Vol. 3 Ch. 107

“Rosvisser…”

“Hm?”

“Did you—”

“Oh! I finally figured it out!” Rebecca’s exclamation interrupted Leon, her face lit with the excitement of a major discovery, as if she had just stumbled upon uncharted territory.

Her sudden outburst startled everyone in the corridor, pulling Leon back to the present. He swallowed the question he’d been about to ask, deciding it would be better to talk to Rosvisser alone later.

Turning to Rebecca, he asked, “What did you figure out?”

Rosvisser and Claudia both looked at her curiously.

“I figured out the connection between all of you!” Rebecca declared with an air of importance.

“Captain, you just said that Claudia is the mother of your daughter’s best friend, right?”

“…Yes.”

“And Charlotte is your master’s wife, 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 revelation, “That means, Captain, you’re on the same generational level as your daughter!”

Leon: “?”

Rosvisser: “?”

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, Noa 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 flick to the forehead from Leon.

Just as he was about to tell her to stop with the nonsense, Claudia let out a gentle sigh.

“She’s just a kid, only joking,” Leon said quickly, trying to cover for Rebecca.

Claudia shrugged. “It’s 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 vary widely, so situations like what this little girl just described aren’t unusual.”

The two “twenty-somethings” present looked at each other, exchanging a silent understanding, before asking in unison, “So, what should we call each other from now on?”

“Just stick with the usual titles; no need to overthink it.” Claudia paused and added with a smirk, “Otherwise, I might end up with another son, right, Leon?”

Apparently, she was still carrying the dramatic flair from her recent role as the “evil stepmother” in a school play.

The group shared a laugh, but Leon soon turned his attention to the door of the secret chamber, his expression growing serious.

“Claudia, when will my master and mistress be finished?”

“Very soon,” Claudia replied. “Transferring the Heartguard Dragon Scale isn’t a surgery or a medical procedure per se; it’s more of a power transfer to another’s body. There’s no real recovery period afterward.”

She took out a compass with a special timer from her pocket and glanced at it. “About an hour more, and they’ll be done.”

Leon nodded, though he couldn’t fully shake his worry. Even though Claudia had assured him that the Heartguard Dragon Scale would heal his master’s damaged 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, leaning against the wall, his eyes fixed on the door.

Moments later, he felt a soft warmth in his hand. Looking down, he saw that Rosvisser had quietly taken his hand.

“It’ll be alright,” she said, her soft voice full of reassurance as she looked up into his eyes.

Leon nodded, her 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.

…

An hour later, the door to the secret chamber creaked open.

Leon perked up immediately, striding forward.

The stone door swung wide, revealing Tiger and Charlotte leaning on each other, supporting one another as they stood at the entrance.

“Master! Mistress!”

Leon rushed forward, helping them both.

Tiger looked much better, though still somewhat frail, while Charlotte appeared pale, her face almost devoid of color. As Claudia had explained, dragons who lost their Heartguard Dragon Scales would experience extreme weakness for a long time afterward and required a safe environment to recover fully.

Leon went to his mistress’s side, supporting her arm over his shoulder. Then he looked at Rebecca.

“Rebecca, lend a hand.”

“On it!” Rebecca ran over and helped Tiger on his other side.

Claudia stepped forward slowly and stopped in front of Charlotte. The two sisters, one tall and one shorter, looked at each other.

Though Charlotte was haggard from losing her Heartguard Dragon Scale, she managed a faint smile. “Sorry, sister… I’ve acted recklessly again.”

She expected Claudia to react as she usually did—scolding her while still showing her affection. But to her surprise, Claudia simply reached out, gently caressing Charlotte’s cheek and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“You’ve done enough. I’ll take you both to rest.”

“Sister… I—”

“Don’t talk too much; you’re weak now.”

Charlotte’s eyes trembled slightly. She opened her mouth, a thousand words waiting on her lips, but in the end, she lowered her head, a soft smile forming as she murmured, “Alright.”

She could sense that her sister’s feelings toward her relationship with Tiger had changed. For thirty years, Charlotte had longed for her family’s recognition and blessing for her love.

