Blizzfall stood as motionless as a statue under inspection, her muscles locked in a rigid military brace. Behind her, Da-li was occupied with the final gold hairpin, sliding it into place with the terrifying precision of a master assassin.
Finally, Da-li stepped back. She tilted her head, a small, satisfied smile playing on her lips.
"Now that's perfect."
Blizzfall blinked. She felt… light. Exposed.
The terrifying Captain of the Draco Army, usually encased in layers of cold, silver war armor, had vanished. In her place stood a stranger. She was draped in an elegant hanfu of blue silk, the fabric layered with intricate silver embroidery that flowed around her like a mountain stream. Gold hairpins glinted in her long blonde hair, styled with the same effortless grace Da-li always maintained.
The cold, sharp aura of a career soldier had been smothered by the soft rustle of expensive fabric. She looked like a noblewoman—an exceptionally beautiful one, which only made her feel more out of place.
Blizzfall looked down at the flowing sleeves, her expression awkward.
"…Is this truly how people dress around here?"
Da-li smoothed a stray wrinkle on the sleeve, her touch light. "Mostly nobles. I purchased this last year." She shrugged, her eyes drifting over the blue silk. "But blue isn't really my color. I prefer red and gold."
Blizzfall remained silent, but her internal monologue was screaming. *Yes. Obviously. You're a dragon in human skin. Of course you want the colors of blood and fire.*
"So I stored it away," Da-li continued, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind Blizzfall's ear. "Though I suppose I always knew it would become useful someday."
Blizzfall went stiff. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. "Are you certain it is acceptable for me to wear Your Majesty's clothes?"
Da-li smiled warmly. "Of course."
Then, without a hint of warning, the Empress leaned closer. The distance between them vanished, replaced by the scent of ancient herbs and something dangerously feminine.
"Besides…" Da-li's voice dropped into a playful, velvet purr. "You look so beautiful in it that I'd be wasting the opportunity if I didn't flirt with you a little."
Silence.
The world seemed to stop. Blizzfall froze, her brain failing to process the sensory input. Slowly, inevitably, a crimson flush crept up her neck, staining her face bright red. It was visible even through the shadows of the room.
Da-li looked delighted. "Oh?" A small, predatory smile curved her lips. "So the great Captain Blizzfall still blushes this easily."
Blizzfall snapped into a vertical line, her military instincts screaming for an emergency recovery.
"Y-Your Majesty should not say such things so casually—"
"Why not?"
"B-Because—"
She stopped. She had nothing.
She could plan a siege. She could duel a Dragon-class demon in a blizzard. She could survive a month behind enemy lines with nothing but a broken dagger. But handling a flirtatious Empress while dressed in her clothes?
That was a tactical impossibility.
Da-li chuckled. It wasn't the regal, distant laugh of a ruler. It was warm. Human. Alive. It was a sound Blizzfall hadn't heard in years, and it hurt more than any blade.
Blizzfall looked away, her loyalty currently teetering on the edge of total embarrassment. Da-li, meanwhile, looked like she was having the time of her life.
**Knock. Knock.**
Footsteps approached from the other side of the door. It slid open to reveal Yuna. She was dressed in simple nightclothes, her dark hair messy from sleep. The moment she saw Da-li, the tension in her shoulders vanished.
"Mother…" Yuna let out a quiet breath of relief. "I was starting to get worried about you."
Then her eyes landed on the blonde noblewoman standing in their house.
Before she could ask, tiny, frantic footsteps thundered down the hallway. Eunha appeared, clutching Raijin to her chest. The tiger cub looked like he had been woken up mid-nap and wasn't happy about it.
"Mama, you're late—" Eunha stopped dead.
Silence stretched through the room.
Blizzfall stared at the two girls. Then, very slowly, she turned her head toward Da-li. Her brain had finally reached its breaking point.
"…M-Mother…?"
The word almost slipped out from behind her mask. Her eyes were wide with absolute, unadulterated shock. She looked at Yuna. Then Eunha. Then the woman who was supposed to be the celibate, untouchable Empress of the North.
