The Most Delicious Dog Food is Often Cooked in the Simplest Ways
After setting up the stage props, Leon and the others took their places one after another.
The first act, just like during rehearsals, had Roswiser shooing away Moon for a private chat with the “captured” Leon.
Following the classic performances of “Tail Lock Throat” and “Handsome, Man, Scar,” the school leaders and judges in the audience began to quietly discuss.
“Little actor’s performance is quite good, very much in character.”
“The leading lady’s expressions and tones are spot on, especially the pauses during her lines; she really has that cold, proud princess—almost queenly vibe.”
“Do you think it’s possible she really is a queen?”
“Why is nobody talking about the leading man’s acting? Did you not see his mastery in portraying a defeated prisoner’s stubborn yet helpless spirit?”
“Yeah, I saw it. His acting is superb.”
“It doesn’t even feel like acting.”
Listening to the judges rave about the performance of this exemplary family, Vice Principal Wilson, sitting somewhat left of center on the judge’s panel, stroked his white beard in satisfaction.
He leaned slightly and whispered to Principal Anjelina Aulete, “Well, Principal, didn’t I tell you Melkway’s family would definitely surprise us?”
Principal Aulete nodded in agreement, “Indeed.”
Leon and his wife’s performance truly astonished Aulete.
She still remembered their first meeting in her office, where Veronica had asked her to deliver the Original Crystal as a wedding gift to Roswiser.
Back then, the couple left a good impression on Aulete—humble, polite, with a knack for conversation and knowing just how much to engage, they conveyed sincerity without being overly intimate, leaving themselves some room.
That’s how Aulete tagged them: a shrewd couple.
But watching their lifelike and deeply engaging acting now, Aulete had reason to believe they were not just a shrewd couple but also a loving and harmonious one.
Usually hearing Vice Principal Wilson rave about their love and perfection, Aulete hadn’t really believed it.
But after today’s live performance, she was convinced.
“Did Shadow Stone record the entire thing?” Aulete asked.
“Fully recorded,” Wilson replied, brimming with pride.
The principal smiled faintly.
Perfect! She would hand over the recording to Veronica right after this.
Let the old lady enjoy and see how her granddaughter and son-in-law are such a perfectly in-sync couple.
On stage, the first act wrapped up.
In the second act, the little fairy played by Little Light appeared, guiding the captured leading man to escape from prison and finally return home after much hardship.
However, just when he was about to enter his homeland, he encountered a princess who had been pursuing him.
He thought she would block his path, but the princess, already smitten, had come to bid him farewell.
The two were all lovey-dovey for a long while, yet somehow they still failed to admit their feelings for each other.
Meanwhile, the little pink-haired fairy was getting anxious on the side.
She was nervous during rehearsals and still nervous now during the actual performance.
But the big sister told her this was not a matter you could rush.
Otherwise, they could just take their bows at the end of the second act—what plot would follow?
Alright, the director is king; we follow the director.
Finally, after their gooey farewell, Little Light waved her magic wand prop and declared,
“So, brave knight, I foresee in the fables that you and the princess will see each other again! Now hurry back to your homeland, regroup, and face even bigger challenges to come~”
With that flourish of the magic wand, the second act drew to a close.
The audience erupted in applause for the performance.
The judges continued evaluating the actors’ displays.
“If the first act established the character’s foundational traits, giving us a clear impression of the roles, then the second act shatters that layer, making the characters much richer.”
“Indeed, it uses the emotional shifts of the characters to intelligently weave the plot, and the execution isn’t jarring at all. You have to hand it to this team of writers.”
“True, the script is excellent, but I think credit goes to the director for seamlessly connecting these two acts. After all, a play has to be performed, and that tests the director’s skills.”
“Hmm… you’ve got a point. What was the director’s name again?”
“Noia, Noia K. Melkway, the youngest in the Young Dragon Department, but always topping the charts.”
“Oh? I usually guide plays in Sky City, invited here to judge this competition. I didn’t expect your academy to have such a talented student.”
“Teacher, don’t even think about poaching Noia; directing is just one of her talents; she will become the top warrior of the Dragon Race one day.”
“Hahahah~ You saw through my intentions!”
The judges were quite impressed with the two acts.
Next up was the most heated conflict of the third act—
A showdown between Leon and Claudia.
In this act, Noia played the role of a maid near Claudia.
After a series of movements and setups, Noia watched as her dad stepped in front of Aunt Claudia.
With a bow, he respectfully uttered the line,
“Mother.”
Hearing this, Noia silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Way to go, Dad! You finally managed to call her “Mother” without flubbing it!
They exchanged a few more lines, and due to the play’s time constraints, the conflict quickly escalated.
“You say you want to go back to find that woman?! Impossible! I will never allow you to do that!”
