Rossweise had prepared a family dinner that night—not merely as a reward for little Muen's diligent efforts, but also as an opportunity.
An opportunity for that reckless human—the so-called Dragon Slayer who knew no fear of heaven or earth—to formally meet his second daughter.
For this rare occasion, Rossweise personally cooked every dish herself. Her culinary skills, refined and precise, mirrored the grace she exhibited in battle. It was no wonder Muen adored her mother's cooking, especially the perfectly seared steak that Rossweise reserved for special days.
After nearly an hour of focused work, the dining table was laden with fragrant dishes—slices of golden steak glistening with herb-infused butter, a bowl of steaming seasonal vegetables tossed with garlic, and delicate bread rolls with a tantalizing crispness at their edges. The rich, savory aroma filled the entire room.
Rossweise removed her apron and turned toward Leon, who sat near the table, watching her movements with the restless anticipation of a child awaiting a feast.
"Muen, go call your sister for dinner," Rossweise instructed softly.
"Okay!" Muen replied cheerfully, hopping off her chair and dashing out of the room, her little tail flicking with excitement.
Rossweise took her seat at the head of the table. She held a small hair tie between her lips, lifted her slender hands, and gathered the cascade of her silver hair behind her neck. The motion was simple yet fluid—smooth as moonlight sliding over glass. She secured the tie and let the gathered hair fall in a graceful wave down her back.
When she glanced up, she found Leon staring at her with that familiar, mischievous grin.
"What are you looking at?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Leon sighed dramatically. "Just… feeling a pang of regret that I didn't get to witness the birth of our two daughters."
Rossweise tilted her head, feigning deep thought, then allowed a faint smile. "That's alright. If you truly wish to see it—we can."
Leon blinked, caught off guard. "We can?"
"We can have another. Perhaps even a third," she said smoothly, her lips curving into a dangerous, knowing smile.
"…There's really no need for that," Leon coughed, his composure cracking.
"Hmph. Fool."
That tone—light yet cuttingly dismissive—was eerily reminiscent of Noah's earlier rebuke. Like mother, like daughter, Leon thought with internal resignation.
Just as he prepared a retort, the soft sound of the door opening echoed from the hall. Two sets of footsteps—one light and quick, the other steady and deliberate—approached the dining room.
"Dad, Mother, I'm here! Big sister too!" Muen's bright voice announced their arrival.
Two identical little dragon girls stepped into the room. Their long, dark hair was interwoven with soft silver streaks that caught the light like threads of moonlight. Both wore elegant little dresses paired with pristine white stockings. Their height and features were nearly perfect mirror images of one another.
But their expressions could not have been more different.
Muen's face was alight with a cheerful, sunbeam-like smile, the small tuft of hair on her head twitching happily with each step. Noah, in contrast, carried an aura of serene composure—her face was a mask of solemn seriousness, her eyes cool and assessing, her posture as composed as a miniature adult's.
"Good evening, Mother," Noah greeted, offering a slight, formal bow.
"Good. Now, since this is your first formal meeting, introduce yourselves properly," Rossweise directed.
"Yes, Mother," Noah replied.
Her cool silver eyes turned to Leon. She stood perfectly straight, her voice crisp and precise. "I am the eldest daughter of the Silver Dragon Queen Rossweise—Noah C. Melkvey. One year and two months old."
Her introduction carried the weight and formality of a royal proclamation, far beyond what one would expect from a toddler. Every word was measured, calm, and dignified. Leon felt the air catch in his throat.
How is this child the same age as Muen?
Where Muen was all sunshine and unbridled joy, Noah was the calm of a winter morning—impossibly mature for her years.
"Leon," Rossweise said, a thread of amusement in her voice, "aren't you going to introduce yourself to your daughter?"
"Oh, right… right."
Leon cleared his throat, crouched down to bring himself to Noah's eye level, and said with as much warmth as he could muster, "Hello, Noah. I'm Leon Cosmodeous—your father."
Noah looked at him in silence for a moment that stretched just a little too long, then gave a small, acknowledging nod. "Noted."
Leon froze.
Noted?
What kind of daughter greeted her father with 'Noted'?
He blinked twice, utterly disarmed, while Rossweise's lips twitched violently—she was clearly battling a wave of laughter.
Before the queen could lose her composure, Muen tugged gently at her sister's sleeve and whispered, "Sister, say a little more, or Dad will feel awkward."
Noah gave her a sidelong glance. "Children should not interrupt adults while they are speaking."
Muen puffed her cheeks in a silent pout and retreated slightly behind her sister, fiddling with her own fingers.
Rossweise finally clapped her hands together softly. "Alright, introductions are concluded. Let us eat."
