"During the time I spent studying and preparing for the exams, I'm very grateful for Mom's encouragement and my little sister's company."
Hearing that, Leon's heart tightened slightly.
It looked like it was going to be like their first dinner together again—"There's none for you."
But it didn't matter. As long as his daughter successfully enrolled, that was enough. This old father would hide his achievements and fame deep away.
"And the person I most want to thank is still my... my father. He really helped me a lot. Thank you very much. Um, I think that's about it..."
After saying that, Noa turned around and glanced at Leon.
The old father was just one step away from being moved to tears.
The vice principal clapped. "It seems Mr. Leon has truly taught you well. Mr. Leon, your daughter is thanking you so much. Aren't you going to show some appreciation?"
Leon stopped his tear glands and asked blankly, "How... should I show it?"
"Of course, give your outstanding daughter a hug and a kiss," the vice principal said.
"A hug... is possible, but a kiss..."
Principal, you wouldn't want the enrollment ceremony to turn into a patricide scene, would you?
"A kiss on the cheek is fine," Noa suddenly said softly.
"Huh?"
"Hurry up. Finish it already so this embarrassing ceremony can end."
Leon hurriedly picked up his eldest daughter. Amid everyone's cheers, Losweiser's astonished gaze, and Mu En's excited applause, he gently kissed Noa on the side of her cheek.
It was very light, very brief. Noa could clearly feel Leon's careful restraint.
But even so, Leon was satisfied.
After all, a month ago, Noa would not even let him touch her.
Watching this scene, Losweiser secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The father-daughter relationship finally showed signs of thawing.
Besides, thank goodness he hadn't said he wanted to kiss me, Losweiser thought to herself in relief.
"Now that you've kissed your daughter, how can you forget your wife, Mr. Leon?"
Perhaps letting Leon butcher this old dragon during the interview three days ago would have been a good choice?
Losweiser stood on the stage and looked at the hundreds of gossip-hungry dragons below. Everyone wore expectant expressions, eager to see how the husband of this year's happiest family would kiss his wife.
Under so many watchful eyes, Losweiser had nowhere to run.
"Ah."
Caught between a rock and a hard place, she heard Leon sigh as if helpless.
Losweiser narrowed her eyes at him. This bastard was definitely about to push his luck.
"Everyone may not know this, but my wife and I are both very reserved and introverted in our daily lives. Even before our own people, we rarely show affection. But today, in order to live up to the honor the academy has bestowed upon our family, I've decided to do something bold and rebellious—"
Leon turned toward Losweiser, who was nearly petrified on the spot, and held out his arm to her.
"That is, to kiss my wife before all our fellow dragons."
The moment those words came out, cheers and whistles erupted endlessly from below.
Whether noble or commoner, human or dragon, everyone was the same when it came to enjoying a spectacle.
Everyone was smiling excitedly. Even Noa could not help turning around, wanting to see how her mother, who had always been poor at expressing her feelings, would accept this public kiss.
"Come, my dear wife. We are the happiest and most harmonious family, aren't we? Then prove it to everyone."
Leon extended his hand in invitation.
Losweiser subconsciously took half a step back and shook her head almost imperceptibly. In a voice only the two of them could hear, she said,
"You're not seriously going to kiss me in front of hundreds of dragons, are you?"
Thinking back on it, although she and Leon had slept together and held hands, they seemed never to have kissed each other—
Except for that day two years ago when it happened in one shot.
And now, not only were they going to kiss, they were going to do it in front of these hundreds of dragons.
Th-this, this, this—
How embarrassing!
As Leon drew closer and closer, Losweiser's cheeks grew redder and redder.
She could have sternly refused him right then and used the excuse that the children were present and it was inappropriate. That would not have made things too awkward.
But...
Even when Leon gently held her arm, she did not clearly refuse him.
Could it be that even she was expecting something...?
Expecting that kiss...
The next second, the light before Losweiser's eyes was blocked, followed by—
Pop.
A warm touch landed on her left cheek, but only for an instant.
Although Losweiser was so startled that she nearly lost her senses, she could clearly feel that, in that instant, her heartbeat had soared to an unprecedented speed.
The shadow before her receded, and the hall's lights shone upon her face again.
Leon took her icy little hand and smiled at the gossip-hungry dragons below.
"Only this much, everyone."
