Chapter 158: Promise

Night quietly descended.

Leon looked at the maids and doctors gathered around the large bed, trying to catch a glimpse of Rosvitha through the gaps in the crowd.

But they surrounded their queen so tightly that Leon could only hear the faint moans coming from that side.

It usually takes about eight to ten hours from the onset of contractions to a successful delivery for a pregnant woman.

During these ten hours, the pain Rosvitha had to endure was unimaginable to Leon as a man.

He had read many educational books about pregnant women and prenatal care, understanding how painful childbirth is for a woman.

At the same time, he was also acutely aware of how helpless he felt in this situation.

He couldn’t help much; everything was left to the professional doctors and maids.

Hearing their mother’s soft moans of pain, his two daughters also grew anxious.

“Daddy… is Mommy in a lot of pain?”

Muen clutched Leon’s sleeve, her large eyes glistening with tears, her voice trembling slightly, “Muen doesn’t want a new sister anymore, Muen just wants Mommy to not be in so much pain…”

Leon lowered his head, holding Muen’s cold little hand and gently rubbing her head, “It’s okay… Muen, don’t worry. Mommy… will be fine.”

His mind was in turmoil, completely unsure of what to say, as any words of comfort seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

Fortunately, Noia was a very competent older sister. She hugged her sister, letting her lean on her shoulder, gently patting her back, and softly whispering comforting words.

Leon looked at his two daughters and hesitated for a moment before saying, “Noia, Muen, let Daddy take you back to your rooms first. When Mommy is done, I’ll call you over, okay?”

Right now, it was just the contractions, but in a few hours, Rosvitha would be in much more pain than she was now. It was enough that his daughters wanted to be with their mother; Leon didn’t want them to endure this ordeal alongside him.

Hearing this, Noia gently tugged Muen’s hand and softly asked if she wanted to go back and come see Mommy later. Muen sniffled, then nodded.

“Alright, then Daddy will take you back.”

Leon stood up, holding his daughters’ hands on either side, and quietly left Rosvitha’s bedroom.

He gently closed the door and led his daughters to their shared room. The cool air in the hallway offered some comfort.

Leon closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

But before he could fully enjoy this brief moment of relaxation, a loud crash came from the hallway window.

Before Leon could react, a body engulfed in flames crashed down in front of him like a cannonball.

Shards of broken glass flew before his eyes, the intense heat scorched his face, and his black pupils widened in disbelief at the scene before him.

It was an attack!

The top-notch dragon slayer’s instincts kicked in, and Leon immediately regained his composure upon realizing what was happening. Before his daughters could react, he covered their eyes.

Muen, startled by the loud crash, instinctively clung to Leon.

She clutched her father’s pant leg tightly and anxiously asked, “Dad, Daddy… what happened?”

Leon covered his daughters’ eyes gently, not wanting to press too hard and scare them further. He quickly surveyed the charred corpse before him. The tail and armor of the body were still smoldering, revealing it to be a guard from the Silver Dragon clan.

Without a doubt, the Silver Dragon Sanctuary had been attacked.

“But why now, of all times…” he muttered, hearing hurried footsteps approaching from behind.

“Your Highness! Your Highness! Are you and the princesses unharmed?” It was Milan, rushing towards them.

When she saw the corpse of her fellow clansman in the hallway, her face also showed a look of horror.

Leon moved to stand in front of Noia and Muen, shielding them from the sight of the body with his own. “Don’t look back. Go with Sister Milan back to Mommy’s room.”

Noia’s breathing was uneven; given her intelligence, she had likely deduced what was happening. Nonetheless, she bravely took her sister’s hand and, under Milan’s protection, returned to Rosvitha’s room.

Leon then stood up and walked to the broken window, gazing into the distance. Although it was already past dusk and the sky had darkened half an hour ago, a red glow on the horizon ominously signaled that a crisis was looming.

The Silver Dragon Sanctuary responded swiftly to the attack. Upon the assault, they immediately mobilized. All elite guards gathered around the sanctuary, and two silver dragons began circling above.

A commotion of hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway. Leon turned his head towards the sound and saw several guards and a maid coming to handle the body. The maid hurried into Rosvitha’s bedroom.

Leon followed her in.

“Head maid, it’s… it’s a surprise attack by the Scarlet Flame Dragon clan!” the maid reported, her voice shaking. She bore multiple burn wounds, evidence of a recent battle.

