Chapter 16: Father, the Gentle Dragon

"I can't stand this."

Rossweise instinctively pulled her foot back, her expression wary. "Wh-What are you doing? You don't have some creepy fetish, do you?"

Seeing Leon so unexpectedly bold, Rossweise felt completely off balance, 'This human wouldn't actually still be itching to continue messing with my feet, would he?'

'He wouldn't… right?'

'How disgusting would that be.'

"Tonight's special? Fresh dragon claw."

"W-What?"

She barely had time to react before—CRUNCH—

"Oh, for the love of—Leon! I'm going to murder you for this!"

———

The following morning, Luna's large, innocent eyes blinked at her parents, clearly concerned.

"Mother, why are you walking with a limp?"

Rossweise: …

"Daddy, why do you have bruises all over your face?"

Leon: …

Luna's eyes sparkled as she had a sudden epiphany.

"Oh, I get it! You two must have been playing some secret, fun game without me."

—

During the day, Rossweise hardly had a moment to breathe. Just as Head Maid Anna had mentioned, every matter, big or small, within the Silver Dragon Clan had to pass through her hands.

It wasn't until around seven or eight in the evening that Rossweise could finally wind down, settling down to rest.

This meant that taking care of Luna during the day naturally fell to Leon.

Beyond simply playing games with her, Leon also took care to teach Luna some basic lessons. After all, he had his own aspirations for his daughter:

'Darling daughter, even though we're stuck here, living under that dragoness's watchful eye, I'll take you away one day. You might be a half-dragon, but you'll be a half-dragon who's educated and cultured.'

His master had once given him similar advice.

"Leon, it doesn't matter if you're an orphan; what matters is that you're a cultured orphan."

Leon had almost sent his master's dentures flying with a punch after hearing that.

Thinking of his master brought a bittersweet pang to Leon's heart. He'd been in the Silver Dragon Clan for nearly two years now, so his old mentor probably assumed he was dead.

His master had once said Leon was the most promising disciple he'd ever had. From a young age, he had believed Leon would one day become a great dragonslayer, destined to shine brightly on the battlefield.

And Leon had lived up to his expectations, becoming a hero, a name people whispered with awe.

But instead of shining on battlefields, he was now trapped in the Silver Dragon Queen's chamber.

Bearing the humiliation and keeping his pride intact, Leon saw it all as an infiltration mission, enduring hardship to someday bring victory. He believed firmly that one day, he would escape with his precious daughter.

Of course, until that day, he had to play the long game—and Luna was the key. She was the only one in the Silver Dragon Clan who showed him any fondness. The rest were unconditionally loyal to Rossweise.

"Daddy~ I want to hear the rest of yesterday's story~"

Seated on Leon's lap, Luna held up the Young Dragon Knights' Tales book, her eyes bright with anticipation.

Leon paused, considering.

'Half-dragon or not, can't you learn some human stories too? Let's give your dad a little face here.'

Taking the book from her, he placed it aside. "Luna, wouldn't you like to hear stories from other races?"

Luna's eyes sparkled, and she nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! Tell me, Daddy."

"Then how about some human stories?"

Her excitement dimmed slightly, and she tilted her head in thought before eventually shaking it.

Leon was surprised. "Why not?"

"Mother said humans are a bunch of shameless fools. They do all sorts of sneaky, nasty things when you're not looking. Especially that… dragonslaying army, or whatever it's called. They sound really scary."

Leon held back a sigh, 'To the dragons, a group called the "Dragonslaying Army" would indeed sound menacing.'

'But "shameless fools" and "nasty things"? Is this dragoness taking cheap shots at me?'

Looking at Luna's serious expression, Leon realized she had absorbed her mother's words wholeheartedly.

'Wonderful. This dragoness already got her claws in first', Leon thought, shaking his head.

"Actually… that's not entirely fair, you know. Every race has its light and shadow. Maybe there are foolish humans, but there are also kind-hearted people who work hard just to survive."

"Light and shadow…" Luna repeated, her young mind working hard to digest this new idea.

Leon smiled. "It means that nothing is only one way. If you look at things from a different angle, you might see something entirely new."

Luna, lost in thought, flicked the tip of her little tail as she mulled it over. "But I've never met any humans, Daddy. I wouldn't know what their other side looks like."

'Sweetheart, the person holding you right now is as human as they come.'

Leon stifled a sigh but remained patient.

"That's why I want to tell you about them," he said, "to show you a different side of humans. Maybe it'll help you see them in a new light."

Luna tilted her head. She didn't quite understand why Daddy was so eager for her to learn about humans, but as long as it meant spending time with him, she was all in.

"Okay, Daddy. I'll listen carefully."

Leon exhaled a quiet sigh of relief.

'See, my daughter is such a sweetheart.'

And so, Leon began sharing tales of human bravery, sacrifice, and resilience, carefully weaving in the idea of duality—two sides to everything.

Little by little, Luna began listening more intently.

Of course, Leon couldn't exactly tell her that her mother was being narrow-minded. But he could gently encourage Luna to broaden her perspective.

It was all part of his long game—one that he hoped would pave the way for their eventual escape.

By the time they'd moved through several stories, he felt satisfied that he'd at least planted a seed.

As he held her, Luna sat quietly on his lap, toying with the tip of her tail, lost in contemplation.

Leon watched her thoughtfully, gently stroking her hair.

After a long pause, Luna finally looked up, her eyes filled with wonder. "Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"You said everything has two sides."

"That's right."

"Then… what about dragons?"

Leon blinked. "Dragons?"

"Yes! Mother said that in our clan, the strong rule. Every dragon is born to become stronger, no matter what it takes—even if it costs their life."

Leon's eyes narrowed slightly. Rossweise had sugarcoated the dragons' brutal nature as "strength-based rule."

Luna continued, her small voice growing more thoughtful. "But Daddy, do you think there are dragons who don't want to be strong? Dragons who just want a quiet, peaceful life?"

"Probably not… I mean—"

'Violence is just in a dragon's nature.'

"But why not, Daddy? You said everything has two sides. Doesn't that mean there must be some dragons who just want to live in peace?"

Her words left Leon momentarily speechless, like a revelation.

Here he was, telling her not to stereotype humans, to think of things from multiple perspectives. Yet he had dismissed the dragons as a whole, lumping them all under the banner of bloodthirsty beasts.

Leon closed his eyes, letting her words sink in.

Luna's innocence may not be entirely right, but it was enough to make him stop and reflect.

"Daddy?" she called, her voice gentle.

"Oh… Yes, Luna. You're absolutely right."

Luna beamed, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her little cheek against his shoulder.

"See? Daddy is that gentle dragon I just described."

Her words and closeness made Leon smile. She genuinely enjoyed these moments, seeking out the comfort and warmth her father provided.

To her, he wasn't just another dragon. He was her kind, gentle father.

If anyone else had dared call him a dragon, he would have bristled, but coming from his daughter, it sounded oddly endearing.

Leon laughed softly, holding her close. "And you, Luna, are incredibly adora—"

He stopped short, remembering that Rossweise had once told him that, to dragons, "adorable" was actually an insult.

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