75 You Won’t Even Call Me Dad?
Every time Aurora talked about how Dad loved Mom, it was always with such a proud tone.
This clearly showed that she really didn’t care about being a half-bl**d.
Not to mention, when Noia learned her old man was a human, she was the first to stand up for the “accept yourself” idea—
Though you could argue that little Moon probably didn’t grasp the whole situation, and Little Light decided to go with the silent treatment, making her a perfect little spectator.
But no matter what, the fact that the daughters didn’t have any racial barriers with their old father was indeed the best result.
Leon let out a quiet sigh of relief inside.
He had suddenly brought this up because he discovered something quite subtle that had been bothering him:
Since reuniting with adult Noia a day ago, she hadn’t called him ‘Dad’ even once.
Not even once, he was absolutely sure about this.
Moon still called him “Dad” like before, and Little Light was even more casual, calling him “Old Man.”
Yet Noia kept referring to him as “you” or “he.”
Leon understood that Noia might be mad at him for disappearing for twenty years.
But he also worried that perhaps her feelings about his human identity were causing her to distance herself, or there could be other reasons.
It was kind of like when little Noia hadn’t called him ‘Daddy’ for a long time after he woke up from a two-year coma.
Her first “Daddy” was shouted out during a family sports event at Saint His Academy, when she saw Leon giving it his all for the family’s honor; in her excitement, she yelled, “Go, Daddy!”
Afterward, Leon had pulled her into a hug and asked her to say it again a few more times.
Though a bit tsundere, Noia complied.
Little Noia’s thoughts were easy to read; Leon worked his way into his eldest daughter’s heart one step at a time.
But now, big Noia exuded a vibe of “I’m high and mighty, don’t mess with me,” her countenance blank, making it impossible for Leon to guess what was on her mind.
Do you know how important a sweet little ‘Dad’ is for a father’s love?—
Roswiser’s “hubby” ranks second, while the title of daughters’ “Dad” is firmly in first place!
(Donkeys can’t speak human, so they’re exempt from this ranking.)
Even though Leon confirmed through Aurora’s relaying that Noia wasn’t resentful of her half-bl**d status, he still wanted to understand what was really going on in her heart.
After chatting with Aurora for a while, it was time for dinner, and the father-daughters duo returned to the underground space to eat.
Dinner was rather simple: wild fruits, grilled meat, and mushroom soup.
All ingredients one could forage for in the wild.
Leon understood; times had changed. In the old days, there were dedicated maids to prepare meals for the queen and her family.
But now, the queen was lounging in crystal, the daughters were busy with research and honing their magic, and their old dad had been missing for twenty years, so not starving was already quite the achievement.
The seating arrangement at the dinner table was also quite amusing.
Moon and Aurora were, of course, snuggled up next to their old man.
Meanwhile, Noia sat all alone at the other end of the table, sipping her soup daintily.
“Dad, you have to try this! It’s made from the prime meat of a Dangerous Species that I caught myself!” Moon said proudly.
“Sure, I’ll give it a taste.”
Leon sliced off a piece and popped it into his mouth. The meat was decent, but it seemed a bit overcooked, with some burnt bits affecting the flavor.
“Is it tasty, Dad?” Moon’s eyes sparkled with ‘please praise me’ vibes.
“It’s delicious, of course,” Leon said, finishing the grilled meat. “Later, I’ll teach you some other ways to cook different kinds of meat. How does that sound?”
“Um… Dad, I caught the ingredients, but cooking is all Sister’s doing,” Moon replied.
Leon blinked, looking up at Noia across from him, who seemed to have no intention of saying anything.
“Oh, is that so…”
“Yeah, yeah! Try this too, Dad! Sister is really good at cooking~”
This not-so-cooking-savvy eldest daughter was lucky, having a sister who was a total sis-con and a dad who was a daughter’s slave.
Noia continued to eat her meal quietly with her head down.
After the simple dinner, Moon and Aurora took care of washing the dishes.
Noia went outside by herself.
After a moment’s hesitation, Leon followed her.
Once they left the underground space, Leon found there was no sign of Noia.
He looked around, but it was getting dark, and there were towering trees around, their branches and leaves thick enough to block his view.
After scanning for a while, he still didn’t see Noia.
Leon sighed silently, drooping his head, and was about to turn back.
Just as he took a step, he heard Noia’s voice from above,
“Do you have something you want to say to me?”
Leon stopped in his tracks and looked up to where the voice came from.
Noia was sitting on a big rock at the cave entrance, dangling one long leg, her hands hugging her knees.
“Uh… I just wanted to chat,” Leon said, “Do you have time now?”
