The news arrived like a sudden, happy chime. Muse had grown her tail.
Upon hearing the news, Leon was both shocked and delighted. He quickly set aside what he was doing and rushed to the nursery to see for himself.
However, when he looked at Muse from the front, he couldn't see any sign of the new addition. "Where's the tail?" he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
Rossweise, her expression bright with maternal pride, gently turned their daughter around. She pointed to the small of Muse's back. "Do you see it?"
Leon leaned in for a closer look. Sure enough, at the very base of their youngest daughter's spine, a tail had sprouted. But this tail... was far smaller than he had ever anticipated.
As a former professional dragon slayer, Leon was well-versed in dragon anatomy. He knew a dragon's tail grows proportionally with the rest of their body as they mature, serving as a crucial component for balance and flight. However, Muse's newly emerged tail was evidently out of sync with her current size.
"Why is it so small?" Leon wondered aloud, his voice soft.
He gently scooped Muse into his arms, patting her head and then cautiously pinching the very tip of the tiny appendage. Up close, it was so minuscule he almost hesitated to call it a tail.
"I don't know either," Rossweise replied, her brow furrowed in equal puzzlement. "For a dragon her age, her tail shouldn't be this short."
As the couple spoke, Muse wiggled her tiny tail experimentally, as if testing out the new feeling.
Leon raised an eyebrow and smiled warmly down at her. "Well, it's short, but it's still adorable, isn't it?"
Rossweise glanced down, her maternal instincts melting at the sight. Of course, she found it irresistibly cute—she'd been utterly charmed by it earlier, which was why she'd called for Leon so excitedly.
"I know you want to say it's fun to play with, but calling it 'adorable' is a bit much," she teased him lightly. "That's practically an insult to a proper dragon tail."
"How many years will it take for you to embrace a little human sentimentality?" Leon shot back with a playful roll of his eyes.
"How many years will it take for you to fully accept that our children have more dragon traits?" Rossweise countered, crossing her arms and wagging a finger smugly in front of his face. "This proves that human genetics are simply—" she punctuated her words with little pokes, "Not. Good. Enough."
The age-old, lighthearted "competition" between heritages reignited once again.
Leon chose not to argue further. Although he often championed the hope that their children would inherit more human traits, Muse's initial lack of a tail had left him quietly worried. Tails are a significant marker of dragon identity, and without one, a dragon could face ostracism or ridicule. As the fourth princess of the Silver Dragon Clan, any rumors about her being tailless could have also negatively impacted Rossweise's reputation. Now that Muse had grown a tail, even a small one, a weight lifted from his shoulders. It was far better than having none at all.
"Daddy! Mommy!" Muse called out to them, her voice pulling them from their thoughts.
"What is it, sweetheart?" Rossweise leaned in, playfully pinching her daughter's chubby cheeks.
"Hanging this tail feels weird," Muse pouted, a little frown on her face. "Muse can't even walk properly!"
"Muse wants to be like Daddy and not have a tail. Is that okay?"
Her crimson eyes sparkled with innocence as she looked up at them.
Rossweise chuckled softly. "Of course, my dear. Whatever makes you comfortable."
Muse nodded, satisfied. With a little concentration, she retracted the tiny tail, and then, seemingly exhausted by the effort, curled up in her mother's arms to drift back to sleep. For a young dragon, controlling the appearance or disappearance of a tail required a bit of magical effort, so it wasn't surprising she felt tired. Neither parent was overly concerned.
Listening to Muse's steady breathing, Leon instinctively cradled her gently, patting her back to help her fall deeper into slumber.
"This works out nicely," Leon remarked in a hushed tone. "At least we won't have to explain the tail situation to everyone anymore."
"Mm-hmm," Rossweise agreed softly.
After a comfortable pause, Rossweise remembered something. "Oh, right. Muse is over six months old now, the fastest growth period for a young dragon. Her clothes will need to be resized frequently. Let's buy a few more outfits in Sky City later."
"Sounds good," Leon offered. "Since you're off today, I'll take Muse for a little shopping trip."
"Alright. I'll get ready."
Half an hour later, the family of three departed for the bustling Sky City. While the Silver Dragon Clan had its own shops, their selection couldn't match the variety found in the city's vibrant markets. Besides, it wasn't often that Rossweise had a full day off—it was a perfect opportunity to step out and enjoy the day together.
After a pleasant flight, the family arrived at Sky City. Landing gracefully in a designated area, they headed straight for the busiest commercial district.
At the entrance of the marketplace, Leon returned from a vendor with two fluffy clouds of cotton candy—a red strawberry-flavored one for Muse and a yellow orange-flavored one for Rossweise.
Muse clutched her sugary treat in one hand while holding her father's hand with the other, walking obediently by his side as they entered the flow of the crowd.
"Would you like a toy, little one? They're lots of fun!" a merchant holding a brightly painted puppet called out, waving it enticingly in front of Muse.
But Muse showed little interest, shrinking shyly behind Leon's leg instead.
As they walked further, various street vendors selling children's toys approached with their pitches, but Muse wasn't tempted by any of them.
Noticing her consistent indifference, Leon crouched down to her level. "Muse, are you not interested in dolls or puzzles?" he asked gently.
Without much thought, Muse nodded seriously. "No, Daddy. I don't think those toys are fun."
Reflecting on it, Leon realized this was true. Over the past few months, Muse had never once asked for toys or other distractions. Aside from an old rattle he had bought her, she rarely played with anything. Most of her free time was spent in Rossweise's music room, curiously exploring various instruments under her father's watchful eye. Even though Muse could only manage simple notes on the piano at her current age, she often experimented with the strings of a harp or the pipes of a flute.
Leon couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Looks like we're raising a little artist.
"How about Mommy teaches you a few new songs when we get home?" Rossweise suggested, having overheard their conversation.
"Really?" Muse's face lit up instantly. "Yes, please! Thank you, Mommy!"
Rossweise smiled back, then handed her half-eaten cotton candy to Leon. He took it instinctively and took a bite. It was intensely sweet. The casual, wordless exchange was seamless—something only years of shared life and deep understanding could foster.
"Daddy, try mine too! It's super tasty!" Muse stood on her tiptoes, holding her pink cotton candy up to her father.
Leon indulged her, leaning down to take a generous bite. "Mmm," he hummed in appreciation. "Muse's cotton candy is delicious too."
The family was happily chatting, absorbed in their own little world, when a familiar, booming voice interrupted them.
"Leon... what are you doing here?"
They turned to see two strikingly red-haired figures approaching through the crowd.
"Constantine..." Leon acknowledged.
A smaller figure darted out from behind the Crimson Flame Dragon King. "Muse-chan!"
Muse's eyes widened with joy, her love for music momentarily rivaled by her excitement at seeing her fiery little friend. "Hefei!"