Night had quietly descended.

Leon gazed at the gathered maids and doctors surrounding the grand bed, trying to catch a glimpse of Roswitha through the gaps in the crowd.

But they encircled their queen so tightly that Leon could only hear soft groans coming from that direction.

The process of labor, from the onset of uterine contractions to a successful delivery, typically took about eight to ten hours.

During these ten hours, the pain Roswitha had to endure was unimaginable for Leon, as a man.

He had read numerous educational books on pregnancy and prenatal care before, and he knew just how excruciating childbirth could be for a woman.

At the same time, he also realized how powerless he was in situations like this.

There was nothing he could do to help. Everything was left to the care of the professional doctors and maids.

His two daughters, overhearing their mother’s faint groans of pain, began to worry as well.

“Daddy... is Mommy in a lot of pain?”

Muen clutched Leon's sleeve, her big eyes shimmering with tears, her voice trembling. “Muen doesn’t want a new sister anymore; Muen just wants Mommy not to hurt...”

Leon lowered his head, took Muen’s cold little hand in his own, and gently rubbed her head. “It’s okay... Muen, don’t worry. Mommy... she’ll be fine.”

His own heart was in turmoil; he had no idea what to say, and any words of comfort seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

But fortunately, Noa was a very capable big sister. She wrapped her arm around her younger sibling, letting Muen lean on her shoulder. Gently, she patted her sister’s back and softly whispered to her in a soothing tone.

Leon looked at his two daughters, hesitated for a moment, and said, “Noa, Muen, let me take you back to your rooms first. I’ll call you both back once everything here is settled, okay?”

Right now, it was only the early contractions. A few hours later, Roswitha would endure even more intense pain than she was currently experiencing.

The mere thought of his daughters witnessing their mother in such agony alongside him made Leon’s heart ache. Their desire to stay by her side was already enough. Leon didn’t want them to go through this torment with him.

Hearing this, Noa tugged Muen’s little hand and quietly asked if she would like to go back and visit Mommy later.

Muen sniffled and then nodded.

“Alright, Daddy will take you back now.”

Leon stood up, holding the hands of his two daughters—one on each side—and quietly exited Roswitha’s bedroom.

He gently closed the door and walked the girls to their shared room.

The cool air in the corridor provided a small sense of relief.

Leon closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

But before he could truly savor that brief moment of respite, the sound of glass shattering violently erupted nearby.

Before Leon could even react, a corpse engulfed in flames crashed down in front of him like a cannonball.

Shards of glass from the shattered window scattered through the air, glinting as they fell around him. The fiery heat scorched his face, and his dark pupils widened slightly in shock as he stared in disbelief at the gruesome scene before him.

An attack!

Leon’s instincts as a top-tier Dragon Slayer kicked in. The moment he realized what was happening, he forced himself to regain composure. Before his daughters could fully process what was going on, he shielded their eyes with his hands.

The sudden loud noise startled Muen. She instinctively clung to Leon’s leg, her small hands gripping his pants tightly. Her voice quivered with fear. “D-Daddy... what’s happening?”

Leon kept his hands over both of his daughters’ eyes, careful not to apply too much pressure so as not to frighten them further.

He took a quick glance at the charred body sprawled before him. The tail extending from the body and parts of its armor, though not fully consumed by flames, revealed enough for him to identify it—it was a Silver Dragon Clan guard.

Without a doubt, Silver Dragon Castle had come under attack.

“But why... why now of all times?”

He murmured under his breath, as hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor behind him.

“Your Highness! Your Highness! Are you and the young princesses unharmed?” Milan called out as she ran toward them.

When she caught sight of the charred corpse on the ground, her expression turned visibly shaken.

Leon positioned himself between his daughters and the body, blocking their view with his own figure. “Don’t look back. Go with Sister Milan and return to Mommy’s room.”

Noa’s breathing grew unsteady, her mind likely piecing together what was happening.

Yet, she still managed to bravely hold her little sister’s hand. With Milan escorting them, she led Muen back to Roswitha’s room.

Leon, however, stepped toward the shattered window and gazed into the distance.

Even though it was already evening and the sky had darkened half an hour prior, a fiery red glow on the horizon illuminated the setting, as if forewarning the arrival of a looming crisis.

The response from Silver Dragon Castle was swift. As soon as the attack commenced, the castle’s forces mobilized immediately.

All elite guards were dispatched to surround the Castle, while two silver dragons circled above it, ready for combat.

The noise of hurried footsteps came again from the far end of the hallway. Turning toward the sound, Leon saw several guards approaching, along with a maid carrying some prepared tools. They were clearly here to deal with the body.

The maid quickly moved past them to enter Roswitha’s bedroom.

Leon followed closely behind.

“Head maid, it’s... it’s an ambush from the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan!” the maid reported with urgency.

