Back then, even their marriage had been kept secret. They hadn't notified anyone—
At least, that was what Your Majesty had said.
Your Majesty had also said that this male Dragon King had been an excellent marriage prospect. He didn't smoke, drink, or fool around.
Then, not long after they got married, he had suddenly fallen seriously ill and slipped into a coma for a full two years.
Your Majesty had said there was nothing wrong with that. She loved him, he loved her, and they only needed to live their days peacefully and quietly.
Your Majesty had said...
Well, forget it.
No matter how much Your Majesty had said, there was nothing worth reminiscing about.
Now, she had finally brought her mysterious husband out for a walk in the sun, and the clan members could finally feast on the gossip!
Of course, they weren't the only ones watching. There were also the two little ones upstairs.
"Hey~ Sister, look~ Father and Mother are taking a walk~" Mu En leaned over the balcony railing, excitedly pointing at the two people in the courtyard.
Noa glanced over. Though she wanted to keep watching, she immediately looked away and said, "What's so interesting about that?"
"But they really look so perfect together, Sister."
"Oh."
Seeing that her sister wasn't playing along, Mu En began making up her own little tongue twister.
"Father loves Mother, loves Mu En, and loves Sister too~"
Noa froze for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Loves me?"
"Yes, yes."
"He loves me? He doesn't even know my name, and he says he loves me."
Mu En blinked, climbed down from the railing, and looked at Noa. "Sister's name..."
"Yes. Weren't you the one who told him back then? Otherwise, he wouldn't even have known what I was called. Hmph, and even after he learned it, he acted like he didn't care."
Mu En's pupils trembled slightly, as though she had remembered something. She immediately began searching through her pockets.
"Oh, I found it! Look, Sister!"
It was a piece of rough paper with a name written on it:
Noa K. Melkewei
The handwriting was neat and elegant, exceptionally beautiful.
"Not bad, Mu En," Noa praised.
"Father wrote it."
"It's awful."
Mu En: ...
"He pressed down way too hard. He nearly poked through the paper; the strokes are stiff too, completely lacking flow; and this K is the wrong size. It looks unbelievably awkward." Noa fired off her complaints about Leon's handwriting like a tiny cannon.
Mu En lowered her head and fidgeted with her fingers. "Then if Sister doesn't like it, give it back to Mu En..."
"No. If I give you such ugly handwriting, it'll corrupt you and make you write badly too," Noa said with complete seriousness.
"Okay. Then Mu En is going out to play."
Mu En took little steps out of the sisters' room.
Once she was sure her younger sister had left, Noa quietly went over to the bed. She bent down and pulled out a dust-covered wooden box from beneath it.
She blew away the dust, then took out a key and opened the tiny lock on the box.
Inside the wooden box was a black metal fragment.
Noa carefully placed the paper bearing her name into the box.
Then she locked it and pushed it back under the bed.
After finishing all that, Noa jogged back to the balcony and looked down at the two people below.
Her gaze settled on Leon's back.
After a long while, she murmured softly,
"Do you really love us?"
Outside the Holy Temple, on a tree-lined path, the afternoon sunlight shone brightly. It filtered through gaps in the leaves and scattered spots of light across the ground.
Though this pair of ill-fated spouses had agreed to take a walk together, once they actually came outside, it was a case of "each going their own way."
Losweiser walked along the far left side of the path;
while Leon walked on the far right.
The distance between them could have fit one and a half adolescent dragons.
"Good afternoon, Your Majesty the Queen."
The Dragon Maid sweeping the ground first gave a slight bow to the left, then turned to the right. "Good afternoon, Prince."
Though she looked perfectly respectful on the surface, the Dragon Maid couldn't help grumbling internally.
What was wrong with these two?
They had finally appeared in the same frame, yet they had to stand this far apart?
Even bowing to them was inconvenient, damn it!
In truth, she wasn't the only Dragon Maid who wanted to complain.
The onlookers who had just prepared to enjoy the gossip were equally confused.
"Your Majesty the Queen and her husband seem... not very close."
"Don't talk nonsense. They've had two little princesses together. How could they not be close?"
"Then tell me, what married couple walks this far apart?"
"Maybe... Their Majesties place great importance on personal space?"
"Do you even believe that yourself?"
"Shh~~ Their Majesties are coming. Hide, hide!"
