"Rossweise…"
"Hm?"
"Did you—"
"Oh! I finally figured it out!" Rebecca's sudden exclamation cut Leon off. Her face was lit up with the excitement of a major discovery, as if she had just pieced together a complex puzzle.
Her outburst startled everyone in the corridor, pulling Leon sharply back to the present. He swallowed the question burning on his tongue, deciding it would be better to ask Rossweise when they were completely alone later.
Turning to Rebecca, he asked, "What did you figure out?"
Rossweise and Claudia both looked at her, their curiosity piqued.
"I figured out the connection between all of you!" Rebecca declared with an air of triumph.
"Captain, you just said that Auntie Claudia is the mother of your daughter's best friend, right?"
"…Yes," Leon confirmed slowly.
"And Mom Charlotte is your foster mother, right?"
"…Right."
"And these two ladies are sisters, correct?"
"…Correct."
With her hands on her hips, the brilliant Rebecca smiled triumphantly and revealed her grand conclusion: "That means, Captain, you're on the same generational level as your daughter!"
Leon: "?"
Rossweise: "?"
Claudia: "= ="
Rebecca went up on her toes and patted Leon on the shoulder with a wise, knowing look. "Captain, don't worry. From now on, Noah can call you 'big brother,' and you can still call her 'daughter.' Each has their own title; no conflict!"
Rebecca's sagely advice was rewarded with a gentle flick to the forehead from Leon.
Just as he was about to tell her to stop the nonsense, Claudia let out a soft, amused sigh.
"She's just a kid, only joking," Leon said quickly, trying to cover for Rebecca.
Claudia shrugged elegantly. "It is no big deal. In dragon society, generational mix-ups like this are actually quite common. We live for centuries, and the age gaps between parents and children can be vast, so situations like what this little girl just described are not unusual at all."
The two "twenty-somethings" present looked at each other, exchanging a silent glance of understanding, before asking in unison, "So, what should we call each other from now on?"
"Just stick with the usual titles; there is no need to overthink it." Claudia paused and added with a playful smirk, "Otherwise, I might end up with another son, right, Leon?"
Apparently, she was still carrying a bit of the dramatic flair from her recent role as the "elegant but stern aunt" in a school play.
The group shared a light laugh, but Leon soon turned his attention back to the door of the secret chamber, his expression growing serious once more.
"Claudia, when will my master and mistress be finished?"
"Very soon," Claudia replied reassuringly. "Transferring the Heartguard Dragon Scale is not a surgery or a complex medical procedure; it is more of a direct, magical transfer of life force into another's body. There is no lengthy recovery period afterward."
She took out an ornate compass with a special timer embedded in it from her pocket and glanced at it. "About one more hour, and they will be done."
Leon nodded, though he could not fully shake his worry. Even though Claudia had assured him that the Heartguard Dragon Scale would miraculously heal his master's destroyed heart, he couldn't help but feel anxious—these were, after all, the parents who had raised him for twenty years.
He rubbed his fingers together nervously, leaning against the wall, his eyes fixed intently on the door.
A moment later, he felt a soft, warm pressure in his hand. Looking down, he saw that Rossweise had quietly slipped her hand into his.
"It will be alright," she said, her soft voice full of quiet reassurance as she looked up into his eyes.
Leon nodded, her presence and words easing his worries slightly. "Yeah."
Rebecca, too, had fallen silent, sitting obediently on a bench in the corridor, patiently waiting for the transfer to finish.
.
.
.
One hour later, the heavy stone door to the secret chamber creaked open.
Leon straightened up immediately, striding forward.
The door swung wide, revealing Tiger and Charlotte leaning on each other for support, standing together at the entrance.
"Master! Mistress!"
Leon rushed forward, ready to help them both.
Tiger looked remarkably better, color had returned to his cheeks, though he still seemed somewhat frail. Charlotte, in contrast, was pale, her face almost devoid of color. Just as Claudia had explained, a dragon who lost their Heartguard Dragon Scale would be left in an extremely weakened state for a long time and required a perfectly safe environment to recover.
Leon went to his mistress's side, carefully draping her arm over his shoulder for support. Then he looked at Rebecca.
"Rebecca, lend a hand."
"On it!" Rebecca ran over and supported Tiger on his other side.
Claudia stepped forward slowly and stopped in front of Charlotte. The two sisters, one tall and regal, the other shorter and gentler, looked at each other.
Though Charlotte was haggard and weak from her sacrifice, she managed a faint, grateful smile. "Sorry, sister… I have acted recklessly again."
She expected Claudia to react as she often did—with a chiding tone that still held deep affection. But to her surprise, Claudia simply reached out, gently caressing Charlotte's pale cheek and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"You have done enough. Now, let me take you both to rest."
"Sister… I—"
"Do not talk too much; you are weak now," Claudia said, her voice softer than usual.
Charlotte's eyes trembled slightly. She opened her mouth, a thousand words waiting on her lips, but in the end, she simply lowered her head, a soft, genuine smile forming as she murmured, "Alright."
She could sense it—her sister's feelings toward her relationship with Tiger had fundamentally changed. For thirty years, Charlotte had secretly longed for her family's recognition and blessing for her love.
