Chapter 98: Meeting With Tiger

She neither teased nor mocked Leon, nor did she pretend nothing had happened. The embarrassment and uneasiness she displayed were just as genuine as Leon's.

Last night, she had finally kissed this dragon slayer.

'Wait.'

'Finally?'

Why did that sound like she wanted to kiss Leon?

It was all the dragon mark's fault.

Leon scratched his head. "Should we... find Noah and Luna to go out for a walk?"

Rossweise licked her lower lip, lowered her head to stare at the tips of her shoes, and nervously rubbed her fingers together, "Okay."

The couple went to the sisters' room, but no one responded to their knocking.

"Did they run off to play by themselves?" Leon asked. "It's already past ten in the morning."

"Probably. Let's go out and look for them," Rossweise replied.

"Alright."

They weren't particularly worried about the girls encountering danger—Noah was there, and this was a top-tier vacation spot, unlikely to attract dragon traffickers or other shady characters.

Once outside the castle, the bright sun shone down, and everything was as fresh and beautiful as the day before.

A few squirrels darted past Rossweise's feet. She turned her head in the direction they came from and saw Luna standing on some steps, holding a camera, seemingly taking pictures of a couple in front of her.

Noah stood nearby, observing quietly. They didn't seem to be in any danger.

Leon and Rossweise exchanged glances, nodded at each other, and walked over.

"Noah, Luna," Leon called out.

The two little ones turned at the sound of his voice. Luna waved her camera in the air and exclaimed happily, "Good morning, Mommy and Daddy. I'm helping Aunt Yuna and Uncle Kai take pictures."

'Yuna and Kai...'

Leon's gaze fell on the dragon couple. That must be who she was referring to.

The two looked elegant and dignified—a rather typical sight, given the caliber of visitors who came to Flowing Cloud Valley for vacation.

The couple walked up. Rossweise extended her hand and introduced herself, "Hello, we're the parents of these two kids. I'm Rossweise Melkvei, and this is my husband, Leon."

Yuna immediately shook Rossweise's hand, smiling warmly. "I'm Yuna, and this is my husband, Kai. We're here on our honeymoon. We thought this was a great spot for some pictures, and your little ones happened to pass by, so we asked for their help."

After Yuna finished speaking, Luna hopped off the steps and held up her camera, projecting the images she had just taken. "Look, Mommy and Daddy! How did I do?"

"Little Luna did a fantastic job!" Yuna crouched down and ruffled Luna's hair affectionately.

Leon studied the magical projection of the photos. Although the lighting wasn't ideal, the composition was surprisingly decent. Considering Luna likely hadn't used a camera many times before, her effort was impressive.

"You're amazing, Luna!" Leon bent down, propped a hand on his knee, and pinched Luna's chubby cheeks with his other hand.

Luna beamed and excitedly showed the pictures to Noah, earning praise from her sister as well.

The two little ones then started snapping pictures of the scenery.

Yuna glanced at a nearby bench and suggested, "Shall we sit and chat for a bit?"

"Sure," Rossweise agreed.

The four adults sat down.

Yuna began, "Originally, my husband and I planned to visit Azure Coast, but we heard that there have been occasional skirmishes between dragons on the route there. To avoid trouble, we decided to come to Flowing Cloud Valley instead."

"Dragon skirmishes?" Rossweise asked.

"Yes, I think it's related to Constantine's tribe. There's been talk recently of him expanding his territory and annexing weaker dragon clans."

Rossweise had indeed heard about this from Isa. She hadn't expected Constantine to act so quickly.

For dragons, annexing smaller, weaker clans was a common method of expanding their territory. Rossweise's fabricated backstory for Leon was based on this premise—he hailed from a disbanded clan and married into her Silver Dragon tribe after catching her attention.

Yuna waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway, let's talk about your adorable little ones. My husband and I have been considering having children, but... we're quite uncertain about it. Rossweise, how did you decide to have kids?"

Dragons are a deeply traditional species.

For most, abstaining from premarital intimacy is already conservative enough.

But dragons take it further—they avoid intimacy entirely unless they are certain they want children.

Due to their biology, dragons conceive immediately after their first intimate encounter. Preventative measures are futile.

Many dragons opt for self-reproduction through cocoons to avoid accidental parenthood altogether.

