Vol. 5 Ch. 99

A month could feel both long and short.

Long enough for someone to shift their focus onto other aspects of life;

short enough that they might not complete what they started.

During this time, the sisters spent noticeably more time together.

She no longer trained late at night or buried herself in the library all day.

Instead, she played ghost-hunting games with Moon,

pulled harmless pranks with Aurora,

accompanied Muse on the piano,

and told heroic tales of dragons to Hefei.

No one knew what would happen a month later, so while everything still felt serene and peaceful, everyone did the things they truly wanted to do.

Leon understood what his eldest daughter was worried about and why she had shifted her focus onto these small joys.

But he didn’t seek her out to talk. Such a conversation would only add unnecessary sorrow to the days ahead.

For those like Leon, who already knew the weight of the coming battle of fate, their hearts were crushed under a heavy boulder, making it hard to breathe. There was no need to add further emotional burdens.

At breakfast, when Rosvisser didn’t appear, Leon took his plate to the Silver Dragon Sanctuary’s main hall but didn’t find her there either.

As he wandered, the maid Milan passed by. Leon called out, “Milan, hold on a moment.”

Milan stopped and looked at him respectfully. “Your Highness, what can I do for you?”

“Have you seen Rosvisser?”

“The Queen?” Milan thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I don’t know where she’s gone.”

“Alright, carry on.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Leon returned to the dining room, carefully packed his breakfast into a heated box, and wrapped it in a thermal bag.

As he worked, Noa, still eating her meal, noticed.

“Couldn’t find Mom?” she asked.

“Hmm. I’ll look around.”

“Want me to help, Dad?”

Leon smiled, tousling her hair as he passed her chair.

“You wouldn’t understand, sweetheart.”

Noa blinked in confusion. “Understand what?”

“The kind and beautiful queen is feeling melancholic, so she’s hidden away where no one can find her. But at such a moment, it’s her husband’s duty to find her and bring her a warm breakfast. Sounds romantic, doesn’t it?”

“…Dad…” Noa’s expression twisted between embarrassment and disbelief.

The overly dramatic king and queen—how are these my parents?

“Fine, I’ll go play with Moon and the others.”

“Go ahead.”

Noa hopped off her chair and scampered away, while Leon grabbed the meal box and left to search for Rosvisser.

The truth was, Leon didn’t know why she’d suddenly disappeared either.

It wasn’t her mood, he thought. Last night, she’d been perfectly fine, chatting with him, snuggling, even tugging at his tail before falling asleep.

Rosvisser wasn’t the type to vanish because of a bad mood.

So, it must be something else.

Leon searched the garden, the pavilion, and the cherry blossom grove on the back mountain, but there was no sign of her. After an hour, he began to doubt himself.

“She wouldn’t have flown off into the sky, would she?”

Summoning his eagle companion, he took to the skies, scanning the sanctuary from above.

From below, a knight watched the prince flying in circles, scratching his head.

“What’s His Highness up to now?”

Perched nearby, Sherry leaned against a tree branch, her silver tail swaying idly. Hearing the knight’s muttering, she looked up.

“Probably looking for the Queen.”

“The Queen?”

“Yeah, I didn’t see her this morning either. Looks like His Highness noticed she’s missing.”

The knight chuckled. “After eight years of marriage, and she still pulls disappearing acts?”

Sherry tossed an orange peel at the knight’s head.

“You don’t understand. It’s called romance~.”

“Yes, Captain. Romance!” the knight saluted with a grin before heading off on his patrol.

Despite the knight’s words, the process of finding the queen wasn’t as romantic as it sounded.

Leon sat cross-legged on his eagle’s back, the warm breakfast beside him, deep in thought.

“It doesn’t make sense. I’ve searched everywhere. Where could she be?”

Then it hit him. He clapped his hands, a sudden clarity lighting up his face.

“There’s one place left.”

He patted the eagle’s neck. “Good work. Take me down, then rest.”

The eagle screeched in acknowledgment, descending gracefully. Leon grabbed the box and leapt off, sprinting towards the sanctuary’s rear.

He passed through the halls, the garden, the cherry grove, the stream, and the queen’s warehouse before arriving at an unexpected destination—the Silver Dragon’s garage.

Confirming with the guards that Rosvisser had been there, Leon quickly headed inside.

At the farthest end, in a dusty, dimly lit corner of the garage, he found her.

Rosvisser stood bathed in a single beam of sunlight streaming through a small window, dust motes swirling around her like tiny spirits. She gazed at an old, rusted rack with chains dangling from it, their surface stained faintly with blood.

A soft glow illuminated her silver hair, giving her the ethereal appearance of an angel untouched by mortal woes.

At her feet sat a box, its contents visible only to her.

“What are you doing here?” Leon asked softly, stepping closer.

Rosvisser lowered her gaze, turning to him with a gentle expression. “I wanted to remember the place where it all began.”

Leon chuckled. “The first time I saw you was in a textbook at the Academy.”

She rolled her eyes, smiling faintly. “Idiot.”

Leon approached, looking around the room before gesturing to the meal box in his hand.

“Breakfast in a garage? Hardly fitting for a queen.”

“I’m not hungry. I’ll eat later.”

“Alright.”

His eyes drifted to the box at her feet. “Why bring that here?”

Rosvisser hesitated before sighing. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it.”

“And you wanted me to find you here?”

“Yes. If you found me, I wouldn’t sulk. But if you didn’t…”

Leon laughed. “If I didn’t?”

“I’d be mad at you when I got back.”

So, that’s why wives mysteriously get upset!

Leon didn’t mind her occasional childish antics. On the contrary, he found them endearing.

“Leon.”

Her soft voice broke his thoughts. He looked up.

“Hmm?”

“Will we win?”

Leon immediately understood what she was referring to. The coming battle loomed large in her mind.

As one of the few Dragon Kings wielding Primordial Power, Rosvisser’s participation was inevitable.

This would be her most challenging battle—not only because of the formidable foe but because everything she cherished was at stake: Leon, their children, her family, and even herself.

Despite her concerns, she didn’t hate this more vulnerable version of herself. It made her feel whole, alive.

“Will we win?” she asked again, though perhaps she was also asking herself.

Leon reached down, his gaze falling on the black armor inside the box, gleaming under the sunlight.

“We will win,” he said firmly.

“For sure.”