"It seems only I can resolve the doubts lingering in your hearts."

Outside the secret chamber, Claudia stood with her arms crossed against her chest, leaning casually on the wall as she began to recount the story, her voice steady.

"Thirty years ago, the war between the Empire and the Dragon Clan had reached a fever pitch."

"At that time, our Sea Dragon Clan had not yet chosen to seclude ourselves from the world, so we were forced to become involved in the conflict as well."

"One day, after a devastating battle that left both sides grievously wounded, our rescue team, taking advantage of the fact that it was a home-field fight, was the first to arrive on the battlefield. Their task was to search for survivors."

"Charlotte, despite not being a combat-oriented Dragon Clan member, had exceptional talent in healing magic. She believed this mission was simply to tend to the wounded, so she volunteered to join the team, seeking her father's permission."

"Our father agreed."

"But the reality turned out to be far different from what Charlotte had imagined."

"The rescue team’s duties went beyond salvaging the injured; they were also tasked with eliminating any surviving soldiers of the enemy forces on the battlefield."

"Charlotte had never killed anyone before. To her, such an act was unthinkable."

"So, she buried herself in her assigned role—healing the injured—with the intent of simply completing her task and heading back as soon as she could."

"But what must come will come."

"She crossed paths with a badly injured Dragon Slayer, who lay barely alive amidst a sea of corpses and blood. It seemed that in an effort to protect his comrades, he had suffered grave injuries—though his comrades had ultimately perished."

"You might have guessed it already. That severely injured Dragon Slayer was none other than your master."

"That was the first time they met."

"And as for the result—it shouldn't be too surprising, right? My little sister spared him."

"At that point, things should have ended there. The two of them were not supposed to have any further connection."

"Until..."

Here, Claudia’s tone grew heavier, tinged with an unspoken sorrow.

"Until the Empire began its horrific campaign of collecting Heart-Guarding Dragon Scales from members of our Dragon Clan."

"And Charlotte... became one of their top targets."

"She wasn’t adept at combat; once captured by the Empire, she had no means to resist."

"She wasn’t alone. Many other Dragon Clan members were captured alongside her, all rendered helpless. The Empire’s transport fleet planned to bring them all back to the imperial capital to extract their Heart-Guarding Dragon Scales."

"During this time, through numerous skirmishes, Tiger had started to discern faint clues of the Empire’s insidious schemes and the underlying darkness of the war."

"But he couldn’t fully piece it together. On one hand, there was the raging war; on the other hand, his sense of justice pulled at him in conflict."

"Ultimately, he chose to leave the Dragon Slayer Army, intending to retire and live in peace."

"But just as he made that decision, manpower was running short due to the ongoing war. The Empire forcibly assigned him to the transport troops. And it was through this reassignment that he and Charlotte met again."

"In repayment for the life-saving kindness she had shown him before, Tiger secretly helped Charlotte escape. To avoid detection by the Empire, he even risked hiding her in his own home."

Claudia exhaled softly, her gaze sweeping through the room before continuing.

"And like every cliché love story, the two of them fell deeply in love not long after."

"But since there had never been any precedent for a union between a human and a Dragon Clan member, they were too fearful for a long time to bear children. In the end, they adopted one from an orphanage."

"Yes, that’s you, Leon."

Pausing briefly, Claudia raised her eyes to look at Leon and Roswitha. Her gaze lingered on the couple for a moment, before she letting out a soft huff, shaking her head.

"Your master and madam refrained from having children for thirty years, and here the two of you are, popping out three in just five years."

Truth be told, Claudia had to hand it to them—this younger generation wasn’t just daring; they were astonishingly bold.

They didn’t hesitate. When they decided to have kids, they went for it, with no second thoughts.

Blushing, the couple found themselves at a loss under Claudia’s teasing.

Roswitha turned her head away in embarrassment, remaining silent.

Leon scratched at his temple awkwardly. "It was... a beautiful accident."

"Ha... life is full of accidents."

"And later? While my master and madam did end up together, it seems like you and your father didn’t approve of their marriage, did you?"

Claudia gave a nod. "Like I said, there was no precedent for humans marrying Dragons, let alone during wartime. How could their marriage have received Father’s blessing? But Charlotte, ever the exemplary ‘good girl,’ defied Father’s will for the very first time."

