Aurora, known fondly as Little Light, stirred awake to the soft sound of rustling paper.
Blinking the sleep from her eyes, her messy pink hair framing her face, she looked toward the noise. There, at the desk, sat her second sister, Muen. She was hunched over books and papers, a pen scribbling diligently. A large headscarf was tied around her forehead, bearing two bold characters: "EFFORT," followed by an oversized exclamation point.
"Oh no," Little Light mumbled, lying back down and squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm dreaming. My second sister, studying hard? I must still be asleep."
After a moment, she sat up again. Muen was still there, deeply focused.
Little Light's pink hair seemed to stand on end with alertness. "When a lazybones stops being lazy, it means there's definitely… something fun going on!"
She threw off the covers, her little tail wagging as she padded over in her cute pink pajamas. She peeked at the book Muen was reading. It was a basic magic theory text, but it was the dense, academic kind used for exam preparation, not simple spellcasting.
"Second sister," Little Light asked, scratching her head. "Why are you suddenly studying so hard?"
"St. Heath Academy's new semester enrollment is in a month," Muen replied without looking up. "I'm going to apply."
"Eh? But the junior courses are for dragons over seven years old. Big sister doesn't count; she's a monster."
"If my sister can pass the test and stick with it, so can I!" Muen pouted, her pen never stopping as she finished one essay question and immediately started the next. Leon's magical enlightenment over a year ago had given her a foundation, so the material wasn't entirely foreign.
Watching her sister's unusual determination, Little Light's eyes widened. A laid-back dragon like Muen wouldn't do this without a reason. It wasn't hard to guess: it was about Helena. If Noah was at the academy with her friend most of the time, Muen would be left alone at home. Enrolling was the only way for her to become Noah's little shadow again.
"But just self-studying… wouldn't it be really hard to pass? Big sister had Dad tutoring her."
Muen finally paused and put her pen down. "But what if Dad doesn't have time?"
Little Light blinked, then grinned. "How could a daughter-slave like him not have time? Even if he was stopping the apocalypse, he'd pause it for you."
Muen giggled at that. She packed her book away and hopped off the chair. "I'll go find Dad now."
She grabbed a few review books and jogged out the door. Seeing their lazy mascot suddenly become a dragon of action, Little Light's brain whirred. After a moment's thought, she snatched a few books from the desk, hugged them to her chest, and scurried after her. "Second sister, wait for me!"
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Meanwhile, in the practice yard behind the temple, Leon was guiding Rossweise through her primordial power training.
The couple sat facing each other. Rossweise held her palms apart, a crystal-clear point of white light flickering between them.
"Great progress compared to a few days ago," Leon said, looking up at her. "Is it difficult?"
Rossweise shook her head. "It's much easier now. I think I'm getting the trick."
"Good. Let's take a break. We've been at it all morning."
"Okay."
With Rossweise busy with court duties during the day, they could only squeeze in practice sessions in the morning and evening.
After resting for a bit, they got up to head for breakfast. "Let me see your hands," Leon said.
"What for?"
"To see if they're hurt."
"Oh." Rossweise obediently extended her hands.
Leon gently took them in his, feeling the cool, smooth skin on the back of her hands. "Your hands are so small, Your Majesty. Let's compare."
Rossweise looked at him with a playful smirk. Heh, childish. "Okay, let's compare."
She raised her hand, palm facing his. Instantly, Leon interlaced his fingers with hers, locking them together.
"Your hands are so cold, Your Majesty. Let me warm them up for you," he said with false heroism.
The Queen raised an eyebrow, her smile teasing. "Well, thank you, then."
"You're welcome, Your Majesty. It's my duty as your prisoner."
"Is that so? Then my other hand is cold, too. You can warm that one as well."
"It's my duty, Your Majesty!"
Rossweise smiled and slowly offered her other hand. Just as Leon moved to take it, she suddenly shot forward, grabbed his collar, and pulled him close until their faces were almost touching. His nose brushed her chin, and the scent of her silver hair filled his senses.
"If you want to hold my hand, you can just say so, dear~"
"If I say it, will you let me?"
"No."
"Tch. Whether you let me or not, I'm holding it now. You can't shake me off."
It was a bluff, of course. Could merely holding hands truly restrain the mighty Silver Dragon Queen? If she wanted to pull away, she wouldn't be wasting her time bantering with him. She was happy to play this "couple game."
With less than ten minutes before breakfast, the couple stood in comfortable silence, hands clasped, sharing warmth. Their black and silver eyes met, filled with longing. Simultaneously, they leaned in, drawn to each other's lips. Why not have a taste before breakfast?
"Mom! Dad!"
"Uh—cough cough! Mmm…!"
Their intertwined hands snapped apart. They quickly turned away, pretending nothing had happened.
"Ah… Muen, Little Light, good morning." Leon rubbed his palms and stood up. "You're up early. What's going on?"
"Second sister needs something from you," Little Light chirped. She then noticed her parents' flushed faces and awkward posture. "Mom, Dad, what were you just doing?"
"Nothing… nothing…"
"Nothing? Then why are your faces so red?"
"Uh, we were… um… doing morning exercises! Yes, a morning workout."
Little Light nodded slowly, letting out a long, dubious "Oh…"
"You said Muen needed me?" Leon crouched down and took Muen's hand. "What is it, sweetheart?"
"Dad, I want you to tutor me. The entrance test for St. Heath Academy is in a month," Muen stated seriously.
Leon was taken aback. He glanced back at Rossweise, who also looked surprised. She stepped forward. "Why the sudden interest in going to school, Muen?"
"Because I want to spend more time with my sister."
Rossweise raised an eyebrow. "Is that so… You are quite attached to Noah."
"Can I, Mom? I'll study hard!"
Seeing her determination, the couple shared a look. Leon nodded. "Okay, no problem. Dad will tutor you, but it will be hard work."
"It's okay! Muen will stick with it!" the little dragon girl declared with full confidence. Leon believed her.
"Um… Dad." Little Light tugged on Leon's sleeve.
"Yes, Little Light?"
"I… I want to try, too."
"...What's your reason?"
"Study hard, improve every day, and grow up to be a useful dragon to the Silver Dragon clan!" She pounded her small chest, her gaze as determined as a soldier enlisting.
Leon looked at his youngest daughter skeptically. Sweetheart, are you sure you're not just signing up to watch the fun?
.
.
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If his daughters wanted to learn, Leon would never refuse. But their reasons reminded him of when Noah, at just one year and two months old, declared her reason for applying: "To defeat more dragon slayers!" It was enough to break a father's heart.
He wondered if, after graduating, all three daughters would submit their old man as their final project.
Nevertheless, since Muen and Little Light had made their decision, Leon would do his best to tutor them. With a month to go, just like with Noah, he was confident they would pass smoothly. Muen, though lazy at times, was bright and only relaxed once she had mastered something. Leon wasn't the type of parent to force constant studying. And Little Light? She was a born prodigy; studying was as natural as breathing. She might even invent reverse spatial magic one day.
With his experience tutoring Noah, Leon felt this would be easy. They would ace this test.
"Though it sounds easy, did you forget something?" Rossweise asked that evening, hearing his optimistic thoughts. She was lounging on the living room sofa in a sheer nightgown, her long legs crossed.
"Forgot what?"
"St. Heath Academy has always emphasized family education. Besides testing the young dragons, they also give the parents an additional test." She lazily leaned back. "When Noah enrolled, didn't we also take that 'cooperation test'?"
Leon's eyes widened with realization. She was right. He remembered it well—back when they weren't close, they had to stay up all night playing Truth or Dare just to get to know each other for that very test.