We’re back at war!

Morning sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, spilling across the bed.

Lily opened her eyes reluctantly, fragments of last night’s battle still echoing in her mind.

The power of the silver mark had overwhelmed her, leaving her senses hazy, but the clash of spirit and will between her and Letia remained vivid and unforgettable.

Though she didn’t want to admit it, the storm within her had been released.

All the emotions she had been suppressing—fear, anger, confusion—had been drawn out by Letia, leaving her strangely calm and confident.

She told herself it wasn’t something to be proud of. After all, it wasn’t that she had conquered the mark—it was simply that Letia had shown mercy.

Last night, for reasons Lily couldn’t quite understand, Letia had suddenly become unusually gentle.

At the time, Lily had been too lost in the swirl of energy to notice.

Now, thinking back, that softness felt out of place.

She truly couldn’t guess what kind of principles the dragons lived by.

Instinctively, Lily glanced to her side.

Letia was still fast asleep, her expression serene.

Lily sighed. During their energy duel, she only had to withstand Letia’s attacks, while Letia had to maintain control over the flow of magic—no wonder she was exhausted.

As Lily turned, a stray fold of the blanket slipped away, revealing Letia’s smooth shoulder.

Lily’s face flushed bright red.

She quickly pulled the covers tighter, mortified.

“Ugh… where did my clothes even go?” she muttered.

Her nightgown had been torn to shreds during the energy surge, the remnants scattered across the floor.

Lily puffed her cheeks in frustration, glaring at Letia’s sleeping face.

Just then, Letia stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

Lily gasped and quickly turned her head away, pretending to be indifferent.

“Lily?” Letia’s voice was gentle, still tinged with sleep.

“W-what?” Lily stammered.

“Nothing. Just checking if you were awake,” Letia replied with a small smile, brushing a strand of hair from Lily’s forehead. “If you can’t keep calm, how am I supposed to train properly?”

“T-train? You call that training?” Lily protested.

“That’s a good point,” Letia chuckled softly. “Maybe I should make our next match a little more… formal.”

Before Lily could respond, Letia drew back the blanket, eyes bright with amusement.

“L-Letia! What are you doing?!” Lily yelped, clutching the blanket to her chest.

Without answering, Letia slipped closer and wrapped her arms around Lily, her heartbeat strong and steady.

“W-why are you in my space again?”

“Because this way, you won’t run away,” Letia teased.

“Y-you’re impossible…”

“You belong by my side, Lily,” Letia said softly. “No more, no less.”

Lily stopped struggling. Despite her embarrassment, Letia’s warmth was strangely comforting.

“Lily, you were amazing yesterday,” Letia murmured.

“Hmph…”

“And when you finally fell asleep, you looked… peaceful. Cute, even.”

“You were watching me sleep again?!”

“Ah—forget I said that,” Letia laughed nervously. “That was supposed to be a secret.”

“You’re definitely hiding something…”

“You’ll never find out,” Letia replied, smiling slyly. “Consider it your punishment for keeping me up all night.”

Lily sighed. Letia’s words rarely made logical sense, and arguing with her was pointless.

Better to conserve her strength and wait for the right moment to strike back.

Letia tilted her head. “What’s wrong? You’ve gone quiet. Usually you’d be yelling by now.”

“You just like teasing me,” Lily grumbled.

Letia only smiled wider—but then noticed Lily’s eyes had drifted shut again.

Her expression softened. She carefully adjusted Lily’s position so she could rest comfortably.

Lily didn’t stir. Perhaps she truly was exhausted.

Letia gazed at her sleeping face, a gentle happiness rising in her chest.

Then, all of a sudden, Lily peeked open one eye.

“Hey—you’re pretending to sleep again?” Letia said, half-laughing.

“Gotcha!” Lily stuck out her tongue. “You fell for it!”

“You little—! And here I was trying not to wake you!”

Letia reached out to pinch her cheek, but Lily leapt out of bed and backed away with a mischievous grin.

Unfortunately, she’d forgotten that she was still only wrapped in a blanket.

Letia raised an eyebrow.

Lily tightened the blanket around herself, one arm across her chest, pointing accusingly at Letia.

“Letia! The truce is over! From now on, we’re back at war!”

Letia stretched lazily, smiling. “Perfect. I was hoping you’d say that.

I’ll make sure this time you admit defeat with a smile on your face.”

“Hah! We’ll see who’s smiling when this is over!”

Their gazes locked—challenging, unyielding.

For a moment, the tension returned, not of hostility, but of two hearts unwilling to step back.

The morning sun shimmered through the air, marking the beginning of a new round in their strange, endless duel.

Far across the sea, Karina once again set foot on the nameless island near the Oceanic Federation.

The lush mountains she had destroyed earlier were now flat plains—a reminder of her temper.

“Impulse truly is a demon,” she muttered with a sigh.

Deep beneath the waves, Theresa’s eyes opened.

She had sensed Karina’s presence.

For dragons, time flowed differently.

A few days of rest for humans was merely a short dream for her.

She rose swiftly to the surface.

When she saw Karina, she nearly doubted her own eyes—the dragon matriarch was smiling warmly, almost like a kind mother.

“Lady Karina, what brings you here in such good spirits?”

“Ah, Theresa. It’s been a while.”

“Y-yes, my lady. I hope all is well.”

“I came to deliver an invitation,” Karina said, tossing her a sealed envelope.

Theresa caught it, opened it curiously, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

“What—Letia has been found?”

“Not just found,” Karina said proudly, “she’s had a daughter! A healthy, strong child!”

“Impossible! Are you sure you’re not hallucinating?”

Karina crossed her arms. “Do I look like I’m joking? Letia found a partner—a human girl, gentle and brave. Together, they’ve brought forth a new life. Her name is Emilia.”

She explained the story in full detail.

Theresa could only listen in stunned silence.

After all, Karina was not someone easily fooled—or easily broken by worry.

“But wait,” Theresa said hesitantly, “aren’t you worried that leaving Letia alone in the Empire is dangerous?”

Karina chuckled. “You overthink things. I’ve known Letia all her life. She can’t hide from me.”

Theresa blinked in confusion. “Then where do you think she is?”

Karina smiled knowingly. “The safest place is often the one no one suspects.

If I had to guess—either Grintei or Ledingburg.

And besides,” she added, “I placed a tracking mark on my granddaughter’s toy. Letia can’t run forever. Within half a month, she’ll be walking down the aisle.”