Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You

A gentle breeze brushed her face, cool and refreshing.  

Noa slowly opened her eyes, finding herself surrounded by clouds under the vast blue sky.  
She leaned back against a firm chest, and when she turned to look, she saw her father.  
Leon was sitting cross-legged, with Noa nestled in his lap, comfortably sleeping through the journey.  

Glancing down, she noticed the smooth scales beneath them—it was the back of the massive Leviathan.  
Gathering a bit of strength, Noa spoke softly, “Dad…”  
She tried to sit up, but her body, still weak from exhaustion, refused to cooperate. Giving up, she leaned back against Leon once more.  

Leon gently ruffled her silver hair and said warmly, “Awake now, Noa?”  
“Yeah…” Noa’s voice was weak, but she managed to respond. “Did you take care of everything, Dad?”  
“Of course,” Leon replied with a confident smile. “When have I ever failed to fix something?”  

Noa’s tired face brightened into a small, proud smile. “Dad, you’re amazing.”  
After a moment, she asked, “What about Helena?”  
“She’s doing better than you. She was just shaken up, so her teacher took her and the other students back to the academy. Claudia will check on her soon,” Leon explained.  

“That’s good,” Noa said with relief. “But…”  
“But what?” Leon asked, looking down at her.  
“Does this mean all our efforts during the test were for nothing?”  

Leon sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. The monster that attacked you and Helena was Adam, the Warhammer Dragon King. He injured the academy guards and killed many dangerous beasts in the Demonic Moon Forest. The test had to be canceled because of him. The vice-principal plans to organize a new one later.”  
Noa nodded, looking thoughtful. “Well, I guess it wasn’t for nothing. After all, Helena and I didn’t defeat a single beast. Our score was a big, fat zero.”  
“My daughter, with a zero score? That’s a first,” Leon teased, chuckling.  

Noa narrowed her eyes, her expression turning serious as she retorted, “Dad, you might’ve been amazing as a kid, but now you’re just a husband who listens to everything Mom says.”  
“...Who taught you that phrase?” Leon asked, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} raising an eyebrow.  
“Little Light,” Noa said matter-of-factly.  
“Oh, that explains it.”  

Leon sighed. Little Light was always teaching the kids things that chipped away at his noble image. “When we get home, I’m spanking her.”  
---
Far away, Little Light sneezed in the middle of her class at the academy.  

“Are you catching a cold?” her deskmate Ryan whispered.  
“No,” she said, rubbing her nose. “I think someone’s badmouthing me.”  
---

Noa had fallen asleep again at some point. Her body, still too weak, gave her no warning when sleep would overtake her.  
When she woke up again, she recognized the scenery below. They were near the Silver Dragon Sanctuary.  
“We’re almost home,” she murmured.  

“I haven’t been home in two years, Dad,” she added quietly.  
Leon nodded. Her mother had mentioned this in her letters. Between school tasks, competitions, and weekend training, Noa hadn’t found the time to visit home.  
Leon decided to test if Noa knew what awaited her. “When we get home, your mother has a surprise for you.”  

“A surprise?”  
Noa thought for a moment, then said, “Oh, you mean Mom’s having another baby.”  
Leon blinked in surprise. “How do you know that?”  

“Mom wrote to me last week,” Noa replied. “She didn’t tell me earlier because she didn’t want me to get distracted from training. She only mentioned it right before the test.”  
Leon sighed. *Mother and daughter think alike.*  
It had been months since Leon last saw Rosvisser. This wasn’t the longest they’d been apart—once, in a future timeline, they’d been separated for six months. Back then, though, he had an adult Noa by his side and could see Rosvisser, even if only sealed in a crystal.  

This time, all he had were the crooked letters of her handwriting to keep him company.  
Distance made the heart grow fonder, and Leon had never felt the pain of separation so acutely.  
Now, as he approached home, he was filled with excitement.  

*Has she been taking care of herself?*  
Leon did a quick mental calculation. He had been gone for just over four months. Rosvisser must’ve gotten pregnant shortly after he left. Four months meant she was starting to show.  
His timing couldn’t have been better. She’d need someone by her side as her belly grew, and he intended to be there for her every step of the way.  

*I’m such a good husband. She’ll be so moved when I get home,* Leon thought, feeling smug.  
“Dad…”  
Noa’s soft voice pulled him from his thoughts.  

“Yes?”  
“I… I want to ask you something,” she said hesitantly.  
“Go ahead.”  

Noa squinted at the Silver Dragon Sanctuary in the distance, its majestic outline becoming clearer.  
Her lips, pale from fatigue, pressed together. Her silver hair blew across her face, her expression unreadable—a mixture of hesitation and contemplation.  
After a long pause, she finally spoke again. “I want to ask if you’re—”  

She stopped herself, lowering her head.  
“Am I what?” Leon prompted.  
But Noa didn’t answer.  

Looking down, he saw that she had fallen asleep again.  
“Well, we’re almost home, sleepyhead,” Leon said softly.  
He removed his coat and draped it over her, pulling her closer to keep her warm.  

Whatever question had weighed on Noa’s mind, she decided not to ask. She thought to herself, *Maybe I’ll ask him later.*  
For now, she nestled into his arms, feeling the warmth and safety of home.  
---

Leviathan hovered above the Silver Dragon Sanctuary, casting a long shadow over the ground.  
A beam of light descended, gently lowering Leon and Noa to the sanctuary’s entrance.  
Maids came out to greet them, and the guards, seeing their prince return after so long, called out warm welcomes.  

Leon greeted everyone in turn as he walked toward the grand staircase of the sanctuary.  
At the top, beyond the maids, a tall, elegant figure emerged.  
She stepped down the stairs with measured grace. Her long silver hair flowed freely, swaying in the wind like a celestial ribbon.  

Her simple, loose gown shimmered in the sunlight, making her look like a porcelain doll. Despite being bare-faced, the Silver Dragon Queen Rosvisser Melkvey stood out among the maids, her natural beauty radiant and unmissable.  
Her sharp, commanding aura had softened over time, replaced by the warmth and gentleness of motherhood.  
To Leon, however, she was just as stunning as the day he fell in love with her.  

They stood at different levels, one looking up, the other down, their gazes meeting.  
In their dark and silver eyes, they saw only each other, the reflection of a love that had endured countless trials.  
Even after all these years, every time they looked at each other like this, it felt impossible to look away.  

“I’m home, Rosvisser.”  
“Welcome home, Leon.”