Vol. 2 Ch. 24

The Melcvis family was facing something strange.

Typically, young dragons can speak after just two months. In fact, Noa, their eldest daughter and the ultimate overachiever, was able to communicate in simple phrases within twenty days of being born.

However, something odd was happening with Aurora. She was approaching three months of age, yet there were still no signs of her speaking.

No matter how much Leon and Rosvisser encouraged or guided her to speak, Aurora’s only response was always:

“Ah-wah ah-wah~”

The little dragon’s pink eyes showed no curiosity about the world, nor any eagerness to learn how to talk.

Compared to her eldest sister, the overachiever, and her middle sister, the family mascot, Aurora seemed a bit… well, uninterested.

One evening, the couple lay side by side in bed, with Aurora nestled between them.

In the three months since her birth, Aurora had grown quite a bit. Although she still couldn't speak, she had learned to interact with her parents using her little tail.

A dragon’s tail activity is an important indicator of a young dragon's health.

From the way Aurora’s tail moved, it was clear that her body was perfectly fine. But as for speaking? Not a word—unless you counted “ah-wah ah-wah” as words.

Rosvisser lay on her side, propping her head up with one hand, using her finger to tease Aurora’s tail.

The little dragon, much like a kitten chasing a toy, eagerly lunged at her mother’s finger, only to miss it by a hair each time.@@novelbin@@

Despite failing again and again, Aurora kept playing, thoroughly entertained.

However, the queen’s face was filled with worry. “This doesn’t make sense. Moon started talking around two months, but Aurora’s already three months old, and she still hasn’t said a word…”

Leon was equally perplexed.

Dragon daughters aren’t like human babies, so human knowledge didn’t apply.

Rosvisser had mentioned before that it was normal for young dragons to start talking at around two months.

If it were due to her being half-dragon, causing her development to be slower, that might make sense. But Noa and Moon were also half-dragons, and their development had been perfectly normal—if not accelerated. Noa was ready to fight the moment she was born.

Leon furrowed his brow, muttering, “What’s going on here...”

Rosvisser’s eyes glinted as she suddenly said, “It’s probably because you’ve been constantly telling Aurora to call you 'Daddy' for the past few months. You’ve scared her, and now she doesn’t want to talk.”

Leon held up his hands in defense. “You’ve been trying just as hard to get her to say 'Mommy.' If that’s the reason, then we’re both equally to blame.”

The two had been in fierce competition, each wanting Aurora’s first word to be "Daddy" or "Mommy," respectively.

For three months, they’d been practically brainwashing their youngest daughter.

Even Moon had gotten involved at times.

Although she didn’t care as much about who Aurora’s first word would be directed at, she joined in for the fun.

But who would have guessed? In the midst of their expectations, Aurora had taken a path no one anticipated:

Complete disinterest.

No matter how much they tried, all they got was “ah-wah ah-wah.”

Eventually, Aurora grew tired and curled up her tail, drifting off to sleep under the watchful eyes of her parents.

Leon tucked her in gently, making sure she wouldn’t catch a chill, then looked over at Rosvisser. “Didn’t we just get Aurora checked last week?”

“Yes, the clan’s physicians said she’s completely healthy, but they couldn’t explain why she still isn’t talking.”

Rosvisser thought for a moment before adding, “How about this: tomorrow, let’s take Aurora to Sky City. The doctors there specialize in more areas.”

“Tomorrow, huh…”

Leon hesitated and shook his head. “Tomorrow might not work. Maybe in a few days.”

Rosvisser tilted her head. “What’s happening tomorrow?”

“I have an agreement with my master to exchange information every three months at the cave by the ravine. Tomorrow is the appointed time.”

Rosvisser nodded in understanding. “Oh~ Got it. Well then…”

The queen smirked mischievously, clearly teasing, “Shall I escort you there?”

“…No need, Your Majesty. I’ll go on my own. By the time I return, it’ll be another six months, and by then, Aurora should be talking.”

Leon joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Rosvisser playfully punched his shoulder, her laughter carrying a hint of affection. “Sure, sure, I’ll send you off. Now let’s sleep.”

With that, Rosvisser turned off the bedside lamp.

In the quiet of the night, moonlight spilled into the room. Leon lay there with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, listening to the steady breathing of Aurora and Rosvisser beside him.

His mind began reviewing the information he needed to report to his master tomorrow.

The main points were that Constantine wasn’t the only Dragon King collaborating with the Empire. There were likely other Dragon Kings involved, and someone close to Constantine probably knew their identities.

Once the internal strife within the Flame Dragon Clan was resolved, Leon would need to start investigating this confidant.

There wasn’t much information to go on, but political restraints and power struggles had kept them tied down. Once things settled, Leon knew he’d need to speed up his investigation.

As these thoughts filled his mind, sleep eventually overcame him.

The night passed quietly.

The next day, after instructing the maids to look after Moon and Aurora, Leon and Rosvisser set off for the border between the dragon and human territories.

On the way, Rosvisser suddenly asked, “Are you nervous?”

The wind whipped past them, ruffling Leon’s hair. He looked down at the silver dragon beneath him. “Nervous? About what?”

Rosvisser pondered for a moment before continuing, “Three months is a long time for you humans, right? Anything could happen in that span. If your master doesn’t show up on time…”

Leon blinked, scratching his head.

He didn’t think Rosvisser was trying to jinx him—she was just considering a worst-case scenario.

After a moment, Leon replied, “I trust my master and Rebecca. They’ll be there on time.”

“…Good.” The queen’s tone seemed distracted.

Leon, perceptive as always, picked up on the change in her mood. He realized that Rosvisser was trying to express something else by bringing up the possibility of a missed meeting.

After a moment of thought, he recalled their own arrangement—how they had agreed to meet every three months after they parted.

A light bulb went off in his head.

Smiling, he patted Rosvisser’s back scales. “Hey, Dragon Queen, when we first parted ways, we also agreed to meet every three months, right? So you were already thinking about this back then, weren’t you?”

The rhythm of their high-speed flight faltered slightly, and Leon almost lost his balance.

The silver dragon beneath him remained silent, focusing on flying.

It seemed he’d hit the nail on the head.

“And if I didn’t leave the Empire after dealing with the traitor, and three months later, you came to find me at the cave, only to discover I hadn’t shown up… what would you do?” Leon asked with a grin, curious to know just how much this stubborn dragoness cared about him.

“W-What do you mean, what would I do? If you didn’t show up, then we’d just… talk about our daughters. If you didn’t come… I’d just… I’d just…”

“You’d just what?”

“I’d go home and hold a funeral for you with Noa and Moon.”

“I don’t believe you. You’re just saying that.”

“I’m not! That’s exactly what I’d do.”

“You stubborn dragon, you’re really—whoa, whoa! Slow down, slow down!”

Rosvisser silenced him with a sudden burst of speed, forcing Leon to swallow his words.