Leon’s plan was straightforward—exploit the chaos within the Blazing Dragon Clan while external pressures peaked, infiltrate their territory, and track down Constantine’s confidant.

At that moment, the poor confidant—besieged on all sides—would never have imagined that, four months later, the man who had slain his boss would come haunting him again (like a vengeful spirit).

The key lay in the element of surprise.

Roswitha raised no objections to Leon's proposed timing for the infiltration.

But the method of infiltration... that required more thought.

"Have Sherry drop me off near the Blazing Dragon Clan's territory; I'll go in alone," Leon suggested.

Roswitha paused, then shook her head. 'That won’t do.' "

"Why not?"

"First of all, you're infiltrating the Blazing Dragon Clan's territory to determine which Dragon Kings might still be collaborating with the Human Empire. But to Sherry or my other kin, it would seem strange and suspicious for the Silver Dragon Prince to sneak into the territory of a defeated Dragon Clan alone," Roswitha explained patiently.

"Second, Sherry would never let the Silver Dragon Prince venture into enemy territory alone. Even if you instructed her to wait outside, she'd likely follow you. My other subordinates would probably do the same.

"And as for the confidant you're looking for—seeing as he's aware of Constantine's collusion with the Empire, there's a high probability he knows your human identity. If you interrogate him, no matter the method, he might reveal your secret. If Sherry's by your side, then the secret we've worked so hard to keep will be exposed, won't it?"

Roswitha made compelling points.

Since Constantine had once openly complained about collaborating with the Empire in front of that confidant, it was highly likely—no, it was definite—that the confidant already knew Leon's identity.

So, if Leon asked Sherry or other members of the Silver Dragon Clan to take him to the Blazing Dragon Clan, the probability of his identity being exposed would increase significantly.

Leon had to preserve his 'Silver Dragon Prince' identity to keep investigating the Dragon Clan from within, working secretly with his master to uncover the Empire's conspiracy.

On the other hand, the 'pretend' family he had built with Roswitha was becoming more and more complete.

Noa, Muen, and Aurora all looked up to Leon. In their eyes, he was the best father in the world.

But if they suddenly learned that the father they admired was actually an outsider, a human...

The consequences were unpredictable.

Perhaps the thoughtful Noa wouldn't mind, as long as her father still loved her and she him. Muen and Aurora would probably be even more accepting.

But—

If things took a turn for the worse, how would Leon face it?

This was a gamble Leon dared not make.

All he could do was continue to keep this secret with Roswitha.

Roswitha watched Leon's contemplative expression, knowing that he had already grasped the meaning behind her words and was considering all the possibilities.

"Then how am I supposed to get to the Blazing Dragon Clan?"

The territories between Dragon Clans were vast and far apart. General Lai, no matter how extraordinary, was ultimately a terrestrial creature with two legs.

Without wings or any means of transportation, traveling from Silver Dragon Castle to the Blazing Dragon Clan on foot would take months. By the time he arrived, Constantine's confidant—let alone the entire Blazing Dragon Clan—might have already been wiped out in the fires of inter-tribal revenge.

Moreover, getting to the Blazing Dragon Clan was only the first step. The most crucial part was ensuring that Leon's traveling companions wouldn't suspect anything.

To this, Roswitha actually had a solution.

"I'll go with you."

Leon froze.

Clearly, he hadn't anticipated Roswitha saying that.

"The Silver Dragon Queen sneaking into the defeated Blazing Dragon Clan's territory with her husband..."

Leon rubbed his chin and drew in a sharp breath. "That sounds even more suspicious than me going alone."

Roswitha shrugged. "We'll just say we're inspecting the borders. That excuse has always worked well."

The Queen wasn’t wrong.

Even though her sister Isa often joked that "border inspections" were just a good excuse for on-the-job dating, it genuinely served as a plausible cover for certain 'private' matters.

Like dating.

Or... enemy reconnaissance.

"If Sherry or anyone else takes you there, your identity is more likely to be exposed. So under these circumstances, me accompanying you is the safest option," Roswitha said.

"You're not wrong. But... I don't quite understand."

Roswitha tilted her head. "What don't you understand?"

Leon looked at her, meeting her silver eyes. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "This is undeniably dangerous. And even if we take a step back, this issue ultimately concerns me, my master, and the Empire. The Blazing Dragon Clan's conflict with your Silver Dragon Clan is already over. There's no need for you to take such a risk with me..."

Oh~

The Queen understood.

The troublesome man still had a conscience, even sparing a thought for her safety.

