The couple returned to the Silver Dragon Sanctuary before evening. Dinner was simple yet cozy, though the absence of their daughters’ chatter made the table feel somewhat empty. They hadn’t spent much time apart all summer, so the quietness felt especially noticeable now that the school year had started.

Leon idly toyed with his fork, poking at the leftover food on his plate. Although he hadn’t eaten his fill, his appetite was nowhere to be found. His mind was a mess, filled with Claudia’s words from earlier that day.

They’d always thought investigating Shadow and Adam’s schemes was their top priority, considering having another child a distant secondary concern. But Claudia’s perspective had made them question their own priorities.

“If dealing with the remnants is important,” she’d said, “then isn’t growing the Silver Dragon Clan equally important?”

Yet even with this new understanding, Leon felt at a loss about how to approach Rosvisser with the idea of having another child. The simple truth was, he’d never set out to have a child on purpose before. Noa and Moon’s arrival had been during times of peril, a product of their passionate, tumultuous bond. Little Light’s conception had been a complete accident—who could have guessed that Rosvisser would forget her purification spell that night?

If they decided to have a third child, it would be the first time they’d deliberately set out to expand their family, six years into their marriage. That intention was what left Leon feeling conflicted.

With a quiet “clink,” he put his fork down and looked at Rosvisser.