The next day, Lina received news that the Grand Duke had invited her and Claude to breakfast. Initially, Lina felt reluctant and wanted to refuse, but she changed her mind when she saw her son's enthusiastic reaction.
"Are you really that happy to have breakfast with His Grace?"
"En. He is a great and powerful figure. I want to be like him when I grow up."
"How do you know he's powerful? Have you seen him act like a hero?"
"Mama, you can just feel his greatness when he enters. And everyone here respects him."
Lina sighed softly. At times like this, she truly wished her son were not so intelligent and perceptive.
With some reluctance, Lina followed Claude and the maid to the dining room. There, she saw Caelis waiting for them, smiling kindly—a smile she had never seen from him before.
"Good morning, Madam, and little one. Did you sleep well?"
Lina's frown deepened. She could not understand what had caused this sudden change in his attitude.
"En! I had a beautiful dream," Claude exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh? What did you dream about?"
"I dreamed I saw a white dragon with two golden horns. He took me around the world and showed me the stars up close!"
Lina listened with a warm smile and quiet amusement. This was not the first time Claude had dreamed of a white dragon taking him on a journey across the world.
But unlike Lina, Caelis froze in shock. His heart pounded violently, as if his entire world had been shaken. In the next moment, his smile widened—warmer than before.
He crouched down in front of Claude. "Is the dragon you saw… similar to my dragon form?"
Claude paused for a moment before answering, "I think so. Sir, could you show me your dragon form again? I want to be sure."
"Claude, that's not polite," Lina scolded firmly, causing the boy to lower his head in guilt. "You shouldn't address him like that. You should call him Your Grace."
"It's alright," Caelis said gently. He stood up and used magic to create an illusion.
A bluish-silver dragon appeared in the air, circling slowly around Claude as if to comfort him.
"Wow! That's it! The dragon looks exactly the same, but whiter!"
"Is it like this?" Caelis created another illusion.
The same ice dragon appeared again, this time with much paler scales.
"That's right! That's the dragon from my dream!"
Klaude. It was his older brother's true form!
At that moment, Caelis was completely certain—the biological father of this child was none other than Klaude. Otherwise, how could his brother's dragon form appear so vividly in Claude's dream?
No… it was definitely not an ordinary dream. It was a remnant of his older brother's consciousness left behind for the child. However, because the timing was not yet right, that consciousness manifested itself as a dream.
Caelis let the illusion linger a little longer, noticing how much Claude enjoyed it.
"Clau, you can play again later. Finish your food first," Lina said gently.
As if to support her words, Caelis dispelled the illusion. "Your mother is right. Finish your meal first. You can play with the illusion dragon again afterward."
Claude began eating quickly, almost choking in his excitement.
"Eat slowly. No one is going to take your food," Lina said softly, patting her son's back and wiping the crumbs from his lips with her fingers.
After breakfast, Caelis took the mother and son for a walk in the garden. Once there, he used his illusion magic again so Claude could play freely to his heart's content.
"Your Grace, could you explain more about the scales?" Lina asked.
"Of course."
Lina found herself increasingly surprised by the Grand Duke's friendliness. At first, she had thought he was only gentle when Claude was around. But now, even though Claude was playing some distance away and could not hear them, Caelis still maintained that same gentle demeanor.
"As I mentioned before, the cold energy within his body has long been contaminated by impure energy. It will take time and some effort to cleanse it completely, but it is not impossible."
"How long will it take?"
"It depends on how quickly he adapts to the environment here. Gradually reduce his clothing and allow him to grow accustomed to the cold. There is no need to rush. I will accompany him each time his clothing is reduced."
Lina fell silent as she watched her son from afar. "Will he also have a dragon form?" she asked quietly.
"If your husband is truly from the Dragon Clan, then yes. However, I do not yet know what kind of dragon he will become."
"I understand," Lina sighed softly. "I realized what you did last night. You gave him your essence."
"That is one method to suppress the surge of corrupted cold energy while gradually purifying it."
A new sense of hope rose within Lina's chest. "So… you can continue giving him your essence to cleanse the impurity?"
Caelis shook his head. "It is not that simple. Medicine is given only to those who are ill. What do you think would happen if a healthy person took it?"
"Your essence… is like medicine?"
"More like poison," Caelis replied quietly. "He is still too young, and I am not his biological father. If I give him my essence when he is not in a critical condition, his body may not be able to withstand it."
Lina lowered her gaze, her expression dimming.
After acknowledging Lina as his brother's mate—as his sister-in-law—Caelis had begun to see her as part of his family. He did not want to see her troubled.
"Lina, do not worry," Caelis said gently. "As long as I am here, I will not let anything happen to him. At the very least… trust me on this."
For a moment, their gazes met. This time, there was no hostility or suspicion as a fragile trust slowly formed between them.
Lina had seen how Caelis held Claude close, whispering softly to him as he transferred his essence.
Beast essence was the very lifeblood of the beast clans. Giving it away meant sacrificing one's own lifespan. That alone was enough to prove that Caelis regarded Claude as a father would regard his own child.
Meanwhile, Caelis had come to see Lina as family after witnessing her willingness to abandon everything—even her own life—to protect her son.
Both of them understood one thing clearly: The person standing before them could be trusted with Claude's safety.
"Thank you," Lina said softly. "When shall we discuss the contract marriage in detail?"
Caelis lifted his hand, and a sheet of white paper bearing a written agreement materialized, hovering above his palm.
"I have already prepared the contract. Please read it carefully. If there is anything you wish to add, let me know."
Lina read through it carefully. The agreement was simple and straightforward. It outlined the terms of their contractual marriage:
1. Caelis would not touch Lina.
2. Caelis would not impose his will on Claude or punish him excessively.
3. Caelis would not investigate Lina's past.
4. Caelis would provide any compensation upon their divorce.
5. Caelis would treat Lina with the same status as a Grand Duchess.
6. Lina would act as a proper wife in public for three years before filing for divorce.
Lina frowned slightly after finishing the document. There was no doubt—the contract was extremely favorable to her, but that was exactly what troubled her.
Why would the ruler of the North agree to a contract that offered him almost no benefit at all?