The ultimate outcome of Muen’s awakening was beyond everyone’s expectations.

Not to mention Anna and the other maids—even Roswitha, a Dragon King who had seen her fair share of remarkable things, had never witnessed a dual awakening firsthand.

Even for the long-lived Dragon Clan, seeing a dual-element awakening was an extremely rare, almost mythical event.

Awakening with two innate elemental attributes meant that Muen’s future held far more possibilities than most.

Among humans, there was a tradition for newborns called "Zhuazhou," where various common items were placed in front of a baby to see which one they would grab. It was believed that whatever the baby picked up would indicate their future path in life.

For example, if a baby grabbed a stack of coins, it was said to mean that they were destined to become wealthy.

Of course, this was just a ceremonial tradition, something symbolic meant to spread good fortune. Nobody took it seriously.

But in the realm of magic, awakening with two elements during childhood wasn’t some good-luck ritual—it was a definitive indicator that the child’s future was already set apart from the ordinary.

As the youngest daughter of the greatest Dragon Slayer and the Silver Dragon Queen, Muen was already destined for an extraordinary life.

Now, she had even accomplished something only described in books: a dual awakening. Her future had limitless potential—

Provided she didn’t squander it.

Who could say whether their precious daughter might someday use her incredible lightning and fire elements to catch cattle and make steaks instead?

Lightning to stun the cattle, fire to cook the meal—it would be the ultimate way to ensure the meat’s freshness and perfect doneness.

Seriously, this combination of elements seemed like it had been given to her solely for the purpose of grilling steaks!

These two elements were practically made for cooking the perfect steak!

Lightning stuns the cattle, and fire takes care of the cooking, ensuring the meat is both tender and cooked to the ideal temperature.

“Papa! Mama!”

As the glow of the awakening array dissipated, Muen dashed over in excitement, gripping Leon’s wrist with one hand and Roswitha’s with the other.

“Did you see that? Muen thinks she awakened two elements!”

The little dragon girl clearly didn’t realize how amazing her dual awakening was. Her excitement came entirely from overhearing her parents’ earlier debate about whether she would awaken fire or lightning.

Papa had leaned toward lightning, while Mama favored fire, leaving Muen at a loss back then.

But now that she had awakened both, they would both be happy, wouldn’t they?

Crouching down, her parents pressed kisses to the chubby cheeks of their baby girl.

Roswitha kissed the left cheek; Leon kissed the right.

Muen: ( ꄱωꄱ )

Absorbing their luck, soaking in their good vibes.

Who knew? Maybe someday even her parents could experience secondary awakenings and end up with dual elements themselves. Nothing could be ruled out, after all!

“Papa, Mama, Muen’s face is going to be smushed flat if you keep this up!”

Only then did the couple let their precious daughter go.

From her parents’ reactions, Muen could already tell she hadn’t embarrassed them with her performance.

If Leon and Roswitha could hear their daughter’s inner thoughts, they might have said:

“Embarrassed? Our dear daughter, this is far beyond that! In the future, when we take you out, we might as well stick a note on your forehead that says, ‘Dual-element young dragon passing through—bystanders, please step aside!’”

Some brilliance needed to be shown off;

some pride deserved flaunting.

Leon scooped Muen into his arms as the family of three left the practice grounds, heading toward the back garden.

Meanwhile, Anna and the other maids began dismantling the array, all the while marveling at Muen’s talent and fortune.

“To think we’d hear so much about it but actually get to see a dual-element awakening in person—it’s far beyond anything I imagined.”

“Her Highness is extraordinarily gifted, with such exceptional parents as her lineage—her prospects are truly limitless.”

“The Queen’s two daughters just keep surprising us more and more. Do you suppose~~” One of the maids trailed off dramatically.

Anna and the others turned toward the sound, one maid prompting her, “What? What are you trying to say? Spit it out!”

The younger maid covered her mouth, giggling like a schoolgirl gossiping about her teachers behind their backs. “I wonder if their future kids might turn out even more remarkable.”

“Eww! You’re thinking *that* far ahead? Her Majesty only recently gave birth to the two princesses. Surely it’ll be a long time before she…well, gets pregnant again. That’s impossible.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. The Queen and the Prince Consort are so devoted to each other—what if they want to have a few more?”

“Devotion doesn’t mean having more kids, you know! I think your obsession with shipping them as a couple might be clouding your judgment.”

Her companion playfully poked her forehead.

After exchanging a few more lighthearted quips, Anna finally stepped in to put an end to their chatter.

“Alright, alright, back to work. Save the gossip for break time.”

“Understood~”

***

That evening, to celebrate Muen’s dual awakening, Leon and Roswitha cooked together, preparing an abundant feast—

No cilantro, no carrots, no eggplants.

After all, tonight’s star was their precious daughter, so the couple called a temporary truce on personal preferences.

As she eyed the spread of delectable dishes, Muen wasted no time digging in.

It was normal to feel hungrier after using magic for the first time; eating a bit more wouldn’t hurt.

Leon had even prepared extra steak, just in case his little girl wanted seconds.

The couple watched their daughter devour her food with contented smiles before turning back to their own meals.

Earlier in the afternoon, they had discussed Muen's dual awakening and agreed not to tell her yet just how rare and extraordinary it was.

Muen wasn’t one for competitiveness; she had no aspirations to pursue ultimate power like traditional members of the Dragon Clan.

