Inside a beverage shop in Sky City, Isha savored the rich aroma of her coffee. Steam curled from the cup, lightly misting the long eyelashes of the red-haired beauty. She took a sip, leaving a faint lipstick mark on the rim.
She set the cup down slowly, crossing her long legs. Her black windbreaker and hat were draped over the empty chair beside her. Sunlight streamed through the window, setting her fiery hair aglow. The scene was the very picture of peace and serenity.
Less than two meters away, however, the atmosphere was anything but.
A deeply troubled couple sat side-by-side, hands on their knees, posture rigid. They looked like two primary school students who had been caught fighting on the playground and summoned to the teacher's office, not daring to make a sound.
The Jade Dew Dragon Fruit, which they had struggled so hard to win, sat on the table in front of Leon.
Now, he wished every last one of those fruits would go extinct!
Damn dragons. They should all go spin cocoons!
Rossweise's mood wasn't much better.
Damn Dragon Slayer. He was so close to her on stage! Couldn't he tell it was my sister?!
Under the table, their legs accidentally brushed. Immediately, they shot sidelong glares at each other, each misinterpreting the contact as a silent accusation.
A subtle war broke out. He bumped her leg; she nudged his knee back.
Isha cleared her throat softly, the sound slicing through their silent battle.
"Little Rose."
"Yes… sis?"
The Red Dragon Queen rested her chin on her hand, smiling at her younger sister. "You've kept your figure remarkably well."
Rossweise lowered her gaze, using her fingertips to tuck a strand of silver hair behind her ear. "Oh, come on, sis, your figure is also—"
"Two months pregnant and still so slender, that's truly impressive~"
Rossweise jolted as if electrocuted, a flush of awkward embarrassment creeping up her neck. She shrunk down, cupping her coffee mug with both hands as if to hide behind it.
Under the table, Leon bumped her leg again.
Rossweise stole a glance at him.
Leon shot back a look that screamed, "Think carefully before you speak! You know how your sister interrogates!"
Rossweise: Easy for you to say. Why don't you try it?
Leon: Maybe I will.
Rossweise stuck her tongue out at him in a quick, playful grimace.
"Leon."
"Here!"
"When did you realize you were expecting a third child?" Isha asked, her tone deceptively casual.
Learning from the foolish dragon's mistake, Leon decided to think twice. Isha asking "when did you realize" wasn't really about the timeline. It was a prelude to, "And why didn't you tell your dear sister immediately?"
Having deciphered her true intent, Leon formulated a safe response.
After a moment's thought, the clever Dragon Slayer replied, "Ah, we just had it confirmed a few days ago during a checkup. She's two months along. We came to Sky City today to buy some supplements and for another examination. We were planning to write to you as soon as we got back, sis."
Perfect answer!
Let's see you find fault with that, Red Dragon King. Leon was brimming with confidence.
Isha raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Oh, I see. That's good, then."
Leon's answer had been smooth, deftly avoiding the trap. Seeing Isha drop the subject, he secretly sighed in relief and glanced triumphantly at Rossweise.
Leon: See? Dealing with dragons is my specialty!
Rossweise: Hmph. Don't celebrate too soon.
"I thought you were deliberately keeping it from me," Isha mused.
"How could we, sis? We were just discussing whether to tell you in person or by letter," Leon insisted, the picture of sincerity, as if informing Isha had always been part of their plan.
In reality, during their initial discussion, they had been in unanimous agreement: keep Isha in the dark for as long as possible.
Twins were rare enough for Dragons. A second pregnancy so soon was unheard of. If their sister found out, the Melkvey family would know no peace for the next decade.
Leon half-expected Isha to use some forbidden magic to resurrect their ancestors just to announce, "Little Rose and her husband have brought great honor to our family!"
"Three children in just over three years of marriage! Who knows what the coming centuries will bring!"
While the couple knew the secret couldn't last forever, they hadn't expected the reveal to come so soon, and in such a… bizarre manner.
Well, the cat was out of the bag. Now, Leon's priority was to stabilize Isha and prevent her from getting too overexcited. So far, his tactics seemed to be working. But he had overlooked one thing: the reason Isha had disguised herself and entered that competition wasn't solely to uncover the pregnancy.
"It seems you have indeed been keeping your promise to me," Isha said.
"Promise?" Rossweise blinked, feigning innocence. "What promise?"
"Hmm? Didn't Leon tell you?" Isha's smile turned sly as her gaze shifted to Leon.