*(Thoughts) Oh my god.*
*(Thoughts) WHEN?*
*(Thoughts) HOW?*
*(Thoughts) WHY!?*
Da-li, however, was the picture of calm. She acted as if introducing secret heirs to a high-ranking military official was just another Tuesday.
"Yuna. Eunha." Da-li gestured toward the armored-captain-turned-noble. "Meet Bliss. She's an old, close friend of mine."
*Bliss.*
Blizzfall felt a piece of her soul die. A fake civilian nickname. Captain Blizzfall, the Scourge of the Frost Plains, had been reduced to "Bliss."
Yuna smiled politely, and Eunha immediately mimicked her sister.
"Welcome, Aunt Bliss!"
Raijin, the tiny striped tyrant, lifted a paw in a lazy greeting. "Wa!"
Blizzfall froze. Something inside her spiritually exploded.
*(Thoughts) CUTE!!!!!!!!!*
Her military discipline was in a life-or-death struggle. Before her stood two absurdly adorable children calling her "Aunt," and a magical cub that looked like a plush toy come to life.
Da-li casually strolled into the living room, leaving Blizzfall stranded at the doorway, emotionally compromised by sheer cuteness.
Eunha tilted her head. "Aunt Bliss?"
"Y-Yes!?" Blizzfall snapped to attention.
Eunha shoved Raijin toward her face, looking proud. "This is Raijin. He bites pillows."
Blizzfall stared at the cub. Her eyes narrowed. She recognized the creature instantly. It wasn't just a tiger; it was a Mythic-tier existence.
And it bit pillows. For some reason, that made it more terrifying.
Bliss sat in the living room.
She sat with the rigid posture of someone expecting an ambush. Her hands were folded neatly on her knees, her blue hanfu fanning out around her. She was a master of the battlefield, but the domestic front was a mystery she hadn't solved.
Across from her, the scene was disturbingly normal. Da-li was sitting with Eunha sprawled sideways across her lap, calmly feeding the child slices of fruit. Raijin had claimed the remaining space on Da-li's lap like he was the one paying the mortgage.
Bliss watched in silence. She was experiencing a severe case of cognitive dissonance. The Draco Empress—the woman kings feared to name—was currently wiping fruit juice off a toddler's face.
Yuna approached, carrying a tray with the grace of a trained disciple.
"Here, Aunt Bliss."
Bliss blinked. "T-Thank you."
She took the cup. The tea was warm and surprisingly good. Yuna sat down nearby, her eyes bright with curiosity.
"So, where are you from, Aunt Bliss?"
Bliss felt a cold sweat break out. She glanced at Da-li, but the Empress was busy peeling an apple. She was on her own.
"I come from the far north," Bliss said, her voice stabilizing. "The same place your mother comes from."
Yuna leaned forward. "Really!? Then tell me about it!"
Bliss hesitated. Then, her pride as a knight began to bleed through. "We belong to a kingdom that holds significant authority and power. A kingdom that produces… unprecedented warriors."
"Oh!" Yuna's eyes widened. "Wait… if you and Mother are from the same place…" She looked thoughtful. "Then you know about Uncle Raizen, too?"
The silence that followed was heavy enough to crack the floorboards. Bliss nearly dropped her tea.
"…You know about him?"
Yuna nodded. "Mhm. Mother mentioned him once. She said Uncle Raizen was her childhood friend."
Bliss felt actual spiritual damage. Somewhere in the frozen north, General Raizen—the Man of a Thousand Scars, the Shield of the Empire—had just been demoted to "Uncle."
Bliss stared blankly for several seconds. Finally, she found her voice. "…You probably should not call him Uncle."
"Hm? Why?"
Bliss looked at Da-li. The Empress met her gaze and gave a very slight, very firm shake of her head.
*Do. Not. Explain.*
Bliss accepted defeat. She took a long, miserable sip of tea. "Nevermind. You may continue calling him Uncle."
Da-li hid a smile behind her cup. Somewhere in the North, a General was currently going about his day, completely unaware that his terrifying reputation had been dismantled by a group of children.
The house eventually fell into a deep, heavy silence.
