Leon left the room and made his way down the corridor toward the temple's backyard. This time, the path was lined with at least a dozen guards from the Silver Dragon Clan, a stark contrast to the deserted halls of his initial escape. They stood at rigid attention, their sharp eyes tracking his every move. The security was undeniably tighter.
This confirmed his suspicion: his easy escape yesterday had been a deliberate setup by Rossweise. She had orchestrated it all, leading him straight to the Empire's edge to witness his homeland, to feel the crushing despair of being unable to return, all while she subjected him to her twisted humiliations. It was a deeply psychological attack, a masterful strike at the very core of his being.
It reinforced his belief that Rossweise was, at her core, a madwoman. Beneath that regal, composed exterior festered a wild craving for cruelty and sick games. A wave of bitter misfortune washed over him. Why did it have to be her? Any other captor might have been preferable.
Not that falling into anyone's clutches would be good, right?
But fate had delivered him to Rossweise. He could not escape, he could not die. He was a living tool for her wrath, and now, he had the added duty of childcare. The weight of it felt like chains, but he buried his frustration deep within.
Yet, Leon was not completely broken. For Rossweise to truly disgust him, she had to put in considerable effort. But if Leon wanted to disgust her, it required very little. His mere existence in her sight was often enough. After all, looking at the long, bloody history between humans and dragons, he was likely the only human to have ever impregnated a dragon through sheer physical means. It was a monumental, shocking, and deeply taboo act.
This deed was considered wild and abhorrent by human standards. In Rossweise's mind, it was just as revolting, a permanent stain on her honor, a relentless corrosion of her pride as a queen.
Simultaneously, Leon had not abandoned his desire to escape. As he had declared the previous night, Rossweise could crush his dignity and pride, but she could never extinguish the heart of a dragon slayer. That belief burned within him, a stubborn flame that kept him going through the pain.
He was watching, waiting for any opportunity to flee this nightmare. He would seize the smallest opening.
As he turned a corner in the corridor, nearing the temple's back door, he suddenly spotted a familiar small figure at the far end.
Thick black hair with distinctive silver streaks, like moonlight on a dark night. A small tail hung limply by her feet. She wore an ornate dress, a delicate white silk skirt peeking from beneath.
It was Muen. Leon was about to wave and call out when he noticed something was terribly wrong. The little dragon girl's face was utterly blank. She stared at Leon with a cold, detached expression, as if she harbored some deep-seated grudge or hatred for him. Her eyes were chips of ice, devoid of any warmth.
Though he hadn't spent much time with her, Leon remembered Muen's eyes as being warm and bright. This glacial stare was a shocking contrast. It made him pause, a cold knot tightening in his chest.
Leon pressed his lips together. Perhaps he had taken too long, and Muen was angry from waiting. Children's moods could shift in an instant.
Hesitating for a second, he waved anyway. "Muen, sorry to keep you waiting. Mom asked me to come play with you, so let's—"
Before he could finish, Muen spun around and dashed out the back door, disappearing into the courtyard. Leon hurried after her, but her small form had already vanished into the labyrinthine gardens.
Muttering under his breath about the fickleness of children, Leon entered the backyard, hoping to find her. After navigating a few winding flower paths, he reached a central garden. There, he saw Muen playing a game with several dragon maids. They were laughing softly, the air filled with lighthearted fun.
Leon scratched his head, baffled. "Kids' moods are really impossible to predict. No wonder Rossweise pawned the childcare duty off on me. She's probably enjoying her free time." He felt a familiar sense of being used, a mere pawn in this dysfunctional family.
The little dragon girl didn't seem particularly excited to see him now.
"Princess, cover your eyes, and don't peek~" one maid said playfully.
"Princess, I'm over here, over here, come catch me~" another teased.
"Your Highness, be careful not to fall," a third warned gently.
They were playing blind man's bluff. Muen groped around a few times but caught no one. Frustrated, she ripped off the blindfold, threw it to the ground, and stomped her small foot. "This isn't fun! I'm not playing anymore! I want Mother and Daddy to play with me!" Her voice was a petulant whine, full of longing.
An older maid, who seemed to be in charge, approached. She knelt down, looking up at Muen, and said patiently, "Your Highness, Her Majesty the Queen works tirelessly day and night. She handles all affairs of the clan, great and small. She cannot always be with you. You must be a good, obedient daughter and not worry the Queen." Her words were kind but firm, imparting a lesson in duty.
"Um... Muen understands," the little dragon girl said, her shoulders slumping in resignation.
She bent down, picked up the blindfold, and declared, "Anna, let's continue."
"Your Highness is so understanding," the head maid, Anna, said with an approving smile.
Anna stood and helped Muen retie the blindfold. The game resumed. Muen missed several times, trying to locate the maids by their giggles and rustling clothes. But at some point, the maids' voices fell silent. Muen, unaware, continued her blind search, arms outstretched.
"Your Highness—" Anna began, but was cut off.
Muen's small hands closed around someone's legs.
She tore off the blindfold, her face alight with excitement. "Muen caught you! You are—Dad, Daddy?! Dad, how did you get here...?" Her eyes widened in genuine surprise.
Leon crouched down slowly. He reached out and gently pinched Muen's chubby cheek. "Of course, I came to play with you." He mustered a warm smile, pushing his fatigue aside.
Hearing this, Muen's eyes lit up with pure joy. "Really, Daddy?!"
Leon nodded, his smile softening. "Yes, really."
