Vol 7. Chapter 18: Return

Even though he had finally called out that long-overdue “Mom,” completing a missing piece of his life, Leon couldn’t help but feel... wasn’t that all a little too easy?

Hera’s change in attitude had come much faster than he expected. Even Leon himself could sense how sudden it was to bring something like this up right before parting.

And yet, Hera had reacted like she’d already been prepared.

As if sensing his doubt, Hera smiled and asked,

"Does it feel strange? That I agreed to your request so easily?"

Leon nodded.

Hera smiled again, then turned her gaze to the distance and spoke slowly,

"It’s all thanks to you having such a good wife, Leon."

Leon blinked in surprise. Rosvisser? ...What does she mean?

"The day I first met her, I asked Rosvisser why she wasn’t nervous at all."

Hera explained patiently.

"She said she saw me as a long-lost elder she was finally reunited with. Why would she be nervous? And after that, your thoughtful and clever wife kept making it subtly clear, both openly and indirectly, that ‘I’m a member of the Melkvey family.’ Leon, she’s been laying the groundwork for that moment just now this entire month. That’s why I could so easily understand and accept what you were trying to say."

After hearing Hera’s explanation, Leon stood there dazed for a moment.

He thought of Rosvisser, and all the little things she’d done over the past month—quiet, easily overlooked gestures.

All of it had been for this one thing: so he could open her heart to Hera.

She didn’t know when Leon would find the courage to make his decision.

Maybe in a month, maybe in two, maybe longer.

Because as his wife, she understood better than anyone just how much this troubled and weighed on him.

But still, she chose to quietly give her all. Quietly pave the way.

And never once told Leon.

Thinking of this, a warmth bloomed in Leon’s chest.

He couldn’t stop the smile rising to his lips.

So that’s how it was. Love could be dramatic, or it could be silent.

And of course... it could also be delightfully messy.

"Treat her well. Don’t let her down. Don’t make her sad."

Hera gently patted Leon’s shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Leon bit his lower lip and nodded firmly.

"I understand, Sen..."

"Hmm?"

Leon shook his head and smiled. "I understand, Mom."

"That’s settled. Now we need to think about how to explain things to the little dragons."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Explain what?"

Hera gave him a mischievous grin.

"Explain how the woman they were told was only staying for a month as ‘Senior Hera’... suddenly became their grandmother."

...

...

"Grandma Charlotte is our grandma, and Senior Hera is also our grandma—"

Little Aurora squinted through her magnifying glass, carefully flipping through the thick tome titled The Human Family Ethics System, inspecting every word.

"How are these words even supposed to form a coherent sentence!"

(SpongeBob book-flipping sounds)

Leon quietly closed the book in front of Little Aurora, cleared his throat twice, and said,

"There are some things you’ll understand when you’re older."

"Dad, why are you trying to smooth this over with that same excuse third Sister uses on us?"

"This isn’t smoothing over. This time, it’s real."

Little Aurora narrowed her eyes suspiciously, scanning her dad’s face.

After confirming he was telling the truth, she finally set down her magnifying glass.

"Fine."

Honestly, Leon hadn’t figured out the best way to formally explain his relationship with Hera to the girls.

But he figured it was better to get the “Grandma” part out of the way now—before life got too busy.

Thankfully, the kids were all very understanding. They knew this beautiful auntie—no, now it should be beautiful grandma—who had been living with them for over a month, was someone very important to their dad.

And besides, they’d all grown to really like Hera during this time.

So revealing the truth and drawing their bond closer didn’t feel awkward at all.

Once things were settled with the little dragon girls, it was finally time for Hera to return to the Golden Thunder Clan.

Leon and Rosvisser would escort her personally.

After eight days of flight, the three of them reached the outer boundary of the Golden Thunder territory.

A silver dragon descended slowly, and two figures leapt from its back. The dragon then shifted into human form.

Staring at her homeland ahead, the Five-Spirit Altar standing tall in the distance, Hera’s pupils quivered slightly as countless emotions surged within her.

It had been over twenty years.

Even though the misunderstanding had been cleared and the true traitor punished, standing here again... Hera couldn’t help but feel lost.

Perhaps sensing her hesitation, Leon stepped forward and said,

"Let’s go in. No matter what happens, Rosvisser and I will be right here with you."