Though the journey had been rough, at least… things were finally moving in a positive direction.

Claudia led them to a resting chamber and settled the “patients” into a 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 life’s trials, exchanged a quiet, knowing smile.

“You’ve just undergone a Heartguard Dragon Scale transfer. You need time to rest before you can move around normally, so save any catch-ups for tomorrow,” Claudia instructed, adopting her usual “outsider” tone, even while speaking professionally.

“I’ll have dinner brought up shortly. We won’t disturb you any further.”

“Master, Mistress, rest well. I’ll visit again tomorrow.”

“Good… and you and your wife should rest, too. You’ve had a long day.”

“Yes.”

After saying a temporary goodbye, Claudia led Leon and the others to dinner. Afterward, she arranged their rooms.

Claudia felt like a tour guide by the end of it all—*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 as possible.

“Thank you for everything, Claudia. And thank you for taking care of my master,” Leon said sincerely as they were about to part ways.

“No need for thanks. Just get some sleep and adjust to life under the sea.”

“Good night, Claudia.”

“Good night.”

After she shut the door, the couple finally relaxed.

The exhaustion they’d been holding back all day suddenly hit them.

Rosvisser rubbed her shoulder. She had flown at high speeds for hours to reach the Sea Dragon Clan in time—a grueling feat, even for a Silver Dragon.

She took a look around the guest room.

It was a well-organized space, suited to her tastes, complete with a small balcony.

Rosvisser stepped out onto the balcony, expecting it to be decorative, since there wouldn’t be much to see without sunlight in the depths of the sea.

But the view took her breath away.

Before her lay a mesmerizing underwater world, colorful and vibrant.

The entire palace was encased in a transparent shield, separating the interior from the ocean. Rare fish and marine creatures swam past, their colors shimmering in the dim light. Rosvisser lifted her arm, her sleeve sliding down her smooth skin, and she touched a finger to the shield’s inner wall. A few curious fish swam to her fingertip, blowing bubbles in her direction.

She smiled, captivated by the sight.

*Getting older makes you appreciate small things like watching fish and seaweed,* she thought, amused.

“Rosvisser…”

Leon joined her, standing by her side.

“Hm?” She turned to him, eyes soft.

Leon hesitated, seeming unsure of how to start.

Rosvisser’s gaze sparkled with a knowing smile. “It seemed like you had something to ask me earlier at the door.”

Leon pressed his lips together, nodding. “Yeah.”

“What is it?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to ask. The man was too perceptive. Today, he’d heard all about the Heartguard Dragon Scale, had seen his master’s miraculous recovery—it was easy for him to draw the connection to…

…that moment in their past.

“Well…” Leon took a deep breath, as if steeling himself. “Your Heartguard Dragon Scale… it’s in me, isn’t it?”

Gathering his courage, he met her silver gaze, needing to hear her say it aloud, even though he already knew the answer.

Rosvisser’s eyes softened; she wasn’t surprised. She smiled gently and nodded. “Yes, it’s with you.”

“Why—”

“Back then, when you became my prisoner, you were gravely injured, your heart nearly shattered. To save you, I had to transfer my dragon scale to you.” She turned to look out at the ocean depths, leaning against the balcony rail.

“Don’t let it weigh on you, Leon. I did it then

only because… I wanted you alive for revenge.”

It was the truth. At that time, there had been no affection, only the fallout of their blood feud. Rosvisser 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, you had plenty of chances to take the scale back, but you never did, did you?”

“Yes. Because I didn’t want our daughters to grow up with their father around, only to lose him suddenly one day.”

“And what else?”

“What else?” Rosvisser’s eyes fell.

After a long pause, her lips curved up in a smile, her dimples showing, radiating warmth as she said softly,

“I didn’t want to lose you, either.”

“Rosvisser…”

“Oh, my, my~ Now you’ve finally heard it from my own lips. Satisfied?”

Turning, she stretched gracefully, then lowered her arms and poked Leon lightly in the chest.

“So, please, take good care of my heart, you fool.”