Vol. 3 Ch. 2

To be honest, this was Rebecca’s first time being this close to a dragon—especially a Dragon Queen.

Like Leon, she had been trained at the Empire’s Dragon Slayer Academy, growing up with the belief that all dragons were enemies and that it was a Dragon Slayer’s duty to drive them out and reclaim human lands.

Before finding out that her captain had married the dragon beneath her, Rebecca had always thought that way. In her mind, all dragons were the enemy. Her mission was to eliminate them without leaving a single one behind.

But after witnessing all of Leon’s unpredictable actions, Rebecca had slowly begun to see dragons in a different light.

Though her understanding was still shallow, she had learned one important thing:

Humans and dragons *could* get married, have children, and build a life together.

If anyone had told Rebecca before that humans and dragons could not only coexist but also have three kids together, she would have shot them in the head just to check if their brains were full of mush.

Even now, it was hard for Rebecca to believe that she was sitting on the back of the Silver Dragon Queen, soaring freely among the clouds.

“So... what should I call you?” Rebecca tried to start a conversation.

After all, the Silver Dragon Queen had humbled herself by taking Rebecca on a flight to kill time. It wouldn’t be right to stay silent like a mute. A little chat wouldn’t hurt; she didn’t want the atmosphere to feel so awkward.

“Call me whatever you like,” Rosvisser replied calmly.

There was a time when Rosvisser cared greatly about how people addressed her.

When Leon had first woken up, Noa and Moon always addressed her as “Mother” or “Your Majesty Mother,” reflecting the strict manners in the Melkvi household.

But as her relationship with Leon deepened, Rosvisser had become more relaxed about formalities.

As long as it was appropriate, she no longer demanded perfect formality in how people addressed her.

“Hmmmm...”

Rebecca thought for a moment, and then a light bulb went off in her head.

“I’ll call you... *Sister-in-law*!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt the dragon beneath her shudder slightly.

“S-Sister-in-law?” The Dragon Queen was momentarily at a loss, clearly not expecting such a title.

“Yeah.”

Rebecca nodded, assuming that Rosvisser didn’t understand the meaning behind the term “sister-in-law,” so she patiently explained.

“In human society, when your older brother gets married, you call his wife ‘sister-in-law.’ Since the captain’s a year older than me and he married you, that makes you my sister-in-law.”

“I understand what sister-in-law means, but... but...” Rosvisser stammered.

“But what?”

Rebecca thought maybe the Dragon Queen didn’t like being addressed as “sister-in-law” by a human, perhaps thinking it beneath her status.

But Rosvisser’s answer was completely unexpected.

“The truth is... your captain and I aren’t... that close, so you don’t have to call me sister-in-law.”

Rebecca’s emerald eyes widened in disbelief.

“Not that close? But you have three kids together!”

“Having children doesn’t necessarily mean we’re close...”

Rebecca tilted her head. “Are you two living together?”

“Does sharing a bed count as living together?”

“Of course it does!”

“...Then yes, we are.”

Rebecca continued her questions, “Have you two held hands?”

“We have...”

“Have you kissed?”

“...Very rarely.”

By “very rarely,” she meant any chance they got, they were kissing like their lives depended on it.

“When was the last time you kissed?”

For some reason, the air stirred by Rosvisser’s wings started to feel warmer.

Rebecca didn’t pay much attention, assuming it was just the weather. But if she had glanced back, she would have noticed the Queen’s wings and tail turning a slight shade of red.

“The last time we kissed... was a long, long time ago. I told you, we rarely kiss. How could I remember?”

Rosvisser wasn’t intentionally lying. She just wasn’t ready to be fully honest about everything with Leon’s people.

Humans harbored prejudices against dragons, and naturally, dragons weren’t quick to trust humans either.

Rosvisser had brought Rebecca on this flight partly because she found the girl interesting—reliable and funny.

But she also wanted to get to know her better.

Rosvisser hoped to build a relationship of trust with someone like Rebecca, which is why she was making the effort.

But before building trust... she wanted to control the spread of certain rumors.

“Oh, so the last time you kissed was ages ago... Well, that makes sense—”

“We’re not that close, right?”

“You two are *very* close, Sister-in-law.”

Rebecca grinned, patting the scales on Rosvisser’s back. “What’s there to be embarrassed about?”

“I’m not... not embarrassed.”

Before she realized it, Rosvisser had already started to accept the title of “sister-in-law.”