Several gossiping dragons slipped into the bushes beside the path.
Leon and Losweiser walked past them.
Although Leon's physical condition still hadn't fully recovered—and his arousal three days ago had drained the health he had painstakingly regained—his perception had not weakened in the slightest.
He saw every sneaky move those gossiping dragons made, and he had heard most of what they were talking about.
Leon rubbed his nose and looked at Losweiser. With the Dragon Queen's abilities, she had probably noticed too, hadn't she?
Yet she hadn't suggested that they walk closer together.
So Leon kept quiet.
How to maintain the false appearance of a harmonious family was her concern. Leon didn't care how those gossiping dragons viewed them.
"Hey," Losweiser suddenly said.
Leon glanced at her.
Losweiser kept her eyes forward, her steps still slow and rhythmic. "Let's... walk a little closer together."
Leon grunted but did not refuse. "Oh, okay."
They moved toward the middle of the path in perfect unspoken coordination.
In the end, they both stopped about a meter apart.
Leon kept his hands in his pockets.
Losweiser held her hands neatly before her lower abdomen, looking elegant and proper.
"Is this enough?" Leon asked.
"Mm. Do you want to be closer?" Losweiser asked in return.
At that, Leon missed a step and immediately grew wary. "Dragon Queen, are you plotting something?"
"No. I mean, if you want to, I won't refuse, nor will I use the chance to tease you. After all, this walk is also part of my promise to you for teaching Mu En how to write her name."
This time, Losweiser withdrew her gaze and turned to look at Leon.
The silver dragon eyes no longer held their usual coldness and lofty indifference. Instead, there was a trace of gentleness.
"So, do you want to come a little closer?"
"Sure—"
No.
Something was very, very wrong.
As a Dragon Slayer, Leon had an instinctive sense for dragon conspiracies.
He felt that there was something off about Losweiser today.
"Then come on."
"Forget it. This is good enough."
Seeing Leon refuse her suggestion, Losweiser showed no emotion. She merely nodded. "All right."
"Father! Mother!"
A familiar child's voice rang out ahead of them.
The two looked up.
The little Dragon girl stood in the middle of the path with her hands on her hips. The stray hair atop her head swayed gently in the breeze, and her little tail happily wagged behind her.
"Mu En? Aren't you in the room playing Little Dragon Enlightenment Stories with Sister?" Losweiser asked.
"Um... Sister told Mu En to come follow you!"
"Noa would never tell you to do something like that."
Losweiser immediately saw through Mu En's little scheme. "You just wanted to sneak after us yourself, didn't you?"
The little Dragon girl saw that Mother had instantly crushed her plan, so she stopped pretending. She dashed forward and slipped into the gap between them.
Then she raised her arms and took Leon's and Losweiser's hands, one in each hand.
"Mu En wants to walk with Father and Mother~"
"Sure, sure."
Leon was more than happy to have his well-behaved daughter ease the awkward atmosphere between him and Losweiser.
"No, Mu En."
Losweiser said sternly, "Father is taking a walk alone with me. Be good, Mu En. Don't make trouble."
At that, Mu En puffed out her little cheeks. She knew Mother always meant what she said, so she cleverly turned to Leon for help.
"Really, Father? You want to walk alone with Mother and not take Mu En? You'll make Mu En go play alone in the backyard, all lonely, and Mu En will be super sad. Maybe Mu En will even get carried off by some dangerous creature that sneaks in, taken into the forest, and never come back. Then Father will never see Mu En again, and it'll all be because you wanted to take a walk alone with Mother."
"...Have you been reading Little Dragon Enlightenment Stories too much?"
"Mu En doesn't care, Mu En doesn't care! Mu En wants to come with you! Father, do you only love Mother now and not Mu En anymore?"
Say yes! Say yes!
She was so adorable. Why wouldn't you say yes?
Dad's got your back today. You're coming with us. If your mother disagrees, I'll deal with her tonight!
(Though she'd probably be the one dealing with me, but whatever! My daughter being happy is what matters most!)
"Be good, Mu En. Father and I already agreed on this."
Losweiser seemed to have some purpose in mind and kept refusing Mu En's request. "How about this? Whatever tasty food or fun toys you want, we'll get them for you tonight. What do you say?"
Before you continue