Vol. 4 Ch. 14

"Leon, do you plan to have another baby with me?"

Can anyone comprehend this? My gentle, considerate dragon queen wife snuck into my room in the dead of night just to ask *this* question!

Couldn’t she ask in private at another time? Couldn’t she wait until the game was over?

Even if I said “yes” now, would she expect us to create a third child right here and now?

Leon lay on the bed, appearing calm, but his mind was racing.

He knew pretending to sleep wasn’t an option anymore. He needed to respond to Rosvisser quickly, and his answer had to be one of two: either “yes” or “no.” There was no third option.

Leon remembered Rosvisser telling him long ago about the significance of 2:30 a.m.

At the time, Leon was shocked.

How could a man as invincible as him have such an odd vulnerability?

He had tried to overcome it but failed each time.

Still, Leon had nothing to hide, even if he always spoke the truth during that peculiar time—after all, he was the ideal husband with no secrets (except for those bunny-girl photos).

What Leon didn’t know was that Rosvisser hadn’t told him the full truth. She had only mentioned that he spoke honestly at 2:30 a.m., not that it was an absolute occurrence.

Leon could have kept pretending to sleep, dismissing the situation as a failed “truth-telling trigger.”

Poor Leon was unknowingly caught in his wife's playful trap!

After considering it, Leon spoke slowly:

“I... have thought about it...”

The moment the words left his mouth, Leon sensed Rosvisser’s breath catch.

Saying he’d “thought about having another baby” was the safest choice.

If he said he hadn’t thought about it, Rosvisser would likely be disappointed given the hint of hope in her voice when she asked. And if their daughters hiding in the wardrobe heard that, they would probably feel a bit down too.

Unintentionally, Rosvisser, unaware of her daughters' presence and Leon’s pretending to sleep, cornered Leon into answering “yes.”

Before Rosvisser could react with joy, a sudden thud broke the silence behind her.

Startled, she turned around.

*Clatter*—the wardrobe doors burst open, and four tiny figures tumbled out onto the floor.

Rosvisser blinked in shock at the sight of her daughters sprawled on the ground. After a moment, she asked, “Noa... what are you all doing here?”

The girls scrambled to their feet and stood in a neat line, even their tails stiff and straight.

“M-mama, we were just...” Noa stammered, struggling to lie convincingly.

Should she try to charm her way out of this? While their mother doted on them, she wasn’t as easily swayed as their father, who melted at their slightest plea.

Seeing Noa sweating nervously, Aurora jumped in.

“We were doing a task!” she announced.

Rosvisser raised an eyebrow, glanced at Leon’s still “sleeping” form, then back at the girls.

“You’re doing a task... in someone else’s room, in the middle of the night?”

Aurora’s eyes darted nervously, but she maintained her playful tone. “Y-yes! The castle has lots of hidden tasks.”

“I see... then—”

They couldn’t let their mother question them any further, or they’d be exposed!

Aurora’s mischievous mind raced, and before Rosvisser could continue, she blurted out, “Mama, were you serious just now? Do you really want another baby?”

The tables had turned.

Rosvisser’s face, which had just begun to lose its blush, turned bright red again. Her tail curled slightly, and she nervously fiddled with her skirt.

Staring at the four little dragon daughters with their eager expressions, Rosvisser hesitated.

“I-I was just asking... casually. I meant to ask something else. And besides, your father was only talking in his sleep. Sleep-talking doesn’t count.”

Helena, scratching her head, said, “Auntie, you came to Uncle Leon’s room in the middle of the night, asked an odd question, and he happened to respond... doesn’t seem like just a coincidence.”

“Exactly, Mama! Daddy didn’t sound like he was talking in his sleep; it was more like...” Aurora’s voice trailed off, searching for the right word.

“It felt like a game of truth or dare!” Moon chimed in, hitting the nail on the head.

Aurora’s eyes lit up. “Yes, that’s exactly what it felt like!”

Rosvisser covered her face in exasperation.

Kids these days were so hard to deal with. The queen momentarily thought, *Maybe we should hold off on the third child after all.*

She shook her head and regained her composure.

“Noa, Moon, and Aurora, I know you’d love to have another sibling, but it’s not up to just you—or even just me. This is a decision for our whole family.”

“Even though Daddy spoke just now, like I said, sleep-talking doesn’t count.”

