The affectionate greeting between the two young dragons was no accident. To understand it, we need to rewind a few months.
After their first meeting in Sky City, Muse and Hefei had become diligent pen pals. The two little dragon girls communicated regularly via messenger dragon, sharing snippets of their lives.
At first, they kept their correspondence a secret from their parents. That is, until one day, Constantine noticed his daughter stashing an assortment of fancy envelopes and colorful stationery in her room.
Suspicious, he asked her if she'd been writing to someone.
Knowing her pen pal was the daughter of her father's former rival, Hefei didn't immediately tell the truth. She claimed she'd met a new friend from a neighboring clan.
But Constantine wasn't so easily fooled—there were no dragons bold enough to live next to a Crimson Flame Dragon, much less befriend one so casually.
Eventually, Hefei's lie was uncovered. When Constantine confronted her directly, she admitted she'd been corresponding with Muse, Leon's daughter, for quite some time.
Surprised, Constantine asked to see the letters.
Though reluctant, Hefei knew she couldn't refuse and handed over her cherished collection.
The contents were simple and childhood: mundane topics like what they'd had for breakfast, new magic spells they'd learned, or little doodles they'd drawn for each other.
After reading a few lines, Constantine unexpectedly smiled—a rare sight that caught Hefei off guard.
Curious, she asked why he was smiling.
Constantine explained with complete seriousness, "Your vocabulary is clearly broader than Leon's daughter's, and your doodles are much more detailed. This proves we've already surpassed their family, even at the starting line."
Hefei didn't quite understand his competitive reasoning, but she was deeply impressed by his absolute confidence.
Now, several months later, the two little pen pals were reunited in Sky City, overjoyed to see each other again in person.
Leon didn't mind his youngest daughter being friends with Constantine's cherished little one. In fact, he thought it was a positive development.
When Muse and Hefei stood side by side, their complementary appearances created a harmonious balance—Muse's black hair and ruby red eyes contrasting beautifully with Hefei's fiery red hair and deep black eyes.
"So, did you come to Sky City just for your daughter?" Leon asked, eyeing Constantine with knowing amusement.
Constantine's face remained stern, his serious demeanor causing Hefei to instinctively retreat slightly behind him.
"No, I'm here on business and just brought her along," Constantine replied stiffly.
Having known Constantine for years, Leon could easily tell when the Crimson Flame Dragon King was bluffing.
Lesson time with Professor Leon! (pay attention, class):
—To determine if a Dragon King is bluffing, pay close attention to their facial expressions and eyes.
The more serious their expression and the more resolute their gaze, the greater the likelihood they're just posturing!
Smirking, Leon exposed him without hesitation. "You came here just for your daughter, didn't you? Why not just admit it?"
Constantine frowned, maintaining his defensive stance. "I told you—I'm here on business, and I brought her along."
"Really?" Leon tilted his head playfully. "I don't believe you."
"Believe what you want," Constantine retorted, his arms crossing over his chest.
Before their banter could continue, Hefei tugged gently on Constantine's sleeve and asked sweetly, "Daddy, can Muse and I go look at the shops together?"
The little dragon girl then turned her bright, hopeful eyes toward her father, waiting for his approval.
Constantine softened instantly, the stern lines of his face smoothing as he patted his daughter's head. "Mm," he granted with a nod.
Leon couldn't help but chuckle at the transformation. It was a universal truth, he'd learned: daughters could wrap their fathers around their little fingers from the moment they were born.
"Good thing I've had four daughters to practice on," Leon thought wryly. He was now well-versed in the art of gracefully yielding to their whims.
With her father's approval, Hefei smiled brightly and joined Muse as they walked off hand-in-hand, already chattering excitedly about the colorful market stalls.
Leon watched their retreating figures thoughtfully before turning back to Constantine. "You really dote on Hefei, don't you? Such a tsundere you are."
Constantine crossed his arms again, his usual stoic expression returning. "We dragons raise our young this way."
The conversation reminded Leon of something Rossweise had once told him years ago, when he'd questioned some of her parenting choices. She'd replied with the exact same words: "We dragons raise our young this way."
At the time, Leon had countered with, "But they're not entirely dragons."
That statement had struck a chord with Rossweise, eventually leading her to adopt a few human child-rearing practices alongside dragon traditions.
"You dragons can be so rigid sometimes," Leon remarked casually to Constantine. "Raising children shouldn't be about following strict traditions alone."
Constantine crossed his arms again, though he didn't entirely dismiss Leon's comment. If anyone else had said it, Constantine wouldn't have listened. But Leon wasn't just anyone—he'd proven himself both as a warrior and as a father.
Besides, Constantine had always been quietly curious about how Leon raised his daughters—especially Muse with her artistic inclinations and evident happiness.
"So, how should we raise them then? Like you and Rossweise do?" Constantine asked, half-joking but half-genuine.
"Of course! Look how well-adjusted my girls are," Leon said proudly, puffing out his chest slightly.
Constantine raised a skeptical eyebrow. "They're not entirely dragons."
Leon and Rossweise, who had been listening quietly, exchanged slightly stunned looks.
Leon sighed, realizing he'd been hit with his own logic. Years ago, he'd fired that argument like a bullet, and now it had circled back to strike him squarely in the knee.
"In that case," Constantine continued, "Hefei is a pureblood dragon. She should be raised with traditional dragon methods."
Constantine wasn't just arguing for the sake of it—he genuinely wanted to understand Leon's perspective, recognizing the differences between raising mixed-blood and pureblood children.
Leon furrowed his brow, considering the matter carefully as he watched their daughters examining colorful ribbons at a nearby stall.
"I don't think raising children should depend so heavily on bloodlines alone," he finally said.
"What do you mean?" Constantine asked, genuinely curious now.
Leon explained, "Every life comes into this world like an uncut gem—pure and full of potential. Pureblood or mixed-blood, it doesn't change that fundamental truth. What shapes them into who they'll become is the influence of us, their parents, and the world we show them."
"If Hefei wants to grow up to be a proud Crimson Flame Dragon King like you, then by all means, raise her your way. But what if she has her own dreams? Have you asked her?"
Constantine hesitated, then admitted quietly, "No, I haven't asked her about her future."
"Then maybe you should," Leon suggested gently. Watching Muse and Hefei from afar, he added, "Children are full of limitless possibilities. We should let them choose their own paths and offer guidance when they need it. That way, when they look back on their childhood, they won't feel regret or resentment about the choices they made—or the ones we made for them."
The two fathers stood in comfortable silence for a moment, watching their daughters laugh together in the bustling market, their different colored hair shining under the sky city's eternal sunlight.