If you want to see anything else, I'll kill you all~
"Yay! Daddy kissed Mommy!" Mu En cheered, clapping her hands.
Some other asexually reproducing families were also slightly moved as they watched this "loving and happy" scene.
But the Dragon Race's pride and stubbornness seemed to be a common flaw.
"S-So what if we don't have husbands? It's not like we're jealous!"
"Mm-hmm, exactly! We're not jealous at all, not jealous!"
Though they said that, the young dragons from those "single-parent families" suddenly felt their little hands being squeezed tightly.
So adults told children not to interrupt because they wanted to save face...
While everyone was making a fuss, Leon stared ahead with a smile and said quietly,
"Mm, that felt good. Stress relieved. Thanks, Losweiser."
Pressure-Resistance Champion × Stress-Relief Champion √
If there had not been so many people present, Losweiser truly wanted to deal with this bastard right there and then!
Seeing that the proceedings were nearly complete, the vice principal stepped forward to wrap things up.
"Then, thank you very much to this year's model family for bringing us so much laughter. Please go down and rest, everyone."
Leon nodded and led the still-dazed Losweiser down from the stage, with Noa following closely beside him.
The enrollment ceremony proceeded as scheduled.
About an hour later, the ceremony ended.
Noa was about to begin her academy life.
The family of four said their goodbyes at the academy gates.
Mu En said so, so much to her sister, but the main theme was only one thing:
Noa absolutely had to miss Mu En.
Naturally, Noa would fulfill every request her little sister had.
The second to say goodbye was Losweiser.
She was not very good at expressing herself. She merely stroked Noa's head.
"Take care of yourself, Noa."
"Mm, I will, Mom."
After saying that, Losweiser reluctantly pinched her cheek before finally turning and walking to one side.
But she had her back to them.
Finally, Leon stepped before Noa, crouched down halfway, and met her gaze at eye level.
"I may have quite a lot to say. Do you want to hear it?"
Noa nodded seriously despite her expressionless face. "I do."
"Remember to regularly take your dirty clothes to the aunties in the Life Department. They'll wash them for you."
"Eat breakfast on time. It's fine to wake up a little earlier, or else you'll be starving through your morning classes."
"Don't be picky with food. You're still growing, and every kind of nutrition is important."
"If you run into classmates with bad personalities, don't provoke them. Try to stay away from them."
"And as for studying and classes, if you encounter a teacher you don't like, or if you dislike a teacher's teaching style, try to listen patiently anyway. If you don't understand, you can ask me when you come home during break."
"Most importantly, if you get sick, you must go see the academy doctor. You absolutely must not try to tough it out."
He really did have a lot to say.
But Noa listened carefully and remembered every word.
Still, she could not help glancing at Losweiser's back.
Compared to Leon, wasn't Mom's advice a little... too sparse?
Leon noticed Noa's little movement and smiled as he patted her head.
"Your mother told me all of that a few days ago when she drank too much. She was too embarrassed to say it herself, so I did it for her. Noa, you have to understand Mom. She really isn't very good at expressing her feelings."
Hearing that, a rare flicker of emotion appeared on Noa's cold little face.
She bit her lower lip and gave a firm "Mm."
"Alright. As for what Dad wants to tell you, it's much simpler. Just be happy. Don't put pressure on yourself. Of course—"
Leon looked left and right, then mysteriously leaned close to Noa's ear and whispered,
"If anyone dares bully you, don't worry about having parents called in or losing points. Just hit them back. Dad's got your back."
Holding back the upward curve of her lips, Noa asked, "Were you like that when you were in school?"
"Yeah. It was just that after I finished the first half at school, my master—your grandfather—would take me home and fight the second half with me."
Leon smiled. "But don't worry. For you, there'll only be a first half. No second half."
Noa nodded. "I'll remember that. I'll take good care of myself."
"Mm, do your best. We're leaving now. We'll come pick you up next weekend."
"Alright."
Leon stood up and waved to Noa.
"Goodbye, Sis! Remember to miss Mu En~"
"Mm, I'll miss you. Be good at home and don't cause trouble."
"Got it, Sis~"
As soon as she finished speaking, the Silver Dragon Queen spread her wings. Leon held Mu En and climbed onto her back.
Before taking off, Losweiser turned back for one last look at Noa.
Noa raised her little arm and waved hard. "Have a safe trip, Mom."
Before you continue