"That’s right, Senior. This is # Nоvеlight # your home to begin with. You’re just coming home now," Rosvisser added.

Their reassuring words eased the tension in Hera’s heart a little.

She nodded. "Alright. Let’s go."

And with that, the three of them walked toward the Golden Thunder Clan.

At the far end of the village streets, passersby began to notice them. One by one, they stopped and stared—

"Is that Mr. Leon and Lady Rosvisser? Who’s with them—?"

"It’s—It’s Hera! Priestess Hera!"

Someone recognized her instantly.

And at those words, the Golden Thunder clansfolk dropped everything and surged toward them, flooding the street entrance in an instant.

"It really is Priestess Hera!! You’ve finally come back, Priestess Hera!"

"Mr. Leon didn’t lie to us... You weren’t lying!"

Months ago, Leon had publicly exposed Dimo’s plot to the Golden Thunder Clan, clearing Hera’s name.

He had promised them then that he would return soon with Hera—and lead the clan back on track.

Now, he had fulfilled that promise.

"It’s been a long time."

Hera smiled warmly, looking at the clansman in front of her.

After studying him a moment, she said,

"Baizhuo. You’ve aged. So much white hair already."

"P-Priestess Hera...!" The clansman, Azhuo, spoke in a trembling voice, eyes brimming with tears.

Hera’s gaze moved to the others.

She still remembered every one of their names.

"Rasel, Yudi, Karine, Sandra..."

"And Anie. You’ve grown up. You’ve become so beautiful."

Heads bowed low. Even after thirty years, Hera still remembered them all.

And twenty years ago, they had cast her out as a traitor.

Now that the truth was revealed and she stood before them again—calling each of them by name—their guilt overflowed like a broken dam.

"I’m sorry, Priestess Hera!"

With those words, Anie fell to her knees, her head bowed low, hair falling forward.

"Anie, what are you doing—get up—"

But before Hera could move, the rest of the Golden Thunder clansfolk also knelt one by one.

"You all..."

"Priestess Hera, it was our fault. We didn’t seek the truth..."

"We wrongly took you for a traitor."

"We’re the reason you had to wander alone for over thirty years. It was... it was all our fault!"

"If only we’d trusted you a little more... maybe your life wouldn’t have been so hard."

"We’re sorry, Priestess Hera, we—"

...

They were sincerely repenting—for what they had once believed and done.

Hera listened quietly. When their emotions finally began to calm, she spoke.

"There’s no need for this."

She helped Anie up as she spoke.

The others began to slowly rise as well.

Looking at her kin, Hera continued.

"All of this was Dimo’s doing. You were merely misled by him."

"Now that his ugly face has been exposed, and I’ve returned..."

"There’s no need for anyone to keep dwelling on the past."

"The Golden Thunder Clan must keep moving forward. We must work together to restore its former glory."

...

Leon and Rosvisser stood at the side of the street, quietly listening as Hera forgave and encouraged her people.

After a while, Rosvisser said,

"Isn’t Senior Hera being... a little too merciful? Just letting the past go like that?"

Leon chuckled and shook his head.

"You’re a Dragon Queen yourself, Rosvisser. If your own people misunderstood you, and you spent over twenty years in exile—would you come back and immediately start a purge?"

Rosvisser blinked thoughtfully—and quickly understood what Leon meant.

"Hmm... it’s better to handle it the way Senior Hera is doing it. Be gentle first, rebuild your position and influence, and once the time is right, you can take care of the old grudges little by little."

"Exactly. Dimo was a priest here for so many years—I don’t believe he didn’t leave people behind. Hera’s kindness right now is just a way to keep them complacent."

Leon said, "When the time comes, she’ll deal with them one by one."

After a pause, he added,

"But that’ll be their internal matter. It’s not something we need to interfere in."

Rosvisser nodded, then let out a long sigh. Looking at Hera’s back, she smiled and said,

"Anyway, you’ve finally resolved that knot in your heart, haven’t you, Leon?"

"Yeah. And it’s all thanks to you," Leon said.

"Me? ...Oh, so Senior Hera told you already? Hmph. I guess my month of hard work laying the groundwork paid off. So? How are you going to thank me?"

"I’ll wash your feet."

"That’s the good part. What about the bad?"

The couple looked at each other—and smiled.