She had made that clear to Leon long ago, and Roswitha understood it, too.

They didn’t want their easygoing daughter to feel any undue pressure or develop thoughts like, “My parents expect so much from me—I mustn’t let them down.”

Muen was a very thoughtful and well-behaved girl. In some ways, she understood as much as her older sister, Noa.

For example, if her parents told her about her potential and insisted she was destined to become a phenomenal magician, leaving her with expectations like, "Your day to shine in the Dragon Clan will come," Muen would likely force herself onto that path.

Even if it went against her true aspirations.

Between the rarity of a dual awakening and a happy childhood, Leon and Roswitha both would unequivocally choose the latter for their daughter.

Initially, Roswitha hadn’t considered this perspective so deeply. She had even hesitated, debating whether Muen should be made aware of her immense potential.

In her moment of doubt, Leon’s argument about the importance of a joyous childhood had ultimately swayed her.

When it came to parenting, the Dragon Clan did have its shortcomings compared to humans, and Roswitha had to admit as much.

Of course, Roswitha herself was not the sort of mother who’d declare, “I endured hardship, so my child must endure it too.”

In the end, their priority was simple: Muen’s happiness mattered most.

“Papa, Mama, you should eat more too!”

After a while, Muen stood up on her chair to serve Leon and Roswitha portions of food.

“Alright, thank you, Muen~”

“You’re welcome, Mama~”

Her polite response earned her mother two more pieces of fried chicken wings.

Roswitha’s plate was soon piled high with food.

Once Muen had finished serving, she returned to her seat and resumed eating.

Leon ate slowly, glancing occasionally at Roswitha’s plate.

After a few bites, he blinked, realizing something was off. Roswitha had barely touched her food, including what Muen had served her.

Looking up, Leon noticed a slight furrow in Roswitha’s brows. It was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

When her gaze lowered to the table, landing on the greasy fried foods and the salad dressing, the furrow deepened, joined by an expression of mild disgust.

Roswitha swallowed dryly and immediately looked away, taking a sip of water to ease her discomfort.

Leon withdrew his gaze, saying nothing.

The meal continued.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Leon heard Roswitha quietly cough.

It didn’t sound intentional, more like an involuntary reaction.

Looking up again, he saw her resting her chin on her hand, using her fingers to partially cover her mouth.

Although her eyes remained on Muen, her expression betrayed faint discomfort—as if she were suppressing nausea.

“Muen, could you go to Papa’s room and grab some drinks for us? They’re under the bed. If not, check the balcony,” Leon said.

“Okay, Papa!”

Muen hopped off her chair, tail swishing as she trotted out of the room.

Once the door closed, Roswitha softly murmured, “I’ll just go to the restroom for a moment,” before getting up abruptly and heading there, shutting the door behind her.

Leon approached the closed door, listening to the sound of flushing water inside. After a moment, he asked casually,

“Hey, I didn’t put any cilantro in the food, you know. So why do you look like you’ve lost your appetite?”

There were gentler ways to phrase the question, but Leon opted for a more nonchalant tone.

“It’s nothing… Maybe I just…have an upset stomach,” Roswitha replied from inside.

“Hmm… Alright then.”

Roswitha washed her face, drying it before stepping out.

Leon was still standing by the door.

Both instinctively took a step back before Leon moved aside to let her pass.

Roswitha nodded without comment and started heading back to the dining room.

She hadn’t made it far when she felt a tug on her arm.

Looking back, she asked, “What is it?”

Leon opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, the words catching in his throat.

In the end, he simply let go of her arm.

Feeling the lingering warmth of his touch, Roswitha’s gaze wavered briefly before she masked her emotions with a calm tone.

“Let’s get back to dinner.”

“Yeah.”

The couple returned to the table.

Roswitha lowered her head and looked at the plate in front of her—grilled meats with salad dressing, roast chicken wings, steak, and so on. Sure enough, she still had no appetite.

Not only did she lack appetite, but she even felt a bit... nauseated.

“Here, you eat it.” The Queen came up with a quick solution. Standing up with her plate, she swapped it with Leon's.

Leon froze, staring at the now overflowing plate in front of him. He swallowed nervously, as if facing a great challenge. “...Do I look like someone who eats a lot?”

Roswitha rested her chin against her hand, smiling playfully. “Well, you definitely eat more than me, a dragon on a diet.”

“Diet? How much do you weigh to warrant dieting?”

“The last time I checked... it was about 110 pounds.”

Roswitha thought about it and then added, “Around one hundred and zero point something... My goal is to get below 110.”

When Leon heard that, he shook his head and responded with a serious tone. “You absolutely can’t aim to go below 110.”

Roswitha was curious. “Oh? Why not?”

“Girls who weigh less than 110 are either flat-chested or short.” Leon spoke with evident conviction, as if there were truly some scientific reasoning behind that old saying.

Roswitha rolled her eyes, utterly speechless.

Though their bantering managed to dissipate some of the awkward tension that had been lingering between her and Leon earlier, that didn’t mean she could tolerate Leon spouting such nonsense.

So, on a whim, she picked up a drumstick to throw onto Leon’s plate.

But after some thought, she decided to swap it out for three servings of grilled oysters instead—supposedly, this was quite nutritious for humans.

“Here, eat it. Finish it all. You’re not allowed to sleep until it’s all gone!”