Maybe killing that old dragon during the interview three days ago would have been a good idea for Leon.
Rossweise stood on the stage. She looked out at the hundreds of dragons watching below, all waiting excitedly to see the husband of the "happiest family of the year" kiss his wife.
With everyone watching, Rossweise had nowhere to hide. "Sigh."
Feeling trapped, Leon let out a sigh of resignation. Rossweise narrowed her eyes at him, suspecting he was about to do something crazy.
"Many of you might not know this," Leon announced, "but my wife and I are both very private people. We rarely show affection, even in front of our own clan. But today, to honor the award the academy gave our family, I will make a bold and rebellious decision."
He turned to Rossweise, who was almost frozen stiff. He held out his arm toward her. "So, in front of all our dragon kin, I will kiss my wife."
As soon as he said this, the hall erupted in cheers and whistles. Without thinking, Rossweise took half a step back and shook her head slightly. In a voice only he could hear, she said, "You're not really going to kiss me in front of hundreds of dragons, are you?"
Even though they had been intimate, they had never really shared a kiss—not since that one passionate day two years ago.
And now it wasn't just a kiss; it was a performance for hundreds of eyes.
This was so embarrassing!
As Leon moved closer, Rossweise's cheeks flushed redder. She could have refused firmly. She could have used the excuse "the kids are here, it's not right" to avoid it. But…
The next moment, the light in front of her was blocked. Then—a kiss—a warm feeling touched her left cheek, lasting only for a second.
Even though she was shocked, Rossweise could clearly feel her heart beating faster than ever before in that brief moment.
The shadow moved away. The hall lights shone on her face again. Leon took her cold hand and smiled at the crowd. "That's all, everyone."
If you want to see more, I'll kill you all~
"Wow, Daddy kissed Mommy~!" Muen clapped and cheered.
Some of the single-parent families watching this loving scene felt a stir of emotions. The young dragons from these families immediately felt their parents squeeze their little hands tightly.
So, when adults told kids not to interrupt, it was really to save the adults' pride…
Seeing the excitement, Leon looked ahead, smiled, and whispered, "Yeah, that felt good. I'm relieved. Thank you, Rossweise."
The Vice Principal came forward to conclude. "Thank you very much to this year's model families for bringing us laughter and happiness. Everyone, please go down and rest now."
Leon nodded. He led the still-dazed Rossweise off the stage, with Noah following closely behind. The entrance ceremony continued as planned.
.
.
.
About an hour later, the ceremony was over. The family of four said their goodbyes at the college gate.
Muen said a lot to her sister, but the main point was "Always think about Muen."
Noah was about to start her school life.
The second goodbye was with Rossweise. She wasn't good at expressing her feelings. She just patted Noah's head.
"Take care of yourself, Noah."
"Yeah, I will, Mom."
After saying that, Rossweise pinched Noah's cheek, a little unwilling to let go. Then she turned and walked away.
Finally, it was Leon's turn. He walked up to Noah and crouched down to her eye level.
"I probably have a lot to say. Do you want to hear it?"
Noah nodded. Her face was expressionless, but she was serious. "I want to hear it."
"Remember to take your dirty clothes to the dormitory service aunties regularly. They will help you wash them."
"Eat breakfast on time. It's okay to wake up a little earlier. Otherwise, you'll be hungry during morning classes."
"Don't be picky with food. You're growing right now. All nutrients are important."
"If you meet classmates with a bad attitude, don't start fights with them. Try to stay away."
"And also, about studying and classes… if you get a teacher you don't like, or you don't like how a teacher teaches, try to be patient and listen. If you don't understand, you can ask me when you come home on break."
"The most important thing is, if you get sick, go to the school clinic. Never try to tough it out."
He really did have a lot to say. But Noah listened carefully and remembered every word. She couldn't help but glance at Rossweise's back. Compared to Leon's, Mom's advice seemed very short.
Leon noticed Noah's look. He smiled and reached out to pat her head. "All of that is what your mom told me a few days ago when she had a bit too much to drink. She felt too awkward to say it herself, so I'm saying it for her. Noah, try to understand your mom. She really isn't good at showing her feelings."
A rare bit of emotion showed on Noah's usually cool face. She bit her lip and made a firm "Hmm" sound.
"Alright, what your old man wants to say to you is much simpler. Just be happy, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Of course—"
Leon looked left and right, then mysteriously leaned close to Noah's ear and whispered, "If anyone dares to bully you, don't worry about getting parents called or losing points. Just hit them back. Your old man has your back."
Noah tried hard not to smile."Is that what you did when you were in school?"
"Yeah. But every time after I fought at school, my master—your grand-father—would take me home and beat my butt."
Leon smiled and said, "But don't worry. With you, there's only the first part. No second part."
Noah nodded."I remember. I will take care of myself."
"Yeah, take care. We're going now. We'll pick you up next weekend."
"Goodbye, big sister! Don't forget Muen~!"
"Yeah, I'll miss you. Be good at home. Don't cause trouble."
"I know, sister~."
As the talking finished, the silver dragon spread her wings. Leon climbed onto her back, holding Muen. Before taking off, Rossweise turned to look at Noah one last time.
Noah waved her little arms hard. "Be careful on the way, Mom!"
The giant dragon nodded slightly. Then she flapped her wings and soared into the sky.
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.
.
A few days after the entrance ceremony, one night, Rossweise was bent over her desk, studying a book called "The Complete Guide to Blood Magic."
"Blood Enchantment… a charm magic that can only be used once in a lifetime. After use, the caster will fall into extreme weakness and exhaustion…"
Rossweise's thoughts were stirred. She murmured, "So, Leon was in a coma for two years not just because of his injuries. The Blood Enchantment also made his body too weak."
Just as Rossweise was starting to remember the details of that night, she heard a faint sound from her room's balcony. She put the magic book aside and went to check.
It was her trusted maid, Shirley.
"Welcome back, Shirley," Rossweise said.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I failed. I haven't found any information about Tiger Lawrence… or rather, I couldn't find any proof that such a person even exists."
Rossweise frowned. "He's just a farmer who knows how to hunt. In the Empire, he'd be a normal person. How can he not exist?"
[Author's Note: Do you really think a person who trained Leon would be normal?]
"If the search found nothing about kings or nobles, that would make sense. But, as Leon said, his master is just a normal old man. That's why Rossweise felt safe sending her own people to investigate and visit."
"But how come… they found nothing?"
"Keep investigating, but only if you can stay safe. Let me know immediately if you get any news."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As soon as she finished speaking, Shirley's figure flickered and disappeared into the dark night.