This time, a cold sweat broke out on Leon's brow. He shot a desperate, pleading look at Isha. Please, don't say it.
But as the saying goes, a secret known to one family member is known to all. Rossweise would never pass up a chance to tease Leon, especially when her sister was an even more cunning accomplice. She looked at the Dragon Slayer beside her, certain that any promise he'd made to Isha couldn't be something he'd admit to her face.
Was it too cheesy? Did it shatter his righteous Dragon Slayer image? Rossweise's curiosity was piqued.
"Sis," Rossweise called softly.
"Hmm? Want to hear it, Little Rose?" The two sisters exchanged a glance, a whole conversation passing between them in an instant.
In that moment, Leon realized the truth.
This wasn't just a gentle teasing about the pregnancy.
This was a coordinated sisterly assault aimed directly at him!
Dragon Mother! Two minutes ago, we were a united front! How did you switch sides so fast?!
Weren't Dragons supposed to be pure in love and war? Is this your purity? Get out of here!
"Well, it was nothing much, really. Just a simple chat I had with Leon when you two visited last time," Isha began. "It was just casual conversation, but, oh my, the depth of his love for you is truly unparalleled!"
Rossweise's cheeks flushed pink. Hearing her sister recount it did make her feel a little shy. But that minor embarrassment was nothing compared to the sheer entertainment value of seeing the heroic Dragon Slayer being praised for his devoted husband act behind the scenes!
This was different from Vice Principal Wilson's blunt, group-targeted attacks that caused collective social mortification. Isha was a master of precision strikes, and her impact was far more potent.
"Oh, sis, you're embarrassing me," Rossweise giggled, covering her mouth. "Leon is usually so reserved, he never says such cheesy things to me. Isn't that right, hm?" As she spoke, she lightly nudged Leon's arm.
Leon shot her a deeply unamused look.
Fine. Seize every opportunity to climb all over me. You're utterly invincible, Dragon Mother.
"Oh, Little Rose, how can you be so ungrateful? Just now, during the competition, Leon was so eager to get that Jade Dew Dragon Fruit for you. I asked him if he loved you, and he said he loves you so much!"
"Oh, sis, please stop," Rossweise pretended to be shy, but internally she was cheering: More, more! I can feel the person next to me squirming!
"So, what exactly did Leon promise you back then?" Rossweise steered the conversation back, her genuine curiosity piqued.
Isha glanced at Leon. Her brother-in-law looked thoroughly defeated.
Well, time for the final blow.
"Your husband here said that he failed to take proper care of you during your first pregnancy. But he promised that for the second one, he would take good care of both you and the baby."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought he was just boasting at the time. But look, less than half a year later, you're already expecting your third child."
Isha let out a relieved sigh. "It seems he's truly eager to prove himself, Little Rose."
The feeling was strange—a mix of embarrassment and quiet pleasure.
Embarrassed because Rossweise wasn't used to such direct promises. Pleased because these promises came from her stubborn, mutually antagonistic archenemy.
Looking at Leon's expression, Rossweise was sure that if he were a hamster, he'd have curled into a tight ball by now.
"Well, in any case, Leon has proven to be a man of his word, Little Rose. You mustn't let him get away!" Isha concluded.
Rossweise chuckled and proactively linked her arm with Leon's. "Hmm, I understand, sis. I absolutely, absolutely, will never let Leon go. And you don't want to leave my side either, right, honey?"
Your 'never let go' and your sister's 'never let go' have completely different connotations, Dragon Mother!
This family is unbearable.
Leon slumped back in his seat, feeling utterly hopeless, just willing this interrogation to end.
The two sisters chatted for a while longer. Leon listened quietly, having no intention of interrupting. He had learned his lesson: the more he said in front of Isha, the deeper the hole he dug. This Red Dragon Queen was every bit as cunning as Rossweise.
Silence was his best defense.
As their conversation meandered, they eventually arrived at the reason for Isha's visit to Sky City. Leon wasn't particularly interested until Isha mentioned a name that made the air grow cold.
"Crimson Flame Dragon King, Constantine…"
The playful light vanished from Isha's eyes, replaced by a sharp, serious glint. The cozy atmosphere of the café shattered in an instant.
"He's been unusually active lately," Isha continued, her voice dropping. "His expansion has become more aggressive. He's not just absorbing small clans anymore. There are rumors… he's looking for something. Or someone."
Her gaze drifted meaningfully toward Leon and Rossweise before settling back on her sister.
"I came to Sky City to gather information. His agents are everywhere. You two need to be careful."