Moonlight filtered through the windows, illuminating the dust motes. In the sisters' room, Yuna was asleep. Eunha had already conquered most of the bed and the blanket. Raijin was splayed across them both like a striped rug.
In the living room, Da-li and Bliss sat across from each other. The tea was cold now. Bliss hadn't moved. Her mind was still reeling.
"Since you are not going to speak," Da-li said, taking a calm sip, "I suppose I'll ask myself. What have you decided, Blizzfall?"
Bliss looked up, her eyes tired. "I still cannot believe what I just witnessed… You are a mother now. The kingdom has two Princesses."
She leaned back, the reality sinking in. Then, a sharp thought struck her.
"Does the General know?"
"No."
Bliss went cold. "…He does not know?"
Da-li shook her head.
If Raizen found out, the northern continent would likely suffer a seismic event from his sheer shock.
"After all these years," Bliss whispered. "After hiding yourself for so long… why did you choose to lay your eggs?"
It was a blunt, draconian question. Da-li didn't flinch. She looked out at the moonlight, her eyes softening in a way Bliss had never seen on a battlefield.
"After leaving the kingdom, I traveled," Da-li said softly. "I learned. I watched. I saw things a throne doesn't allow you to see. But no matter where I went, I always returned to silence. The loneliness never truly left me."
Bliss listened. For the first time, she wasn't hearing her Empress. She was hearing a woman.
"And one day," Da-li continued, a small, real smile appearing, "I realized I no longer wanted to spend my life alone. If I could not abandon my loneliness, then I would create a family that could fill it instead."
Silence filled the room. Bliss finally understood. Da-li hadn't run away because she hated her people. She had run away to find a way to be whole.
"…I respect your decision," Bliss said at last. She exhaled slowly. "I do not know what the future holds. This… this cannot stay hidden forever."
Da-li didn't deny it.
"But for now," Bliss said, her voice regaining its steel, "I will support you."
Da-li smiled—sincerely this time. "Thank you, Blizzfall."
The knight looked away, her cheeks pink. Receiving a "thank you" from the Empress was more effective than any physical attack.
Suddenly, Da-li clapped her hands, shattering the heavy mood. "Ah, right. Bliss?"
"…Hm?"
"Why don't you take a bath in our onsen? You must be exhausted after traveling so far."
Bliss stared at her, blinking. The emotional whiplash was giving her a migraine. "Seriously, Empress… you switch situations far too quickly."
"Life is easier when you stop forcing every moment to remain heavy," Da-li said, stretching. "Besides, you've been wearing that armor for what appears to be several centuries."
"It has only been three weeks."
"Horrifying."
Bliss let out a small, genuine laugh. She regretted it instantly when she saw Da-li's smirk.
"There it is," Da-li teased.
"…What?"
"The reminder that you're still young underneath all that military suffering."
"I command elite soldiers."
"And yet you still blush when flirted with."
Bliss looked away again. Critical damage.
Da-li walked toward the hallway, calling back without turning around. "Towels are in the changing room. And Blizzfall?"
Bliss looked up.
"Welcome home."
The words hit harder than any war-wound Bliss had ever sustained. For the first time in years, she felt tears threatening to sting her eyes.
Steam drifted over the outdoor onsen, the moonlight dancing on the water's surface.
Bliss sat submerged, the warmth seeped into her bones. A towel was wrapped around her, and her blonde hair was damp against her shoulders. For the first time in months, the tension was gone. The stiffness of the armor, the miles of road, the desperate search—it all melted into the spring.
She leaned her head back against the stone, closing her eyes.
"…Wow. This works far better than the heated baths back in the kingdom. This feels… natural."
Then, the sliding door opened.
Bliss snapped her eyes open and froze. Da-li was standing there in the moonlight. Her black hair was tied back loosely, and she was wrapped in a towel, looking as casual as if she were going to buy bread.
Bliss's brain disconnected.
"E-Empress!?"
Da-li looked confused. "Hm?"
She stepped into the water, the ripples shimmering around her elegantly.
"Stay still," Da-li said with a small smile. "I'm joining you."
Bliss's consciousness departed.
"HEEEEHHHHH!?!? "