"Yay! Daddy is playing with me!" Muen cheered, spinning around Leon in a happy dance.
Her little tail swished in circles before Leon's eyes. As she spun, a thought nagged at him. The Muen in the corridor and this Muen seemed like two completely different children. Could a child's mood shift that drastically?
"Muen, did you just come back from the corridor?" Leon asked, his curiosity piqued.
Muen stopped spinning and replied with serious earnestness, "No, Daddy. I've been playing in the garden the whole time." She tilted her head, confused by the question.
"Oh, is that so..." Leon said, uncertainty gnawing at him.
"What's wrong, Daddy?"
"Nothing. It's nothing." He shook his head, dismissing it.
Perhaps he'd just imagined it, he reasoned. Waking from a long coma and enduring Rossweise's torments was enough to make anyone see things. The fact he was even out of bed was a sign his body was recovering扬, albeit slowly.
"By the way, Muen, what do you want to play? Do you want to keep playing hide-and-seek?" Leon changed the subject, wanting to keep her happy.
Muen pouted, thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't want to play that anymore. I'm not good at it; I can never catch anyone. How about... we play Dragon Knights!" Her eyes sparkled with a new, mischievous light.
Leon was taken aback. "Dragon knights... how do you play that?" A sense of foreboding twisted in his gut.
One minute later, Muen was perched triumphantly on Leon's shoulders. Her tail draped gently over his back like a living scarf. Leon held his hands up, gently gripping Muen's ankles to steady her.
"Yay! Dad, charge!" Muen commanded, full of vibrant energy.
"Alright, charge, charge!" Leon replied, forcing enthusiasm into his voice.
Leon now understood. The so-called Dragon Knight game was not about a knight riding a dragon. It was about a dragon riding a knight. Well, she can ride for a while, he thought with a internal sigh. Just spoil your daughter. Despite everything, a small, unexpected warmth bloomed in his chest.
Could he really expect Rossweise, that proud, temperamental mother dragon, to ever play such a mundane, familial game with Muen? Never. She was far too consumed by her royal duties and her own pride.
He was dreaming.
"Daddy, Daddy, go to Anna, the maid leader! She's the guardian of the human race now! If we defeat her, we can reclaim our territory!" Muen declared, pointing a commanding finger.
The statement nearly made Leon's back give out.
Goodness, sweet daughter, you're hitting your dad right in his weak spot.
Do you have any idea who you're riding right now? You're riding the (former) strongest dragon slayer of the human race! The irony stung his pride like a physical wound.
Why couldn't the maid play the guardian of some other race? The beast race, the elf race, the werewolf race? Anything but the human guardian.
Leon grumbled internally, placing the blame squarely on dragon upbringing. This was undoubtedly Rossweise's influence! She was instilling a hatred for humans from a tender age, even in her own half-human child. The thought fueled his anger, but he kept it carefully hidden.
But since he had promised Muen he would play, Leon was a man of his word. He acknowledged her command and began a slow jog toward the maids. The maids played their parts wonderfully, their acting skills impeccable. Muen brandished a stick like a sword, and they dramatically fell to the ground upon her "attack."
Some even added extra flair:
"Ah! Such a mighty dragon princess! You've defeated me with a single blow!" one maid exclaimed, collapsing with a theatrical flourish.
Or:
"Have we humans truly been bested by the noble and powerful dragon race? I cannot accept this! I cannot!" another cried, clutching her chest in feigned despair.
Leon thought, Your acting is as over-the-top as a villain from a cheap opera. He rolled his eyes internally.
Despite the multitude of complaints swirling in his mind, Leon held his tongue. He had lost the luxury of choice. He needed to care for the child, lull Rossweise into a false sense of security, and then seize his chance to escape. He would play his part and wait for the right moment.
And so, after playing the Dragon Knight game for nearly an hour, Leon's body began to scream in protest. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his breaths came in short, labored gasps.
No, it wasn't just fatigue. His body, freshly roused from its long slumber, was far from healed. Even this light exertion was making him dizzy, the world beginning to swim at the edges of his vision.
He slowly crouched down. Muen hopped lightly from his shoulders. "Daddy, are you tired?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Yeah, a little—" Leon began.
"Daddy is not tired."
A voice came from the direction of the temple.
Leon and Muen looked up. It was Rossweise. She stood on a balcony overlooking the garden, observing them with a relaxed, almost amused air, like a spectator at a play.
"Muen, Daddy isn't tired at all. He's full of energy right now. You can keep playing any game you like with him," Rossweise stated casually, her eyes locking with Leon's in a clear, teasing challenge.
"Really? That's great! I thought Daddy was getting tired." Muen beamed, her worries instantly forgotten.
She turned back to Leon. "Daddy, let's keep playing, okay?"
Leon straightened up and glared at Rossweise on the balcony.
She rarely smiled at him, but this particular smile was that of a cunning fox who had just won a trick. Her eyes sparkled with malicious delight, savoring his struggle.
"Rossweise!" Leon shouted up at her, his expression set in a mask of defiance.
"What is it?" she inquired, feigning innocence.
Leon gritted his teeth. He mentally ran through every curse he knew. But with the child standing right there, he could only spit out a single, heavily sarcastic word:
"Cute."
The word dripped with venom, but it was the safest insult he could muster. Inside, he boiled with frustration, but for Muen's sake, he swallowed it. The game would continue, his body aching, but his will burning fiercer than ever.