Half a month later, the new dragon hatchling enrollment test at St. Heath Academy began as scheduled.
It was a Monday, which perfectly aligned with the day they needed to drop Noah back at school. After arriving at the academy, the family parted ways at the entrance of the main academic building.
"Don't get nervous during the exam. Trust yourselves and trust Dad. You'll definitely pass," Noah said, as the eldest sister, giving her two younger siblings a serious pep talk before they separated.
The two little ones nodded repeatedly, their faces full of confidence for the test ahead.
The school bell rang soon after. Though Noah had more she wanted to say, she had to cut it short. With a wave of her hand, she dashed off toward her classroom.
After saying goodbye to Noah, Leon and Rossweise took Muen and Aurora to the third-floor registration area for the entrance test.
However, the moment they stepped into the building, they were met by the last person they wanted to see: Vice Principal Wilson.
"I already heard from the academic office that the Melkvey family would be enrolling for the new hatchling test this year. I never imagined it would actually be true!" Vice Principal Wilson's eyes gleamed with the excitement of a sailor discovering a new continent.
Before the official registration, there had been a preliminary process to estimate candidate numbers. Naturally, Leon's family had participated. They had thought it was a simple, standard procedure. They never expected this old dragon, Wilson, to take such a personal interest, making it hard not to suspect he had ordered his staff to alert him the moment the Melkvey name appeared.
All for the sake of his beloved "couple pairing," the old guy was truly going all out.
After a few polite exchanges, Vice Principal Wilson rubbed his hands together, looking at the two little dragon girls. "So, which one of you is entering this year?"
Muen stood on her tiptoes, eagerly raising her hand. "Grandpa Wilson, Aurora and I are both signing up!"
Smack—
Leon slapped his hand to his forehead.
It was over. Too late to take it back!
"Miss Rossweise, Mr. Leon, is this true? Both of your little princesses are applying to join this year's hatchling program?!" The light in Vice Principal Wilson's eyes intensified—it was no longer the glow of discovering a new continent, but of an astronaut finding a new planet.
"Y-yes, Vice Principal. The children want to learn, and we can't stop them," Rossweise replied with a slightly helpless smile.
"Haha! Ha!—Ha!" After receiving confirmation, the old dragon clutched his chest, breathing heavily as if he couldn't catch his breath.
Leon raised an eyebrow, concerned. "What's wrong? Did your asthma flare up?"
"No, no, Mr. Leon. I'm just... excited. I'm excited."
"...It's just registration. There's no need to get so worked up, is there?"
The vice principal waved his hand seriously. "How can I not be? Your eldest daughter, Noah, passed the entrance test with the highest score and at the youngest age ever, and has kept the top ranking in her grade for two years straight. She's destined to become a top-tier dragon warrior. As her sisters, I'm sure these two little princesses will be just as outstanding. You've provided the academy with three such excellent students. How can I not be thrilled?"
Vice Principal Wilson looked at the two little ones with immense satisfaction, then grabbed Leon's hand. "Mr. Leon, considering your family's exceptional performance last time, I can make an exception and allow your daughters to enter directly without taking the exam!"
Upon hearing this, both Leon and Rossweise quickly waved their hands in refusal. "Ah, no, no, Vice Principal, we'd rather go through the normal procedure, thank you."
They had two reasons for refusing:
First, their family principle was never to use connections or take shortcuts.
Second, they needed the entrance test to carry out a particular 'plan.'
"It's really no trouble," the vice principal persisted. "The academy reserves a number of direct admission spots every year. It's not something shady."
"Thank you for the offer, Vice Principal, but we truly don't need that arrangement. Muen and Aurora can pass the test on their own merits," Rossweise insisted firmly.
After several rounds of polite refusal, the vice principal could only sigh and reluctantly accept their decision.
Leon and Rossweise exchanged a glance. It seemed the old dragon was somewhat displeased by the rejection. But that was fine; in fact, it might work in their favor. If he stayed disgruntled, their 'plan' might proceed even more smoothly.
However—
"Ah, as expected from a model family of our academy. Such integrity and dedication! It's something every dragon here should aspire to!" Wilson exclaimed.
Leon & Rossweise: "…"
This guy was utterly unbeatable.
Oh well. Who could possibly withstand his relentless enthusiasm?
"Now then, are you familiar with the test procedure? The princesses will take the written exam, and you two will accompany me to the fourth floor for the family interview," the vice principal said.
Leon nodded. "Yes, we're ready."
"Good, a staff member will escort you shortly. I'm really looking forward to seeing your performance this year."
After a few more formalities, the vice principal finally left. Leon and Rossweise both let out a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, Leon felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Muen.
"What's the matter, Muen?" Leon asked, squatting down to her level.
"Daddy, I'm a little nervous."
Despite her bold claims in front of her sister earlier, now that the test was imminent, it was natural for a young hatchling like Muen to feel a flutter of anxiety. In fact, not feeling nervous would have been strange.
Leon smiled and pinched her cheek gently. "Didn't your sister just say it? Believe in yourself. You're Noah's sister—you've got this. There's no way you won't pass."
Muen's little cowlick swayed as she hung her head, nibbling on her lip. After a brief but intense internal debate, she nodded firmly. "Okay. I'll do my best, Daddy."
"That's the spirit, Muen."
Just then, a voice called from the staff desk: "All hatchlings registered for the entrance test, please gather on the third floor!"
"Go on, Muen, Aurora. Do your best. Don't stress too much."
"Yes, Daddy!"
The two little dragon girls held hands and made their way toward the gathering point.
Leon slowly stood up and turned to Rossweise. "It's time we get ready for our interview. Everything going according to plan?"
The queen nodded. "Yes."
The two shared a look, then spoke in unison:
"Operation 'No Embarrassing Moments at the Ceremony' is a go!"
Two years ago, their eldest daughter Noah had passed the hatchling entrance test with the highest score and at the youngest age. By a cruel twist of fate, Leon and Rossweise had also scored the highest in their family interview. They thought that would be the end of it, but at the new student ceremony, the wonderful Vice Principal Wilson had crowned them the academy's model family. Worse, he invited them on stage to share their family insights in front of hundreds of dragons.
But the true depths of social embarrassment were plumbed when, spurred by the vice principal and the cheering crowd, they had ended up sharing a kiss on stage, elevating the ceremony to a whole new level of unforgettable awkwardness.
Now, two years later, the couple had devised their 'No Embarrassing Moments' plan to avoid a repeat catastrophe.
This time, they would do only three things during the interview:
Be low-key. Be low-key. And for the love of all that's holy—be low-key!
"As long as we act mediocre during the interview, keep our scores low, and just ensure the kids pass, we won't be named this year's model family. That means no speeches," Leon said confidently.
"Got it. Muen and Aurora just need to perform normally. This is an adult plan. The kids shouldn't be dragged into it."
"Exactly!"
"So, do you have any specific ideas for the interview? What should we say?"
"I'll just say that I've lost my passion for you over the last two years," Rossweise deadpanned.
Leon blinked. "That's way too fake, my dear. How could you possibly have lost passion for me?"
Rossweise poked his chest. "I'm saying it for the plan's sake."
"Oh… so, you do still have passion for me, right?"
The queen rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. I'm not arguing with you."
Laughing and joking, they arrived at the interview room door. They gave each other one last glance, then pushed the door open.