Thanks to Elise’s careful ministrations, Naya could finally get out of bed.

She traced the red marks on her skin. She didn’t recall last night’s details—but she could guess it had been wild.

Beast! Elise!

Truth was, the magic potion had left her endlessly begging for more. How could Elise resist such desperate pleas? She simply gave Naya whatever she asked for.

Now, the sober Naya had to answer for her drunken, frenzied self.

And it all began with…

…the System’s quest.

“Elise… I’m really sorry about yesterday. What happened was because of a potion.”

Elise picked up the scattered clothes, rummaged through them, and shook the purple vial.

“This one, right?”

“Eh? Um…”

Naya had been startled to see it in Elise’s hands—then remembered she’d hidden it in her cleavage. Of course it was found. A faint blush warmed her cheeks.

“Where’d you get it?”

“I… I made it myself.”

Naya clutched the blanket nervously. Elise’s gaze held deep skepticism.

[System, speak up or I’ll expose you to Elise.]

[Host, stay calm!]

[Hmph. What if she presses further? How am I supposed to replicate it?]

[I’ll brew you another.]

[Oh! You’re brilliant, System.]

After ten silent seconds, Elise offered a faint smile.

“To craft a potion of this caliber… Naya, you weren’t just a knightly Chosen Hero—you were also a seasoned mage.”

She didn’t press further.

Wait—was that sarcasm?

“Elise, are you mocking me?”

“No. By human standards, this potion ranks high-tier, bordering transcendent.”

Human magic tiers were simple: low, initial, intermediate, high, transcendent.

[System, you’re this skilled?]

[Kidding? If I lacked power, how could I be a System? How else did my predecessor save you from Elise?]

[Then what tier is Elise?]

[Any random Dragonkin is high-tier or beyond. To call Elise “transcendent” insults her. She doesn’t even compare herself to humans.]

[My wife’s amazing…]

A quiet pride swelled in Naya’s chest. She sat up straighter, feeling a little taller.

[Love-struck bubbles in your brain? Forgot how she killed you?]

[Doesn’t stop me from liking her.]

[Sigh… My colleague died saving an ungrateful wretch like you.]

[System, will you save me too?]

[I wish you’d die faster so I can bind someone else. You shattered the record for fastest “feminization” of a Chosen Hero—no turning back. Seriously impressive.]

[That’s hurtful.]

*Did I really “feminize” that fast?*

*How could I not feel it?*

It was forced. Elise’s power, the potion’s hypnosis—she’d only been pragmatic.

[But it’s fine. If you won’t protect me, Elise will.]

“Naya, what’s on your mind?”

Elise watched her expression flicker between joy and sorrow, lost in thought.

“Huh?” Naya jolted back. Too busy talking to the System. “Nothing.”

“Remembering something?”

Naya nodded. “Mm.”

“Will you share your past with me?”

Meeting Elise’s earnest crimson gaze, Naya pressed a hand to her chest—the familiar softness, the gentle weight. She was no longer a man.

A bewitching dragoness. A devoted wife.

“Elise… I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“I… used to be a man. A Chosen Hero. Don’t you mind? Isn’t my appearance… awkward?”

“How could I? Your past only makes you more adorable.” Elise tilted Naya’s chin up, eyes teasing, a whisper of Dragon Sovereign’s aura humming around her. “Or… do you want to change back now?”

“I don’t.”

“Good. I’ll give you anything—except that one thing.”

Her fingers trailed from chin to neck, across the valley, to the plains.

Naya swallowed and nodded.

So reverting was Elise’s taboo.

Yet warmth bloomed in Naya’s heart—Elise loved her *now*. And Naya? She didn’t want the past.

This peace was sweeter than any battlefield glory.

“Elise, don’t worry. I’ll always be your Naya.”

Maybe this was what the System called “feminization.”

So what?

Why chase misery? She had the world’s strongest wife, a sweet daughter—she was happy.

This wasn’t corruption. It was like a wanderer, after years adrift, finally finding home.

She’d learned happiness wasn’t in swords or fame, but in quiet mornings and shared warmth.

No more bloodshed. Just simple, sunlit days.

Naya took Elise’s hand.

Golden light pierced the curtains, gilding the tangled clothes on the floor—a beautifully messy memory.

That unblocked warmth seeped into her soul, just like her love for Elise: untouched by resurfacing memories. No matter how many past layers clouded her mind, the name *Elise* still sparked warmth across every inch of her skin.

And these fiery red marks?

Another kind of memory.

Dragonkin lived centuries.

One day, every curve of her body would remember Elise’s touch. Then, her memories would hold only Elise.

Compared to that future, her twenty human years felt fleeting.

Holding Elise’s hand, thumb tracing gentle circles on her palm, Naya asked softly:

“Elise… I barely know you. I’ve only waited for you to come home. Can I… see the world through your eyes?”

She was still a Chosen Hero—brave enough to face the Dragon Sovereign, brave enough to embrace this love.

The amnesiac Naya had been timid, passive. Never daring to reach for Elise’s heart.

Elise’s smile softened, warm as dawn.

“So… you’re agreeing to travel with me?”

“Mm. As long as you and Eliya are with me… anywhere is home.”

With nearly three months until egg-laying, a journey sounded perfect.