Chapter 18: Hurry Up and Bring Out the Eldest Daughter!
Leon’s thoughts drifted back to a few days ago.
It was his first time hanging out with Moon.
In the corridor of the Holy Temple, he bumped into a little girl who looked exactly like Moon, except her expression was as cold as one of those frozen fish at the market. She took one glance at Leon and bolted like she was training for a sprint.
At lunchtime, he encountered the “cold version of Moon” again. This time, they did manage to communicate a bit, but it was clear that the conversation was about as enjoyable as watching paint dry.
Leon thought maybe he had been out of it after sleeping for two years, or perhaps Moon had a quirky case of split personality.
But what he didn’t expect was… another daughter?!
“So, you mean to tell me, Moon, that you have a sister?”
Moon shook her head vigorously. “Not a sister! An elder sister~”
Leon let out an intrigued “Oh,” then immediately bombarded her with more questions about this elusive eldest daughter’s name. “So, what’s your sister’s name?”
“Her name is Noia~ It’s a name that sounds like the hero from the Dragon Race myth who saved the world!”
“Noia…” Leon repeated, pondering over the name.
Can’t deny that Roswiser has some serious skills in the naming department.
She had high hopes for her eldest daughter, wishing her to be some epic hero from tales; the little one’s name was inspired by the moon, the precious jewel under a sky full of stars.
“Daddy, can you teach me how to write my sister’s name?” Moon chirped.
“Sure thing! I’ll write it first, and you just copy me, alright?”
“Yay!”
Leon grabbed a pen and carefully wrote down Noia’s full name on a blank piece of paper:
Noia K. Melkway.
His handwriting was tidy and elegant—definitely a penmanship worthy of accolades.
Of course, it was good handwriting. During those three years he spent recovering in the hospital after Master smashed him in the chest, with only his hands and neck functioning, he got bored and decided to practice writing. Guess it paid off!
“Wow~ Daddy, your handwriting is so pretty!” Moon’s eyes sparkled like she just found treasure.
Leon chuckled, “You’ll be able to write just as beautifully soon.”
“Can I keep this? I want to show it to my sister tonight, she’ll love it!”
“Absolutely! Oh, by the way, Moon… is your sister… a bit hard to get along with?”
Thinking back to his previous awkward encounters with Noia, she either dashed away upon seeing him or froze him with a glare.
Definitely didn’t seem like the warm and friendly type like Moon!
“Not at all! She’s super nice! She helps me pick fruit, ties my hair, and if I get into trouble, she even takes the blame for me! —Uh… Dad, you can’t tell Mother though; that time she ruined Mother’s dress was totally my fault…”
Moon gave him her best puppy-dog eyes, trying to negotiate.
Leon wouldn’t spill secrets, so he ruffled Moon’s hair and promised, “No worries, Dad will keep your secret.”
“Thanks, Daddy~”
“So your Noia sister is actually a pretty good person, huh?”
“Yep! She might just be a bit shy when she first meets you.”
Leon nodded.
If that’s the case, then no problem!
It turns out the attitude of the eldest daughter towards him was just because they weren’t familiar yet.
For a second, Leon thought she was like a baby version of Roswiser!
One stubborn dragon lady was already a handful! If a little version popped up too, Leon might just leap off the Holy Temple!
Not a false alarm after all.
With that thought, a mischievous grin began to brew in Leon’s tummy.
He was already plotting how to give that clueless mother dragon a good roasting when Roswiser arrived later.
“Dad, what are you laughing about?” Moon asked, her head tilting like a curious puppy.
“Huh? N-Nothing! C’mon, Moon, let’s practice your sister’s name!”
“Okay!”
And so they spent the afternoon diligently practicing.
Little Moon proved she had quite the knack for learning; in just a few hours, she mastered writing Daddy, Mommy, Noia, and her own name—nicely done too!
Later that evening, when Roswiser wrapped up her busy day and entered Leon’s room…
“Mother~!”
Seeing Roswiser, Moon zoomed over like a rocket, wrapping her arms around Roswiser’s leg and looking up, “Good evening, Mother!”
Roswiser gently touched Moon’s little head, “Good evening, Moon! Have you learned to write your name yet?”