Her body bore signs of burns in several places, evidence of a recent fight.

Anna furrowed her brow deeply. “The Crimson Flame Dragon Clan? Constantine? ...Why would he launch a sudden attack on us, the Silver Dragon Clan? And—”

Her gaze shifted toward the laboring queen lying on the bed.

Roswitha’s eyes were tightly shut, her delicate face glistening with sweat as evident pain marred her features.

“And at the exact moment when Her Majesty is at her weakest...”

But the situation was dire, leaving Anna no time to analyze Constantine’s motives.

That deranged male dragon had spent the past year ransacking cities and conquering territories. There seemed to be no limit to what he would dare attempt.

“What’s happening... Anna...” Roswitha’s breath was labored as she weakly opened her eyes and asked.

Anna pressed her lips together before replying softly, “We are under ambush, Your Majesty. Constantine has attacked us. I will coordinate our forces to fend them off. Please, Your Majesty, focus on cooperating with the doctors. You will be fine.”

“Constantine... No, I... I must join you—” Roswitha’s breathing grew heavier, her silver eyes quivering. She tried to lift herself from the bed as she stuttered her protest, but a nearby doctor quickly stopped her.

“Your Majesty, you must not move right now. Doing so would put both you and the child at great risk,” the doctor stated firmly.

Roswitha slumped back, utterly drained. The pain in her abdomen clouded her ability to think clearly.

Yet she still murmured instinctively, “Daughters... my daughters... Leon, Leon!”

The maids and doctors instinctively stepped aside, clearing a path.

Leon walked through the crowd, stepping to the bedside with a grim expression. He looked down at Roswitha’s pale face.

She half-opened her eyes to meet Leon’s gaze. Her trembling lips formed the words, “Leon... Protect our daughters...”

She understood Constantine’s power and the grave danger of the current situation all too well.

But she also knew that only Leon could save their daughters, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

“I will, Roswitha. I promise you,” he said quietly.

Leon had never made a promise to Roswitha before.

This was the first time.

He prayed it wouldn’t be the last.

“Your Highness, for safety reasons, we are planning to evacuate Her Majesty to the rear mountain. Please, bring the princesses and join us,” Anna suggested.

With Roswitha in labor and unable to issue commands, the burden of leadership now rested on Anna’s shoulders.

Fortunately, she was competent enough to handle the responsibility.

After her brief moments of panic, Anna had quickly devised a plan.

The military strength of the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan was among the top tier of all Dragon Clans. Coupled with the fact that the queen was currently at her weakest, and there was no strong leader to rally Silver Dragon Clan forces, a direct confrontation would not last long.

For now, evacuation was the safest option.

But Anna had still underestimated Constantine.

This was no simple spur-of-the-moment assault. It was... premeditated.

Just as they were preparing to move Roswitha to the rear mountain, another maid rushed to report,

“Head maid, the temple grounds and its surrounding areas have been completely encircled by the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan. Even the secret passageways have been destroyed. Moreover—”

Boom! —

The maid didn’t even finish her sentence before a deafening explosion echoed above their heads.

The next instant, a massive shadow fell from the window, crashing heavily into the front courtyard of Silver Dragon Castle.

The monstrous weight of the dragon’s body hitting the ground caused the earth to tremble violently.

Leon steadied himself, gripping his daughters’ hands even tighter.

He peered out the window to see a silver dragon pierced through the chest by a fireball. Dragon blood dripped, staining the courtyard’s trees and grass.

It was one of the guardian silver dragons that had been circling the Castle just moments ago, now slain by the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan.

The fall of that dragon symbolized more than just a loss of strength. It meant that not only was the ground defenseless, but their airspace had also been seized by the enemy.

The horrifying speed and precision of the attack left everyone in stunned silence.

It was as though the invaders didn’t even need conventional strategies, reconnaissance, or assessments before their siege.

Anna clenched her fists and bit her lip so hard it nearly bled.

“Summon all elite guards. Defend the temple with your lives!”

At this point, with no escape routes remaining, there was no choice but to make a last stand.

Just ten minutes ago, Silver Dragon Castle was bustling with activity in preparation for the queen’s imminent childbirth.

But now, without warning, an existential war had erupted.

Everything was so sudden, like a surreal and twisted play.

Anna began issuing detailed battle orders:

“Send word to Sherry—every member of the elite guard division is now under her command. Halt the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan’s advance at all costs.”

“Deploy four squads from my Maid Squad to the rear mountain and attempt a breakthrough. Evacuating Her Majesty remains the priority.”

“Additionally, mobilize every communication dragon in the temple to send requests for aid to our allied Dragon Clan tribes and the Red Dragon Clan.”

"Finally, I personally went to the battlefield to buy time for Her Majesty's childbirth."

"Does everyone understand? If you understand... then go and carry it out."