Her Majesty the Queen still had some conscience left, and in the middle of the night, she eventually let Leon back into the bedroom.

As usual, the couple playfully bantered for a while before falling asleep—

Just harmless fun, folks. Don’t overthink it, nothing more.

The next morning, Leon slowly woke up.

Rosvisser was already gone from her side of the bed, so he reached over and felt her spot.

Judging by the lingering warmth, he estimated the time to be around 7:40 AM.

Leon sat up and glanced at the clock on the wall.

Sure enough, it was 7:40.

Using the warmth of the bed to gauge the time of day—this seemingly impressive but actually pointless habit was something only General Leon would indulge in day after day, with great satisfaction.

Everyone’s got their quirks, after all.

He threw off the covers, got dressed, and climbed out of bed.

Suddenly, a tickling sensation crept into his nose.

"Achoo—!"

A sneeze?

His master used to say that a single sneeze meant someone was thinking of you at that moment.

*Hmm, it must be Her Majesty*, Leon thought smugly. *Even with her heavy workload, she still takes the time to think of me. Maybe the confession thing isn’t so one-sided after all.*

But then—

"Achoo!"

A second sneeze.

His master also said that two sneezes meant someone was cursing you.

*Could it be that same dragoness?* Leon thought, his expression souring. *Thinking about me and then cursing me? Well, she better not expect me to confess anytime soon!*

And then—

"Achoo!"

A third sneeze.

What did that mean?

His master had a saying for this, too: *If you have time to wonder what three sneezes mean, it means you’re catching a cold! Take some medicine!*

Leon rubbed his itchy nose. It was indeed feeling a bit stuffy, a sign of an oncoming cold.

"So, the Nine Infernal Gates can make me stronger, but they can’t prevent the common cold…"

It was probably from being left out on the balcony last night until the middle of the night. He had caught a chill.

But it wasn’t a big deal.

Such minor colds didn’t even require medicine for General Leon; he could just power through it.

He dressed, washed up, and headed to the training yard in the back.

His daughters were already there.

Noa was teaching Moon some basic magic.

She was on a short break from her studies, and after playing with Moon for a few days, her diligent nature couldn’t take it anymore. Not wanting to leave her little sister behind, she decided to combine her practice with teaching Moon, reinforcing her own magic skills while passing them on.

A win-win.

Leon didn’t disturb them. He quietly sat on a bench at the side of the yard.

The morning sun was warm, and the gentle breeze across his face felt pleasant.

But his nose was still a bit uncomfortable, and his head throbbed slightly.

He didn’t pay it much mind, continuing to watch his two daughters practice magic.

Before long, he heard footsteps approaching.

Leon turned to look—it was little Aurora.

His youngest daughter had once again snuck out of the temple by herself, with two maids frantically chasing after her from a distance.

The scene reminded Leon of the winter when Rosvisser had been pregnant with Aurora.

Back then, Anna had been worried about Her Majesty’s health, forbidding her from running around in the freezing cold.

But Rosvisser had been incredibly stubborn, always doing exactly what she was told not to do, engaging in a long battle of wits with Anna.

It seemed that their youngest daughter had inherited this same trait from her mother—always rebellious, always sneaking away.

"Daddy~"

No loving father could resist such a sweet and soft "Daddy."

Leon scooped up his little girl and waved the maids off, signaling that he would take care of her.

The maids stopped, bowed slightly, and left.

Leon set Aurora on his lap and pinched her chubby cheeks. "Why are you sneaking out again? Have you finished all the books Mommy gave you?"

Unlike other baby dragons, who would tear the house apart at four or five months old, Aurora preferred quietly reading books.

Any book would do.

History, novels, science—even dictionaries fascinated her.

Aurora was a very independent learner when it came to absorbing new knowledge.

Just recently, she had mentioned to Leon during a conversation that she was developing her own study methods.

"Mhm, I’ve finished them all!" Aurora nodded, her bright pink eyes looking up at her father. "Daddy, do you have any more books?"

In the Silver Dragon Palace, there were two things in abundance: the couple’s stubbornness and books.

Before becoming queen, Rosvisser had been a top-tier scholar. Even now, despite her intense workload, she occasionally found time to read classical literature, reflecting her love for books.

Leon was, of course, thrilled by his daughter’s thirst for knowledge and more than happy to show her more books.

But before that, he had a question for Aurora.

"Aurora, why do you like reading so much?"

When Aurora first showed an interest in reading and learning, Leon hadn’t questioned it much, allowing her to immerse herself in a variety of books.

But now that it was clear she genuinely enjoyed it, Leon was curious about her reasons.

If he understood why, he could better guide her and help her find the path most suited to her.

Aurora blinked, thinking for a moment before answering,

"Because reading is relaxing~"

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Relaxing?"

"Mhm. Compared to the magic big sister and second sister are learning, reading is much easier."

Aurora continued, "I’ve told you before, Daddy. I don’t think I’ll be as hardworking as big sister, and I don’t have the talent that second sister does. So for me, reading is both easier and a way to make up for what I lack."

"Make up for what you lack."

This was something even Noa had never discussed with Leon.

To realize what you’re lacking and seek ways to compensate for it—this was a simple concept on the surface, but not many people could actually achieve it.

And yet Aurora was only five months old.

*My sweet daughter, are your thoughts really this advanced?*

"What do you think you’re lacking, Aurora?" Leon asked.

"Well... a lot of things. Like, I don’t know as many words as I’d like."

Leon was momentarily stunned, then couldn’t help but laugh.

Alright, it seemed Aurora hadn’t fully grasped the concept of "making up for what you lack." So Leon didn’t press further.

Holding his daughter in his arms, gently squeezing her soft little hands, he asked, "Aurora, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Be?"

"Yes. What career do you want to pursue? Do you want to be a warrior on the battlefield or a strategist advising a king?"

Aurora’s eyes sparkled as she thought for a moment. Then, with a serious expression, she replied,

"I want... to be a scholar. Or maybe, a scientist."