The twins moved to climb into their chairs. Muen struggled a bit, her small wings fluttering uselessly. Without a word, Noah reached down, lifted her sister by the waist with surprising strength, and placed her gently on the chair before climbing into her own seat with a small, efficient push and kick. It was a movement of practiced grace, as if she'd been performing this duty for years.
Rossweise watched them with a fond expression before her gaze landed on Leon, who was still processing the scene. "Why are you standing there? Have you lost your appetite?"
Leon shook himself out of his stupor and quickly took his seat. "Ah, no, no. Just… admiring the twins. Such impeccable teamwork."
Rossweise hid her smile behind her hand and began serving the food.
The table was now a landscape of warmth and enticing scents. Muen's nose twitched as she stared intently at the steak on her plate, but before she could dive in, Noah's voice stopped her.
"Wait." Noah picked up a napkin, unfolded it with care, and placed it neatly across Muen's lap. "Knife in your right hand, fork in your left. Do not forget again."
"I won't, Sister," Muen promised sweetly.
"Good. You may eat."
Leon, sitting across from them, observed the interaction quietly. Despite her frosty exterior, Noah was remarkably attentive, even protective. She didn't behave like a child at all—she behaved like a miniature guardian, a tiny echo of Rossweise's own formidable nature.
So that's what she inherited from her mother, Leon thought, a mixture of amusement and disbelief swirling within him. Strictness, packaged in a one-year-old. Perfect.
He glanced toward Rossweise. She showed no signs of surprise, clearly accustomed to her eldest daughter's preternatural maturity. To her, this was simply normal.
The gentle clinking of cutlery filled the room. Leon finally picked up his own fork and sampled the steak. The flavor was instantaneous and sublime—incredibly tender meat, a perfect sear, the rich scent of butter and garlic melding harmoniously. It was, quite literally, mouthwatering.
No wonder Muen had been so excited.
"Uh, Sister," Muen whispered after a moment of struggling with her knife. "I can't cut it…"
Noah calmly reached over. "Apply pressure with your thumb—firm and steady," she instructed, guiding the knife through the steak with effortless precision. Her tiny hands moved with a deftness that made Leon blink again.
"There," Noah said, handing the fork back. "Now eat."
"Thank you, Sister!" Muen beamed.
Noah simply nodded and turned her attention to Rossweise. "Mother, would you like me to assist you with yours?"
Rossweise's smile was soft. "No need. Thank you, Noah."
Noah nodded once more. Then her gaze drifted across the table and met Leon's.
For a moment, Leon thought she might extend the same offer to him. He couldn't resist leaning forward slightly, a hopeful grin playing on his lips. "Well? What about me?"
Noah tilted her head a fraction, her expression unchanged. "No need for you."
Leon's grin solidified on his face.
…So that's how it was.
Before he could formulate a response, Noah suddenly sneezed. "Achoo!"
She promptly pulled two napkins from the holder and wiped her nose with composed efficiency. "Apologies, Mother. I could not restrain it."
Rossweise pressed a hand to her mouth, her shoulders trembling with suppressed laughter. "It is quite alright," she managed, her voice wavering. "I nearly could not restrain myself either."
"Mother, why are you laughing so much?" Muen asked, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity.
Rossweise dabbed delicately at the corner of her mouth with her napkin, struggling to maintain her regal demeanor. "Because Daddy is happy, and when Daddy is happy, it makes me happy as well."
"Really, Daddy? Are you happy?" Muen turned her luminous gaze toward him.
Leon: "…"
Was he happy?
If he was being entirely honest… not exactly.
Rossweise leaned her chin on her hand, her voice dripping with playful mischief. "The child asked you a question, Leon. Are you not happy? You wished to see your elder daughter, and now you have. Do not hold back—smile for us."
Leon forced his lips into a wide, strained grin, his teeth clenched. "Haha… yes, I'm so happy. My dear, dear family."
Muen clapped her hands together in joy. "Yay! Daddy's smiling! How about we have dinner like this every day from now on?"
Rossweise smiled faintly and gave a slow, deliberate nod. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."
Muen turned her hopeful eyes back to Leon. "Dad, is my idea not good? Why aren't you smiling anymore?"
Leon: Sweetheart… can you perhaps guess why I'm not smiling?
He took a deep, steadying breath, his gaze sweeping over the mother-daughter trio across the table—one smiling with calm, victorious pride, the other munching her steak with blissful ignorance, and the cool-eyed elder daughter who had just refused him the most basic of courtesies.
Yes. This was his life now.
A formidable Dragon Queen, two tiny half-dragon girls—one a ray of sunshine, the other a shard of winter ice—and a single, very human man caught squarely in the middle.
Leon sighed quietly, lifted his glass, and muttered under his breath, "Cheers… to surviving another day."
A subtle, knowing curve touched Rossweise's lips, as if she had heard every word.