“So let’s wait until the game is over, and we can discuss this at home. Okay?”

Rosvisser’s confidence returned. Despite being caught off guard by her daughters’ impeccable timing, she quickly adapted.

No matter how clever kids were, they couldn’t outwit a 200-year-old dragon queen.

The girls exchanged glances, realizing their mother had a point and chose not to press further.

“I’m sorry, Helena. Our family gets a bit chaotic, but we do respect each other. I hope it didn’t scare you,” Rosvisser said, turning to the sea dragon girl.

Helena smiled. “No, no, Auntie. I love your family’s atmosphere.”

She meant it. The Melkvey family’s lively interactions would be the envy of any only child.

“Good. Now, let’s leave your father’s room before he wakes up and catches us,” Rosvisser said.

“Yeah!” the girls agreed, leaving the room one by one.

Rosvisser stayed behind to ensure everyone else left first.

She reached the door and paused, placing a hand on the frame. She glanced back into the room.

“Get up. I know you’re pretending to sleep.”

Leon’s voice came from the shadows. “How did you know I was pretending?”

“With all that noise, you didn’t wake up. Obvious.”

“Hmm... well, you should go rest,” Leon said, sitting up and leaning against the headboard, his eyes meeting hers across the distance.

But Rosvisser didn’t move. She fidgeted with her skirt, bit her lip, and seemed on the verge of speaking.

Leon sighed and broke the silence.

“You’re wondering if what I just said was the truth, right?”

Rosvisser stayed silent, which, for her, was as good as confirmation.

Leon took a deep breath, hesitated, then got out of bed and walked over to her. He leaned in close, whispering into her ear.

Five minutes later, Rosvisser left the room, her face flushed and tinged with satisfaction, having received the answer she’d longed for.

---

“Leon definitely stole the Black Sacred Stone. Everyone, vote for him!”

“Rosvisser is the thief! Trust me, vote for her!”

“Do you have any proof?”

“Do you?”

“...”

It was hard to believe that the two arguing passionately at the meeting table had been sharing tender moments the night before.

Do they have a passive skill that regularly wipes their memory of sweet moments?

At least let the morning warmth last past breakfast!

The game’s second meeting was coming to a close amid the couple’s back-and-forth accusations.

Claudia watched silently, refraining from interjecting. Her eyes drifted to Isha, who was busy scribbling on a piece of paper.

“What are you doing? Is it for a task?” Claudia asked.

“Hm? Oh, nothing,” Isha replied, tucking the paper and pen away and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She glanced at her still-bickering sister and brother-in-law. “They’re still at it?”

Claudia shrugged. “Is this how they usually are?”

Isha nodded enthusiastically. “Almost every time we gather, it’s like this.”

Claudia chuckled. “Interesting.”

“Alright! Let’s move to the final vote. The truth will prevail!” Leon declared.

“Bring it on. I’m not afraid,” Rosvisser retorted.

The voting began.

Votes for Leon stealing the Black Sacred Stone:

Moon, Noa, and Helena.

Votes for Rosvisser:

Claudia.

Only Aurora and Isha were left.

Aunt and niece exchanged glances, both seeing the same word reflected in each other’s eyes:

*Fun.*

Aurora leaned towards suspecting her dad, but if she voted for him now, he’d be out.

And where was the fun in that? How could she and Isha keep watching their parents’ rivalry unfold if he got eliminated?

So, Aurora cast her vote for her mom.

Isha followed suit to ensure a tie.

“Oh, it’s a draw.”

The two “candidates” had, of course, voted for each other, so the result was a stalemate.

“Hmph. By the next meeting, I’ll find the evidence to expose you as the thief,” Rosvisser said, arms crossed, full of confidence.

Leon rolled his eyes. “

Typical dragon, accusing first.”

With their parting words spoken, the couple left the room. The others trickled out after them.

Claudia was the last to stand. Once the others had walked away, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a clue card. It read:

**[Unbreakable Seven-Day Lock of Love]**

**[Effect: When used on two players, they must stay within five meters of each other and act together for six hours.]**

It was a utility card, not game-changing, but if used on the right people... it could certainly lead to some interesting developments.

Claudia looked down the hallway, where the couple was heading off in separate directions to gather dirt on each other.

She smiled knowingly.

“Well, you two... enjoy each other’s company for the next six hours.”