Vol. 2 Ch. 96

The couple walked out of the Silver Dragon Sanctuary, spending some time playing with their daughters in the backyard before wandering into the nearby hills.

Along the way, they encountered many of the Silver Dragon clan members who had been summoned back.

Every time they saw Leon, they excitedly called out, “Your Highness!” before enthusiastically greeting him.

It felt like a celebrity fan meeting.@@novelbin@@

After finally reaching a relatively quiet cherry blossom grove, Leon exhaled in relief.

“Wow, I didn’t realize I had such a high reputation among your Silver Dragon clan. Who would’ve thought, just a few years ago, I was close to wiping them all out?”

“Don’t bring up that time when you got backstabbed. If anyone was close to being wiped out, it was you.”

Rosvisser laughed. “But honestly, your reputation in my clan is undeniable. Dragons may appear to revere violence and brutality, but beneath that, it’s all about respect for strength.”

She stood beside Leon, gazing with him toward the distant Silver Dragon Sanctuary, continuing her explanation.

“In the dragon clan, as long as you’re powerful, everyone will respect you.”

Leon nodded thoughtfully.

He recalled that his standing among the Silver Dragon clan had indeed been building ever since the battle with Constantine.

Before Constantine, when Silver Dragon clan members greeted Leon, it was:

“Good day, Your Highness. Thank you for your hard work.” (uttered with no real emotion)

But after the battle with Constantine, things shifted to:

“Your Highness! Can I get your autograph? My child has been a fan of yours since they were young!”

*Lady, please, I’ve only been married to your queen for three years. How could your child have been a fan since they were little?*

This change in attitude wasn’t simple opportunism.

The Silver Dragon clan had always shown Leon basic respect and courtesy.

But after the battle, his strength and personal charm had elevated that respect to a whole new level.

“Of course, a lot of it has to do with you as well,” Rosvisser added. “You were the leader of the Dragon Slayers, after all. You’ve always had that commanding presence.”

Flattered by the queen’s compliment, Leon rubbed his nose, trying to suppress a grin.

“When do I get to sit on the throne in your Silver Dragon Sanctuary then?”

Rosvisser blinked, playfully swatting his backside with her tail. “Dream on. A little praise and you’re already forgetting your place.”

After a brief pause, Rosvisser added with a mysterious smile, “But… about that throne we discussed earlier—I’ve been thinking about it. I might redo it during the sanctuary’s renovations.”

“Huh? What throne are we talking about again?”

Rosvisser rolled her eyes at him. “Never mind. You’ll find out eventually.”

“Ohhh.”

The couple continued their slow walk through the cherry blossom grove.

Before they left the house, Leon had brought a camera with him. It was the perfect time of year, with the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

The beauty of the scenery combined with the beauty of his wife meant that even an amateur photographer like Leon could take professional-looking shots.

Especially when that beauty was Rosvisser, who looked stunning without even trying. She didn’t need to pose or do anything fancy—just standing there was enough to create a perfect composition.

So, the moral of the story is: having a wife like Rosvisser is a real blessing.

At the very least, whenever they went on trips and took photos, she would never complain about Leon’s photography skills, because her beauty made every shot look amazing.

After snapping a few more photos, Rosvisser noticed that Leon wasn’t bothering to check the preview on the camera, so she asked, “Aren’t you going to see how the pictures turned out?”

Leon shrugged. “No point.”

“No point?”

“Yeah. You’re so beautiful in every shot that I don’t feel like comparing which one looks better.”

Rosvisser chuckled softly. She wasn’t sure if Leon was praising her or if he was just too lazy to sort through the photos.

But she didn’t comment further. They continued their leisurely stroll, stopping occasionally to take more photos.

Eventually, they took a break by a small stream.

“You told me that in the future, I fell into a deep coma from overusing my power?” Rosvisser asked, her curiosity piqued by the stories Leon had shared about his six months in the future.

Leon nodded. “Yeah.”

“So, during those six months, there was no one around to argue with you?”

Rosvisser smiled playfully. “You must’ve felt so lonely.”

“Of course, I was lonely. I dreamed every night that I was arguing with you.”

“Oh, I see.”

Leon blinked. “What do you ‘see’ now?”

“You dreamed about me.”

“You really know how to find sugar in everything, don’t you, Dragon Queen?” Leon teased with a laugh.

But as he thought more about Rosvisser’s comment, the smile faded from his face.

Being without Rosvisser hadn’t just meant no one to bicker with.

He remembered those last few days before completing the reversal magic. Leon had felt utterly defeated, as though his very spirit was crushed.

He had wished countless times that Rosvisser could’ve been there with him.

She was always so understanding, always knew how to comfort him, how to untangle the knots in his heart.

Sometimes, it’s hard to recognize the value of certain things—or people—until they’re gone.

In those six months, Leon had learned many things.

One of them was to cherish the people you have in front of you.

He turned to look at Rosvisser. She was smiling softly, gazing ahead, her dimples making her look both playful and mischievous, as if she was already thinking of new ways to tease him.

Leon quickly shifted his gaze back to the camera in his hands, fiddling with it for a while. Then something came to mind, and he asked, “By the way, in the future, Aurora mentioned something called a Heartscale—a protective dragon scale your clan possesses. Is that right?”

At the mention of the Heartscale, Rosvisser’s smile faltered, and her silver eyes trembled slightly. “Yes… Why?”

“Your grandmother examined you after you fell into the coma. She said your Heartscale was there but wasn’t functioning. Apparently, the dragon Heartscale only starts forming after the age of one hundred.”

Leon paused, thinking carefully before continuing, “Does that mean the Heartscale you have now isn’t your original one, but a new one that formed later?”

Rosvisser bit her lip lightly, not denying it. She nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

“So, what happened to your original Heartscale?”

Rosvisser averted her gaze. “I… I lost it.”

Leon stared at her, shocked. “You lost it?!”

“…Yeah.”

Leon moved in front of her, gently cupping her face with both hands, making her look at him.

“You lost something as important as a Heartscale? And that thing is supposed to be part of your body! How could you lose it?”

Clearly, this flimsy excuse wasn’t fooling Leon. If she kept spinning this story, it would only raise his suspicions.

After a moment of thought, Rosvisser replied, “I placed it… somewhere safe.”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “Somewhere safe? What place could be safer than your own body? And why would you even take it out? That would only harm you, wouldn’t it?”

Rosvisser lowered her gaze, her silver eyes glancing toward Leon’s chest.

After a long silence, she finally said, “When I say ‘safe,’ I don’t mean protecting the Heartscale itself. I mean… I needed to protect something even more important.”

Though, originally, her intentions had nothing to do with protection.

Leon narrowed his eyes. “Now you’re talking in riddles. I—”

“I’ll tell you more when the time is right,” Rosvisser interrupted. “But not now.”

Leon opened his mouth, wanting to press her further.

But he knew Rosvisser well. When she didn’t want to talk about something, no amount of questioning would get her to open up.

Even though he was worried about the implications of her missing Heartscale, he knew he would have to wait until she was ready to explain.

After the conversation ended, a brief silence fell over the couple.

Leon busied himself by flipping through the previews on his camera.

Rosvisser glanced at him, hesitating for a moment before suggesting, “How about we visit the border?”

Leon didn’t hesitate to agree. “Sure, let’s go.”