The master bedroom was a hive of quiet, focused activity. The Silver Dragon clan's most skilled physicians worked with meticulous care, ensuring every detail was perfect for the birth.
Maids moved in a steady, practiced flow, bringing in basins of hot water, wringing out clean towels, and laying out soft baby clothes. Despite the number of people, there was no true chaos, only a precise rhythm directed by the calm authority of Ishabella and the head maid, Anna.
In the center of it all, faint, strained sounds of pain came from Rossweise. She was bravely enduring the powerful waves of childbirth.
In a quiet corner of the room, Leon stood with Aurora cradled securely in one arm while holding Muen's hand. Noah stood close by, her watchful eyes fixed on her mother.
The four of them observed the scene, knowing their role was to stay out of the way. Earlier, Leon had asked Isha if there was anything they could do to help.
Her reply had been simple and direct: "Not yet. Wait for your time to act."
Not wanting to be a distraction, Leon had led his daughters to this spot to stand by quietly, ready to assist if called upon.
Aurora, clutching her father's shirt tightly, had tucked her small tail between her legs. Her pink eyes were wide with worry as she stared at the bed, listening to her mother's strained breathing.
"So giving birth is this painful... Mom is truly amazing," she murmured, her voice soft and full of emotion.
Aurora was usually the family's ray of sunshine, adept at finding joy and lightening the mood. This was not just due to her playful nature, but also her extraordinary sense of empathy. Her ability to deeply feel what others were feeling made her wonderfully perceptive to happiness. But now, that same empathy forced her to absorb the tense, heavy atmosphere filling the room.
Despite her youth, she could feel the weight of her mother's pain, and the oppressive energy was almost overwhelming for her.
Leon felt her small body tremble and tightened his hold, knowing she needed his reassurance.
Looking down at her worried face, he decided to try and lighten the mood.
"You know, when you were born, it was even more intense."
Aurora looked up at him, her curiosity cutting through her anxiety. "Why do you say that, Dad?"
"Because on the day you were born, we had the head of a Dragon King hanging on our doorstep. Pretty scary, right?"
Aurora's tense expression softened into a tiny, grateful smile, her anxiety easing just a little.
Just as she was about to make a joke in return, she felt the arm holding her tremble slightly.
She looked up again and met her father's eyes. The man who had just made a joke to comfort her was clearly masking his own deep worry.
It dawned on her then: her father's lightheartedness was a façade.
Unlike her sisters, who were wholly focused on their mother, Aurora realized her father was just as anxious as she was. His lips were even a little pale.
She had never seen her father like this before.
To her, he was always the unshakable hero who faced down dragons and armies without flinching.
But now, as his wife labored, he was using jokes as an anchor to keep himself steady.
Aurora did not say anything. She simply hugged him tighter, offering her own small comfort.
Leon silently watched the physicians and maids at work. Every faint groan from Rossweise sent a jolt through him, and his mind drifted back to a nearly identical moment years ago.
When Aurora had been born, he had stood just like this—with a young Noah and Muen at his side—feeling just as helpless in the corner of the room.
That day, after Constantine attacked, Leon had put on his black-and-gold armor and gone out to confront the threat.
By the time he returned, victorious, Aurora had already been born.
Slaying a dragon had taken only a few minutes. But he later learned that those same minutes had been the most agonizing of Rossweise's life.
Though she had always told him afterward that it was not as bad as he imagined, hearing about it was nothing compared to witnessing it now.
The suffocating tension in the room now made the legendary Dragon Slayer feel completely powerless.
Even knowing Rossweise was in the care of the finest healers the Silver Dragon clan had to offer did not stop the knot of worry in his stomach.
His sister-in-law, Isha, had put all her own affairs on hold to come and assist. Childbirth was a delicate, sacred process, and Leon's role was to stay out of the way and leave everything to the capable hands of Isha and Anna.