This quirk was why Leon had been so confident back then, declaring to Rossweise, "Our child is already taking root in your womb," after using the Blood Charm on her.

For newlywed couples like Yuna and Kai, it was normal to feel apprehensive and confused about starting a family.

Unfortunately, while they had the right idea in seeking advice, they had chosen the wrong mentors.

The "experienced" couple sitting before them might have two kids, but they had only shared their first kiss last night.

"How we decided to have kids..." Rossweise squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable with the topic.

She bit her lip and hesitated before explaining, "Well... my husband said he wanted to be a dad, and I... I didn't think too much about it and agreed."

High EQ: "I didn't think too much about it."

Low EQ: "I was under the influence of the Blood Charm and didn't have a choice."

Leon covered his face in silent despair. As awkward as her explanation sounded, it was the truth, and he couldn't deny it.

"These things happen naturally," Leon interjected to ease the tension. "Don't force yourself or your partner, and don't let fear hold you back. Just let it happen when it feels right."

Rossweise visibly relaxed, and Yuna and Kai nodded thoughtfully.

It was clear Yuna adored children, given how she had been calling Luna "little darling" nonstop.

Well, best wishes to the newlyweds on starting their family.

Kai eventually brought up another concern. "Yuna and I have been together for many years and know each other well, but sometimes, she can be a bit too... assertive. She knows this about herself, but we used to argue about it a lot before marriage."

Turning to Leon, Kai asked, "Do you have any tips for handling this kind of situation?"

Leon sat upright, his expression serious. "Kai, I'm sorry, but my wife, Rossweise, is the gentle, clingy type. She may look tall and cool, but she loves being pampered and playful. So I can't really help you with that."

This time, it was Rossweise's turn to cover her face in embarrassment.

"Yeah, sure, I'm gentle and clingy. I love being pampered. I never argue with you. Absolutely."

Kai looked a bit disappointed. "I see..."

"But," Leon continued earnestly, "no matter how strong-willed a woman is, she has a soft side. When that side comes out, it's your job to stand up for her, no matter what kind of person you are otherwise. That's what a responsible man does."

Rossweise silently stared at Leon. His words reminded her of the day Noah's teacher had called them in.

When that Fire Dragon parent had been about to insult her and Noah, Leon had stepped in, protecting his wife and daughter without hesitation.

For Leon, family and relationships weren't complicated—they were built on a foundation of responsibility.

"Thank you, Leon. That was insightful," Kai said sincerely.

"You're welcome."

After chatting a bit more, Luna and Noah returned the camera to Yuna and Kai.

"Well, until next time," Yuna said.

"Take care."

"Goodbye, Aunt Yuna! Goodbye, Uncle Kai!" Luna waved energetically.

"Goodbye, Uncle and Auntie," Noah added politely.

"Goodbye, little darlings~" Yuna waved back before leaving with Kai.

The newlyweds walked away, chatting and joking, occasionally bumping shoulders playfully.

Leon and Rossweise watched them, seeing a reflection of their younger selves.

They exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away, still unsure how to face each other after last night.

———

After the seven-day hot spring vacation, life returned to normal.

However, it seemed the couple was avoiding each other on purpose. Even Rossweise's usual "every-three-days ritual" was skipped.

That night, Rossweise stood on the balcony, sipping wine and enjoying the cool breeze.

Suddenly, there was a noise behind her.

"Your Majesty, there's news," Sherry said.

Rossweise turned around. "Have they found the Tiger couple?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Rossweise's eyes lit up. "What's the situation?"

"They've left the empire. I found their hideout while patrolling its outskirts. It's in a place that's nearly impossible to find without the ability to fly."

"A place like that? Then how did he and his wife get up there?"

Sherry hesitated, swallowing hard. Her expression was slightly unusual.

Rossweise walked over, setting her wine glass down and placing a comforting hand on Sherry's shoulder. "Take your time."

Sherry steadied herself and continued, "Your Majesty, I can sense it... That human, Tiger... he's powerful. So powerful that he's on an entirely different level compared to other dragon slayers. When he noticed me, he could have killed me easily."

Rossweise sighed. As expected, Leon's master was far from the simple farmer he claimed to be.

"But when he realized I was from the Silver Dragon clan, he didn't attack. Instead, he said..."

"Said what?"

"He wants to meet you."

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