Roswitha recounted every detail of the one-year agreement she had made with Tiger to Leon that day.

Leon listened, his heart a storm of conflicting emotions.

Yet he never believed Roswitha had intentionally concealed anything from him. After all, his mentor had explicitly required him not to return to the Empire for a year. If Roswitha had told him earlier, his mind wouldn’t have found peace throughout the entire year.

Sitting on the sofa, Roswitha spoke softly:

"Your mentor didn’t tell me what he planned to do during that 'year. But I suspect he returned to the Empire to settle affairs—ones that might endanger him. That’s likely why he forbade your return."

Leon’s expression grew solemn as he walked to the sofa and sat next to Roswitha.

"But my mentor is just a retired Dragon Slayer—he’s been retired for years now. Ever since, he's been running his farm and rarely talks about his years in the Dragon Slayer Army. According to my mentor's wife, while he served in the army, he was very ordinary. For someone over fifty, what business could he have in the Empire that requires him to take risks?"

"Your mentor rarely speaks of his past, and your knowledge of his service is limited to your mentor’s wife’s words. So, Leon, I believe your mentor might not be as simple as the humble farmer you think he is."

Roswitha spoke with conviction.

She recalled vividly the day she met Tiger—the overwhelming aura of this former Dragon Slayer was far greater than any human she had ever encountered, except for Leon.

She was convinced that anyone capable of nurturing Leon, someone so exceptional it bordered on terrifying, couldn’t be ordinary.

Leon’s brow knitted in deep furrows, words failing him.

Roswitha silently sat beside him, having conveyed the details of Tiger’s situation and the one-year agreement.

Now, it was up to him to make a choice.

But Roswitha decided to help him sort out the current situation first, so his brain wouldn’t short-circuit.

"Leon, before I met your mentor, he didn’t even know you were alive. He was just praying—or perhaps hoping—that you still lived. At that time, he and your mentor’s wife were hiding away in the mountains, living a secluded life. The location was safe; the Empire couldn’t easily find them,"She said.

"But when he learned you were alive, it seemed like he made a decision immediately."

"I believe that decision was related to you—he returned to the Empire to do something dangerous."

"Initially, I didn’t plan to tell you about this so-called one-year timeframe or two-year timeframe. I wouldn’t let you go until I exacted revenge."

"And this home of ours... Even if it’s a fabricated home, you’ve become an indispensable part of it. You’re Noa and Muen’s father, and my..."

The words had spilled from her lips in a rush—until her voice caught like a snagged thread.

Her silver eyes flickered like unsettled mercury, refusing to meet his. She turned her head, her voice lowering slightly: "My husband."

"If you leave, then this home will no longer be a home."

"But I understand, Leon, that in the realm of humans, there’s another home for you."

"Your mentor, your mentor’s wife, they’re waiting for you to return too."

"Right now, your mentor may need you more than we do... It’s something you have the right to know."

"And you also have the right... to make a choice."

Leon gazed at his former adversary, stunned. She was giving him the freedom to choose?

Not only that, she laid out the circumstances and conditions clearly to keep him from being overwhelmed and making the wrong decision.

Her words, "your mentor may need you more than we do," struck a resonant chord in Leon.

Not long ago, he had defeated the mighty Crimson Flame Dragon King, Constantine. This victory greatly elevated the status and prestige of Roswitha’s Silver Dragon Clan within the entire Dragon Clan.

For now, no othe

r Dragon Clans would dare challenge the Silver Dragon Clan.

His daughters were safe, and Roswitha was safe.

But his mentor remained unaccounted for, his fate unknown.

Following his mentor’s instructions, the one-year period was up, and Leon was free to return to the Empire. Roswitha hadn’t delayed even a single day.

She—

Wait.

Leon suddenly realized: Could this be why Roswitha had been so melancholic lately?

"Roswitha... you already know what decision I’m going to make, don’t you?"

Roswitha silently nodded.

"That’s why you’ve been so distracted these past few days?"

She sighed, her slender fingers brushing against her face as she swept aside the strands of hair across her forehead. "At this point, Leon, what’s the use of saying it now?"

With that, Roswitha slowly stood up. "If you’ve decided, we... can leave tonight."

Anyone could see it—Roswitha had her own selfish desires.

She didn’t want Leon to leave this home or their daughters; yet she was the Silver Dragon Queen.

Yet she was the Silver Dragon Queen, not a self-centered little girl. She knew which battles could be fought and which couldn’t.

Leon was no different.

He could easily pretend he knew nothing, staying here as a Silver Dragon Prince, basking in adoration and reverence, watching his adorable daughters grow day by day, and finally fulfilling his dream of peacefully growing old.

But if he chose that path, he would no longer be Leon Casmod.

A man of duty could never abandon his mentor—a father in all but blood—to face peril alone.

The moment Roswitha entrusted the choice to Leon, the conclusion was already clear: Leon would return to the Empire. Both of them understood this implicitly.

He had to go back—to assist his mentor and uncover the traitor who plotted against him.

Leon gazed at her for a long, long time, his heart brimming with unspoken words.

In the end, all of these feelings condensed into one simple sentence: "Thank you, Roswitha."

Roswitha didn’t reply with "You’re welcome."

She turned slightly, her cold expression failing to conceal the choke in her voice. "Before we leave, would you like to hold your youngest daughter for a bit?"

Hold his daughter...

It turned out that Roswitha’s earlier suggestion to play and cuddle with Noa and Muen was... a farewell?

Unfortunately, Leon hadn’t realized that then. The farewell hug had been rushed.

He sighed, stood up, and walked slowly to the bed.

Looking at his sleeping youngest daughter, a smile broke through his heavy expression.

He bent down carefully and placed a gentle kiss on his daughter’s forehead.

"When you grow up, listen to your sisters and protect your mother."

The little one murmured dreamily in her sleep.

Leon wasn’t sure if that was her response.

Reluctantly, he took one last look at his daughter, then straightened himself and packed a few things he might need. He walked toward the balcony.

Roswitha had already transformed into her dragon form, hovering outside the balcony.

Leon effortlessly climbed over the railing and onto her back.

"Noa and Muen... Do you think they’ll see me as a terrible father?" Leon asked quietly.

Roswitha answered without hesitation, "No, you’re the best father in the world."

And the best... husband.

Though such words might come a bit too late now.

The silver dragon unfurled her wings, dissolving into the starless dark.

The curtains in the bedroom fluttered softly from the wind whipped up by her wings.

The baby in the bed tightened her tiny fist, twisting restlessly in her sleep.

In the silence of the room, the sound of the door lock clicked softly.

The front door slowly opened, and a small figure entered, calling for "Mommy" and "Daddy" in a whisper.

But the only reply was her younger sister’s dreamy murmur.

Her parents weren’t there.

She walked to the bed, humming a lullaby as she soothed her little sister back to sleep. Then she headed for the balcony.

The balcony window was open, and marks on the railing indicated someone had recently departed from there.

Noa slowly looked up, gazing into the vast night sky.

"Mommy, Daddy... what’s going on?"