Roswitha allowed herself a small moment of satisfaction but didn’t show it openly.

She decided to tease him a bit more to see if she could extract an even more direct confession from him.

"What choice do I have? If your identity gets exposed, what happens to our little family?"

Roswitha pretended to look troubled as she sighed repeatedly.

"I know it's dangerous, and I just gave birth four months ago. My strength hasn’t fully recovered yet. If we run into remnants of the Blazing Dragon Clan and get into a fight, I might get hurt. Worse yet... I might not make it back at all. Boohoo..."

Utter nonsense. After childbirth, a Dragon Clan member's physical abilities and strength quickly return to normal.

After all, they are a wild, combative race that relies on fighting and brute strength to claim territory. Their aggressive nature is ingrained in their DNA.

She was just saying this to scare the troublesome man.

Let’s see if any more genuine feelings would spill out.

"Not... not make it back? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?" Leon was genuinely startled.

"Of course not! You, Casmod, are the legendary dragon slayer—fearless and ready to confront anyone with lightning bolts at hand. But I? I'm not skilled in combat, and my health is frail. If it weren't for this family, for our daughters, I wouldn't want to take this risk with you at all."

She looked fragile enough to be toppled by a whisper of wind.

If only she had a handkerchief in hand—she’d look like the very portrait of a fragile beauty needing care.

Leon couldn’t tell whether this was an act or genuine vulnerability, but the idea that childbirth weakened one's body didn’t sound entirely fake.

Licking his parched lips, he hesitated before awkwardly stepping closer to Roswitha. Gently, he nudged her shoulder, saying, "Alright, alright... I’ll come up with another way, okay? You don’t have to come with me."

"Another way? Is there even another way? At this point, I’m the only one who can discreetly take you there."

Roswitha placed a hand on her forehead, feigning despair.

From her angle, hidden from Leon, the Queen’s lips curled into a triumphant smirk.

"But... but if you go and get hurt, what then..."

"Hah! Now you care about me?" Roswitha exclaimed, her acting in full swing.

"I, um..."

"You what?"

"It's not that I care about you... I'm just worried the girls will be upset."

Oh? Reusing this excuse?

Heh, Casmod, today I’ll teach you that the same trick won’t work twice on a Dragon King!

"Leon! So you don’t actually care about me at all? Pretending to care—what a joke! All while I’m risking my life to escort you to your enemy. Boohoo, I can’t live like this anymore! I’ll pack my things tomorrow and move to my sister’s—mmph!"

Leon abruptly covered her mouth mid-rant.

If she kept on, she'd probably escalate to talking about divorce next.

His hand muffling Roswitha’s mouth naturally pressed her cheek against his abdomen since he was standing and she was seated.

Leon looked down at her while she gazed back up at him with her striking eyes.

For a moment, their eyes locked—his above, hers below.

Blushing slightly, Leon stammered, "Fine... I-I do worry about you, okay? Sure, it’s partly for the girls too... but not entirely. I’m worried about you personally and don’t want anything bad to happen to you. If something did, I’d feel very... very guilty."

After a bit of deliberation, Leon ultimately chose the word "guilty."

Words like "sad" or "grief-stricken" would also have suited his personality, but for his current relationship with Roswitha, those might have felt a bit... too forward.

So after some thought, "guilty" seemed more appropriate.

After all, she could simply stay home and enjoy her life as the Silver Dragon Queen. There was no need for her to risk herself for him.

If she got hurt helping him, Leon would indeed be riddled with guilt.

Her identity didn’t matter. When someone so "loyal" was willing to take a risk for you, how could you not feel guilty?

Hearing his words and detecting the sincerity in his tone, Roswitha felt satisfied.

She lowered his hand from her mouth but kept her cheek resting lightly against his torso. She even leaned into him just a bit more.

Not quite a "damsel clinging to her hero" kind of lean—just a subtle, testing sort of reliance.

"Don’t worry; I’ll take good care of myself," Roswitha said. "As for why I’m helping you, there’s no special reason. Isn’t it a wife’s duty to help her husband?"

Leon lowered his head, the hand that had just covered her mouth still not withdrawn.

Boldly, he gently caressed Roswitha's warm and soft skin with the back of his hand.

To his surprise, she neither resisted nor stopped him, simply allowing Leon's touch.

Leon lowered his gaze, his tone deep, "You've gotten too deep into character, Roswitha."

She didn't respond, only feeling the firmness of Leon's hand as she slowly closed her eyes.