In the evening, it was time for the seaside open-air barbecue.

Leon stood by the grill, wearing an apron and holding barbecue tongs, meticulously tending to a prime leg of beef.

The hot coals in the grill burned brightly, with occasional sparks floating up with the rising heat. The beef on the rack sizzled and dripped with oil, emitting a rich aroma that filled the air.

On either side of Leon stood his two little dragon daughters, each holding a dining fork, eager to vanquish the "the beef monster" before them.

This beef was far superior to the armored yak meat Muen usually ate. After all, this was food provided by a high-end Dragon Clan tourist destination, a delicacy not easily found in ordinary markets.

Roswitha, on the other hand, had little interest in culinary intricacies. Though she occasionally cooked and was quite skilled at it, she had no particular ambitions when it came to food.

As long as it was delicious, nutritious, and safe, that was enough for her.

So now, she was merely standing behind Leon, arms around Aurora, silently watching his busy figure as he worked.

Aurora’s teeth hadn’t yet developed enough to handle the grilled beef. She would need to wait about another week for that.

But her nose, oh, it was quite sharp.

As the aroma of the barbecue reached her, she babbled baby talk, waving her little arms at Leon’s back.

Roswitha pinched Aurora's plump cheek. "Aurora, you can't eat this yet, sweetie. Mommy brought you something else delicious."

Soothing her baby, Roswitha went to sit on a nearby beach chair. She scooped out some of the prepared nutrient paste and, spoon by spoon, began feeding it to Aurora.

urora was remarkably obedient, contentedly sipping the smoothie while surrounded by the scent of grilled beef.

the queen’s face broke into a gentle, doting smile, a picture of warmth and contentment.

So this is what fulfillment feels like as a mother, she mused.

Watching Aurora grow, watching her become closer and closer to herself, Roswitha felt a deep part of her heart softening in ways she hadn’t anticipated.

Of course, this wasn’t entirely foreign to her. A little over a year ago, she’d felt similar emotions while raising Noa and Muen.

But back then, the sensation had been faint, almost imperceptible.

After all, Leon was still in a coma at that time. He couldn’t share her burdens. Moreover, her feelings for Leon back then were still centered on vengeance, which left her heart consumed mostly by loss and melancholy.

It was an understandable reaction. To have carried and given birth to the children of your nemesis... Really, how could anyone accept such a situation with ease?

That didn’t mean Roswitha didn’t love Noa and Muen. Her love for them wasn’t any less than Leon’s.

And now she and Leon maintained this façade of a family. To the outside world, they were a picture of harmony. No one could see through it—no one could tell they were merely a pair of "pretend spouses."

Though the daughters were born into this artificial family, the love they received was unequivocally real.

And that was enough. More than enough. Such a life far exceeded Roswitha’s initial expectations.

But...

Behind every beautiful lie, someone has to bear its weight.

What Leon didn’t know was that during the time Roswitha was pregnant with Aurora, she was often plagued by nightmares.

In those dreams, Leon left the Silver Dragon Castle. He left this fake family and abandoned the daughters who adored him.

And, of course, he left Roswitha as well.

Every time this dream invaded her subconscious, it caused her to wake up in the middle of the night, gasping for air.

She could never recall the exact details of those dreams, only that they all ended the same way: Leon wasn’t there anymore.

There were no scenes of horror, no heart-wrenching screams—just his quiet departure. But that alone was enough to leave her drenched in cold sweat.

Whenever that happened, she’d turn her head to look at the man sleeping beside her, and her frantically beating heart would gradually calm down.

It was just a dream. Only a dream.

Roswitha didn’t understand why her mind conjured such visions, why they disturbed her so deeply.

She thought about it repeatedly and came to a tentative conclusion: she was simply too afraid of the family she had painstakingly built collapsing overnight.

Just like the time a few days ago when Leon had returned to the Empire—she’d endured a level of pressure that no one else could fully comprehend.

Five days and five nights. For a Dragon Clan member, whose lifespan stretched over millennia, that should have been less than a drop in the ocean of time. But for Roswitha, it was the most harrowing five days she’d experienced.