"She insisted on being with Tiger. For that, she even stayed away from the Sea Dragon Clan for thirty whole years."

"Thankfully, Tiger proved himself as someone who genuinely treasured my foolish little sister. Otherwise... Father might’ve sent me to reclaim her long ago."

"In short, though Father didn’t approve of their union, he eventually chose to turn a blind eye and let her live her chosen life."

Leon’s thoughts stirred, as if he remembered something.

"Speaking of which, since my madam was the second princess of the Sea Dragon Clan, then the two magic tomes my master gave me—"

Claudia waved dismissively. "Those were given to him by Charlotte, who begged me for them back then. She promised to make me breakfast for an entire month in exchange."

Hearing this, Rebecca, standing off to the side, couldn’t hold back her instinctive comment. "A... a month’s worth of breakfasts for two magic tomes... Auntie, you’re really—"

Claudia interrupted her mid-sentence. "Really what? Hmm?"

"Uh... really a genius businesswoman!"

"Considering my madam's cooking skills, exchanging two tomes for a month’s worth of breakfasts is more than fair," Leon chimed in with smug satisfaction.

"Of course, you feel it was a bargain—but have you ever stopped to consider how long it takes me to compile just one ancient text?!"

"...Thank you for your hard work, senior!"

After some joking exchanges that lightened the mood, Leon returned the discussion to the more serious matter at hand.

"My madam mentioned she would use her Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale to save my master. But if she loses it, what will happen to her?"

Claudia frowned slightly.

"After losing one's Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale, Dragon Clan member’s lifespan will be significantly shortened. Without an absolutely secure place to recover, their life will also be in danger."

"Additionally, their body will remain extremely weak for a very long time afterward."

"Especially someone like Charlotte, who has never fought in her life. Her constitution is naturally weaker compared to Dragons like Roswitha and me, who are combat-oriented."

"She’ll likely suffer from persistent ailments—cold extremities, frequent spacing out, anxiety... basically, a great deal of torment."

"Alas... sometimes I just don’t know what to do about her. She’s lived for a few centuries already, yet she’s still—"

Claudia paused, considering calling her sister “stubborn.”

But upon further reflection, she thought the word didn’t quite fit.

From a traditional standpoint, Charlotte and Tiger were paragons of pure love, unshaken in their devotion. Truly, they were champions of the genre.

For the sake of Tiger, Charlotte likely wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice her Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale—or anything else.

And stubbornness is born of self-interest.

Charlotte’s actions were... selfless.

Selflessness in love shouldn’t be a target of scorn.

Claudia let out a helpless chuckle and said no more.

"So... my master truly has a chance to be saved, then?"

"Yes, the Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale’s power can’t be overstated. While it can’t bring back the dead, it can indeed heal a damaged heart."

"I see..."

With deep admiration for his master and madam's great love, Leon carefully reviewed Claudia’s explanations in his mind.

"She’ll likely suffer from persistent ailments—cold extremities, frequent spacing out, anxiety..."

Suddenly, his thoughts drifted back to the past, where memories began to flicker through his mind like flashes of lightning.

【You know, Dad? Mom really, really likes you!】

【Oh? Why do you say that?】

【Because during those two years you were in a coma, she visited you every day. She’d just sit there and watch you, totally lost in her thoughts.】

...

【You idiot, stop holding my hand—let go!】

【Roswitha, why are your hands always so cold?】

【It’s natural.】

【Then I’ll have to keep them warm for you.】

...

【Mom fell unconscious after launching that attack.】

【What about the Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale? Isn’t it supposed to be a backup protection mechanism?】

【It barely activated at all.】

...

【Where’s your Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale?】

【Oh, I’ve put it somewhere safe.】

...

Triggering a bomb requires only the tiniest spark.

Scenes from the past eventually coalesced into a single image in Leon’s mind.

And in that instant, Leon seemed to realize something. Staggering back a few steps, he stopped only when his back hit the cold wall.

Leon slowly turned his gaze to the woman by his side—Roswitha.

She stood there silently, calm and composed, yet radiant as an angel.