“I do.”
“Then can I… come up?”
“Mm.”
Leon nodded and checked the area; then he carefully found a not-too-steep slope and slowly climbed up.
Once he reached Noia’s side, he bent down and sat next to her.
Noia didn’t move away.
Of course, she didn’t lean in either.
She maintained her earlier position, her eyes half-closed, gazing at the deep night sky.
Leon looked at her profile.
Elegant and refined, her eyebrows resembled her mother’s just a tad.
Neither father nor daughter initiated a conversation, and they sat there silently.
Until a chilly wind blew through, making Noia shrink her neck. “If you don’t say something, I’m going back. It’s really cold.”
“Ah… oh…”
“Don’t just ‘oh,’ say something. Didn’t you want to talk to me? Chat away.”
Leon ruffled his hair, at a loss for how to start.
His daughters had grown up, with their own thoughts and views, so he couldn’t just use the same approach he did when they were younger.
After much contemplation, Leon decided to be straightforward.
“Noia, are you feeling a bit… unhappy with me right now?”
Noia turned her head slowly to look at him. “Why do you think that?”
“Because… because… from yesterday until now, you haven’t called me Dad even once…”
Noia raised an eyebrow, her tone nonchalant, “Is that all?”
“Yes…”
Leon continued, “You went a long time without calling me Dad when you were little, didn’t you? Back then, you thought I didn’t love you, so that’s why you did it. So what about now? What’s the reason? You still think I don’t love you?”
He felt a bit anxious.
Usually, he wouldn’t get this agitated during conversations.
But now he was desperate to understand Noia’s inner thoughts.
Noia was aware of Leon’s usual calm demeanor, but she wasn’t surprised by his current oddity.
She huffed softly, then lowered her head, speaking seriously, “I just feel… scared.”
Leon was momentarily taken aback.
That wasn’t the answer he had expected.
“Scared… of what?”
“We used to have a very happy family, right?”
Noia murmured, “I used to respond fiercely to your love. You know, as Leon Casmod’s daughter, I’ve always been proud.”
“I know my father is incredibly strong, one of a kind.”
“I take pride in having a father like you.”
“And it’s the same with Mom; being your daughter is the luckiest thing in my life.”
“But… all of that turned to ashes after that disaster.”
“The things I cared about, cherished, that raised me, loved me… all my fiery love was buried with them twenty years ago.”
“I thought that just your return would solve all our troubles.”
Noia buried her mouth and nose in her arms, gripping her own arms tightly,
“But that’s not how it turned out.”
“I’m even more afraid of that day when the ultimate outcome comes to light.”
“What if it fails, and you leave me, and Moon and Little Light, again? What would we do? What about Mom?”
“I do love you, I truly do, but I can’t love you recklessly like when I was little.”
She slowly raised her head from her arms, tears glistening in her eyes as she looked at her father beside her.
At that moment, Noia’s face, marked with faint scars, seemed to overlap with how she looked when she was little.
Her voice was choked but clear,
“Because I’m afraid of losing you—twice.”
The strongest girl had the most fragile heart.
Noia’s concerns and feelings often ran much deeper than Leon could ever fathom.
Gazing at his daughter, Leon slowly extended his hand, gently resting it on Noia’s shoulder.
Seeing she didn’t have any intention of shrugging him off, he cautiously pulled her into a hug, letting her lean on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Noia. My departure caused all of this, making you and Mom suffer so much.”
“I don’t want to make grand promises in front of you because nobody can really predict how this time will turn out.”
“But Noia, you must believe me. For you sisters and Mom… I would do anything.”
Noia rested against her father’s shoulder, wiped her tears, and softly said, “People who talk big… usually end up with a sad ending.”
Leon blinked and glanced at the empty space behind him. “Well, that makes things a bit tricky for Dad. Even if I wanted to end badly, I’m not equipped for that…”
Noia burst into laughter, sat up straight, gave her nose a rub, and then raised her fist in front of Leon.
“Let’s do it this way.”
Seeing Noia’s slightly clenched fist, Leon instantly understood.
When she was little, he used to make this gesture to assure her.
“Okay.”
Leon nodded and extended his hand.
Their fists lightly tapped together, just like in the past.
“But until you save the world, I’m still not calling you ‘Old Man.’”
Noia’s stubbornness kicked in, resembling her hard-headed parents.
“Ah… why not?”
“What do you mean why? This is the Melkway family’s traditional stubbornness. Unconvinced?”
Leon chuckled, “Convinced, of course I am.”
Besides being stubborn, the Mother Dragon of the Melkway family, from old to young, was also quite skilled at handling General Leon!