She’d feared Leon wouldn’t return. Feared the three-month intervals between their meetings would stretch into something intolerably long. Feared that one of those meetings might end up being their last.

Even now, as those events faded into the past, Roswitha couldn’t help but occasionally recall the anguish she’d felt at the time.

To think that the only person in the world capable of disturbing the Silver Dragon Queen’s peace of mind was that man...

How infuriating.

Fine. Later, I’ll get mad at him. And I won’t tell him why. Let him figure it out himself.

"Wah wah—" Aurora had finished the smoothie and was now waving her little hands, tugging at a small braid near Roswitha’s temple.

What a sweet little mommy’s girl. When Daddy holds you, you give him an uppercut. But when Mommy holds you, you just play with her hair.

Roswitha cooed at Aurora, "Aurora, grow up quickly, okay? That way, your uppercuts will be even stronger~"

"Buh... abah abah~"

"The barbecue’s ready. Go eat. I’ll hold Aurora," Leon said as he arrived, removing his apron.

Roswitha stood and handed Aurora over to Leon.

Leon reached out to take his youngest daughter, immediately leaning in for a loving face-to-face snuggle. However—

Pia!

An uppercut!

"Eh— Ahwah ahwah—" Aurora babbled, flailing her little arms.

Leon was bewildered. Why did Aurora always greet him with an uppercut?

As far as he could recall, he’d never included this move in her prenatal education...

Roswitha stifled a laugh. "Looks like our youngest doesn’t seem to get along with you."

"Tch, she’s just too little. Everything she sees, she wants to clobber. You’d get hit too."

"Aurora wouldn’t hit me."

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure, let’s see."

With that, Roswitha bent down, her lovely face leaning toward Aurora.

Aurora raised her tiny fist, seemingly ready to strike.

Leon’s eyes lit up. Yes, yes, go on, sweetie, hit her!

"Wah wah~"

Aurora mumbled incoherently and gently pinched Roswitha’s cheek with her stubby fingers.

Roswitha leaned closer, affectionately nuzzling Aurora’s palm before straightening and turning to Leon. "See? I told you Aurora wouldn’t hit me, only you."

"No way. That’s just coincidence."

Leon wasn’t buying it. He leaned toward Aurora again, unwilling to accept defeat.

And the result, of course—

An uppercut!

"Why!!" For the first time, poor Leon found fatherhood deeply perplexing.

Roswitha patted Leon’s shoulder. "Oh, don’t worry. It’ll be fine eventually."

"You mean Aurora will stop uppercutting me?"

"No, I mean you’ll get used to it."

" ... Go eat your barbecue. I’m done with you."

Roswitha chuckled softly, narrowing her eyes. She turned to leave but paused to ask, "Aren’t you eating?"

"I had some earlier. I’m not that hungry."

"Hmm, alright then."

She didn’t press him further and instead joined their two older daughters by the grill, eating barbecue with them.

Meanwhile, Leon gently placed Aurora on a beach chair, crouched beside her, his face full of determination.

"Sweetheart, let’s try again. This time, you absolutely mustn’t punch Daddy, okay? Let’s give Daddy a kiss, alright?"

When a doting father sets his mind to something, not even eight dragons could stop him.

Leaning closer once more, he whispered words of encouragement, his eyes filled with hope.

Aurora tilted her head, watching her father approach. She whimpered softly and extended her tiny hand.

Leon’s heart surged with relief and triumph.

Finally, I’m going to—

*Pia!*

Uppercut!

"Wah wah~" Aurora clapped her hands exuberantly, looking utterly delighted.

After taking his fourth punch of the day, Leon surrendered.

He sprawled on the sand, beaten and drained.

Noticing the commotion, Noa looked over. Blinking, she asked, "Why is Daddy lying down?"

Roswitha took small bites of her savory grilled meat, watching her devastated husband with a small, complacent smile.

"Probably just tired." She chuckled lightly. "He’ll recover soon enough. Come on, let’s keep eating."