Leon's eyes lit up as the topic shifted to physiological traits. "So, dragons can actually become nearsighted?"
"Pure-blooded dragons? Of course not," Aurora said with a light shrug. "But I'm mixed-blood. And when you spend all day in a basement buried in ancient texts and research notes, nearsightedness is pretty much inevitable~"
When she said "I'm mixed-blood," her tone was casual, her expression relaxed. It seemed she carried no burden about her heritage whatsoever.
Leon pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Aurora, when you first learned that half of your blood was human… how did you… feel?"
Aurora blinked, immediately picking up on the subtext of her father's words. A faint smile touched her lips. "Dad, what you really want to ask is if I can accept being mixed-blood, right?"
"…Yes."
"Of course I can. Why wouldn't I?"
Aurora glanced sideways at Leon, her pink eyes holding an unusual seriousness. "I could even turn the question back on you: why would you initially think 'my daughter might not be able to accept her own origin'?"
Leon was taken aback. He hadn't expected Aurora to respond like this. "Uh, well…"
"It's not your fault. Mom had the same worry when she told us everything."
"She told us not to hate you, or to despise ourselves."
"Mom talked so much she barely let us get a word in. She was terrified we might reject our origins because of the human blood in us."
"In the end, it was Big Sis who comforted her."
"Big Sis said, 'Maybe in Dad's memory, the first lesson he taught me was to help me prepare for the entrance exam to St. Heath Academy.'"
"'But to me, the first lesson that gentle, knowledgeable man taught me was how to accept myself.'"
"'Waking up after a two-year coma, you weren't ready to be a father at all.'"
"'But you still accepted your new role, accepted Big Sis and Second Sis.'"
"'For that, you tried your best to love them as a father should.'"
"'Back then, you knew perfectly well that your daughters were mixed-blood, not pure humans.'"
"'But you loved them without the slightest hesitation.'"
"'Because to you, they were your daughters first, and 'mixed-blood' only came after.'"
"'Back then, I didn't fully understand what Big Sis meant.'"
"'But now, I think I'm starting to get it.'"
As she spoke, Aurora slowly stood up. Standing on the grassy slope, she gazed toward the distant horizon where the green earth met the blue sky in a sharp, clear line.
"Accepting yourself is a difficult thing."
"But Leon Cosmodeous did it with apparent ease."
"So, as his daughters, what reason do we have to struggle with it?"
"Besides…" Aurora looked down at her father, the seriousness on her face melting into a mischievous grin. "You, the strongest human Dragon Slayer, are head over heels for my mom, the Silver Dragon Queen, and you're worried about *species differences*?"
Every time Aurora spoke of her father's love for her mother, there was a palpable sense of pride in her tone. It was clear she genuinely held no reservations about her mixed heritage.
And the fact that Noah had been the first to bring up "self-acceptance" upon learning their father was human… Well, it was possible the young Muen hadn't fully grasped the concept, and Little Light had likely just chosen to watch quietly, amused. But in any case, there were no racial barriers between the daughters and their father. That was the best possible outcome.
Leon silently let out a breath of relief.
The reason he'd suddenly brought this up was a subtle observation: from the moment he reunited with the adult Noah the day before until now, she had not called him "Dad" a single time. Not once. He was sure of it.
Muen still called him "Daddy" like she always had, and Aurora, more casual, used "Dad." But only Noah consistently referred to him as "you" or "he."
Leon could understand that Noah might be angry about his twenty-year absence. But he also worried it might be tied to his human identity, or some other reason.
It was similar to when he first woke from his two-year coma; young Noah hadn't called him "Dad" for the longest time. Her first "Dad" had come at the St. Heath Academy family sports day, when she saw Leon giving his all for the family's honor. Overwhelmed, she had shouted, "Go, Daddy!" Afterwards, Leon had hugged her and made her say "Dad" several more times. Though embarrassed, she had obediently complied.
A child's thoughts were easy to guess, and Leon had used his actions to gradually win over his eldest daughter's heart. But now, the adult Noah exuded an air of "I'm too cool for this, don't bother me." She kept her emotions deeply hidden, and Leon couldn't begin to guess what she was thinking.
*Do you know how important one heartfelt 'Dad' is to a daddy's girl like me?* — Rossweise's "Hubby" ranked a close second, but his daughters' "Dad" was absolutely number one!
(The donkey couldn't speak human, so it wasn't in the ranking.)
Although, through Aurora's account, Leon felt fairly confident that Noah didn't mind her mixed bloodline, he still wanted to know what was truly going on in his daughter's heart.
After chatting with Aurora a while longer, it was time for dinner. The two of them returned to the underground space.
The meal was simple—wild berries, roasted meat, and mushroom soup. All ingredients foraged from the wilderness. Leon understood the necessity. In their current hidden, precarious life, this was their reality.
Noah was already at the stone table, quietly waiting. Muen was happily setting out wooden bowls. Her cheerful demeanor was a stark contrast to Noah's quiet composure.
Leon took his seat, his gaze lingering on Noah for a moment. She met his eyes briefly, then looked down at her bowl, her expression unreadable.
The unspoken word hung in the air between them, a silent question mark over the dinner table.