Rebecca decided not to press further about the specifics of the relationship between Rosvisser and the captain.

After all, the Queen had already allowed her to call her sister-in-law, and anyone with common sense would understand what that implied.

“By the way, we humans have a saying: ‘Nothing tastes better than dumplings.’”

“Oh? And then?”

“‘And no one looks better than a sister-in-law!’”

“...”

“Ah! I finally said it. I’ve been holding that in since the first time I saw you!”

Lying on the dragon’s back, Rebecca gazed up at the bright blue sky, a relieved smile spreading across her cute face.

“The first time I met you, I thought you were stunning—so different from all the other dragons we’d encountered.”

“What were the other dragons like?”

“Fierce, always looking like they wanted to eat us.”

“Oh, I get like that when I’m hungry too.”

Rebecca: ?!

“I even prefer eating girls like you—spirited, clever, and pretty. One bite and you won’t even make a sound,” Rosvisser said with a teasing smile.

Noticing the playful tone in the Queen’s voice, Rebecca’s racing heart finally calmed down.

She pouted but continued where she left off.

“Other Dragon Kings... they just give off this vibe like you can’t talk to them at all. But you’re different. Even though you seem cold, talking with you is... surprisingly easy.”

This time, Rosvisser didn’t respond immediately.

After a brief pause, she said, “The fact that we’re able to have a friendly conversation right now is the result of a series of... accidents.”

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. “What... do you mean?”

“If the Empire hadn’t tried to assassinate Leon, I wouldn’t have captured him, we wouldn’t have gotten married, and you and I wouldn’t be here chatting.”

“Hmm... I guess it’s been a series of accidents,” Rebecca mused.

“So, in essence, I’m not that different from the other Dragon Kings you’ve met.”

Rosvisser paused before adding with a smirk, “Well, except I don’t eat people.”

Rebecca smiled softly but stayed quiet, waiting for Rosvisser to continue.

“The way you see me now is based on the understanding you’ve gained of me, right?”

Rebecca nodded. “Yeah.”

“Rebecca, I’m not trying to justify this century-long war between humans and dragons. I just want to say that without understanding each other, it’s hard to make fair judgments.”

Rosvisser explained, “To be honest, I used to harbor deep resentment toward humans. I’m not hiding that. My relationship with Leon hasn’t been easy either—he’s been through a lot of hardship.”

“Of course, I’ve had my share of difficulties too.”

“My change in perspective toward Leon, and humans in general, came from getting to know him over time.”

“But I also understand that one person can’t represent an entire species. So, besides Leon, I want to learn more about the people around him.”

“Maybe by doing that, I can better understand the enemy we’ve been fighting for a hundred years and make the right judgment.”

Rebecca quietly pondered Rosvisser’s words.

She wasn’t used to deep thinking, but what Rosvisser said made sense and was worth considering.

After a moment, Rebecca asked softly, “So that’s why you’re trying to get to know me, to understand me?”

“Yes. And now that you know my thoughts, how do you feel?”

Rebecca bit her lip, thinking for a few more seconds before replying, “I never thought I’d have a conversation like this with a Dragon Queen. Maybe calling you ‘sister-in-law’ was a bit premature. Before that... we should try to be friends. What do you think?”

Rosvisser’s pupils flickered slightly as she smiled. “I believe in your world, you call that... being besties.”

Rebecca burst out laughing at the Queen’s word choice.

“Yeah, besties! Though the two-hundred-year age gap is a bit much... If the captain can marry you, why can’t I be your bestie?”

Good thing it’s just besties, Your Majesty.

For a second, I thought you were going to adopt me as your daughter.

“So, what do besties do when they get together in human society?”

Rebecca thought for a moment and answered, “They chat, eat, drink, and gossip about their boyfriends. Though I don’t have a boyfriend.”@@novelbin@@

Rosvisser blinked. “You don’t, but I do.”

The silver dragon turned her head slightly, exchanging a knowing glance with the girl on her back.

Two seconds passed.

“Let me tell you, Your Majesty, the captain’s always had a thing for silver-haired women like you! Back in school—”

General Leon would never know that on that day, his most loyal gunner stripped away every last bit of his dignity and laid it bare for his wife.

The lesson here:

Never let your wife meet your college friends.

Otherwise, at best, you’ll lose all your dignity.

At worst... you’ll lose your standing in the household!