Claudia was all regal, her acting so real it was as if…
Leon truly was her son, and she genuinely couldn’t allow him to love a princess from an enemy nation.
No matter how many times Noia watched this, she couldn’t help but admire it every time.
She thought her parents had exceptional acting talent, but she didn’t know Aunt Claudia was also quite the performer.
Leon had felt somewhat like Noia until Claudia told him and Roswiser that the Sea Dragon Race didn’t actually support her sister and brother-in-law’s marriage.
At that moment, General Leon realized:
Life being a performance, filled with memories, wasn’t just his and Roswiser’s reality.
Ah, every family has their own struggles, Leon thought to himself.
“Mother, just let me see her once!”
“I said no! If you absolutely must see her, fine, take off your armor, remove your insignia, strip yourself of all your honors, and then you may see her.”
“…Fine! Fine! Mother, you said it!”
Leon took off his armor and other props.
“Mother, are you satisfied now?”
“You… you actually threw all this away for that woman! Is it worth it?!”
“Worth it! For her, everything is worth it.”
“Fine! Fine! Guards! Exile him until he figures things out and can return!”
After a back-and-forth of exchanges, Noia was thrilled on the side.
No need to say, her dad’s rebellious and reckless spirit was tailor-made for him;
While Aunt Claudia conveyed the emotions in their dialogues flawlessly.
From shock to anger, to final helplessness, the transition was incredibly smooth.
Aunt, you’re not even acting!
It’s like there’s really a rebellious family member at home…
The plot continued, with Leon guided by Little Light to meet Roswiser again.
But Claudia wasn’t the only stumbling block in their love story.
They also had to face the wrath and disdain of both nations, struggling along their tumultuous journey, falling into a witch’s snare, and undergoing trials of life and d*ath.
Just as they were about to escape to their ideal haven, the princess was cursed by the witch and fell into an eternal slumber.
“No! No!”
(Snowflakes fluttering, the north wind howling)
“Darling, you can’t just leave me like this! You can’t just go!”
On stage, Roswiser had fallen into “slumber,” lying in Leon’s embrace.
Leon cradled her head, staring heavenward and sighing, tears streaming down his face—
In truth, he had just dabbed some onion juice in the corner of his eye before going on; otherwise, he would have easily burst out laughing.
Thinking about Mother Dragon being in a coma made him too happy (because he could dress her up as a black silk bunny girl and take crazy photos again, hehe).
Still, the emotional effect he projected was incredibly infectious.
Many little young dragons in the audience began to worry if the beautiful princess would truly wake up.
The plot pushed onward.
The knight played by Leon, after the princess’s slumber, traveled the world to find a way to awaken her.
Not long after, this predicament reached both nations.
A princess in a coma is no small matter.
Yet, due to the years of conflict between them, no one was willing to back down first.
In the end, it was the knight’s unwavering love for the princess that moved them.
No longer was the knight fighting the world alone; for the first time, he had supporters.
In the final act, the knight finally discovered a way to wake the princess.
They reunited at the beach at sunset, tying back to the title “As Love Sinks.”
Leon cradled Roswiser in his arms, slowly waiting for her to awaken.
The stage lighting created an ambiance of sunset, soft and alluring.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Helena approached Noia.
“We’re about to take our bows; we did it, Noia.”
Noia nodded, “Yeah, we… did it.”
“Oh right, the last line that Mom wanted me to modify—”
“Don’t worry; right before we went on stage, Dad said he already thought of the perfect line.”
Little Sea Dragon’s eyes sparkled, “Really?”
“Yep, really. Although I have no idea what he’ll say, I believe in him.”
On stage, Roswiser slowly awakened.
The leading couple locked eyes, the ‘sunset’ light reflecting in their pupils.
Ambiguity spun like silk, rippling in their gazes, tangled yet unbreakable.
“You’re finally awake,” Leon whispered.
Roswiser slightly got into character.
She gazed into Leon’s deep black eyes, softly responding, “Mm…”
According to the script, after the princess responded, it would lead to the very last line of the play.
That line Helena had revised countless times to her dissatisfaction.
Roswiser, too, was curious about what Leon would say.
Was it a simple yet formal “I’ve been waiting for you”?
Or a lengthy yet romantic “a few hundred words essay”?
Or perhaps…
Roswiser couldn’t guess.
Because this man always knew how to surprise her.
“Roswiser.”
This wasn’t the name of the female protagonist in the play, but Leon insisted on calling her by her true name at this moment.
Of course, Leon’s daring had its limits; only the two of them on stage could hear him say “Roswiser.”
Roswiser looked at him in slight surprise; this silly goose is calling her by her real name… what’s he up to?
“Roswiser…”
He met Roswiser’s gaze and, under the watchful eyes of over a hundred people, slowly spoke,
“I love you.”
