Next Tuesday was Rossweise's birthday. Leon had plenty of time to prepare.
The first step was to figure out what Rossweise actually liked. He knew what she didn't like—cilantro. However, since it was her birthday, Leon didn't plan on pulling any childish pranks.
Annoying her was one thing, but the most important goal was not to spoil their daughters' excitement for the occasion.
The truth was, Leon didn't know much about Rossweise's specific preferences. She rarely expressed her likes and dislikes directly, often adopting an attitude of "this is fine, but if it's not, that's okay too."
After being Rossweise's captive for so long, Leon only knew for sure that she liked oranges. Even her ice cream had to be orange-flavored. Beyond that, he was drawing a blank.
But for a birthday, preparing only oranges would be pathetic. Otherwise, Rossweise would surely say, "Are human birthdays always this sad?"
As he was pondering this with no clear plan, a convenient distraction arrived—a knock on the door.
Leon got up to answer it, finding Noah and Muen standing there.
"Daddy, it's time for class!" Muen announced.
Leon squatted down, took her small hand, and smiled. "Even on a Saturday? Don't you want a day off?"
Muen shook her head, her expression serious. "Sister didn't take Saturdays off during her magic lessons. So Muen wants to be like Sister."
Hearing this, Leon glanced at Noah beside her. His eldest daughter gave a silent nod.
"Alright then, Daddy will take you to the library. Noah, do you want to come too?"
"Yes."
"Let's go."
Leon carried Muen while holding Noah's hand, and the father and his two daughters headed to the library together. After gathering several relevant books, he settled Muen on his lap and began the lesson as usual.
Noah, meanwhile, sat obediently across from them, engrossed in a more advanced book on magical theory.
It was surprising that Noah could understand supplementary materials usually reserved for older students, Leon thought to himself.
Redirecting his focus, he opened the book in front of him.
"Muen, today we're going to learn about another way to use magic—magic circles," Leon began.
Muen stared up at him with her big, beautiful eyes, listening intently.
"In this world, magic has many forms and just as many ways to be used. Magic circles are one of them," Leon explained. "Their purpose is to help the user cast a spell more easily."
"For example, if a user's magical burst isn't strong enough, they can accumulate power within the circle and release it all at once to get the effect they want."
"Of course, that's the most basic use. The more skilled you become, the more a magic circle can do for you, offering greater assistance."
"Hmm… Let's use an example. Muen, you like eating pan-fried steak, right?"
At the mention of this, Muen's drowsiness vanished. She nodded vigorously, the tuft of hair on her head bouncing excitedly.
Even Noah, sitting across from them, set her book down at the word "steak," looking up at her father.
It wasn't that she was interested in the steak itself; she was curious to see how he would connect it to magic circles.
"To make a delicious steak, you can roughly break it down into two steps: one, find a cow; two, process the cow. Right?" Leon asked.
Muen nodded.
"Now, the 'processing' step involves a lot of complicated work. Muen, wouldn't you like to skip all those tedious steps and go straight to eating a delicious steak?" Leon continued.
"Yes, yes!" Muen replied eagerly.
"So, why don't we design a magic circle that combines cutting magic and fire magic? With this, you just push a cow into the circle, and when it comes out the other side, it's a perfectly cooked steak."
For a moment, Noah wasn't sure how to describe her father's analogy. She couldn't call it nonsense because the method he described was theoretically possible.
However, no one would actually waste magic and time creating a circle specifically for producing steak—it was just for fun.
But thinking about it, Noah understood why Leon used such a strange example. When he had tutored her for the St. Heath Academy entrance exam, he had been very serious, using highly efficient learning methods and techniques the entire time.
Leon knew that teaching style suited Noah, and his approach had been successful. He helped her reach the required level for the entrance test in just one month.
As for Muen, she was a lively, active young dragon who couldn't sit still for long. Naturally, Leon didn't try to force a serious style on her.
Instead, he used a method she was familiar with and interested in—cooking steak.
Watching her sister listen so attentively, Noah knew their father often used this approach when teaching her. He really was the best father in the world, so skilled at guiding his daughters.
Noah smiled to herself, lowered her head, and went back to her book.
"Oh, oh, I understand, Daddy!" Muen exclaimed.
"Great! Now let's move on to something a bit more complicated," Leon said, continuing the lesson…
.
.
.
The afternoon teaching session passed quickly. Before dinner, Leon took his two little dragon daughters outside to enjoy the evening breeze in the courtyard.
Muen sat in his lap, while Noah sat beside him. The cool wind ruffled Muen's hair, the strands gently brushing against Leon's face.
He gazed at the setting sun in the distance and suddenly asked, "By the way, Muen, Noah… do you know what Mom usually likes?"
Leon decided to ask his daughters first. However, he didn't mention Rossweise's birthday. He wanted it to be a surprise for them too, a way to make up for the disappointment of the previous year.
"I know, I know!" Muen piped up.
Leon's eyes lit up. It seemed raising his little cotton ball hadn't been in vain—she was actually going to be helpful!
"So, what does Mom like?" Leon asked expectantly.
"Mom likes Daddy! She really, really likes him!" Muen declared proudly.
Leon chuckled softly. Well, if you put it that way, it wasn't wrong. In her and her sister's eyes, their mom and dad were the ultimate power couple, the picture of pure love.
"Huh? Daddy, why are you quiet? Did Muen say something wrong?" Muen leaned against Leon's chest, tilting her head up to look at him.
Leon looked down and gently pinched her cheek. "You're absolutely right, sweetheart. Mom likes Daddy. But Daddy wants to know if there's anything else she likes. Maybe a favorite food? Or a favorite thing to do?"
Instantly, Muen's eyes filled with confusion. It seemed she wouldn't be able to provide any specifics.
Leon turned to Noah, who was sitting quietly beside them, gazing at the distant sunset.
The crimson light reflected in her eyes, reminding her of the day her parents had their date under this very same beautiful sky.
Unfortunately, at the very end of that date, Anna had covered her and Muen's eyes, saying it wasn't for children to see—
Oh! Noah remembered.
"Mom said that a dragon's life is too long, and every beautiful thing has an expiration date—the day it's no longer loved. So, for her, the beauty that fades quickly is the most worth remembering."
That was what Anna had told Noah when she lamented not being able to photograph the moment of her parents holding hands on the beach.
Noah glanced sideways at Leon. "That's the best I can think of."
"The beauty that fades quickly…?" Leon pondered the phrase. Although he still hadn't pinpointed a specific object she liked, he now at least had a direction.
Just you wait, Mother Dragon. I will definitely arrange a birthday that satisfies you and that you'll never forget—
As for how it would be "unforgettable," he'd play it by ear. They would see!