“Yup! I can write my name now! And I even learned to write Daddy and Mommy’s names too~”
Moon puffed out her chest with pride, her little face begging for compliments.
“Not bad,” Roswiser remarked, though her praise was a bit on the stingy side.
Moon, wanting more accolades, pouted, “But it’s so hard to write names! I learned it all in one afternoon~”
Leon, lounging against the wall, chimed in, “Moon really worked hard; you should throw in a few more compliments.”
Roswiser shot a glance at Leon, sensing he suddenly had this… oddly confident aura?
She turned her gaze back to the eager Moon.
The little girl was batting her sparkling eyes at her, practically screaming “Mommy, praise me!”
Roswiser knelt down, placed her hands on Moon’s shoulders, and grinned, “Well, Moon, that’s really impressive! As a reward, for dinner tonight, I’ll cook your favorite steak. How about that?”
“Yay! Mommy’s steak is the best!”
“Gee, I thought you were old-fashioned,” Leon teased.
“Why are you sitting there so relaxed, Leon?”
Leon shrugged, “You told me to teach our daughter to write, and I did. Why can’t I take a break?”
“It’s not just about teaching. Moon, come here and write it out for me to see.”
“Okay!”
Moon hopped onto a chair, grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and eagerly started writing all three names.
Roswiser stood beside her, quietly watching.
The child’s handwriting was neat and delicate, considering her age—quite commendable!
Looks like Leon actually has a talent for teaching kids.
Seeing this, Leon stretched his neck for a better look, then stood up to join them.
With Roswiser on one side and him on the other, they looked like one happy couple, though Leon had no intention of playing ‘couple’ here.
“I’m done!”
All three names lay perfectly aligned on the page.
Roswiser nodded in approval, “Well done, Moon. Now—”
“Hey, Moon, are you missing someone’s name?” Leon feigned confusion, trying to suppress his smirk.
“Hmm? Oh! You’re right!”
Upon hearing that, Roswiser’s smile vanished as if someone turned off the sun.
She glanced at Leon and caught him flaunting his smug grin.
“Well, if we’re writing names for the whole family, we have to include everyone! It’ll show that we’re all close and harmonious, right, Moon?”
“Daddy is right!”
“Then let’s add little Noia’s name too!”
“Okay!”
Roswiser narrowed her eyes at the father-daughter duo, “Little Noia… has Moon already mentioned her name to you?”
At last, Leon seized the opportunity, nodding eagerly, “Yeah, I know now! Ugh, I can’t believe as a father, I’d only just realized my eldest daughter’s name after a whole week!”
Roswiser stayed silent. She pretty much knew what Leon was about to say, so she simply observed his theatrics.
“And, Roswiser,”
“Hmm?”
“I feel pretty guilty towards you too.”
Suppressing a laugh, Roswiser asked, “Guilty for what?”
Leon clasped his heart dramatically, acting heartbroken, “I didn’t realize childbirth was so tough, and here you are giving me two daughters! You’ve really had a rough time.”
“When I return to the Empire, I’ll definitely add your name to our family tree, Roswiser!”
If it’s to provoke, let’s do it full force.
The outcome of provocation was always the same, so why not go all out?
Noticing Roswiser’s silence and icy glare, Leon assumed the mother dragon had already broken her composure.
So he pressed on, “By the way, Roswiser, you haven’t mentioned this in days. Are you utterly astounded by my robust health and abilities that it’s slipped your mind?”
There’s no way she could’ve forgotten about this!
Leon was clearly implying that Roswiser was intentionally hiding something due to guilt.
However, Roswiser’s expression didn’t change; she simply replied calmly, “This is all for your sake, Leon.”
“For my sake?”
“Yep.”
“I… I’m doing just fine! I’ve got a pair of adorable twin daughters; what could possibly be wrong? So when can I properly meet Noia?”
Roswiser raised an eyebrow, “You’re that eager?”
“Of course! I want to see my daughter!”
Roswiser smirked, “Alright, but don’t you dare regret it.”
Regret?
Pfft, don’t kid me, you childish mother dragon.
Hurry up and bring out the eldest daughter!