This feeling of helplessness was a heavy weight on his shoulders.
"Your Highness!"
The maid Milan's voice snapped him from his thoughts.
Leon perked up immediately, thinking there was finally a task for him. "What is it, Milan?"
"Please escort the princesses to the balcony. More physicians will be arriving shortly, and we need the space."
Leon's brief hope was dashed. "...I see."
Nodding, he shepherded the girls out to the adjoining balcony.
Noah, ever perceptive, poured a glass of water from a pitcher and handed it to him. "Here, Dad."
Leon took the glass and sipped it. "Thanks."
"Come on, Dad, pull yourself together," Noah said, noticing his pale complexion. After a moment of thought, she added, "If Mom saw you like this, she would probably tease you mercilessly, would not she?"
Leon could easily imagine the scene. If Rossweise saw him pacing and anxious, she would likely say something like: "What is wrong, Leon? Scared of something this small? What a baby! Come here, baby, call me mama!" Or perhaps: "Honestly, you are my husband, the Silver Dragon Prince. Act like it! Do not just be good at slaying dragons, you dummy."
The thought made him chuckle, easing some of the tension in his chest.
"Hey, brother-in-law," Isha's voice called from the doorway.
Leon looked up to see her stepping onto the balcony.
"Took you long enough. If you had stayed out here any longer, I would have had to drag you in myself."
Leon scrambled to his feet. "Can I help now?"
"Yes, you can. Do what you are best at: keep the mother of your children entertained."
Leon blinked. "That is my specialty?"
Isha rolled her eyes fondly. "Stop standing there like a statue and follow me."
She grabbed his wrist and pulled him back into the bedroom, weaving expertly through the crowd of maids and physicians.
When they reached Rossweise's side, Leon's breath caught in his throat.
Sweat drenched her silver hair, plastering it to her pale forehead. Her brilliant silver eyes were half-closed with exhaustion, and her breathing was shallow.
"Leon... you are here..." she whispered, her voice faint and strained.
Her weakness made his heart ache fiercely.
For a moment, he was speechless, his throat tight with emotion.
Isha nudged him sharply from behind, breaking his trance.
"I am here," he said, his voice thick as he knelt beside the bed and took her trembling hand in his.
As his fingers closed around hers, Rossweise's strained face softened into a faint, grateful smile.
"I must look terrible right now..."
"You look beautiful, as always," Leon replied, his voice gentle but firm.
"You are lying... you idiot..."
Leon reached out and brushed the damp hair from her face, cupping her cheek. He smiled a tender, loving smile. "I would never lie to you, Rossweise. No matter the time or place, you are the most beautiful person I have ever seen."
"Hmph... fine, I will... believe you... for now..."
Behind them, Anna whispered quick, quiet instructions to Milan and the physicians, "Now is the time. While His Highness is distracting Her Majesty, let us proceed with the final stage."
"Yes, Head Maid."
As the critical moment of delivery arrived, the room's atmosphere grew even more focused and tense.
"Leon... I hate you..." Rossweise murmured suddenly, her eyes squeezed shut.
Leon blinked, startled. "Why would you say that—"
Isha jabbed him firmly in the back. "Do not overthink it, moron. Your wife is in labor. Just agree with whatever she says."
Leon nodded quickly, understanding. "Right. You hate me. I am the worst."
"If you want me... to not hate you..." Rossweise began, her voice weak but with a hint of her old fire.
"Yes, tell me. What should I do?" Leon asked, leaning closer.
She glanced briefly at Isha, and the two sisters exchanged a fleeting, knowing look. It was a look that said, Finally, he fell for it.
Rossweise turned her gaze back to Leon, a faint, mischievous smirk touching her pale lips. "You have to promise... to grant my next request..."
"Anything. Whatever you want," Leon said without a moment's hesitation.
Her smirk grew a little wider. "First... you must promise... never to teach the baby... how to play the suona."
[Leon: 🙂]