Anna’s brow furrowed deeply. “The Scarlet Flame Dragon clan? Constantine? Why would he suddenly attack the Silver Dragon clan? And…”

She glanced at the bed where the queen was in labor.

Rosvitha had her eyes tightly shut, her delicate face covered in sweat, and her expression showed evident pain.

“And why now, when Her Majesty is at her weakest…?”

But there was no time for Anna to analyze Constantine’s motives. The crazed dragon had been wreaking havoc everywhere for the past year, attacking cities and territories without restraint.

“What happened… Anna…” Rosvitha slowly opened her eyes, struggling to speak.

Anna pressed her lips together and softly said, “We are under a surprise attack by Constantine, Your Majesty. I will arrange for our forces to defend us. Please, focus on the delivery; everything will be fine.”

“Constantine… no, I need to… I need to be with you—”

Rosvitha’s breath was heavy, her silver eyes trembling as she tried to sit up, but the doctor beside her quickly stopped her.

“Your Majesty, you must not move right now, or it will be dangerous for both you and the baby,” the doctor said sternly.

Rosvitha collapsed back onto the bed, the pain in her abdomen making it impossible for her to think clearly.

But she subconsciously murmured, “Daughter… my daughter… Leon, Leon!”

The maid and the doctor automatically made their way.

Leon moved through the crowd and approached the bed, gazing solemnly at the pale-faced Rosvitha. She half-opened her eyes, looking at Leon, her lips trembling. “Leon… protect our daughter…”

She knew the strength of Constantine and understood the urgency of the situation. But she also knew that only Leon could protect their daughter, even if it meant risking his own life.

“I will, Rosvitha. I promise you,” he said, his voice firm.

He had never made a promise to Rosvitha before. This was the first time. He hoped it wouldn’t be the last.

“Your Highness, for safety, we plan to evacuate Her Majesty from the rear mountain. Please, bring the princesses with us,” Anna said.

With Rosvitha about to give birth, she couldn’t give orders, so everything fell on Anna’s shoulders. Fortunately, she was up to the task.

After a brief panic, Anna immediately devised a plan. The combat strength of the Scarlet Flame Dragon clan was among the best among dragon clans. Moreover, with the queen at her weakest, facing them head-on without a leader wouldn’t last long. So, temporary evacuation was the best option.

However, Anna underestimated Constantine. This wasn’t just a spontaneous attack; it was… premeditated.

Just as they were about to evacuate Rosvitha, the maid at the door came in again to report, “Head maid, the front and back of the sanctuary are surrounded by the Scarlet Flame Dragon clan. Even the secret passages have been destroyed, and…”

Boom!

Before the maid could finish her sentence, everyone heard a deafening explosion from above.

The next moment, a massive shadow plummeted from outside the window, crashing heavily into the front courtyard of the Silver Dragon Sanctuary.

The fall of the dragon’s body caused a powerful tremor.

Leon steadied himself and tightly held his daughters’ hands as he looked out the window. A silver dragon had been pierced through the chest by a fireball, staining the trees and bushes in the courtyard with dragon blood.

It was the same dragon guard that had been circling above the sanctuary just moments ago, now slain by the Scarlet Flame Dragon clan.

With the fall of the dragon guard, it meant that not only had the ground been surrounded, but the airspace of the Silver Dragon clan had also been seized by them.

The speed of the attack was astonishing, as if no tactics, reconnaissance, or intelligence were needed.

Anna clenched her fists and bit her lip.

“Gather all elite guards and swear to defend the sanctuary to the death!”

At this point, with no way to retreat or escape, there was no other option but to defend to the end.

Ten minutes ago, everyone at the Silver Dragon Sanctuary had been bustling about with the queen’s delivery.

Ten minutes later, a war of life and death had erupted without warning.

Everything happened so suddenly, like a ludicrous drama.

Anna began to issue detailed combat tasks:

“Order Sherry to command all elite guard units under her, spare no effort to stop the Scarlet Flame Dragon clan’s invasion.”

“Dispatch four squads from my maid team to attempt a breakout from the rear mountain. We still prioritize evacuating Her Majesty.”

“At the same time, mobilize all the messenger dragons in the sanctuary. Request assistance from neighboring dragon clans and the Red Dragon clan.”

“Lastly, I will personally head to the battlefield to buy time for Her Majesty’s delivery.”

“Is everything clear? Understood… then go and execute.”