In the evening, the family enjoyed a barbecue on the open seaside. Leon stood by the grill, wearing an apron and holding a pair of tongs, focusing intently on a piece of premium beef shank.
The hot charcoal crackled, with sporadic flames dancing in the rising heat. The beef sizzled and popped on the rack, releasing a delicious aroma.
The two little dragon girls stood on either side of their father, holding their forks, eagerly waiting to take down the beef demon before them.
This beef was much more delicious than the Ironclad Yak that Muen usually ate. After all, it was provided by the high-end tourist area for dragon clans, something not easily found in ordinary places.
Rossweise wasn't a connoisseur of gourmet food. Although she occasionally cooked for herself and was quite skilled, when it came to eating, she had no particular obsessions.
Good taste, nutrition, and safety were all she required.
So now, she just held Little Light, standing behind Leon, silently watching his busy figure.
Little Light's teeth weren't developed enough to eat grilled beef yet. She would need to wait about another week.
However, Little Light had a very keen sense of smell.
After catching the scent of the roasting meat, she babbled in baby talk, stretching her little arms out toward Leon's back.
Rossweise gently pinched her daughter's cheek. "Little Light can't eat that yet. Mommy brought you other delicious food." She coaxed Little Light and then sat back in a beach chair, feeding her the prepared nutritious milkshake spoon by spoon. The little daughter was obedient, happily drinking the milkshake surrounded by the aroma of meat.
The Queen showed a relieved, aunt-like smile.
It turned out that raising a daughter was such a fulfilling thing. Watching her grow bit by bit, becoming closer to her, Rossweise felt a great sense of satisfaction in the softest part of her heart.
Actually, over a year ago, when she was taking care of Noah and Muen, she had felt this too, but it was very, very faint.
Back then, Leon was still in a coma, unable to share her burdens. Moreover, her feelings for Leon were still primarily focused on revenge. So, the predominant emotions in her heart were still loss and sorrow.
It was inevitable. Having the child of her archenemy and giving birth to her, no matter how you looked at it, wasn't something that could be easily accepted.
However, this didn't mean Rossweise didn't love Noah and Muen. She loved her daughters no less than Leon did.
And now, she and Leon maintained this false family, everything peaceful and harmonious. Except for themselves, no one in the world could tell they were a fake couple. Although the daughters were born into this false family, the love they received was incredibly real.
That was enough, more than enough. This kind of life had far exceeded Rossweise's initial expectations.
But…behind beautiful lies, there were always those who had to bear their weight.
What Leon didn't know was that during the time she was pregnant with Little Light, Rossweise often had nightmares. In these dreams, Leon would leave the Silver Dragon Temple, leave this false family, leave the daughters who loved him.
Of course, he also left Rossweise.
Whenever this dream entered her consciousness, she would wake up in the middle of the night with a start.
She could never remember the details of the dream, how it started or ended. The only thing she could recall was that Leon was gone. There were no terrifying scenes, no heart-wrenching cries, just a silent departure—enough to make Rossweise break out in a cold sweat.
But when she turned to look at the person lying beside her, her pounding heart would gradually calm down. It was all just a dream. Rossweise didn't understand why she had such dreams, or why they disturbed her so deeply.
She thought and thought, feeling it was simply because she was too afraid that this hard-won family would shatter overnight. Like the pressure she had endured when Leon returned to the Empire a few days ago—a pressure no one else could understand or share.
Five days and nights. For a dragon with a lifespan of thousands of years, it was a mere blink. But for Rossweise, it was the most agonizing five days she had ever experienced.
She was afraid Leon wouldn't return, afraid that three months of separation would be too long, afraid that their next meeting would be their last in this lifetime.
Even though it was all over now, Rossweise still occasionally recalled her feelings from that time. The only person in the world who could make the dignified Silver Dragon Queen lose sleep… was that guy, wasn't it?
Hiss… I'm a bit annoyed. Fine. She would be angry with him later, not tell him why, and let him guess.
"Wa wa~"
Little Light finished her milkshake, waving her little hands and grabbing the small braid near Rossweise's temple.
"What a little mommy's girl. When daddy holds you, you give him an uppercut, but when mommy holds you, you just grab her hair."
Rossweise teased Little Light. "Little Light, grow up quickly. When you're bigger, your uppercut will be even stronger~"
"Wu~ Aba aba~" Little Light babbled.
"The barbecue is ready, let's go eat. I'll hold Little Light," Leon said, untying his apron and walking over.
Rossweise stood up and handed Little Light to Leon. He eagerly leaned in to nuzzle his daughter's face, but…
Smack! An uppercut!
"Eh~~ Ahh~"
Leon didn't know why Little Light always liked to give him uppercuts. He was sure he hadn't taught her that during the prenatal education…
Rossweise covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "Looks like our little daughter is naturally incompatible with you."
"Tsk, she's just too small. She wants to punch everything she sees. You come here, you'll get hit too," Leon said.
"Little Light won't hit me," Rossweise replied.
"Then you try," Leon challenged.
"Sure, let's try," Rossweise said, bending down and presenting her pretty cheek to Little Light.
Little Light raised her tiny fist, eager to try.
Leon's eyes lit up. Yes, good girl, hit her!
"Wa wa~" Little Light babbled, instead pinching Rossweise's cheek with her short fingers.
Rossweise gently rubbed Little Light's palm against her cheek and then stood up straight, looking at Leon. "How about that? I told you, Little Light won't hit me. She only hits you."
"It's impossible, it must be a coincidence," Leon refused to believe it, leaning towards Little Light once again. And, naturally, the result was another uppercut!
"Why?!" Leon felt, for the first time, that raising a daughter could be such a headache.
Rossweise patted Leon's shoulder. "Oh well, it's okay, you'll get used to it."
"Are you saying Little Light will stop giving me uppercuts in the future?" Leon asked.
"No, what I meant was, you'll get used to it," Rossweise clarified.
"…Fine, go eat your barbecue. I can't be bothered with you," Leon grumbled.
Rossweise smiled with narrowed eyes and was about to leave but then asked, "Aren't you eating?"
"I just had a little, not very hungry," Leon replied.
"Oh, okay," Rossweise said, not pressing further, and went to the grill to eat barbecue with her two daughters.
Meanwhile,Leon gently placed Little Light on the beach chair and squatted beside it, looking at her with a serious expression.
"Good girl, let's try again. This time you mustn't hit daddy, okay? You have to give daddy a hug, understand?"
When a daughter becomes stubborn, not even eight dragons could pull her back. Leon spoke slowly and leaned closer to Little Light bit by bit.
Little Light tilted her head, watching as her old father's face drew near. She made a whimpering sound and slowly extended her small hand.
Leon, seeing this, felt secretly delighted.
Finally, this time he could experience his daughter's affection~~
"Smack!" ——
Gotcha!
"Waaa waaaa~" Little Light clapped her hands, looking extremely excited.
After receiving the fourth uppercut of the day, Leon gave up. He lay down on the sand, feeling utterly defeated.
Noah, who heard the commotion, looked over and blinked, asking, "Daddy, why are you lying down?"
Rossweise, nibbling on the delicious barbecue and watching the miserable General Leon, chuckled softly. "He's probably just tired. He'll be fine later. Let's continue eating our barbecue."