioned earlier, he had resolutely stood by and defended his wife and daughter.

Perhaps, in Leon's view, family and marriage weren't all that complicated. They were built on the foundational principle of "responsibility," pieced together step by step above that.

Leon was precisely this kind of simple yet deeply responsible man.

"Alright, thank you for the advice, Mr. Leon," Zai said with a slight bow.

Leon waved a hand. "No need to thank me."

The conversation continued for a bit until Muen and Noa came running back, handing the camera back to Zai and Yuna.

"Well, until next time," Yuna said.

"Until next time."

"Auntie Yuna, goodbye! Uncle Zai, goodbye!" Muen waved enthusiastically.

"Goodbye, Uncle and Auntie," Noa said politely.

"Goodbye, you two little darlings~" Yuna waved her hand, linking her arm with Zai's as they walked away.

The newlywed couple chatted and joked as they went, occasionally nudging each other's shoulders playfully.

Leon and Roswitha watched the scene before them. For some reason, it reminded them of their own past.

At this thought, the two looked at each other, only to quickly avert their gazes.

There was still... a bit of hesitation in facing one another.

...

After the seven-day hot spring trip, life returned to its usual rhythm.

However, the couple seemed to be intentionally avoiding each other ever since they got back.

Even Roswitha's usual "once every three days" routine had been skipped.

The night they'd impulsively shared their first kiss had left a subtle impact on their feelings.

That evening, Roswitha stood on the balcony, drinking and enjoying the breeze.

Suddenly, there was a noise behind her.

"Your Majesty, we've received news," said Sherry.

Roswitha turned around. "Have you found the Tigger couple?"

"We have."

Roswitha's eyes lit up. She quickly asked, "What exactly is the situation?"

"They have left the Empire. While patrolling the outskirts, I happened to discover their hiding place. If one doesn't have the ability to fly, it would be nearly impossible to locate."

"Without the ability to fly... it would be hard to find? Then how did he and his wife get up there?"

Sherry shook her head, swallowed hard, and her expression turned slightly strange.

Roswitha stepped forward, setting her wine glass down, and gently placed her hand on Sherry's shoulder. "Don't worry. Take your time."

After steadying her emotions, Sherry continued,

"Your Majesty, I could sense... that the human named Tigger is extremely strong. So strong, in fact, that he's on an entirely different level compared to other Dragon Slayers. If he had wanted to, he could have easily killed me when he discovered me."

Upon hearing this, Roswitha couldn't help but marvel. Leon's master clearly wasn't the "ordinary farmer" he'd claimed him to be.

"But when he realized I was from the Silver Dragon Clan, he didn't attack. Instead, he said..."

"Said what?"

"That he wants to meet you."