Though the journey had been long and rough, at least… things were finally moving in a positive direction.
Claudia led them to a comfortable resting chamber and carefully helped the two "patients" into a large, soft bed.
Once lying down, Tiger slowly turned his head to look at Charlotte, and she just happened to be looking back at him.
The two of them, seasoned by decades of life's trials and separations, exchanged a quiet, deeply knowing smile.
"You have just undergone the scale transfer. You both need time to rest before you can move around normally, so save any lengthy catch-ups for tomorrow," Claudia instructed, adopting her usual practical, slightly detached tone.
"I will have dinner brought to you shortly. We will not disturb you any further."
"Master, Mistress, rest well. I will visit again tomorrow," Leon added.
"Good… and you and your wife should get some rest as well. You have had a long and difficult day," Tiger said, his voice still weak but clear.
"Yes."
After saying their temporary goodbyes, Claudia led Leon and the others to a dining hall for a late meal. Afterward, she arranged guest rooms for them.
By the end of it, Claudia felt rather like a tour guide. Was playing host really part of the duties of the Sea Dragon Clan's eldest princess? But there was no helping it; Leon and his companions were important figures, and it was best to keep their visit as discreet and comfortable as possible.
"Thank you for everything, Claudia. And thank you for saving my master," Leon said sincerely as they were about to part ways for the night.
"No need for thanks. Just get some sleep and adjust to the peace of life under the sea."
"Good night, Claudia."
"Good night."
After she shut the door to their room, the couple finally allowed themselves to fully relax. The exhaustion they had been holding back all day suddenly washed over them.
Rossweise rubbed her shoulder subtly. She had flown at her maximum speed for hours to reach the Sea Dragon Clan in time—a grueling feat, even for a Silver Dragon Queen.
She took a moment to look around the guest room. It was a beautifully organized space, tastefully decorated and suited to her preferences, complete with a small, elegant balcony.
Rossweise stepped out onto the balcony, expecting it to be merely decorative, since there would be no sunlight or open air in the depths of the sea.
But the view that greeted her took her breath away.
Before her lay a mesmerizing, vibrant underwater world. The entire palace was encased within a massive, transparent magical shield, separating the interior from the ocean depths. Schools of rare, bioluminescent fish and graceful marine creatures swam past, their colors shimmering and shifting in the gentle, ambient light. Rossweise lifted her arm, her sleeve sliding down her smooth skin, and she touched a single finger to the shield's inner wall. A few curious, small fish swam over to her fingertip, blowing tiny, silvery bubbles in her direction.
She smiled, utterly captivated by the serene sight.
Getting older makes you appreciate small wonders like watching fish and seaweed, she thought, amused at herself.
"Rossweise…"
Leon joined her, standing close by her side.
"Hm?" She turned to him, her silver eyes soft in the dim, watery light.
Leon hesitated, seeming unsure of how to begin.
Rossweise's gaze sparkled with a knowing smile. "It seemed like you had something to ask me earlier, out in the corridor."
Leon pressed his lips together, then nodded. "Yeah."
"What is it?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to ask. The man was far too perceptive. Today, he'd heard all about the properties and consequences of the Heartguard Dragon Scale, had witnessed his master's miraculous recovery—it was inevitable for him to draw the connection to…
…that pivotal moment in their own past.
"Well…" Leon took a deep breath, as if steeling himself. "Your Heartguard Dragon Scale… it's inside me, isn't it?"
Gathering all his courage, he met her steady silver gaze, needing to hear her confirm it aloud, even though in his heart, he already knew the answer.
Rossweise's eyes softened; she wasn't surprised in the least. She smiled gently and nodded. "Yes. It is with you."
"Why—"
"Back then," she began, cutting off his next question, "when you first became my prisoner, you were gravely injured, your heart nearly shattered by our fight. To save your life, I had no choice but to transfer my dragon scale to you." She turned to look out at the endless ocean depths, leaning gracefully against the balcony rail.
"Do not let it weigh on you, Leon. I did it then only because… I wanted you alive so I could exact my revenge personally."
It was the truth. At that time, there had been no affection between them, only the bitter fallout of their blood feud. Rossweise had no reason to care for Leon then, and as she said, she'd only saved him to settle their score another day.
But—
"Afterward," Leon persisted, his voice low and intense, "you had plenty of chances to take the scale back, but you never did, did you?"
"Yes. Because I did not want our daughters to grow up with their father present, only to lose him suddenly one day."
"And what else?" he pressed, stepping closer.
"What else?" Rossweise's eyes fell, her long silver lashes casting shadows on her cheeks.
After a long, quiet pause, her lips curved up into a warm, unreserved smile, her dimples showing, radiating a love she no longer felt the need to hide as she said softly,
"I did not want to lose you, either."
"Rossweise…" Her name was a breath on his lips, filled with overwhelming emotion.
"Oh, my, my~" she teased lightly, a playful glint returning to her eyes. "Now you have finally heard it from my own lips. Are you satisfied?"
Turning, she stretched her arms gracefully above her head, then lowered them and poked Leon lightly in the center of his chest—right where her scale, her heart, resided within him.
"So, please, take good care of my heart, you fool."