PAID

The maids of the Silver Dragon Sanctum had noticed something peculiar this past week…

Ever since Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Prince returned with their daughters from the St. Heith Academy play, the atmosphere in the Silver Dragon Sanctum felt…off.

Sure, Her Majesty maintained her usual routine, working from dawn till dusk, sometimes even burning the midnight oil. His Highness continued his helpful, civic-minded duties, assisting Her Majesty with various external matters, like taking care of any dangerous intruders near their tribe.

They were a prime example of harmonious teamwork, reinterpreting the old adage of “the woman handles internal affairs, the man handles the external.”

But!

Beneath this peaceful surface lay an oddly unsettling undercurrent.

After several days of close observation, the maidservants, led by Anna, became convinced that Her Majesty and His Highness had entered a post-marriage "cool-off period."

So, what exactly was a cool-off period?@@novelbin@@

After the initial stage of infatuation, marriage, having children, raising children, and then another rekindling of passion—mind you, that second surge of passion is akin to a dying person’s “final burst”—

Once that phase ended, it often signaled the beginning of a cool-off period in the marriage.

Cool-off periods aren’t scary; in fact, books say that this is something every couple, even every pair of lovers, goes through.

It’s the natural progression from having endless things to talk about to…not much at all. Even for Her Majesty and His Highness, no matter how passionate they once were, such passion was bound to gradually cool off.

So why were the maids so convinced that the couple had entered this cool-off phase?

The reason was simple: